After Lady Liu left, Lu Ming went to visit the nearby Jiang family's residence.
His visit was sudden, which was somewhat impolite.
Normally, a formal visiting card was required to allow the host to prepare, thus avoiding any breach of etiquette.
However, Lu Ming was the Prince of Qin, the owner of this land, a supreme being. His status could disregard such symmetrical distinctions.
Rules were for restraining servants.
As the master, he was not bound by rules.
Upon learning of the Prince of Qin's visit, Lady Liu, who had just returned, rushed out to greet him without even having time to wash or groom herself.
"This humble concubine, Lady Liu, greets Your Highness. Please come in."
Lady Liu's breasts had begun to sag, but remained very full, like a pair of papayas. Her slightly purplish-black nipples were no longer as firm and erect as a young girl's, and wrinkles had appeared on her waist.
However, these wrinkles were not from excess flesh; her fair skin concealed many of the marks left by time.
Although not youthful, her skin felt soft and warm to the touch. The most unusual feature of Lady Liu's appearance for her age was her legs; her thighs were fair and firm, and her calves formed a beautiful curve.
Adding to this were large, almond-shaped eyes with well-proportioned eyebrows, a straight and long nose, and most importantly, a small, delicate mouth. Her entire face exuded the tranquil beauty of a southern woman.
"I hope my uninvited visit hasn't displeased my lady."
Lu Ming chuckled and nodded, then entered the main hall.
Lady Liu gave her maid a wink and instructed her to send someone to inform Jiang Wei and her son that the decision was his.
"Not at all, Your Highness's presence is an honor for the Jiang family!"
Lu Ming nodded, then looked around the courtyard. This was probably a temporary place to stay, but it was quite comfortable.
Upon entering the main hall, she took the seat of honor without hesitation and gestured to the place beside her, "Madam, please sit here."
Madam Liu had also heard of Lu Ming's reputation. This prince was notorious for his womanizing, yet he was deeply loved by many.
And since he didn't steal or rob, women couldn't bring themselves to resent him.
This reputation for womanizing, coupled with the rumors that Lu Ming possessed extraordinary sexual prowess, that he couldn't be without women, and that he favored at least four or five women a day, and that the women who had been with him all spoke highly of him!
Previously, the Jiaosifang was a place that people feared, as if it were a hellish place to torture women.
But now, countless people would gladly give their lives to get in. It was a place where one could see Lu Ming—a very, very good opportunity!
Liu's mind raced, but she maintained a fawning smile. "It is an honor for the Jiang family that Your Highness has come today. Thank you for appreciating my son, Boyue. This humble concubine is deeply grateful!"
Lu Ming looked at the voluptuous Liu, a lewd smile playing on his lips, yet he appeared quite masculine. "So, how does Madam intend to thank me?"
Liu was momentarily stunned, then her eyes drifted to the courtyard outside. "I have no way to repay you, but I wish to recite scriptures and chant Buddhist prayers for Your Highness every day, beseeching the Bodhisattva to bless you."
A shrewd woman avoids such ambiguity, focusing solely on goodwill. To flirt on a first meeting is, in fact, very bad for a woman's impression.
However, Liu couldn't refuse Lu Ming. What if he forced himself on her?
She had no other choice.
She could only try to calm Lu Ming down, lest he rape her!
Lu Ming, however, was unimpressed. If he wanted, plenty of women would gladly offer themselves to him; it was just that he already had many wives and concubines and didn't want to build a harem so quickly.
His harem already had many women.
He simply preferred to select women with distinctive characteristics.
"I was joking," Lu Ming said. "My lady is a remarkable woman.
It's rumored that after Jiang Wei lost his husband at a young age, she managed the Jiang family, and the family didn't decline; this is all thanks to her."
"Women are inherently weak, but mothers are strong.
I admire such women. Would my lady be interested in becoming a lecturer in the Ministry of Education, teaching girls?"
Lu Ming cut to the chase. He was interested, but not in outright rape; he wanted to find a good opportunity and play around slowly.
Lady Liu lowered her eyes, not agreeing. "This lowly concubine is of humble appearance and dull intellect; I fear I am unfit for such a great responsibility!"
"Haha, Madam is too modest.
Boyue has a bright future, a bright future indeed."
Lu Ming finished speaking and stood up. "I was merely passing by today; I apologize for the intrusion."
"Respectfully seeing off Your Highness."
Lady Liu breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to let Lu Ming leave.
She felt immense pressure even speaking to Lu Ming, perhaps subconsciously wanting to do something, so she didn't want to become too entangled with him.
That very evening, the Jiang family's business suffered a setback.
The steward, far away in Tianshui, sent a letter saying that someone had died at the Jiang family's restaurant; someone had died on the spot.
The death occurred in the restaurant, and the coroner's examination determined that the cause of death was food consumed there. The restaurant staff have been detained, awaiting interrogation.
Lady Liu was about to go to sleep when she received this message delivered by express messenger.
She was immediately awakened, all sleepiness gone!
A death in a restaurant? That was impossible, yet it had actually happened.
In Guanzhong, the prevailing custom was "a life for a life, a debt for a debt," and even the government wouldn't intervene.
If you kill someone, you must pay with your life.
If the other party was a convicted murderer who deserved it, then killing them was acceptable.
But if it was a revenge killing or a crime of passion, regardless of the circumstances, it was a life for a life.
Not only that, but in the following days, Lady Liu's shops encountered problems.
The most serious incident was that some of the rice submitted to the government was moldy, and this was all destined for the army.
As a result, even Jiang Wei was temporarily suspended from his duties and sent home to rest.
Lady Liu, seeing all this, was exhausted, only able to watch her son Jiang Wei busily dealing with the unexpected events.
She suddenly felt that all of this seemed inextricably linked to Lu Ming, the Prince of Qin. The day Lu Ming asked her if she was interested in teaching, he probably just wanted to sleep with her.
Actually, a woman's reputation is important, but sometimes it's not.
Because she upheld her chastity, the Jiang family was in trouble.
No one would believe this if it were told, because Lu Ming had a harem of beautiful wives and concubines, and these past few days he'd been traveling with Zhu Rong, Diao Chan, and Dong Bai, so there was no way he would covet her or even think about her.
Diao Chan was a beautiful and vixen in her prime; how could he not sleep with Diao Chan but instead be interested in this old woman? No one would believe it!