Chapter 828 Han Fu, the Coward
Zhuge Liang ate the pork in his bowl and took a sip of wine, choking and coughing repeatedly because he couldn’t drink...
But he managed to hold back.
Wiping the wine from his lips, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Ming and said, "My lord, I study military strategy and enjoy observing changing situations. Now that Yuan Shao has suffered a setback, he won’t sit idly by."
"You want me to prevent him from taking desperate measures?"
Lu Ming drank a cup of wine, then picked up a piece of tender fish and ate it. He then beckoned to the two men, "Don’t just stand there, eat what you want, drink what you want. There’s no need for such formalities in the future. Since you are loyal to me, as long as you have no disloyal intentions, I guarantee your descendants a life of wealth and honor."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Yang Biao was completely relieved, because his daughter was Lu Ming’s wife and had given birth to three daughters; they had a connection through the family line.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Wang Chen, however, was preoccupied with other matters. He needed to offer Lu Ming a woman to solidify their relationship.
Currently, almost all of Lu Ming’s subordinates were related to him in some way: Jia Xu’s daughter, Xu Shu’s mother, Zhao Yun’s mother and widowed sister-in-law, and so on.
"Not at all."
Zhuge Liang shook his head, somewhat smugly. "My lord only needs to write a letter and send it to Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Yu respectively."
Zhuge Liang waited for a long time without any further questions from Lu Ming. When he turned around, he only saw Lu Ming’s amused expression and realized his intentions had been exposed.
This was a common flaw among scholars—they immediately started with "I’ve come to save you," and then demanded this and that.
So he quickly bowed his head and said, "Please forgive me, my lord."
"You are innocent. Don’t try to play these petty tricks in front of me again."
Lu Ming didn’t care, because he didn’t tolerate such bad habits. He wouldn’t tolerate those who kept their plans hidden and expected others to question them.
Zhuge Liang was somewhat embarrassed and inexperienced, still a young man, though his intelligence was considerable and his knowledge vast, though his emotional intelligence lagged behind.
"Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan have been allied for a long time, and now Liu Yu is on the verge of destruction. Once Liu Yu falls, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan will inevitably clash. My lord might as well demand tribute from Gongsun Zan; if he refuses, attack him."
"If he does, it will make Yuan Shao suspicious of Gongsun Zan, triggering a bloodbath. In the end, my lord will benefit from their conflict!"
"Good, let’s do as you say, but our internal foundation is unstable, so it’s not advisable to advance." "
Lu Ming’s current focus is still on governing the local areas, consolidating his territory before expanding outwards.
It’s precisely because of this steady and cautious strategy that his progress is so slow.
The advantage is stability; he avoids taking too many risks. While other warlords are wasting resources, he’s diligently amassing troops.
The more war-torn a region, the more people flee, and in the end, there will likely be very few left.
Luoyang is a stark example; Emperor Xian of Han is now trapped in an isolated city...
And the passes of Luoyang are under Lu Ming’s control, making a comeback impossible.
Even a strategist like Xun Yu is powerless to act without resources.
No matter how brilliant a strategist, when faced with a calculated strategy, one can only counter with sheer force; failure means death.
Lu Ming then asked Zhuge Liang some questions about governing the local areas, such as how to handle cases involving powerful local clans.
He encountered some trivial matters." How should the matter of the skin be handled...?
And what about the village’s ruffians and insane villagers?
These are all very real problems.
The welcoming banquet turned into a policy discussion. Most of the time, Lu Ming did the talking, and they listened. Only when asked about specific situations would Yang Biao and Wang Chen answer.
After the meal, a heavy rain began to fall outside.
At this time, Han Fu arrived late. He had been seeing a doctor and therefore hadn’t come.
In fact, no one had invited him. This former ruler of Ji Province, after relinquishing his position, was utterly destitute.
Before, he could be said to be universally admired; now, he was simply despised.
Power is so alluring. When you have power, everyone wants to talk to you, as if you can gain something from it.
But when you lose power, you become despised. Saying a few words feels like you’ll die.
"Ahem, this humble official greets the Prince of Qin. Please forgive my lateness." Han Fu, his face pale, hurriedly knelt before Lu Ming.
Lu Ming helped him up, glancing at the heavy rain outside. "Let’s go to Wenjie’s residence for a while. I also have some things to discuss with him."
"Wenxian, Shenwen, you two go back first."
"Kongming, come to my residence tomorrow."
"Yes."
The three bowed and took their leave.
The rain grew heavier, and after the rain, the weather would generally begin to warm up.
Before spring arrives, it always rains first, then the weather warms up.
Arriving at Han Fu’s residence, Han Fu had bought a nice mansion as a backup. The original governor’s mansion had been vacated to make way for the road.
When Lu Ming entered the hall, he was already somewhat soaked. Seeing this, Han Fu immediately ordered a servant to boil water.
"Your Highness, it’s easy to catch a cold in this weather. Why don’t you bathe and change here, and stay at my humble abode tonight?"
Just as Lu Ming was about to speak, he saw a middle-aged woman appear with a beautiful young woman, followed by a young man.
"Your Highness, this is my wife Yuan Yuan, our eldest son Han Fan, and our second daughter Han Miao."
Han Fu’s obsequious manner resembled a pimp soliciting customers; he actually harbored a desire for his daughter to serve him in bed. Only by aligning himself with Lu Ming’s powerful backer could he ensure his survival.
This world was turbulent, far too dangerous for someone like him. Those whose virtue did not match their position would inevitably face calamity. He didn’t want to die, so he wanted to live well.
"Madam is indeed young; standing next to your daughter, one would think they were sisters," Lu Ming teased, glancing at the torrential rain outside. It seemed there would be no shortage of entertainment tonight.
After drinking, his restless lust began to rise. If Diao Chan were here, she would know what Lu Ming intended to do just by looking at his eyes—he wanted to vent his desires and rape her mercilessly!
Lu Ming’s teasing didn’t anger Han Fu; instead, he became pleased.
"Your Highness, how about my wife takes you to bathe?"