Emperor Ling was somewhat surprised, so he summoned Zhang Rang for questioning.
Although Zhang Rang didn't know the specifics of the matter, he had heard some rumors.
Furthermore, his adopted son was gradually recovering thanks to Lu Ming's treatment, and he didn't want Lu Ming to take any risks.
If he died in battle, wouldn't his adopted son also die?
And he hadn't even had a grandson yet, so he couldn't let Lu Ming die.
So, he exaggerated and spoke ill of He Xian, while subtly suggesting that Emperor Ling's health still required Lu Ming's treatment and that it was inconvenient for him to go to Hedong to quell the rebellion.
This made Emperor Ling conflicted again.
He wasn't a particularly decisive person, especially when his own interests were involved; he was caught in a dilemma.
He didn't have to believe everything Zhang Rang said, but he knew Zhang Rang wouldn't harm him. It wasn't because Zhang Rang was a servant, or because he often called him "Father Rang," but because these eunuchs would be utterly useless without him!
"In that case, Lu Ming still has to go, just for training. He can return no matter what. Summon Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun to the palace; I have something to say to them."
Emperor Ling, after much deliberation, could only bring out some veteran officials.
These were all capable military officers, who didn't get involved in other matters. Even during the fiercest power struggles, they remained uninvolved and didn't care if they were falsely accused.
They were very useful and extremely loyal tools.
"This matter will be handled by the Court of Justice. The truth must be thoroughly investigated. General, you will compensate Commandant Lu for all his losses. Any objections?" Emperor Ling quickly made his decision. "From now on, you are not allowed to seek revenge. You are all my trusted ministers; you must not attack each other!"
"Your subject obeys." The General was seething with hatred, but had no choice but to agree. His true intention was to eliminate Lu Ming the moment he lost his usefulness!
Lu Ming was also somewhat dissatisfied. This result was practically meaningless to He Jin, but he understood; after all, he was He Jin's brother-in-law, and dealing with him was difficult. "Your subject obeys the decree."
"General, my loss is five thousand taels of silver. This must be a drop in the ocean for you, General. Since His Majesty has spoken, please deliver the money to my residence in the next couple of days. You are a wealthy and powerful man; surely you wouldn't be a deadbeat and refuse to pay. If you can't pay with cash, then collateral is acceptable, but it will be calculated at half the market value." Lu Ming was starting to make exorbitant demands. Five thousand taels was indeed not much for He Jin; it was only three months' income, and he would only feel a slight pang of pain.
"You!" He Jin was furious. This was a blatant robbery! But with Emperor Ling as his guarantor, he knew it wasn't just five thousand taels. If he didn't want to pay, the consequences would be far more than five thousand taels. "I will send someone to deliver the money tomorrow, not a penny less!"
"That's for the best. Thank you, General." Lu Ming knew he had offended another person.
Good heavens, Yuan Wei and He Jin, both powerful figures in the court, had been completely offended by him. There was no way out.
If he didn't take a firm stance, he would be the one who got hurt. The other party would become even more arrogant, and then things would get very bad; the outcome would be dire!
To win, he had to go all out, fight to the death. Only through repeated desperate struggles could he force the enemy to retreat and concede benefits.
Emperor Ling and the generals, including Zhu Jun, discussed the matter for a long time before finally deciding to appoint Huangfu Song as commander, leading the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden to support Hedong.
Lu Ming, however, was not under Huangfu Song's command and could return to Luoyang at his own discretion after the battle reached a stalemate.
This outcome greatly displeased Huangfu Song. An uncontrolled army was bound to cause trouble; such a thing had never happened before in history.
But Emperor Ling had made this decision, and no one could change it.
Obeying orders but not orders, such a situation would inevitably lead to missed opportunities.
However, Emperor Ling also had his own calculations. By sending the Western Garden Army to Huangfu Song's command, after a series of battles, only a few capable soldiers would remain, and loyalty would not be an issue.
Sending Lu Ming to lead a separate army was also to allow Lu Ming to return to Luoyang at any time to treat his illness.
If it weren't for pressure, he wouldn't have sent Lu Ming out.
Being away from Luoyang, at least he wouldn't be targeted by the Yuan family.
As for He Xian's petty tricks, if he continued to use such tactics, he would only be ridiculed and unworthy of respectability.
The best outcome would be for the Court of Justice to severely punish such behavior, openly acting as a protective shield for Lu Ming and avoiding this pointless infighting.
After the matter was over, He Jin was summoned to Changqiu Palace by Empress He.
Wuyang Jun pleaded on Lu Ming's behalf, saying that everyone experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death; if one truly falls ill, should one simply wait to die?
Never offend a doctor; this is the simplest path, and everyone knows it.
A doctor may not have much power, but when truly needed, it's not as simple as just asking for treatment.
Don't expect any benefit without paying a price.
That same day, He Xian was imprisoned in the Court of Justice's jail; his leg had been broken, and he was groaning in pain.
Even if it were set, the pain would be unavoidable.
Upon learning the news, Yang Biao sent men to interrogate He Xian, and together with Yuan Shu, they finalized He Xian's charges.
The offenses included provoking trouble, defamation, intentional injury, disrespect for officials, extortion, and inciting public disturbances.
Each individual charge wasn't particularly serious, but the combined punishment resulted in extremely high fines.
Furthermore, it would hinder future career advancement; the chances of reaching the position of one of the Nine Ministers were slim, as such positions would never be given to someone with a tainted past.
This was the rule from the Western Han to the Eastern Han dynasties.
In short, this punishment was infuriating and effectively capped He Xian's potential.
The speed of the execution and the swiftness of the conviction were infuriating! Unfortunately, the Minister of Justice, Yang Pu, was a member of the Yang clan, and with Yang Biao's approval, he was immediately arrested.
Yang Biao's involvement stemmed from a favor he owed Lu Ming for treating his father.
Secondly, it was also a matter of going with the flow. Since Emperor Ling had already spoken, and it was He Xian's problem, then he would naturally kick him while he was down. As long as he wasn't killed, even if He Jin found out, he would only be left with a bitter pill to swallow and no way to express his suffering.