Lu Qing, the younger sister, sipped her wine, her eyes darting around, bright and sparkling. A fake mustache adorned her lips, making her look rather odd.
A great beauty like her couldn't be concealed, no matter how she dressed.
Having given birth, she still retained her youthful charm, but now possessed a touch of mature allure. The perfect blend of innocence and maturity made her hard to ignore.
Lu Ming listened with interest to Cheng Yu and Guo Jia's conversation; one favored him, the other favored Cao Cao.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I see you two are no ordinary people. Would you be interested in sitting down for a drink?"
Guo Jia and Cheng Yu, upon hearing this, finally noticed Lu Ming. They had never seen him before and didn't know what he looked like.
For a moment, they neither agreed nor refused.
"This is the Qin King's business; no one will kill or rob here. You two can rest assured."
Lu Ming made another inviting gesture. He didn't lack strategists, but rather management talent.
Now that he saw two promising individuals, he decided to recruit them.
He had been recruiting talent before, but few had responded. Now, quite a few had come to join him, but most were unsuitable for important positions and could only serve as minor officials.
Guo Jia picked up his wine cup and sat down, bowing to Lu Ming, "I am Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao, from Yingchuan. May I ask your name?"
"I am Shen Lian, Shen Yidao, a wanderer."
Lu Ming also bowed, deliberately using a false name.
Well, if there's Shen Lian, then is there Ding Baiying?
"I am Cheng Yu, courtesy name Zhongde, from Dongjun, Wuzhou."
Cheng Yu sensed the other party was unusual, so he also sat down to greet him.
"Now the Han Dynasty is in decline, warlords are rising up, and the people are suffering. As the saying goes, prosperity brings hardship to the people, and so does ruin. You two are well-versed in the classics; what are your thoughts on the state of the world?"
Lu Ming smiled and poured them both a cup of wine. "This is wine from the Western Regions, which I obtained on a commission trip from Xiliang. Please try it."
Guo Jia, who loved wine, immediately picked it up and tasted it. "It's a little bitter, but after that, it's incredibly sweet. Although it's not as strong as Xiliang liquor, it's still a fine wine."
Cheng Yu, more serious, also picked up the wine and took a sip. "Not bad, a good wine."
"The world isn't something we can decide with a few casual chats. But you, brother, have the ability to obtain wine; you must be no ordinary person."
"Then why not seek refuge with a warlord? With your abilities, you could easily achieve great things."
Guo Jia retorted, 'You ask me? Then I'll ask you first.'
His younger sister, Lu Qing, was only focused on eating her food, showing no interest in the grand scheme of things.
But seeing her brother's boastful act—was this the 'playing dumb to fool the enemy' story he'd told her about?
Suddenly, she became quite interested, even unaware that seeing her brother's mischievousness had aroused her—a feeling that put her in a state where she could have sex at any moment.
Lu Ming laughed upon hearing Guo Jia's words, pouring himself another glass of wine. 'I have thought about it, but haven't made a decision yet. I want to observe further, to see which warlord in this world is worthy of my service. What are your thoughts, brother?'
'Cao Cao of Chenliu, with his many fierce generals and strategists, now commands Yuzhou, Wuzhou, and Xuzhou—truly a wise ruler of our time!'
Cheng Yu suddenly uttered a startling statement, his silence revealing a profound truth. If one didn't truly understand the situation, they would genuinely believe Cao Cao was incredibly powerful.
It must be said, Cao Cao was indeed a remarkable figure. A capable minister in times of peace, a ruthless hero in times of chaos.
The prestige of the Han Dynasty is now nearing collapse, just as it was with the Zhou Dynasty. From the Spring and Autumn Period's struggle for supremacy to the Warring States Period's struggle for dominance, it was a gradual process.
Now, the world is a battleground of warring states. Who will ultimately conquer it depends on their strategic maneuvering and political maneuvering.
"Cao Cao is indeed a ruthless hero, quite impressive indeed."
Lu Ming nodded slightly, acknowledging this. Cao Cao was formidable, but he posed no real threat to Lu Ming.
Throughout history, it's not uncommon for the weak to defeat the strong in warfare. However, for Lu Ming, as long as he proceeds steadily and surely, eliminating these warlords is only a matter of time.
Guo Jia seemed to have discerned something, his expression becoming respectful. "In my opinion, the Prince of Qin of Guanzhong is destined to conquer the world."
"Oh? It seems King Lu Ming of Qin is unpopular. Whether it's the scholars of Yingchuan, the talented men of Jingzhou, or the famous figures of Hebei, they all despise him and wish they could tear him apart."
"Moreover, powerful clans are now in power. Even Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, who restored the Han dynasty, relied on the power of these clans."
"The court is dominated by powerful clans, who monopolize official positions. It's incredibly difficult for those from humble backgrounds to rise."
"Furthermore, governing local areas requires these gentry and powerful figures. Comparatively, Cao Cao is more favored by the powerful clans."
Lu Ming added a sentence that seemed reasonable, but was actually just a test of their attitudes.
Guo Jia smiled without speaking, swirling his wine cup.
Cheng Yu frowned in thought, his brows furrowing deeply. "Since ancient times, establishing merit, bringing glory to one's ancestors, and benefiting one's descendants has been a matter of course. The formation of powerful and aristocratic families is therefore inevitable."
"Hehe, Zhongde, what about the descendants of the Ji family back then?"
Lu Ming asked again. The Ji surname wasn't a bad name; on the contrary, it was a prestigious one.
The descendants of the Zhou emperors were surnamed Ji, but they later declined, and fearing persecution, they changed their surname to Zhou.
The meaning was clear: no family lasts forever; even dynasties eventually perish.
Cheng Yu pondered for a moment, then looked at Lu Ming, "What insightful opinion do you have?"
"No profound insights, just casual conversation. There's no hierarchy, just everyone sharing their opinions."
Lu Ming laughed, not responding. He knew, of course, that powerful clans would exist.
But they had to be clans that obeyed him; otherwise, they would be wiped out. Only a handful of people knew this, and he wouldn't deliberately reveal it, because any intelligent person could see it.
As for the less intelligent ones, they were already in hell, not here.