Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Wang Jian rode over, somewhat surprised, and said, "The magistrate here is quite capable."

"That's natural, after all, she is Xiao He."

Bai Su didn't seem surprised at all, but couldn't help but sigh.

Wang Jian glanced at Bai Su with curiosity: "Young Master seems to have a very high opinion of this woman named Xiao He. Is she very capable?"

"It's not a matter of whether she's powerful or not, she's the kind of person who's very rare..."

After pondering for a while, Bai Su looked at Wang Jian and said, "You know what I mean, right?"

Wang Jian asked with great interest, "So this person is a great talent in managing internal affairs and overseeing logistics. I wonder how his talent compares to yours, young master?"

Bai Su stroked his chin and said, "Like fireflies compared to the bright moon, the brightness of the bright moon is incomparable to that of fireflies."

This wasn't him being modest; Xiao He was one of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, and in terms of talent and historical achievements alone, he was even superior to Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong.

Compared to such a talented advisor, he was certainly no match for him in domestic affairs.

After all, his advantage lies in his strategic vision and cognitive understanding that far surpasses that of this era, rather than in his subtle understanding of human nature.

Wang Jian, however, did not believe it at all, and said with a smile, "Young master is too modest. If someone as talented as you is willing to be a firefly, then the world will be without light."

Seeing that she didn't believe her, Bai Su didn't offer any further explanation.

He looked ahead at Pei County and said, "We've traveled day and night and are a bit tired. Let's go in and rest for a bit."

Wang Jian hesitated and said, "Young Master, shouldn't we wait for the reinforcements to arrive?"

In order to reach the front line as quickly as possible, Bai Su did not travel slowly with the army.

Instead, they let the army advance slowly under the banner, deliberately letting people along the way see it, in order to attract attention and at the same time reassure the people.

As for him, he went directly with Wang Jian, accompanied by only a hundred or so guards. They traveled day and night, never stopping to rest. When their warhorses got tired, they changed horses at the post stations along the way. They traveled thousands of miles with almost no rest.

According to Bai Su, this is called "speed is of the essence in war," which is to catch the remnants of the six kingdoms and others off guard.

However, entering the city so casually without many guards was far too risky.

Bai Su smiled and said, "General, there is no need to worry. I, Bai Su, am just an unknown soldier. My reputation is limited to Xianyang. There are very few people in the world who know me."

"Besides, the troops that came from Xianyang are still hundreds of miles away. Who would have thought that we would arrive at the front line at this time?"

"This allows us to grasp the local situation in advance and prepare for what's to come."

Seeing that Bai Su's attitude was so firm, Wang Jian did not try to stop her.

She nodded and walked into Pei County with Bai Su.

Pei County.

"Damn it, have I lost everything again...?"

Liu Ji walked out of the gambling den listlessly, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, her eyelids twitching from time to time.

After a full hour of gambling, he not only failed to make a fortune, but also lost all the money he had borrowed from Xiao He, leaving him with not a single copper coin and a mountain of debt.

If she can't pay back the money, not only will she lose her fingers, but she will also be captured by the Xia army and forced to perform corvée labor in the border regions.

The thought of her miserable future made her break out in a cold sweat.

Where can I borrow more money to pay off this debt?

Xiao He?

No, Xiao He has already lent it to her once, he won't lend it to her a second time.

Go back and give it to your mother, or your eldest sister?

I'd beat her to death then.

Liu Ji sat on the doorframe with a straw dangling from his mouth and sighed.

Just as she was wondering what to do, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.

A handsome young man dressed in white, riding a chestnut horse, slowly approached from a distance.

His flowing white robes made him look like a noble young master from a bygone era, causing her large, captivating eyes to momentarily freeze in a daze.

"This...this young master is quite handsome. He seems to be a stranger here, perhaps from out of town. And he looks very wealthy. Could he be a young master from a prominent family?"

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes were fixed on Bai Su in the distance. When she saw Bai Su's extraordinary demeanor, her eyes suddenly lit up.

I'm saved.

Those burning gazes were as if they were looking at a big, fat sheep.

Chapter 123 Young Master, Should I Stop Following You?

"Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Xia..."

"A tyrannical and immoral ruler, easily enlightened by punishing the wicked..."

On the street in the distance, several noisy children were playing and laughing, occasionally chanting folk songs.

Bai Sule stopped his horse, a hint of surprise on his face: "Has this rumor spread this far?"

Wang Jian rode closer, his delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly: "It's not just here. Those remnants of the six kingdoms have taken advantage of natural disasters and man-made calamities to spread rumors, which have now spread to most parts of the world."

"As Han Fei once said, 'A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole.' These remnants of the six states are trying to erode and tilt the Great Wall of the empire little by little through these means."

Bai Su withdrew his gaze and smiled, "General, there is no need to worry. The reason why this rumor spread so quickly is simply because of the impact of the flood and the lack of a sense of belonging to Xianyang, which led to this situation."

"If we provide proper disaster relief and let the displaced people see with their own eyes that Xianyang cares more about its people than the six kingdoms of yesteryear, then these so-called rumors will lose their foundation and naturally become nothing to worry about."

When Wang Jian heard Bai Su say this, the solemn look on her face finally faded considerably.

After all, she had great trust in Bai Su when it came to governing the country. He had even managed to save the 200,000-strong army that was on the verge of collapse from the brink of death.

Nowadays, flood relief and disaster relief for displaced people are nothing compared to this.

Bai Su frowned slightly and said, "Where is Xiao He's residence? I've been searching for a long time, but I haven't found a single clue."

Wang Jian asked, "Should we ask someone to find out what's going on?"

"Young master, are you looking for someone?"

Before Bai Su could answer, a woman's voice suddenly came from afar, trying to strike up a conversation.

The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall, slender figure come into view.

This was a woman who looked somewhat lazy and unreliable, with her jet-black hair piled high and simply secured with a wooden hairpin.

With one hand casually draped across the collar of her coat, her beautiful figure was revealed. Her voluptuous and curvaceous body could not be concealed even by the loose clothing, showcasing her alluring curves.

She had a beaming smile on her face, a straw dangling from her mouth. She seemed to be doing nothing, yet she possessed a captivating charm that drew people's attention.

Even Bai Su was stunned for a moment.

This woman is not to be underestimated. Although she is slightly inferior to Sister Zheng in terms of public sentiment, she is already at the level of being able to stand out from the crowd.

He couldn't help but take a second look, then asked, "Who are you?"

With a smile in his large, almond-shaped eyes, Liu Ji raised his head and looked at Bai Su in front of him: "I am Liu Ji, the head of Sishui Pavilion in Pei County. Seeing that you seem to be looking for someone, I came forward to ask if I could help you."

"Liu Ji, the head of Sishui Pavilion..."

Bai Su raised an eyebrow, then gave her a playful look. What an unexpected bonus!

Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Pei County, Xiao He was not yet seen, but the famous Emperor Gaozu of Han was.

However, compared to her spirited appearance in historical records, she didn't have any lofty ideals at this time. She was just an idle and aimless village head.

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes swept over Bai Su, and then he smiled and said, "Judging from your appearance, you must be from out of town and not very familiar with Pei County. How about I show you the way? Just tell me where you want to go."

"I will definitely bring you the best wine and food from Pei County to entertain you, young master. All you need to do is give me ten strings of cash."

Seeing the way she looked at him like he was a fat sheep, Bai Su couldn't help but laugh and said, "Ordinary lodging costs only a dozen or so coins, what kind of food and wine do you have that costs ten strings of cash? Do you think I'm a nouveau riche?"

Liu Ji was taken aback, a hint of surprise rising in his heart.

She initially thought Bai Su was a naive young master from a prominent family who was new to the area and unfamiliar with the local environment, so she could take the opportunity to rip him off and pay a fine to the imperial court.

Unexpectedly, Bai Su, who looked quite young, knew so much about the ways of the common people. It seemed like things were hopeless this time.

Liu Ji rubbed his nose and said guiltily, "I just thought you had an extraordinary demeanor and wanted to treat you well."

Bai Su smiled and didn't expose him: "How about this... take me to Xiao He, Lord Xiao, and while you're at it, help me find out some things. I'll give you ten strings of cash after you've done it."

"Really...really?" Liu Ji was stunned, somewhat incredulous. For such a small matter, he was given ten strings of cash. This young master was too kind.

"It is true, I always keep my word during the day."

As Bai Su spoke, she took out an exquisite jade pendant from her bosom. The pendant had a unique shape and was clearly made with exceptional craftsmanship; it was worth at least twenty strings of cash.

Liu Ji swallowed hard, then looked at Bai Su with burning eyes: "Well... Young Master Bai, how about you give me another twenty strings of cash, and I'll be yours."

Bai Su was taken aback: "I only need to give you ten strings of cash to help me find my way. What's the use of giving you more money?"

Liu Ji's large, almond-shaped eyes darted around, and he said with a grin, "The people who can lend you a hand are your brothers in the underworld, but the only ones who can lend you more than one hand are your beloved wife."

"I see that you are no ordinary person, young master. Why don't you give me more money so I can pay off my recent debts? From now on, I will follow you and do whatever you say."

Bai Su said with a strange expression, "You're not attracted to my demeanor, you just think I'm rich and want to freeload, right?"

"Ahem, young master, what you're saying is not important at all. What's important is whose money it is. If it were someone else's, even if it were given to me, I, Liu Ji, would not want it."

Liu Ji patted his ample chest with a confident expression.

After all, her father and older sister were almost driven crazy by her. They had borrowed from everyone they could, and the only person who could lend her money, Xiao He, had gambled it all away.

Now the government officials want her to perform corvée labor, and the gambling den owners want to cut off her fingers.

She could hardly stay in Pei County any longer, and now that she saw Bai Su as a powerful ally, she naturally wanted to cling to him no matter what, just to save her own life.

"We'll discuss this later. I have urgent business with Xiao He. Please take me there immediately."

Bai Su looked at Liu Ji in front of her, who was boasting about how beautiful he was and how proficient he was at drinking, playing cards, dice, and cockfighting, and couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"This way, young master..."

Liu Ji took the jade pendant that Bai Su tossed to her, and her beautiful face immediately broke into a friendly smile.

Before long, under her guidance, the group arrived at the gate of the Xiao residence.

Liu Ji knocked on the door knocker, her red lips slightly parted, and called out, "Lord Xiao, it's my sister Xiao! We have a distinguished guest! Please come out and greet her."