"Madam, someone from the court has arrived, summoning Doctor Lu to the palace for an audience with the Emperor," a maid called from outside, startling the couple from their tender moment. They hurriedly began to dress.
"I know, Doctor, you'll be there now," Madam Zhang said, having finished dressing, though her hair was still styled and she would have to do it later. Luckily, her husband wasn't home, otherwise she might have been exposed.
"My lady, I'll take my leave now," Lu Ming said, not finding it alarming at all, and instead kissed Madam Zhang.
This woman was very useful to him, because any noblewoman had a network of connections.
He only needed to maintain these relationships, introducing him to other noblewomen he knew, and then the families of those who introduced him would correspondingly expand their connections.
Circles, circles—it's all about word-of-mouth.
"How annoying!" Madam Zhang patted her young lover shyly. Her body was still wet with his hot semen, the warmth spreading from her lower body to her entire being, making her feel comfortable and cozy. She was completely unaware that if she continued...
it could very well lead to pregnancy, and then things would be difficult to handle!
"My brother will take care of you. Just do your job diligently. No one will make things difficult for you."
Having been reborn for so long, this was her first time entering the palace.
The outer security check alone was extremely strict, almost to the point of a body search.
Lu Ming's medical kit had also been searched. "You'd better be polite to me. If you're not polite to me, how will you deal with me if I want to?"
The inspecting soldiers looked at each other, knowing they should be lenient. He had been summoned by the emperor to enter the palace for an audience; who knew his background?
"Let him through. This is someone recommended by Lord Zhao. Are you all blind?" A captain-like figure approached, cupping his hands in a fist salute to Lu Ming. "Prefect Lu, please. It's my duty; I dare not delay. Please understand."
"Hmm." Lu Ming nodded, passing through the heavy palace gates, a full two meters thick. Were they worried about being breached?
Beyond the gates was a long corridor, flanked by red walls, exuding solemnity.
Underfoot was a neat blue brick floor, much more comfortable than outside, and the workmanship was more meticulous.
However, there was a lack of cement, making the surface somewhat uneven.
It seemed his cement and mortar still had a market, but he couldn't release them so quickly.
He didn't want to benefit the enemy. Although some would inevitably obtain them after widespread distribution, he wanted to delay it as much as possible. He wanted to distribute and utilize them on his side first, then catch the enemy off guard—that was what he wanted.
Solemn and dignified, exactly like the style of the Western Han Dynasty. The Western Han Dynasty was incredibly poor. How poor?
The prime minister traveled to court in an oxcart!
Even Liu Bang's ceremonies couldn't afford to photograph six pure white horses—they were broke!
The imperial family was also poor!
Simple, solemn, and grand.
The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated; those who leave a lasting legacy are not fools.
Looking at the majestic palace, it's a pity that such a beautiful place would be burned down by Dong Zhuo in a few years.
Following the directions, Lu Ming arrived at the main hall, the Zhengyang Hall.
Lu Ming's appearance immediately attracted everyone's attention. The other eight colonels had already selected their personnel and were rushing to the palace.
Lu Ming walked to the center of the hall, facing the middle-aged, obese man seated high on the dragon throne. He tightly gripped his right thumb with his left hand, his left little finger pointing towards his right wrist, his left thumb pointing upwards, and all four fingers of his right hand straight. His right hand covered the man's chest, about two or three inches away. At the same time, he bowed deeply and said, "Lu Ming, Prefect of Longxi Commandery, pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"
"Hmm?" Emperor Ling found this somewhat novel; it was the first time he had ever performed such a gesture.
The other ministers were also bewildered. Was this man disregarding protocol? And what did he mean by that? Was this appropriate flattery? Shameless!
"How dare you! Why don't you kneel before His Majesty!" Zhang Rang shouted from the steps, his eyes fierce, as if he wanted to tear Lu Ming to pieces, as if only in this way could he demonstrate his power.
"This is the profound respect of the various tribes from the foreign lands for Your Majesty. Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, I, your humble servant, repelled the rebel army on the borderlands and also repelled the nomadic tribes who took the opportunity to plunder our Han people. The foreign tribes call Your Majesty the Heavenly Khan, even greater than their Khan." Lu Ming began to spout nonsense. What Heavenly Khan? That was a thing of the Tang Dynasty, far removed from the present!
"Hehe, good, good." Emperor Ling interrupted Zhang Rang, leaving him speechless. "Heavenly Khan, very good."
Clearly, this flattery pleased Liu Hong. An emperor who doesn't think about expanding his territory isn't a good emperor. At least by conquering new lands, he'll leave a good reputation in history!
"I heard you beheaded Bian Zhang amidst a vast army, is that true?" Emperor Ling began to inquire. If the other party truly possessed such ability, even if he came from a humble background, he could be promoted.
The reason why powerful clans didn't tolerate the absurd practice of buying and selling official positions within their territories was because they controlled most of the power.
Even if someone held an official position within the court, they couldn't influence everyone.
Controlling the grassroots level was equivalent to controlling the entire department.
"That's true. Bian Zhang was surrounded by the central army. I led the suicide squad in based on my intuition. In battle, the commander's life or death affects the army's morale; the principle of 'capture the leader first' applies here." Lu Ming seemed to say something, but then stopped.
"It sounds easy. Did you really do it on your own?" Wang Yun couldn't help but interject, stepping forward to question him at Yuan Wei's prompting.
No wonder, since the Yang family recommended him, the Yuan family would naturally question him.
This person didn't seem to be from the Yang family, but since the Yang family had recommended him, they couldn't be blamed for objecting.
Powerful families both cooperate and oppose each other.
Besides, among the newly emerged eight colonels, they would definitely try their best to win him over.
"May I ask how you are addressed?" Lu Ming looked at the man, feeling he looked familiar. Had he seen him somewhere before?
"I am Wang Yun, Grand Master of Ceremonies and Vice Minister." Wang Yun's tone was proud, a sense of superiority stemming from a scholar. Facing a mere military man, he possessed an air of superiority.
This superiority lay in his confidence in his ability to control the situation, believing that being educated made him exceptionally intelligent and superior to others.