Lu Ming only dozed off for a short while, less than ten minutes in total, before waking up.
Watching Tan Chun still attending to him, personally wiping his body, he felt very comfortable.
A beautiful young woman, having shed her pampered ways, becoming gentle in nature, tender to her husband, yet strong in public—such a girl is truly difficult to cultivate.
"Many people believe that I established the Three Departments only for my own selfish desires, and that is precisely the effect I intend."
"Why do you say that, husband?" Tan Chun was somewhat sleepy. She had been subjected to so much, and really wanted to sleep to replenish her energy; otherwise, she might be subjected to even more tonight!
"The staff of the Three Departments are all women. These women include the families of disgraced officials, the families of criminals, women from impoverished families, and orphans. In Liangzhou, millions of disaster victims are displaced. These victims don't engage in production, they just sit and eat their savings; even a mountain of gold wouldn't be enough. We must increase revenue and reduce expenditure, ensuring a sustainable future."
Tan Chun perked up, deliberately kneeling up, taking a small notebook bound in animal hide from the bedside with both hands, holding a pencil in the other, looking like a particularly diligent and studious student.
"Among the disaster victims, men can engage in manual labor, such as carrying goods, mining ore, and repairing bridges and roads; all they need is food. Disaster relief through labor ensures that only through giving will there be a return, and it also prevents them from causing trouble once they are well-fed. Women can engage in light labor, such as silkworm rearing, mulberry picking, weaving, and farming—all things they are capable of doing."
"Currently, Chang'an is predominantly populated by commoners, so the next step of opening workshops will absorb them. Only when more commoners respect and are grateful to the government can the rule be sustained. Too much monopoly by aristocratic families is what led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The reason we often hear about the eunuch faction causing chaos is merely a delusion perpetrated by the aristocratic families." "This is a deceptive tactic. Tan Chun, now that you are my wife, I will tell you everything. The Jia family will not decline, decay, or become irredeemably corrupt; it can only be rebuilt from scratch."
"Once they achieve military merit, return home in glory, and are re-granted titles, no one will criticize them anymore. It's not a problem for the sons of wealthy families to live a life of debauchery; what's terrible is that none of them have any sense of responsibility. If you really want to help the Jia family, then let them experience hardship, shed their superficiality, and return to their true nature, starting with how to be good people and kind to others." Lu Ming's words were essentially telling Tan Chun that while this place might seem like a den of iniquity to outsiders, it was a powerful tool for stabilizing public sentiment to those in the know.
When did a place like a women's kingdom become a means of stabilizing public sentiment? It sounds absurd, but it truly is!
"Husband, I understand."
Tan Chun remembered everything Lu Ming said; she had already begun to consider how to raise the next generation.
If she became a concubine, the best outcome would be for Lu Ming to ascend the throne and she to be promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine.
No matter what, she would never reach the position of Empress, since there could only be one Empress.
After getting up, Lu Ming tidied himself up and leisurely went to the main hall.
In the hall, a middle-aged woman in a brocade robe was anxiously looking around, occasionally standing up, seemingly restless.
Only when she saw Lu Ming did she breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Anmin, I'm your aunt!"
"Oh, is there something you need?" Lu Ming disliked this kind of emotional appeal from the start. If he had truly cared, he wouldn't have neglected to maintain contact, to the point that he had forgotten he even had this relative.
It's not their fault; being with poor relatives is the most annoying thing, and poor relatives just love to freeload.
"Your uncle is sentenced to be executed in the autumn. You're his nephew, someone he watched grow up. You can't just stand by and watch him die!" Aunt Zhang Man said, her voice trembling with tears. Wrinkles marked the passage of time around her eyes. She wasn't particularly beautiful, only average-looking, but her full breasts and large buttocks, combined with the allure of a mature woman, added to her charm. Otherwise, Lu Ming wouldn't have given her a second glance.
Beautiful women are rare; most women are unremarkable in appearance.
A true beauty is one in a hundred, one in a thousand. If you just pick one off the street, you'll only be disappointed.
"He broke the law, accepted money from the Chang family, and disregarded human life. I can't help him," Lu Ming said, his expression indifferent. Some things, if you don't intervene, are truly difficult to resolve.
Her uncle had never been a good person. After he became the governor, the man didn't fawn over her, instead putting on airs and failing to recognize the truth. So, he shouldn't blame her for being impolite.
Such a person, such a relative, could only cause trouble!
Zhang Man was stunned. She never expected Lu Ming to say such a thing. "Anmin, he's your uncle! Your father's brother, your uncle who shares your bloodline!"
She cried with genuine emotion, a heart-wrenching wail, so desperate that anyone who didn't know better would think Lu Ming had raped her.
What was the reason for her tears? Was it because of her husband's suffering, or because of the loss of her privileged life?
Perhaps both.
She had always been the wife of a county magistrate, and before that, she had risen even higher.
Now, as the wife of a disgraced official, it must be hard to accept.
"Heh, relative, ah, what a fine title." Lu Ming poured himself a cup of tea; this ginger tea was meant to refresh him.
"Why didn't you say we were relatives before? I remember we haven't been in touch for four or five years. When I became governor, you didn't even offer a congratulatory message. Did you think it was my right to promote my uncle?"
*Bang!*
Lu Ming suddenly slammed his hand on the table, the sound like a thunderclap in his aunt Zhang Man's ears. "A bunch of clowns! Don't you even reflect on yourselves? What kind of people dare to talk back to me like that?"
His aunt was terrified. She was a woman who could throw a tantrum, but she couldn't really be unreasonable.
Mainly because others wouldn't buy it. If she did, she would truly be a clown.
"I, you, I, ah, Governor, I know I was wrong, please forgive us!"