The two entered a side hall. Empress Dowager Dong, with a hint of skepticism, changed into her undergarments for the first time, immediately feeling a sense of comfort.
Although the sensation wasn't as intense, she still felt a wave of comfort, an indescribable comfort.
"These undergarments are quite nice. Did Anmin make them?" Empress Dowager Dong looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror, finding herself rather sexy.
Her plump belly exuded the mature charm of a woman in her prime; though past her prime, she still possessed a seductive air—in reality, she was simply horny, her vagina itching unbearably, yearning for more!
"Yes, Anmin loves researching these strange things, and the results are surprisingly good. Perhaps I don't understand, but talented people are always so eccentric." Princess Wannian covered her mouth and giggled; as a wife, she felt proud of her husband's talent.
"This child is really something, humph, does she even want to wear these panties?" Empress Dowager Dong looked at the novel style of the panties, completely unaware that they were erotic panties. It was only due to limitations that they couldn't make the thin, lace-trimmed kind; otherwise, they would definitely have arranged for them.
"These have to be made to size. They might not fit Your Majesty; they'll be too small and not as comfortable." If it were before, Princess Wannian wouldn't have said that; it would have been too shameful.
Now, after being violated for several days, even having to urinate in front of Lu Ming, the shame of urinating in front of him had shattered her dignity. Now, all that remained was shameless compliance.
Without shame, there was naturally no embarrassment.
To educate Empress Dowager Dong, Princess Wannian even took off her long skirt, leaving only her underwear and panties, and twirled around.
"Grandmother, this set is so comfortable! I don't know how Anmin came up with it, it's so comfortable. But you can't wear this underwear to bed at night, it's bad for your chest. You can wear it when you're not sleeping, but you have to take it off when you sleep."
While explaining the ingenious use of the underwear, Empress Dowager Dong listened with great interest, nodding repeatedly. Then, seemingly remembering something, she said, "If we were to make underwear, wouldn't Anmin have to measure my body?"
The usually conservative Princess Wannian covered her mouth and giggled, "Grandmother, it's alright. Anmin isn't an outsider. His medical treatments often require undressing, and he's treated many ladies. Especially with toothaches, having to keep your mouth open for Anmin to examine you would be impolite, wouldn't it? Anyway, no one else knows or sees. There aren't so many restrictions when it comes to healing."
Conservative?
The Eastern Han Dynasty wasn't conservative at all. From the Western Han Dynasty onwards, women were encouraged to remarry. In the Western Han Dynasty, women could even actively divorce their husbands.
However, this practice ceased during the Eastern Han Dynasty, though the social atmosphere remained far from conservative.
Premarital sex was still punished and condemned, but remarriage after marriage was not rejected.
Empress Dowager Dong was still somewhat bewildered, her eyes flickering. She didn't mind, but this arrangement still felt a bit inappropriate. "I'll consider it further," she said.
Next came Empress Dowager Dong's treatment. Considering the need to undress, she neither accepted nor refused. She needed to think it over, or rather, find a reason to convince herself.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting raged in Hedong Commandery. Huangfu Song was unable to launch a large-scale offensive due to supply shortages, while Guo Tai cunningly harassed the area, resulting in a stalemate.
The news that the imperial army was no match for these Yellow Turban bandits spread, and numerous bandits using the Yellow Turban name and banners emerged across the land, attacking county towns.
Lu Ming didn't care about any of this; it had little to do with him.
Besides, today was also the day of his wedding to Cai Wenji. Compared to the grand wedding to Princess Wannian a few days ago, today's ceremony was much smaller.
He still went to Cai Yong's house to fetch the bride; this was Lu Ming's first time there.
He met Cai Yong, that unlucky old man. Although he was a literary figure and calligrapher, he just had the air of an unlucky old man.
What surprised Lu Ming was that Cai Wenji's birth mother was still alive.
He had only seen her during the wedding ceremony; a mature woman with enduring charm, dignified and elegant, exuding an air of refined learning. No wonder she could have raised a talented woman like Cai Wenji.
A grand banquet was held, inviting guests. Out of respect for Cai Yong, but because Madam Yuan hadn't given any instructions, some people didn't attend, only sending their nephews and nieces.
"Congratulations! Congratulations on your marriage, Brother Anmin!" Yuan Shu, whom we hadn't seen in a while, reappeared, bringing a congratulatory gift.
"Brother Gonglu's presence is truly an honor. Please come in," Lu Ming said with a smile, leading him inside. "I happen to have a business opportunity with Brother Gonglu. Come, come in and have a drink at our wedding."
"Oh? That's quite an unexpected delight. Brother Anmin's talent is truly remarkable; he's a dashing figure among the talents of Luoyang. I'm certainly looking forward to it." Yuan Shu wasn't faking it; he was genuinely interested.
Lu Ming's talent was undeniable, and even within the Yuan clan, there were disagreements about him.
He, for example, favored cooperating with Lu Ming, while Yuan Shao preferred to suppress him. The two powerful heirs already had deep-seated conflicts, and now it seemed they were openly clashing.
Yuan Kui's attitude was also ambiguous. Furthermore, after being poisoned, he was in a daze, leaving the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel to his advisors and members of the Yuan clan.
Yuan Shu was also involved. No one knew that Lu Ming was the one who poisoned Yuan Kui; such a despicable act was truly hard to imagine in him. His impression of Lu Ming was simply that of a reckless brute!
In truth, Yuan Shu didn't think much of Lu Ming either, a trait stemming from the arrogance of a scion of a powerful family.
However, he knew that everyone needed connections and cooperation, and cooperating with Lu Ming wasn't necessarily bad. Even if he held a grudge or disdain for him, he would keep it hidden.
This didn't prevent Lu Ming from cooperating with him. Everyone was driven by self-interest. Cooperating with Yuan Shu also served as a check and balance. If the benefits were significant enough, then those within the Yuan clan who wanted to deal with him would have to consider Yuan Shu.
Although Yuan Kui was still the head of the family, his word wasn't absolute. Offending him was one thing, but it didn't matter if he couldn't. Befriending the younger generation was best, but not essential.
It must be said that Lu Ming's judgment was quite sharp. He had a falling out with Yuan Shao, but maintained cooperation with Yuan Shu. This left Emperor Ling with nothing to say. It wasn't like he was siding with a powerful clan; there was still some conflict between them, which put him in a perfect balance.