Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

There were even rumors circulating in the palace that Mother was pregnant.

My mother spends most of her time in the deep palace, and the only man she can usually come into contact with is Bai Su.

Although we don't know if this news is true or false, one thing is clear right now.

She has no way to restrain Bai Su now.

If Bai Su were to overthrow the Great Xia and take its place, she could only watch helplessly, powerless to stop it.

No, the foundation laid by seven generations of rulers of the Great Xia Dynasty cannot be easily handed over to outsiders.

Fu Su clenched her slender jade hands slightly, her expression complicated, and said, "But how can I, who cannot fight against him, protect the land and the state of Great Xia from that scoundrel?"

She fell into deep thought for a moment.

.......

.......

outside the city.

An unassuming carriage slowly made its way into the city.

Inside the carriage.

Yu Ji, looking nervously out the window, gazed at the bustling streets and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the legendary Xianyang? It is indeed prosperous, far surpassing Jiangdong!"

Bai Su lay on her plump legs and said with a smile, "As the starting point for trade between the Western Regions, the grasslands, and the Central Plains, Xianyang is a place where merchants from all over the world gather. It is naturally incomparable to Jiangdong, which is located in a remote corner."

"However, this is only temporary. Once the canal is dug and connects the north and south, the Chu region and Jiangdong will also become prosperous."

Yu Ji nodded slightly upon hearing this. She blinked her dark eyes and looked at the bustling streets outside, a hint of longing in her eyes.

She was a woman with little ambition. After confirming that Xiang Yu was safe and sound, she put aside her former status as a young lady from a noble family in Chu and decided to serve Bai Su as a wife or concubine.

After all, compared to her life in Jiangdong, where she appeared to be a young lady from a prestigious family but was actually used as a bargaining chip, she was a different story.

She preferred to stay by Bai Su's side, finding more happiness in being a carefree concubine.

Is this where I'll be living for the long term?

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

An envoy dressed in official robes stood before the gate of the mansion, seemingly having waited for a long time.

After Bai Su stepped down from the carriage, the envoy bowed and said, "Greetings, Grand Chancellor. His Majesty instructed me to wait here for you and to bring you into the palace."

"Did His Majesty summon me?"

Bai Su was taken aback for a moment, then instructed the maids to find a room for Yu Ji to rest in.

Seeing that Bai Su had important business to attend to, Yu Ji didn't say much.

She bowed slightly and said softly, "Sir, please be careful on your journey."

Chapter 363 The Pregnant Sister Zheng

Night was falling.

Led by the envoy, Bai Su walked towards the sleeping quarters.

They entered the sleeping quarters.

In the candlelight, through the draped gauze, one could see a voluptuous figure sitting upright before a desk, holding a report and reading its contents.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Zhengjie slowly raised her head and gently waved her hand.

The palace maids in the bedchamber all withdrew.

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

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su, who was not far away and looked surprised, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

A smile flickered in her phoenix eyes as she said, "What are you doing standing there like an idiot, you silly goose?"

Bai Su came to his senses and smiled, "Your Majesty's stunning beauty has momentarily captivated me."

Zheng Jie spat lightly and couldn't help but say, "It's been a long time, and you're still as irresponsible as ever."

Bai Su rubbed his nose slightly and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I am an honest man and I always keep my word."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Sister Zheng a couple more times.

It was simply because the woman in front of him was so stunning.

She wore a simple black dress, her dark hair styled in a bun, and her once flat stomach was now swollen.

A gentle breeze stirred her dark hair, revealing a graceful and elegant face. While exuding the nobility of an empress, she also seemed to possess a touch of maternal gentleness. Bathed in moonlight, she was simply as beautiful as a painting.

Seeing Bai Su's dazed expression, Zheng Jie couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.

She brushed aside a strand of hair between her brows with her slender hand, revealing her fair and elegant collarbone, and said, "Thank you for your hard work during this time when I am unable to handle state affairs."

Bai Su smiled and said, "It is only right for this humble subject to do so. But Your Majesty... living deep within the palace, I did not expect you to be so well-informed about news from the outside world?"

The Empress Dowager glanced at Bai Su with interest in her phoenix eyes: "Although I am not in the court, I am very familiar with the affairs of the world, including... that little girl you brought back from Chu."

Bai Su coughed abruptly: "Cough cough, Your Majesty, please let me explain, there's actually a reason for this..."

Zhengjie rolled her eyes: "Don't bother with these polite words in front of me. Don't I know what kind of person you are?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh and glanced at Bai Su with a hint of helplessness.

The meaning was obvious: doesn't she know what kind of lewd you are?

Bai Su scratched her cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing this, Zhengjie stopped teasing Bai Su and asked, "Tell me in detail what has happened these past few days."

Upon hearing this, Bai Su briefly recounted the rebellion of the Xiongnu in the northern desert and the allied forces of the six states in the Central Plains.

The beautiful brows of the Empress Dowager furrowed slightly: "The actual situation is a hundred times more dangerous than what was reported in the memorial. It's all thanks to your ability to turn the tide and defeat Xiang Yu. Judging from the current trend, the unification of the Nine Provinces is only a matter of time."

Bai Su nodded and said, "After losing Xiang Yu, the rebel army is currently leaderless and just a disorganized mess. At most, the country will be unified in less than three months."

Zhengjie's brows relaxed considerably, and she said, "It's easy to destroy the Chu Kingdom, but it's difficult to completely extinguish the Chu people's rebellious spirit. The Chu region has always been sparsely populated, and many of the local areas are governed by powerful and influential families of the Chu Kingdom."

"The former Chu Kingdom may seem to have a vast territory, but in reality, it is full of kingdoms within kingdoms, and the imperial decrees can never reach the counties."

"These problems that once troubled the rulers of Chu are now our turn to face..."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but rub her temples.

This is a nearly unsolvable problem. Xianyang can send a million troops south to quell the rebellion in a short time, but it has no way to establish a foothold in Chu for a long time.

After all, the distance is too far, and the logistical costs along the way are simply too high.

It is impossible to maintain a large-scale military presence for an extended period of time without the outbreak of war.

Without the ability to establish effective control in the local area, the area is destined to exist in name only, but the imperial court's control is very weak, and it needs to rely on local powerful families to govern.

For example, this time...

Led by King Huai of Chu, a group of remnants of the Chu state rallied the people, and the land of Chu quickly responded from all directions, establishing their own independent territories in a very short time.

If this issue cannot be resolved, even if we recover the lost territory today, we will not have enough troops to deploy in a short period of time if any problems arise in Xianyang in the future.

The distant Chu region could still be seceded from at any time.

If we don't find a way to solve this problem, we will face the same situation again in the future.

Bai Su smiled and said, "Your Majesty need not worry, I already have a way to integrate the North and South."

Zheng Jie paused, then couldn't help but ask, "Oh, what method?"

Bai Su smiled slightly: "To build the Grand Canal."

"canal?"

Bai Su nodded slightly, took out a map and spread it on the table, pointed to the water area on it, and said, "Your Majesty, please take a look. The situation in Chu is complicated, with a dense network of waterways. In the past, when the army wanted to move south..."

"It requires traversing dense forests and mountain paths, which is not only a long journey but also extremely inconvenient. A round trip alone would take more than a month. If it is this cumbersome even in times of peace, one can only imagine how much more complicated it would be in times of chaos."

"But if we build a Grand Canal, the situation will be completely different."

“By directly connecting the north and south through the canal, a huge transportation artery will be formed. When the country needs to be governed, it will greatly facilitate the transport of leather and timber from the north to the south, as well as the transport of grain, tea and bamboo products from the south to the north, and save on transportation costs.”

"If there is another rebellion in Chu, we can use the canal to transport a large amount of grain and supplies in a short time at extremely low transportation costs, and lead a large army south to quell the rebellion quickly."

"In this way, the North and South can form a situation of continuous integration in terms of economy and culture, and the South will no longer have the possibility of long-term division and confrontation between the North and South."

Zheng Jie's phoenix eyes lit up immediately; she had never imagined there was such a solution.

If her construction of roads and the Great Wall on the borders integrated the entire north into a unified whole, then Bai Su's proposal to excavate the Grand Canal would include the more distant south as well.

This is truly a great achievement that benefits the present, future generations, and descendants.

After all, with the Grand Canal, whoever unifies the north in the future will turn their attention southward, travel south along the Grand Canal, and complete the unification. They will definitely not have any idea of ​​dividing the country along the river.

The system of the unified dynasty she established will last for thousands of generations.

She is eternal, the First Emperor.

And all the credit goes to the man in front of you.

The Empress Dowager stared intently at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes. After pondering for a long time, she said, "You always bring me surprises. I don't know how to reward you."

Bai Su smiled and said, "Your Majesty, haven't you already bestowed upon me the most precious gift?"

Zhengjie was stunned for a moment, and followed Bai Su's gaze to look down. There was Bai Su's slightly protruding belly, which looked like she was about seven or eight months pregnant.

Chapter 364 Childhood Sweethearts Can't Resist a Sudden Influence

Zhengjie rolled her eyes as she looked at Bai Su, who was blinking in front of her.

She gently stroked her belly and sighed softly, "It's truly regrettable. I was traveling among the common people and originally wanted to obtain a fine steed, but I didn't expect your horse to have such a big appetite. In the process of bestowing gifts, it ended up taking me down with it."

A smile appeared on Bai Su's face as he said, "To be able to hold such a beauty as Your Majesty in my arms, I have no regrets in this life."

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su's sincere gaze, spat lightly, seemingly disgusted, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Clearly, she also valued Bai Su, her lover, very much.

After all, she had a difficult childhood and had experienced countless betrayals throughout her life, with not a single person she could trust by her side.