Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Bai Su smiled as she looked at her.

He immediately looked out the window, pondering in his mind: "Now that I have this, what conditions should I ask of Sister Zheng?"

Chapter 117 Tyrant, You Kidnapped My Husband, I'm Not Finished with You!

a few days later.

The morning air was chilly. Bai Su sat upright on the long corridor, watching the torrential rain in the courtyard and the ripples on the pond.

He stroked his chin and murmured, "What a heavy rain."

He originally planned to ask Sister Zheng for a piece of land as an experimental field to cultivate, and then give her a big surprise a few months later.

But unexpectedly, the rain showed no signs of stopping. Several days passed, and the rain did not lessen at all; on the contrary, it seemed to be getting heavier.

Such heavy rain is truly rare in Xianyang.

"The weather is so cold, sir, please don't catch a cold..." Da Qiao came out of the house, stood next to Bai Su, and draped an outer garment over his shoulders.

Bai Su chuckled softly, took the little maid's soft, fragrant hand, and made her sit on her lap.

"I have traveled all over the country for many years and am as strong as an ox and as vigorous as a bear. What is a little cold?"

Bai Su stroked her soft hair as she spoke calmly.

"As the saying goes, jade that is too hard is easily broken. Even if you are in good health, sir, you should still be careful."

Da Qiao, petite and delicate, sat on Bai Su's lap, feeling the master's mischievous hand on her head. She glanced at Bai Su with a coquettish look, but did not stop him at all. She just lowered her head and whispered.

After all, as a mere maid, she was Bai Su's property, and if the master gave her any orders, she would have no way to refuse.

Moreover...

Bai Su was a handsome, easy-going, and talented man who never treated them as servants and often ate with them.

Her heart was filled with admiration, so naturally she felt no resistance whatsoever, only complete obedience.

After pondering for a long time, she suddenly asked, "Sir, could you do me a favor?"

Bai Su stroked her soft hair and looked at her with some surprise: "This is the first time you've asked me for a favor. What is it? As long as it's something I can do, I naturally won't refuse."

It felt so good to run my fingers through the girl's hair.

Da Qiao, like a well-behaved kitten, said: "It's not a big deal. My sister recently opened a new shop in the west of the city, but since it just opened, not many people are coming to visit."

"I hope you can write an attractive slogan and give your sister some ideas."

Bai Su smiled and said, "I thought it was something serious. It's just a small matter. Come up with a slogan. It's easy. Here, get me a pen."

"Um……"

Da Qiao obediently responded, got up and walked towards the study. A moment later, she returned with a brush, ink, paper and inkstone.

Bai Su lightly rolled up his sleeves, held an ink brush, and left delicate ink marks on the Xuan paper. His elegant and unrestrained calligraphy amazed everyone with his superb skills.

But what surprised Da Qiao even more was what Bai Su wrote down.

She gave Bai Su a strange look: "Sir, isn't this a bit too tacky...?"

On the rice paper was written, "You love me, I love you, Bai's paper umbrella is so sweet."

Other people's shops use elegant language and classical allusions.

My own husband, despite being hailed as the most talented man in Xianyang, wrote such a vulgar slogan, which is truly both laughable and pathetic.

Bai Su chuckled lightly: "As the saying goes, the most vulgar is the most elegant. The oiled paper umbrella was originally created to be cheaper than cloth umbrellas soaked in tung oil. Writing some vague and ethereal words on it makes it incomprehensible to people."

"This is easy to understand and remember, so it is easy to spread by word of mouth among ordinary people and make it easier to gain fame in Xianyang City."

Da Qiao seemed to understand but not quite, and said, "So Master had such considerations? I was thinking too simply."

Bai Su asked with some curiosity, "Speaking of Xiao Qiao, didn't she open her shop not long ago? How come she opened another one so quickly?"

Da Qiao's face also showed a hint of doubt as she said, "I don't know why, but I heard that there have been heavy rains in various places recently. The rivers have risen and washed away the roads, and many merchants who make cloth umbrellas have run out of stock."

"As for my sister's oil-paper umbrella and folding fan, since they can be made directly from local paper, they were not greatly affected."

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener.

Heavy rains have fallen in various places for many days, causing rivers to overflow their banks.

Bai Su frowned slightly, looking at the continuous heavy rain outside, sensing that something was wrong.

He carefully recalled the records about this era.

I remember one year there was a massive rainstorm that lasted for almost a month. Rivers overflowed and roads were flooded in various places. Many people across the country were affected by the floods, and there were many refugees.

One of the groups was escorting prisoners and forced laborers. Unable to arrive on time and fearing punishment from the court, they gritted their teeth, raised the banner of rebellion, and shouted, "Great Chu will rise, Chen Sheng will be king!"

He led about a hundred convicts and rebelled.

This seemed to trigger a chain reaction, with the displaced people affected by the flood and the remnants of the six kingdoms who were already dissatisfied with the Great Xia taking the opportunity to occupy their own territories.

but……

Now that the Empress has not taken any poisonous pills, her body is fine, and she remains firmly in power, with the entire city of Xianyang in an ironclad state.

Although there are many rumors about the Great Xia Pill, they shouldn't cause much of a stir.

"Sir, what are you thinking about?"

Da Qiao noticed that Bai Su was staring straight outside, and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Bai Su shook her head slightly: "It's nothing, maybe I'm just overthinking it."

......

......

Meanwhile, in Pei County.

In the courtyard

A girl who looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a bright red dress.

It was none other than Mi Xiongxin, the grandson of King Huai of Chu.

Green Pearl stood coldly to the side, like a guard.

After a period of development, they were no longer as poor as before. At the gate stood guards with stern expressions and efficient movements, who were clearly skilled.

At this time, in addition to them, many descendants of the six kingdoms gathered together.

Besides Ji-yang, who is from South Korea, there is also a plump and intellectual young woman with her black hair tied up high and a silver hairpin dress that accentuates her curvaceous figure.

It was Xiang Bo who represented the Jiangdong forces.

A hint of doubt appeared on Ji Liang's fair and pretty face: "Didn't General Xiang come?"

Xiang Bo put down his wine cup with his fair hand, a helpless smile appearing on his face: "Yu'er is not interested in things other than military campaigns and doesn't want to come."

Ji Liang wasn't surprised and smiled, "You really have the same temper as always."

After pondering for a long time, Xiang Bo asked, "Mr. Ji Liang, are you really confident that you can shake the foundations of Xianyang?"

According to the previous plan, they intended to take advantage of the Great Xia army's northern expedition against the Xiongnu to spread rumors and disrupt the world, thereby seizing the opportunity to establish their own territory and force the Great Xia into a two-front war.

However, the Xia Dynasty's northern expedition against the Xiongnu progressed so smoothly that before their plans could even begin, the Xia army had already returned victorious, forcing them to abandon their plans.

After all, they only had a few thousand soldiers in total, which was no match for the Empress Dowager's million-strong army.

Ji Liang nodded slightly and said, "Things are not what they used to be. Don't be fooled by the fact that the First Emperor had a million-strong army. In reality, he had 500,000 troops stationed in the southern Yue region and more than 300,000 troops stationed in Liaodong, beyond the Great Wall, and on his own grasslands."

"Faced with the vast Central Plains, the First Emperor actually had very few troops at his disposal, like an egg—strong on the outside but weak on the inside..."

"After several months of rumors spreading, although there was no real threat to Xianyang, it did provide us with an opportunity to recruit soldiers and make preparations."

"In addition, this once-in-decades torrential rain has caused widespread flooding, resulting in road closures and displaced people everywhere. This is a good opportunity for us to plan our next move."

“We can take advantage of the situation to purchase and stockpile large amounts of grain. Local grain is becoming increasingly scarce, and with roads blocked, grain from other places cannot be transported over in a short period of time.”

"This inability to provide disaster relief will only continue to fuel discontent among the people of the six kingdoms, leading to an even greater number of refugees."

“Once the number of refugees increases to a certain scale, it will inevitably turn into a riot sooner or later. At that time, we will directly kill the officials of the Great Xia, take out the grain that has been stockpiled and transport it to the warehouse, and open the warehouse to distribute the grain in front of the refugees.”

"At the same time, the cruelty and inhumanity of the Great Xia were listed. Despite having grain, they were slow to open the granaries and distribute it. In addition, the heavy corvée labor in the Great Xia on weekdays caused the dissatisfaction of the people to emerge."

"At that time, all we need to do is raise our arms and shout, raise the banner of righteousness, and punish the tyrannical Xia. We will surely be able to obtain a force in a short period of time that even that woman in Xianyang City will not dare to underestimate."

After listening to Ji Liang's plan, Xiang Bo couldn't help but nod repeatedly. The considerations were so thorough, and the understanding of human nature was simply astounding.

After hesitating for a long time, she said, "But the amount of money needed to purchase grain on a large scale is unprecedented, and I'm afraid we can't come up with that much money."

Ji Liang smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. We are already the richest people in the world. It's not difficult for us to buy up all the grain in this area."

Xiang Bo couldn't help but gasp: "I never imagined that Mr. Ji Liang would be so skilled in business. I remember when we met half a year ago, you were penniless, but now you have a mountain of gold. I am truly impressed."

Ji Liang shook his head slightly: "It wasn't my idea, but a gift from a talented person in the marketplace."

Xiang Bo was taken aback: "Mr. Ji Liang actually knows such an extraordinary person. Why not invite him over? With such a capable assistant, we would have a better chance of success."

A hint of sadness appeared on Ji Liang's fair face: "If possible, I would also like to invite him to come along, but unfortunately... I can't."

Xiang Bo asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Because he was captured by that tyrant while protecting me..."

As Ji Liang spoke, her fair and slender hands clenched tightly, and her gentle, watery eyes were now filled with anger.

She once thrived in Vietnam by using the sugar refining method given to her by Bai Su, and her business gradually grew and her influence expanded.

I originally planned to go to Handan to invite Bai Su to come over, and offer him a high-ranking official position and generous salary, so as to fulfill my promise.

But when they arrived in Handan, they found the house empty and deserted.

The news that Bai Su had been captured by the Imperial Guards and taken to Xianyang, and had not returned since, leaving her devastated for a long time, left her completely distraught.

It's all her fault!!!

If it weren't for Young Master Bai's protection, how could she, a wanted criminal who attempted to assassinate the First Emperor, have been captured by that tyrant? She's the one who harmed Young Master Bai!

Every night when Ji Liang went to sleep, he would dream of a scene where Bai Su, dressed in prison clothes, was pale-faced and locked in a dungeon, being tortured mercilessly by Bao Xia's henchmen with branding irons and whips.

She has lost count of how many times she has woken up from her dreams in a fright.

Every time he woke up, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, regretting why he hadn't taken Bai Su with him when he left, causing him to fall into the hands of that tyrant and suffer such inhuman torture.