Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

One of them was like a green apple, and the other was like a ripe peach, making one want to take a bite.

While the former is also cute, the latter is clearly more tempting.

After all, when it comes to sexiness, cuteness is insignificant.

Zhengjie rubbed her temples with her fair fingers: "Alright, let's not talk about that now. I have something else I'd like to ask you about today."

A hint of curiosity appeared on Bai Su's face: "Miss Zhao is so clever and quick-witted, what could be troubling you?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhengjie asked, "What should we do if my subordinates keep gossiping?"

She was deceived by a group of sorcerers in the martial arts world and almost poisoned by the fake elixir. In a fit of rage, she had hundreds of sorcerers killed, but she did not expect that this act would cause a great deal of controversy throughout the world.

Even on his return this time, when passing through the local counties, he heard many officials secretly discussing the matter.

This made her very angry, but she didn't know what to do at the moment.

After all, she was far away in Xianyang, and it was impossible for her to monitor the situation in counties thousands of miles away for twelve hours a day.

However, being gossiped about in private made her very unhappy, so she wanted to ask Bai Su if he had any good ideas.

Upon hearing this, Bai Su chuckled and said, "I thought it was something serious."

Zheng Jie looked at Bai Su with surprise in her phoenix eyes: "Could it be that you have a brilliant plan?"

"That's it."

Bai Su nodded: "The reason why your subordinates often gossip is mainly because their work is too easy. As long as we increase their workload and make them devote themselves to their work, they won't have time to gossip."

Zheng Jie paused, then asked, "I don't know what your method is..."

Bai Su said in a serious tone, "This method is called the 996 Blessing System."

Not to mention Sister Zheng, even Wang Jian, who is quick to accept new things, was full of question marks at this moment.

She had been in contact with Bai Su for a while and learned some strange knowledge from him. She could barely understand what the "69" meant, but what was "996"?

Chapter Twenty-Six: Fu Su's Thoughts

Bai Su looked at the two people in front of her, their faces full of doubt.

He coughed lightly and said, "Managing a business is just like governing a country. It's impossible for a person to be watching their subordinates and what they say 24 hours a day. Since you don't have the energy to supervise them, just make sure they don't have the energy to gossip."

"To give an example, increase the workload, requiring six hours a day and only four days of rest per month, so that everyone can devote themselves wholeheartedly to the construction of the country, while promoting a wolf-like culture. Only in this way can the efficiency of officials be greatly increased."

"As the saying goes, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight. As court officials, we enjoy far more privileges than ordinary people, so we must naturally bear the corresponding pressure. Of course... the court can't just keep making empty promises."

"For those officials who are diligent in their duties, the court should not only not be stingy with rewards, but should also give them great commendations, so as to stimulate the enthusiasm of others."

"In this way, it's as if all the time they spend in a day that they couldn't see before has been turned into government affairs that can be inspected at any time."

“As long as a review system is established, and people are sent regularly to check the number of bamboo slips in the area, it will be clear how long local officials have been on duty recently and whether they have been slacking off.”

"In this way, only a few people are needed to easily manage hundreds or thousands of people, which saves a lot of manpower."

"When these people are all dedicated to building up the world, contributing to the Great Xia, to His Majesty, and to all the people, they will naturally have no time to gossip..."

Zhengjie stared blankly at Bai Su in front of her, who was talking non-stop. There were many strange terms in her speech, but after thinking about it carefully, she found that they made a lot of sense.

She thought back to the time when she returned, and those local officials who had constantly criticized her made a decision.

It seems it's time to learn from Bai Su's method and bring some blessings to the officials of Great Xia.

Bai Su had been talking for a long time and her throat was a little dry when she took a big gulp of plum juice.

Little did he know the profound impact his casual remark would have on the entire imperial court.

Even if he knew, he wouldn't care in the slightest. Instead, he would continue to promote the theory of good fortune and the government's charitable work, after all...

What does this have to do with him? Anyway, he never wanted to become an official.

Zhengjie, however, fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

After a long while, she frowned slightly and said, "Your proposed management method is indeed feasible and can be used in both officialdom and shops. However, this method is full of all vices, except for its lack of morality."

"After all, it's really too tiring."

Bai Su, however, disagreed and scoffed, "Tired? What's a little tiredness? As the saying goes, 'When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their will, strains their muscles and bones, and starves their body.'"

"Since they have gone to great lengths to climb to this high position and enjoy a status far beyond that of ordinary people, they must bear the pressure that comes with this position."

"Even the First Emperor in Xianyang Palace would not rest until he had finished reviewing a hundred catties of memorials every day. How could they possibly enjoy the flowers and the moon every day, drinking wine and admiring the moon?"

Zhengjie nodded slightly, suddenly realizing that what Bai Su said made a lot of sense.

Yes, even I am so diligent every day, it is really unreasonable for my ministers to be so lax. It is time to put some pressure on them.

As she thought this, a smile appeared on her stunningly beautiful face.

Wang Jian, standing to the side, felt no anger at all upon seeing Zheng Jie's reaction; instead, he felt a hint of schadenfreude.

Anyway, she was a military officer and was only responsible for military campaigns. Governing the country was none of her business, so she wouldn't be asked to work overtime.

She even secretly hoped that Li Si and the others would look at her with disgusted expressions, as if they had swallowed flies.

After all, there had been no wars for a long time since the country was unified, and the country needed to be well-governed.

As a result, the status of military officers declined while that of civil officials rose, and she was often overshadowed by Li Si and others in the court.

Hearing that the civil officials were about to suffer a setback, she was naturally pleased.

It perfectly conceals the fact that people's joys and sorrows are not shared; I only find their noise annoying.

Xianyang Palace.

in the hall.

Fu Su, dressed in a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), sat upright at the table, her fair and slender hands holding a scroll of bamboo slips, her eyes lowered as she looked at it.

A gentle breeze caressed her face, and the candlelight flickered, casting a graceful silhouette.

At that moment, a maid hurried in.

Fu Su raised her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her clear, autumn-like eyes: "Liu Ye, why are you carrying so much cloth?"

"Your Highness, please don't wait any longer. Hu Yi has won the competition. Look, this is banana fiber brought back from the Baiyue region..."

The maid handed the linen cloth she was carrying to Fusu.

Fu Su touched the fabric with her fingers, and when she looked at the large leaves she had never seen before, as well as the boiled fibers, she couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

She never imagined that what Hu Yu had said that day was actually true: "So the matter of Champa rice is also true."

The maid nodded: "They've just been planted. We don't know what the yield will be yet, but it's certainly as His Highness Hu said—it's not picky about the soil, it's drought-resistant, and very easy to grow..."

As she spoke, she recounted to Fu Su some news she had recently heard, including His Majesty's summons and bestowal of gifts upon Hu Yu.

"Your Highness, if this continues, Hu Yu will become increasingly important in His Majesty's eyes, and the position of Crown Prince may very well become Hu Yu's in the future." The maid's face was full of anxiety.

Fu Su frowned, a hint of doubt rising in her heart.

Why was Hu Yi so different after I left Xianyang Palace for a while, as if he were a completely different person?

Hu Mingming used to slack off a lot when she was studying, and she had never won against her in competitions before. How come she has suddenly become so good now?

It doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it, but I've already asked Prime Minister Li Si and others, and they said they weren't helping Hu Yi behind the scenes.

After pondering for a long time, she asked, "Has Hu Yi gone out recently? Where has he been?"

"Going out?"

The maidservant paused, then thought for a moment, as if suddenly remembering something: "By the way, His Highness has been frequently traveling recently. Why are you asking this, Your Highness?"

Fu Suqiu's eyes, as clear as autumn water, flickered with a smile: "I suspect that Hu Yi has encountered some kind of master in the streets who is helping him behind the scenes."

The maid's eyes lit up: "Your Highness, should we send someone to search for this person and win him over?"

Fu Su shook her head: "Let's not alert them yet. With Mother's wisdom, Hu Yi's whereabouts cannot be hidden from her. The fact that Mother has invited this person to Xianyang means there is some hidden reason behind it."

The maid said worriedly, "What can we do? We can't just stand by and watch Hu Yi grow stronger every day."

After pondering for a while, Fu Su said, "How about this, let's first investigate Hu Yi's recent whereabouts. In a couple of days, I'll go and make contact with him in person to see what this expert is capable of."

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Date with Sister Zheng

The next day.

The morning sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the doors and windows, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor.

The chirping of sparrows could be heard from the roof from time to time.

Zhengjie slowly opened her phoenix eyes, sat up from the bed, and stared blankly at the simple furnishings in the room.

Since inheriting the throne, he has been entangled in government affairs every day and it seems that he has not slept so soundly in a long time. It is because he is with Bai Su that there is no barrier between the monarch and his subjects, no constraints from the interests of the aristocratic families, and no hatred from the remnants of the six kingdoms.

The two got along like friends, without any reservations. So, despite living in a simple house, they were more relaxed than in the magnificent Xianyang Palace, which was guarded by thousands of soldiers.

Zheng Jie touched her chest, feeling the soft, elastic mass beneath her white undergarments, and murmured softly, "It really is a strange feeling."

"Miss Zhao, come out for breakfast." Bai Su's voice came from the courtyard.

"I see."

Zhengjie paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her face.

She rolled off the bed, wearing only a white undergarment.

The thin fabric could not conceal her beautiful figure at all; her breasts were high and firm, her arms were round and slender, her waist was slender, her legs were long and delicate, and her buttocks were full and shapely. Her curvaceous figure was graceful and charming.

She quietly put on her blue robes, covering her perfect body that made one's blood boil and easily tempted to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor.

She quickly washed up and came out of the room.

They found Bai Su and Wang Jian together, carrying bowls and chopsticks, coming to the stone table in the courtyard to prepare breakfast.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Zheng Jie's phoenix eyes: "What is this?"

In the fragrant soup in the bowl were chunks of pure white, bouncy, swaying gently. After being sprinkled with some chopped scallions, an enticing aroma wafted out, making one's mouth water.

Bai Su placed the bowl on the table and smiled, "This is called tofu pudding, and it's one of my favorite breakfasts. Come and try it, how does it taste?"

Wang Jian, who was standing to the side, seemed to have already eaten several bowls. When he saw Sister Zheng, he quickly said, "I have to admit that I am impressed by this kid. When it comes to eating, drinking and enjoying life, I would respect him as the strongest. I have lived most of my life and I don't know as much as he does. I really feel like I have lived in vain."

A hint of curiosity appeared on Zheng Jie's face: "Oh, then I'll have to try it."