After two days of rest and recuperation, Lu Ming left Shi Tao to help with the official affairs of Tao County, which was to become his future granary, exporting rice seeds to the surrounding areas.
Therefore, this place had to be handled well; the next step was to quell Han Sui and Ma Teng.
Meanwhile, news came that Ma Teng had sent his daughter, Ma Yunlu, to be married off, signifying either a lack of desire to fight or, more accurately, submission.
He replaced the county magistrate with one of his own, and then went to pay his respects to Dong Huang.
Unfortunately, Dong Huang's wife and two concubines treated him coldly, so Lu Ming decided to send the two concubines to the military camp to do laundry and cook; their fate was certainly not good.
"The man is dead, yet they still give me attitude; don't they know their own limitations!"
As for Dong Huang's wife, Lu Ming didn't touch her, but instead forced her to have sex with him in front of Dong Huang's memorial tablet for two hours.
She could live, and would continue to live, still as Dong Huang's wife, and any child she bore would be considered Dong Huang's.
Shi Tao had finally made it, becoming a county magistrate immediately.
His first act was to carry out Lu Ming's orders, with the help of Liao Hua leading troops, to gather evidence of crimes committed by some small and medium-sized powerful landlords, confiscating their property.
The land was used for military farming, firmly controlling the entire Tao County.
Even Dong Huang's assets were confiscated to build granaries for Xiliang, and to establish academies for education.
He quickly trained a number of low-level officials, selecting honest and simple young men for these positions. With the strong support of the Mohist school, he developed a path towards education for the common people, with unexpectedly good results.
Lu Ming didn't care about the disputes between schools of thought; he would use whoever was useful to him.
In this respect, he was already behaving like an emperor. In the eyes and heart of an emperor, there were no distinctions between schools of thought, only between useful and useless.
Those who are useful are supported; those who are useless are discarded.
Mounting their horses, Lu Ming, along with his younger sister Lu Qing, set off in the wedding procession. Xu Huang led the way, using the army to clear the path, while the rear was used to construct a cement road.
After two days of rest, Lu Qing had recovered. Even though she was accompanying Lu Ming on the wedding procession, she was all smiles.
She didn't need to marry anymore; she was already Lu Ming's woman.
She could also stay with her mother; this feeling was truly wonderful.
Moreover, after the Dong Huang incident, her aunt, who used to visit every day, was somewhat frightened and dared not come anymore, staying at the inn and not showing her face.
"Brother, do you think Sister-in-law Wang Yi can control both of your sisters-in-law?" Lu Qing asked with a grin as she rode alongside him. These past two days, she had seen her aunt and cousin Dong Yuan, who were instructing her, panting heavily beneath her brother.
It was like adultery; after they were done, they left one after the other.
However, she wasn't jealous at all, especially compared to her naturally cheerful self.
This was actually the best situation for her. She didn't have the constraints of a family, yet she had a warm haven—it couldn't be more wonderful.
Even if she had children later, she wouldn't be bound by those constraints; wouldn't her mother help her?
"Probably. Little sister, Auntie said she's going to the Qiang chieftains' gathering once every ten years in a few days. I'd like to take you with me." Lu Ming was also very interested in which chieftains' gathering it was; almost all the chieftains were going back.
Among them was Cheriji, the leader of the largest Qiang tribe, whom he called king.
He had a premonition that he would conquer them at this gathering!
"Great! I can go out and play again!" Lu Qing certainly wouldn't refuse. She could ride horses, play games, and be with her beloved brother—it seemed like a wonderful thing.
It only took a day to get from here to Xicheng County, where Wang Yi was, and the road was relatively easy to travel.
So, going today, resting for the night, and returning tomorrow will be perfect.
My younger sister, Lu Qing, will accompany me; if I want to, I can use her to relieve my pent-up desires.
Meanwhile, in Xicheng County, at the Wang family residence.
The once-impoverished Wang family, after accepting the arranged marriage, received betrothal gifts from Mother Dong Ya, allowing the family to survive.
Previously, they had been consistently losing money, even struggling to make ends meet. Having no male heirs, they were easily bullied.
Lu Ming wasn't wealthy before either; he only had a small surplus, and after bribing officials, he didn't have much left.
Now, with the addition of a merchant follower, his rare treasures, glassware, and other handicrafts could be sold.
Ceramics were the best seller. The Central Plains was the most prosperous region and the easiest place to sell goods, with many wealthy people.
People liked to buy ceramics for decoration, both for the living and for the dead.
At burial, gold and silver treasures are used for the funeral rites; this is an ancient custom and etiquette. Marriage is often less important than death.
Emperors even have mausoleums to build, let alone those below them.
A hasty burial is unacceptable; wild animals like wolves, dogs, and boars could easily dig up the grave and eat the body.
Therefore, a grand burial, even a formal one, is essential.
With money, many things can be done.
Even emperors are short of money, and Lu Ming is even more so.
Besides expenses, there are water conservancy projects, farmland reclamation, bridge and road repairs—these don't yield immediate returns.
Only continuous investment can show its benefits in the future.
In the boudoir, a beautiful, refined face, delicate oval shape, unadorned, possesses a natural beauty that is pleasing to the eye in every way. Her smooth, delicate neck, large, full breasts, smooth, delicate abdomen, plump, pert buttocks, and long, shapely legs were all captivating.
"Miss, the future son-in-law has arrived in the city," a maidservant reported. As Wang Yi's maid, she felt a surge of pride; with one person's rise to power, even their relatives and friends benefited. Wang Yi was to marry Lu Ming as his wife, and as his principal wife at that.
This meant her status would also be elevated.
The personal maidservant of the governor's wife—wasn't that a high enough status?
Wang Yi turned around, a hint of joy on her pretty face.
Although rumors circulated that Lu Ming was cruel and had a penchant for raping women.
She didn't listen to the slander. "Listen to all sides, and you'll be enlightened; believe only one side, and you'll be misled." As a figure who would leave her mark on history, and a woman at that, she was certainly not one of those simple-minded women.
Besides, Lu Ming was going to marry her, so she wouldn't look down on her future husband.