Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Maodun couldn't help but smile: "Foxtail grass and Gesang flower really are a perfect match."

"Alright, here's your wreath."

Bai Su placed the wreath on Maodun's head.

Maodun glanced at Bai Su, who was weaving a flower wreath for the first time. Her hands were a little clumsy, and her fingertips were cut by thorns. He couldn't help but smile and said, "When you have woven a charming flower wreath for me, I will show you the tenderness after all the flowers have bloomed."

She plucked a petal and applied it to her lips, giving her originally thin lips an alluring sheen.

Immediately, to Bai Su's astonishment, Maodun lifted Bai Su's finger, parted his lips slightly, and gently took the bleeding index finger into his mouth with his hot lips.

Her loose-fitting Hu-style skirt was slightly unbuttoned at the collar, and in the candlelight, her wheat-colored, full heart seemed almost unrestrained, with a bottomless ravine in the middle that could almost suck away the soul, leaving one lost in thought for a long time.

Bai Su looked at Mao Dun, who slowly opened his red lips, spat out a finger that was no longer bleeding, lifted his black hair, and smiled sweetly at her, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Is this the tenderness of the prairie wolf king? It really is…

It's so captivating!

Chapter 336 Destroying a Nation is Like Taming a Crane: Destroying It in an Instant

Horses gallop across the northern grasslands.

A pavilion stood amidst the mountains, a massive stone gate resembling an elephant's gate. The royal garrison opened the enormous bronze gate, and squads of black-armored cavalry emerged, marching north along the mountain path.

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed across the desolate north of the Great Wall, an endless wilderness devoid of human habitation. A long column of cavalry slowly emerged, stretching for miles.

Among the long line stretching for miles, the figures of three thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were very conspicuous, with Bai Su's carriage located in the center.

In the dimly lit room, the window was pushed open, and a tall woman, her slender figure draped in a thin outer garment, stood barefoot in front of the window. Her dark hair fell down, covering her exposed skin, and swayed in the wind.

Maodun remained silent, as still as water, her exquisite face tinged with the lingering colors of spring, as radiant as peach blossoms, exceptionally charming.

Her emerald eyes, brimming with light, pierced through the hazy mist, gazing at the young man riding a horse several miles away. Recalling their time together the previous night, a slight smile curved her lips.

Someone as detached from life and death as she is would not utter any words of reluctance when parting.

After all, as the children of the great wolf god, they grew up on horseback, wielding long swords and carrying bows, galloping far away was all too common for them, and the children of the grasslands would never try to keep them too long.

Like a resilient Gesang flower, it will quietly bloom here, regardless of wind, frost, or severe cold, waiting to meet its destined partner again.

The former royal court of the Xiongnu now stands as the banner of the Great Xia, fluttering in the wind.

After having Meng Tian lead his troops to garrison the area and work with Modu to stabilize the order, Bai Su personally led his troops south back to the Central Plains.

After nearly a month of marching, Bai Su's army finally arrived at Jibei County in Qi.

This place has a special location, being very close to Langya County, where the six-nation coalition is currently located. It is equivalent to guarding the front line of the coalition's northward advance and is also a key point of contention between the two sides.

The reason is simple: in later generations, this place was called Xuzhou.

It has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times. It is a place that is both offensive and defensive, rich in resources, has a large population, and is convenient for troop deployment and the transportation of provisions.

Whoever gets this place is essentially licking a fat box, instantly becoming wealthy, which makes the competition extremely fierce.

When the army arrived, all the officials of Jibei County came out to greet them, each looking tired and nervous.

Although the pressure they faced here was far less intense than the pressure of confronting Xiang Yu's Chu army at the front lines, the pressure was still considerable. Seeing Bai Su personally leading the army to their aid, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The welcoming ceremony was rather simple, given the critical situation of the battle; all procedures had to be kept to a minimum.

Moreover, the local officials had heard some rumors about Bai Su and knew that this Grand Chancellor was a pragmatic person who did not like to engage in those conventional formalities, so they naturally would not force themselves to flatter him.

Soon, Bai Su entered the city, greeted by a group of officials.

Inside the large tent.

Bai Su sat in the main seat, with local officials and accompanying generals standing on his left and right, all with solemn expressions, creating a tense atmosphere.

After all, although Bai Su was born into a humble and weak scholar family, he had repeatedly led troops into battle as a commander and had already established a great reputation through his many years of achievements.

Even without an imperial edict from Xianyang, his personal prestige alone was enough to command officials and garrisons wherever he went.

Bai Su called everyone together for a meeting for a very simple reason.

Naturally, this involves understanding the local situation, gathering diverse opinions, and encouraging open discussion.

Although he had a general idea in mind on his way back to the Central Plains, he still wanted to hear other people's opinions so that he could learn from their strengths and make up for his weaknesses.

An official dressed in blue stepped forward: "Your Excellency, there are currently three main rebel groups in the Central Plains."

"This first rebel army was mainly composed of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, who were once minor officials in the Great Xia Dynasty. Due to a sudden rainstorm, the escort of criminals was delayed by seven days."

"According to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, he should be fined two sets of armor, which is about two thousand coins. However, this person did not want to pay the money. After seeing the chaos in the world, he harbored evil intentions."

"He then went around inciting others, saying that delaying the sentence would result in beheading. Based on hundreds of convicts, he gathered a large number of people and started an uprising in Dazexiang. At present, he has gathered about 70,000 to 80,000 troops, most of whom are rabble. They are currently entrenched in the north and are the weakest in terms of strength."

"Secondly, the allied forces of Wei Bao of Wei and Han Wangxin of Han, with 150,000 troops, are currently entrenched in the Song region, and their strength is second only."

"This third rebel army was the Chu army led by Xiang Yu. They controlled Jiangdong, Jiujiang, Huaiyang, Changsha and other places, with nearly 200,000 troops. They almost restored most of the Chu state and were the strongest."

After listening to the official's report, Bai Su nodded.

He turned his gaze to the crowd and asked, "Gentlemen, which of these three rebel groups do you think should be attacked first?"

Inside the tent, a deathly silence fell instantly.

After a brief whispered discussion, one of the generals stepped forward and said, "My lord, I think it would be better to attack Xiang Yu first. Once we deal with Xiang Yu, the remaining allied forces will be no threat."

But before she could finish speaking, another person stepped forward: "I think this is inappropriate. Xiang Yu is a man of unparalleled bravery and is not someone to be easily dealt with. Once the two sides are locked in a stalemate, we could easily be attacked from the rear by the other two rebel armies."

"Then who should we attack? Should we attack Chen Sheng first? But how can we guarantee that the Wei-Han allied forces won't cause trouble while we're attacking Chen Sheng?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

The group argued endlessly for a long time, unable to come up with a solution.

Bai Su clapped his hands lightly, and after everyone quieted down, he smiled and said, "After listening to everyone's opinions, I have a solution."

The official in blue stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency have any good ideas?"

Bai Su smiled mysteriously and said, "This six-nation alliance may seem powerful, but in reality it is just a disorganized mess, each with its own agenda. As long as we prevent them from uniting in a short period of time, we can defeat them one by one."

"First, we should deal with the weakest forces, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, as quickly as possible. This will both deter the rest of the allied forces and allow us to concentrate our efforts on dealing with Xiang Yu."

"As for the Wei-Han allied forces, there is no need to take action against them for the time being."

"They responded to the call of King Huai of Chu, Mi Xiongxin, and thought of restoring the states of Han and Wei. However, after the restoration of Chu, they did not move north for a long time, which made them dissatisfied."

"In addition, Xiang Yu often looked down on them and frequently used forceful methods to compel them to provide horses and logistical supplies, which gradually led to a rift between them."

“We can send envoys to win them over and appease them, and temporarily offer them more promises to keep them in check, such as not losing their titles and honors as kings.”

"Any promises made without sufficient strength are just empty words in the end."

"After temporarily stabilizing them, we can concentrate all our efforts and mobilize the manpower and resources of the entire northern lands, and even the grasslands and western regions, to besiege Xiang Yu."

"Seeing our two armies fighting, they must be overjoyed. They hope that we fight each other and both will be injured, so that they can reap the benefits and take over the poorly defended city."

"Therefore, faced with the isolation and helplessness of the Chu state, they will surely find countless excuses to delay their rescue, hoping to wait until Xiang Yu is half-dead before accepting his remnants and taking control of the entire Central Plains under their leadership."

"We will take advantage of their mentality, seize the opportunity to concentrate all our forces, and crush Xiang Yu in one fell swoop, giving them no chance to react."

"Once Chen Sheng, who was used for distraction, is eliminated, Xiang Yu, the strongest of them, will also be gone. Only the weak and insignificant ones will remain. Faced with the inevitable defeat and the fierce army of the Great Xia, they will surrender on their own without us even lifting a finger."

After hearing Bai Su's words, everyone's eyes lit up instantly.

They couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "As expected of the Grand Chancellor! The three rebel armies, which originally seemed to be a formidable force, were defeated by the Grand Chancellor in the blink of an eye."

Chapter 327 A rabble, easily wiped out.

"My lord, sending envoys is not difficult. We just need to prepare some vulgar items like royal seals and robes and make empty promises to them. But how do we deal with Chen Sheng and Wu Guang?"

The official in blue stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said...

As he finished speaking, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.

After all, although Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the weakest of the three rebel armies, they still had 70,000 to 80,000 troops.

The city here was built against the mountainside, making it a formidable stronghold that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be no easy task to quickly eliminate Chen Sheng and Wu Guang before the Chu army could react.

Bai Su smiled and said, "They are just a bunch of rabble. I only need ten days to quell this rebellion without sending a single soldier."

hiss!

Everyone gasped in shock, recognizing the significant contribution made to global warming efforts.

The reason they were so surprised was quite simple.

Although the Great Xia Dynasty boasted a million-strong army, most of them were stationed on the frontier to ensure stability beyond the Great Wall, leaving relatively few troops available for deployment in the Central Plains.

Most of them are still in the hands of Zhang Han and Liu Ji, used to confront the Chu army and the Wei-Han allied forces.

At present, Bai Su's troops are not actually in a superior position. Without mobilizing troops, it would be difficult enough to defeat Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.

But Bai Su said that it would only take ten days, without a single soldier, to completely quell the rebellion, which was hard to believe.

Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, Bai Su explained, "If you want to achieve great things and become a king, you need at least three conditions."

Firstly, a legitimate slogan serves as a rallying cry, such as Xiang Yu raising the banner of King Huai of Chu to call upon the former nobles of Chu and rally the people's hearts.

"Secondly, it requires organization. Simply put, it requires enough grassroots officials. These people may seem insignificant in normal times, but when the two countries are at war, they are the key to coordinating the rear and stabilizing the troops."

"With enough local officials, the originally scattered displaced people can be united into a powerful force. With a single command from the head, they can direct their powerful limbs to strike wherever they are directed."

"Thirdly, as a leader, one must have a long-term vision for development and formulate a stable course of action."

"In comparison, the Chu Kingdom and the Wei-Han allied forces had the support of powerful families and gentry behind them. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were just a motley crew forcibly put together for their own benefit, with no foundation whatsoever. They were no different from a mountain bandit."

"Such a rabble is fine when things are going well, but once there's even the slightest sign of trouble, the team will crumble in an instant."

After hearing Bai Su's words, everyone suddenly realized what was going on.

They only saw the menacing presence of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, but Bai Su saw the limitations of this group; her sharp insight hit the nail on the head.

One of the officials stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Then, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Bai Su lifted the tent flap, looked up at the gray sky, and pondered, "Judging from this weather, it looks like it's going to snow. In that case, let's use that as an excuse to say that a blizzard has occurred, the farmland has been severely damaged, and there is a shortage of food."

"Go and collect grain from the surrounding areas immediately, and keep raising the price of grain, like throwing a brick into a lake, to create a chain reaction in the surrounding areas."

His idea was simple: to do whatever he wanted just because he had a lot of money.

With soaring grain prices, the powerful families and gentry in the city, whether for self-preservation or to make money, will certainly follow suit and hoard grain on a large scale.