Chapter 26

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

Bai Lianhua does in fact feel a bit defeated and doesn’t really understand why.

He thinks when he’s interacting with Meng Yanbai, he tried to be as boring as possible, and he keeps remonstrating him on this and that, basically doing his part to be the commonly depicted imperial consort the leads the entirety of the harem palaces and is often too straightforward to a fault that they’re disliked by the emperor.

Aren’t these lecturing types often viewed negatively by the emperor, who instead would prefer those seductive beloved high-ranked concubines? Why is Meng Yanbai not getting tired of him? When they meet every day there are already often times when he’s already failing to come up with topics on which to offer advice to Meng Yanbai. He is having a hard time too.

The system courteously smiles at this, saying, “excuse me for my brutal honesty, but a refreshing straightforward little white lotus is also popular as candidates that can become beloved high-ranking concubines… Perhaps you’re quite suited for such a route to being such a concubine that is a heart-throb to all, host. Please don’t regard yourself so lowly, and understand your own character setting well.”

Bai Lianhua “???” No, wait, what do you mean understand my own character setting well?

Jeez, this conversation is dead. I’ll shut up, ok?

…

What’s unexpected for Bai Lianhua is that Meng Yanbai refusing to marry has not only ruffled the courts, but also ended up making his maternal relatives in name contact him.

Yes, that Tang family where the biological mother Guifei Tang of the sixth prince is from.

Back when Bai Lianhua left the imperial palace and went to the Meng family, he was still in contact with the Tang family. Therefore they long knew he had a good relationship with Meng Yanbai. Now that Meng Yanbai has made his way up, they happened to have been worrying about how to establish themselves in the new dynasty when news that Bai Lianhua didn’t die made its way to them. There’s even an imperial decree granting him Princehood.

While this is unexpected, but when the Tang family think about it, with the favour the sixth prince had curried with this new emperor back then, it’s not too odd a reward. They were aware how terribly this new emperor was treated back in the Meng family. Without him having incidentally become connected with the sixth prince, who was willing to support him a bit, who knows how much worse he’ll be off today.

So unlike the other families that are still on the fence, they have nothing to hesitate about. Establishing connections with the Meng family has never been an option on their table.

Rather than the Meng family, they might as well go for the freshly ordained Prince Qi… Now they have a way to establish themselves. Truly ‘someone sends in a pillow as soon as they were thinking about napping.”

So the Tang family, through agents in the servants, sent news to Bai Lianhua. Having established a communication channel, they ask him to persuade Meng Yanbai to marry a bachelorette of the Tang family as his imperial consort.

There’s reason and emotional weight in their wording. Besides talking about their blood relation and promising him great rewards, there’s also the pros and cons there analysed for him.

Given the blood of the Tang family flows in him, then he would naturally be an ally of the Tang family. So for all intents and purposes, they should work together. If the bachelorette from the Tang family manages to make her way up, then with her bedside words, they’ll of course also be able to consolidate his position as Prince Qi. The difference between a Prince with power and a Prince without is quite obvious, no?

Bai Lianhua feels complicated.

So the moment Meng Yanbai enters his residence, he sees Bai Lianhua having this expression that is different from normal. Thinking about what’s the hottest topic of discussion of the court, Meng Yanbai has an idea of what’s troubling him.

“Has someone contacted you to persuade me?”

Bai Lianhua feels a bit uncomfortable. He didn’t expect Meng Yanbai to be that sharp and gives him a quiet acknowledgement.

“Who is it?”

“My maternal relatives.”

Meng Yanbai raises his eyebrows, “the Tang family? I didn’t treat them badly given your connection; looks like they’ve become too ambitious for their own good.”

He sighs before continuing, “don’t concern yourself with their words… Don’t worry, I won’t lay my hands on them. Though I will put them back into their place, to make them understand that when they should or shouldn’t involve themselves with something.”

He hesitates before sending all the servants away, standing for a moment, then walks next to Bai Lianhua. He holds his hands in his palm, looks straight at his eyes before speaking softly, “by now, however dense you might be, or however much you want to avoid it, you must have realised my intentions.”

Bai Lianhua “…” Oh no, has the antagonist been agitated so much he’s planning to lay everything bare? Can he choose not to listen?

“I like you. This isn’t something that I realised in recent days… It isn’t even something the gradually developed over the eight years you disappeared.”

“When you first arrived at the Meng family, I was indifferent, even thinking that there’s just another person who can bully me… No, in fact, you’re high and mighty, so I’ll probably not even have the chance to make myself known before you.”

“It wasn’t long before I realised I was extremely wrong. Bully me? Not just in the Meng family. Even throughout the entire Qi dynasty, you’re probably the only one that treated me with sincerity. You would even carefully tread so as not to offend that sensitive, laughable sense of self-worth in our everyday interactions.”

“That difference between ruler and subject, between their positions, for what greatness of mine do I deserve this special treatment of yours.”

“You’ve rooted yourself into the fields of my heart and bloomed into a gentle, delicate flower. It’s made itself comfy in my chest and is no longer able to be rooted out.”

Bai Lianhua “…” O…kay? I don’t understand you antagonists anymore. Why am I always a flower in your reflections? Should I be thankful that you haven’t specifically alluded to a white lotus in this instance?

Meng Yanbai pauses before smiling.

“This usurpation is not the first time I’ve transgressed my social obligation.”

“The first and most treacherous transgression in my whole life is that I’ve ignored our status and fell in love with you.”

Ah, there it is! Bai Lianhua feels bitter. Why did all these bok choy he raised always end up growing wrong? He was so diligent in watering and fertilising them, in gently caring for the antagonists, you know.

While Bai Lianhua is distracted by his thoughts, Meng Yanbai embraces him, and kisses him forcefully.

Before Bai Lianhua starts resisting, Meng Yanbai releases him and backs off a step.

“This isn’t an insult… You know, when I’m before you, ever since the moment you, the imperial prince, and me, the ignoble-born son of the General, met, I’m fated to be the one under control, the one being dominated.”

“It’s not the new emperor and the imperial prince of the former dynasty, but just purely Meng Yanbai that loves Bai Lianhua.”

Bai Lianhua is silent before asking him, “are you asking me to become like an evil seductive male concubine?”

Meng Yanbai has still already ordered for him to be made Prince; growing so intimate so soon after that? The world isn’t blind.

Meng Yanbai chuckles, “your Princehood isn’t in name only. When everything is settled, I’ll share my authority with you… When you also have the power, who would dare spread such disgraceful rumours?”

“And with you here, I’ll definitely not act tyrannically… If you and I ended up founding a golden era, then why would we fear the judgements of our successors?”

“… Or, do you not want me to be a wise emperor?”

“Are you still leaving my side?”

Bai Lianhua “…” I don’t dare, thanks. Do you know how threatening you sound right now, antagonist?

Bai Lianhua looks around, and with a resigned look, he says, “that would hinge on me being able to leave, wouldn’t it?”

Yes, he can walk freely about in the palace, but without Meng Yanbai’s approval, he’ll never be able to leave it. If he’s inside the palace, then isn’t he always by Meng Yanbai’s side?

“I don’t mean to put you under house arrest,” Meng Yanbai appears to be mocking himself, “these walls can’t stop you, nor do I want to entrap you. I know how it is the biggest insult to you if I really do keep you inside this small space in the palace.”

“Your residence outside the palace is already in the works. There are ready residences of Princes from the previous dynasty, but they were all your good imperial brothers’. I think even you wouldn’t choose such rotten locations.”

“Don’t worry. Even if I really want to do so, I still won’t delay the constructions.”

“The residence in this palace will forever welcome you. You can come when you want to… and I’ll look forward to it too.”

——I don’t ask that you stay in the palace every day, just, please, don’t leave him alone forever.

Meng Yanbai can be said to be unexpectedly cooperative in attitude at this point. Bai Lianhua also understands how big of a concession he’s willing to make by saying this when considering how possessive he can be. He’s probably already wracked his head over it for so many days himself when considering how he, Bai Lianhua, is someone for whom softer tactics are way more effective than hardline ones.

But Bai Lianhua is also aware how great a source of potential danger someone who can freely position himself between the previous dynasty and the imperial palace is. Plus he’s also got such an identity now.

Meng Yanbai must have also thought about this; even he can see this point.

So he can’t help but ask, “aren’t you afraid I’ll revolt?”

Meng Yanbai throws the question back at him casually, “will you?”

Continuing, “15 years ago, the whole world knew that the sixth prince was highly regarded and beloved by the emperor, and he was the most probable candidate in the succession. If it weren’t so, then he wouldn’t have been picked on and chased out of the imperial palace by the imperial consort. They all thought you would be indignant, and scheming to get back into court, but I knew, that the sixth prince in the Meng family, was detached from the bickerings of the material world, and despised the ugliness of the courts. The only thing he preferred was being free and being himself.”

“ Only I knew.” Meng Yanbai repeats these words with a genuine smile.

Bai Lianhua isn’t letting up yet, “what if I’d changed? What if I now want that chair?”

“No. The fact that you’re asking means you’re unchanged. You’re still honest to a fault like you always are.” Meng Yanbai looks confident.

——If he really was determined to overthrow him, why would he say that out loud? Is he trying to alert him on purpose?

“Now the people have just been through a revolution. Could you bring yourself to jeopardise that again?”

“And, with that mystical power of yours that could even grant life to the dead, it wouldn’t even be a fight if you wanted to get rid of me… I’ve spent so many days with you, during all of which I’ve dismissed all the servants and hidden guards. Have you seen me worried about it?”

Bai Lianhua can’t think of anything to counter. Silence overtakes the residence.

Meng Yanbai goes on, “if nothing else, overthrowing me doesn’t sound bad either; it’ll just be me having already cleared out the obstacles to claiming the throne for you.”

“In fact, I’ve also fantasised about this. If you had succeeded as emperor, then I would have made my way to the borderlands and defend our borders. I would have been your loyal military officer for life, so that you wouldn’t have been troubled by this affection of mine.”

“If you hadn’t, and had instead been granted an inconsequential title, then I would have done my best to earn enough merit to be a court official for you. We would have worked together to guarantee you a carefree, tranquil life.”

“I was not that greedy before, but something like losing something before regaining it is enough to shatter my restraint, and I don’t want to let you go ever again.”

Meng Yanbai appears peaceful, “even if we ended back up with you the emperor and me the officer, then that would only have been the path that should have been.”

“If I were able to willingly swear fealty to you, willingly fight for you my whole life, then I am still able to——If you would not leave from the throne, and assure me that you’re still there even if I were far away in the borderlands.”

“Or, conversely, if you don’t feel safe about me, you can lock me up my whole life. As long as you come to see me every now and then, it will also be good enough for me. In fact, I would be overjoyed.”

“Do you want to try?”

——Meng Yanbai is serious.

Bai Lianhua, who, before this day, thought he would have been put under house arrest one way or another for his entire life, is stunned. He’s so shocked he’s speechless.

Meng Yanbai is sick; he’s bonkers. But… this madness, has tugged at his heartstrings.

It’s over. He must have been infected by the antagonist and now his brain is also malfunctioning, becoming this intensely twisted.

“No. Please. You’re right. I don’t want the throne anyway.” Bai Lianhua turns his head away haphazardly. He doesn’t dare look at Meng Yanbai anymore. He tries his best to calm himself.

It takes him a long time to collect himself. Then he requests lightly, “I only wish for you to be a wise emperor.”

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