Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su and smiled, "You deserve the greatest credit for this northern expedition against the Xiongnu. What reward would you like?"

The officials around Bai Su looked at her with envy. If His Majesty said so, Bai Su would usually agree to any request she made.

The last person to receive this treatment was Wang Jian, who destroyed Chu.

She took this opportunity to demand a large amount of land and mansions from His Majesty; few in the entire Great Xia Dynasty could enjoy life as much as she did.

This is a tremendous opportunity!

Even high-ranking officials like Wang Jian and Li Si put down their wine cups and looked at Bai Su with curiosity, wanting to see what request he would make to His Majesty.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Bai Su stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "As His Majesty's subject, it is my duty to share the burdens of the country. The Xiongnu have invaded the territory of our Great Xia."

“I will naturally let them know that anyone who dares to offend my Great Xia will be punished, no matter how far away they are. Now there is no longer a royal court in the southern desert, only the Northern Protectorate. My mission is complete.”

"As for rewards, I have no other requests. I would be content as long as I can be a loyal subject."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Countless officials stared at Bai Su in disbelief, unable to comprehend that someone who had rendered such a great service would ask for nothing in return.

Even Li Si, who was usually calm and collected, was momentarily lost in thought and exclaimed, "Such unwavering loyalty is rare indeed... Hey, Wang Jian, what's wrong with you? Your face looks so strange."

"No...it's nothing."

Wang Jian chuckled and glanced at Bai Su in the distance.

She had known Bai Su for a long time and naturally knew his character; how could he possibly have any unwavering loyalty?

This isn't just not making a request; it's clearly making a request that is treasonous and disrespectful to the emperor.

The rights issuer, what he really wants is the throne...

Wang Jian turned his head and glanced at Zheng Jie, who was sitting on the throne with a subtle expression. His eyelids twitched involuntarily, but he pretended not to know anything and lowered his head to drink.

Zhengjie clearly understood what Bai Su meant, and a blush rose on her fair face.

Through the beaded curtain hanging from her jade crown, she glared fiercely at Bai Su: "My dear minister, you are truly loyal and devoted. However, I have always been fair in rewarding and punishing. Your merits are well-deserved, so how can I not reward you? Therefore... I appoint you as Junior Supervisor, in charge of all affairs of the Junior Palace."

"Also, don't leave after the banquet. I have something to ask you privately."

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Let's just consider it an accident after drinking.

Inside the bedchamber, the candlelight flickered and danced.

Bai Su sat upright at the table, drinking wine from her cup while looking at Zheng Jie in surprise.

It's unclear whether he felt uncomfortable wearing the dragon robe or thought it was inappropriate to wear it in private.

Zhengjie changed into a plain black dress with gold patterns. The waist was tightly cinched, outlining her slender waist. The smooth fabric clung to her skin, highlighting her voluptuous curves.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a high bun, adorned with an exquisite jade hairpin. Her dignified and noble face exuded an air of nobility and inviolability.

She sat gracefully opposite, her eyes lowered as she looked at the letter of state signed by the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu. Her fair hand brushed a stray strand of hair from between her brows and tucked it behind her delicate ear, revealing her fair and alluring collarbone. Every movement she made exuded nobility and sanctity.

It was as if, under her reflection, even the moonlight in the night sky appeared dim and lackluster.

Looking at the woman before her, Bai Su couldn't help but mutter to herself, "There is a beautiful woman in the North, peerless and independent..."

"Bai Su, how did you do that?"

After carefully reading the letter from the emperor, particularly the part about the Left Wise King calling on the Xiongnu tribes in the southern desert to submit to the Central Plains and establish the Beiting Protectorate, Zhengjie was greatly surprised.

Although it wasn't the first time she had seen it, she still felt a sense of wonder.

After all, the Central Plains and the grasslands have been enemies for thousands of years, and as early as the Yin and Shang dynasties, they were enemies with the Guifang tribe in the north.

Most of these campaigns involved conquering nomadic tribes and driving them out, which essentially ended the campaign. Even the more powerful rulers would simply divide the various tribes of the grasslands, then divide one faction and fight another, keeping the grasslands fragmented and preventing them from threatening the Central Plains.

But Bai Su did something else: he directly annexed the grasslands, incorporated them into the rule of the Central Plains, assimilated them, and made them a part of the Central Plains.

She had absolutely no idea how Bai Su had managed to do it.

When asked by Zheng Jie, Bai Su was a little distracted and muttered to herself, "I really... really want to steal a cabbage."

"Chinese cabbage?"

Zheng Jie was stunned for a moment. When she saw Bai Su staring straight at her, she immediately realized that Bai Su was trying to seduce her.

She glared at him with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance in her phoenix eyes: "You rude... treacherous minister!"

Bai Su suddenly came to his senses and coughed awkwardly, "I am just an honest man, speaking the truth. Cough cough, Your Majesty... actually, the method to reclaim the southern desert is not complicated."

"The methods used are very similar to those of Jiang Ziya when he entered the land of Qi and transformed the Eastern Yi people into the Huaxia people. Both methods primarily rely on military force, cultural influence, and a combination of benevolence and coercion..."

He paused for a moment, then recounted in detail his plan for establishing and operating the Beiting Protectorate, which relied on trade to survive by focusing on the economy, culture, and military.

After hearing Bai Su's idea, Zheng Jie was greatly surprised.

After pondering for a long time, she exclaimed, "Using profit to drive, force to exert power, and etiquette to educate, your approach is quite reminiscent of Guan Zhong, Shang Yang, and Taigong. The idea for the Beiting Protectorate is truly ingenious."

"In the past, Lord Shang promoted the method of changing customs and habits, which was implemented by the Great Xia for several generations. In the end, the Yiqu Kingdom and the Western Rong tribes were annexed and became the people of Guanzhong."

"Your method is more perfect than that of Lord Shang in the past. Given time, it is not impossible to assimilate the southern desert and make it the thirty-eighth prefecture of the Great Xia. Such an achievement will be remembered for all time."

Bai Su rubbed her nose and laughed, "Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely repeating what others have said."

After all, this method existed in history as early as the Han and Tang dynasties; he was merely improving upon it by building upon the work of giants.

Zhengjie shook her head slightly, a smile appearing on her elegant and noble face.

She looked directly at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes and said, "Don't be modest. Among all the people in the world today, only you have achieved such accomplishments. I am curious about who your teacher is."

Bai Su smiled and asked, "What sect does Your Majesty think I belong to?"

After pondering for a while, Zhengjie said, "At first I thought you came from the Mohist school, possessing such ingenious mechanical skills, but you also know alchemy, and with your eloquent and witty arguments, you are definitely not a member of the Mohist school."

"When I heard that you were so knowledgeable about the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, I assumed you were a Legalist. But I never expected that you were also a shrewd businessman and a capable ruler. Such a talented person could not have been cultivated by the Legalists."

"Looking at all the schools of thought in ancient China, only one school is similar to your style."

Upon hearing this, Bai Su's face showed a hint of surprise.

He asked with some curiosity, "Which faction is Your Majesty referring to?"

Zhengjie looked directly at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes and said, "Guigu, the School of Diplomacy."

Bai Su was taken aback, and asked somewhat strangely, "Why does Your Majesty think I am a strategist from the Guigu School?"

Sister Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "It is said that the Guigu School is good at self-cultivation, skilled in psychological analysis, deeply understands the dynamics of strength and gentleness, is proficient in the art of diplomacy and strategy, possesses unparalleled wisdom, and is well-versed in the teachings of all schools of thought."

"You place the world on a chessboard, your disciples rise to the ranks of generals and ministers, influencing the survival of various states. Every disciple who emerges from seclusion will stir up changes in the world's situation. I suspect that you are the new generation of Guiguzi who has emerged from seclusion."

After listening to Sister Zheng's analysis, Bai Su was momentarily stunned.

Good heavens, if he hadn't known that he had absolutely no connection with Guiguzi, he might have even doubted whether he came from the School of Diplomacy.

After all, his actions over such a long period of time do indeed resemble those of the legendary Guigu School.

Seeing his surprised expression, Zhengjie was taken aback: "Isn't that right?"

Bai Su rubbed his nose and said, "In a sense, I can indeed be considered half a disciple of Guiguzi."

After all, he had read some of the books left behind by Guiguzi, Zhang Yi, and Su Qin when he was in school.

As the saying goes, seeing the words is like seeing the person in person. Even after a thousand years, the grace of teaching still remains. Guiguzi can indeed be considered one of his many teachers.

The Empress looked at Bai Su with burning eyes and said, "I knew you came from an extraordinary background, but I didn't expect you to actually be from the Guigu School. Now it makes sense that you, a mere person, are proficient in the doctrines of a hundred schools of thought."

She felt a surge of excitement after hearing Bai Su's admission.

Although the Guigu School has not emerged for over a hundred years, its reputation has endured for a long time.

In the past, the Xia and Qi states were known as the two great powers, both possessing the potential to dominate the Central Plains and unify the nine provinces.

Su Qin and Zhang Yi, two disciples of the Guigu School, one from the east and one from the west, one vertical and one horizontal, began a contest with the world as the chessboard and the various states as the pieces.

Su Qin once wore the seals of prime minister of six states and led the armies of those six states, forcing the Great Xia to hide inside Hangu Pass. For many years, the Great Xia dared not venture eastward and was constantly on the defensive.

Zhang Yi, on the other hand, used his strategic skills to defeat the powerful Qi state, which was attacked by five other states, thus forcing Qi out of the competition for hegemony. He then plotted against the state of Chu, laying the groundwork for the eastward rise of the Xia state.

It can be said that the fate of the entire Central Plains was driven by the influence of the two disciples of the Guigu School.

Now that Bai Su, a new disciple of the "Ghost Valley School," has joined the Great Xia to assist her, doesn't this show that Heaven is blessing the Great Xia? How could this not make Sister Zheng happy?

Seeing that the wine was finished, Zhengjie waved for the palace maids to leave and fetch more. Then, she looked at Bai Su with a smile and asked, "Your senior brother Zhang Yi came to Xia for fame and fortune. What brings you here?"

Bai Su watched as the palace maids withdrew, and the entire bedchamber fell into silence, with only the lone man and woman remaining inside.

Looking at the mature and beautiful face of the woman in front of him, a bold idea suddenly popped into his mind.

"I have come for His Majesty, of course..."

After saying that, he grabbed Zheng Jie's hand and pulled her over.

When Zhengjie looked at Bai Su's face so close to hers, she was visibly stunned and completely bewildered. She had never expected Bai Su to be so bold as to do such an outrageous thing in her palace.

Looking at the handsome face before her, her heart skipped a beat. It would be a lie to say she didn't like the person in front of her.

After all, how could the current empress not like or be tempted by such a young, promising, and power-averse minister?

However, despite liking her, she is a mature and steady person who will not let momentary emotions cloud her judgment.

Now that she has agreed to marry her daughter to Bai Su, how could she, as Bai Su's mother-in-law, have any ambiguous relationship with her daughter's husband?

Just as Zhengjie was about to speak, Bai Su suddenly lowered his head and kissed her. Her pupils contracted, and she wanted to push him away, but she was worried that she would hurt Bai Su if she used too much force, so she used less force and did not push him away.

When she tried to push a second time, her mind went blank, and her hands and feet felt weak and she couldn't muster any strength.

Zhengjie sighed inwardly. Well, Bai Su had made great contributions in the border region, but she, who was always fair in rewarding and punishing, had not given him any reward. This time, she would let this treacherous minister get away with it and let him run wild for a while. She would call a halt when the time was right. That should not be considered a betrayal of her daughter.

As for what happened tonight, consider it an accident caused by drinking.

After stepping out of the main hall, the two returned to normal, acting as if nothing had happened.

She was still his mother-in-law, and the emperor in the court.

After comforting herself with this thought, Zhengjie's hands, which had been pressing against Bai Su's chest, gradually fell down and wrapped around Bai Su's waist.

The two stood close together, their shadows appearing exceptionally long in the candlelight.

Bai Su could clearly smell a faint fragrance mixed with the aroma of alcohol, a scent that was quite intoxicating.

His hand slowly moved down to Zhengjie's waist, gently untying the gold-patterned jade belt around her waist. The tightly bound collar was half-open, revealing her fair and alluring collarbone, which made people dizzy. Her plump and full breasts, which stretched the clothes high, made people's breath quicken.

Outside the main hall, along the long corridor.