Reincarnation in the Three Kingdoms Era with a System

Chapter 615 615: 615 News from Hangu Pass

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Ming emerged, his face flushed, a lewd and satisfied smile playing on his lips, and he even adjusted his belt.

The maids outside didn't go in to serve Grandmother Jia until Lu Ming had left.

They found a plump, middle-aged woman lying limply on the bed. If it weren't for the violent heaving of her chest, one would have thought she was dead.

Fresh, thick fluid oozed from her two wrinkled, fat legs.

She gasped for breath, her heart filled with despair, yet she dared not die. If she died, the Jia family would suffer utter destruction, her son and grandson turned into eunuchs!

Such cruel consequences were unbearable for Grandmother Jia. Therefore, she could only endure Lu Ming's bestial thrusts until he trembled on top of her and ejaculated his sinful semen into her old vagina. Only then did this nightmare temporarily end.

It was only temporary because perhaps tonight, or perhaps tomorrow, Lu Ming would come again, and she would suffer again!

With the collapse of the four powerful families, Lu Ming officially took control of Chang'an.

More than half of the land fell into his hands, along with their private slaves. These slaves were not registered in the official population; they were privately owned, reflecting the slave system inherited from the Qin Dynasty.

Back then, Zhang Han in Julu was able to raise hundreds of thousands of slave children. If Xiang Yu hadn't been so powerful and defeated Zhang Han, whether the Han Dynasty would have even existed is uncertain.

These private slaves, according to preliminary estimates, exceeded 500,000, many of them experienced farmers and blacksmiths.

Therefore, they were conveniently distributed, while servants without skills were sent to the workshops to do simple, monotonous work that required no skills.

Lu Ming's annexation of other powerful families naturally sparked a frenzy of impeachments in Luoyang. However, Emperor Ling was near death and had no time to deal with Lu Ming's affairs. Besides, Lu Ming had already sent a letter to Liu Xie expressing goodwill, so he was even less likely to do anything.

With Empress He's help in Chang'an, an imperial edict could make even the unreasonable seem reasonable—such was the tyranny of imperial power!

Besides this, Lu Ming began sending people to find stunning beauties to entice him and enhance his pleasure—a blatant act.

Among them were women from branches of the Yuan family, many of whom were abducted and raped, clearly using power to satisfy his lust.

The Yuan family merely scoffed at this behavior and might give him a taste of his own medicine, but they didn't consider it a serious threat.

Simply because a man obsessed with women will never achieve anything!

Men are simple, so pure, and so easily deceived.

If someone has no ambition, it's easy to arouse suspicion.

But in the eyes of the powerful families, Lu Ming was just a nouveau riche. It was perfectly normal for such a bumpkin to enjoy women after gaining power and influence.

Luoyang, Luoyang Palace, Chengde Hall.

Crown Prince Liu Xie was assisting Emperor Ling in reviewing memorials, with the renowned Confucian scholar Lu Zhi serving as his tutor.

Emperor Ling had been bedridden for a long time, and his death was imminent, so he entrusted Liu Xie with handling state affairs.

He also intended for Empress Dowager Dong to assist in ruling from behind a screen, but Empress Dowager Dong, being pregnant, was unable to move freely and therefore did not participate.

For a crown prince, this was the best outcome—no one was hindering him!

However, no one discovered Empress Dowager Dong's pregnancy. If they did, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar!

An empress dowager, pregnant!

Pregnant decades after her husband's death, this in itself was unusual!

Furthermore, as an empress dowager, if this were to become public, the entire Han dynasty would be disgraced!

If Emperor Ling were dead, and Empress Dowager Dong were no longer an empress dowager, then her pregnancy wouldn't be a major issue.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Dong kept quiet, rarely appearing in public unless absolutely necessary.

Crown Prince Liu Xie, though still young, already possessed the qualities of a wise ruler.

By cultivating relationships with the Yang family and suppressing the Yuan family, coupled with Yuan Wei's poor health (often missing twenty-five days a month from the Imperial Secretariat), Liu Xie was able to easily seize power and install several trusted individuals in important positions.

Today, Liu Xie opened the memorials, and the first one was, again, an impeachment of Lu Ming.

Lately, he had been speechless at his brother-in-law's behavior; to be impeached by so many officials and remain unmoved was truly unique.

Moreover, Lu Ming was very pragmatic, not only sending letters of goodwill but also gold and silver treasures, and stating that a portion of the profits from the Liangzhou merchant caravans would be offered to the Crown Prince.

Lu Ming was a key ally of the Crown Prince given by Emperor Ling, who had assured him of complete trust. Having married Princess Wannian, he was now a member of the royal family, and no one could pose a threat to him.

Liu Xie readily accepted Lu Ming's offer. Even though his elder brother was still the king of the Three Auxiliary Regions, brothers were like limbs, and Liu Xie had never intended to harm Liu Bian.

"Hmm? Liangzhou troops have captured Hangu Pass?" Liu Xie raised an eyebrow. Unauthorized capture of a pass and attack on an army was tantamount to treason!

This memorial was submitted by a censor, a protégé of the Yuan family, accusing Lu Ming of plotting a rebellion.

After a moment's thought, Liu Xie set the memorial aside.

"Zhao Zhong, do you have any memorials or letters from Governor Lu?"

Zhao Zhong was the Grand Chamberlain. Empress He had gone to Chang'an, but he had stayed behind.

Originally, Liu Xie wouldn't use Zhao Zhong, who was Empress He's eunuch, but Emperor Ling's words changed his mind, and he kept him by his side.

Not because Emperor Ling called Zhao Zhong "mother," but because of Zhao Zhong's loyalty to Emperor Ling, nothing more.

"Your Highness, the letter from Governor Lu is on the desk," Zhao Zhong stepped forward, retrieved the letter, and handed it to him.

Liu Xie opened the letter. The handwriting was elegant and possessed the style of a master calligrapher. Many knew that Lu Ming couldn't write calligraphy; his wives and concubines did it for him, often Cai Wenji, the daughter of the great Confucian scholar Cai Yong.

"The generals guarding Tongguan and Hangu Pass led their soldiers to rob a Liangzhou merchant caravan, causing heavy losses and destroying evidence. These were gifts intended as tribute to the Crown Prince. Your Majesty, I am furious. I have dispatched troops to capture Tongguan and Hangu Pass, ensuring the security of these passes and allowing the tribute caravans unimpeded. Governor of Liangzhou, Lu Ming."

After reading the brief letter, Liu Xie frowned. He was indeed short of money. Although Emperor Ling had provided some, it wasn't enough.

Far from enough. Hiring and cultivating relationships required money, and daily expenses also cost money.

He doesn't have many capable people around him now, and loyalty doesn't necessarily mean ability, so he's short of money.