Wang Lang?
Lu Ming vaguely remembered him. Wasn't he the one in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* Who was verbally abused to death by Zhuge Liang on the battlefield?
Being able to utter such words as "the fate of heaven is changing, the imperial regalia will change hands" proved he was a cunning old fox.
A true loyalist to the Han Dynasty wouldn't have sided with Cao Cao.
"Hmm, very good. It's decided then. Let Father draft the edict and lead the men to carry it out." Emperor Ling agreed. He was just a minor official, and besides, he had his own calculations.
Lu Ming had offended the Yuan family, and now Wang Lang was with the Yang family. He had offended both sides and was trapped.
He could only obediently serve him. Without his protection, the Yuan and Yang families combined would be enough to make him die a horrible death!
As for sacrificing a minister, what did that matter?
The way of emperors is often ruthless and cruel. Mercy was never a quality an emperor should possess, nor was it his.
After writing the prescription, Lu Ming went out with Zhang Rang to handle the confiscation of property.
This meant he no longer needed to stay with Dong Zhuo; he now had his own residence.
Having spent half a year in Luoyang, he certainly needed a place to stay; constantly staying with Dong Zhuo wasn't ideal.
If nothing unexpected happened, Dong Zhuo would definitely contact him in the next few days.
He was now doing better than Dong Zhuo, having already surpassed him, and his future was certainly no less promising.
Sure enough, he soon saw Hua Xiong standing on the street; the two were old acquaintances.
"Anmin, Lord Dong wishes to invite you back for a reunion," Hua Xiong stated directly, revealing their true purpose. They were indeed old acquaintances. Hua Xiong had also played a part in the success of Fa Shu and Chen Rong.
"Alright, I have some business to attend to with Zhang Gong. If Hua Xiong has nothing else to do, please come along. Afterwards, I'll go back with you to see your uncle." Lu Ming smiled. Perhaps dealing with such pure military generals was actually quite pleasant.
There weren't many hidden agendas; they were pure and sincere.
Hua Xiong was also curious, so he followed.
He hadn't thought much about it. Although Dong Zhuo had no sons, he had nephews and nieces, both quite good, and he also had two sons-in-law. He wasn't someone to be feared or feel his future was bleak.
"Then I'll gladly accept."
Arriving at Wang Lang's residence, it wasn't large, but its location was excellent, near the north of the city, close to both the east and west markets, as well as the south of the city.
Location determines price, and without connections, it wouldn't be possible to acquire it here.
A courtyard with many potted plants, a rockery, a small pond, eight side rooms, and ten servants.
When Zhang Rang arrived with his men to ransack the house, it was completely untouched. They simply summoned the men and read out the imperial edict.
Everything belonging to Wang Lang was now under Lu Ming's control, including his wife and daughters. His two sons were expelled and forbidden from living there.
This was a violation of the rules; generally, family members were not punished.
However, while it was a violation, it wasn't entirely without consequence, as the entire family hadn't been killed, so it wasn't considered extreme.
Wang Lang's wife, a woman of noble birth, felt dizzy upon hearing the edict. She likely fainted if supported by others.
The edict had been issued, meaning it wouldn't be changed. The Emperor's word was law; altering it was difficult. Wasn't this a blatant contradiction?
"Lord Lu, this place is now yours. Congratulations on your new home! If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask this old servant; I'll take care of it perfectly." Zhang Rang adopted a conciliatory attitude, not out of politeness, but to spread the word.
He was cutting off Lu Ming's escape route. It was well known that civil officials and the eunuch faction were sworn enemies; scholars looked down on eunuchs, and vice versa.
Anyone who sided with the eunuchs would be collectively despised and scorned by the scholars, and even if the eunuchs declined in power, they would never be accepted back.
However, Zhang Rang was overthinking it. Lu Ming had never intended to collude with the scholars.
For him, it was better to develop his own abilities and power, establish his reputation, recruit heroes, and cultivate his own base. As for strategists, having them was ideal, but not essential; he wouldn't force it.
"You're too kind, Master Zhang. I'll certainly have to trouble you often in the future. May His Majesty live long, and may we both enjoy wealth and honor!" Lu Ming blinked and unusually extended his hand.
"What's this?" Zhang Rang asked, puzzled, unsure of its meaning.
"Oh, this is a greeting custom from the Kushan Empire in the Western Regions. Only close friends do this—extending their hands to shake hands signifies greeting and trust." Lu Ming was also keen to cultivate a good relationship with Zhang Rang. Reputation?
He didn't care about such things. Scholars wouldn't help him, calling him a eunuch?
Then he could start preparing now: gather paper, copy literature, and cultivate his own scholars to serve him, creating a self-sufficient system, independent of external talent.
There's always a solution. Being blocked doesn't mean certain death. As long as one's mind doesn't falter, there are always more solutions than problems!
"Oh! Haha! Good, very good! I now understand your exceptional qualities, sir. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to come to me. I will certainly handle it perfectly." Zhang Rang smiled and shook hands with Lu Ming, knowing that many people looked down on him for being a eunuch.
It's not that there aren't good people among eunuchs, but they rarely have a good ending. Even scholars who have been helped by eunuchs often turn away, as if encountering something foul—it's very damaging to their self-esteem!
It's rare to meet someone who doesn't discriminate against eunuchs and is also capable. Zhang Rang certainly wouldn't let the opportunity to get close to him slip by. Cooperation would benefit both, while separation would be mutually destructive—he wasn't that foolish!
After giving Zhang Rang some silver and seeing him off, Lu Ming turned to the row of Wang Lang's servants and family members standing there and said, "From now on, this is the Lu residence. I am Lu Ming, the Commandant of the Western Garden Army and Prefect of Longxi County. You are as you were before, and I will not punish you. Who is the steward?"
"This old servant is here," a middle-aged man stepped forward, trembling slightly. Facing the new master, such an old retainer was essentially destined to be dismissed.
"What is your name?" Lu Ming's tone was authoritative; those who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood always felt a psychological pressure.
"This old servant's humble name is Wang Huan," the steward answered cautiously.