Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

The Great Xia, located in the Guanzhong region, had experienced several internal strifes before the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin, and had been severely weakened by the State of Wei. However, it managed to preserve its last bit of national strength by relying on the natural barrier of Hangu Pass.

Through reforms and changes, they gradually grew stronger until they swept across the world.

From this perspective, Luoyang is more suitable as the center of a prosperous dynasty, while Guanzhong is more suitable as the center of a stable empire.

Bai Su held Ji Liang's soft hand and said with a smile, "If you buy a piece of land in a good location in Luoyang now, it will definitely appreciate tenfold or a hundredfold in value in ten or twenty years."

Ji Liang smiled gracefully: "What do the clamor of the world have to do with me? I only wish to serve you, my lord."

As they chatted idly along the way, the group slowly made their way towards Xianyang.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Bai residence.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were naturally delighted to see their master return, but they were momentarily stunned when they saw Ji Liang walking down with Bai Su.

Isn't the future mistress of the Bai family Princess Hu Yu? Why did she bring back a strange woman?

What about His Highness Hu?

After whispering something to Da Qiao in her ear, Bai Su hurriedly left.

After all, he still needed to report to his sister, Zheng, in the palace.

Ji Liang looked at the identical twin sisters in front of her and gave them a friendly smile.

Da Qiao said softly, "Please come in with me, Miss, and I will find you a place to stay right away."

......

......

Not long after.

Bai Su, led by a palace maid, walked towards the main palace.

They arrived at the main palace.

Through the beaded curtain, a slender figure could be seen in the distance, dressed in a magnificent palace dress that was entirely black and embroidered with golden dragon patterns.

She was sitting upright at her desk, her slender hands reviewing memorials. As if hearing footsteps, she slowly raised her head, revealing a magnificent and elegant face.

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su in the distance, her lips curled up slightly, and she waved gently.

The surrounding maids all withdrew.

Suddenly, only Bai Su and Sister Zheng remained in the room.

Zhengjie stared intently at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes for a long time before softly saying, "Thank you for your hard work this time..."

Although she did not go to the front lines in person, she could see the crisis in Pei County at that time from the contents of Wang Jian's report.

With the remnants of the six former states plotting in secret, refugees needing relief, and local gentry and unscrupulous merchants taking the opportunity to inflate grain prices, the situation was utterly chaotic.

Bai Su must have put in a lot of effort to handle this chaotic situation so well; she probably couldn't sleep day and night and lost her appetite.

The thought that Bai Su, such a lazy guy, had worked so hard and suffered so much softened her gaze towards him.

Bai Su walked up to Zheng Jie and smiled at her: "After all, I am His Majesty's trusted minister, and it is my duty to share His Majesty's burdens."

Zhengjie spat, "Being able to provide disaster relief and stabilize grain prices is already a great achievement. Why do you need to fight with the remnants of the six kingdoms? What if they become desperate and send assassins to kill you? Wouldn't that mean..."

Her voice gradually trailed off, clearly indicating some dissatisfaction.

Mingming had specifically warned Bai Su not to get involved in any dangerous situations before they set off, but Bai Su still broke her promise to her.

Bai Su coughed lightly: "Your Majesty, the remnants of these six kingdoms are mixed together with the local refugees. If we don't deal with them, it will be difficult to distinguish the real from the fake among these refugees. No matter how much grain we bring, it won't be enough."

"Moreover, only by dealing with them, eliminating the rumors in Chu, and fulfilling the promise I made to His Majesty will His Majesty reward me handsomely."

After he finished speaking, he blinked.

Zhengjie seemed to recall the scene of crossing the taboo that day, and a blush rose on her fair face. Then she glared at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes.

However, her gaze posed no threat to Bai Su, this treacherous minister; it only exuded a captivating charm.

She coughed lightly, her expression returning to normal: "You have rendered such a great service this time, how could I be stingy with my reward? I intend to arrange your marriage to Lu'er immediately..."

Chapter 136 His Majesty Sets Down His Dignity

Bai Su gave Zheng Jie a strange look: "Is this the reward His Majesty was talking about?"

Zhengjie brushed a strand of hair between her brows with her slender fingers, raised her fair neck, and looked at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes: "What, don't you like Lu'er?"

Bai Su stroked her chin: "How could I not like a beauty as handsome and clever as His Highness Hu Yu?"

Zhengjie paused for a moment, then asked, "Then why do you look so unwilling?"

Bai Su looked directly into Zheng Jie's eyes and said softly, "Because compared to His Highness Hu Yu, I am more... fond of Your Majesty."

A tempting blush rose on Zhengjie's fair face. Faced with Bai Su's burning gaze, she felt a little flustered.

Thinking of her role as a mother-in-law, she forcibly suppressed her chaotic emotions and calmed herself down. She then said, "You...you should know that it is impossible for the two of us. I have already betrothed Yan'er to you. As the ruler of the world, how can I compete with my daughter for a husband and love?"

"Besides... I am so much older than you, it's really inappropriate. Wouldn't it be better for you and Yan'er to be a couple? Why bother with an old maid like me?"

Bai Su smiled and said, "Because... compared to the naivety of a young girl just coming of age, I prefer a mature woman like Your Majesty. After all, a graceful lady is a gentleman's ideal..."

As he spoke, he looked at Zheng Jie's heart full of love.

Ah, is this the heart that embraces the world? What a perfect creation!

Following his gaze, Zhengjie lowered her head slightly. After understanding the meaning behind his words, a flash of annoyance appeared in her phoenix eyes.

She kicked Bai Su's shin in anger, gritting her teeth as she said, "You audacious... treacherous minister."

Bai Su showed no anger, but said solemnly, "As long as I can obtain a beauty like Your Majesty, I would not mind being a treacherous and disloyal minister. What my heart desires, I will follow... This is the creed I uphold."

His voice was powerful and full of momentum. An uninformed person might have thought he was a loyal minister who was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of reforming the country and strengthening it.

Looking at his serious expression, Zhengjie felt both angry and amused.

Throughout history, some people are obsessed with power, some with fame, and some with wealth. But only... Bai Su, who speaks so frankly about her lust, is truly unique in the world.

If it were anyone else, daring to utter such reckless words to the First Empress of All Time, they would have been dragged out by the guards outside the palace, thrown into the dungeon, and executed on a chosen day.

However, she really couldn't bear to part with Bai Su in front of her.

After all, such a minister, who was proficient in governing the country, enriching the national treasury, strengthening the country and its military, expanding its territory, and who had no ambition, was truly a rare treasure.

She had a bit of a headache and rubbed her temples.

Bai Su said with a smile, "Didn't Your Majesty make an agreement with me? As long as I complete the task assigned by Your Majesty, you will grant me one request."

In the past, Ji Liang and her accomplices secretly plotted to spread all sorts of rumors throughout the land, causing Zheng Jie a great deal of trouble.

At that time, she made a bet with Bai Su. If Bai Su resolved the issue of the rumors, she would grant Bai Su one request.

The Empress gently bit her lip, a complex look flashing in her phoenix eyes: "I can grant you any request, whether it's land or an official position, but this is the only thing I can't do. If word gets out, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the royal family?"

Bai Su leaned close to Zheng Jie's ear and whispered, "Just don't let anyone else know, that'll do."

As he spoke, he took Zheng Jie's soft, jade-like hand. Her smooth skin felt as if it were coated with pearl powder, and it was very comfortable to touch.

"you……"

Zheng Jie raised a beautiful eyebrow.

Bai Su smiled and said, "In this era of great contention, the states frequently wage war against each other. The strong become strong, and the weak perish. Your Majesty has fought your way out of the battlefield, so why should you care about these mere empty titles? Can the title of 'sage ruler' truly enrich the country and strengthen its military?"

A hint of hesitation flashed across Zheng Jie's face.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say that she had never been attracted to a talented young man like Bai Su.

The thought that Bai Su was her son-in-law and her daughter's sweetheart filled her with conflicting emotions.

Bai Su's eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, which is more important, romantic love or the prestige of the royal family?"

Zhengjie was taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in her phoenix eyes.

She didn't know why Bai Su suddenly asked this, but she still replied, "Of course, it's a matter of one person's feelings versus the prestige of the royal family. Of course, the prestige of the royal family is more important. For the sake of the royal family's dignity, the former can be sacrificed."

Bai Su nodded and continued, "Then let me ask Your Majesty, which is stronger and more important, the prestige of the royal family or the stability and prosperity of the Great Xia?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhengjie resolutely said, "Of course it's the country and its people. The six generations of rulers of the Great Xia have struggled to lay this foundation. In order to ensure that it can be passed down for thousands of years, I am willing to sacrifice everything, even... myself."

Since ascending the throne at the age of thirteen, she has been like a crane, tamed by the iron laws and systems of the Great Xia Dynasty.

To maintain the stability of the empire, she suppressed all factors that could cause unrest.

Whether it was the remnants of the six states, the Xiongnu of the grasslands, the Baiyue people of the jungles, or the daughters of the court, they were all exiled to the borderlands because of political differences.

Even her own emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were constantly suppressed, all in order to become a powerful and unshakeable monarch.

Bai Su's smile deepened after hearing Zheng Jie's reply.

After pondering for a long time, he said, "If I have something that concerns Your Majesty's country and its people, I wonder if Your Majesty could temporarily set aside the dignity of the royal family?"

Zhengjie was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What could be related to the fate of the nation? Could it be... a technology like paper or movable type printing?"

Bai Su shook his head slightly and said with a smile, "The value of those two things is simply incomparable to this. I wonder if Your Majesty has ever heard of the Peach Blossom Spring that Confucius longed for."

The Empress nodded slightly: "I have read Confucian books. Confucius saw that the people worked hard every day but still could not fill their stomachs. The world had been in war for a long time and the rites and music had collapsed."

"Therefore, Confucius longed to return to the pre-Spring and Autumn period, to educate the world with rites, reduce taxes, and enable everyone to work hard, eat their fill, and have clothes to wear. He believed that no one would pick up lost items on the road and that doors would not be locked at night. This was called a moderately prosperous society, the ideal world that the Confucian scholars longed to create. But in the end, it was just a dream bubble that could never be realized."

A smile appeared on Bai Su's lips as she looked at Zheng Jie: "If it is what I mentioned, can you make it?"

Zhengjie was stunned for a moment, and asked incredulously, "What is this thing you're talking about?"

Bai Su took a deep breath and said, "This product is called hybrid rice, which can yield 3,000 catties per mu... It is a treasure left by Shennong. This product can eliminate hunger in the world, so that everyone can have food to eat and wine to drink, and no one will have to worry about not having enough to eat."

Chapter 137 Zhengjie's Reward

The main hall remained silent for a long while.

Zheng Jie stared blankly for a long time, then asked incredulously, "You...you said how much the yield per mu?"

For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard.

This number is outrageous.

With a smile, Bai Su repeated, "This product can yield... 3,000 catties per mu."

"hiss……"