Changqiu Palace, Main Hall.
General He Jin, summoned by the Empress, arrived. Maids stood guard outside the gate, while eunuchs and palace maids attended to him inside.
Dressed in an orange official robe and wearing a feathered hat, He Jin entered the main hall and bowed to Empress He, who knelt on the throne, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
"General, no need for formalities. I've come to plead for someone." Empress He was straightforward. She and Zhang Rang were allies; her sister had married Zhang Rang's adopted son, so their fates were intertwined.
When they plotted to poison Consort Wang, it was they who had helped protect her.
To eliminate all threats, she was ruthless.
The bloodshed within the harem was far more complex than it appeared.
Using her status as Empress, she would give pregnant concubines a bowl of contraceptive soup, causing them to miscarry, or even poison them outright.
He Jin was puzzled, confused by his half-sister. "Whom does Your Majesty speak of?" he asked.
"Lu Ming, the Colonel of the Western Garden Army," Empress He replied, glancing at He Jin to gauge his reaction.
"Mother was unwell recently, and Lu Ming treated her. She's doing very well. During his treatment, Mother learned of a misunderstanding between him and the General, and she wishes to ask the General to be lenient and not hold it against him."
"Lu Ming? The one who killed Wu Kuang!" He Jin finally remembered—that scoundrel who killed his trusted subordinate!
He Jin was a coward, a butcher, lacking both courage and boldness. Not every butcher is Zhang Fei.
Seeing Empress He pleaded for him, he readily agreed, "Since it is Your Majesty's order, I will obey. However, he has offended Grand Master of Ceremonies Liu Yan. I fear that even if I don't intervene, Liu Yan will not let him off. Not to mention Yuan Wei; Your Majesty must have heard of his words against the Yuan family in court. This is a suicidal scheme, and the Yuan family will not forgive him."
If Zhang Rang hadn't informed her, Empress He would have truly been deceived.
The Yuan family disliked Lu Ming, but the younger generation, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, didn't harbor much animosity. Yuan Shao was indifferent, while Yuan Shu, contrary to his usual behavior, cooperated with Lu Ming and had recently earned merit by reporting Wu Kuang's treason.
Therefore, while Yuan Wei's actions against Lu Ming would indeed make Lu Ming uncomfortable, to say he would kill him would be an exaggeration.
"What grudge does the Grand Master of Ceremonies have against him?"
"It's said to be because of a woman. Wu Kuang's nephew, Wu Yi, works under the Grand Master of Ceremonies. On the day of the incident, Wu Yi's mother and sister were also at home and their property was confiscated and given to Lu Ming. Lu Ming immediately took them as concubines. The next day, the Grand Master of Ceremonies came to demand them, but Lu Ming refused to hand them over, and this led to the conflict." He Jin, being a teacher, didn't intend to deal with Lu Ming.
If Wu Kuang died, he'd just promote another Chen Kuang, regardless of his surname.
He wouldn't be so foolish as to deal with Lu Ming.
He knew this was His Majesty trying to warn him, but he couldn't sever ties with the Yuan family anymore, so he had to swallow his pride and accept it.
Luoyang is a deep and complex place, with intricate relationships. Breaking through such a tangled web is often difficult.
"In that case, let's wait and see. It's said he's going to Hedong to recruit soldiers?" Empress He seemed to have thought of something and conveniently sent the man away.
"It's said that Cao Cao and others were also traveling with them." He Jin didn't understand why they needed to recruit soldiers in Hedong; weren't there enough in Luoyang?
Meanwhile, Grand Master of Ceremonies Liu Yan had already entered the palace to meet with Emperor Ling.
"Your Majesty, the astronomical observatory indicates a harbinger of disaster in the east, suggesting unforeseen events there. According to reports, remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion have already infiltrated the Hedong region. If Your Majesty personally dispatches an army, in Your Majesty's name, to wipe out these remnants, the harbinger of disaster will surely be defeated!" Liu Yan's many words were merely a prelude to getting Lu Ming to send troops.
To kill someone personally is unwise.
But the belief in ghosts and gods always has a market.
Given the rampant Yellow Turban remnants, why not send the most capable warrior, Lu Ming, to suppress the bandits?
With the Western Garden Army newly formed, facing the Yellow Turban army, which had been roaming for years, would be like throwing an egg against a rock!
Even the strongest person will die facing a million-strong army!
Emperor Ling, still a believer in ghosts and spirits, looked grave upon hearing the news. "I understand. If the Grand Master of Ceremonies has nothing else, please leave. Have my father summon the Grand General for a meeting."
Liu Yan knew he couldn't act rashly. Using someone else to do his dirty work required a process of waiting and not being too deliberate.
So he bowed and took his leave, still plotting how to kill Lu Ming.
Should he visit Yuan Kui?
His daughter-in-law, with her imperial countenance, had been taken away. Liu Yan was truly unwilling to accept this. If Lu Ming had sent her over, the matter would have been fine.
But Lu Ming was completely disregarding him, which infuriated him. Did this guy think he was so important?
He had to be killed!
He absolutely had to be killed!
At this moment, Lu Ming didn't do anything else but quietly sneaked into the Yuan family's residence.
Having evaded the guards' patrols, he found Yuan Wei's room, slipped something into the teapot, and then stealthily slipped away.
Killing Yuan Wei was unrealistic and unsuitable.
However, he could make him wish he were dead without causing himself trouble.
Besides, his medical reputation had spread far and wide; to cure illnesses, one would have to pay a price.
He was waiting for the right person; not making good use of his skills would be a disservice to his medical expertise.
Back at the mansion, the steward, Wu Ben, reported, "Master, there's trouble at the shops on South Street!"
Generally, ordinary people wouldn't cause trouble, and hiring thugs was pointless; they'd only be disgusting.
After hearing the steward's report, Lu Ming learned that it was He Jin's son, He Xian, who had come to cause trouble.
After eating the beef skewers, he complained they weren't fresh, started vandalizing the shops, and injured many employees. He came almost every day, making it impossible to do business.
If there were any other way, Wu Ben wouldn't have bothered Lu Ming. The whole affair stemmed from Lu Ming's conflict with He Jin.
Seeing this, a fierce glint flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.
He hadn't expected that even after he'd sent Lord Wuyang to plead with Empress He, He Jin's son would still dare to act this way.
Since that's how it is, then he wouldn't be so lenient.
"Send someone to keep watch tomorrow. Business will proceed as usual. Once He Xian leaves, notify me, and I'll go back to handle it!"