Liu Qi spent a night in Chang'an indulging in wine and women, thoroughly enjoying himself.
However, he didn't forget his mission: to spread the word that anyone who didn't pay would be denied treatment if the plague reached Chang'an.
The plague was incurable; once infected, it meant certain death or permanent disability.
The next morning, Jia Zheng found Liu Qi and invited him to go out of the city to invite Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou, to his residence to treat his brother.
Sometimes, even wishing someone dead is unwise; fratricide is unacceptable. If you can't even protect your own brothers, who will trust your reputation?
Liu Qi was considered the best among the sons of the Marquis of Zhao, relatively speaking.
As a spoiled brat, he was essentially no different from Xue Pan of the Xue family.
Xue Pan's incompetence led to the Xue family's downfall; if it weren't for the intermarriages and close ties among the four great families, they would likely have been swallowed up long ago. Aunt Xue and Lady Wang were sisters, while Grandmother Jia had married into the family from the Shi family. The Jia family also planned a marriage alliance with the Xue family, making the relationships incredibly complex.
This illustrates the intricate relationships among powerful and influential families.
Just like Yang Biao's wife was the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, the two families were both competitors and partners; there was no absolute good or evil, only interests.
"Young Master Liu, are you going to the military camp outside the city? How about we go together?" Jia Zheng was a decent person, one of the more composed among the many scions of powerful families.
However, he lacked experience in political maneuvering. In officialdom, there was no room for politeness; only unseen cutthroat competition. As a county magistrate, he couldn't even control a single county; what could he say?
Liu Qi was still somewhat drowsy from drinking, but the thought of the important matter jolted him awake.
Nothing more than his youngest and most beloved younger sister, Liu Ling, had been married off by their father to Lu Ming as a concubine!
To have a prince's daughter forced into marriage as a concubine—what a humiliation!
But Lu Ming already had three wives. Even if there was one more to marry into the family, he couldn't force her into marriage.
Whether he could use underhanded methods to bring down the first woman with no background and take her place was a matter for the future; he absolutely couldn't do that now.
Especially after Lu Ming married Liu Ling and slept with her that very night!
That wasn't the main point. The main point was that the next day, the training for Liu Qi and the other eight people increased several times over. If they didn't meet the requirements, they wouldn't eat; if they didn't complete the task properly, they were punished by standing in the sun without even a sip of water!
They were forced to stand under the scorching sun until they fainted!
The methods were cruel, but people are often driven to their limits.
Their potential was there; they just lacked effective means.
At least Liu Qi thought his elder brother, Liu Bi, would succumb to the humiliation and run away, but unexpectedly, he gritted his teeth and persevered!
This was unbelievable! His virtuous mother deserved a great deal of credit for this!
Liu Qi knew very well his mother's favoritism towards his elder brother, and her methods were so ruthless that even his father's concubines were terrified. There were precedents; those who were favored were fine, but those who turned on the principal wife after gaining favor were now buried with their heads covered in grass.
Thinking of the task Lu Ming had given him, Liu Qi immediately perked up and smiled at Jia Zheng, "Good morning, Lord Jia. What a coincidence. I really must return to the military camp. Why didn't you find a doctor in the city to treat your brother? Why go outside the city?"
Jia Zheng felt that the other man was deliberately bringing up a sore spot. He stroked his beard, "In Chang'an, the only one who can be called a divine physician is Governor Lu of Liangzhou. I'm going to apologize to him and ask him to treat my brother."
"Oh? Haha, I forgot, your..."
"My foolish brother has offended the governor." Liu Qi looked around, seemingly to make sure no one else was there, before whispering, "Jia She is finished. The governor is furious and holds a grudge. Back then, Wu Kuang, relying on his position as a general, acted recklessly and defied the governor. And what was the result? His family was destroyed! More than ten men were slaughtered, and the women were reduced to playthings. Alas, it's truly tragic!"
"This! Isn't there any subtle way to salvage the situation?" Jia Zheng asked, somewhat bewildered. This was terrifying!
But then, seeing Liu Qi's undisguised gloating smile, he felt a surge of anger. This was going too far!
After a moment's thought, he patiently suppressed his anger and asked, "Does Young Master Liu have a brilliant plan?"
"A brilliant plan is too much to ask, but there's always a way. Your Excellency is fond of women; I've heard the Jia family possesses the Twelve Golden Hairpins of Chang'an. Just pick one and send her to your Excellency, along with sufficient funds, books, antiques, and the like. With the right attitude, your Excellency might just forgive you. Heh heh, Your Excellency is a hero of our time, a rare man, skilled in both civil and military affairs, omnipotent. Besides, he's more responsive to gentle persuasion than force!" Liu Qi's tone was somewhat mocking, but one had to admit, it made perfect sense.
"Do you know that the Governor only used two thousand newly formed soldiers to defeat ten thousand Yellow Turban rebels? Those were ruthless bandits who had been on the move for years; even the county troops were no match for them!"
"Winning against overwhelming odds is just one of the Governor's glorious achievements. Moreover, his medical skills are unparalleled, and under his rule, businesses are raking in money every day. Hmph, if I were you, I would definitely try to become related to him by marriage. Magistrate Jia, have you truly taken control of Duling County yet? Just ally with the Governor, and not only Duling County, but even Chang'an or the Capital Prefecture would be no problem. The Governor is His Majesty's favorite—Governor of Liang, Prince Consort, Magistrate Jia—I've said all I need to say. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Liu Qi continued to entice him. His task was simple: spread rumors and intimidate powerful families.
Upon hearing that the four great families had many beauties, Lu Ming also showed great interest.
Liu Qi knew Lu Ming was attracted to women—young girls, married women, mature women—he was open to all, but he avoided those who weren't interested.
Therefore, he was happy to act as a pimp, facilitating Lu Ming's connections.
His thinking was simple: cling to Lu Ming's coattails and inherit his father's title.
Even if he inherited it, he would still cooperate closely with Lu Ming, ensuring his future success.
"Hmph, Mother, even if you're biased, I won't admit defeat! My elder brother doesn't understand the meaning of 'a wise man submits to circumstances'!"