"You must be Anmin. Indeed, you are a handsome man." Lady Zhaohou nodded, her manners and bearing elegant. Although she was older and no longer possessed the youthful innocence of a girl, the mature charm of a woman was unmatched by any young girl.
However, Lu Ming had just spent the morning with a mother and daughter, one of whom was a virgin, and he wasn't yet in the mood for women.
"Yes, Madam," Lu Ming replied. Women were merely a spice in life; career and women were inseparable.
Women fueled his ambition, and a successful career, in turn, brought him more women—they were inextricably linked.
"Anmin, come back when you're done. Check on my sister-in-law; she's not feeling well," Madam Zhang said with a smile. This was her first step—not to offer her sister-in-law to her lover, but to use Lady Zhaohou to spread the word about her lover's medical reputation.
Many of the powerful and wealthy in Luoyang were either officials or possessed astonishing fortunes.
Moreover, those who can get Lu Ming to treat their illnesses must have rare and difficult cases, incurable by ordinary doctors.
At this point, the price can be raised. Life is only once, and the lives of many powerful and wealthy families' elderly are extremely valuable—a golden brand. Spending a lot of money is worthwhile, thus exchanging profit.
Without power and influence, it's difficult to survive in Luoyang. Even merchants need to cultivate relationships, both high and low; it's not easy.
"I obey," Lu Ming agreed. Judging from Madam Zhang's expression, she wanted to be fucked!
Sure enough, mature women are all wanton. After being fucked by his big cock, she would definitely miss it, crave it, and want it.
After agreeing, the two left the residence for the palace.
Daming Palace, Dongyang Hall.
Emperor Ling was still sleepy. Several concubines hurriedly left, their bare shoulders carrying a distinctive scent of rouge.
"Your Majesty, Marquis Zhao and Commandant Lu have come to see you. Marquis Zhao says he has great news to report," Zhang Rang said cautiously, only mentioning the good news.
"Oh? Let them come in," Emperor Ling said, unconcerned about his current appearance. His harem was filled with talented concubines, some gifts from powerful families, others collected by Marquis Zhao from various regions.
The Emperor hadn't shared a bed with the Empress for a long time. Ever since the incident with Consort Wang, he had grown utterly disgusted with her. If it weren't for the need to employ General He Jin, he probably would have already eliminated and deposed the Empress!
Lu Ming was seeing Emperor Ling in this state for the first time, dressed only in white silk robes—essentially pajamas in ancient times.
An emperor coming to see his ministers in pajamas could either be a deliberate display of excitement at acquiring a talented individual, or it could be a sign of disrespect, especially considering that Marquis Zhao and Lu Ming had come together.
That leaves only one possibility: that he's been taken as one of their own and has lowered his guard.
Emperor Ling was indeed an emperor, but he wasn't the most intelligent, nor the most cunning, and in fact, he wasn't very competent as an emperor. He had some brains, but not many.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities, Marquis Zhao. I heard from Zhang Rang's father that you have something good for me? What is it?" Liu Hong often referred to Zhang Rang as his father in front of outsiders, treating a eunuch as his father, which was quite contrary to the prevailing customs at the time.
Marquis Zhao made an inviting gesture, "It was brought by Anmin, so it's more appropriate for Anmin to speak."
Lu Ming could naturally bypass Marquis Zhao and make a private deal with Emperor Ling, but that would break the rules. In the future, he would rely more on Marquis Zhao.
The relationship with Emperor Ling wasn't that urgent; it could be cultivated well, which was why he sought out Marquis Zhao first.
Lu Ming's previous actions convinced Zhao Hou to protect him. A subordinate who didn't seek advancement but only wanted to eliminate his enemies was persistent, easy to control, and that wasn't a bad thing.
Opening the box, Zhao Hou took out a now-shrunken block of ice. "Your Majesty, this is ice, a great way to cool down in summer. It's excellent for making refreshing treats. Whether for personal use or for sale, it's a very good choice. There are so many wealthy families in Luoyang; if we can sell it, fifty gold coins a day won't be a problem. If we sell it in the Central Plains and Hebei as well, Your Majesty can start building a new palace before next year!"
At the mention of building houses, Emperor Ling's eyes lit up. He had no interest in discussing politics, but when it came to making money, he was not only very interested but also particularly excited and thrilled.
"Hehe, good, very good." Emperor Ling played with the transparent block of ice. Obtaining ice in summer was practically impossible.
He didn't know how Lu Ming had managed it, nor did he want to know; he only cared about making money.
"Lord Zhao, what do you think?"
"Anmin's words are true. We only need to arrange for craftsmen and strictly prevent the secret formula from being leaked. In just one month, the funds and provisions needed for His Majesty's new garden will be in place." Lord Zhao had already calculated it in his mind. Merchants were considered a lowly profession, but not for him.
Even though he was in charge of commerce, his status as a member of the imperial family made it no longer a lowly profession.
"Oh, very good. Anmin, you've done well. What reward do you desire?" Emperor Ling waved his hand, beginning to reward his minister.
In a way, he was a very good emperor; he rewarded those who rendered meritorious service.
"Your Majesty," Lu Ming said, "I received my reward yesterday, and with Zhang Gong's help, I finally have a place to stay. I also wish to establish a unit of the Western Garden Army for Your Majesty. I humbly request Your Majesty's authority to grant me this favor. Although Luoyang is a large city, it is far from sufficient to recruit loyal and capable soldiers; we need people from other regions to join the army." Lu Ming wanted the authority to grant him favors, to recruit talent in the name of the court, circumventing the restrictions of official positions.
Only the Grand General and the Crown Prince were allowed to establish their own offices and recruit talent.
No one else could, otherwise it would be considered treason.
Even the Yuan and Yang families considered themselves retainers, not addressed as lords.
"Oh? Is Luoyang not enough?" Emperor Ling's expression changed when the matter of the army was mentioned; this was of paramount importance.
"If it's just for show, then that's enough. But if we want them to be truly capable of fighting, we can't be confined to one place. Finding talented people in Luoyang is easy, but finding soldiers is much harder." Lu Ming wasn't afraid to speak the truth.