For the first time, I had breakfast at the "Wang's House" in Anxi.
The affairs of Japan and Antigua have reached a certain point in time.
In Japan, the Principality has reached an agreement with the Ashikaga regime to sell the Cross Destroyer and temporarily provide it with volunteer pilots.
The Naishan Consulate was preparing to move to Xijing and be upgraded to a consulate general, and Consul Lu would naturally be upgraded to consul general as well.
Deputy Consul General Du Cunzhao is an expert on Japan. Lu Ming selected this talent after observing him for a long time. This is also Lu Ming's preparation to let him go.
Of course, we still need to pull out the fangs of the Kansai Legion first.
In Montenegro, Governor Chachai actually expressed his desire not to return to Antigua.
Now the decent lobbyists are trying to persuade him, and if that fails, the plan that has been laid out in Antigua will have to be carried out ahead of schedule.
Lu Ming plans to have a good rest these days, otherwise he will be busy as a dog again soon.
I'm really too busy. I haven't slept much in the past month.
Until last night, I slept comfortably in this "Wang's House" until dawn.
But after waking up, I felt completely exhausted, tired and listless.
This is naturally because I have overdrawn my energy in recent times and have been in a state of mental excitement. Only when I really rested did I feel what fatigue is. Moreover, it is obvious that I have not rested enough.
I'll take a good rest and recharge myself these two days.
In fact, it is not the start-up stage anymore, and I should also pay attention to delegating power and letting go. Of course, in key places where the situation is more complicated, if I can achieve twice the result with half the effort by operating it myself, then I should naturally do so to avoid unnecessary sacrifices and setbacks.
Yawning, Lu Ming walked into the restaurant.
Yards No. 1 and No. 2 share a dining hall, while Yard No. 3 is the dining hall for the pistol squad, but the food is the same.
The restaurant, which was originally bustling, immediately fell silent as Lu Ming came in.
At first it was as buzzing as a school cafeteria, and indeed, with two children included, there were more than a dozen people dining there.
No one expected that the head of the family would show up, because the earliest one to move here had been here for nearly half a month, and the new one had been here for several days, but they had never seen the head of the family during the day. Even at night, the head of the family seemed to be very busy. He always came back to sleep in the early morning and was silent during the day.
Lu Ming walked over and sat in the main seat, making a gesture: "Everyone, please be more casual and continue eating!"
A dozen beauties sat on either side of the long table covered with a white tablecloth. They were dressed in different styles and even from different ethnic groups. They all had different skin colors, but they were all very beautiful, each with their own style.
Sitting on the left and right were Bai Narcissus and Becky, both of whom had physical intimacy with Lu Ming.
They both knew that the head of the family was actually Governor Zhang, just in a different appearance.
Of course, Becky, Pei, and Zou were the first to meet Lu Ming and knew more.
The Kan sisters and Shangguan Yusuo, who used to follow Governor Zhang, also knew this.
They all lived in Courtyard No. 1, but Becky and the two children lived in Courtyard No. 2.
Tuoba Lan and five newcomers also live in Courtyard No. 2.
Bai Narcissus and Becky are like the big sisters of Courtyard No. 1 and Courtyard No. 2 respectively. Indeed, they are the oldest in both courtyards.
At this time, Bai Shuixian was busy preparing a bowl of porridge for Lu Ming, and brought milk, fried eggs, etc.
The kitchen was in Courtyard No. 3. The meals were cooked and brought over and placed in a row on another long snow-white table. The beauties, both big and small, could just take whatever they wanted to eat. It was just like a cafeteria buffet.
The people in No. 1 Courtyard are very free, but Tuoba Lan and the other girls in No. 2 Courtyard are not so lucky. If they want to travel, they must be accompanied by a female spy from the pistol squad.
The several girls of Tuoba Lan in Yard No. 2 receive 100 yuan of pocket money each per month.
Like the women in Courtyard No. 1, Becky also had their own bank accounts and checkbooks. Except for Narcissus and Becky, the women in Courtyard No. 1 had the same treatment as the four Western ladies. Narcissus and Becky had higher credit limits, but they would never spend up to the limit, and often their accounts were not even used up in a month.
Sisters Pei and Kan could even deposit money into it.
Pei had extensive experience in the financial industry. After arriving in Anxi, he quickly found a high-paying job as deputy assistant manager of the key account department of the Jinxiu Branch of the Anxi Branch of Baoyin Bank.
The Kan sisters write Mandarin Duck and Butterfly School novels together. They just published one and it sold quite well.
As for Becky, she is still nominally the chairman of Zhenjiang's New Era Group, but of course, she is only a figurehead.
However, recently New Era Group also came to Anshan to invest, mainly in Anxi.
When Lu Ming was in Zhenjiang, he wiped out the terrifying bureaucratic capital in Zhenjiang. The New Era Group has total assets of more than 2 billion yuan and involves all walks of life in Zhenjiang Province.
It is now running well and is fully capitalized, just like the Temasek model in Singapore in Lu Ming's previous life. However, in Zhenjiang's "Temassek", the Prince of Black Mountain Castle is the owner, not the principality's assets.
The Principality of Montenegro actually has various economic operation models depending on the different regions and the different ways of incorporating the principality.
However, because each autonomous region's economy develops independently and only chooses what suits it, they do not affect each other. The cultural and economic foundations of each autonomous region are very different, and it is a fantasy to operate them all in the same model.
No one is a god who can make a very detailed plan for the detailed economic development of so many different regions and populations.
The principality's overall development goals are certainly planned, but they will not be broken down into detailed aspects of each territory.
For example, New Era Group’s investment in Anshan is purely a market behavior. New Era Group invested because it believed it was profitable.
Lu Ming has always believed that, at least under current conditions, capital competing in a market with sound laws will promote social development and progress.
What is scary is bureaucratic capital, capital combined with power, whose profits come from power rather than from competition. Naturally, bad money will drive out good money, and it will devour the blood and sweat of taxpayers with infinite greed.
In addition, monopoly is a taboo in all free market economies, so the Principality naturally hung the Anti-Monopoly Law on the head of capital early on.
Lu Ming drank the milk and shook his head. It seemed as if his brain never had a chance to rest.
Putting down the cup, Lu Ming said to Bai Shuixian: "Shuixian, come to the study later."
Bai Shuixian nodded gently: "Yes, sir."
…
In the study, Lu Ming was casually flipping through a fashion magazine, deliberately trying to relax his brain.
There was a gentle knock on the door and Bai Narcissus walked in. She was wearing a peach-white satin plum-blossom buttoned jacket and a graceful short skirt, revealing her slender white calves. She was also wearing embroidered milky white soft-soled leather shoes, a perfect combination of classical elegance and modern beauty.
Seeing Lu Ming looking her up and down, Bai Narcissus's pretty face blushed slightly, and she lowered her head, feeling shy and happy.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "I've been busy and have been away from you for a long time, so I've always wanted to tell you, but I always forget that I'm actually the Prince of Black Mountain Castle."
"Oh..." Bai Shuixian nodded slightly, but then she raised her head suddenly, her pretty eyes full of disbelief.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Beiji, Wanjun and Xiying have been with me for a long time, and all three of them know it." Mrs. Pei is called Pei Wanjun and Mrs. Zou is called Zou Xiying.
Pei and Zou were the first to be detained by Liuli because they, like the fourth lady from the West, had a fire-girl physique.
When in Zhenjiang, in order to run the New Era Group, Lu Ming summoned Becky and the six members of the Fire Girl Group and told them their true identities.
Bai Shuixian's pretty face was full of surprise, but she had to say that she didn't believe it. The "master" had turned back to his previous appearance and had never told a lie. Especially such a huge lie, could he just tell it casually
"Well, go and call Becky and everyone else from Courtyard 1 to come. The Kan sisters and Xiao Suo, you should make some advance calls to them."
“Yes, yes…” Bai Narcissus walked out somewhat dazed.
Ten minutes later, Bai Shuixian, Beiji, Pei, Zou, the Kan sisters and Shangguan Yusuo all came to the study.
Obviously, the Kan sisters and Shangguan Yusuo were also in a daze.
"Actually, this is me!" Lu Ming opened the fan, and when he swung it shut, it had returned to its original appearance.
Although Beiji, Pei and Zou had seen it once before, they were still shocked. Bai Narcissus, the Kan sisters and Shangguan Yusuo were even more stunned.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "I will still be like this when it's just you two around. I feel more comfortable." He added, "Okay, you guys go ahead. I'll be here all day, whether it's life or work. If you have any problems or need me to do anything, you can come to me. I have plenty of time today and don't want to think about any military or national affairs."
All the women left in a daze.
Lu Ming was flipping through the magazine, but he couldn't help it. He put the magazine aside, picked up a pen and paper, thought about what happened in Antigua, and slowly wrote something.
The door opened softly.
Lu Ming responded, and the pretty figure who came in was Bai Narcissus.
"Any questions?" Lu Ming looked at her with a smile.
Bai Shuixian looked at Lu Ming's expression and said carefully: "Your Highness, shouldn't you be in Montenegro? I saw that Your Highness gave a televised speech in the early hours of yesterday morning. It must have been very hard..."
Lu Ming thought, at that time, wouldn't I not appear here? He smiled and said, "That's my incarnation."
You can't tell the other person as soon as you meet them that you are devoted to her. Even if she is your woman, there is still a big difference in closeness.
“Oh…” Bai Shuixian’s pretty eyes sparkled with a strange light, and she said carefully: “Your Highness, I am so lucky that I feel like I am dreaming…” Her eyes turned slightly red.
Lu Ming could actually see that she was faintly excited and happy, but she was suppressing it and didn't want to show it.
As a traditional concubine in the Northern Territory, she learned that her man's status was so noble. Her eyes turned red, but it was not fake. To them, the man they depended on was everything to them, and the status of the man also represented their status. And her real status, which suddenly revealed itself, was probably the only one in the world. After all, they would not consider the Westerners.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Well, you are like this, I am so flattered, as if the emperor favors you."
Bai Shuixian whispered: "You, aren't you?"
Lu Ming coughed and said, "Don't say that casually."
Bai Shuixian quickly kept silent: "Yes..." She secretly looked at Lu Ming's expression and saw that he didn't look angry, so she asked carefully: "Your Highness, are the identities of those slaves the same as those of the imperial concubines in the inner court of the imperial palace?"
Lu Ming burst out laughing. He had heard Bizhu and Liuli talk about the royal system of the previous dynasty. As for the emperor's harem, there was a hierarchy of one queen, three palaces, nine concubines, nine imperial concubines, twenty-one ladies-in-waiting, and eighty-one female guards. He didn't expect that there were people in the Northern Territory who knew about it. Of course, they only knew the basics and treated it as an ancient myth.
He wanted to say something, but seeing Bai Shuixian's hopeful expression, he swallowed back what he wanted to say and nodded, "Okay, let's do this in private. You are my concubines, okay? You have a rank, not as humble as some common concubines. So, don't always worry about me giving your concubines away. As an emperor, when has he ever given his concubines to others? You have to keep them even if you are a widow, right?"
Bai Shuixian knelt down with tears streaming down her face, "Yes, yes, thank you, Your Highness!"
Lu Ming was helpless, but seeing her so grateful that she was about to cry, he couldn't help but feel pity for her. The education she received since childhood made this poor girl feel that she had brought honor to her family and her life had reached its peak. He felt that she was unfortunate, but she would think that meeting him was her greatest luck.
"Get up quickly." Lu Ming said helplessly: "You know, I'm not very good at comforting a crying woman."
"Yes, yes!" Bai Shuixian hurriedly stood up, took out a snow-white handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said, "Then, Becky..."
Lu Ming said: "You can tell her that she is my concubine, but I'm afraid she won't understand."
Bai Shuixian looked at Lu Ming's expression and said, "Your Highness, Xiying has been very unhappy. He even had a serious illness a while ago."
Lu Ming nodded: "Well, I wanted to talk to her too. I understand what you mean. Go ahead and talk to her. Maybe it will help her get rid of her worries."
Zou and Bai Narcissus are of the same type of people. Zou is beautiful, but she has no survival skills. Although she will have no worries about food and clothing after following me and can live an extremely luxurious life, her greatest reliance is to be a beauty to please men, but I have never looked at her straight in the eye. Moreover, several years have passed in a flash. She is just like a concubine who was banished to the cold palace as soon as she entered the palace. I heard that she has been sick frequently recently, so she must be worried.
After all, Pei, who had a good relationship with her, lived a happy life and could also make money from outside to support the family.
The more this happened, the more she felt a sense of crisis and the more inferior she felt. She was afraid that if this continued, she would become seriously ill and die young, fulfilling the saying that beautiful women are doomed to fail.
Precisely because they were of the same kind, Bai Shuixian seemed to sympathize with her. After she took her leave respectfully, she ran away happily. Looking at the direction she was heading, it was Zou's room.
Lu Ming picked up the pen and paper and started drawing again. After a while, there was a knock on the door again.
The ones who came in were Pei and Zou. They were good friends, but they seemed to be from two completely different eras.
Pei was wearing a retro-style lace round-neck light green professional suit. Her breasts were towering and her waist was slender. The green trousers highlighted the curves of her slender legs. She was wearing a pair of black leather shoes with high heels. Although her style was still traditional and did not reveal her skin, she looked very modern, beautiful, gentle and charming.
Zou was different. The scent of that timid concubine made men excited at first sight. She wore a rose-red plum-blossom buttoned jacket, a soft yellow silk skirt, and red embroidered shoes that were faintly visible. Her figure was very delicate and slender. In his previous life, men could only imagine the tenderness and gentleness of a traditional concubine in their dreams.
“Your Highness, I am here to express my gratitude…” Zou did not dare to raise her head, her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
Lu Ming smiled and said, “I didn’t dare to come by myself, so I brought a partner with me!”
Zou was about to kneel down and kowtow, but tears welled up in her eyes, "Your concubine, your concubine..."
Lu Ming was helpless, "How about this, you come to my room tonight."
"Ah...ah?" Zou couldn't believe her ears and looked up in surprise.
Lu Ming waved his hand: "You guys go! Oh..." Lu Ming looked at Pei, "Wanjun, you have to deal with big clients, is that okay?"
Pei Wanjun pondered and said, "Your Highness, I am ready to quit this job. It's not that there is anything wrong with it, but with your current status, if I show up in public again, it will be embarrassing for you..."
Lu Ming looked at her in surprise. Apparently, after hearing what the female emperor said, she began to have doubts in her heart.
Waving his hand, Lu Ming said with a smile: "People like Xiying have old ideas and it's hard to change them, so they just do whatever they want. You have received a new-style education and have finally come this far, why are you turning back? I would be deeply sinful." He gestured to stop her from saying anything, "Just listen to me, go ahead!"
"Okay, thank you, Your Highness." Pei knelt down gently and took her leave. Zou was confused, her pretty face full of bewilderment. She probably thought she was dreaming and had forgotten that she came to express her gratitude. She followed Pei and left in a daze.