Lu Ming's reputation in the Western Regions only grew after the annihilation of the Wutu'en tribe. His fame stemmed from defeating a much larger force and annihilating them!
This was simply outrageous and unbelievable!
The kingdoms of the Western Regions, including the nomadic tribes, were populous, with women capable of fighting on horseback. The fact that they had been wiped out demonstrated the extent of Lu Ming's power.
This reputation also facilitated Xu Shu's recapture of Dunhuang with remarkable ease. Now, a capable minister was needed to help govern.
The army could only be stationed within the cities, while other threats remained on the periphery.
The Xiongnu were an insurmountable obstacle. Even with Emperor Wu of Han's morale boosted, the Xiongnu, after being defeated and severely weakened, split into the Northern and Southern Xiongnu.
The Southern Xiongnu were allied with the Han Dynasty, but still raided the borders annually. Their survival was precarious, a situation they could not avoid.
On this day, Liu Yan, departing from Chang'an, planned to first enter Hanzhong, and then from Hanzhong into Yizhou.
The roads to Shu are difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven.
The rivers meander and rush swiftly, their banks like ants on a hot pan, surging past.
All around are towering mountains, reaching into the clouds; the only path is along the mountain's edge.
Traveling by water is impossible; some places are bottomless, fraught with the threat of snakes and insects, and the biting cold is deadly. Catching a cold would be fatal.
Crossing the mountain edge requires traversing narrow paths, facing sheer cliffs; a single misstep could lead to certain death.
This is why the roads to Shu are said to be difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven.
Unlike later methods, which can use explosives to blast through mountains and create tunnels,
current technology simply cannot do this; only the most primitive methods remain.
After a day or two's journey from Chang'an, Liu Yan was contemplating a bright future.
He planned to go to Yizhou, subdue the local powerful clans, and then prepare his army to cut off Hanzhong's connection to the capital while the situation was unstable, thus establishing himself as king.
Moreover, there was a woman who haunted his dreams: Zhang Lu and Zhang Yulan's mother, Liang Yin!
He had always desired her, but due to a divination, he had been tempted to force himself on her.
He had previously considered using force, but then suffered a series of unfortunate events, learning that he was being haunted by a ghost.
After seeking out a Taoist priest to exorcise the ghost, his luck improved somewhat.
These things are invisible and intangible, but the rituals did indeed bring relief. This made Liu Yan even more convinced of the superstitious beliefs surrounding ghosts and spirits, which is why he refrained from forcing himself on Zhang Lu's mother.
Just as Liu Yan was contemplating his bright future, a commotion suddenly arose ahead.
As they passed a mountain ridge, a whooshing sound rang out, and arrows struck, felling all the guards.
Then, masked bandits charged, leaving the pampered Liu Yan completely bewildered. What was happening?
How could there be bandits?
His personal guards fought desperately to protect him, and Liu Yan managed to escape.
However, his son and his entourage, including Zhang Lu, were not so lucky. Some had their hands cut off, others their feet.
Women and valuables were looted, and they quickly disappeared from sight.
A few days later, Liu Yan returned to Chang'an in a sorry state.
Prefect Yang Cong was shocked. He was undeniably responsible for what had happened.
The Governor of Yizhou was attacked within his own territory; this was simply unacceptable.
Nobles of all ranks in Chang'an came to visit him. After all, he was Liu Yan, a former member of the Han Imperial Clan Court. The Clan Court controlled the family genealogy, wielding immense power. Without being listed in the genealogy, one was no longer considered a member of the Han imperial family—the consequences were obvious.
The news of this attack on such a figure reached Luoyang immediately.
Zhang Rang was overjoyed and immediately reported to Emperor Ling.
Emperor Ling seized the opportunity to announce the removal of Yang Cong and the transfer of the Three Auxiliary Regions to Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou, pending the selection of a new official.
This move was shrewd; it gave Lu Ming the title of governor without granting him full authority.
For the powerful clans, this could be seen as Emperor Ling using a bargaining chip; Lu Ming was merely a transitional figure, not a direct handover, thus appeasing both sides and maintaining a facade of legitimacy.
After being captured, Liang Yin and the others were taken to a mountain stronghold. They were given only water and meager food, barely enough to keep them from starving, and were confined indoors in a stuffy environment.
Among them were Zhang Lu's young daughter and Liu Yan's wife.
Several days passed in this dazed state. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. Several maids entered and stripped them naked. Having barely eaten for days, they were powerless to resist and were quickly stripped naked, their pale bodies thrown onto the kang (heated brick bed).
Just as they thought they were about to be violated, shouts of battle and the sounds of fighting erupted outside.
After an unknown amount of time, the tightly closed door opened, and a dashing man, wielding a long spear, entered.
He looked at them and then said, "I am Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou. I have come to suppress the bandits. Do not worry, there are still some remaining bandits. Once they are rescued, you will be allowed to go home."
Because Liang Yin's face was covered in a layer of grayish-black grime, used to conceal her identity, Lu Ming pretended not to recognize them.
"Thank you, sir. I am..." Liang Yin had barely finished speaking when the door was closed, and Lu Ming rushed forward to kiss her.
"Now that I've saved you, you'll follow me from now on. I won't mind that you were violated by bandits!" Lu Ming didn't give Liang Yin a chance to explain, quickly stripping off his clothes and stuffing them into her mouth.
He applied some aloe vera gel to his glans, rubbing it between her legs a few times before slowly inserting it.
"Ugh! No!" Liang Yin didn't want to be violated, especially by her son-in-law!
But she couldn't speak, leading to her being raped by Lu Ming by mistake!
When Lu Ming's penis penetrated her, stretching open her long-unused vagina, she felt a mix of fear and pain. After a few thrusts, she began to feel a surge of heat, an uncontrollable pleasure overflowing within her. This unprecedented joy was something she couldn't control.
At this moment, Liang Yin was pinned down by Lu Ming; her position was far from elegant, but still beautiful and alluring.
Unlike her fierce struggle just moments before, Liang Yin's previously styled hair had now come loose, the smooth black strands partially obscuring her pretty face. Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her eyes were tightly closed, and her fair cheeks were flushed from the intense struggle. With each soft breath, her rosy lips parted intermittently, and her two high, firm breasts rose and fell rhythmically. Combined with Liang Yin's beautiful face, in her quiet state, she resembled a serene landscape painting, indescribably exquisite and elegant.