Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

"Wang Jian?"

Upon hearing this familiar name, Xiao Qiao asked in surprise, "This name sounds so familiar, could it be Marquis Wu Cheng?"

Bai Su nodded: "Who else could it be but her?"

"Since he is an important official in the court, we cannot neglect him. I will go and get some bowls and chopsticks."

Da Qiao, being a virtuous woman, got up and went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks.

Bai Su got up and went to open the door.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

He opened the door and was immediately stunned.

Wang Jian was not the only one who came.

Zhengjie stood quietly in front of the mansion gate, while Li Si held up an oil-paper umbrella to shield her from the rain.

She wore a black palace dress with exquisite gold patterns embroidered on it, exuding an air of elegance and nobility. Her jet-black hair was tied up high and adorned with a delicate jade hairpin.

Her stunningly beautiful face, illuminated by the dim candlelight, appeared breathtakingly gorgeous.

Zhengjie looked at Bai Su in front of her and smiled gently: "This is not the place to talk. Let's go inside and talk."

Bai Su gestured for them to proceed: "Please, everyone..."

Zheng Jie glanced curiously at the steaming hot pot in the corridor and asked, "Are you eating?"

Bai Su nodded and said, "It's been raining heavily these past few days, and the weather is a bit damp and chilly, so I made some food. As the saying goes, guests are always welcome, so please don't stand on ceremony."

"Haha, then I won't be polite."

Wang Jian didn't treat herself like an outsider at all. She lifted her skirt, sat down at the table, and skillfully picked up the bowl and chopsticks, acting as if she were at home.

She picked up her chopsticks and started stuffing herself with the food. The tender fish balls and delicious slices of mutton, mixed with sesame sauce, minced garlic, and chive blossoms, made it impossible for her to stop eating.

Li Si frowned slightly as she watched her movements. "Wang Jian, you're a high-ranking official, don't act like you haven't eaten in eight lifetimes. It's really an insult to your civility."

Wang Jian smiled mysteriously and said, "You don't understand. Young Master Bai's cooking skills are unparalleled in the world. Even the imperial chefs in Xianyang Palace are far inferior to him."

“I once asked Young Master Bai to write down the recipe for the ingredients, but the chefs in the manor could never make it taste the same. It’s so much better to eat here at Young Master Bai’s place. If you don’t believe me, try it. I guarantee you’ll never forget it after you’ve had it once.”

Li Si shook his head slightly, not believing Wang Jian's words at all. No matter how delicious the food was, how much difference could there be? It was mostly just exaggerated praise.

She politely picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, then froze.

This...this smells so good!

The tenderness of the meat, combined with the aroma of the base sauce and the enhancement of the seasonings, creates a complex flavor that truly makes one's mouth water.

After spending the whole day discussing matters with the ministers in court, Zhengjie was also a little hungry.

She picked up her chopsticks and started eating, but after tasting a meatball, she was stunned: "This...this tastes like beef, doesn't it?"

"beef?"

Li Si was taken aback, then took a bite and discovered that the tender meatball was actually beef.

She immediately turned her gaze to Bai Su: "Young Master Bai, killing a cow is illegal! How could you kill a cow without permission?!"

In the Central Plains, cattle have always been very important production tools, and the government does not allow the private slaughter of cattle.

Even if some oxen are too old to plow the fields and need to be slaughtered, it must be reported to the government before slaughtering can proceed. However, the beef from older oxen becomes particularly tough and unpalatable.

Such tender beef is clearly not from an old cow.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Bai Su rubbed his nose and said, "This cow accidentally suffered heatstroke and is too weak, so we have to use it for food."

Li Sida frowned and said, "It's been raining non-stop these past few days, so where did this talk of heatstroke come from?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian smiled. She wasn't unfamiliar with stealing beef before.

However, they usually made up excuses such as the cow being accidentally injured or falling to its death. The officials from Xianyang who came to investigate were well aware of this, and they generally turned a blind eye to it, pretending not to see it.

Using heatstroke as an excuse, like Bai Su did, is a bit too perfunctory.

Facing Li Si's gaze, Bai Su rubbed her nose: "Perhaps it's because my cow is more sensitive to heat."

Li Si was momentarily speechless: "You..."

Zhengjie stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Alright, alright, it's not a big deal. Bai Su failed to take good care of the cow, which resulted in the innocent cow dying of heatstroke. Remember to pay the fine to the government, and we'll let this matter drop."

"Yes……"

Since Sister Zheng had already said so, Li Si had no choice but to nod in agreement.

After all, they were just some trivial matters, and even if she investigated further, she wouldn't get any results.

We can't really throw Bai Su into the dungeon just because he stole food, His Majesty wouldn't be willing to do that.

Bai Su looked at Zheng Jie: "His Majesty braved such heavy rain to come here. It can't be just for a simple meal, right?"

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Here's what happened..."

Zhengjie put down her bowl and chopsticks and said, "Because of the continuous torrential rain, many floods have occurred in various parts of the country, and a large number of people have become refugees."

“Floods broke the river and mountain roads collapsed, cutting off many official roads and forcing people to take more treacherous and muddy paths.”

"Because these places are too narrow, many places cannot be passed by carts and horses, and can only be transported by manpower. It would take at least a month to transport the grain from Guanzhong."

"But in many places, the grain in the granaries will not last for more than half a month."

"I originally intended to purchase grain from the people to meet the immediate needs, but the local situation is complicated. The remnants of the six former states, the gentry, and merchants are all mixed together and have hoarded grain. There is no grain left to collect from the local area."

"In addition, the remnants of the six kingdoms continued to spread rumors, and the conflict between the local people and the government intensified, gradually showing signs of developing into a large-scale riot."

"Do you... have any way to transport the disaster relief grain from Guanzhong to stabilize the people's hearts?"

As she finished speaking, Li Si and Wang Jian, who were standing to the side, also looked at Bai Su with serious expressions.

They had been discussing it in the court for a long time, but they couldn't figure out how to shorten the journey from a month to ten days. They were completely at a loss.

Bai Su in front of him was the last glimmer of hope, if even he couldn't help her.

Then the imperial court will completely abandon the preparations for disaster relief and begin to prepare to gather troops to forcibly suppress and quell the rebellion.

A war breaking out within the Central Plains is inevitable, and hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people will perish in this chaos.

Whether this war breaks out, and the fate of millions of displaced people in the future, will depend on Bai Su's next sentence.

Under such pressure, even a veteran like Wang Jian, who had fought countless battles and emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, subconsciously swallowed hard.

Li Si also held her breath, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her fair forehead.

After all, deciding someone's life or death with a single word brings no pleasure whatsoever, only a heavy burden pressing on the chest, making it hard to breathe.

Bai Su stroked his chin and pondered for a long time before saying, "Since the carts can't be used, why not just use oxen and horses to help carry the goods? That would be much faster and more efficient."

Zhengjie shook her head slightly and said, "The ground is muddy and the mountain path is rugged and narrow. In many places, even cattle and horses cannot pass through. We can only rely on human labor to carry people across the difficult mountain path."

Bai Su smiled mysteriously: "Your Majesty misunderstands. As the saying goes, a white horse is not a horse. The cattle and horses I'm referring to are not four-legged, living horses, but cattle and horses that I created myself. Since I ate a bite of Your Majesty's beef, I will return the favor with ten thousand cattle and horses..."

Li Si was taken aback, looking at Bai Su with the same gaze one would give a charlatan.

After all, what Bai Su said was too bizarre. These oxen and horses were creations of the heavens, how could mortals possibly create them?

Could it be that Bai Su knows the magic of Nuwa, who could create humans from clay?

Zhengjie's phoenix eyes lit up. She had known Bai Su for a long time and had naturally seen the many exquisite items made by Bai Su. She knew that Bai Su never lied.

If he says that, then he must have some kind of confidence in his heart.

She couldn't help but ask, "Could it be... that you, young master, also know the art of creating contraptions for cattle and horses?"

Bai Su smiled and said, "I suppose so. I wonder if Your Majesty has ever heard of the wooden ox and flowing horse?"

Chapter 120 News about Miss Han

"Wooden ox and flowing horse, what are those?"

Zhengjie was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to realize something, and looked directly at Bai Su with her phoenix eyes: "Could it be... that this thing can cross mountains and valleys to transport grain and supplies?"

Bai Su smiled and said, "That's right. This thing is not an ox or a horse, but it is better than an ox or a horse. It can allow a small child to easily transport a cart carrying three or four hundred catties of grain. Even on rugged mountain roads, it is as if walking on flat ground. It can greatly increase the speed and efficiency of transportation."

"Such a wondrous object exists in the world!!!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zheng Jie's phoenix eyes: "I wonder where this is? May I come forward and take a look?"

Bai Su nodded: "If Your Majesty wants to see it, how could I refuse? Xiao Qiao... go and get the drawing I made and put it in the bookcase."

Xiao Qiao blinked her clear, bright eyes: "Understood, Master."

The little girl ran inside quickly, and a moment later, she came back with a rolled-up scroll in her hand.

"Your Majesty, please look, this is the wooden ox and flowing horse..." Bai Su handed over the scroll.

Zhengjie lowered her eyes eagerly, a hint of anticipation on her beautiful face.

Even Wang Jian and Li Si, who were standing nearby, curiously crowded over to see what the wooden ox and flowing horse that Bai Su had mentioned actually looked like.

Zhengjie gave him a strange look: "Bai Su, are you sure this thing works?"

Bai Su was stunned for a moment, then looked down and her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

What was laid out on the table was not a design drawing, but an erotic picture.

The image above shows a short man, about three feet tall, and a plump woman, about seven feet tall, in a pancake shop, openly facing each other.

The title also reads, "The Picture of Dalang and Jinlian Bathing."

He also spontaneously composed a poem: "A three-foot-tall husband and a seven-foot-tall wife, two ladders are needed to paint eyebrows, at night they lie side by side on mandarin duck pillows, their heads are level but their feet are uneven."

I must say, this poem is quite apt.

Wang Jian stroked his chin, looking at the painting with great interest, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Li Si was stunned for a moment, and then her fair cheeks turned bright red.

She glared at Bai Su, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed: "Young Master Bai... is this what you call cattle and horses?"

"Ahem, I took the wrong one..."

A hint of embarrassment crossed Bai Su's face. As she rolled up the scroll, she glared at Xiao Qiao beside her and said, "Why did you bring this over?"

Xiao Qiao lowered her head and said aggrievedly, "Didn't Master say that we needed a picture of a child being able to push a large cart?"