A month later, a cry rang out.

Lu Ming’s first child was born, leaving Yi Jin still somewhat weak in the room.

Thankfully, the child was born safely...

She also had a smooth delivery without complications.

Although it was a girl, she was slightly disappointed, but as her first child, it perhaps held a different significance.

After Yi Jin, her daughter Wang Lisheng was born, also a girl.

Lu Ming’s child was named Wang Yuanji!

Historically, Wang Yuanji came from the Donghai Wang clan, was well-versed in the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Analects*, married Sima Zhao, then serving as the General of Luoyang, and devoted herself to wifely virtues, remaining humble and cautious. She gave birth to the future Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, and Prince Xian of Qi, Sima You, among others.

She possessed remarkable foresight, predicting Zhong Hui’s rebellion.

After Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, ascended the throne, she was honored as Empress Dowager and resided in Chonghua Palace.

As Empress Dowager, she advocated frugality and set an example for the harem through her own actions.

Under her rule, the harem was well-organized, and everyone lived in harmony.

Lu Ming’s choice of name clearly implied he wanted to have sex with his own daughter.

"It’s better to keep the good stuff within the family than let others use it."

The situation in Guandong had subtly changed. First, Cao Cao marched east, leading his elite troops to attack Xuzhou, killing indiscriminately along the way and slaughtering anyone he entered, venting all his resentment on Xuzhou.

Tao Qian, left with no other choice, repeatedly appealed for help, eventually securing Liu Bei’s assistance.

Lu Ming was lying in the harem, holding and playing with his daughter.

He listened to Zhang Chunhua reading him letters; poor Zhang Chunhua had to serve him every few days...

And she also had to assist Jia Tanchun in managing the Three Departments. She hadn’t ovulated yet, so even after being shaped like him by Lu Ming, she still had to continue serving him.

She worked during the day and was tortured at night.

This kind of life, however, she found sweetness in it.

"Invite Liu Bei? Who is Liu Bei?"

Lu Ming teased his daughter.

Only after his daughter was tired of playing did he hand her over to the nanny.

Zhang Chunhua flipped through a folder, her slender fingers searching through the pages, quickly finding information about Liu Bei.

"Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande. A native of Lousang Village, Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery. His father was the magistrate of Zhuo County. He lost his father at a young age and received financial support from relatives and friends. He studied under Lu Zhi, traded horses and made a living locally, and was a fellow student of Gongsun Zan, the King of Ji."

After Zhang Chunhua finished speaking, Lu Ming realized that this Liu Bei was completely different from the one in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

When he fought against the Yellow Turbans, he didn’t swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden; instead, he recruited local militia on his own.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei happened to be among them. They planned to join the army, but without a proper title, they could only enlist in small local units.

Liu Bei claimed to be a member of the Han imperial family, which would give him a legitimate name to recruit soldiers and organize local armies. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu certainly saw this as a great opportunity.

Liu Bei had served under Lu Zhi, and his vision and knowledge surpassed Zhang Fei and Guan Yu’s.

It was Liu Bei who analyzed the political situation for them, suggesting that instead of joining the army, they should recruit their own volunteer force. Otherwise, Guan Yu wouldn’t have famously said, "A single conversation with a wise man is worth ten years of study," and it wasn’t just sarcasm.

Liu Bei was the architect of the three brothers’ initial plan. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed him, naturally recognizing him as their eldest brother.

Reputation was crucial, especially in that chaotic era.

Back then, without a legitimate title, you couldn’t recruit soldiers. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei initially relied on their titles to successfully recruit; otherwise, who would have followed them to fight the Yellow Turban Rebellion?

It’s not that just because you’re rich, people will be willing to serve you in the army.

As for Liu Bei selling straw sandals, that was probably just a pretext.

In reality, it was a pretext for his recommendation for the civil service exam. In his youth, he had a wealthy uncle who sponsored his studies in Luoyang.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to study under Lu Zhi. As mentioned before, even with free education, poor families or commoners couldn’t afford to support someone’s full-time education. They were often hungry and cold, let alone studying.

More labor means more harvest. People know that studying is good, but they can’t stick to it—that’s the reality.

Furthermore, there’s a point easily overlooked: in Liu Bei’s hometown, you could hit two members of the Han imperial family with a brick. The King of Zhongshan, a Western Han dynasty figure, had over a hundred sons and a large family—a prominent clan in the area.

Liu Biao was also a member of the imperial family, as was Liu Zhang. A large number of Han imperial relatives held official positions; it wasn’t just Liu Bei who was a member. Liu Bei’s family was not only full of imperial relatives but also powerful clans.

And importantly, Liu Bei had been a wandering knight-errant in his early years—basically, a rogue and a street urchin—and had extensive connections in the local area; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to engage in smuggling.

At that time, trading with foreign tribes was explicitly forbidden by the Han Dynasty, so it was risky, but the rewards were also high.

After listening to the report, Lu Ming nodded slightly, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Since Liu Bei is so famous, why didn’t we see him during the time of the eighteen warlords?"

At this moment, Wang Yi arrived, heavily pregnant; she was about to give birth, so Lu Ming didn’t leave.

Xu Shu and the others had been planning how to attack Yizhou during this time, and logically, he should have gone as well.

However, for his wife’s sake, he would postpone it.

He wasn’t worried about the situation there; he could unlock more advanced technologies, such as hang gliders and hot air balloons.

Hang gliders could glide from high to low altitudes over long distances, but they required fuel.

The disadvantage is that it is affected by wind and carries a certain degree of danger.

Hot air balloons are much simpler, but they move slowly and are also easily affected by wind.

Without a special ignition device, they cannot fly very high and are also dangerous.

Both of these items are very helpful in traversing the Shu Road, taking the opportunity to open up some passes, and facilitating the movement of large armies.

Some places are inherently narrow, limiting troop deployment; only a few hundred or even dozens of people can be deployed at a time. In such situations, even a million-strong army would be helpless.

The defending army would face much less pressure and could hold out for a very long time.

"Sister Yi, be careful. What’s wrong? Is something the matter?"

Lu Ming stepped forward to support Wang Yi, his favorite wife.

She managed the harem very well; even capable and proud women treated her with utmost respect. Since her family had no in-laws, she didn’t need to worry about them, so her attention was entirely on him.

"My lord, I’m not that delicate. I had some ginger tea made for Yi Jin and Sister Wang Li, and I also came to visit and learn from their experience so that childbirth will be smoother in the future."

Wang Yi said with a smile, one hand gently stroking her lower abdomen, her face radiating maternal warmth.