Chapter 97 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (38)
Some were happy, while others were troubled. When the system announced that the “Black Moonlight” mission had been completed, Bai Mo was still in a daze.
The young man held a fresh, juicy carrot in his left hand and a small gardening shovel in his right. “Huh? We haven’t even fought back yet—how is the mission already completed?”
The system explained, “The female lead is dead, the male lead is half-mad. There’s no one left to target you, Mo Mo. Naturally, the mission is complete.”
In truth, ever since Yu Chenyi revealed his true identity to her, the mission’s completion didn’t really matter anymore. The whole point of earning points and energy was to return home, but Yu Chenyi could send them back directly.
Hearing the system’s words, a little snow ferret—who had been having a blast playing in the dirt—perked up with interest. “How did those two end up like that? Tell me, quick!”
After all, the protagonist’s halo was annoyingly strong. He found it hard to believe that anyone could take them down.
As it turned out, no one took them down—except for themselves. The protagonist’s halo was indeed formidable, but when the male and female leads turned against each other, neither was willing to back down. Inevitably, they both ended up badly wounded.
On top of that, Wei Yuyan’s childbirth played a key role. The Emperor—protected by the power of the dragon’s aura—took advantage of the situation, further strengthening the male lead’s halo. As a result, the female lead’s halo was suppressed, and in the end, Lan Gaoyi outmaneuvered her and had Wei Yuyan killed.
With the female lead’s halo gone, the male lead’s was also severely weakened. At that point, who would still care about a little nobody like “Black Moonlight“? The plot had already gone off track by about eighty thousand miles.
“Emmm…” Bai Mo was speechless. He had never seen a pair of protagonists so dead set on destroying each other. But it was fine—he and his brother Chenyi were finally safe. They no longer had to live in fear of being caught up in the drama.
Bai Mo had always planned for a “fake death and escape” route for his entire family. It wasn’t just because “Black Moonlight” had bad luck—his whole family would be doomed too. If they all “died” and disappeared, then the male and female leads would no longer have a reason to target them.
But who could have expected that before he even put his plan into action, Lan Gaoyi and Wei Yuyan had already destroyed each other—one dead, one severely wounded.
“Who cares,” Bai Mo shrugged. “The Emperor is far away, and the capital is about to descend into political chaos. It’s much better to stay in the northwest, growing vegetables and eating melons while watching the show.”
The system enthusiastically agreed. She promised to provide Bai Mo with real-time updates on the capital’s latest developments.
“That’s true,” Bai Mo nodded in agreement, also feeling that the northwest was indeed the better place to be. However, his plan to sit back and watch the chaos didn’t last for long.
When discussing a coup, one cannot ignore military power.
Since ancient times, the one who controls the strongest armed forces holds the advantage. After the many princes had drawn their battle lines, each rallying court officials to their side, their next focus naturally shifted toward the Imperial Guards and the City Defense Army.
Those who succeeded in winning over these forces were smug, while those who failed seethed in frustration. Their ambitions, however, did not stop there—they turned their eyes even further, toward the Northwest Border Army.
The border must be defended; withdrawing all troops was out of the question. However, if they could win over Bai Zhu and have him personally lead a portion of the troops back, their military strength would far surpass the City Defense Army. In an exaggerated sense, Bai Zhu alone could take on a hundred men.
Bai Zhu was the son of a former Minister of Justice, who had been forced into early retirement due to pressure from the Prime Minister. Since the Prime Minister had no hope of winning the Northwest Army to his side, the competing princes were eager to take action, sending wave after wave of trusted envoys to persuade Bai Zhu to join their cause.
The Prime Minister was not willing to sit idly by. If he couldn’t use Bai Zhu for his own ends, then he would eliminate him.
Almost simultaneously, forces from all factions set out from the capital. At the same time, Bai Zhu and Yu Chenyi were already making their own moves.
Years ago, the First Prince had also served in the military. In his final act, he sacrificed himself to save his soldiers and the citizens of an entire city, losing his life in the northwest.
Back then, Bai Zhu had only just enlisted, starting as a lowly soldier. That war was his first major battle, and it was the First Prince who had saved him. Bai Zhu had carried that life debt in his heart ever since.
After the First Prince’s death, he left behind a son. However, because of the prince’s defeat, the Emperor was furious, and both the First Prince’s consort and young son became invisible within the royal family, living in extreme hardship. Fortunately, the young prince was intelligent and diligent in his studies. Yet, for the sake of survival, he was forced to hide his true abilities before the imperial family.
Bai Zhu and Yu Chenyi had already reached an agreement. The power struggle for the Jin throne would inevitably bring bloodshed. None of the contending princes were suitable to rule—only the young imperial grandson bore any resemblance to the First Prince of old.
To repay a debt and for the future of Jin, they chose to support the young prince. They had been preparing for this for a long time, and now, their plans were finally in motion.
Thanks to the royal family’s neglect, neither the competing princes nor the Prime Minister paid any attention to the young imperial grandson. To them, he was just a yellow-haired child with no backing—what great things could he possibly accomplish?
Little did they know, the young prince had his own plans. He had never forgotten the hatred of losing his father and the humiliation he and his mother had suffered. He refused to believe that his father had died due to delayed military orders leading to a lost battle. Secretly investigating, he eventually uncovered the truth—his father’s death was orchestrated by the Second Prince.
According to the rules of succession, the crown prince was chosen based on three principles: seniority, legitimacy, and capability.
With the empress having passed away without leaving an heir, and the emperor avoiding remarriage to prevent a powerful external family, the First Prince—being both the eldest and highly capable—posed the greatest threat. If he were to die, the title of “eldest” would fall to the Second Prince, greatly increasing his advantage.
The young prince harbored boundless hatred. Ever since his father’s death, even the servants dared to mistreat him and his mother. Cold leftovers, tattered clothes, and thin bedding—the royal palace only upheld appearances. While he was allowed to study at the Imperial Academy, even the lowliest study companions of the princes received better treatment than he did.
Now, his chance for revenge had come.
He had spent great effort uncovering that his father had once saved General Bai Zhu’s life. Sending letters to test the waters, he gradually built a relationship with Bai Zhu. What began as casual greetings eventually turned into strategic discussions.
For the sake of restoring his father’s honor and freeing his mother from guilt and regret, he was willing to take the risk—regardless of whether Bai Zhu was sincere or not. History is written by the victors; he refused to live in oppression forever, scraping by on the mercy and humiliation of others.
With their plans finalized, Yu Chenyi arranged for a diversion. While their enemies believed they were still in the northwest, they secretly escorted Bai Mo away first.
Bai Mo didn’t quite understand why they had to leave—the northwest was perfectly fine. But Yu Chenyi managed to coax him with an excuse:
“Father and Mother have been home for so long, and we haven’t visited them yet—that’s not right. Besides, haven’t you been wanting to see your little sister? You even prepared gifts for her. This time, you’ll finally get your wish.”
Bai Mo thought for a moment and agreed—it had been a long time since he had returned home. Even during the New Year, he had spent it in the northwest. Though his eldest brother spoiled him, he couldn’t just forget about his parents.
With that in mind, he gave instructions to his disciples, telling them to take good care of the greenhouses. He himself claimed he would be retreating for research and wouldn’t be around for a while. He knew the emperor had people keeping an eye on them. Although they hadn’t made a move yet, Bai Mo had a feeling that if they found out he and his brother Chenyi were returning home, they might try something. It was better not to stir the pot.
His instincts were spot on.
Sure enough, not long after Bai Mo announced his retreat, assassins from the capital sneaked into his residence on a dark and windy night. They thrust their blades into the bulging quilt on the bed— but unfortunately for them, Yu Chenyi had long anticipated such an event. Instead of completing their mission, the assassins were caught in a trap set by Yu Chenyi’s men.
Disguised as Yu Chenyi and Bai Mo’s people, his men carried the severed heads of the assassins to Bai Zhu. Staring at the lifeless, wide-eyed heads, Bai Zhu fell into deep thought. After a moment, he ordered them to burn the remains—it was best to leave no evidence.
“Make your move. There’s no need to wait anymore.”
Previously, Bai Zhu had considered holding back as long as the capital didn’t go too far. But now? There was no need for mercy. They had come for his family’s lives—how could he still swear loyalty to his enemies? That would be the greatest joke.
Meanwhile, Bai Mo, who had already left the northwest, had no idea what had transpired. Xiao Bobao did know, but seeing Bai Mo so joyfully picking out gifts at a market stall for his family, it swallowed the words back.
‘Mo Mo is so happy right now—what’s the point of bringing up those unpleasant things? Bad luck.’
The countryside estate wasn’t as grand as their home in the capital, but compared to the average commoner’s house, it was still quite spacious, belonging to a wealthy gentry family. Master Bai had even hired several servants who had signed indenture contracts. Combined with the wet nurses and maids they had brought from the capital, their household was quite well-staffed.
As soon as they arrived at the gate, Bai Mo’s excited voice rang out, faster than even the doorman’s footsteps: “Father! Mother! I’m home~!”
Madam Bai was in the middle of sewing clothes for her two sons in the northwest. The moment she heard that familiar, sweet voice, her hands trembled. “Who else could it be but my little son?!”
Overcome with emotion, she quickly put down her needle and thread and, with the support of Jin Xin, hurried outside. At the courtyard gate, she saw the son she hadn’t seen in months. Her well-maintained face broke into a radiant smile.
“Mo Mo, you’re back! Come here, let Mother take a look at you. My good child, you’ve gotten thinner… and tanned.”
Madam Bai gently cupped Bai Mo’s face, her heart aching. The harsh winds and limited supplies of the northwest had clearly taken a toll—his skin was darker, and his delicate face looked slimmer. Only those bright, clear eyes remained the same, standing out even more against his tanned complexion.
Jin Xin, the maid, sensibly stepped in: “Madam, the young master and master-in-law just returned. They must be exhausted and hungry. Shall I inform the kitchen to prepare some food?”
Madam Bai snapped out of her emotional daze and quickly nodded. “Yes, of course! Go quickly!”
She also instructed someone to chop firewood and boil water—after all, they had traveled long and hard. A proper bath was in order.
Madam Bai pulled Bai Mo inside for tea, listening as he animatedly recounted his life in the northwest. He gestured excitedly as he described how impressive the Northwest Army’s training was and how sweet the vegetables and fruits from the greenhouses were. Although he had already written about these things in his letters, Madam Bai still loved hearing her youngest son’s chirping, lively voice in person.
Master Bai was out inspecting his shops when he heard that Bai Mo had returned. Hurriedly, he rushed home, arriving just in time for dinner.
“You’ve lost weight… and gotten tanned.” Master Bai echoed his wife’s words, then added, “But you’ve also grown taller.”
Bai Mo loved hearing that. In return, he picked up his chopsticks and enthusiastically placed food on his parents’ plates. Yu Chenyi, watching from the side, felt a little jealous.
“Mo Mo, what about me?” The man whispered in the young boy’s ear, his tone full of grievance.
Bai Mo squeezed his hand and whispered back, “We still have to visit Father and Mother later. That’ll be another full meal. If you eat too much now, you won’t have room later.”
Since they had come back, the Bai family had eaten earlier than usual. But they couldn’t just return to the Bai residence and not visit the Yu family. Madam Yu had surely received the news by now and was probably eagerly waiting for them to come home for dinner.
Hearing Bai Mo’s words, the gloom lingering in Yu Chenyi’s heart instantly vanished.