Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

"Thank you... Your Majesty."

Bai Su breathed a sigh of relief, glancing nervously at the slender figure sitting on the throne in the distance, and subconsciously swallowed.

Is this the legendary emperor who commanded a million soldiers and whose rule was unmatched throughout history? His imposing presence is indeed awe-inspiring and makes one nervous.

Although he couldn't see her face through the falling beaded curtain, he could still feel her gaze on him, and a strange pressure made his heart beat faster.

However, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like this figure in the dragon robe looks a bit familiar.

Seeing Bai Su's somewhat restrained demeanor, Zheng Jie couldn't help but find it a little amusing.

Even though I was right in front of him, he dared to act so recklessly. Now, I've only changed my clothes, yet he looks nervous.

Does he truly revere himself, or is he simply in awe of the clothes he's wearing?

Chapter Sixty-One: The Prime Minister Divided into Five Equal Parts

"Are you the so-called great talent from among the common people?"

In the silent hall, a clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out, asking a question.

Bai Su was taken aback, turned her gaze away from Zheng Jie, and looked in the direction of the sound.

A slender, graceful figure came into view.

This was a woman who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Her jet-black hair was styled into a high bun, which was extremely exquisite. Her expression looked very aloof, and her eyes, like autumn water, were like a deep pool, without the slightest ripple, giving people a feeling of meticulous thinking.

The black brocade robe had its collar slightly open, revealing a glimpse of a white undergarment, which was pushed up high by her ample breasts. A brocade belt with blue and purple patterns tightly bound her waist, outlining her slender figure.

Beneath her body were her jade-like legs, which were completely covered. Through the smooth silk fabric, one could see the curves of her long, slender legs. Her delicate feet, clad in white cloth socks, wore small wooden clogs, and she exuded an aura that commanded respect.

He seemed like a capable minister who held the reins of power over the world.

Bai Su, unaware of the woman's identity, asked politely, "May I ask who you are...?"

Li Si looked at Bai Su with his cold eyes and said calmly, "My name is Li Si."

"So it's the Prime Minister, I've heard so much about you..."

Bai Su bowed and paid her respects, but couldn't help glancing at her a few more times. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "So she is the prime minister of the dynasty who was divided into five parts in history."

I remember her final fate in the historical records, which was quite tragic.

Seeing Bai Su's somewhat strange gaze, Li Si frowned slightly, feeling a vague unease in her heart, but she couldn't figure out why.

After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "I heard that before the Yuezhi delegation even arrived in Xianyang, you guessed their purpose and the outcome of their final meeting. Is that true?"

Bai Su was stunned. He had only told Hu Xiaomei about this. How did she know? Could it be that Hu Xiaomei had some connection with her? Was the important person mentioned by the person who brought him here the current prime minister, Li Si?

Although my mind was filled with countless thoughts, it was only a fleeting moment.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said, "That is indeed the case. I wonder why Your Excellency asks me about this matter?"

Upon hearing Bai Su's admission, the people in the hall showed expressions of surprise. To be able to clearly judge the situation in the court and the outcome of the talks from thousands of miles away—what remarkable judgment! This kid is quite interesting.

A hint of surprise appeared on Li Si's usually cold and handsome face. For some reason, looking at the young man in front of her, she suddenly saw a trace of her senior sister Han Fei in Bai Su.

After a moment of stunned silence, she asked, "Do you have a way to alleviate the pressure on the imperial court's logistics, so that we can work together with the Yuezhi to resolve the threat of the Xiongnu in the north?"

After asking the question, Li Si didn't expect Bai Su to give any answers.

After all, the Central Plains and nomadic tribes have been at war for many years since ancient times. Many famous generals and prime ministers who have gone down in history have been troubled by the problem of logistics. They can only defeat the northern nomads, but they can never take the initiative to launch an attack and penetrate thousands of miles into the heart of the grasslands.

The young man before me is nothing more than a commoner, barely twenty years old. How could he possibly solve this age-old problem?

Bai Su scratched her cheek: "Yes."

"what!"

"It can actually solve the logistics problem?"

Everyone present was stunned for a moment, wondering if they were hallucinating.

After hearing Bai Su's answer, Zheng Jie looked at the stunned expressions of the court officials and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

A hint of satisfaction flickered in her phoenix eyes as she stared intently at Bai Su in the distance, as if she were her own possession, being admired by someone, and a faint sense of pride welled up within her.

Bai Su looked at Li Si: "I can help the Prime Minister solve this problem, but after it's done, can you promise to let me go?"

He always felt that the court was too murky, and it was best not to get involved unless you had a powerful backer. Even Prime Minister Li Si ended up being divided into five parts.

Li Si was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you that after it's done, I will not try to keep you here."

After she finished speaking, she silently added in her mind that whether His Majesty forced her to stay or not was none of her business.

Bai Su stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Why are the Xiongnu able to come and go like the wind, frequently raiding the surrounding areas, while our Central Plains can only passively defend?"

Li Sida frowned slightly and tentatively asked, "Because the Xiongnu have the advantage of horses?"

Bai Su smiled and said, "Yes, but not entirely. In addition to the advantage of cavalry mobility, which allows them to march hundreds of miles in one night, the Xiongnu also have an advantage in terms of military supplies."

Li Si was taken aback: "Military rations?"

The faces of everyone in the hall showed confusion, and even Sister Zheng couldn't help but feel a little curious.

This was the first time she had ever heard of such a statement.

Bai Su explained, "The military rations we use in the Central Plains are mostly millet and wheat. Each soldier consumes forty catties a month. If we want to maintain the logistics of an army of one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand, the transportation and storage of this grain will be problems."

"The marching routes in the Central Plains were often restricted by logistics."

"The Xiongnu, on the other hand, ate meat and milk. They dried beef and mutton, and each person carried more than ten kilograms of dried meat with them when they went on a campaign. When they were hungry, they would nibble on a piece of dried meat and drink a sip of milk wine, which would quickly satisfy their hunger. They could march hundreds of miles in one night."

"They can also cook the rations they carry with them, along with wild vegetables and dried meat, and have enough to last them a month while fighting on the front lines, so they don't have to worry about logistics."

"Even, each Xiongnu soldier was equipped with several horses. When a horse was seriously injured or there was a shortage of food, the horse could be killed to eat. Compared with the logistical pressure in the Central Plains, the advantage was too great."

"Therefore, they can launch attacks at will, seize a large amount of loot if they win, and run away if they can't win. They can always make a profit."

"Because of logistical limitations, the Central Plains would find it difficult to wipe out the swift-moving Xiongnu unless they were well-prepared in advance and lured into an ambush."

Upon hearing this, Sister Zheng couldn't help but nod.

Bai Su's words struck a chord with her. In terms of weaponry and troop deployment in direct combat, the Great Xia, as a formidable army, feared no one. However, the logistical issues were extremely difficult to resolve.

Even with the construction of official roads and the Great Wall to facilitate the deployment of troops and the transportation of supplies, they could only control the area around the Hetao region at most, and were powerless to move north.

Faced with the ever-growing Xiongnu, there was no solution for a long time. If the logistical problem could be solved, even if there were two Xiongnu, Zheng Jie would not hesitate.

Li Si couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any ideas on how to solve this problem?"

Bai Su stroked his chin and said, "The simplest way is to throw money at them... wherever we fight, we'll build the Great Wall and border fortresses, and use money to literally crush the Xiongnu."

Emperor Wu of Han did just that in history, taking more than half of the national treasury to continuously reward soldiers and launch one war after another.

They built the Great Wall of Han directly from the Hetao region, across the Yinshan and Yanzhi Mountains, all the way to the Mongolian grasslands. While sending cavalry to sweep across the grasslands from time to time, they also built various infrastructure projects to stabilize the rear, dividing the grasslands and effectively crushing the Xiongnu at their peak.

That's what money is all about—you can do whatever you want.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was immediately speechless.

If the Great Xia treasury were truly that wealthy, would His Majesty have already launched an attack long ago?

The reason we haven't taken action yet is because the imperial court is poor and doesn't have enough resources to squander.

Bai Su chuckled as she looked at the strange looks on everyone's faces. "As the saying goes, poverty breeds resourcefulness, and wealth breeds innovation. Since we have no money, we can only improve our logistics through reform and technological innovation."

"As long as we can achieve the same level of logistical pressure as the Xiongnu, as well as the mobility to march hundreds of miles in one night, then with the advantages of the Central Plains' bows and crossbows and troop deployment, one man can completely stand against five barbarians in a head-on confrontation."

"Uniting with the Yuezhi tribe to resolve the northern threat from the Xiongnu is naturally not a problem."

As the words fell silent, the entire hall fell into complete silence.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Miss Zhao, I'm afraid I can't go back.

Li Siqiu's watery eyes widened for a moment, and after a long while, she asked, "I wonder what kind of reform you are referring to, young master?"

Bai Su chuckled and said, "Simply put, it's like the Xiongnu, changing the grain and supplies that originally needed to be transported from the rear into half a month's worth of rations that each soldier can carry."

"In this way, our soldiers in the Central Plains can be like the Xiongnu, able to launch a lone expedition for more than half a month even without logistical support."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi, who was standing to the side, gave a wry smile.

She shook her head and said, "Young Master Bai, your idea of ​​adopting the Hu-style clothing and cavalry archery, just like King Wuling of Zhao in the past, is not wrong. However, given the conditions in our Central Plains, we cannot use dried meat as military rations like the Xiongnu."

After all, the Central Plains were primarily agricultural areas, and cattle were a very precious resource. People were reluctant to kill them, so how could they possibly use them as military rations?

Bai Su smiled mysteriously: "There's no need to kill cattle or sheep, just use grain instead of meat."

The more they listened, the more confused they became. How could perfectly good grains replace meat?

Even Zheng Jie looked at Bai Su with a hint of doubt in her phoenix eyes, unsure of what he was really up to.

"As the saying goes, facts speak louder than words. Please help me prepare a few things."

Bai Su thought of something and whispered a few words to the guard beside her.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Zhengjie's phoenix eyes, and she gently waved her hand to signal the guards to prepare.

The guard bowed and withdrew.

About half an hour later, seven or eight guards returned with a pile of things.

There was a large pot filled with flour.

Li Si raised a delicate eyebrow: "Young master, do you perhaps intend to use flour to make military rations? But flour cannot be preserved for long periods of time and is far inferior to millet."

In her memory, this flour was mainly used to make dumpling soup and noodles, and it was impossible to preserve for a long time because there were too many variables in different places with changeable climates.

After all, large-scale military campaigns are long-term operations, and if there is any problem with the military supplies, it could cause serious issues.

Bai Su chuckled: "Ordinary flour certainly won't work, but as long as it's pre-cooked, there won't be any problem."

"Stir-fry it?" Li Si was completely dumbfounded.

Not to mention her, even Sister Zheng, who had lived with Bai Su for a long time, showed a hint of astonishment on her face.

Can this flour be used for frying?

Bai Su didn't offer much explanation, but directly instructed the guards beside him: "You just need to mix the oil, salt, soybeans, and sorghum according to the proportions I just mentioned, and stir-fry them until cooked."

This fried noodle dish can be considered the earliest and most famous individual soldier's ration in later dynasties.

In later generations, because the country had just been established, the logistics and transportation capabilities were too poor to provide large-scale material transportation. So, they relied on fried noodles to feed a million-strong army in the icy and snowy peninsula.