Chapter 24

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

Meng Yanbai raises his voice to call out, “Hui Jifu.”

Someone waiting outside the palace hall answers and comes in.

Bai Lianhua is distracted thinking about how he can recall the name. This person… isn’t he the eunuch who used to serve him back when he was inside the imperial palace? Meng Yanbai promoted him to the head manager directly under him?

Looking at Bai Lianhua’s expression, Meng Yanbai nods as if knowing what he’s thinking about, “your memory’s still good, it seems you still recall someone insignificant like him.”

After his successful usurpation, he didn’t lay off the eunuchs and imperial maids in the imperial palace.

Even the head eunuch serving him is someone from the previous dynasty. That person seems to also be one of the hidden agents planted for that coup d’état , and has long ago already chosen to side with him. So he’s an officer with honours.

Bai Lianhua “…” Fine fine fine, I don’t remember him. I only remember you out of the whole world, okay?

Hui Jifu comes in with his head lowered. After kowtowing he almost yelled upon seeing Bai Lianhua when his head raises.

Just now, outside the palace hall, there was already a minor eunuch with sharp hearing incessantly bugging him quietly in a superstitious tone about how there seem to be sounds of conversation inside the palace hall, and there may be someone else besides the emperor inside. He asks if the emperor might be having a secret rendezvous with a beauty.

He immediately scolded the minor eunuch. The emperor has just been enthroned. This is when the patrols of the imperial palace is the strictest. How could someone have entered the palace hall without anyone noticing? Did that person fall out of the sky directly? They’ve been standing at attention outside the palace hall without moving.

Besides, a beauty… Other than executing a coup, the rest of the criticisms against the emperor is in how he’s disinterested in women. Nobody dared say the emperor might be defective, but many people have already joked before he ascended the throne that this general Meng who killed his way through mountains of corpses might perhaps be more interested in becoming a monk.

After that the eunuch instead swore as if he was wronged that he didn’t lie, so it made Hui Jifu a bit anxious… But since the emperor hasn’t called for them, they can’t go in, or it’ll be their heads that roll.

Everyone can clearly see that after the enthronement the emperor did not seem particularly enthused, instead, he seems depressed… It’s already the dead of night and he’s still sitting silently in the hall. Not only not resting in his chambers, but he’s also not even asked for anyone to care for him by his side. Without a certain amount of bravado who would dare disturb the emperor at this point?

Finally, when the emperor calls him inside, it turns out there is someone inside all along! And that someone is the former sixth prince that died eight years ago? Even his appearance is the same as before, unchanged?!

He’s someone who has served the sixth prince directly. He will never mistake him.

Especially when he’d still recall the sixth prince in his mind every now and then, and he hasn’t forgotten the face nor the smile on the sixth prince at all… Since, there are quite a few eunuchs that are pretty quick-witted when it came down to it, why is it that he’s the one that’s promoted? What for? Hui Jifu understands that it is because of a small kindness towards him because he had served the sixth prince.

When the emperor wasn’t the emperor yet those years, he’s best friends with the sixth prince who was out of the palace——When he recalls that, Hui Jifu feels that he does live up to his name , and is a lucky person bringing prosperity.

But even if he’s often thankful to the sixth prince in his mind, now that the person suddenly appears before him, Hui Jifu is still shocked. When he recalls what hour of the day it is, and drawing from the oral tales of the supernatural that book-sayers often speak of in the common populace, Hui Jifu can’t help but shudder. He tries to chant a few sentences that purportedly purges evil in his mind.

The carefulness with which they act nurtured through their years in their lives in the imperial palace has helped him, however, not immediately wobbling to his feet and turning around to run away in this situation.

Still, even if he did barely stay himself, he understands he’s still disgraced by the situation. Therefore he immediately professes his offence when he sees the emperor’s displeased expression.

“Pardoned.” Meng Yanbai gestures with a sweep, and then gives his orders.

Hui Jifu listens attentively, not letting his gaze focus anywhere in particular. He tries to pretend he is completely indifferent emotionally right now, and is thinking about how he will have to warn the other servants not to be shocked by this.

This will be difficult.

Given while the emperor is already 25, he has not yet taken any women in. His harem palaces are completely empty.

Who would think that the first person to make their way into the emperor’s chambers would be a man?

A man who is the former prince of the previous dynasty?

A man who used to be his master?

Oof. This is quite the development.

…

Having learned his lessons, and having previously been through Wen Fu’s scenario, Bai Lianhua immediately realises something is off when he enteres Meng Yanbai’s chambers.

So many things here used to be old stuff he used when he previously lived in the Residence of Great General. In fact, they’re all stuff that Meng Yanbai personally bought for him.

When he sees Bai Lianhua first seeming stunned, and then breaking out into a smile, before approaching and picking up some random knick-knack to play about in his hand, Meng Yanbai’s lips perk up slightly.

——Bai Lianhua sighs in relief in secret. He passed this time. Oof. Antagonists nowadays sure are hard to please. Who knows when they’ll set a little trap for you here and there… Luckily, he’s seen through them by now.

It can be foreseen that if he didn’t recognise them he’ll be the recipient of the antagonist’s complaint along the lines of “you’d rather remember a eunuch than our precious memories together.”

The sudden thought gives Bai Lianhua goosebumps. He crumples the thought together and throws it out of his brain.

And then he acts more and more courteously.

First Bai Lianhua rejects the standard procedure of having a shower because it’s too late, and also advises Meng Yanbai not to because his hair might not even dry by tomorrow morning, and it is bad for the body. Then he finds a stool to sit on, super far away from Meng Yanbai. He only sits cowardly all curled up in the farthest corner of the bed when Meng Yanbai urges him after that.

Even if he seems gentle and obedient, his repulsion is quite obvious.

Meng Yanbai sighs, “do you want to avoid the current me this much?”

“Fine. Since we haven’t seen each other for years, and you’re unfamiliar with me… Then I’ll give you time to adapt.”

Meng Yanbai rises, and sits onto the wooden bench next to the bed, giving it to Bai Lianhua.

“I won’t go back on my words that I’ll have your residence ready by tomorrow… So have a chat with me for today. Go to sleep when you’re tired.”

While he says that, Bai Lianhua would never dare falling sleep under the watchful gaze of Meng Yanbai. Someone must have nerves of steel if they could pull that off.

With no way out, Bai Lianhua can only keep his eyes open, having a chat with Meng Yanbai… um, mainly Meng Yanbai speaks and he listens.

Who knows how long the antagonist hasn’t opened his heart like that. He’s beyond talkative. Bai Lianhua himself can’t believe it when it’s early dawn and he really did talk with Meng Yanbai for the whole night.

Then Hui Jifu led people inside to help them wash up. When he sees him energetic and well-rested, while Meng Yanbai seemed a bit tired and exhausted, and so sends a gaze of both shock and disbelief towards him, Bai Lianhua feels even more bitter inside.

You’re a toxic eunuch, you know, it’s not what you think.

I, Bai Lianhua, had ample rest inside the system space before returning to this world. Even if he did show some exhaustion before that was only part of his act. Not for Meng Yanbai, you know! He just had a whole busy day enthroning, and then he went mad and dragged him along for a chat overnight. It’ll be weirder if he is still energetic by now.

… I’m still clean!

…

Meng Yanbai makes good on his promise, and finds a residence for him the next day after the imperial assembly is over——It turned out to be the palace he lived in as the imperial prince before.

Bai Lianhua had a look inside, and it looked exactly the same as before… While he had personnel work about like busy bees tidying up the place, but to Bai Lianhua, this palace is quite clean already. There’s probably already professionals taking care of it every day already.

Not only that, but the imperial servants inside the palace have been assigned as true to the old arrangements as possible. It looks like he’s trying to make him live here as much as possible.

Bai Lianhua is now quite sure Meng Yanbai had been genuinely concerned with this. He couldn’t have known these arrangements originally, given he “didn’t knew” Meng Yanbai while he was still in the imperial palace… Hui Jifu must have played quite the role in this.

Right, speaking of which Meng Yanbai even wanted to reassign Hui Jifu’s post. Bai Lianhua rejects it immediately.

What the heck? He still feels unsettled whenever he sees Hui Jifu’s gaze that is as if saying he knows everything now. He’d rather he stay the head manager of the antagonist, and not appear before him every day.

——Most importantly, he doesn’t want to be in the imperial palace at all… He thought he would only be staying here temporarily, and Meng Yanbai will have arranged another residence for him .

Therefore, when he sees Meng Yanbai again, Bai Lianhua tries to fight back.

He has an excuse too. Not mentioning how a dead prince of the previous dynasty suddenly appearing, why is he even staying inside the palace? Under what justification can he do that?

Bai Lianhua doesn’t know how Meng Yanbai achieved it either, and the palace seemed as quiet and calm as always. The imperial servants do not seem particularly surprised when they see him… Even an emperor, though, cannot stop all the people from gossiping. Who knows what kind of rumours are already circulating under the surface.

Meng Yanbai seems to be indifferent, “now I’m the emperor. Nobody can order me around, so you don’t need to mind it.”

——You sure sound prideful, no?

Bai Lianhua pauses before biting his lips, “true. You’re the emperor, and I’m a member of the court.”

“It would be remiss of me to consider myself an exception to those who cannot order you around. I should not have objected.”

Bai Lianhua’s head is lowered, his expression is hidden away, “speaking of which, I must bow down to you… I have failed to consider the difference in our ranks since my return. It is my transgression.”

Meng Yanbai’s expression contorts greatly.

He takes a deep breath, and stops Bai Lianhua. His expression is very dark indeed, “no… Your ankles; you must not bow down for anybody.”

“Not your father, not me, and not… for the Heavens either.”

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