"Brother, will you marry me?" Lu Qing's voice trembled slightly, a thin white thread running between her lips and Lu Ming's.
"Of course, I will marry you, my sister, who will also be my wife." Lu Ming was somewhat excited, unsure why his sister would say such a thing, but he didn't care, as long as he could get her.
"Hmm, with those words, I'm relieved. Brother, I'm yours. I've said it before, whoever beats me, I'll marry. You beat me last time, so I'll marry you!" Lu Qing's voice trembled, a little timid, and a little shy.
"Yes, I'll just talk to Mother. She'll agree, my sister. Tonight, we'll consummate our marriage. After we reclaim Liangzhou, we'll hold a wedding banquet. Liangzhou is mine to control. I don't care what others think; I won't wrong my little sister." Lu Ming said domineeringly. He knew that marriage between siblings was forbidden.
But marriage between cousins was acceptable.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing trembled with relief, a mist welling up in her eyes. She shook her head, saying, "No need, brother. I know your feelings. We...we're fine as long as we're together. There's no need for a wedding banquet."
"Then I want to have a wedding ceremony with you in front of Mother. Little sister, as long as I'm alive, I'll always protect you." Lu Ming kissed his little sister's red lips, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "How about we ask Aunt for some advice?"
Lu Qing was unaware that her aunt had already been with her brother, and the two had entered into an adulterous relationship. She was still somewhat shy, "Ugh, how can I bring this up!"
"Hmm, come tonight, we'll have a wedding ceremony in front of Mother. No matter what, you'll be my wife. A sister in public, a wife at home!" Lu Ming had an urge to take his sister right there and then, but he restrained himself; now wasn't the time, it wasn't appropriate.
After making his sister happy, Lu Ming left.
After all, siblings cannot marry; this is an explicit rule. That's why Lu Qing was so moved by Lu Ming's words.
Although she was carefree, she wasn't a woman without brains.
Everything now required men to have power. Asking men to relinquish power was beyond the capabilities of any woman, let alone a man's.
What a joke! Once power was gone, everything would immediately become a mirage, a bubble that would burst instantly.
Lu Ming left his aunt aside and set off to inspect his properties.
Outside the city, there were vast tracts of hills, and the fields nestled between them belonged to his family. He didn't own much ancestral farmland; he had accumulated it all himself through hard work and purchase.
From twenty acres, he had expanded to a thousand acres of fertile land.
Some of this land was unclaimed, which he had cultivated into arable farmland.
This was his base of operations. For a long time, he had produced enough grain to exchange for money, which he then used to cover various expenses.
It seemed like he was making a lot of money, but in reality, most of it came from bribing officials and cultivating relationships.
He needed to bribe the police, the county government officials, and everyone above and below him.
He even had to buy goods and send them to Dong Zhuo to maintain good relations.
In this era, without mutual benefit, even brothers would turn against each other in all sorts of sordid ways.
Now, revisiting this place, he was filled with mixed emotions.
Before, he was just a commoner—no, not quite a commoner; he was merely a minor official in the county government.
After awakening the system, he gained the confidence to become a county lieutenant, commanding the county's troops.
And now, he was a governor, practically at the pinnacle of power, a powerful regional governor!
To reach this level, flattery and sycophancy were useless; those were merely methods. The key was genuine ability.
"Everyone has their own unique talents," this saying holds true.
"But gold will always shine," this saying is utter nonsense.
"Gold will never shine if covered by a tattered rag," that's the truth.
"My lord," a barefoot middle-aged man approached. He was a disciple of the Mohist school. Mohist disciples always liked to go barefoot because they loved working in the fields.
"Hmm, how's the harvest today?" Lu Ming looked at the wheat, which was gradually turning yellow. The wheat would need to be ground into powder to make noodles or buns.
The main food was millet.
"Reporting to my lord, if there are no natural disasters, this year's harvest will be very good." The man's answer was simple, showing neither sycophancy nor obsequiousness.
But it was precisely because of this that Lu Ming trusted him to manage the area. He didn't need someone with great talent, just someone honest, obedient, and hardworking.
"Alright, you go ahead. I'll just take a walk; no need to follow." Lu Ming, having nothing better to do, decided to take a stroll.
His military camp still had many displaced people. These were all brought from Anding County, then brought to Xiji City. After their homes were confiscated, some servants from the Han and Fan families were also taken into his camp.
They existed solely as his private slaves, his personal slaves.
Lu Ming's behavior appeared to be one of tyrannical extortion, nothing like that of an honest official.
On the contrary, he seemed to be a capable man with ambition and greed—ambition naturally stemming from womanizing and coveting wealth.
Even the opposing Yuan family wouldn't find anything wrong with such a person.
Which one sent out didn't plunder every inch of the land?
Tao County had a good geographical location. Although transportation wasn't convenient, it was backed by mountains, with only two roads leading in and out. Located in the heart of Longxi, and with Dong Zhuo maintaining good relations with the Qiang tribes, the area had always been peaceful. Even now, there are no roaming bandits; it's practically a safe haven.
The displaced people who were brought here won't be housed here; only a portion will be settled. He plans to build some unique factories here.
These "factories" are really just workshops.
The main raw materials are bamboo and wood, so planting trees is essential.
The main industries are agriculture and animal husbandry, raising pigs and sheep to improve the diet.
Chickens and ducks are also raised for emergencies.
Niu Kui won't just turn around and leave. What can he do when the governor arrives?
Besides, the fertile fields are already well-managed; he'll only be checking for any gaps, or reclaiming farmland and irrigating.
So he silently follows behind, ready to serve the governor whenever needed.