The reason Emperor Ling agreed was simply because it was absurd enough. He wanted to use this absurdity as a pretext to eliminate He Jin's right-hand men and teach him a painful lesson.
"The emperor wants to punish you, and you have to accept it. That's the emperor's nature; the emperor is never wrong!"
Moreover, this gamble could yield a large sum of money, which was the key point. With money, you can get everything.
His own medical treatment cost money, building a new army cost money, maintaining the palace cost money—even the emperor was short of money!
After court, news spread quickly that Lu Ming and Wu Kuang had a life-or-death duel, and that Zhang Rang had personally led men to set up a stall!
No one expected it to turn out this way. This behavior was so absurd, so ridiculous, yet so perfectly reasonable.
Was Emperor Ling absurd?
Absurd!
Extremely absurd, even utterly lacking the qualities of a wise ruler!
But so what?
He was the emperor, the Son of Heaven—that was enough!
The imperial court openly announced that positions ranging from Marquis of Guannei down to the Tiger Guards and Feathered Forest Guards under the Grand Master of Ceremonies could be purchased with money.
The regulations for selling official positions were: local officials cost twice as much as central officials, while county officials had varying prices; promotions also required payment based on the price.
Those seeking official positions could bid, and the highest bidder would be appointed.
In addition to fixed prices, the prices were subject to change based on the applicant's social standing and wealth.
Generally, the price of an official position was calculated based on the official's annual salary. For example, a position with an annual salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) cost 20 million coins, and a position with an annual salary of 400 shi cost 4 million coins—meaning the price of an official position was 10,000 times the official's annual income.
Many officials were deterred by the exorbitant "official fee" and resigned.
This was outrageous, utterly outrageous.
This is why, even with layers of deception, Emperor Ling still amassed a vast amount of money.
The powerful clans, gritting their teeth, tolerated this, and instead used the opportunity to control key departments, intensifying their exploitation, which ultimately led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
On one occasion, Emperor Ling showed a surprising interest in donkeys. Whether he had never seen them before or had some new pastime was unclear.
A eunuch who frequently served Emperor Ling, noticing his displeasure, carefully selected four donkeys and led them to him.
Upon seeing the four donkeys, Emperor Ling's eyes lit up with excitement. He immediately ordered someone skilled in driving a donkey cart to be found, and he himself rode in the cart, embarking on a day trip around the palace.
Unexpectedly, after a few days, Emperor Ling grew tired of the ride and suddenly decided to drive the donkey cart himself, touring the palace every day, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Within days, news of the emperor riding in a donkey cart spread far and wide beyond the palace.
The high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital thought to themselves,
"Hey, is even the emperor that trendy? I can't fall behind!"
Since their own emperor was so trendy, no one wanted to be left behind, and they all started imitating him, causing a surge in donkey prices for a while.
But Emperor Ling's enthusiasm was short-lived. Just as riding in a donkey cart became fashionable, he got bored.
Such absurd things happened one after another, so when Emperor Ling once again held a martial arts contest to determine who was right and who was wrong, the people of Luoyang were already used to it.
On the contrary, they were extremely curious about a certain gambling den that had opened. The odds listed were for two people: Lu Ming's odds were 1 to 1, and Wu Kuang's were 2 to 1. It didn't seem special, and it seemed that Wu Kuang was the better one.
Furthermore, rumors had already spread that Lu Ming's strength was negligible, while Wu Kuang possessed immense strength, capable of tearing apart a tiger alive!
This was all a publicity stunt, designed to entice bettors to place their bets on Wu Kuang, thus allowing the emperor to make a fortune.
As for why he wasn't afraid of Lu Ming being killed, it seemed Emperor Ling had other plans. Keeping Lu Ming by his side for daily recuperation, serving as a private physician, wouldn't be bad.
This was only because Lu Ming held an official position and had achieved some merit; otherwise, his medical skills might have turned him into a private slave.
In Luoyang, any wrong step could lead to utter ruin.
Who could have imagined that Emperor Ling, who had always valued Lu Ming, would have such a plan?
Even Marquis Zhao had some reservations about Lu Ming because of his eldest son's affair. A dog is a dog; nothing can change its nature.
While the rumors swirled outside, Lu Ming was at the Grand Commandant's residence, embracing the Grand Commandant's wife, Liu Liu, on their bed, speaking these words.
Madam Zhang was dressed in tattered clothes, and their genitals were still intimately connected, clearly indicating that they had engaged in sexual activity.
Moreover, the semen had begun to liquefy and leak out over time.
"A duel to determine the victor? Hmph, I think His Majesty has ulterior motives. This won't be good for you." Liu Liu leaned against Lu Ming's chest, her restless desires calming considerably.
A woman in middle age, whose desires have been satisfied, even has skin that appears more radiant.
"Has my brother made any statement?"
"No, probably because he's taking his anger out on Liu Zan." Lu Ming shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he considered the possibilities.
He had long known that Luoyang wouldn't be peaceful. Even if he kept a low profile, someone would deliberately cause trouble.
The Yuan family would definitely not let him get away so easily; they would love for him to lose the battle so they could find a reason to execute him.
"None of my brother's sons are any good. Liu Zan is a complete waste. My brother sent him to study in Jingzhou, but he was sent back in disgrace after less than six months. What a useless piece of trash." Liu Liu bluntly pointed out her nephew's shortcomings and dark history. She was, after all, his aunt, yet she had abandoned him because of her lover.
"It's alright, I'm used to it. Only by reaching a certain position can one be taken seriously. Don't worry, I'm fine." Lu Ming didn't seem to care much; he didn't react to such things.
Liu Liu suddenly perked up, her eyes sparkling. "Wu Kuang's family is quite wealthy, and their mansion is in the south, much larger than where you live now. If you defeat him, you can take over his mansion and shops."
"Heh, fine. Let him be my stepping stone!" Lu Ming knew that in this conflict, he had only gained a small share, not the lion's share. The Emperor ate the meat, others drank the soup, and he was lucky to get a little bit of the broth. Public opinion has little influence, and the benefits are directly proportional to one's abilities; there's nothing that can be done about it.