Zhang Rang smiled and stroked his chin, but for a beardless eunuch, this scholarly gesture looked somewhat awkward and comical.
Usually, he would stroke his beard, feign concern, and then deliver his speech, trying to project an air of superiority.
"Governor Lu is the husband of the Eldest Princess, and I've heard she's pregnant. Furthermore, Governor Lu has quelled the Qiang rebellion and taken control of Liangzhou. Perhaps we could do him a favor and try to win him over."
Empress He had just sent a group of women over, and now Zhang Rang was saying he wanted to win over Lu Ming—wasn't that contradictory? "Please enlighten me, Attendant Zhang!"
To receive even the word "enlightenment" from the Empress was already quite an honor.
Zhang Rang didn't hold back; he wasn't alone now.
Emperor Shun of Han had ascended the throne with the support of eunuchs, so he treated them exceptionally well.
He decreed that eunuchs could adopt sons, and their titles could be inherited by their adopted sons.
This custom continued into the reign of Emperor Ling, and Zhang Rang also held a title, which could be passed on to his son after his death.
He had no sons of his own, but he had adopted sons, who were essentially the same as biological sons, except they were not related by blood.
Therefore, even after his death, he needed to maintain a lineage to prevent his adopted son from being misused and thus ending his family line.
"Recently, my family has acquired some new women. When Prince Bian goes to Liangzhou, he might as well take them with him and present them to Governor Lu. Governor Lu is most fond of beautiful women, and as the husband of the Princess, he has no ulterior motives. If Prince Bian can become Lu Ming's disciple, they will have a formal master-disciple relationship. He can then have Governor Lu as his support to aspire to the throne. Alternatively, he can have a place to settle down. If he does become emperor, with Liangzhou as a backing, it will also make those upright officials wary and dare not bully the new emperor." Zhang Rang's tone remained smiling. He was well aware of Emperor Ling's intentions: to make Liu Xie the crown prince.
Firstly, Zhang Rang had risen to power through Emperor Ling's influence, and there was no way he could oppose his patron.
Secondly, if he listened to Emperor Ling, whether he would have a good end after Liu Xie ascended the throne was another matter entirely.
Therefore, he needed to prepare early, and while he didn't explicitly say so, Empress He and the Grand General understood.
It was precisely because Lu Ming was a skilled and courageous general with tens of thousands of troops under his command that he could directly lead an army to defend the emperor!
Even if it involved military intervention, it would be a desperate counterattack.
This was a last resort; if the groundwork had been laid smoothly, such a troublesome measure wouldn't have been necessary.
Once he became emperor, what couldn't he obtain?
No matter the cost, it was all for the sake of gaining the entire world!
Everyone involved understood the relative importance of these factors.
However, even Lu Ming himself hadn't expected that good fortune would fall from the sky while he was sitting at home, without him doing anything, and women would be sent to him for his pleasure.
He really didn't know what to say; was it a stroke of good luck?
If it were truly a stroke of good luck, it should have been a promotion and wealth, not simply women being sent to him.
"But, this requires someone eloquent and persuasive to handle," Empress He said, her brow furrowed. In fact, without an imperial edict, after Emperor Ling's death, the eldest son would naturally inherit the throne.
Unless the second son has significant support, there shouldn't be too many problems.
Although Liu Xie is intelligent, he has almost no one to whom he can place his bets.
Therefore, this issue doesn't exist, and there's no concern about him reacting excessively.
"Actually, His Majesty intends to renovate the Western Capital Palace. His visit is also to inform Your Majesty. His Majesty plans to send Your Majesty to the Western Capital to pay homage to Emperor Gaozu, repair the palace, and pray for the two princes. Your Majesty could take this opportunity to have Lu Ming come to the Western Capital for an audience and receive personal instructions. If possible, perhaps one of you could be chosen to govern the Three Auxiliary Regions, forming a defensive alliance with Lu Ming?" Zhang Rang said this while cautiously observing Empress He, fearing she might lose her temper.
Sure enough, Empress He's brows furrowed, clearly showing signs of anger.
General He Jin, sensing that the situation had spiraled out of his comprehension, couldn't help but ask, "Why not let Lu Ming take charge of the Three Auxiliary Regions? That's where the old nobles reside; even sending someone there wouldn't guarantee control. Why not suggest to His Majesty that Lu Ming concurrently manage the affairs of the Three Auxiliary Regions? Once Bian'er ascends the throne, a reliable person can then be found to take over the region, eliminating concerns about Lu Ming becoming too powerful to control!"
Having said this, He Jin felt as if he had become cleverer, able to devise such a clever scheme!
He hadn't considered the possibility of Lu Ming rebelling, or rather, nurturing a potential threat.
Just as Zhang Rang had said, anyone could rebel, but Lu Ming couldn't.
The Han imperial family members could rebel because they had the opportunity to inherit the throne.
Others could rebel, but they could support other members of the Liu clan to ascend the throne.
But Lu Ming couldn't! He was the husband of the eldest princess; nothing he did would be acceptable. If he rebelled, his reputation would be ruined, so he couldn't possibly rebel. Empress He, however, was somewhat worried. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, indicating that her anger had subsided and she was beginning to consider a solution.
"Wouldn't this be too easy on Lu Ming? He's still so young. What will become of him if he takes control of the entire Guanzhong region?"
"Precisely because he's young, Your Majesty's patronage of him is a great act of kindness! Your Majesty might consider Marquis Zhao; his son is currently training under Governor Lu and is already capable of handling things independently. Marquis Zhao showed Lu Ming great kindness in the past, so this is his way of repaying that kindness!" Zhang Rang's words were not without ulterior motives. His daughter-in-law, He Wan, had once suggested that they move to Chang'an so that Lu Ming could treat them more conveniently.
As long as Zhang Feng lived, and she could still have children, there was hope for the Zhang family's revival.
This greatly worried Zhang Rang, and it was a matter of great concern. Nothing was more important than having no heir!
It wasn't a stroke of luck, but the greatest tragedy!
"How about this, I'll send Xian'er over to help Lu Ming take control of the Three Auxiliary Regions?" He Jin was now thinking of arranging things for his son; rather than relying on the Yuan family, it was better to gain some tangible benefits.
As for how to take down the officials of the Three Auxiliary Regions, there were countless methods.
The three men discussed what they considered important matters in the palace.
It seemed as if everything would revolve around their actions, unaware of the saying, "Man proposes, God disposes."
If Heaven doesn't want things to go smoothly, thinking about it more is useless.