It's unclear what deal Dong Zhuo and Zhang Wen reached, but at least it was a mutually satisfactory outcome.
In the real world, there are no grudges, only interests.
Looking at right and wrong, good and evil, with a purely one-sided perspective is ineffective and unsuitable for the environment of the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
Only with interests can enemies become friends, and friends become enemies.
Half a month later, Han Sui launched a coup, killing Beigong Boyu and hundreds of his close followers, seizing military power for himself.
At the same time, he accepted the court's amnesty, leading nearly 60,000 troops to surrender, demanding the occupation of Jincheng and promising never to rebel again.
He also agreed to hand over other rebel leaders, considering it an act of atonement.
Dong Zhuo didn't want to fight, and neither did Zhang Wen. They reasoned that, with Bian Zhang already killed, this achievement was sufficient to report to the court.
Therefore, they agreed to Han Sui's request and sent a battle report back to Luoyang.
If it weren't for Lu Ming's outstanding performance and Dong Zhuo's considerable forces, Zhang Wen wouldn't have considered conspiring with Dong Zhuo.
Faced with mutual benefit, both wanted promotion and wealth, so they could only collude.
A civil official and a military general joining forces?
It sounds laughable, but in the face of profit, who would laugh at someone who was uncertain!
Before leading Lu Ming back to Tao County, Dong Zhuo pulled him aside and said with a smile, "Anmin, go home and report that you are safe. You will depart for Chang'an in seven days. I will wait for you there. We will then go to Luoyang to meet the Emperor with Zhang Sikong."
Going to Luoyang was no simple matter. The Ten Attendants still controlled the court, and while Emperor Ling was said to be incompetent, this might not be the case.
It was very likely that the Ten Attendants were merely Emperor Ling's front men and tools for accumulating wealth. Otherwise, where would Emperor Ling get the money for weapons, armor, food, and other supplies when he wanted to build the Western Garden Army?
"Yes, Uncle." Lu Ming nodded. He hadn't been back for a while and missed it quite a bit. Besides, after all the killing, he needed to calm down and study the system's intricacies.
"I trust you to handle things. By the way, if your aunt asks about me, just say I was with Zhang Sikong." Dong Zhuo seemed to have little affection for his wife, or rather, that affection had completely faded.
When he married her, he valued her clan's advantages. Now, with his control growing and his father-in-law's influence waning, he no longer cared.
"Alright, after I've settled in and let my aunt know I'm safe, I'll go to Chang'an to find you, Uncle." Lu Ming nodded. In this era, family ties were paramount; without them, life was incredibly difficult.
The poor didn't even have the opportunity for education, let alone success. Without connections, they were like gold covered by a rag, never to shine!
What is it like in Chang'an? Of course, it was a life of pleasure and decline.
Although the Eastern Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, Chang'an had always been the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, managing its affairs for centuries.
Even in its recent decline, it remained a vital city in the west and the gateway to Guanzhong.
The prosperity here far surpassed that of the harsh and desolate Western Liang.
After picking up the sisters Fa Shu and Chen Rong, Lu Ming planned to return to Tao County.
On the way, he happened to encounter Fa Zheng, who had come looking for him. Fa Zheng's mother was Chen Rong.
The Fa family had previously been a small clan in the area, but they had been wiped out by rebel raids.
Fa Zheng, returning from his studies in Western Shu, intended to go home first, but upon arriving, he found the place in ruins.
After much inquiry, he finally found his mother, only to discover that both his mother and sister had been taken as concubines!
On the way, Lu Ming chatted with Fa Zheng.
Fa Zheng didn't seem to have much affection for Lu Ming. Come to think of it, it was understandable; facing a boy younger than himself, whose mother was a concubine!
What was this?
You call me brother, and I call you father?
Is this some kind of joke?
But the reality forced Fa Zheng to admit it: even his sister, Fa Shu, had been taken as a concubine. Mother and daughter sharing a husband—it was utterly outrageous!
If his mother hadn't pleaded, he probably would have simply walked away. This was simply outrageous!
Lu Ming, rebuffed, didn't care. Recruiting talent was indeed difficult in the early stages. Besides, what he had done was somewhat dishonest. There was no other way but to take it slowly.
Fortunately, Chen Rong was his woman; he could use her status as a mother to change Fa Zheng's mind.
Even if he didn't put in much effort, there would be opportunities to adjust later.
A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on; as long as he persisted, there was still a chance.
After all, Fa Zheng was a great talent, a true strategist and military strategist. Even someone with Liu Bei's discerning eye would sigh, realizing that if Fa Zheng had been in power, he certainly wouldn't have suffered the defeat at Yiling and been forced to entrust his son to someone else in Baidi City.
In a roadside camp, Lu Ming was brutally having sex with Chen Rong, a mature woman, inside his tent. Having been humiliated by Fa Zheng, he was now going to fuck his mother! The son's problems, of course, would be paid for by the mother!
Her delicate white feet were draped over the man's shoulders, swinging in the air with each thrust.
They would occasionally curl up tightly, seemingly unable to control themselves from the instant pleasure of the man penetrating their cervix!
With her mouth gagged, Chen Rong could only let out muffled moans, her snow-white body glistening with sweat, while Lu Ming, like a wild beast, thrust and rode her voluptuous, mature body.
The rock-hard penis relentlessly thrust in and out of the woman's vagina, utterly disregarding her well-being, driving her to moan repeatedly, her face displaying an expression that seemed to be both pain and pleasure.
"Husband...mmm...ah...husband...ah...so full...mmm...husband...you...are so good...ah...so powerful...oh...being...ah...fucked...so good!" Chen Rong, despite her shyness, still tried to moan.
Even after becoming partners, little had changed. Her husband remained the dominant figure. Lu Ming was her man, the pillar of her family. Even the age difference between them didn't cause any problems.
Being able to mate with a young man at this age was a stroke of luck for her!
This age was already considered old for a woman. Women in the Eastern Han Dynasty were easily labeled old women as they aged. This was a mature woman, a genuine mature woman, in the prime of her youth, a time of alluring charm!