Empire Conquest
Chapter 278 - 274: Unrivaled Hero

Chapter 278: Chapter 274: Unrivaled Hero

By this point, Li Yunxiang no longer cared about saving face and bluntly laid out the stakes.

Bai Zhizhan had been in the Navy for over twenty years, but even after becoming a General and befriending a group of promising young officers, why was progress still so difficult for him?

There was only one reason: his birth.

Previously, having Zhu Shijian as a backer, this issue wasn’t so pronounced, given the Commander-in-chief’s prestige, the Liu Family and He Family had to show respect.

Now, the Principal had retired and returned to his hometown.

How much longer could an eighty-year-old Principal enjoy his retirement?

After the Principal’s death, would Bai Zhizhan still be able to maintain his glory?

With the Liu Family and He Family standing in his way, even if Bai Zhizhan was a dragon, he had to curl up meekly!

Fundamentally, what Bai Zhizhan lacked was a mountain that was big enough and would never fall—a supporter.

A noble family?

Without three generations of continuous struggle, where would a noble family come from?

Could Bai Zhizhan guarantee his son and grandson would be dragons among men, upholding the glory he had initiated?

If not, then forget about claiming to be a noble family!

A typical example was Chen Bingxun.

Chen Bingxun had accomplished so many great feats, yet in the end, without an heir to continue his legacy, his efforts simply benefited the Liu Family and He Family for nothing.

Even if Bai Zhizhan became the second War God of the Imperial Navy, it would not make him a noble family!

The only thing that could compensate for the regret of his birth was marital connections.

Marrying a good wife could save twenty years of struggle. Don’t doubt it, reality is indeed so!

Marrying a princess favored by the Holy Emperor wasn’t just about saving twenty years, it was about sparing three generations of effort!

Although Li Yunxiang hadn’t explicitly stated it, it was clear that he had always actively pushed for and facilitated this marriage with these considerations in mind.

Becoming the Prince Consort to the Empire meant having the capital to stand up to the major families.

And this Prince Consort was quite extraordinary.

Once the marriage was complete, Bai Zhizhan would be the Little Eldest Princess’s brother-in-law!

The Holy Emperor and Bai Zhizhan belonged to the same generation, so as long as there were no accidents, the Holy Emperor and the Imperial Family would be Bai Zhizhan’s backers for decades to come.

Even after the Constitutional Amendment, when the Imperial Family no longer held real power, they still commanded immense influence in times of war.

Importantly, the Imperial Family represented all the traditional nobility, being at the forefront of noble families.

In summary, this marriage could solve all the problems Bai Zhizhan currently faced.

They talked until midnight, and only after Bai Zhizhan agreed did Li Yunxiang finally stop.

Since the engagement ceremony was scheduled for early the next morning, Li Yunxiang and Fang Suqing did not leave and stayed overnight in the guest rooms of the west garden of the estate.

After Li Yunxiang left, Bai Zhizhan followed an unfamiliar young maid to the back courtyard.

It wasn’t just the people; Bai Zhizhan was here for the first time.

The young maid led Bai Zhizhan to the outside of a room, said nothing, and turned to walk away.

This left Bai Zhizhan feeling awkward or, rather, at a loss for what to do.

Especially since it was the dead of winter, and it was bitterly cold outside. Not to mention staying out all night, even a few minutes was annoying, and Bai Zhizhan had no idea where else to go.

There was no choice.

Knowing that there would be issues if he entered, he still had to steel himself and go in.

As he had suspected, it was the Little Eldest Princess’s bedroom, or more precisely, the bridal chamber.

Even though it was decorated according to engagement standards, the pervasive red color was striking, and the atmosphere was stirring a strange restlessness in the heart.

It was also related to the incense.

For someone as unsophisticated as Bai Zhizhan, he never understood why wealthy families liked to burn incense so much. Didn’t they bathe regularly?

The Little Eldest Princess had already changed into her home clothes and was sitting by the fire.

"Mmm..."

After making his presence known, Bai Zhizhan walked over.

Having let out a cough to announce himself, Bai Zhizhan immediately regretted it, because the Little Eldest Princess was facing Damen, and his initial action was clearly foolish.

This wasn’t a surprise inspection, so what was the cough supposed to mean?

"Don’t blame your cousin or her husband for this matter. If you must blame someone, blame me. Had I known earlier, I would have never agreed to it."

"You weren’t informed either?"

"Do you think I’m so overbearing that I lack basic human empathy?" After Bai Zhizhan approached, the Little Eldest Princess continued, "I won’t deny, I truly liked you. More than ten years ago, when I first met you at my cousin’s place, I made up my mind that I must marry you in this lifetime. However, I would never force you. Love cannot be forced, not even with imperial edicts."

"More than ten years ago?" Bai Zhizhan deliberately lightened the subject.

"You were a Major then, discussing fleet matters in my brother-in-law’s study. My cousin sent me to bring some fruit over, and I listened from outside the door for quite a while."

"Did you understand it?" Bai Zhizhan recalled that it should have been after a fleet exercise.

He must have been full of youthful enthusiasm.

More than ten years ago, Bai Zhizhan would have been in his twenties.

"I didn’t understand, but from your proud tone, anyone could guess that you were the protagonist, and my brother-in-law admired you immensely. I just felt that if even a great hero like my brother-in-law looked up to you so much, you must be a greater hero than he was."

The Little Eldest Princess’s words left Bai Zhizhan chuckling.

It’s no wonder, since the Little Eldest Princess back then was just a teenage girl.

"I told my cousin too, that if you refused, I would go to the Imperial Brother myself and ask him to retract the order..."

"You and Fang Suqing..."

"As Zhang Xiaoqing, I’m her cousin."

Bai Zhizhan paused for a moment, then asked, "In that case, how should I address you? Continue to call you Ms. Zhang or should I call you Little Eldest Princess?"

"Call me whatever you like; it’s just a title."

"This..."

"The title of Little Eldest Princess was bestowed by my mother, so outside, I am still Zhang Xiaoqing."

"Alright, I understand."

"Tomorrow’s..."

Though Bai Zhizhan interrupted her at the beginning, Zhang Xiaoqing felt reassured deep down since Bai Zhizhan would not have cut her off if he had no intention of agreeing, yet when she asked, she still felt anxious, fearing another outcome, for Bai Zhizhan hadn’t agreed yet.

"Let’s go ahead with it."

"With what?"

"Life must go on, it’s just an engagement, after all. Besides, with my current condition, I might not catch the Holy Emperor’s favorable eye, and who knows, a royal decree might come..."

"He wouldn’t dare!"

The Little Eldest Princess sure had a temper!

Bai Zhizhan smiled as Zhang Xiaoqing realized she had been indiscreet.

"It was something he agreed to, and mother had approved long ago. If he tries anything foolish, he’ll have to get past mother first, otherwise, he must follow the protocol."

"What protocol?"

"The ruler’s word cannot be taken lightly."

"What do you think of the Holy Emperor these days?"

"Rest assured completely there. The Imperial Brother is actually very lenient. Despite seeming strict, he’s never heartless. In my opinion, he’s the best brother in the world. I remember once, to make our father retract an order, he knelt outside the Diligent Governance Hall for three days and nights, until he fainted and fell ill. Afterwards, he even arranged for someone to protect me and personally met with my father from the Zhang family."

"Really?"

"On the battlefield, the Imperial Brother is a towering hero. At home, he’s absolutely the most capable husband."

Bai Zhizhan couldn’t help but laugh.

In this world, probably only the Little Eldest Princess would speak of the present Holy Emperor in such a way.

Clearly, the Little Eldest Princess regarded the Imperial Brother as a role model for her choice of husband. In her heart, the present Holy Emperor was the true unparalleled hero.

Just how wise and valiant is the Holy Emperor, really?