The 100,000 soldiers have been reorganized, and 50,000 troops remain at headquarters, ready to be deployed to various counties and prefectures in Liangzhou for bandit suppression.
In peacetime, the focus continues on repairing bridges and roads, and improving infrastructure.
A fee has been introduced for these tasks; many displaced people want to exchange their labor for food, so they work hard.
Moving stones, compacting foundations—as long as one is willing to put in the effort, there will always be work.
After finishing their work, they receive a sweet potato to get through a difficult day.
Displaced people without household registration only need to persist for a month to become registered residents of the military settlement, at which point they can be allocated land to cultivate.
Alternatively, they can become workers in handicraft workshops, becoming craftsmen, stonemasons, carpenters, or blacksmiths.
There will always be suitable physically demanding work, and women also have jobs.
These include helping with papermaking and other relatively less physically demanding tasks.
In Hanzhong Prefecture, Huang Zhong and Pei Yuanshao are fighting against powerful local tyrants.
Anyone who is rich but heartless, who has engaged in forced buying and selling or abducting women, will be arrested on the spot.
Their property will be confiscated, and they will be executed. Their assets and land will be seized and made public, making Lu Ming wealthy.
Having military power allows him to act with such impunity.
Either surrender or await death.
Hanzhong has vast plains; not using them for cultivation would be a waste.
What Lu Ming needs most right now is food. The autumn harvest can sustain him for a while, but if he doesn't continue farming, famine will follow, and that will be a serious problem.
That day, Ma Jun brought good news.
He had successfully developed an irrigation waterwheel, which can transport water from lower elevations to higher elevations, about three meters high, much more efficiently than manually carrying water.
Using the irrigation waterwheel can save a considerable amount of effort; what used to require dozens of people can now be done by only four or five.
One person turned the bearing to pump water, while several others carried water for irrigation.
Lu Ming, quite curious, went to take a look. This was the Mo family workshop deep in the mountains, with only one entrance and exit.
Their research was classified, and they were allowed to go out and reunite with their families for one day every month before returning to continue their research.
Research required perseverance and dedication, and the pay was excellent, so the Mo family members considered Liangzhou a sacred place, with some even traveling thousands of miles from Xuzhou and Beihai.
"You have done very well. Each of you will be rewarded with one hundred gold coins and your rank will be raised by one level. This can be passed down to your children, who will also receive a stipend in the future," Lu Ming decided on the rewards with a wave of his hand.
"Thank you, Governor."
"Thank you, Governor."
The Mo family members all knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to him.
For so many years, for so many centuries.
The Mo family could finally rise again, and Mo family members could now hold official positions outside the region. Everything was getting better. After leaving the workshop, Lin Daiyu and the others were still filled with excitement. Their husbands were such towering, upright men!
They had thought he was just a beast who rode on women's bellies. It seemed they were like frogs in a well, completely unaware of their husbands' strength and mystery!
Just when they thought it was over, new surprises would appear, luring them deeper and deeper until they finally fell into a well-woven web of love, unable to extricate themselves!
Climbing the hillside, gazing into the distance.
Lu Ming stopped to observe. The advancement of technology had filled him with a wild ambition, a ambition to conquer the land of China.
"One day, I will conquer all thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty, sweep away the dust from the world, let the people live in peace and prosperity, and let the four seas submit!"
"Husband!" Watching Lu Ming's retreating figure and hearing his grand ambitions, the three girls' hearts swelled with desire. They longed to throw themselves into his arms and feel the strength and tenderness of a man!
One month later.
Luoyang, the Imperial Palace. Emperor Ling was too weak to get out of bed, and his conscious moments each day were few and far between. He already sensed his impending death, so he raised his hand.
"Your Majesty!" Zhang Rang immediately approached, looking at the weakened Emperor Ling with a complex mix of emotions. "Your Majesty, should we summon the Governor of Liangzhou back to the capital?"
Emperor Ling shook his head, weakly saying, "Draft an edict for me, establishing Prince Liu Xie as Crown Prince, then send it to the Eastern Palace for the Empress Dowager to review and approve."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Rang moved his lips, wanting to object, but remained silent.
Whether it was Liu Bian or Liu Xie, he didn't know if they would still be around when they grew up.
For now, as long as one had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor, one could still maintain a transcendent position.
When the imperial edict reached the Eastern Palace, Empress Dowager Dong was constantly retching.
Recently, she had felt very unwell, and the smell of fish made her want to vomit.
As someone with experience, she had a vague, ominous premonition, though she couldn't be sure.
She might be pregnant!
The Empress Dowager's pregnancy—this was incredible news!
It was a disgrace to the royal family!
Everyone knew that Emperor Ling's father, the Marquis of Jiedu, had been dead for over a decade. The current Empress Dowager couldn't possibly be pregnant. The men in the palace were all eunuchs, and it was unlikely they would have committed adultery with the Empress Dowager.
Therefore, the father of the child was extremely important!
The thought that she had become pregnant with Lu Ming's child from a single night of pleasure filled Empress Dowager Dong with extreme displeasure, yet she was helpless!
She dared not let the imperial physician examine her; if he noticed anything amiss, things would get very serious!
After much thought, she could only draft an edict, using Lu Ming's recent good behavior as a reason to reward him, and then subtly hint that he should return quickly to examine her and offer advice.
Her belly was growing bigger every day; sooner or later, something bad was bound to happen! If Lu Ming knew this, he'd be grinning from ear to ear.
He had successfully taken over Chang'an and was laying the groundwork, having already dealt with the powerful nobles there.
What surprised him was that Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, remained in Chang'an, refusing to leave, seemingly still shaken.
His son, Liu Zhang, had even had his leg cut off, leaving him crippled—a truly pitiful sight!
Every time Lu Ming thought of this, he would recall the image of Liu Yan's wife, Lady Fei, writhing and pleasuring him beneath him.
She, along with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, often formed a three-person group to serve him in bed. Before his departure, he had managed to get each of these women pregnant.
His maternal grandmother, aunt, aunt's younger sister, cousin, Lady Fei, Lady Fan, and others—he had them all pregnant and kept them at home to rest, so as not to waste their precious time!