At this time, in Chang'an, at the former imperial palace.
Years before, Liu Xiu had annihilated the Red Eyebrows army, boasting a million strong, which had entrenched itself in Guanzhong, as well as Wei Xiao, who had declared himself king in Longyou, and Gongsun Shu, who controlled Western Shu, along with dozens of other separatist forces, large and small.
After eleven years of campaigns in the east and west, and following nearly nineteen years of turmoil and chaos at the end of the Xin Dynasty, Liu Xiu, as a continuation of the Western Han Dynasty, chose Luoyang as his capital.
Firstly, when Liu Xiu established his capital, Chang'an was still under the control of Emperor Gengshi (Liu Xuan), so objectively, he could not choose Guanzhong as his capital.
Secondly, Liu Xiu was based in Guandong, so Luoyang was a natural choice for his capital.
Liu Bang, having emerged from Guanzhong to contend with Xiang Yu for the empire, naturally found it easier to accept Chang'an as his capital, and Liu Xiu, with Hebei and the Three Rivers region as his rear, similarly found it easier to accept Luoyang as his capital.
Thirdly, Luoyang, as one of the leading cities at the time, possessed the economic and geographical advantages required of a capital city.
Liu Xiu chose Chang'an as his capital based on his own practical interests. After two hundred years of development during the Western Han Dynasty, Chang'an had a large population and strained its land. Wang Mang had considered moving the capital to Luoyang, but before he could act, Luoyang was spared major warfare during the chaos of the time. Zhu Wei's strong defense protected Luoyang, and the city surrendered. Liu Xiu then moved to the Southern Palace and established his capital there.
However, the great upheaval and destruction during the transition between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties left Chang'an severely damaged.
When the Red Eyebrow Army defeated the Gengshi Army and occupied Chang'an, years of famine had led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands within the city. The Red Eyebrow Army itself could not find food and was forced to leave Chang'an.
The *Book of the Later Han* records: "The Three Auxiliary Regions suffered a great famine; people ate each other; the cities were empty, and white bones covered the fields."
Chang'an has since recovered somewhat, but its population is less than a million, and the food produced in the Guanzhong Plain is insufficient to sustain its own needs.
This makes Chang'an a place of nostalgia, not a suitable place to live.
Empress He looked at the desolate palace, its state a reflection of its former state, and felt a pang of helplessness.
Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury, she hadn't yet adjusted to life in Chang'an after leaving Luoyang.
Now that her mother, Lady Wuyang, was no longer by her side, she didn't know who to confide in or discuss matters with.
Just as Empress He was pondering this, Jia Yuanchun, the Lady-in-Waiting of the Changqiu Palace, entered. With a round, pretty face, Jia Yuanchun possessed a blessed countenance, clearly a woman destined to bring good fortune to her husband. Unfortunately, after ten years in the palace, she had never even caught the Emperor's eye.
"Your Majesty, a letter from Lady Wuyang has arrived."
"Quickly, bring it to me so I can see it." Empress He was excited; she wanted to see what her mother had written.
Jia Yuanchun presented the letter, then stood a short distance away.
This position was based on her years of experience. She couldn't stand too close, lest she offend the Empress.
nor could she stand too far, lest she be unable to hear the Empress calling her.
Not too close, not too far, the distance was just right, and the timing was excellent.
"Your Majesty, I am very pleased with my stay in Liangzhou. Lu Ming's attitude is ambiguous; he is willing to support Bian'er, but he needs Your Majesty's assistance in taking over Chang'an. If Your Majesty agrees, you can send someone to deliver this letter to the governor's residence in the city, and soldiers will then relay it back to Didao."
Empress He looked at the letter, her eyes filled with joy. She had gone to great lengths to lure those girls to Liangzhou, even making extra promises, all to gain Lu Ming's support.
As long as her son could ascend the throne as emperor, any sacrifice would be worthwhile!
"Yuan Chun, come here."
Jia Yuan Chun didn't understand why Empress He was suddenly smiling at her; she was still somewhat puzzled. "Your Majesty, I am here."
Looking at Jia Yuanchun's round face, men who prefer slender figures might not find her attractive, but for men who prefer fuller figures, Jia Yuanchun falls somewhere in between, seemingly ordinary at first glance.
However, this woman possessed a beautiful face and a gentle, serene temperament, like a fine aged wine, growing more flavorful with time.
"Yuanchun, send someone to tell the Jia family that I will be visiting their residence the day after tomorrow. Then, for the next three days, I will visit the Xue, Wang, and Shi families. Having come to Chang'an, I must meet these pillars of society." Empress He's expression was unsmiling and inscrutable. Since she was helping Lu Ming govern Chang'an, it was necessary to pay respects to the four great families.
As the Empress, she would use her position to cultivate relationships.
If they were willing to cooperate, then they would cooperate; if not, then they could expect trouble.
She wasn't entirely clear on Lu Ming's methods, but someone even Emperor Ling valued and relied upon, like Marquis Zhao, was undoubtedly no ordinary person.
She didn't need to know Lu Ming's methods; she only needed to know he had the ability to solve the problem.
Jia Yuanchun was somewhat surprised and uncertain, but she readily agreed, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."
Empress He probably didn't know that this was what her mother, Lady Wuyang, had recounted while being violated, and that the Grand Commandant's wife, Liu Liu, had written it down for her naked in the study.
They were still engaging in a shameful lewd party, several older women serving the young Lu Ming naked, bridging the age gap, engaging in the most primal sexual friction between men and women!
The Empress's visit was a major event!
Even Grandmother Jia was alarmed after receiving Jia Yuanchun's letter.
He personally directed the cleaning of the Jia household, mobilizing all the servants to thoroughly clean the entire mansion, inside and out.
For many years, the Jia family hadn't produced any noteworthy talents, let alone received visits from princes or nobles.
The only one they could boast of was perhaps Prince Bei Jing, but he was merely a leisurely relative, neither high nor low in rank, lacking any real power.
Lady Wang, unusually, dressed up, not because Jia Zheng wanted to favor her; the couple hadn't consummated their marriage in a long time.
Usually, Jia Zheng was either with his concubine Zhao Yiniang or with other women outside, and wouldn't sleep with her.
Besides, Lady Wang had three children—Jia Zhu, Jia Yuanchun, and Jia Baoyu—and due to her age, if her penis was small, penetration wouldn't be pleasurable at all. This was a common reason why many middle-aged couples didn't want sex.
With her daughter returning and the Empress Dowager also coming to visit, she needed to pay even more attention to her appearance.
A slovenly appearance is not only disrespectful to the Empress, but it is also easy to cause offense and even lead to trouble!