Chapter 29

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

As Meng Yanbai is still in his prime, the successor should not be chosen too early. It might end up worse otherwise.

So when the aftermath of this announcement fades, Meng Yanbai and Bai Lianhua, the two people in the middle of all this, goes quiet. They wait and look towards the future.

As for the members of the Bai family though, why they are endlessly thrilled. They start to strictly educate every kid that is born after this, hoping that one of them could stand atop all others.

So Bai Lianhua discovers one advantage of this… When a potential successor is put onto the table, most Bai family members are immediately focused on them. They have stopped the fruitless venting of their anger at Meng Yanbai for now, and is now working hard on fighting for a peaceful ‘usurpation.’

——Meng Yanbai’s set the selection criteria extremely loosely, only requiring that one be of the bloodline of the Bai family… So, many side branches of the family that never had hopes of succeeding the imperial throne in the previous dynasty have now also become ambitious.

Of course, there’s also a minority of shady Bai family members who are more adamant and feels that Meng Yanbai is treating them as if pitying them with charity. Even if the throne is retaken like this, it would be meaningless. The only right way is to topple him openly.

Though even if it has a logic and rationale of its own, adherents to this line of thought are few. Most other Bai family members stay quiet on the matter.

Rebellions carry risks. The outlook of a rebellion succeeding is grim right now… Meng Yanbai himself usurped the throne militarily, and he has the military in his hands. They’re a bunch of former royals that lost power. Where would they muster the strength to fight him? To forcibly reinstate the previous dynasty? Yeah, in their dreams. Without years of preparation, this is nothing but a brave idea. They might as well use this gentler method to take the throne back.

And Meng Yanbai already announced it to the world, unwavering even when the court was rowdiest. So they aren’t worrying that he’ll go back on his words, unless he plans to shame the imperial throne and completely wipe his prestige out.

The side that proposed that open rebellion line of thought sees the former royals still raising their kids to suit their royal dreams, so they also feel defeated and stops convincing them.

If they continued to advocate for rebellion, they would definitely have been seen as a burden by the ones with the best descendants. Besides, if dozens of years later a child from a branch of their Bai family really does end up on the throne, then do they even continue the rebellion or not? They’ll have lost their casus belli even.

Even the few court officers that are on their former ruler’s side and have contacted them in secret are on the fence. They tell them that instead of a rebellion whose potential results are questionable at best, they might as well wait the decades out and then push another Bai family member on there. It’s definitely a safer way to do things.

So while the Bai family is making more noise on the surface, their little movements under wraps have stopped.

After about 10-odd years of observations, Bai Lianhua tells Meng Yanbai that he’s picked the eldest son of Bai Lianyi and his cousin from the Tang family, Bai Chengguang. He feels that he is capable of handling the position in the future.

This is not only from the bias he has for him from their close relationship.

Bai Chengguang might not be physically strong or brave, or skilled in martial arts, nor is he a magician with his words and quick-witted or strategic. It can be said that among the kids that are potential candidates, he is someone who excels in none; however, his eyes are clear, he is just and righteous, while still being tolerant of others. He can also discern people, knowing what people should be assigned to what post.

An emperor doesn’t need to know everything. Why else would they need a court? The most important aspect an emperor must have is to know people and correctly position them.

This result disappoints a bunch of young men who tried their best to appeal their skills.

Meng Yanbai is also satisfied with this candidate. He’s already thought of this since way earlier, but he didn’t say anything since he didn’t know the future back then. Now that Bai Chengguang has grown up well, he is naturally the best one around.

Compared to those other young men with the Bai surname, he too is the closest in blood to Bai Lianhua. From Bai Lianhua’s maternal side, Bai Chengguang should call Bai Lianhua ‘ biaojiu .’ From his paternal side, he should call him ‘ tangbuo .’

As he is close with his cousin, Bai Lianhua also has a good relationship with Bai Chengguang, who has grown up treating him like an educator of sorts.

Though when Meng Yanbai looks at the other bitter members of the Bai family who are saying they can’t see what good Bai Chengguang has, he can’t help but smile.

“It’s been so many years, but your eye for people has stayed the same… Like me back then, like Bai Chengguang now.”

Both criticised by others.

Bai Lianhua replies with a smile, “I believe in my eyes. Both you, both Bai Chengguang.”

——Bai Chengguang is a good kid. Bai Lianhua doesn’t know whether he can become a great emperor and leave behind grand achievements, but believes he would at least be an emperor that can at least take care of and defend the nation well.

…

There were days when Meng Yanbai disregarded his own physical wellbeing to rise quickly up the ranks with merits back then, when he has left all sorts of hidden damages to his body that has fundamentally crippled his basic constitution. So, before his 50 th birthday, all these hidden damages piled up and surfaced, so the imperial practitioners warn him that he must now take care of his body well.

So Meng Yanbai discusses with Bai Lianhua that he plans to abdicate and be a Retired Emperor .

Bai Lianhua is surprised to hear that.

Meng Yanbai feels this confident about Bai Chengguang? Not that he’s saying they have a bad relationship or anything, because Meng Yanbai did teach Bai Chengguang like one would a Crown Prince. Still, given Meng Yanbai’s personality of being naturally suspicious of everything, he should at least have hesitated and also prepared countless backup plans.

Meng Yanbai chuckles, “you’ve said, you believe in your eyes. Similarly, I also do.”

Plus, Bai Lianhua has this quality about him that makes people that interact with him often become good people.

As expected, after Bai Chengguang succeeds, he doesn’t disrespect them at all. In fact, he highly respects the both of them. In the early days of his reign, he would even actively seek their advice when he is met with difficulties. It even got to the point that the irritated Meng Yanbai is opposed to the idea of him coming again the next time.

“You’re a Crown Prince that Prince Qi and I taught together, and you don’t even know how to do that when you’re on the throne? Aren’t you ashamed? When it’s not the eleventh hour yet, don’t expect us to help you ever again.”

Bai Chengguang looks dead serious, “it’s this imperial son’s uselessness… This imperial son will definitely not fail the expectations of you, the imperial tutor and my imperial father again.”

Bai Lianhua has a stupid look on his face “???”

No, I didn’t say anything did I? Young man, I’m not disappointed in you.

…

On his deathbed, Meng Yanbai looks at Bai Lianhua and says, “when you’ve just returned, I’ve said I’ll not ask anything about your identity… That was a lie.”

“I actually always wanted to know, whether you’re a human, or ghost, or monster, or even an immortal? Why did you come back… You must have come back to life for some goal or grudge you had to settle, right?”

“I still didn’t understand though, after all these years.”

“I wanted to ask, but I didn’t dare.”

Bai Lianhua asks him in return, “then what do you want me to be?”

Meng Yanbai answers, “My wish… It’s fine whether you’re a ghost or a monster. If you’re an immortal, then all the better.”

Bia Lianhua is confused, “why?” Normally, wouldn’t it be best if he were a normal human?

“Because, you will then live for a very, very long time. I can feel that, I’m about to pass away… But I don’t want you to die.”

Bai Lianhua pauses. He feels bitter and astringent in his mouth.

After a while, he shakes his head and says, “I don’t know what to call my state of existence either, but there is one thing I can definitely tell you. I came back for you… My whole life, I’ve lived for your sake.”

“Whole life?” Meng Yanbai murmurs. He’s having a hard time staying focused already, “including the beginning, all for me?”

After saying that, Meng Yanbai feels that he must be dying, because there are already all these ridiculous things popping up in their conversation… Greedy. Too greedy. He even wants to take all the time before he and Bai Lianhua met for himself… How could that have been possible?

——Even though, for him, his first meeting with Bai Lianhua certainly can be said to be fated.

And then Bai Lianhua gently but firmly assures him, “yes, since our first meeting… Everything is for you.”

“Even if we didn’t meet each other in the Meng family in the beginning, even if we were in a different space and time, you would still have come to know me.”

“I will still have, like I did back then, extended my hand to you.”

Meng Yanbai, whose gaze has already started to lose focus, shows a brilliant smile, looking like he’s going to believe all of it as long as Bai Lianhua is the one who says it like that.

“How nice. To have met you in this life… I truly have no regrets.”

He is smiling, looking at Bai Lianhua. Then, gradually, his eyelids lower and close.

…

The chronicles from the latter eras record that Meng Yanbai has not married his whole life, nor does he have any descendants. In the end, he returned the throne to the bloodline of the former dynasty. He and Bai Lianhua, a former imperial prince of the previous dynasty, and the most famous and controversial court officer, worked flawlessly together as ruler and his aide, and laid the foundations of a golden age. Finally, they passed away together in the same year, in the same month, on the same day, at the same time.

There’s an endless amount of rumours circulating about them.

For example, as the first emperor to have never married, what relationship did Meng Yanbai have with the famous court officer Bai Lianhua, who also never married? What kind of relationship, whether love or hate, did they have when they were young? If they were friends, why did Meng Yanbai topple the Bai dynasty, even personally executing several imperial princes of the Bai family? If they were adversaries, why did Meng Yanbai ever only place his complete trust in Bai Lianhua, even trusting him with the decision of picking the Crown Prince?

Or, the successor Bai Chengguang, who is completely unrelated in blood to Meng Yanbai, but is very close in blood relations with Bai Lianhua. His biological father is the paternal younger male cousin of Bai Lianhua, and his biological mother is the maternal younger female cousin of Bai Lianhua. Whichever side one starts from, Bai Lianhua is still closely related to Bai Chengguang.

There’s even unofficial historical rumours that state that Bai Chengguang’s mother——The lady of the Tang family, Bai Lianhua’s cousin, almost got married to Meng Yanbai originally, then almost got married to Bai Lianhua. She only finally married the one she loved after several twists and turns, and gave birth to Bai Chengguang.

Look at all these people who are related to her – a legendary emperor, a legendary court officer, and a transitionary, virtuous emperor who is her own son. Later she even became the Empress dowager , enjoying the time of her life literally her entire life. She only passed away after almost 100 years of age. She’s practically a winner in life.

Therefore Queen Mother Tang is also called the Heavens’ chosen daughter by nosy historians afterwards. Countless novels, TV dramas and movies have been created recounting her life’s story…

As for whether these rumours are true, nobody knows.

——Oh wait, there is something that is affirmative in all these rumours, which is that Bai Lianhua is good-looking.

When Hui Jifu, Meng Yanbai’s head manager retired due to old age and left the imperial palace, as he has been close to successive emperors and has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he also has a good life in his remaining days. He’s a social butterfly and enjoys talking about the past with people. While he didn’t say anything he shouldn’t, but every time he talked about his former master, he would always remark, “my master, he’s like an immortal, appearing from thin air all of a sudden!”

While the latter half of his remark is never well understood, which is also where many rumours were born, but the first half is still easy to understand. Immortals are all rumoured to be heavenly in appearance and divine in disposition, aren’t they?

So this point is accurately recorded in many literary works of the time, and proof of it is still abundant to this day.

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