Only Jia She knew the truth perfectly well. Yuan Wei had written to him, promising to secure him an official position as a prefect in the Sanfu region, near Chang'an, with the added benefit of a noble title.
The Jia family consisted of two branches, the Ningguo and Rongguo mansions, and Jia She hadn't inherited any titles; his younger brother, Jia Zheng, had.
This left Jia She in a precarious position within the Rongguo mansion, and he desperately wanted to reclaim power.
Now that Yuan Wei could help him, the price was dealing with Lu Ming.
One was the Yuan family, with its vast network of protégés and former officials; the other was a rising star from humble beginnings, the governor of Liangzhou. Neither was easy to deal with.
But if he had to choose, Lu Ming was undoubtedly the weaker target, and he needed to be dealt with.
Sure enough, a slight smile appeared on Lu Ming's lips, and his gaze towards Jia She sharpened. He silently chanted, "Assess!"
Instantly, his skill activated, allowing him to remotely assess Jia She's physical condition.
Sure enough, he discovered something interesting.
He grinned maliciously, "Jia She, I don't know what benefits you received from Yuan Wei. But remember this: I won't treat your carbuncle! I was originally planning to do a free clinic for everyone; I can't guarantee they'll live to be a hundred, but at least it will help them prolong their lives. Since you've said that, making me sound like a villain, fine, the free clinic is canceled. Thanks to you, this governor will have nothing to do."
Hiss!
Such a good opportunity for a free clinic just slipped away!
At this moment, the nobles and princes all glared angrily at Jia She. When everyone's interests are threatened, they naturally unite.
Faced with those murderous eyes, Jia She himself didn't realize the extent of the trouble he had gotten into. He had offended everyone!
So Jia She, steeling himself, glared at Lu Ming and said fiercely, "You, you're slandering us! You're just blackmailing us!"
"Haha! Blackmailing you? Am I, the governor, seeking personal gain? Isn't it all for the people of Liangzhou, for the Three Auxiliary Regions, for everyone in Chang'an? Hmph, once the plague in Anding County spreads, Chang'an will be the first to suffer. Without control, without medicine, everyone will die! Who do you think I'm doing this for? The responsibility for the well-being of the people rests on my shoulders, not on your shoulders, you lazy, good-for-nothing brat! What right do you have to talk about me? What were you doing when I led the army to quell the rebellion? As the descendant of a seasoned general, you can't even use a weapon anymore! Hmph!" Lu Ming mocked mercilessly. Since a fool had come to his door, he wouldn't hold back!
The atmosphere became tense, and Lu Ming had the power to do so.
However, Jia She lacked the resources to do so. Even with the support of the Jia family behind him, he was essentially just a spoiled brat with little real power.
Without power, there's no way to exchange benefits; and without benefits, one is essentially useless!
"My lord, please calm your anger. My elder brother didn't mean that," Jia Zheng quickly stepped forward to explain. The Jia family had declined; their titles had fallen from marquises to township marquises, and the inheritance of titles was automatically downgraded, even for members of the Han imperial family.
Facing the rising power of Lu Ming, a direct confrontation was clearly unwise.
Moreover, the Jia family wasn't wealthy. They mostly owned farmland, primarily growing millet.
They didn't cultivate other cash crops, so while they appeared prosperous, their grain reserves were meager enough to cover the entire Jia household's expenses.
Large aristocratic families typically possessed land, gold jewelry, and other immovable assets—things that couldn't be easily converted into cash. To defy the court's orders was clearly an unwise choice.
"That's not what I meant? Then what did I mean? His Majesty appointed me as the Governor of Liangzhou to assist the Ministry of Personnel in curing the plague. This is His Majesty's decree, and also the Minister of Personnel's. You should contribute money and supplies as needed. I, the Governor, was merely acting out of humanitarianism, sharing the good fortune with you all. And what did I do? Hmph, Jia She, you're quite something." Lu Ming sneered, then stopped speaking and picked up his wine cup to drink.
"Gentlemen, what are your thoughts?"
No one answered. Everyone lowered their heads in silence, not wanting to provoke this ruthless man.
These things aren't something you can just do as you please. This is a case of stepping on someone's bad luck, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
"Lord Jie is willing to contribute money and supplies according to the court's decree." A man raised his wine cup to Lu Ming in respect.
"Good, Lord Jie's kindness is appreciated." Lu Ming also raised his wine cup to meet the man's. "Lord Jie, you may speak to me with any important matters from now on. We will share the good fortune."
"Very well, very well." Lord Jie finished his wine and sat down. He was actually gambling with the King of Huainan.
The King of Huainan's lineage had been passed down since the time of Emperor Gaozu of Han, maintaining its title steadily—something few could achieve.
No expansion, no decline; seemingly uneventful, without any accomplishments.
But simply surviving was the real achievement.
Those like Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Chen Ping were once so powerful, holding high positions and being enfeoffed as marquises.
But what about now?
Where are their descendants?
With one, there will be another.
The nobles and marquises all contributed money; their share wasn't much, though it stung a little.
But it wasn't enough to cripple them, and they even gained a favor—that was enough.
The nobles looked to the Prince of Huainan. If the Prince of Huainan contributed money, they would follow suit. The highest-ranking officials would lead the way, and the lower-ranking officials would inevitably follow suit—a choice made without even considering the consequences.
The powerful families, on the other hand, mainly looked to the four great clans: the Langya Wang clan, the Hongnong Yang clan, and the Runan Yuan clan. These ancient clans had relatively weak influence in Guanzhong, and this region had never been within their reach.
Moreover, after hundreds of years of development, Guanzhong's advantages had been surpassed by the Central Plains and Hebei. Occupying the Central Plains and Hebei meant controlling the most prosperous areas in the entire country—it would be difficult to lose!
"The Prefect's Office is also willing to fully fund the project according to regulations," Yang Cong said, offering his support without further ado.
Since the clan head had asked him to cooperate with Lu Ming, there was no need for further explanation.
Perhaps Lu Ming could bring about new changes, allowing the Yang clan to further strengthen its control here!
Besides the large powerful clans mentioned above, there were also some smaller, less prominent clans, but they were not well-known and therefore had little influence. Those who were able to come here were qualified only because they were affiliated with other powerful families.