"I am He Shi, wife of Zhang Feng. The Empress in the palace is my elder sister. Since you, sir, were recommended by Zhang Changshi, I naturally trust you." The young woman introduced herself gracefully, subtly revealing her identity while also hinting at her status.
So she was Empress He's younger sister, though historically, she was only mentioned briefly.
Empress He's younger sister, her full sister.
General He Jin was Empress He's half-brother, and General He Miao was her half-brother, originally named Zhu Miao, who changed his surname to He after his mother remarried He Zhen.
Lu Ming's eyes flickered a few times as he looked at the graceful and beautiful young woman before him. If the younger sister was so beautiful and voluptuous, what kind of allure would the pampered Empress He possess?
"Madam Zhang, let's begin the examination now."
"Yes, sir, please follow me." Madam He led the way, completely unsuspecting of Lu Ming; suspicion was futile.
He was introduced by Zhang Rang, and even if she didn't like him, she had to put on a show and let him see him.
As the daughter-in-law of a eunuch, Madam He was somewhat resistant, but she had no choice but to accept her fate.
Fortunately, her husband wasn't handsome, but he wasn't arrogant or domineering, and treated her fairly well.
This was a typical arranged marriage, with each faction vying for power.
It wasn't a simple division; it was a complex web of kinship, where everyone was intertwined.
The He family married their daughter to Zhang Rang's adopted son to ease tensions, perhaps even at Emperor Ling's behest.
After all, the emperor wanted to reclaim his power, and the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty was aided by powerful families.
Therefore, they could only use eunuchs and imperial relatives to counter the powerful families and regain some control.
The idea was good, and the execution was excellent.
However, sometimes things don't go as planned.
For example, Emperor Ling intended to use his maternal relatives to counterbalance the powerful clans, but unexpectedly, this led to the Grand General being won over, effectively crippling this crucial right-hand man.
Lu Ming vaguely sensed this change—the change in the court, the change in the situation in Luoyang.
But all of this was irrelevant to him, and he couldn't influence it. He only needed to seize the opportunity, fish in the chaos, and get what he wanted.
When he returned to Longxi Commandery, he might even be able to further expand his territory.
He could accumulate grain, delay declaring himself king, and once he captured Chang'an, occupied Guanzhong, and secured Tongguan, he could emulate Liu Bang.
He could watch the warlords of Guandong fight amongst themselves while he focused on his own development.
The land around Chang'an was fertile; he could develop it independently.
There are salt wells here that can be developed, allowing for trade with the Western Regions—a very favorable geographical location.
"Gongyi, you and your men wait here."
"Yes, my lord."
After passing through gardens, passageways, and then a garden with a pond, the vast mansion was built almost to the standards of royalty and nobility.
Zhang Rang's adopted son was merely a commoner. Even with Zhang Rang's immense power, he couldn't arrange for his adopted son to enter officialdom; the path was fundamentally blocked.
It's unimaginable what would happen if Zhang Rang were killed one day. Would Zhang Feng still be able to live here?
He would definitely be purged!
This is obvious even to a fool. The idea that "misfortune shouldn't extend to family members" is utter nonsense. When it comes to purging, they'd dig up even ancestral graves; there's no such thing as "misfortune shouldn't extend to family members."
To truly "exclude family members from punishment," one needs sufficient power and strength; otherwise, it's all empty talk and nonsense.
Lu Ming had been staring at Madam He's shapely buttocks the entire way. Even hidden beneath her long, fringed dress, the roundness and firmness of her two peach-like buttocks were still visible.
She was truly a charming young woman. If he wasn't mistaken, she must have given birth to possess such allure.
Madam He was unaware that she had been secretly watched. Her buttocks were indeed exquisite; even her sister, Empress He's, peach-shaped buttocks were exceptional!
Plump yet not fat, firm yet not thin, a thrust from behind would produce waves of flesh and an astonishingly soft feedback—enough to make any man ejaculate wildly!
After winding through several turns, they finally arrived at a side room.
Even through the doorway, a strong smell of Chinese medicine wafted through the air; those who disliked it certainly wouldn't.
Madam He covered her nose with barely concealed disgust. "My lord, my husband is inside."
"Very well, Madam, please sit quietly in the room." Lu Ming entered the room, which had been pushed open by a maid. He saw a thin man lying on a bed piled high with bedding, coughing occasionally. There were several jars on the floor; these weren't medicine, but rather containers for his spitting.
The sickroom was utterly repulsive; no normal person would like it.
"Husband, this is the doctor my father found for you. Please let him examine you," Madam He said, forcing a smile, her eyes filled with disgust.
They already disliked each other, and with prolonged illness, even filial piety fades; the couple had become even less affectionate.
Lu Ming could tell at a glance that the man had tuberculosis, and in its late stages.
A cure would be extremely difficult; for now, they could only try to slow the progression of his illness.
"This is tuberculosis, and it's tuberculosis that has accumulated over time."
He knew this even before taking Zhang Feng's pulse. Lu Ming took a stool and sat down, pretending to take Zhang Feng's pulse. "It's fortunate you've encountered me; it might not be the same with others. Now that you've been ill for a long time, treatment will be a long process. I'll give you acupuncture first, after which you might vomit, to expel the pus and pus from your sores. Then, with medication, you'll gradually get better."
"Cough cough, doctor, is there any hope for me?" Zhang Feng's breathing was very weak, as if he might die at any moment.
"Yes." Lu Ming finished speaking and said to Madam He, "Madam, have the servants cook a pot of plain porridge. The vegetables only need to be steamed. Three days later, the meat needs to be chopped into small pieces and mixed into the porridge. Continue this for a month, and you'll be able to get out of bed and walk."
Without giving him a chance to refuse, Lu Ming began to perform acupuncture.
The calcined silver needles were inserted into Zhang Feng's body with lightning speed, a sight to behold.
In reality, however, this was merely Lu Ming's skill casting process; once the casting was complete, the treatment would be finished.
Throughout the process, he felt as if he were being controlled, inserting needles into suitable acupoints to stimulate them.
No need for any knowledge of acupuncture; the system would handle everything for him.