"You lost."
Lu Ming dropped the throwing knife, rushed over, grabbed Zhu Rong, and lifted her up by the neck.
For a fleeting moment, Zhu Rong felt as if death itself was beckoning her.
The feeling was so strange, so real.
So much so that her face flushed red, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Setting Zhu Rong down, she immediately gasped for breath, her beautiful eyes filled with incredulous surprise. "I lost."
"Now, welcome to the team!"
Lu Ming didn't make things difficult for her; instead, he helped her up.
To deal with such a proud and arrogant woman, you have to suppress her from the start, so you can control her later!
"Thank you, King Qin."
Zhu Rong coughed a few times, then stood up, supported by Lu Ming's hand. She wasn't bothered by his rudeness at all, and instead said with great magnanimity, "Thank you for your mercy, King Qin."
"You're welcome."
Lu Ming looked at the surrounding Nanman people and took a step forward. "Is there anyone else who disagrees?"
Every Nanman who was seen lowered their heads, not daring to meet Lu Ming's gaze. His aura was too powerful, so powerful that they dared not look him in the eye.
No one objected, and no one dared to object.
"On behalf of the Zhu Rong clan, I declare that we henceforth submit to the rule of King Qin.
I believe King Qin is different from those cruel officials; he will keep his promises.
A warrior disdains to use lies."
Zhu Rong decisively stepped forward to express her stance. Firstly, she had married out.
Then the clan would certainly need to elect a new leader.
Secondly, for the sake of her own family, she also needed to curry favor with Lu Ming.
"On behalf of the Duosi clan, I submit to King Qin."
King Duosi immediately understood and knelt on one knee; there was nothing shameful about it.
The other party was strong and valued benevolence, but he was also vindictive, so it was best not to provoke him.
"The Mulu clan is willing to submit."
"The Akado clan is willing to submit."
"The Huangzhang clan is willing to submit."
That evening, the clan leaders began a bonfire party.
The women of the clans began to dance around the huge bonfire, some of them boldly casting flirtatious glances at Lu Ming, who sat at the head of the table.
They had no sense of shame; they only knew that if they didn't seize this opportunity to curry favor with Lu Ming, they would forever lose the chance to rise in status!
Besides, in their view, serving the strong was not shameful!
"I'll select some women to serve you. You'll come back to Chengdu with me first, then return to Chang'an.
Don't worry about not coming back. Every two years, I'll allow you to visit your family, and I'll accompany you.
Conditions in the south are rather harsh, so I'll leave people here to develop it.
At least once the paved roads are built, travel will be easier."
Lu Ming stroked Zhu Rong's small hand, unlike those of other young ladies from wealthy families.
Zhu Rong's hands were calloused; she was a practical woman, not just a pretty face.
"I want to train a female guard, Your Highness. I don't want to be idle."
Zhu Rong stated her request; she didn't want to be just a pretty face.
"I'll support whatever you want to do.
It just depends on my mood, so you'd better serve me well."
Lu Ming pinched Zhu Rong's chin, looking at the exotic face before him.
Compared to women from the Central Plains, Zhu Rong was quite different:
Her cool blue eyes possessed both a heroic spirit and a subtle, mature feminine charm, perfectly complementing her high, Slavic-style nose. Her eyebrows were long and slender, her lips slightly parted, revealing a captivating, subtly rosy red that, even without heavy makeup, was alluring.
"I will serve the King of Qin with all my heart."
Zhu Rong wasn't shy, or rather, for women from the South, the word "shy" was practically nonexistent.
Shyness would mean missing many opportunities to improve their lives. Given the cultural level of the South, they didn't see anything to be ashamed of. Pleasing their men—wasn't that natural?
It wasn't that no one saw their flirting, but rather that they pretended not to see it. Adult matters were none of their concern.
Don't look, don't listen, don't hear—just pretend you didn't see it.
"Go take a bath, I'll favor you later!
My Southern Barbarian Queen, haha!"
Lu Ming stroked Zhu Rong's cheek. "Once you're married to me, I'll treat everyone equally, so don't feel guilty.
My women won't just be Han Chinese, but also Hu, Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Southern Barbarians.
So, you can rest assured."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Zhu Rong was somewhat unhappy, because "Southern Barbarian Queen" did indeed sound like she was a savage.
However, a title is just a label; the key is whether she can win the man's heart.
If they love each other, then nothing else matters.
If she's banished to the cold palace, even a celestial beauty is useless.
Lu Ming personally went to find the barbarian leaders.
He explained his thoughts in their dialects. First, it's a matter of education; he needs to cultivate people he can communicate with before they can truly engage in dialogue.
Secondly, it's about clearing roads. Even if Chengdu's grain supplies are used to support the southern regions, it can last for a year.
Therefore, the grain problem isn't a concern; the only issue is that land reclamation needs to begin now.
Land reclamation requires specialized personnel for management and guidance. Different, differentiated farming methods will only lead to vastly different upper and lower limits in grain yield.
First, solve the problem of food and clothing, then address other issues.
After inquiring in detail about the population situation of other clans, including the proportion of young and able-bodied adults,
Lu Ming knew how to allocate resources: 30% of the population would be responsible for farming, 20% for animal husbandry,
and the remaining 50% would be responsible for road construction. Only by clearing roads could supplies from the outside world be transported in.
This simple and direct explanation made each leader understand the importance of roads.
For example, if a hundred catties of grain were delivered, but due to the rugged roads, less than ten catties would arrive, who could they complain to?
Moreover, the roads are generally good, so even diseases that cannot be treated here can be sent to other cities where there are specialized clinics.
To subdue Nanzhong, one must first subdue these Yi kings and their leaders.
If they cooperate, their subordinates will follow suit; therefore, subduing them is Lu Ming's goal for today.