Empress He hadn't been with Lu Ming yet. Once she had, she would know the ultimate ecstasy—the sensation of his thick, hard penis thrusting against her cervix, the piercing feeling through her uterine walls—it was unparalleled pleasure, a feeling of flying, of ethereal bliss.
Just one time would be addictive, and she would uncontrollably crave being with him again in her spare time!
Almost a month had passed, and the mature woman's desires were inexhaustible, terrifyingly high. So, with just a little teasing, Wu Yang Jun couldn't resist.
"You have this plan? Lu Ming's treatment methods are quite effective. Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?" No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Empress He's rise to power through palace intrigue was largely due to her mother, Wu Yang Jun.
Now that she was getting on in years, she should enjoy herself.
Her daughter was the most noble woman in the world; what more could she possibly want?
Empress He dismissed her maids, then approached her mother and whispered, "His Majesty intends to make Liu Xie the Crown Prince!"
Wuyang Jun's hand suddenly trembled. This was not good news! Her mind raced, searching for a solution. "Don't rush, let me think."
Empress He, despite being the mother of the nation, wasn't particularly intelligent. Her high status meant she could be easily eliminated without further ado.
The position of Crown Prince was crucial, and Emperor Ling's intention was clearly to ensure her eternal damnation!
She wasn't naive enough to think she could rest easy as Empress Dowager. Liu Xie would definitely find a way to kill her, simply because she had poisoned Consort Wang years ago.
After thinking for a while, Wuyang Jun suddenly had an idea.
"I still need to go to Liangzhou this time. His Majesty relies solely on Lu Ming of Liangzhou. Lu Ming is gradually gaining control of Liangzhou; this is a formidable army. With just one order from His Majesty, he could lead his troops into Luoyang. We must be on guard!"
Empress He nodded thoughtfully, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her phoenix eyes. "Does Mother mean to kill him?"
The Lady of Wuyang was speechless, unsure how to respond to her daughter.
"No, it's about winning him over. Isn't he lustful? Then we'll prepare some women for him, both old and young. This kind of person is easy to deal with, as long as he listens to His Majesty. Whoever is His Majesty, he'll listen to them!"
Stabilizing the powerful regional officials is how imperial power is consolidated.
The Han dynasty's method was the enfeoffment system, granting fiefdoms to members of the imperial clan to govern various regions.
They all shared the same surname; they wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
To prevent a power grab, an alliance was forged stipulating that anyone not of the Liu clan who became king would be attacked by all under heaven.
This was all to ensure the dynasty's longevity. The implementation of the governorship system signifies the emergence of powerful regional officials who, even if not members of the Liu clan, wield immense power.
A single province, spanning thousands of miles, with military power and wealth controlled by one person—how terrifying!
Empress He narrowed her eyes upon hearing this. Sending women was not a strange practice.
However, this woman could not be just anyone, nor could she be from a prestigious family.
The former would lower her status, while the latter would be beneath her dignity.
As empress, her previous role was merely to forcefully bully honest men, arranging for Cai Yong to marry his daughter Cai Wenji to Lu Ming. She had acted as a matchmaker, and that was all.
"Mother, according to your logic, which family's daughter do you think would be suitable?" Empress He didn't object to this arrangement; for her, as long as it benefited her, nothing else mattered.
Why should women make things difficult for other women?
Because in her eyes, those women weren't even considered human.
Wuyang Jun couldn't answer either, so he said, "Why don't you take a walk outside the palace these few days and see if any renowned scholars have come to the capital? Even those who aren't too famous will do, as long as they're well-known locally. I'll go out on behalf of the Empress, taking the underwear sent a few days ago, as a gesture of Your Majesty's virtue and concern for the women of the land."
"Very well, then I'll trouble you, Mother." Empress He breathed a sigh of relief; indeed, she still needed her mother's help.
But she didn't know that while she was indeed the Empress, her status was undeniably noble.
However, what if Lu Ming seduced her mother, got her pregnant, and raped her mercilessly until she was completely corrupted, then then asked Wuyang Jun to help him rape Empress He?
What should Empress He do then?
"That's easy to say. The Empress's affairs are my affairs." Lady Wuyang, though mindful of palace etiquette, couldn't address the Empress by her given name directly; she had to use a respectful title.
With the Empress's decree, Lady Wuyang simply summoned Liu Liu, the wife of the Grand Commandant, to inquire about prominent figures in Luoyang. They would see if any had daughters of marriageable age, and then assess them.
If they were chosen, they would say it was the Empress's decree, that she had heard of their beauty and intelligence, and had specially arranged for them to study medicine under Lu Ming in Liangzhou, so they could later enter the palace as ladies-in-waiting to serve the Empress.
For many, especially women, marrying a wealthy merchant was already a blessing.
If they entered the household of a minister or prince, seizing the opportunity to rise in status was an unimaginable stroke of luck.
Therefore, when the Empress summoned them, unless they were like Lady Yuan or Lady Yang, it was truly difficult to refuse.
After several days of investigation and organization, Liu Liu took the opportunity to add some more women to the list. Since they were all meant for her young lover, the more she contributed now, the more she would receive in return.
Many of these women were also involved in personal grudges. Wouldn't it be a great thing to make her enemy's daughter a concubine, subjected to her lover's defilement?
As for whether they would rise in social status because of this, she knew Lu Ming's methods and character all too well.
The list was sent to Empress He, and it was Empress He who ultimately approved who was chosen.
Narrowing her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashed in her phoenix eyes. She actually wanted to look at the list to see if there were any suitable daughters-in-law.
However, after one glance, none of them seemed quite right. The reason was simple: their maternal families weren't very prestigious.
Besides physical beauty being a plus, a powerful maternal family was also a significant advantage for a daughter-in-law.
She was well aware that her own maternal clan, the He family, was only so-so, and even if they could offer some help, it would be limited.