He ordered the soldiers to protect Chen Rong and her daughter; they were precious treasures and had to be protected.
During their intimate moments last night, Chen Rong had submitted, serving Lu Ming as his wife.
She also introduced her family background and revealed an important piece of information: her son, Fa Zheng, was studying in Chang'an.
Fa Zheng's clan wasn't particularly prominent in Xiliang, not even considered a powerful family.
However, their reputation wasn't low. The Fa family still had their patriarch, Fa Zhen, a renowned scholar residing in Luoyang.
Chen Rong's husband had served in Luoyang but died in office, so they returned home for his burial.
During the rebellion, most of the Fa family members were killed, and she and her daughter were abducted. Fortunately, because Bian Zhang wanted to promote scholars, he didn't mistreat them, only taking them in. He often made suggestive remarks, but before he could even lay a hand on them, Lu Ming snatched them away and forced himself on them.
This is very important news: Fa Zheng!
A renowned strategist!
A strategist even Liu Bei highly praised, not just Zhuge Liang.
This might seem exaggerated, but it's the truth.
If Fa Zheng hadn't died, Liu Bei wouldn't have perished at Baidi City—that's the key.
Upon learning this news, Lu Ming began to plan. He would never remain subservient for long.
Now was not the right time for him to act independently. The deeper he delved into this era, the more he understood the importance of having a legitimate reason for his actions, even if it was just a fig leaf.
Standing on a moral high ground and pointing fingers at others evokes an unparalleled sense of superiority; this is why a legitimate reason is crucial.
Even when Bian Zhang and Beigong Boyu rebelled, they had to mention the reasons of purging the eunuchs, restoring the Han dynasty, and cleaning the court of corrupt officials; they dared not say it so openly.
Lu Ming didn't have a firm conviction about how to seize control of all the prefectures and counties of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
All he wanted was his own territory and women he could indulge in; that was enough.
And all of this required, first and foremost, his own territory and army.
Dong Zhuo was clearly not a suitable ally for him. Such an army, when entering a city, would only engage in slaughter, arson, and looting. While this might stabilize the army, it would make it difficult to govern the territory. Therefore, he wouldn't stay on this ship; finding the right opportunity to leave was the most suitable course of action.
"Ding, the 'Unbreakable Courage' quest is complete."
"Ding, reward: Companion System."
"Companion System: Your companion will accompany you throughout your life, sharing joys and sorrows. Please nurture your companion well, making her your wise and capable helper. Only through a wedding ceremony (including a private betrothal) can you become companions. Each of your companions will now teach you three random skills she possesses. Your companion's lifespan is equal to yours. Your companion can bear your children. Your companion will not betray you, but you need to maintain a certain level of intimacy."
Looking at this Companion System, Lu Ming was somewhat puzzled. What was a wedding ceremony?
Could it be a wedding ceremony?
Looking at the empty companion panel, a glimmer of anticipation arose within him.
Wouldn't it be incredibly satisfying and interesting if it contained portraits of various beauties from the Three Kingdoms period?
This thought alone gave Lu Ming motivation; he wanted to collect women!
Since his companion's lifespan was bound to his, and she wouldn't betray him...
So why not use this system as a foundation for expansion?
Furthermore, filial piety was generally highly valued during the Three Kingdoms period. The most typical example is Xu Shu, who was forced to leave Liu Bei because of his mother.
Even if one never devises a single plan in their life, they cannot defy their mother's safety.
This gave Lu Ming a bold idea: to seduce the mothers of famous scholars and then recruit them for his own use!
While this idea was somewhat shameless, the success rate was quite high.
As long as these mothers were willing to speak on his behalf, recruiting them was still possible.
Besides, manipulating the mothers of famous figures—this kind of defiled and shameless method seemed incredibly exciting and satisfying!
Having made his decision, Lu Ming planned to start with Fa Zheng. First, he would secure a base of operations, and then begin recruiting talented individuals.
Arriving at the former county government office, Dong Zhuo was still dressed in plain clothes, looking smug; he must have been having an affair with some woman.
Seeing Lu Ming, Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and personally went over to pull Lu Ming's hand to sit on the couch. "Anmin, you've come at just the right time. You must have rested well yesterday, right?"
The smiles between the men were lewd and lustful, clearly indicating their intentions. It implied, "Does it feel good to have sex with women?" This "goodness" referred to the women he was having sex with.
"Excellent, I rested very well yesterday. Uncle, now that the rebels have been defeated, should we press our advantage?" Lu Ming licked his lips, feigning innocence.
In Dong Zhuo's eyes, this was clearly a young man eager to make a name for himself. He couldn't help but laugh heartily, quite satisfied with this promising junior. "Anmin, don't rush. War isn't just a simple military duel; it's also a game of political maneuvering. Don't rush, it's Zhang Wen who should be worried!" He spoke of Zhang Wen with a hint of resentment, clearly not so friendly towards this commander.
Seeing Lu Ming's puzzled expression, Dong Zhuo was in a good mood, and given Lu Ming's performance yesterday, he offered a few words of advice.
"Anmin," Dong Zhuo said, "where there are people, there is struggle; where there is struggle, caution is needed. The most important thing here is the exchange of interests. Zhang Wen wants to save face, so the rebels who have returned are his bargaining chips. Let me talk to him. If we reach an agreement, we can both be promoted and make a fortune, and he can return to the capital to report. Hmph, if we don't, he's doomed!"
Listening to Dong Zhuo's explanation, Lu Ming was somewhat confused. The exchange of interests involved was clearly not simple, and it seemed that Dong Zhuo didn't want to annihilate the rebels, but rather use them as capital to gain merit.
He began to understand. Perhaps this was the cutthroat world of power struggles, all for greater power. Thinking about this, Lu Ming felt tired; this kind of battle of wits and courage wasn't really his style.
For three days in a row, Dong Zhuo entertained his subordinates and allowed his soldiers to plunder.
At the same time, he sent a group of men to spy on the rebels. The rebels didn't directly attack Jincheng, but instead chose to settle in a neutral county town.
Facing the combined attack of Dong Zhuo and Zhang Wen's armies, it seemed that the decisive battle was about to begin!