Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Bai Su scratched her cheek awkwardly: "What can I do? I'm just an honest person."

Zhengjie looked at him with amusement: "If you were an honest person, then everyone in the world would be honest. If you want me to marry my daughter to you, it's not impossible, but you have to show some merit."

Bai Su was taken aback: "Merit?"

The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Although I know your abilities, you lack prestige in the court. You need to produce convincing achievements. Otherwise, how can I convince the people if I betroth Hu Yu to you?"

Bai Su was not surprised at all upon hearing this.

After all, the Great Xia Dynasty has implemented a military merit system for many years, and the court and the public have always only looked at ability and achievements, regardless of background or origin.

Bai Qi, the former God of War, was originally just a commoner who rose step by step to become the top military general.

If one does not produce some convincing achievements, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the officials in the court who have risen step by step through military merits.

Bai Su looked at Zheng Jie and asked, "As long as I make enough military achievements, can I marry Her Highness the Princess?"

The Empress nodded slightly: "That's right. As long as you make enough contributions, I will betroth my daughter to you."

"That……"

Bai Su paused, a smile appearing on her face: "Then what kind of merit must I achieve to be able to marry His Majesty?"

Chapter Sixty-Five: The Princess Fulfills the Promise

Zhengjie was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting that Bai Su would still have the audacity to say such things after learning her identity.

She glanced at Bai Su with a hint of amusement in her phoenix eyes: "You should know that I cannot marry anyone, or rather... you must at least be qualified to be on par with me."

"Running neck and neck?"

A hint of doubt appeared on Bai Su's face.

A playful smile appeared on the elegant and beautiful face of the Empress: "Since ancient times, marriage has always been about matching social status. I have swept across six kingdoms, unified the world, and established immortal achievements. My virtue surpasses that of the Three Sovereigns and my merits surpass those of the Five Emperors. Do you think you are capable of being on par with me?"

Bai Su thought for a while and shook her head: "It seems impossible."

Zhengjie glanced at him with her phoenix eyes, paused for a moment, and said, "That's settled then. Don't think about these impossible things anymore. As for what happened that night, just pretend it never happened. You should forget about it as soon as possible."

"I can't forget it even if I want to."

Bai Su murmured to herself, her gaze falling on her sister Zheng, who was dressed in a dragon robe.

In a daze, he recalled Miss Zhao in the mansion that night, her face flushed with intoxication, dressed in a blue dress; the two figures seemed to overlap.

Looking at Zhengjie's red lips, he couldn't help but recall that tender, heart-stirring touch from back then.

"You rude scoundrel..."

As Zhengjie looked at Bai Su's unwavering gaze, she seemed to recall that scene from the past, and a blush rose on her fair cheeks.

Bai Su scratched his head and then asked, "So, if I achieve something comparable to His Majesty's, would I be qualified to marry His Majesty?"

Zhengjie paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "If you really do it, and your achievements are comparable to mine, then I will grant your wish. What's wrong with that?"

She agreed without hesitation.

Clearly, Zheng Jie didn't take Bai Su's words seriously at all.

After all, throughout history, there are very few people who can be compared to her, and it is already very difficult to accomplish the same feats.

Moreover, she was the first to establish a unified system, and even if a second person were to unify the Central Plains in the future, their achievements would not be comparable to hers.

There's no way anyone could surpass her, so what's the harm in agreeing to Bai Su's seemingly impolite request?

She didn't actually have much ill will towards Bai Su, this talented man; in fact, she quite liked him.

After all, Bai Su was naturally lazy and had little interest in the throne beneath her, but was very interested in the buttocks on the throne.

Although such a rude person often made her feel ashamed and angry, she wished she could kick him hard.

However, from another perspective, such a minister is the one who is easiest for her to trust. She will never have to worry about him interfering with power or threatening the imperial authority, and he can be used to his advantage.

Upon hearing this, Bai Su smiled slightly and said, "Is that so? That's wonderful. I will do everything I can to achieve great things and use them as a betrothal gift to marry Your Majesty."

As Zhengjie watched Bai Su bow and retreat, a hint of suspicion flashed in her phoenix eyes.

Could it be that he really has a way to achieve feats comparable to his own? But how could that be possible?

Now that the world is unified, all Bai Su can do is become a key minister in the court, assisting him in governing the world, and that's all.

But where does his confidence come from?

......

......

Bai Su walked out of the palace and strolled along the quiet corridor, a faint smile on her face.

He already had a plan on how to rival Zheng Jie in terms of fame and status.

The Great Xia Dynasty is full of martial virtue, so it is absolutely impossible for her to surpass Sister Zheng in terms of military achievements. However, if we talk about civil administration, then there may be a chance.

After all, Zheng Jie is still somewhat lacking in civil administration.

As for the civil achievements that could be compared with the martial prowess of unifying China, he already had an answer in his heart, and that was... the imperial examination!

This was also a groundbreaking event, and even after thousands of years, it has been passed down and influenced the course of Chinese and even world history.

Even in later generations, its lofty status remained unshaken, and it was even hailed as the fairest opportunity in life to change one's destiny.

If the agricultural and military system established by Shang Yang was to select talent from the flames of war, then the imperial examination was to select capable people when the world was at peace.

For Great Xia, which now faces fewer and fewer threatening enemies and urgently needs to transform its war-fighting model to provide a path for advancement for its civilian population, this can be considered a lifeline.

After all, continuing to wage wars and expand militarism will only lead to endless conflict.

The strength of the Great Xia will one day be dragged down by war.

However, promoting the imperial examination system was not an easy task.

After all, most people nowadays only know the words "farming" and "warfare," and don't know how to read or write. We still need to build a lot of private schools in the countryside, so that learned people can follow Confucius' example and recruit three thousand disciples to teach the people to read and write.

Only when a sufficient foundation is laid can the imperial examination system be further promoted; otherwise, no matter how much we think about it, it will all be just castles in the air and the moon in the water.

Bai Su stroked his chin, lost in thought. As he passed a sleeping quarters, a small hand suddenly reached out from inside and pulled him inside. The door of the main hall slammed shut.

Bai Su stumbled, and when he came to his senses, he found a stunningly beautiful young woman standing in front of him, her heterochromatic eyes looking at him with delight. It was Hu Yi.

Seeing Bai Su staring straight at her, a blush rose on her fair cheeks, and she gave Bai Su a shy, reproachful look.

Bai Su scratched her cheek. Usually, when she saw Hu Yi, she was always chattering away. Now that she had suddenly become so shy, it was really a bit unusual.

After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands in a salute and said, "This humble subject, Bai Su, greets Your Highness Hu Su."

It was fine if we didn't know before, but now that we know her identity and that she is in the palace, we naturally cannot neglect the proper etiquette.

But Hu Yi interpreted it differently.

She bit her lip lightly, and her heterochromatic eyes welled up with tears: "Are you... are you angry with me and don't want to talk to me anymore?"

Bai Su was completely bewildered. He had just been in Zheng Jie's bedchamber, promising to marry her. Why was he angry?

He said with amusement, "I am not angry."

Hu Yu pouted and looked at him with a resentful expression: "Then why do you refer to yourself as a subject, and why do you speak to me in such a distant tone?"

Bai Su was taken aback: "Actually..."

Hu Yu bit her lip: "You don't need to say anything, I understand. You must be angry that I concealed my identity and betrayed what you told me to Mother. What can I do to make you forgive me?"

Bai Su was both amused and exasperated: "I'm not angry."

"I do not believe……"

After a moment of contemplation, Hu Su looked at Bai Su with his heterochromatic eyes and said, "I'll keep my promise, so please don't be angry anymore."

After saying that, she lifted Bai Su's hand and bit a small, delicate tooth mark on the back of Bai Su's hand.

Bai Su looked at the teeth marks on the back of her hand, and then at the expectant look on her face, and couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time: "You misunderstood, the bet I was talking about didn't actually mean that."

Hu Yu blinked his heterochromatic eyes: "What does that mean?"

"This is actually..."

Bai Su coughed lightly. He didn't want to say anything, but seeing how serious Hu Yi was, he hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to her ear, bit her earlobe, and seemed to say something.

Hu Yu's fair and delicate face froze for a moment, then turned bright red like a boiling kettle, her eyes widened, and steam rose from her head.

"Ahem, I already said I'm not angry, don't overthink it."

Bai Su looked at Hu Yi, whose face was flushed and who was looking down at her without glancing at her, coughed lightly, and prepared to leave with her.

But it was caught by a soft, delicate hand, which belonged to Hu Yi.

She bit her lip lightly and hesitated before saying, "Actually... I can try to fulfill the promise."

Bai Su was stunned: "Are you... are you serious?"

Hu Yu bit her lip tightly, her face flushed with embarrassment, and remained silent. She simply used her fair little hand to lift the stray black hair between her brows, and her petite body slowly bent over.

At this moment, dusk was approaching and the sun was setting.

The long shadow cast by the pillar was slowly obscured and swallowed up by a cloud in the sky.

The sunset is absolutely beautiful.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Hu Yu, what are you stealing to eat?

More than half an hour later.

Hu covered her mouth and ran out quickly to find a glass of salt water to rinse her mouth.

Bai Su let out a long sigh, looking languid. If the conditions weren't so restrictive, he would have even wanted to hold a cup of tea and leisurely take a sip.

A moment later, Hu Hai, having finished rinsing his mouth, ran back.

She stared at Bai Su with her heterochromatic eyes, her gaze filled with resentment.

God knows how embarrassed and angry she was just now, that bad person had bullied her like that.

Her eyes widened, her teeth clenched; she was certain that Bai Su had done it on purpose in the end.

Although she had long been prepared to marry Bai Su, she was still a virgin, and this was a bit too much of a shock for her.