The Three Kingdoms: My Wife is a Great and Good Teacher

But according to Xun Yu, her brother, Xun Yue, had gone into seclusion in Jizhou, while her nephew worked in the court and had to travel around the country frequently on behalf of the court, so she was usually the only one in the mansion.

Of course, Liu Zhaoqing had no plan to stay in his mansion for a long time. After putting down his luggage and other items, Liu Zhaoqing took some necessities and then told Xun Yu that he was going out for a while.

He then went outside the mansion with Zhang Liao and Lu Hong.

"Wenyuan, you should be going to see the prefect of Yanmen now, right?" Liu Zhaoqing asked Zhang Liao who was leading the horse.

Zhang Liao nodded and said, "Yes, we were supposed to reach Luoyang a few days ago, but we were delayed for a while because of the Yellow River Rebellion."

"Will that have any impact on you? I think your delay will be seen by the prefect..." Liu Zhaoqing was a little worried.

Zhang Liao smiled and said, "Don't worry, benefactor. The governor is upright and respectful to his subordinates. He is very much loved by the officials in the county."

"And even the governor of Youzhou, who is not far from Yanmen, has high praise for the governor."

If even Liu Yu admires someone, then his character must be guaranteed.

Then Liu Zhaoqing asked Zhang Liao what he would do after meeting the prefect. Zhang Liao said he was not sure. The Bingzhou governor should want her to serve in the court with the prefect to gain benefits for Bingzhou.

This is also consistent with Zhang Liao's purpose of coming to Luoyang in previous life history, and in the end they reached the same destination by different means.

Liu Zhaoqing also asked about the name of the Yanmen prefect, which was Guo Yu. Liu Zhaoqing was not very familiar with this name, but as long as he was a good person, it was fine.

Liu Zhaoqing no longer had to worry that she would detain Zhang Liao and prevent her from resigning from her position.

After temporarily leaving Zhang Liao, Liu Zhaoqing took Lu Hong to Luoyang to look for the "father's friend" she mentioned, and asked around for news about Hua Tuo.

But Luoyang was too big, and Liu Zhaoqing and Lu Hong inquired for an hour but still couldn't get to the bottom of it.

After resting for a while in a teahouse, Liu Zhaoqing also looked helpless, but Lv Hong understood and comforted him immediately: "Sir, don't worry. Luoyang is huge, we can slowly look for a doctor, and Hong's disease... is not urgent to find a doctor now."

"That's true, but if I can find Hua Tuo or a new home for you sooner, I can rest assured." Liu Zhaoqing said, "You are a girl, and you are so beautiful. It's too dangerous for you to be alone in a place like Luoyang."

Lu Hong lowered her head, then placed her hands in front of her belly, pinched the corner of her clothes with her fingers, and whispered: "But, Hong is not alone... Isn't there a young master to accompany her?"

"Me? I can't possibly be with you forever." Liu Zhaoqing said casually.

"Why not..."

"what?"

"No, nothing, sir, you didn't hear anything." Lu Hong quickly lowered her head.

"..."

Just as Liu Zhaoqing was looking at Lu Hong, who was lowering her head with a red face, wondering what he had done to make her feel shy, more people gathered around him.

They were undoubtedly attracted by Lu Hong, who was wearing a light pink dress.

Seeing this, Liu Zhaoqing had no choice but to say, "Okay, let's go back first and not look for it today."

"Okay." Lu Hong agreed very readily.

When Liu Zhaoqing looked at her, she quickly turned her gaze away.

Shaking his head, Liu Zhaoqing felt that Lu Hong’s thoughts were really hard to guess.

I have traveled such a long way, suffered so much, and even kowtowed to myself to come to Luoyang, but now that I have arrived in Luoyang, I am not in a hurry to find anyone.

However, Luoyang is indeed too big, and it would be difficult to find the person by searching blindly. Liu Zhaoqing also felt that he had to seek help from professionals to find out about Lu Hong’s father’s old friend or Hua Tuo in a short period of time.

But, just as Liu Zhaoqing stepped out of the teahouse, a pure white horse suddenly galloped towards him.

An official from the court came down immediately, but he was not wearing a red official uniform, but a black one.

The man had a pale face and a thin body, and seemed to be... a eunuch.

"But Master Zhaoqing?" The eunuch asked Liu Zhaoqing with a smile after getting off the horse.

"It's me, please..."

"Attendant Zhang ordered me to come and invite you, Master. Please follow me."

Liu Zhaoqing was startled: "Empress Zhang? Could it be... Zhang Rang?"

Chapter 73: The Grace of the Eunuch?

"You are joking, young master. Although there are two eunuchs in the court with the surname Zhang, my father is busy with state affairs and works hard for the country. How can he have the spare time to meet the person who receives the imperial edict?" said the eunuch with a smile.

"Then could this Zhang Changshi be another one?" Liu Zhaoqing asked after thinking for a while.

"Yes." The eunuch nodded, "The one who invited you, young master, is Zhang Gong, one of the Twelve Eunuchs. However, the court and us servants are used to honoring him together with the other masters as the 'Ten Eunuchs.'"

There are twelve Ten Eunuchs, but this is not a joke like five of the Four Heavenly Kings, but a real fact.

Knowing that the history he knew was inconsistent with reality, Liu Zhaoqing asked Xun Yu many questions about the court issues that concerned him on the way to Dongjun and Luoyang.

The matter of the Ten Eunuchs is one of them.

Liu Zhaoqing also knew that the twelve eunuchs among the Ten Attendants almost monopolized the sight and hearing of the Han Emperor. Whether in the imperial palace or the prefectures outside Luoyang, in almost every prefecture one could find the brothers, sisters, and relatives of the twelve Attendants favored and holding important positions.

If the reason why the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the previous life and the Jiazi Army uprising in this life could quickly sweep across the country is because the people have suffered from harsh policies and high taxes for a long time.

The source of this "harsh policy and high taxes" came from the control of the Han emperor by the Ten Eunuchs, and the nepotism and indulgence of powerful officials in exploiting and oppressing the local people.

In the past few years, there have been countless cases in various places where "the people were supposed to pay one-tenth of taxes to the court, but actually had to pay seven or eight", simply because local officials at all levels were linked to each other and wanted to get a little bit into their own pockets.

In addition, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, Liu Hong, was incompetent and had no intention of changing the status quo. As he saw his wealth increasing, he trusted the Ten Attendants even more and shouted the absurd words in the palace, "Attendant Zhang is my father, and Attendant Zhao is my mother."

In this seemingly prosperous Luoyang, the only person who could compete with the Ten Attendants was General He Jin.

However, even Xun Yu, who was ignorant of history, understood that the latter did not harbor the desire to serve the country and help the Han Dynasty, but was only seeking power and personal gain for himself, and the Ten Attendants just happened to stand in his way.

Zhang Gong.

Liu Zhaoqing only recalled for a moment and remembered that he had heard a little about this man's name from Xun Yu. He was also one of the Ten Attendants, but was far less "famous" than Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong.

Zhang Gong should belong to the group of Ten Attendants whose influence and power are relatively weaker.

Come to think of it, Zhang Rang is extremely powerful now, as the head of the Ten Eunuchs, which basically means he is second only to the emperor. Why would he specifically want to see a commoner like me?

Of course, Zhang Gong was only "relatively" weaker. To Liu Zhaoqing, the distance between Zhang Gong and him was so great that it was too great to be true.

Zhang Gong, one of the Ten Eunuchs, took the initiative to invite him, and sent someone to invite him as soon as he arrived in Luoyang. For Liu Zhaoqing, this was definitely a manifestation of Zhang Gong's favor towards him.

That is why the eunuch who delivered the message showed such a friendly attitude towards Liu Zhaoqing.

After all, Liu Zhaoqing might become a favorite among the Ten Attendants, so the eunuch who delivered the message would naturally not dare to offend him.

"Son..."

While Liu Zhaoqing was pondering and weighing the options, Lu Hong, who was standing beside him, spoke softly to him, with deep worry in her eyes.

Even when she was in Bingzhou, she had always heard her late father talk about the Ten Eunuchs. Whenever he mentioned the Twelve Eunuchs, her father's pale beard would tremble with anger.

No matter how "respected" the Ten Attendants were in Luoyang, it was definitely because everyone was afraid of their power.

Liu Zhaoqing being invited by the Ten Attendants was definitely not a good thing in Lu Hong's eyes.

Even Liu Zhaoqing himself felt so.

"Can I go back and prepare first? I didn't expect to meet Lord Zhang Gong, and my clothes are too casual." Liu Zhaoqing asked politely and sincerely with a bow.

Facing Liu Zhaoqing's answer, the eunuch still had a smile on his face: "Attendant Zhang Gong is waiting for you in the mansion. As long as you think the attendant has the patience to wait for you, you can do whatever you want."

This is equivalent to a rejection and a warning.

After all, Liu Zhaoqing was just an ordinary man. The fact that the eunuch directly under the court attendant came to invite him personally was already a great honor for him. If he still couldn't understand the etiquette at this time, he would be a fool.

If Liu Zhaoqing refused, even if he had never met Zhang Gong, he would know that Zhang Gong would definitely not let him go after hearing about the "past deeds" of the Ten Attendants.

"Hong'er, go back to the Xun Mansion and tell Miss Xun first. I will go to the residence of the Eunuch and then come back." After thinking for a moment, Liu Zhaoqing said to Lu Hong beside him.

The change of name and the mention of "Xun Mansion" were all done intentionally. This was done to let the onlookers around him hear, so that they would think that Lu Hong was from the Xun Mansion and had no other thoughts.

Similarly, Liu Zhaoqing was also telling Lu Hong to inform Xun Yu about his visit to Zhang Gong's house.

I have just arrived in Luoyang, and the only person I know is Xun Yu.

Lu Hong naturally understood immediately, and nodded quickly, looking at him, and clenched her hands: "Then young master...you, you have to be careful."

After she finished speaking, she hurried towards the direction of Xun Mansion. The people watching knew that she was from Xun Mansion and automatically made way for her.

"Although you are a beautiful maid, you don't seem to be very smart."

The eunuch glanced at Lv Hong who was leaving, and said calmly: "The gatekeepers in Lord Zhang Gong's mansion are all outstanding people, so there is no need to worry."

"We have just arrived in Luoyang and have never seen such a scene. I am sorry to have embarrassed you." Liu Zhaoqing smiled, then bowed and said, "Please take me to the residence of Zhang Changshi."

The eunuch didn't say anything more and directly asked Liu Zhaoqing to pull a horse tied next to the teahouse, and then rode with him to Zhang Gong's mansion.

Of course, the horse did not belong to the eunuch or the government. This action was tantamount to plundering the people's wealth in public, but the owner of the horse in the teahouse did not dare to have any objection.

Moreover, the people in the teahouse and along the road seemed to be accustomed to this kind of scene and did not think there was anything strange about it.

Liu Zhaoqing followed the eunuch and sped along the avenue. No one dared to stop him. He soon saw a mansion that was...too luxurious.

There are two or three four- or five-story buildings in the mansion. The outer walls of the mansion are painted with exquisite paintings, and even the floor tiles entering the mansion are paved with black jade. Moreover, behind the three or five-story buildings, there is an exquisite wooden building that is almost ten stories high.

When Liu Zhaoqing saw it from a distance, he thought it was a theater opened by a wealthy merchant from Luoyang, but he didn't expect that it was actually the residence of a eunuch.

This height can be clearly seen even in the palace, right?

After getting off the horse, Liu Zhaoqing looked up at Zhang Gongzhi's residence with a surprised expression.

The eunuch seemed to be used to it. He smiled at Liu Zhaoqing and said, "Instead of standing outside and admiring, it is better to go in and see it in person. Mr. Zhaoqing, please go in quickly and don't keep Mr. Zhang waiting for too long."

After coming to his senses, Liu Zhaoqing pretended to thank the eunuch.

Then, under the eyes of four or five sharp-eyed guards, he stepped onto the black jade steps, walked over the sandalwood threshold, and entered the residence of Zhang Gongzhi, one of the Ten Attendants.

As soon as he entered, a servant came to guide Liu Zhaoqing.

"Master, please follow me."

Led by the servants, Liu Zhaoqing walked quickly in the mansion. After just two turns, Liu Zhaoqing felt that he was not in a private residence at all, but in a royal courtyard.

This extremely luxurious mansion must have consumed a lot of manpower and resources.

This scale is absolutely against etiquette, but in today's court, the words of the Ten Eunuchs are etiquette.

After walking up nine floors along the stairs, Liu Zhaoqing stopped in front of a wooden door carved with rare and exotic animals.

"Sir, the people are here."

The servant went in and spoke to the figure behind the screen.

"Let him in."

A plain and slightly lazy voice came into Liu Zhaoqing's ears.

Then Liu Zhaoqing also lowered his head and walked into the room.

"I am honored to meet Mr. Zhang." Liu Zhaoqing bowed to the person behind the screen.

"Well, you know some etiquette." The figure behind the screen nodded slightly, then waved his fingers gently.

The maids on both sides immediately moved the screen aside, and a middle-aged man in black casual clothes, with loose hair and a feminine and pale face came into Liu Zhaoqing's sight.

"It's no wonder that I mentioned what you did in Pingyuan to His Majesty a few days ago. I think you know how much I've done for you."

? !

Liu Zhaoqing opened his mouth.

Is this some kind of joke? The Ten Eunuchs actually told the emperor about their achievements?

Chapter 74: Destroying the chess pieces

In the room with an unknown strange aroma burning, Liu Zhaoqing bent down and lowered his head ten meters in front of Zhang Gong. All around him were exquisite tables and chairs made of precious wood, and gold-plated and jade-inlaid utensils could be seen everywhere.

The wealth that he had earned through five years of hard work in the plains and investing everywhere with foresight was like a stream compared to a river, or like a stone compared to Mount Tai, compared to the eunuchs in the court.

It is difficult to estimate the wealth that the Ten Eunuchs have seized from all over the country over the years.

Zhang Gong leaned on an exquisite sandalwood couch, looking at Liu Zhaoqing with almost half-closed eyes.

"Why? You seem surprised?"

Liu Zhaoqing put his thoughts aside. Although he felt more disgusted with the Ten Attendants in his heart, he now understood that he should not offend him for no reason.

Those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters. If he cannot tolerate this, he would not have been able to make his mark in the plains.

Liu Zhaoqing bowed his head and answered respectfully, "It is indeed unexpected. I never thought that I would be remembered by the eunuch Zhang, who is highly regarded by His Majesty and respected by all officials in the court. I am deeply terrified and don't know what to say."