The other one was unknown. Lu Ming's eyes flickered as he looked on, his thoughts unreadable.
Princess Wannian seemed to notice Lu Ming's gaze, or perhaps she was removing him from their list of potential conquests.
"Her name is Cai Wenji, the daughter of Cai Yong, the General of the Palace Attendants, betrothed to the Wei family of Hedong. The other is Zhang Yulan, daughter of Zhang Heng, who abstained from alcohol; her ancestors were descendants of Marquis Liu."
Marquis Liu was Zhang Liang. The descendants of Zhang Liang had enjoyed a glorious past, and although their fortunes had declined, they were still doing reasonably well.
As for Cai Wenji, there's not much to say. A truly pitiful talented woman, she was first married to a consumptive husband who died soon after.
Later, during the rebellions in Guanzhong caused by Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, the Southern Xiongnu, a vassal state, seized the opportunity to rebel and plunder, and Cai Yan was captured by the Xiongnu's Left Wise King.
Cai Yan lived in the north for twelve years before being redeemed by Cao Cao and remarrying.
Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived; her husband committed another crime, and she had no choice but to plead with Cao Cao for help, but nothing came of it.
Such a beautiful woman, yet her life was so tragic.
Lu Ming felt an urge to take Cai Wenji into his arms and make her his concubine.
Beautiful and learned, he would truly regret missing out!
"So it's them. Before coming, I heard that Her Highness was surrounded by talented women. Birds of a feather flock together, and Her Highness is also a talented woman." Lu Ming nodded, feigning understanding.
In truth, he knew nothing about them and felt nothing at all.
He simply thought those two women were quite attractive.
Young widows, even better.
Since they were widows, he had to work even harder to get them!
"Alright, Doctor, you can ask your questions now." Princess Wannian didn't want to ramble on. If Emperor Ling hadn't summoned Lu Ming, she probably wouldn't have even seen him.
"Do you cough often?" Lu Ming's questions became quite normal again.
"No." Princess Wannian lowered her head, not looking at Lu Ming—perhaps she didn't want to, or perhaps she disdained to look.
"Do you feel cold?" Lu Ming took out his silver needles and fiddled with them, seemingly casually.
"Occasionally at night."
"Do you shiver when you feel cold?"
"No."
The two exchanged questions, occasionally venturing into more challenging situations. Princess Wannian answered calmly, trying her best not to get angry.
"So, I understand. One last question: Does the Princess have frequent sexual activity?" Lu Ming nodded, took out a piece of paper, and wrote the names of medicinal herbs on it.
Upon hearing this question, Princess Wannian frowned again, looking at Lu Ming with displeasure. "Do you think I'm a promiscuous woman?"
"Why do you say that, Princess?" Lu Ming felt a little strange and retorted with a serious attitude.
"My husband has been dead for many years. I don't have any lovers. Haven't you heard that?" Princess Wannian was seething with anger. Did he think she was a promiscuous and impure woman?
Outrageous!
She was, after all, a princess, not a fickle woman. She wouldn't do such things.
Seeing this, Lu Ming's expression became somewhat strange.
"Since arriving in Luoyang, I've been busy with official duties and have never had time for personal matters, much less for gossiping. I truly didn't know Your Highness was a widow. This was my oversight."
Hearing Lu Ming's explanation, Princess Wannian was still somewhat dissatisfied. No one would be happy to be considered a promiscuous woman. "Doctor, please be careful with your words and actions."
"A doctor's heart is selfless; everything is for the sake of healing. If it weren't for treatment, I wouldn't be asking these questions. One last question: how often does the princess masturbate?" Lu Ming had barely finished speaking when he saw Princess Wannian's gentle expression turn ferocious; this gentle princess seemed about to explode.
So he hurriedly explained, "Mencius said, 'Food and sex are human nature,' and ancient records state that sexual intercourse can bring physical and mental comfort, improve circulation, and detoxify and beautify the skin. This is not flirting. His Majesty engages in sexual intercourse daily; this is the natural order. Princess, please do not worry."
Princess Wannian was furious. A man asking a woman such a question was clearly flirting. "You lecherous scoundrel! Get out!"
Lu Ming immediately bowed and said, "Please trouble Your Highness to write a letter of resignation. I can also reply to His Majesty when I treat him."
Princess Wannian was about to explode on the spot, but then, as if remembering something, she said, "Enough! Go away. I don't want to see you again."
Lu Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to provoke the princess and then leave.
Because Jia Xu had analyzed that Emperor Ling might want to match him with Princess Wannian.
Princess Wannian was in her early twenties, four or five years older than him. It was like a young cow being eaten by an old cow; he had no intention of marrying a princess, not even a virtuous one.
He was far more comfortable playing with women for his own amusement than needing to marry one and serve her.
After Lu Ming left, two young women who should have left reappeared from behind the screen. It was Zhang Yulan and Cai Wenji, kneeling at the lower end.
"Do you think that Lu Ming has any real talent or ability?" Princess Wannian had regained her composure, showing no trace of her earlier rage. It was as if it had all been feigned, and indeed, it was.
"I think he's like a lecher—no, not just like, but he is." A hint of disgust surfaced on Cai Wenji's beautiful face, a disgust stemming from her aversion to such a rash person.
On the other hand, Zhang Yulan, a young woman whose looks were slightly less striking but whose figure was more voluptuous, wore a smiling expression. "I think he has ulterior motives!"
"Oh? What do you mean?" Princess Wannian also sensed it, but she hadn't expected Zhang Yulan to share the same opinion. It seemed her intuition was correct.
"He definitely doesn't want to take this assignment, but he can't refuse, so he's declining." Zhang Yulan was no mere ornament, or rather, none of the three of them were ornaments.
Having a father who was a high-ranking official meant he was adept at understanding people's hearts.
"He must have sensed something, which is why he resorted to such a drastic measure. I heard from my mother that this man's acupuncture skills are miraculous; he can cure tuberculosis and syphilis, and they are indeed remarkably effective. His reputation is well-deserved, but he won't act without self-interest!"