"Gongyi, you stay by my side and recruit wandering knights into my army, and discipline them strictly," Lu Ming said to Jiang Qin beside him. One would assist Jia Xu, while the other would stay and help him.
Both were former wandering knights, so recruiting them was relatively easy for them.
"Yes, my lord," Jiang Qin replied, inwardly excited. Following Lu Ming meant unexpected opportunities to achieve great things—this was a great opportunity!
After everything was arranged, Lu Ming went to the palace to treat Emperor Ling.
Only after finishing his work did he receive an imperial edict allowing him to go outside the city to recruit soldiers.
He could recruit as far as Hedong County outside Hangu Pass, as long as it wasn't too far.
Everything was for convenience and to ensure success.
Leaving the palace, Lu Ming prepared to head to the South Market to recruit soldiers, but upon arriving, he heard a commotion.
"Go see what's going on," Lu Ming said, looking at the chaos ahead. People were fleeing in panic, as if they had encountered something terrible. "Yes, my lord." Jiang Qin nimbly slipped into the crowd and disappeared in a flash.
Lu Ming felt a sense of foreboding, so he led his men to the side. A moment later, a squad of constables appeared from the street, gleaming broadswords at their waists, and walked directly towards him.
A resolute-faced man waved his hand, and the constables surrounded Lu Ming. "Are you Lu Ming?"
"I am Lu Ming, Prefect of Longxi Commandery and Colonel of the Western Garden Army. What? Are you here to arrest someone from the army?" Lu Ming flashed his token, a hint of mockery on his lips.
The man's lips twitched slightly. He cursed inwardly, "You beast!" His superior had given him the task of bringing someone back to the yamen, and the person was just a colonel?
His initially tough attitude changed. "It's my duty, please forgive me, sir."
"Since it's my duty, then go back and tell the person who assigned you. The Xiyuan Army Captain is under the jurisdiction of the Upper Army Captain, and even the Grand General is subject to his command. Who do you think you are? Get out! Attacking the Xiyuan Army is tantamount to treason. Do you want to experience the taste of having your entire family exterminated?" Lu Ming threatened this brat without any politeness. He knew the Yuan family was not to be trifled with, but he didn't expect them to be so blatantly causing him trouble!
"Heh, back to the yamen? Once you're in, getting out won't be so easy."
The man's face turned ugly from the scolding. He wanted to say something, but dared not actually make a move.
The yamen runners could deal with ordinary people; they could arrest them at will, just by finding a reason.
But once they were in the yamen, how they were treated was up to them. However, dealing with someone from the military was not so simple. In essence, the yamen couldn't interfere in military matters.
A short while later, Jiang Qin returned. He paused, surprised to see the constables, and approached them, saying, "My lord, it's said that someone is harassing a woman and attacking her servants."
"Is that so?" Lu Ming stroked his chin. "Come on, follow me."
Seeing Lu Ming leave, a constable stepped forward and said, "Head constable, are we just going to let him go like that?"
*Slap!* The head constable slapped him, sending him spinning on the spot, seemingly venting his anger on his subordinate. "What can we do? Humph, come back with me to report!"
On South Street, a richly dressed young man had his retainers surround a carriage, a lewd smile playing on his lips.
These retainers were all battle-hardened soldiers; now that they were household guards, dealing with ordinary servants was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
In no time, they had beaten the servants guarding the carriage to the ground!
"Young lady, come out, let this young master take a good look." The man dismounted and lifted the carriage curtain. The surrounding servants were all knocked to the ground; no one could stop him.
"Ah! You lecher!" A woman's scream rang out, only making the man more excited.
"What a beautiful lady! Haha, today you're mine!"
Lu Ming had just arrived when he witnessed this scene. He used to think that the rich would bully men and women, but in ancient times, this was commonplace.
The powerful could oppress the common people with impunity, and the common people couldn't even resist.
"Tsk tsk tsk, who is this?"
"Who are you! Mind your own business!" Wu Ban saw someone younger than himself daring to interfere, so he snorted, not caring about the other person's background.
Those who can make a living in Luoyang are mostly well-known figures. The playboys may not be serious, but that doesn't mean they're ignorant.
They know clearly who to mess with and who to avoid. So, seeing Lu Ming's unfamiliar face, it's obvious he's an outsider.
There's a saying among outsiders: even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. If you dare to step forward, you'd better know your place!
Lu Ming initially didn't want to get involved, but a fleeting glance at the woman in the carriage caught his eye; she was quite beautiful.
Red lips, white teeth, stunningly beautiful face, a national treasure. Her pitiful appearance aroused an impulse in him to possess her. And for some reason, he felt this woman had a story, a woman he should know.
"Let her go. You can leave now, and nothing will happen." Lu Ming twisted his wrist. Since his sixth sense told him this girl had a story, he'd follow his intuition and investigate.
"Hahaha! You arrogant fool! Charge! Kill him! Don't kill him!" Wu Ban was almost dying of laughter. His father was the General's most trusted subordinate.
The General held immense power; even the Yuan family had to show him respect. Now, some nobody could mess with him? Wasn't he courting death?
"Kill them all, spare his life. Spears in hand, follow me." Lu Ming pulled on his spear and launched a charge without warning.
His body leaned slightly forward, his steps steady, the spear concealed behind him—a standard concealed stance.
"Insolence! Die!" A swordsman wielding a longsword roared. One second his sword was still in its sheath, the next it was drawn, the blade aimed straight for Lu Ming's throat. Clearly, he intended to kill him instantly—this wasn't a fancy move, but a direct killing technique!
Clang! Spears clashed against swords, golden spears soaring high into the sky, radiating light like the sun and moon, their thrusts like a roaring dragon. In that single exchange, both sides knew the other was no easy opponent.