"Must I come to your house?" Empress He frowned, clearly displeased. This wouldn't do her any good reputation, and she wasn't keen on it.
"It's just that it would be more convenient for me. I need to leave Luoyang in a few days to serve His Majesty," Lu Ming offered an irresistible reason. Besides, he'd recently received numerous invitations to his home or to meet at his residence.
He was now a prominent figure; if it weren't for Empress He's status, he wouldn't have come at all.
He was not without resentment at being transferred here by imperial decree, which was why he'd slept with the Empress's mother.
At this moment, Lady Wuyang emerged, supported by a palace maid. "Empress, I'll stay with you for a few days. It's a great fortune that His Majesty values Doctor Lu; he must possess extraordinary abilities."
Indeed, extraordinary abilities. Even now, just thinking about that penis filled Lady Wuyang with a desire, a desire to be fucked.
It was unimaginable how pleasurable Lu Ming had been to her, to make her obey his every command without question!
If she were to fall into this abyss, she would only be Lu Ming's bitch, not the high and mighty Empress.
"Alright, Guo Sheng, go and prepare the official documents for Wu Yangjun's departure from the palace," Empress He instructed, turning to Lu Ming. "Lu Ming, you have rendered service to the nation; I will reward you with gold and silver. Bring these things up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Lu Ming replied without glancing at her. He knew the Empress was very alluring; it was truly unexpected that Emperor Ling could so heartlessly abandon such a woman.
"Lu Ming, your medical skills are truly remarkable; you can even cure such an incurable ailment as a toothache. I wish to learn from you so that I can better treat Your Majesty in the future. What do you say?" Zhang Yulan made a request from the side. She was genuinely interested and wanted to know how Lu Ming cured toothaches!
Toothache is a common experience, but without exception, most people endure it, having no other choice. Other methods only offer slight, or even no, relief, merely providing psychological comfort.
For someone passionate about medicine, this is undoubtedly incredibly appealing.
"That's no problem. I can teach you whenever I have time," Lu Ming said, not making any absolute promises. If it were a civil official, they would have readily agreed; but since he was using his status as the Empress to pressure him, they wouldn't hold back.
He agreed, but when he would teach depended on his availability—he was the one who offered.
"In that case, thank you in advance." Zhang Yulan was unaware of the implications. She had only come to assist Princess Wannian in her investigation and also wanted to learn and experience new medical techniques.
Now she could kill two birds with one stone—a perfect solution! It couldn't be more delightful!
"No need to be so polite. It's not so much teaching as a discussion, but rather a collaborative exploration. However, my methods might be uncomfortable for some, and not everyone can understand or accept them. If you can't accept it, you don't have to learn it." Lu Ming made things clear beforehand to avoid any criticism later.
"I understand," Zhang Yulan smiled. Did she not know that such exclusive secrets are rarely passed on?
And to a woman, a married woman at that?
What a joke.
After leaving with the gold and silver treasures bestowed upon him by Empress He, Lu Ming returned home and secluded himself, focusing on building his greenhouse.
The greenhouse was a great treasure, accelerating plant growth.
It was incredibly convenient for growing things, and since some medicinal herbs were hard to obtain, growing them himself was an option.
Materials could be bought, which would save a lot of trouble. But if they weren't available, then he would have to grow and produce them himself.
"Sixty portions of twigs, thirty portions of timber, one hundred and twenty portions of clay, and ten portions of mud," Lu Ming mentally calculated the materials. Building a greenhouse was indeed extremely difficult.
However, once completed, the profits would be considerable.
As evening approached, the steward, Wang Huan, came to report that a convoy of carriages had arrived—it was Lord Wuyang, and he had been accommodated.
He had brought a great deal of supplies, including delicacies from land and sea.
The He family was a large and powerful family; almost two-thirds of the pork in Luoyang came from them.
Before they became wealthy, they were butchers, and now that they were rich, they hadn't forgotten their roots.
Although commerce was considered a lowly profession, who didn't like money?
"Alright, I understand. You can go now," Lu Ming waved his hand and continued working. He was almost finished; he didn't have time to stop.
It wasn't until evening that Lu Ming wiped away his sweat; he was drenched in sweat.
To cool down, he took off all his clothes, leaving only his pants, revealing his muscular physique.
The greenhouse was already built, using a transparent film and glass.
It maintained natural light, allowing sunlight to stream in and accelerate plant growth.
Several fields lay before him, planted with cinchona trees, kava pepper plants, ginger, spider orchids, chrysanthemums, jasmine, and other medicinal herbs.
The bark of the cinchona tree has significant medicinal value. After drying, it can be used to manufacture quinine, a basic drug for treating and preventing malaria.
Quinine can be further refined into a more potent drug called quinine sulfate.
It can be used to treat malaria and is also beneficial for colds and flu.
With special processing, precursors like penicillin can also be produced. This is the rigor of the system's technology—unlocking step by step. As long as it can be produced, it can be self-sufficient, without needing to rely on others.
The roots of the kava pepper plant can be harvested, crushed, and soaked in water to make a medicinal drink with analgesic and fever-reducing effects.
As a euphoric and sedative, it also helps combat depression and anxiety.
Ginger, when made into a drink, can treat symptoms such as menstrual cramps and diarrhea, and is also a good choice for topical application.
It can be said that everything grown here is medicinal. If it weren't for the late hour, Lu Ming would definitely have cultivated a few more plots to grow some fruits and vegetables.
Starting tomorrow, he will upgrade his first-aid kit to further expand its capacity.
It will be a true storage space with an anti-theft function.
Food can be put in and taken out anytime.
This is beyond comprehension, and the process of adding charcoal adds a touch of scientific common sense.