prynovel Chapter 660: 660 Yuan Shao is from Nantong
Chapter 660: 660 Yuan Shao is from Nantong
"Governor Han Fu of Ji Province is hosting a banquet for Your Excellency, requesting that you grace Ji Province with your presence for a few days. This is a gift from Governor Han, containing 5,000 dan of grain, 1,000 jin of meat, and various other items."
Xun Yu then displayed the entourage behind him, demonstrating his sincerity to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming stroked his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly deep in thought. "Very well, I accept the gifts. Minister Xun, please wait a moment. I will accompany you to Ye City after making the necessary arrangements."
Ji Province is prosperous, with fertile land stretching for thousands of miles. Among the four northern provinces, Ji Province is the most affluent.
Bing Province is barren, You Province is cold and harsh, and Qing Province is turbulent; none can compare to Ji Province. It enjoys favorable weather, possesses fertile land, and commands a million soldiers.
If it were anyone else hosting the banquet, Lu Ming would have to consider it carefully, but with Han Fu, there was no problem.
Han Fu wasn't stupid; he just lost his judgment when faced with a warlord of equal or even greater strength. Otherwise, he was alright, which is why he became the Governor of Ji Province.
Historically, the title was originally bestowed upon him by Dong Zhuo, but Lu Ming's interference brought the governorship forward.
Looking at the city walls, nearly thirty meters high, and the five-meter-wide, bottomless moat below,
This wealthy city didn't seem so easy to conquer.
Lu Ming had only brought a hundred men this time, leaving the military camp in Zhao Yun's command.
Wei Yan and Zhou Cang had also come as reinforcements, so Lu Ming simply brought them along.
"Ye City's prosperity is nothing special, not bad, not bad."
Lu Ming was very satisfied. In his view, there were no cities that couldn't be conquered, only incompetent officials.
"Thanks to Governor Han's governance, Ye City has achieved its current state—a place where no one picks up lost items, and flowers bloom in abundance."
Xun Yu was also showing off a little; no matter who you are, that kind of pride never disappears.
Besides, Xiliang has always been a border region, rife with rebellions, and in no way can compare to the prosperous Ji Province.
"Heh."
Lu Ming merely chuckled coldly and rode forward.
With Xun Yu leading the way, entering the city gate was relatively smooth.
Lu Ming had expected a show of force, but there wasn't even any trouble.
This was quite surprising; it seemed Han Fu genuinely wanted to entertain him, rather than plotting anything.
Ye City truly lived up to its reputation as a prosperous place. Upon entering, Lu Ming saw neat blue-brick roads, well-planned streets on both sides, and a constant stream of vendors hawking their wares.
Numerous caravans could be seen, shops were plentiful, and crowds thronged, a scene of bustling prosperity and celebration.
Along the way, people frequently greeted Xun Yu, who responded with clasped hands, seemingly enjoying good relationships.
While responding, he didn't forget to greet Lu Ming, introducing Ye City as they chatted.
Upon arriving at the Governor's Mansion, Han Fu surprisingly stood at the entrance to greet them.
Han Fu was a portly middle-aged man, but due to his high position, he lacked the air of a nouveau riche; instead, he exuded an air of shrewdness.
"I am Han Fu. Are you Governor Lu in person?"
"Lord Han, you are too kind. Just call me Anmin. We hit it off immediately; let's address each other as brothers. Lord Han is the most important; I'll call you Brother Han."
Lu Ming also clasped his hands in a fist salute, smiling like a wolf in sheep's clothing; no one expected him to be such an ambitious and ruthless fellow.
"Haha, then I won't stand on ceremony, Anmin, please come in."
Han Fu exchanged a few pleasantries and then invited Lu Ming inside.
Compared to Lu Ming's governor's mansion, Han Fu's was clearly much more luxurious. The building materials were far more refined, and it boasted numerous gardens, creating a landscape garden feel.
Living here would be a pure pleasure, even just staying there.
After they were seated, Han Fu had musicians play, and graceful dancers entered, moving to the music.
"Anmin, I'm being presumptuous. Here, let me offer you a toast."
Han Fu picked up his wine cup and said.
He seemed very hospitable.
"Brother Han, let's eat something before drinking. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your stomach."
Lu Ming picked up a piece of meat and chewed. Seeing Han Fu's surprised expression, he continued, "I often mentioned this when I treated His Majesty years ago. This wine is a good thing, but there's a proper way to drink it. Drinking it well prolongs life; drinking it poorly shortens it!"
Han Fu, after his initial surprise, chuckled and picked up a piece of meat, chewing it as well.
He might not care about other things, but when it came to living a longer life, he believed no one would refuse.
"Haha, Anmin truly lives up to his reputation as a divine physician! I almost forgot about that. It's my fault, my fault! I'll punish myself with a drink!"
He then picked up his wine cup and drank it down.
Lu Ming also picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, then continued eating meat and vegetables. Although it wasn't particularly delicious, it was relatively good.
"Brother Han, you invited me here not just for drinks and food, there must be something you need. Just tell me what's on your mind, and I'll do what I can. If I can't, I hope you'll understand my predicament."
Han Fu smiled and said, "Nothing special. A while ago, the Prefect of Bohai, Yuan Shao, sent me a letter asking for help. He's trapped in Wuji County. I wonder if Brother Anmin has seen Prefect Yuan?"
"Yes, I saw him. He's fine. He was indulging in homosexuality at the time. I'm not interested in that, so I took my leave."
Lu Ming drank his wine, completely unconcerned about Han Fu's spitting-out expression.
Han Fu had to wipe his mouth, clean up the spilled wine, and asked again in disbelief, "What? Homosexuality?"
There were quite a few people among the nobility who indulged in homosexuality, many just for novelty.
But these were niche practices, not something to be openly publicized.
Han Fu happened to be extremely disgusted by such matters. He never expected that the seemingly elegant Yuan Benchu would be involved in homosexuality.
"Brother Anmin, you can't just say things like that. Are you sure?"
"Could it be that Brother Han also wants to get involved? Then you can just go to Wuji County."
Lu Ming looked at Han Fu with a surprised expression…
And he subtly moved away, seemingly not wanting to be associated with someone with homosexual tendencies.
Han Fu's face almost turned green. Seeing Lu Ming's actions, he quickly said, "No, no, no, I'm not interested in this. It's just that I received a favor from the Yuan family in the past, and now that Benchu has asked for help, I naturally can't stand by and watch him die. Now that I've heard you say that Benchu is alright, I'm relieved."