Flattery will get you everywhere.
You can't hit a smiling face; it's all flattery, at best pleasant or just average.
Whenever you need something from someone, you basically have to say nice things.
That's just how human relationships are. Even with a system, it only speeds up the process; the process itself is unavoidable.
Next, the conversation would either turn to the romantic tales of Chang'an or the situation in the western borderlands.
Sometimes they'd mention the Central Plains, currently the most economically developed region, and the area to the south near Jingzhou, which offers excellent education.
Scholars always seem to enjoy the romantic notion of nature; the occasional mention of the Yellow Turban Rebellion didn't seem to resonate with them much.
Adding to this was the rebellion in western Liang. The western region, bordering the northern frontier and nomadic tribes, had its share of unrest in previous years, but the recent disturbances were particularly significant.
Lu Ming spent his time eating, occasionally offering a few words of agreement, and raising his cup for a drink. His standout trait was quiet obedience; when flattering, he was impressive, and when modest, he simply listened attentively.
Near the end, Yang Cong was already quite drunk. "Anmin, come to my residence tomorrow."
"Yes, sir. I'll go tomorrow morning. Please let me know if you need anything," Lu Ming replied, bowing. There was definitely something on his mind, but what it was remained a mystery.
The host and guests got along well, and everyone was happy. Zhang Wen and Yang Cong left with the girls, seemingly to do something.
After leaving the Cuihong Pavilion, Dong Zhuo's drunkenness vanished; although his face was flushed, he remained sober. "Anmin, it seems Prefect Yang thinks highly of you."
"This is all thanks to my uncle's patronage. But these powerful families treat me like an ant, a mere dog. To be on equal footing, you'd have to be promoted to one of the Three Dukes, then I can rise with you, my whole family benefiting." Lu Ming, though wary, still maintained his obsequious smile.
Dong Zhuo was indeed sending a warning. He didn't want his subordinates to escape his control.
To be treated like this, riding on his head, was like raising a treacherous wolf.
No one could tolerate such humiliation, and no one would accept a subordinate rising above them.
Seeing Lu Ming's continued subservience, Dong Zhuo nodded with satisfaction. While he hadn't exactly watched him grow up, his nephew's actions had generally met his expectations.
"Anmin, your uncle doesn't mean anything by it. We men of Xiliang need to unite to have a chance to rise above others. Your uncle here is a respected figure in Xiliang, but as you can see, it's a mixed bag here. Without power, there's no status."
"Yes, the waters here are too deep. Only you, Uncle, can handle it. I don't want to get involved; I might drown. Without the ability, I can only be a soldier, not a general." Lu Ming sighed, indicating he had no ulterior motives.
But inwardly, I was somewhat unconvinced. It hadn't even started yet, and I was already worried he'd start his own business?
Conceal your talents!
The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. It seems I should keep a low profile and focus on healing and saving lives.
If the opportunity arises, perhaps I could try contacting these wealthy ladies and doing some business together.
Don't underestimate them just because they're ladies of leisure; their networks of connections are actually quite extensive.
Women in the Eastern Han Dynasty were capable of standing up and holding up half the sky, and many were engaged in business; they weren't the type of women who remained secluded in their chambers, ignorant of worldly affairs.
Late at night, Lu Ming was still preparing some ingredients.
He had just unlocked a recipe blueprint today: the famous stinky tofu!
This stuff was incredibly potent; if made well, it was easy to get addicted.
Moreover, the ingredients were already available: tofu, dried tofu, chili peppers, etc., all readily available; no need to make or grow them himself.
"Ding, blueprint, sulfur ointment unlocking, estimated research time 18 hours."
Since the goal was to use medicine as a means of attraction, many things needed to be prepared. Medicine, medicine, medical skills and drugs are inseparable. Knowing the disease also required corresponding drug treatment.
Especially the most crucial and incurable disease: tuberculosis!
In ancient times, tuberculosis was virtually incurable. Traditional Chinese medicine couldn't treat it because the unique bacteria required fermented penicillin and antibiotics—probiotics—for treatment and eradication. Therefore, it was unsolvable!
Even royal physicians couldn't cure it. This wasn't due to medical skill, but purely because the necessary resources were insufficient.
Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can affect many organs, with pulmonary tuberculosis being the most common.
Those shedding bacteria are a major source of infection.
Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis doesn't necessarily lead to disease. Clinical symptoms may only appear when immunity is lowered or cell-mediated hypersensitivity increases.
With timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, most cases can achieve clinical cure.
However, the problem was that there was no drug treatment available in that era!
Treatment was actually quite easy and not difficult, just time-consuming, as long as medication was taken regularly.
The system blueprint included the production of tuberculosis medication. There are many prerequisites involved. Penicillin, antibiotics, and other substances can all be produced, and the raw materials are easy to find; it's just a matter of unlocking them step by step.
Unlocking the blueprints doesn't have a fixed order. Even now, he could bypass the previous blueprints and research tuberculosis drugs.
However, it would be pointless, because even if he researched them, he wouldn't have the corresponding raw materials to produce them—it would be a waste of effort.
Therefore, after reviewing the production materials, Lu Ming chose to unlock them according to the materials.
In Chang'an City, many nobles suffer from tuberculosis. Tuberculosis doesn't kill quickly; it generally takes several years for the body to gradually deteriorate, eventually leading to coughing up blood.
These nobles are not short of money and have cultivated extensive networks of relationships.
If he could integrate into their ranks and take their place, it would be a very convenient and quick process.
Business isn't just about making money; it's also a source of intelligence. Without intelligence, one is completely lost.
Lu Ming clearly understands the importance of intelligence in ancient warfare.
Moreover, he has always wanted to do this, but he has been hampered by a lack of money, connections, and talent.
My stay in Chang'an this time won't be long; I'll be heading back to Luoyang soon. The noble classes in both places are interconnected; if I cultivate good relationships here, I can use them there, so there's no need to worry about them being useless.