"Zhang Chun: courtesy name Qiu Wen. Head of the Zhang family in Xiji City, Tianshui Prefecture. He values your future and abilities and is willing to pledge allegiance to you, with unparalleled loyalty. Commerce: When implementing commercial expansion, it can increase the city's commerce level by 20%. Once the city's prosperity level exceeds 2000 points, the Silk Road can be opened. Silk Road: Connects to the Western Regions and, depending on the degree of submission of the regions along the route, can extend to Europe."
"Qiu Wen, I heard I have a cousin who married into your family as your daughter-in-law?"
Lu Ming, seeing this, no longer held back. Since he was a follower, there was really no need for politeness.
"My lord, are you referring to Qian Shan's daughter, Qian Jie?"
Although Zhang Chun was a follower, he remained an independent individual; he simply wouldn't betray Lu Ming, nothing more. It can also unleash potential, granting the lord significant advantages during his lifetime.
"Yes, have someone send her to the military camp outside the city. My aunt wants to see her. According to custom, she needs to burn incense, bathe, fast, and observe mourning. Then your son can marry another woman."
Lu Ming's words sealed his cousin's fate. Even as a married woman, she couldn't escape being controlled.
This is the tragedy of the insignificant. Even Cai Wenji, the daughter of Vice Minister Cai Yong, could be betrothed to Lu Ming with a single edict from Empress He.
This is the benefit of power, and what makes it so alluring.
However, this only works when there is a significant power imbalance. Otherwise, if it were a member of the Yuan family, Empress He's edict would likely only bring shame upon herself!
Yuan had a hundred ways to evade and prevaricate; there was no way he would obediently comply.
Cai Yong, being an honest and dutiful minister, wouldn't dare to turn against them, creating a very delicate situation.
"Yes, my lord."
Zhang Chun, though displeased, was powerless to stop it.
This matter wouldn't affect his loyalty to Lu Ming. A daughter was nothing; he would offer her as his wife, let alone a daughter-in-law.
This was the benefit of loyalty—absolute loyalty, meaning never betraying. This also meant that Lu Ming's fondness for women wasn't a sign of perversion.
If it were a lord with homosexual tendencies, they'd probably be in deep trouble!
However, a lewd smile crept across Lu Ming's lips at the thought.
Those enemies who opposed him—if he captured them alive, turned them into sex toys, hid them in boxes with only their buttocks exposed, and released them into the army camp for the soldiers to vent their frustrations on, wouldn't that be interesting?
He wasn't gay, but he didn't object to others being gay either!
Besides, killing them with a single blow would obviously be a straightforward and satisfying experience.
Letting them be anally violated, their anuses rotting and oozing pus, just like those pirated goods whose entire families would die, forcing both men and women into prostitution—wouldn't that be incredibly interesting?
"Alright, this matter is settled. I will have you assist the new magistrate. Your main responsibility will be commerce and trade. I will provide you with new products—products that only we have, not others. As for the selling price, I will give you a cost price; you can decide based on the region's wealth. I will not interfere in commercial matters; you will make your own decisions. Unless necessary, I will not intervene. Also, if you want to get rich, build roads first. Cement roads cannot stop, understand?"
Lu Ming spent two hours instilling his ideas and business plan in Zhang Chun.
Developing Liangzhou requires money, population, and resources; all three form a perfect cycle. As for how to promote this cycle, that requires attracting more talent.
Moreover, there are too many details involved, each aspect of which can be further subdivided into numerous differences.
Commerce is complex, and agriculture is equally complex.
Adding to this the task of cultivating farmland involves dealing with water, poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, disasters, and so on—it's extremely troublesome.
Furthermore, one must guard against wild boars causing trouble and trampling; if you really delve into the details, it's enough to make your scalp tingle.
The county magistrate position definitely needs to be filled by someone else. Zhang Chun's loyalty is sufficient, but his ability isn't quite enough, so someone else is needed to oversee the overall situation.
Currently, Lu Ming is still choosing, considering who would be the best choice to place in Xiji City.
Xiji City has a good geographical location; it's very safe and is a major transportation hub.
Just then, a servant reported that a merchant caravan from Xuzhou had arrived, to handle some cultural relics and antiques.
The spoils of the confiscation of property and the extermination of families needed to be cashed out, which required merchants.
Zhang Chun, in charge of commerce, could not concurrently serve as county magistrate. The economy and people's livelihood of a region required long-term management and attention.
Therefore, choosing a suitable person was crucial, especially since commerce was confidential; such matters were best handled by someone absolutely loyal.
Meanwhile, in the Zhang residence, Qian Jie, as the young mistress, spent the night in the woodshed. Although she was married into the Qian family, her husband was only born of a concubine, so her status was not high.
Adding to the trouble, the Qian family recently ran into trouble, being jointly targeted by the Han family. Not only did they benefit from the Han family, but they also betrayed the Zhang family's interests.
To deal with such treacherous individuals, not confiscating their property and exterminating their entire clan is already a show of mercy!
Therefore, Qian Jie's life is not easy; she has even been forced to sleep in the woodshed.
Even her maid has been executed; she is now practically alone and destitute.
"Qian Jie! Come out and clean! The sun is high in the sky and you're still sleeping!"
A man roared, kicking open the woodshed door. Seeing the young woman curled up in the straw, his eyes flashed with deep disgust.
Already out of favor, he was now implicated because of his wife's family's mistake, so he couldn't stand her.
Qian Jie got up, sobbing. She was at a loss, wondering what had happened to her and why her father had done this.
Just as Qian Jie got up, the Zhang family's steward arrived. Upon seeing him, Zhang Ti immediately said, "Steward, what brings you here?" She still felt a sense of fear towards the steward.
"The head of the family orders the young master to return the betrothal gifts, and the young mistress to return as well. There are people waiting outside; don't dawdle, go." The butler had barely finished speaking when Zhang Ti burst into laughter, "Father is brilliant!"
He turned to Qian Jie and roared, "You bitch, if you can't keep up the act, get out!"
Qian Jie froze, a wave of fear washing over her. As a woman, if she were jilted, she would be helpless!
She wouldn't even have a home; where would she go back to?
Would she even be able to survive?