Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

If it were someone else, they would definitely decorate their mansion in a magnificent and luxurious manner.

Even if it wasn't ornately decorated, it was still incredibly luxurious.

After all, if this isn't youthful exuberance, can it still be called youth?

However, Zhang Han was an oddball. Despite being summoned by His Majesty and given an opportunity to be valued, she showed no pride or excitement.

On the contrary, they became even more restrained, cautious, and determined not to make any mistakes.

Even her residence was very simple, forming a stark contrast with the glamorous mansions around the street.

If it weren't for the "Zhang" character plaque hanging in front of the gate, one might mistake this for the residence of some insignificant official.

In the courtyard.

A valiant woman stood in the courtyard, her hands resting on her sword.

She seemed to have just finished practicing martial arts; her black, fitted robe was soaked with sweat, outlining her curvaceous figure. The loose collar of the robe spread slightly as she moved, revealing her chest, which was tightly wrapped with bandages.

Sweat dripped from his forehead down his cheeks and into his collar. His tanned, firm skin was glistening with beads of sweat, giving him a wild and heroic look.

Zhang Han tried to calm her breathing, her beautiful eyes glancing at the azure sky, and she couldn't help but drift off into a daze.

Since she was recommended by Bai Su and had the opportunity to come into Zheng Jie's sight, she has been quietly preparing while doing her job every day.

While diligently practicing martial arts, he continued to study military strategy, waiting for the opportunity to shine in the future.

After all, everyone knows that Grand Chancellor Bai Su is the right-hand man of the current emperor, and many of the country's major policies are the brainchild of Lord Bai.

The Meng sisters were able to achieve success and make a name for themselves because of their good relationship with Bai Su.

Now, one of them has been appointed Protector-General of Beiting, and the other has been appointed Protector-General of the Western Regions. They have become powerful regional officials and are enjoying great prestige.

This made countless military officers in the court extremely envious.

Currently, the Meng sisters are stationed at the border, while General Wang Jian has been promoted too quickly due to his many past achievements, and now there are almost no more rewards to be given.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Wang Jian should not have the opportunity to go out and lead troops again. Wang Jian himself stays at home every day, watering flowers, growing vegetables, and playing chess with others.

With veteran generals retiring and key generals being sent to guard the borders, the court was temporarily lacking capable leaders.

It can be said that the current Great Xia Dynasty court presents a great opportunity for a new generation of young talents to show their abilities.

As someone who came from a poor background but climbed to this position step by step through her own abilities, Zhang Han's determination and goals naturally far exceeded those of her peers.

Faced with such a great opportunity to make achievements and bring glory to her ancestors, and thanks to the favor of heaven, she got in touch with Bai Su, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and naturally wouldn't easily miss this chance to show her talent.

In order to catch the eye of the Grand Master and be given an important position by Bai Su, she had been quietly honing her abilities.

"General..."

A maid suddenly came over and whispered.

Zhang Han frowned slightly and asked, "What do you want?"

In the past, she was rarely disturbed here. Even the maids in the manor would only come over after she finished practicing martial arts and would not interrupt her unless it was something very important.

Faced with Zhang Han's displeased gaze, the maid's forehead broke out in a light sweat. She knew that her general hated being interrupted.

However, there was no other way, because the distinguished guests who came this time were of such high status that they could not be neglected.

Just as she was about to speak, a cheerful young voice rang out.

"General Zhang, it's been a long time since I last saw you, but you still look as spirited as ever."

As the words fell, a refined young man dressed in a white robe walked in from outside.

The young man wore a jade crown and a gold silk belt. He was tall and slender with eyes like stars. His appearance alone was enough to make people feel good. His unpretentious attitude was even more like a gentle breeze.

The maid standing to the side secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Now that this big shot had come out, there was no need for her to explain anymore.

Zhang Han was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble general Zhang Han pays his respects to the Grand Chancellor."

The person who arrived was none other than Bai Su, who had just come out of the palace.

She felt a surge of joy upon seeing Bai Su arrive.

After all, she hadn't seen Bai Su for a long time since returning from Han Di, and sometimes she wondered if the Grand Chancellor had forgotten about her, an unknown nobody.

After honing myself for so long, will I ever have the chance to showcase my abilities?

Now that Bai Su has come to her residence in person, although she doesn't know what the Grand Chancellor's purpose is, his attitude alone has already put her at ease.

Da Liangzao still remembered her, and all his efforts these past few days had not been in vain.

Bai Su looked around curiously: "General Zhang, your residence is quite peculiar. It's empty and you can hardly see anything. Anyone who didn't know better would think it had been robbed."

Zhang Han smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, my lord. I'm not very interested in things that bring pleasure, so apart from military books, weapons, and books on the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, I haven't had my servants buy anything else for my household."

Bai Su looked at the valiant woman in front of her with some surprise: "Your simple nature is quite different from Wang Jian's. One is heaven and the other is earth. Her mansion is full of pleasures. She often comes to my mansion to ask for fruits, vegetables, wine, spices and porcelain."

"They're just like bandits and thugs coming down from the mountain. Every time they come, they eat and take without giving a single penny..."

Zhang Han smiled and said, "If it were anyone else, they would be overjoyed to be able to drink with the current General. Only you, sir, would regard the General as a bandit and a tyrant."

"Please come inside, sir. I'll have the servants prepare some tea for you. Let's sit and chat."

Bai Su nodded: "Alright, I happen to have a deal I'd like to discuss with you."

"Buying or selling?"

Zhang Han's clear black and white eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at Bai Su with some confusion, unsure of what he was up to.

Why would a high-ranking official like him need to negotiate with a mere lieutenant?

Chapter 294 I am the adult's knife

In the study.

Zhang Han sat upright at his desk, poured Bai Su a cup of hot tea, and couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what brings you here so suddenly, sir?"

She felt a wave of doubt, unsure of Bai Su's thoughts.

After all, when it comes to trade and business, Xiao He, Cao Can, and others are far superior to her, so there's no need to seek out a mere military general like her.

Bai Su took a sip of tea, the fragrance lingering on her lips and teeth.

He chuckled softly and said, "This isn't your average business..."

Zhang Han raised her delicate eyebrows, her mind becoming active.

Although she was only a lieutenant and her official rank was not particularly high, she was extremely concerned about matters of the court.

Therefore, he was quite familiar with Bai Su's style of doing things, knowing that when this Grand Chancellor was discussing serious matters, he always meant what he said.

Anything that Bai Su considers extraordinary is either an important matter concerning national policy or a remarkable event.

After making a decision in his mind, Zhang Han asked, "I wonder what Your Excellency's meaning is..."

Bai Su put down her teacup and smiled slightly, "What do you think about the Tian family of Qi?"

The Tian family of Qi! ! !

Zhang Han's pupils suddenly contracted, unlike those of ordinary people.

Her first reaction upon hearing about the Tian family of Qi was not how wealthy and famous the Tian family was, but rather the thought that Bai Su might be planning to take action against the Tian family of Qi.

As a cautious person by nature, she would not easily make any decisions for Bai Su before she fully understood Bai Su's thoughts.

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Han slowly said, "The Tian family of Qi is descended from the former King of Qi. After surrendering the city to Your Majesty, nearly half of the salt merchants in the country came from the Tian family. They are the richest in the world, and they have made friends with wandering knights and gathered three thousand retainers."

"They wield considerable influence in Qi, and even throughout the entire world. I wonder why you suddenly bring up the Tian family, sir?"

Bai Su chuckled and said, "The Tian family of Qi is still harboring treacherous intentions and maintains close ties with the remnants of the six states. It seems they are plotting something."

Zhang Han's eyelids twitched, and his heart pounded wildly.

Judging from what Lord Bai is saying, he intends to target the Tian family of Qi.

This sudden bombshell left her feeling dizzy and unsure how to respond.

After all, the Tian family of Qi is a large and powerful family with many connections, so it wouldn't be easy to make a move against them.

Firstly, after the Tian family submitted to the Great Xia Dynasty, His Majesty, in order to set an example for the people, personally promised in front of countless people that the Tian family would be wealthy and noble for life. If she were to foolishly follow Bai Su and bring down the Tian family, she would be in serious trouble.

His Majesty is furious that she violated her vow by acting on her own and wants to punish her. What should be done?

Secondly, the Tian family controls more than half of the fine salt in the country, and their interests are tied to those of many people. This means that a change in one part can have far-reaching consequences.

Bai Su smiled as she looked at her furrowed brows: "You don't need to worry about the palace. His Majesty has wanted to do this for a long time, but he can't say it openly or show it. You understand what I mean."

Zhang Han was also a smart man, and he immediately understood Bai Su's implied meaning.

She tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency mean that His Majesty will secretly provide support?"

Bai Su glanced at her with some surprise, and couldn't help but think to herself, "As expected of the last famous general of the empire recorded in history books, she is indeed a smart person who understands things very quickly."

He nodded and said, "When His Majesty unified the world, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, he left behind many remnants of the six kingdoms and gave some of them considerable status and wealth."

"In the beginning, these people were of great use to the stability of the country. However, as the prefecture and county system gradually stabilized, these people who remained became like maggots clinging to the bone, or sores and scabies."

"If we don't remove it as soon as possible, it will definitely become too big to handle in the future. As the saying goes, a thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole, let alone a behemoth like the Tian family of Qi."

"However, Her Majesty is unable to intervene in this matter for some reasons, so we are needed to help Her Majesty do what she wants to do but cannot do."

"Simply put, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the remnants of the six kingdoms and wipe out these lingering problems. General Zhang, would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

After hearing Bai Su's words, Zhang Han fell silent for a moment.

With her intelligence, she naturally understood that this was a huge risky gamble.

If she loses the bet, she might offend many powerful families, and His Majesty could pretend he knows nothing, discarding her as a pawn, thus leaving her with no place to be buried.

However, if she wins the bet, it means she has successfully entered Bai Su's inner circle and will be valued by Sister Zheng, giving her the opportunity to be given special training in the future.

Even if they are officially demoted and sent away, they will be promoted back within a year or two at most, and their career will be smooth sailing from then on.

This was incredibly attractive to her, who was eager to make a name for herself.

After struggling for a long time, Zhang Han finally made up his mind.

She took a deep breath, her clear black and white eyes fixed on Bai Su, and cupped her hands, saying, "This humble general is willing to serve you, my lord, with utmost loyalty. For the court and for His Majesty, I am willing to sacrifice myself."

Looking at her tragic and self-sacrificing appearance, Bai Su couldn't help but laugh and said, "You don't need to be so nervous. I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win..."

He explained his plan in detail.