The Great Xia was rife with warlords who crowned themselves marquises, fighting over territory and constantly at war.
Concerned for Ji Chenghe's safety, Bai Sheng, despite her advanced pregnancy, brought Zuo Ye and Prince Yu to visit him.
Unexpectedly, Ji Chenghe had also rallied the militia and able-bodied men of Tashajun, forming a civilian army of over a thousand to protect the county's residents.
Fortunately, Bianzhou was too remote and impoverished to catch the attention of the various feudal lords, thus suffering the least impact from the wars.
Upon seeing Bai Sheng and the other two, Ji Chenghe was overjoyed and immediately sent for the Governor of Bianzhou, Lord He, that very night.
During the banquet, Ji Chenghe and Lord He exchanged a look, then rose together and knelt before Prince Yu.
Prince Yu asked curiously, "I am no longer the Prince of Great Xia. Why do you kneel before me?"
Ji Chenghe paused, then said earnestly, "Lord He and I have discussed this at length. We implore Prince Yu to return to Bianzhou and continue as its lord."
Prince Yu smiled and shook his head, "No, everyone in Great Xia knows I am not the birth son of the former Emperor. No one will recognize me as their lord."
Ji Chenghe immediately countered, "Therefore, they must be very curious whose son you truly are! If you reveal your identity as Young Master Baili, and your father simultaneously reveals his identity as Baili Rongmo, with the prestige of the Baili family alone, you can rally support and the people will flock to you."
Prince Yu's expression turned serious. "Old Ji, Old He, what do you mean?"
Lord He immediately fawned, "Your Highness, why don't we also occupy Bianzhou and establish our own country! You will be the ruler of Bianzhou, chosen by Lord Ji and myself."
"What?" Prince Yu exclaimed in surprise. "You want to establish Bianzhou as a nation?"
Ji and He nodded with resolute gazes.
Prince Yu turned to look at Bai Sheng and Zuo Ye. "What do you two think of this?"
Bai Sheng smiled, "Brother Ji's and Lord He's idea is indeed feasible. Moreover, Cousin Jing Yu has accumulated considerable popularity in Bianzhou from governing the desert, so it's certainly worth a try. The key is whether Cousin Yu is willing himself."
"Indeed, I agree with my wife's opinion. If Cousin Yu wishes to do this, my wife and I will provide you with the greatest support," Zuo Ye nodded. "Bianzhou borders Qinghuang, and if Cousin Yu takes Bianzhou, it will greatly benefit Qinghuang as well."
Seeing Prince Yu's wavering expression, Ji Chenghe continued, "Your Highness, Great Xia is in turmoil, and there is nothing we can do or manage in other places. However, although Bianzhou is remote, desolate, and poor, it is a place where we have worked together. We have all developed a special affection for this land and cannot bear to see it fall into the hands of bandits. Furthermore, the people of Bianzhou rely on us, and we cannot abandon them. Moreover, our ultimate goal in occupying Bianzhou is not to seize power or profit, but to create a bright future for the people here and give them a stable and secure life."
Lord He produced a prepared booklet. "Lord Ji and I have already decided. From then on, our Bianzhou will be renamed 'Yuguo,' and you will be Emperor Yu!"
"Our Yuguo borders Qinghuang along its entire length, and the distance is not too far. If Yuguo is safe, Qinghuang will also be safer. From now on, our two nations will unite, jointly defend against foreign enemies, and our great enterprise will endure forever," Ji Chenghe continued his persuasion.
Prince Yu looked at Bai Sheng. "Little Black Face, if you think this is feasible, then I will do it!"
Bai Sheng smiled. "Cousin Yu, this is not a small matter, so I hope when you make your decision, you set everyone else aside and seriously consider if this is what you truly want, if you like it, and if you want to do it. If you don't like it or don't want to do it, there's no need to force yourself."
"Yes, asking my precious girl actually puts pressure on her. If she says you should take it, and you regret it later, wouldn't my precious girl be blamed?" Zuo Ye raised an eyebrow.
Prince Yu glared at Zuo Ye. "No matter what, no matter when, I will never blame Little Black Face."
Bai Sheng's expression turned awkward for a moment, and she immediately changed the subject. "Cousin Yu, please think it over carefully."
"Yes," Prince Yu nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "Alright, I'll do it!"
"That's great!"
Ji Chenghe and Lord He jumped up excitedly and hugged each other tightly, a rather awkward scene.
With the important matter decided, they all drank and conversed heartily.
Ji Chenghe and Bai Jing had a fair-skinned and plump daughter, named Ji Yazhu.
Bai Sheng took out a large, golden lock and hung it around the neck of the chubby girl. The fat little girl kept smiling at Bai Sheng.
After the three returned to Qinghuang, Prince Yu packed his belongings and was sent by Bai Sheng to Tashajun. Bai Sheng gifted the over a thousand disciples of the Ghost Shadow Pavilion to Prince Yu, forming the Yuguo Imperial Army. Coupled with the militia recruited by Ji Chenghe and Lord He, they amassed four to five thousand men. Bai Sheng also gifted Prince Yu five hundred thousand taels of silver, providing him with funds to recruit troops and purchase horses. A significant portion of the warhorses and weapons seized from Bei Qiang was also distributed to him. Furthermore, provisions were generously supplied. Now pregnant, and judging by the growth rate of her spatial dimension, she estimated another quadruplets. Therefore, while the two nations were still stabilizing, her spatial dimension could easily supply both Qinghuang and Yuguo with food.
Seeing Bai Sheng's magnanimous generosity, Ji Chenghe and Lord He hugged each other excitedly again. They had thought they would be starting from scratch and facing immense difficulties in establishing their dominion in Bianzhou, but Bai Sheng's support exceeded their expectations. With such economic backing, Bianzhou was firmly within their grasp.
Baili Rongmo and Mei Qing strongly supported Prince Yu's endeavor in the Great Xia border region. Their son was grown, no longer needing to be constantly by their side, and Mei Qing was already expecting another little one.