The smaller families looked to the four major families, for in Chang'an, they were unavoidable.
Lu Ming, on his last visit to Chang'an, hadn't interacted with them, but rather with the Liu clan relatives—those who held power and could offer him assistance.
Jia She was somewhat frightened and dared not speak, fearing another wrong word would lead to irreversible consequences.
He could only turn his gaze to his younger brother, Jia Zheng, who, too, frowned as he looked at Wang Ziteng of the Wang family, his brother-in-law.
He also noticed Shi Nai, the head of the Shi family. This patriarch, now in the Ministry of Personnel, was a formidable figure; orders from the Ministry of Personnel were relayed to him before being passed on to Prefect Yang Cong.
Although Yang Cong was only a prefect, as the prefect of Chang'an, his rank was roughly equivalent to that of a governor, just as the prefect of Luoyang was automatically one level higher.
Although Shi Nai worked in the Ministry of Personnel and had ties to the Yuan family, he had always maintained a neutral stance and had not participated in any Yuan factions.
He was a rare example of neutrality. As for the extent of their cooperation, that was another matter; at least on the surface, he wasn't a member of the Yuan family.
At this moment, Shi Nai, as the highest-ranking official among the four major families, also had a furrowed brow.
Clearly, Lu Ming currently only wanted money and provisions; nothing else.
"May I ask, Your Excellency Governor, when do you plan to depart for Anding? Are you confident in your ability to slow the plague?"
"I will depart when I have delivered the sufficient provisions and supplies. As for those who refuse to cooperate, I will truthfully report this to His Majesty and the Imperial Secretariat. A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. A petty person takes revenge from morning till night. Heh, gentlemen, you all know whether you consider me a gentleman or a petty person. Alright, I will only stay in Luoyang for three days. Within three days, I will gather the supplies and deliver them to the military camp outside the city. After that, I will not wait." Lu Ming stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "To all the gentlemen who have provided assistance, once the supplies arrive, I, Lu, will personally visit your residence to provide free medical consultations. I will cure all ailments. As for those who do not wish to cooperate, heh, Jia She, I am talking about you. I wish you a speedy, festering carbuncle and a terrible death!"
"You!" Jia She laughed angrily. He had never seen such a vulgar person before. "Your Excellency, Governor, please be careful with your words and actions."
"You, a mere mortal who lives off the land, your ancestors were first-rate heroes, sacrificing their lives for the country, dying on the battlefield, seeking only peace and prosperity. And you! You are nothing but a coward, a worthless piece of trash who only knows how to bully men and women! You are a rotten person! A rotten person! A rotten person! Get out!" Lu Ming showed no kindness to this sleazy, middle-aged playboy, coldly sneering at him.
He had already decided, this guy was it!
Since he needed to find a role model, Jia She was the best candidate. He had status and position, and he even opposed him—it was Jia She!
Logically, everyone here held official positions and status; they wouldn't be so vulgar.
But Lu Ming was uncharacteristically vulgar.
Politeness was useless in this vicious environment; only by being more ruthless than others could one maintain control.
As Lu Ming left, Jia She was still trembling. He felt a chill run down his back, as if his carbuncle had flared up. "Ah!"
Seeing Jia She faint, everyone panicked. The servants helped him up, but then cried out in alarm, "Blood! Blood! There's blood on his back!"
Carbuncle was practically an incurable disease in ancient times. "Carbuncle on the back" was a common ailment, and many famous figures in history died from it.
For example, Fan Zeng during the Chu-Han Contention, Cao Xiu and Liu Biao during the Three Kingdoms period—almost every dynasty had many famous figures who died from this disease.
It can be seen that those who died from carbuncle in ancient times generally had high social status and enjoyed excellent medical care. Why then was it ultimately incurable?
This was mainly related to the level of medical care in ancient times.
In Lu Ming's presence, there was practically no disease that couldn't be cured. Even cancer is curable.
For every spear, there is a shield; for every shield, there is a spear. Nothing is inherently strong, nor is anything invincible.
Everything in the universe has its counterpart; therefore, so-called incurable diseases are simply those for which a cure hasn't been found yet.
Humans, as bipedal animals, who could have imagined inventing airplanes to soar through the skies?
It can only be said that everything exists, only lacks discovery.
Carbuncles are primarily caused by poor hygiene, leading to gradual infection and complications.
Carbuncles, in modern terms, are sores on the back. For modern doctors, this would be a minor matter, easily cured.
However, because carbuncles are prone to infection and inflammation, and antibiotics didn't exist in ancient times.
Furthermore, bacteria, being invisible and intangible, are not a specialty of traditional Chinese medicine.
Therefore, even legendary physicians like Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing were helpless against carbuncles in ancient times. That's why we see so many famous figures in history dying from carbuncles on their backs.
Seeing Jia She collapse, Yang Cong, as the host, naturally went to ask Lu Ming for help.
Shortly afterward, Yang Cong returned. Looking at Jia Zheng, he sneered inwardly but didn't show it. "Prefect Lu said that if the full donation is paid, he might consider treating him. But if he's a first-class general, then an additional consultation fee is required!"
Jia She had spent money to obtain a minor general title during the era of buying and selling official positions. As a descendant of military merit, having a general title would make things easier for him later.
This required assessment—horse riding, archery, these things all needed to be tested, but most of the time it was just a formality.
Hearing this, Jia Zheng's expression changed, even though he and Jia She were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds.
But if he gave up now, it would inevitably lead to gossip.
After all, fratricide is something people will talk about.
Leaving aside the Xuanwu Gate Incident involving Li Shimin, which hadn't even occurred yet, even Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty executed his brothers for treason. This alone would make him appear as a heartless emperor—"Even two feet of cloth can be mended, but two brothers cannot reconcile!"
If even emperors are subject to criticism, then Jia Zheng, as a subject, is even more so.
If he doesn't take a stand now, it won't be long—just two or three days—before the entire city of Chang'an is abuzz with rumors that he abandoned his brothers in a desperate situation.
How could such a cold-blooded and cruel person possibly achieve anything in his official career?
He's dreaming!