Someone sent gifts to Lu Zhang, and the officials' investigation confirmed that he had died of poisoning. They then brought Jia Zheng, who had returned, into the discussion.
All the evidence pointed to his grandson as the culprit, but they didn't know why he would kill his own family.
This was inexplicable and impossible to explain.
Since it couldn't be explained, they simply decided not to explain. A straightforward conviction would suffice.
A few days later, Lu Ming led men to bring Xi Chun and Tan Chun back to his residence from the Jia family mansion.
The rituals for taking a concubine were far less elaborate than those for marriage; in fact, they were extremely simple.
The governor's power was so immense that even a Jia family daughter had to become a concubine. The Emperor trusted Lu Ming implicitly. Under these circumstances, no one dared to provoke Lu Ming. Those who had already tried it, fearlessly, exclaimed before the King of Hell, "Exciting!"
Lu Ming also generously brought a thousand taels of silver, which he had retrieved from the tombs of past emperors.
Such things are purely unnecessary; one should enjoy respect and veneration while alive.
To be buried with a pile of gold and silver artifacts after death is pure waste.
Just burn it all, place a memorial tablet in a temple for future generations to worship.
Therefore, it's effortless to acquire, and since he wasn't the one who robbed the grave, it has nothing to do with him.
He can easily spend the silver without it getting rotten.
After changing hands several times, even the most sinister things will disappear without a trace.
At this time, in the Jia family mansion, in Jia Zheng's courtyard.
Aunt Xue came to visit her sister, Lady Wang. They were sisters, both beautiful and dignified, not the kind of alluring beauties, but rather gentle, pleasing to the eye, and capable of managing a household.
Lady Wang looked at her younger sister, Aunt Xue, whose face was rosy and whose eyebrows seemed to have been freshly drawn, so beautifully that she almost didn't recognize her.
"Little sister, how is Xue Pan?"
"He's fine. He'll be released once this storm passes." Aunt Xue was in good spirits, clearly having visited her son.
Although he was in prison, he wasn't lacking in food, clothing, or other necessities. While he had no maids to serve him, he at least looked much better than his former lazy, good-for-nothing self.
Madam Wang was slightly surprised, not only because her sister had become more beautiful, but also because Xue Pan was actually alright?
He had killed someone in the street! Even if it was accidental, it was still murder!
Since ancient times, murderers pay with their lives, and debts are repaid—it's a matter of course.
"Oh? Such a good thing?"
Aunt Xue smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to sit down, she felt a warm flow, startling her so much that she quickly sat down, her cheeks flushing even more.
She was brought in this morning, so why was so much still flowing out at noon?
Last night, Lu Ming forced her to stay in his room to serve him in bed. He held her all night, and she spent the entire night in fear, terrified of being discovered.
Finally, dawn broke, and Lu Ming, without a word, pressed himself against her, giving her a thorough beating until her bones felt weak.
She didn't even have the strength to get out of bed and needed help to walk; she was utterly depraved.
Madam Wang was unaware that her younger sister was carrying her son-in-law's semen. Tan Chun was someone she had raised as her own daughter, and now that she was married to Lu Ming, calling him her son-in-law wasn't an exaggeration.
She never dreamed that Lu Ming would target a woman her age, and even planned to take all the women from the four great families in one fell swoop.
And the women of the four great families were mostly in the Jia family mansion; the Jia family was the real target.
Just as Madam Wang was about to inquire, the plump and fiery Wang Xifeng, her face streaked with tears, hurriedly entered. She was slightly surprised to see Aunt Xue, but remembering that both were her aunts, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Feng-meizi, what's wrong? Come, sit down, tell your aunt, what's wrong?" Madam Wang was extremely surprised and curious. What was going on?
Why was the usually outgoing and fiery Wang Xifeng crying?
You see, aside from not being able to bear a son, Wang Xifeng was excellent in every other way, except for her refusal to let Jia Lian take a concubine, which drove Jia Lian to frequent brothels every day.
As soon as the topic came up, Wang Xifeng couldn't help but continue crying. It took her a while to stop, and she wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "The eldest master has been arrested!"
"The eldest master has been arrested?" Both Madam Wang and Aunt Xue were incredibly surprised. This eldest master naturally referred to Jia She of the Rongguo Mansion. Although the Ningguo Mansion was large, the status of Grandmother Jia was a significant factor, and no one expected it to be Jia Zhen.
Although Jia Zhen was the clan head, his seniority meant his influence was much less.
Wang Xifeng sobbed for a while, then said with a choked voice, "Yes, the eldest master has been frequenting brothels for half a month and hasn't come home. Those newly built brothels have lured all sorts of people from Chang'an, and many noble sons have become addicted. Even Wang Chong and Wang Can have become addicted."
"Are you talking about the 'Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon Pavilion'?" Aunt Xue was very familiar with it, as it was owned by the Zhang family.
The Zhang family was in charge of commerce in Liangzhou. Last time, they had made a grand gesture by inviting a large number of merchants, giving each of them a small gift.
This showed them the resources the Zhang family possessed after being backed by Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou. These rare treasures could definitely fetch a fortune!
While the common people were poor, the wealthy were rolling in money; they were profiting from the rich!
The "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon Pavilion" was a brothel built by Zhang Chun according to Lu Ming's instructions, specifically designed to rake in money.
Inside, there was gambling—all sorts of games, from the common "big or small" bet to the more addictive mahjong, to dog fighting and cockfighting, and even a deathmatch arena where you could fight to the death and place bets!
Such a deathmatch was difficult to manage, because one wrong move and you really could die!
Besides gambling, there were also prostitutes.
After the adrenaline surge, there was a need for release.
Big cities have no shortage of prostitutes, and not only prostitutes, but also plenty of men, providing ample options for homosexual clients.
There are also hot springs for bathing, where you can relax and take a nap after playing, and enjoy delicacies you can't find anywhere else.
In short, if you have money, top-notch services are available there.