My aunt was just that forthright and uninhibited; she was completely open and honest, without any reservations.
Being taken advantage of was simply a matter of acceptance; she was highly adaptable.
Besides, Lu Ming's lovemaking was incredibly pleasurable for her; the repeated orgasms were something she would never forget.
Furthermore, with Dong Zhuo far away in Bingzhou, her marriage was already broken. Being able to rely on her nephew was a good thing!
Mature women are mature women; they don't act coy or cry, which is why Lu Ming liked them.
To a large extent, it's because they're open-minded and uninhibited, offering a different kind of enjoyment in bed!
The Qiang people were also divided into many branch tribes, with no unified leadership between them, so different Qiang tribes had different kings.
The Qiang people included the Xianling Qiang, Yuemao Qiang, Shaodang Qiang, Baima Qiang, Wujun Qiang, Yak Qiang, Canlang Qiang, Huangdi Qiang, Huangyang Qiang, Lejie Qiang, Dangjian Qiang, Dangtian Qiang, Fengyang Qiang, Laojie Qiang, Sanjie Qiang, Beipu Qiang, Wuwu Qiang, Zhongcun Qiang, Gongtang Qiang, Qiedong Qiang, Funan Qiang, Quanwu Qiang, Shendi Qiang, and Qianren Qiang.
Each tribe had its own chieftain, and they frequently fought and plundered each other, resulting in constant warfare.
The larger Qiang tribes had over 100,000 soldiers, while the smaller ones had only a few thousand.
Almost every one of them could call themselves a Qiang king. Subduing them one by one was difficult, and few could accomplish it.
Even Dong Zhuo only managed to befriend a portion of them, not all of them.
This presented Lu Ming with a difficult problem, a problem he needed to find a way to overcome.
Xu Huang led his men in a charge, and with the cooperation of Gan Ning and Huang Zhong, they easily opened the gates and began fighting their way into the camp. Cries and screams filled the air.
Lu Ming, meanwhile, took his aunt to find Galan Ying, and along the way, found her daughter-in-law and young granddaughter.
The chaos of war meant danger lurked at every turn.
However, Lu Ming showed no panic. His personal guard, Lin Rong, directed the guards to surround and protect him. Zhou Cang, his face flushed with excitement, was thrilled to be fighting alongside his lord.
In less than an hour, the battle was over.
Xu Huang continued the pursuit of the fleeing soldiers. The remaining Qiang soldiers were disarmed and imprisoned in simple barns. What to do with these prisoners was Lu Ming's decision.
Before long, Xu Shu arrived and immediately bowed deeply to Lu Ming. "My lord, you now command tens of thousands of soldiers and countless people of Liangzhou. You must not act so rashly again."
"This time it was my fault, Yuanzhi. You are right. I should have been more cautious. This incident was sudden; it was my fault. You are absolutely right." Lu Ming was not angry. Honest advice, though unpleasant to hear, is beneficial. He had that much tolerance.
To do better, accepting advice is essential.
Xu Shu also breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely worried that Lu Ming would be angry.
However, as a strategist, there were some things he had to say.
It's not worth my lord risking his life for a military camp. This is inappropriate.
"My lord, what are these Qiang soldiers planning?"
"Lock them up and starve them for a night. Then select the strongest men and incorporate them into our ranks. Find their fellow villagers; if one rebels, the entire village will be executed. We mean what we say; if we say we'll kill their whole family, we will kill their whole family! Also, explain to them the treatment our army provides. To reclaim Liangzhou, we must deal with the Qiang. Even my uncle Dong Zhuo couldn't suppress them; this time, I intend to advocate for military suppression." Lu Ming seemed to have thought of a good idea. Forcing them wouldn't work, but appeasement could solve the problem.
"Military conquest? My lord, I fear this is highly inappropriate. The Qiang tribes have already become disloyal to the court. Furthermore, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan have also suppressed the Qiang, yet they have failed to annihilate them. Beyond Youzhou, there are even Eastern Qiang. And in the southern part of Shu Commandery, there are Qing Qiang. Even if we conquer them by force, it will be difficult to win their hearts and minds. Without unity, they will be fickle. My lord, please reconsider!" Xu Shu immediately saw the drawbacks. It could be said that he had actually pondered for a long time before coming up with a preliminary plan on how to recover the Liangzhou territories of Jincheng, Wuwei, Dunhuang, Jiuquan, and Zhangye.
Although this was a headache, for a strategist and military advisor, it was indeed a rare opportunity.
Pacifying Liangzhou would likely leave a significant mark on his resume!
Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Qiang people's unrest had persisted for over a century without ceasing. The rebellions were suppressed time and again, which was hardly a good thing, proving that military conquest was ineffective!
"I know, this is exactly what I've been thinking about for days. Yuanzhi, I have some ideas, I'll say them first, and you can add to them. Come, let's go to the tent. Lin Rong, take some men and listen to my aunt, help her with some matters. Yuanzhi, let's go, let's call Guangyuan and the others to come along." Lu Ming nodded to his aunt. His aunt had just asked him for a troop of men, and he hadn't questioned what she wanted to do; he'd given them to her.
"Yes, my lord." Lin Rong always addressed Lu Ming as "my lord," which implied a sense of mastery and made him seem closer.
His tall aunt, Ai Duo, left with her sister-in-law and other female relatives, lost in thought. Lu Ming didn't ask her what she was planning.
This clearly demonstrated the man's trust in her, and it was worthwhile for her to maintain her adulterous relationship with Lu Ming.
She already knew Lu Ming was returning and knew his location.
The Governor of Liangzhou was the highest-ranking official in Liangzhou, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers. He was a formidable and capable general, and would undoubtedly conquer Liangzhou in the future.
With her help, she might even be able to unify the scattered Qiang tribes and integrate them into a unified force. She might even become a legend among the Qiang people!
Lu Ming summoned Xu Shu and the others into his tent and explained his plans. "First, eliminate the stubborn resistance by force. Whoever is the most troublesome, we will attack them and annihilate them all!"
"Second, appoint our own people to the core regional officials of the Qiang tribes to ensure political stability and social harmony."
"Third, unite the powerful clans among the Qiang, summon their sons to study in Didao, and give them official positions to give them hope. This includes Han Sui and Ma Teng. If they are willing to give up everything and come to Didao to serve, I will forgive their past transgressions. To achieve this, we need a victory to break the last straw of their resistance!"