Before this, Lu Ming had sent Liu Qi out, originally intending for him to serve as the governor of Hanzhong.
However, after much deliberation, he decided to send Huang Zhong instead.
Huang Zhong was experienced and could recruit colleagues from Jingnan to assist him.
Moreover, the Huang family held a respectable position in Jingzhou; while not as prominent as the Cai or Kuai families, they were still among the few elite clans.
Huang Zhong belonged to a very remote and distant branch of the Huang family. If one wasn't familiar with the Huang family,
then Huang Chengyan would certainly be relevant; if not, then one would definitely remember Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu Han.
And Huang Chengyan was Zhuge Liang's father-in-law, Huang Yueying's father!
Liu Qi wasn't sent because Lu Ming planned to appoint him as the governor of Chang'an.
Chang'an, the western capital, remained prosperous, though not as grand as Luoyang or the Central Plains.
Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, after losing its status, the region, though somewhat desolate, has gradually recovered.
To control the Three Auxiliary Regions, Chang'an City is absolutely indispensable.
Liu Qi, as the son of the Marquis of Zhao, is perfect for maintaining order.
Use him if he's capable, and cultivate him slowly if he lacks the ability.
Controlling Chang'an means controlling Guanzhong, and then, combined with Liangzhou, he will be the most powerful warlord!
Lu Ming sent Liu Qi to Conglan County, where his uncle's family resides.
He could find an opportunity to eliminate his uncle's magistrate, after which he could freely defile his aunt and cousin!
Liu Qi is quite shrewd. While he might not be quite up to the task of being a prefect, he excels at using unorthodox methods to scheme against people.
Just then, Liu Qi left.
Lu Ming also prepared to go out and inspect the area, making preparations for advancing on Chang'an and the Three Auxiliary Regions.
After taking control of Chang'an, the next step is to enter Bingzhou and join forces with his uncle, Dong Zhuo.
Defeat the rebels, acquire military supplies and prestige, then lure Dong Zhuo into Luoyang, giving the crumbling Han Dynasty a final boost!
A somewhat thin, middle-aged woman dressed in yellow and red brocade approached, carrying a small fan. She appeared poised and elegant, a refined lady who was both noble and approachable.
Wang Qing approached with a smile, feigning a chance encounter. "Anmin, what a coincidence! Are you heading out?"
"Yes, Mother-in-law, I'm just about to take a look around. Are you here to see Ling'er? She shouldn't be up yet." Lu Ming's smiling expression betrayed no hint of his true intentions.
In truth, he had considered sleeping with Wang Qing, but since Zhao Hou was still alive, he couldn't force her.
Seeing that Lord Zhao was on his deathbed, and none of his sons were any good, only Liu Qi was still somewhat capable, which speaks volumes.
Wang Qing had come because of her son. He'd been talking about the position of Prefect of Hanzhong, but it had been given to an unknown military man, which infuriated her.
Didn't her son deserve to go to Hanzhong?
"Anmin, if you have time, I'd like to take a little while. I'd like to talk to you."
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment, then gestured invitingly, "Please come to the study. Bring some fragrant tea to the study."
The study was Lu Ming's workplace, but also his place of pleasure.
Before, when he reviewed official documents, a beautiful woman would kneel below him, sucking his penis, giving him pleasure and joy.
Now, his concubines helped him review the documents, selecting the useful ones, while he indulged in debauchery with young, beautiful, or mature concubines on his bed in the study.
This bed, used for afternoon naps, has been stained with countless women's fluids.
"Please sit." Lu Ming skillfully brewed tea, not using a teacup, but the more popular Gongfu tea of the South, brewing and pouring it himself. "What brings you here, Mother-in-law?"
"We're all family now, so I'll get straight to the point." Wang Qing picked up her teacup, blew on it to lower the temperature slightly, then took a sip, savoring the lingering fragrance. "Feng Ren has been with you for so long, and your father-in-law's health isn't very good. Once he's gone, the Zhao Hou lineage will decline."
Lu Ming didn't reply, simply picking up his teacup and continuing to drink. He wanted to see what profound insights she had to offer.
Seeing that Lu Ming didn't respond, Wang Qing continued, "Feng Ren is getting on in years; it's appropriate to give him some important positions to gain experience."
Hearing this, Lu Ming put down his teacup, stroked his chin, and said with a playful expression, "Liu Qi must have sent you to plead for him, right? I hate backdoors and favors the most."
"Rules are rules, but people thrive even when transplanted. We're all family; if you're good, he'll be good; if he does well, it will help you more." Wang Qing wouldn't have said so much if it weren't for her son's future.
Lu Ming seemed to have thought of something and poured her another cup of tea. "Does your mother-in-law's family have influence in the Guanzhong region?"
"A little, not much. I still have some influence with the Wang family in Chang'an. But in Langya, it's too far away." Wang Qing shook her head; in truth, she still had influence.
"A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl"—this saying only applies to the poor.
Within powerful and influential families, the women wielded greater influence.
The matriarch of the Jia family in Chang'an, for example, held absolute power within her household, and could even bolster her maternal family, the Shi family—that's the power of women in large families.
As long as her husband's family was powerful enough, some assistance was certainly possible.
The Marquis Zhao was no weakling, so Wang Qing would definitely have some influence. However, the extent of her impact would depend on the circumstances.
"I could arrange for Liu Qi to be the governor of Chang'an, to oversee the Three Auxiliary Regions, but why should I help him?" Lu Ming stood up, walked over, and pinched Wang Qing's chin, looking at his mother-in-law, who was still pale and thin from her recent illness. "Unless you become my mistress, there's absolutely no way!"
Before Wang Qing could get angry, Lu Ming released her. "For the sake of Zhao Hou and Ling'er, I've already been more than kind to Zhao Hou's sons. You know their thuggish, bullying, and tyrannical nature; in today's world, they should have been executed along with their entire families! A father is responsible for his sons' mistakes. Now, Liangzhou and the Three Auxiliary Regions are mine. Heh, if you want to oversee Chang'an, I have plenty of people. The Yang family, the Wang family, plenty of people. If you really want Liu Qi to sit in Chang'an, I'll have to put in even more effort and have even more people assist him. Why should I?"