"Recently, things have been somewhat unsettled in Runan and Yangzhou. Some people are seeing the two tigers fighting within the Yuan family and want to take advantage of the situation. This is a warning to others! Lu Ming's fate is uncertain, but his death will greatly benefit the Yuan family. Don't forget, what happened to Empress Song? She was an empress, yet she was still deposed. Lu Ming is merely a prince consort!"
Seemingly to save face and protect Yuan Shu's interests, Yuan Wei offered some incentives: "I will recommend you to His Majesty as the governor of Runan. Whether you can win over the hearts of the people there and make them work for you depends on your fortune. Gonglu, with your talent, you are second to none. Have good fortune and don't disappoint me."
Yuan Shu's eyes gleamed with undisguised elation. Being in charge of a region essentially meant his future was secured.
If the people there would be loyal to him, then it seemed his future direction would be the Yingchuan, Runan, and Yangzhou area.
Moreover, if things develop well, Hebei and Jizhou could all be within his grasp!
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Cooperation? All that talk. Only profit provides the motivation.
Yuan Shu, who had just been displeased, was now overjoyed.
Although he had left Luoyang for Runan Commandery, he had finally gained control of a region, and the followers in Yangzhou were his father's legacy; reclaiming them would be a piece of cake.
This was a choice born of necessity; separating now was better than being forced to do so later.
And as long as nothing was said, sending Yuan Shao to Bohai to take up a post would be a good thing, adding to his resume, and then finding a way to bring him back to Luoyang to succeed him—perfect.
If Yuan Shu was truly capable, either brother could return; a peaceful transition would be preferable.
Lu Ming was helpless. The blame lay with someone who wanted to establish their own power base, colluding with the powerful families of Yingchuan, along with those in Jiangdong.
Even Yuan Wei couldn't be touched. The Yuan family's control there was weak, especially after his brother's death. Now, a show of force was needed, sending Yuan Shu to absorb them, to prevent internal turmoil and significant weakening of the Yuan family.
Pulling out one radish brings out another; one radish, one hole. If the Yuan family didn't take it, other powerful families would. This was a brutal struggle, not child's play. There was no room for leniency; ruthlessness was necessary!
Besides, Yuan Wei had participated in the deposition of Empress Song; otherwise, how could a mere eunuch have succeeded?
This was the Yuan family's way of intimidating Emperor Ling. Even the emperor had to obey!
Emperor Ling wanted to act recklessly? No problem. Let him amass wealth as he pleased; as long as the Yuan family's base remained intact, it didn't matter.
Now that Lu Ming is being reused, it's a sign of regaining power. What will he do to the Yuan family once he gains power?
Just think of the fate of the former Prime Minister Cao Can—it certainly won't end well!
Both publicly and privately, Yuan Wei must deal with Lu Ming. Even if Lu Ming treats his illness, he won't tolerate it!
After seeing Yuan Shu off, his wife, Ma Lun, came to visit Yuan Wei. "Husband, is something troubling you?"
"Alas, I'm old, and I don't know how much longer I can hold on. I only hope they can shoulder the burden. Cough cough!" Yuan Wei's complexion was relatively good, but he hadn't fully recovered.
He was still unaware that his wife had been taken as a concubine these past few days.
Besides treating him, Lu Ming also treated his wife, claiming he had infected her.
The truth was, his wife was being gagged and brutally violated in the room, her plump old vagina swollen from being fucked!
Moreover, thick semen, without any contraception, was ejaculated into his wife's body, filling her mature uterus with the adulterer's semen!
Ma Lun felt an overwhelming loathing for Yuan Wei. She didn't know why, but the love she once felt had transformed into familial affection, and now it was all gone.
They hadn't shared a bed in a long time, sleeping in separate rooms. Having given birth to three children, and with her age, her vagina had become loose, making it even less likely that Yuan Wei would share a bed with her.
Having endured over a decade of living like a widow, forced to force a smile as her husband took concubines, all of this made her loathe Yuan Wei as her husband.
He would only occasionally discuss matters with her, more like an advisor than a husband and wife.
"Lu Ming's talent is considerable; this tactic probably won't work on him. He still holds military power; we need to be wary of him resorting to desperate measures!"
Military power!
This was something civil officials dared not touch, and military power had always been held by Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, who were loyal to the Han Dynasty. The Yuan family could wield immense power, yet they couldn't overthrow the dynasty because of their military control!
Grand Master of Ceremonies Liu Yan proposed a reform, establishing a Provincial Governor above the Inspectors to govern the people in place of the Emperor, handling both domestic affairs and military power to deal with frequent rebellions.
This proposal still made Emperor Ling hesitate and consider it. If anyone else had suggested it, Emperor Ling might have refused.
However, Grand Master of Ceremonies Liu Yan had always been on Emperor Ling's side and was also a member of the Han imperial family. Therefore, when he made this suggestion, Emperor Ling didn't refuse but seriously considered it.
Now, all that was needed was to push forward and appoint Lu Ming as the Governor of Liang Province first, and then see how things went. This could also test the waters, both putting Lu Ming in the lead and allowing Yuan Kui to achieve his own goals.
"Madam is right. Lu Ming, humph, he wouldn't dare cause any trouble." Yuan Wei was quite confident. The reason the other party came for treatment was entirely because Lu Ming had obtained the land deed and a large amount of supplies, all of which had already been handed over; otherwise, he wouldn't have been coming so frequently!
However, Yuan Wei didn't know that Lu Ming's frequent visits weren't due to receiving the promised goods; he simply came to have sex with his wife, in his own home, behind his back, in the bedroom.
Using positions he had never used before, reaching depths he had never reached before, branding his wife's body with his mark!
"Why not offer some benefits, feigning indifference to lower his guard?" Ma Lun already had a plan. She wasn't a foolish woman, and besides, she came from Fufeng, where the Ma family had connections with Ma Teng.
She could use her influence to get the Ma family of Anding County to help Lu Ming. Although she couldn't influence Ma Teng directly, she could still act as a go-between for Lu Ming and Ma Teng.
As a woman of the Yuan family, Ma Lun knew perfectly well what she was doing.
She was being unfaithful!
But she couldn't help it, because Lu Ming was indeed making her feel incredibly good. She had fallen in love with the feeling of being penetrated and filled by his large penis; it was so wonderful that she had even started to love Lu Ming!
A lonely and empty mature woman, once she's made feel good, coupled with sweet words, can easily succumb, even if she's been through a lot. It can only be said that Lu Ming was utterly despicable and shameless!