The duties were assigned: Fa Zheng would oversee all affairs of Anding County, with Jiang Qin assisting as a military general, directing operations wherever instructed.
Next came the handover; departure was scheduled for two or three days later.
Today, a persistent drizzle made it unsuitable for travel.
Even the wives and concubines, who usually enjoyed going out together, were holed up in their rooms, either practicing yoga or reading and chatting privately.
The Jiaosifang (a government office) was also packing up; the women there would be moving to Tao County, and then to Didao.
That would be the capital, and Lu Ming would begin building up the entire Longxi region there. Everything was in ruins, and there was no time to waste.
These women were all relatives of disgraced officials, and had been with Lu Ming; they certainly wouldn't be left unattended here.
While Lu Ming was still working, his personal guard Lin Rong came to report, "My lord, a woman is requesting an audience outside. She says she's a relative of yours. I asked her, and she said she's your aunt. I had someone arrange for her to wait in the side hall. Would you like to see her?"
Aunt?
Lu Ming hadn't seen his aunt in a long time; the last time was three or four years ago.
Lu Ming's father was the third son, the eldest being his uncle, followed by his aunt, and then his youngest aunt.
The family had separated long ago. His uncle's family had moved to Guzang, the county seat, where he served as the county clerk. A larger county seat was certainly better than a smaller one.
His grandmother had also gone to Guzang. They hadn't seen each other in a long time; the last time was about five years ago. He remembered them being very powerful. His uncle's family looked down on him because they were an orphan and a widow with no social standing.
It's not surprising that there was discrimination. Those with power look down on those without power; it has nothing to do with brothers.
Ma Jun was kicked out because of the family division, even though it was his sister-in-law who did it. Did his brother not know?
Clearly, he knew; it was a tacit agreement!
"Send these documents to the Registrar of Law. I'll go take a look." Lu Ming stood up. He didn't really want to look at these memorials; they were giving him a headache. But he couldn't ignore them; it was a real dilemma.
Upon entering the side hall, Lu Ming saw a middle-aged woman dressed in plain clothes. She was already in her prime, with prominent crow's feet, yet she was beautiful and voluptuous—a classic mature beauty.
She possessed natural beauty, with large breasts and a large bottom, a slender waist, and long, shapely legs. Even in a long dress, she exuded a mature woman's charm.
"Are you my aunt?" Lu Ming walked over, noticing two maids following behind the beautiful woman.
"Is it Anmin? Is it really you?" The mature woman's sorrowful face softened with joy, seemingly only showing relief upon seeing Lu Ming. Her expression was as if she had found a savior.
Originally, the reunion of long-lost relatives should have been a touching scene, but Lu Ming, after obtaining the system, had gradually changed. He hadn't even spared his mother, taking her to bed and raping her.
He was no longer the innocent boy who simply wanted to live a simple life; he was now a man with lustful eyes, wanting to possess any woman he saw.
Even if the woman was much older than him, the same age as his mother, or even older, it didn't matter to him. He only cared whether the woman was attractive enough to him.
The aunt hadn't noticed anything amiss; she was simply pleased to see her family reunited and that her brother's child was successful. "It really is you! Anmin!"
"Yes, Aunt, how are you? It's been so long! The last time I saw you was three years ago. Time flies!" Lu Ming, his heart pounding, pulled his aunt into his arms. Their embrace seemed to cross a line of propriety, but given their long-awaited reunion, it didn't matter, and he wasn't afraid of what others might say.
Lu Ming wasn't in a hurry. Since his aunt was here, there was no escaping it. He released her after a moment.
"Aunt, please sit down. It's alright. Now I'm the Governor of Liangzhou, and I manage all the affairs of Liangzhou, big and small. Is there something you need?"
His aunt was still a little embarrassed, her pretty face showing a hint of restraint. The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes trembled slightly, making Lu Ming's heart race.
Gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her gesture exuded a mature woman's charm. "It's like this," she said, "your uncle runs a business in Xiji City, always following the rules. A few months ago, the county magistrate kept harassing him under various pretexts. The other day, he even imprisoned him for not donating disaster relief supplies. Waaah, Anmin, please save your uncle!"
Lu Ming was no longer the naive boy he once was. This naivety wasn't about being lecherous or ignorant about women, but rather that his perspective and approach to situations were completely different.
Back in Luoyang, without relatives or friends, without any support, he could only fight to the death, always displaying a willingness to die with his opponent to intimidate them.
Now, however, he was the governor, nominally the local emperor of Liangzhou, and naturally, he no longer needed to act so arrogantly.
He had initially coveted his aunt's beauty. Women her age often didn't take good care of themselves; their breasts sagged, their waists were full, and their skin was loose.
Women like his aunt were rare, so this exceptional mature woman, coupled with their blood ties, fueled a desire in him to pin her down, to thrust wildly into her, to hold her voluptuous, sensual body and pump wildly, finally ejaculating deep into her vagina and uniting with her in a tender embrace.
While that was the gist of it, he wasn't naively convinced of the truth.
Before his aunt married into the family, his uncle's Qian family was already a powerful and influential clan.
Moreover, Xiji City was a relatively large county. He remembered how large his uncle's mansion was when he last visited, and how his aunt wasn't particularly favored; instead, the concubine was far more favored, practically dominating her.
He only stayed for two days then, leaving with no goodwill towards his uncle.
"Even after your uncle treats you like this, do you still want what's best for him?" Lu Ming didn't offer any solutions, simply nodding and asking a question that seemed completely unrelated.
The aunt sighed, seemingly helpless. "Anmin, I know you mean well. But what can I do? Your older siblings still need to rely on your uncle. And a woman follows her husband wherever he goes. No matter what, I am his wife, and I must follow my wifely duties and find a way to save him!"