Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

With this item, plus the merit of disaster relief, even Zhengjie couldn't refuse him.

He muttered to himself, "I and the general remove our battle robes, and in the warm embrace of the hibiscus tent, we spend a spring night. If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the emperor would no longer need to hold court in the morning..."

As Zhengjie watched Bai Su's departing figure, a bad premonition suddenly welled up in her heart.

Could it be that I, as the mother-in-law, am really going to fall into the hands of this treacherous minister?

But that shouldn't be the case. Bai Su shouldn't be able to achieve the same level of influence as her, right?

But why did his smile look so strange just now?

Is it just an illusion?

......

......

Meanwhile, in Pei County.

Inside the Xiao residence, candlelight flickered.

A woman dressed in a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) was sitting upright at her desk, meticulously writing a memorial to the emperor.

Her smooth, black hair was styled into a bun at the back of her head, adorned with a hairpin, giving her a dignified and elegant appearance.

Her legs, as white as ivory, were kneeling on the ground, and a brocade ribbon outlined her slender waist, revealing her curvaceous figure.

This man was none other than Xiao He, the magistrate of Pei County.

Since the devastating floods, she has been on high alert.

Not only that, he personally inspected the county every day, but also wrote letters to the surrounding counties to investigate the situation in the surrounding areas and report back to Xianyang.

Just as she was writing her memorial as usual, a servant rushed in, sweating profusely: "M-My lady, something terrible has happened!"

Xiao He frowned slightly, put down his brush, and turned around to ask, "What happened? Why are you in such a panic?"

The servant swallowed hard and said nervously, "We're running out of food."

Xiao He was stunned and said in disbelief, "This... how is this possible? I clearly prepared food for almost a month, and now less than half a month has passed. How can there be a shortage of food?"

The attendant wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "My lord, you may not know this, but we originally had plenty of food. We were distributing rice porridge twice a day, and the plan was going smoothly. But for some reason, recently, there has been a sudden increase in the number of refugees coming to collect porridge."

"Consumption has suddenly increased several times over. If this continues, our grain reserves will not be able to hold up."

Xiao He bit his pale index finger and pondered for a long time before his almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise: "Oh no, I've fallen into their trap. It must be those remnants of the six kingdoms who are secretly plotting this, pretending to be refugees and infiltrating the crowd to deliberately deplete our food reserves, so that Pei County will eventually fall into chaos like Nan Commandery."

The servant looked taken aback and asked, "Then... then what should we do? Should we stop distributing the rations?"

Xiao He bit his index finger, his expression grave. "No," he said. "Rumors are spreading and the people are filled with fear. If we stop distributing grain, the remnants of the six states could easily incite a large-scale riot with just a little encouragement."

"Then... what should we do?"

"Starting tomorrow, when people are distributing porridge, we will conduct strict checks to prevent anyone from sneaking in. At the same time, we will call on the refugees to help clear the official roads. We will try to hold on for as long as possible. We hope that the disaster relief grain from Xianyang can be delivered soon."

Xiao He said this, but her tone lacked confidence.

After all, she knew very well that it would take at least a month to transport grain from Guanzhong, but she couldn't hold on for much longer.

Besides, there were genuine and fake refugees among them, and she simply didn't have the energy to distinguish them one by one.

"Hey sis, I've come to see you."

Just as the oppressive atmosphere in the study was about to subside, a woman's cheerful voice came from outside the door.

This is a woman who looks to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She has a rather charming and mature look. Her jet-black hair is tied up in a bun and held in place by a simple wooden hairpin.

As for her clothing, it was very casual; she wore a white long dress and a black coat to keep warm, but her clothes were not properly arranged.

The thin fabric was almost stretched open at her chest, making her skin appear incredibly smooth and radiant. A pair of round, full, long legs moved constantly beneath the hem of her skirt, and her delicate feet wore simple wooden clogs, giving her a carefree and easygoing air.

With a straw dangling from her mouth and a jug of wine in her hand, she looked at Xiao He with a playful grin.

The servant frowned as he looked at the disheveled woman before him, who showed no manners or etiquette.

She looked at Xiao He, asking if they should expel the woman: "My lord..."

Xiao He shook his head slightly and said, "This person is an acquaintance of mine. You may leave for now."

"Yes."

The attendant nodded, bowed, and withdrew.

Xiao He then turned his gaze to the woman in front of him: "Liu Ji, as the head of Sishui Pavilion, why aren't you staying at your Sishui Pavilion? What are you doing here?"

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes darted around, and he looked at Xiao He with a fawning expression: "Naturally, it has been a long time since I've seen Lord Xiao, and I'm very eager to see you. That's why... I specially brought a pot of fine wine to see you."

Xiao He glanced at the wine in her hand with her almond-shaped eyes and laughed, "Oh my, it's actually good wine from Guanzhong, Shaodaozi. I remember this stuff costs several guan a jar, right? Why are you so generous today, Liu Ji?"

Liu Ji skillfully plopped down to the side, chuckling as he poured Xiao He a cup of wine: "Come, come, try this rare and fine wine."

"Hiss... This is indeed good wine, no wonder it's so expensive."

Xiao He took a small sip, feeling the fiery sensation flow down his throat and the warm feeling emanating from his body. He then said, "Alright, you've drunk the wine. Now you can tell me, what do you want to ask of me this time?"

Liu Ji pursed his lips: "Look at what you're saying, do you think I, Liu Ji, am that kind of person?"

Xiao He chuckled and said, "Whenever you, Liu Ji, come to my place, don't you take something with you? You're like a weasel paying respects to a chicken, bringing gifts with you. You must have something on your mind."

"Hehe, as expected, I can't hide anything from Lord Xiao. This time, I really have a favor to ask of you."

"what's up?"

Liu Ji rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "I was originally responsible for escorting about a hundred convicts to perform corvée labor, but recently there has been a torrential rain, and I accidentally lost sight of them on the way. According to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, failing to complete the mission will result in a penalty of a set of armor."

"As you know, I usually like to gamble, and I'm penniless with no spare money. This money is really beyond my means, so I thought I'd come to Lord Xiao to borrow some. Once I get through this difficult time, I, Liu Ji, will definitely repay you tenfold."

Xiao He glanced at her with amusement: "I knew you, Liu Ji, had no good intentions. If you're going to fleece someone, at least find another sheep. You're always chasing after me, borrowing money all the time. You've practically plucked all my wool."

Liu Ji rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly, "In our Pei County, only you, Lord Xiao, are truly well-off."

Xiao He shook his head helplessly: "If it were in the past, I would have lent it to you, but I'm afraid I can't today."

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise: "What's wrong?"

Xiao He gazed at the flickering candle beside him with complicated emotions, and murmured, "My term as magistrate of Pei County is about to end, and something bad is about to happen in Pei County."

"While the situation is not completely out of control, you should hurry back and pack your things and leave Pei County as soon as possible. If you wait any longer, you probably won't be able to leave."

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes suddenly froze.

Is something bad about to happen in Pei County?

Chapter 122 The Big Fat Sheep

"Is Pei County about to descend into chaos...?"

Liu Ji, wearing wooden clogs, walked out of the Xiao residence. She placed one hand across her collar, revealing her fair and alluring collarbone, while her other hand fiddled with a full money pouch.

As the money pouches fell, they made a series of "crisp" sounds as the copper coins clashed, indicating that there were quite a few of them.

It was money she had asked for... cough cough, borrowed from Xiao He.

Since Xiao He couldn't keep up with her any longer, and given the increasingly chaotic situation in Pei County, Xiao He didn't know how long he could hold out, so he simply lent her some money to pay the fine.

As the head of the pavilion, losing sight of the escorting men is a serious dereliction of duty. He will be fined the cost of several sets of armor, and if he cannot pay the fine, he will have to perform corvée labor in the border regions.

Now that she has this money, her life is saved.

After all, she spent her days idly in Pei County, doing nothing productive.

I only got this position as the head of the pavilion after my mother spent a lot of money to bribe her way to it.

If she not only loses her official position but also implicates her family, her mother would be so angry that she'd pick up a stick and beat her to death.

In the past, if she had exchanged a jar of fine wine for so much money, she would have definitely celebrated with joy.

However, Liu Ji now has absolutely no desire to drink.

According to information obtained from Xiao He, after being hit by a series of natural and man-made disasters such as floods and soaring grain prices, the surrounding area is now in complete chaos.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the remnants of the six states continued to spread rumors. In addition, the government's disaster relief grain supplies were running out, and the conflict between the refugees and the government intensified.

If the grain from Guanzhong cannot be transported within half a month, it will be a major disaster, and Pei County will be no exception.

The problem is that, according to Xiao He's calculations, it is impossible for the grain from Guanzhong to arrive within half a month, and the area is about to descend into chaos.

Under these circumstances, even if she pays the fine, she probably won't be able to hold her position as the head of Sishui Pavilion for much longer.

In that case, she might as well use the money to recruit some people to protect her safety.

Moreover, if the situation becomes chaotic, one can take advantage of the opportunity to make a move.

Liu Ji fiddled with the money pouch in his hand, pondering earnestly, and muttered, "This is my capital to turn my life around. I must use it carefully and spend it wisely, after all, it was borrowed from Lord Xiao with great difficulty."

"Big big!!!"

"So tiny!!!"

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

Liu Ji paused, his large, almond-shaped eyes following the sound. In the distance was a gambling den, where a group of gamblers dressed in cloth were gathered around a table, waving and shouting from time to time.

Sometimes people would be full of excitement, clutching handfuls of copper coins in their arms, while at other times they would kneel on the ground, burying their heads in their hands in regret.

Looking at the excited crowd, she glanced down at the purse in her hand, stroked her chin, and murmured, "With so little capital, it's hard to accomplish anything significant. Perhaps... I should go in and take a gamble. That way, I'll have more capital, and I'll be more confident in what I do."

"I have a feeling that my luck is on fire today, and I'm sure I'll make a fortune."

With that thought in mind, she confidently gripped the money pouch in her hand and walked straight into the gambling den.

.......

........

"Is this Pei County...?"

Bai Sule stopped his horse, raised his straw hat, and looked down at the distant county town from the high ridge of the field.

Several sheds were set up on the street in the distance, and a minor official was constantly stirring the rice porridge in the pot. In front of the sheds, orderly queues formed long lines.

There were women holding children, and elderly people with white hair. Looking around, there was a dense, dark mass of people. There were at least a thousand people on this street alone.

Clearly, these are all displaced people who were affected by the floods and forced to leave their homes.

Compared to other places where people are filled with anxiety, rumors, and frequent conflicts, this place is relatively stable, which shows that the county magistrate has handled the situation well.