After Jian Wuqing disappeared, Bai Yinyue immediately returned to the Bai Kingdom; she then went to see her father and told him about Hu Duan's downfall, shocking him.
Bai Zhongyu took a deep breath and asked him. "So, who are you going to appoint to replace Hu Duan? After all, he is an Emperor; if you don't find a replacement soon, this western continent will be in chaos."
"Who do you think deserves to be the next Emperor, Royal Father?" Bai Yinyue asked him, for she felt that none of the several kings of the western continent were worthy of it other than her father.
Bai Zhongyu scratched his chin and thought for a while, and he immediately answered his youngest daughter. "In my opinion, you can go see Yan Qiong. Although he is still very young, he is far more intelligent and wise than those old kings, so he is most suitable to be the next Emperor."
"Yan Qiong?" Bai Yinyue was surprised to hear her father put forward his name, especially since he had hardly been involved in politics. Although she admitted that he was brilliant, he was too weak in politics, so it would be difficult for him to rise to become the Next Emperor.
Bai Zhongyu nodded to her. "Honestly, if one of those old Kings rises to become the Emperor, then this continent will never be peaceful, and many wars will occur. So I think it would be better if you were selected an outsider to become one, and Yan Qiong is the best choice."
"I see." Then Bai Yinyue asked him. "But what if those old Kings refuse to accept Yan Qiong, Royal Father?"
"Isn't that very easy?" Bai Zhongyu asked as he laughed. "Since you were able to exterminate Hu Duan and his entire family so easily and without causing chaos on this continent, you should be able to suppress those old Kings much more easily, right?"
"Yes." Bai Yinyue nodded to him.
Bai Zhongyu then said to her again. "As a ruler, we do have to lead our people well and wisely. However, we cannot use kindness and wisdom to do everything in certain situations, and we sometimes have to use pressure. As you already know, the situation in this continent is very different from the southern continent, and those old Kings are very greedy and ambitious, so you must use pressure to make them submit to you."
"I see." Bai Yinyue nodded in understanding. "In that case, I will follow your advice, Royal Father. I will go to Yan Qiong to discuss this matter with him, and I hope he is willing to follow your idea."
"That's good." After his youngest daughter left before him, Bai Zhongyu sighed softly and closed his eyes again, but a satisfied smile appeared.
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Minutes later, Bai Yinyue arrived at a residence, and her eyes were observing Yan Qiong, who was painting in the back garden.
Behind him, Yan Ran kept watching her big brother paint, and she seemed amazed by how realistic his painting was.
However, they were surprised when Bai Yinyue appeared before them, and Yan Ran immediately asked her. "Why did you suddenly come here, Princess Yinyue? Moreover, why did you suddenly appear like this? I remember you didn't look like this when we last met."
"Not only that, Ran'er." Yan Qiong finally spoke as he observed Bai Yinyue. "She's even stronger than me now, and if my guess is correct, then your cultivation has already broken through to the Ancestor Origin Realm, right, Princess Yinyue?"
"What?" Yan Ran shouted loudly as she stared at Bai Yinyue wide-eyed.
Bai Yinyue smiled at that. "You are absolutely right, Yan Qiong. My cultivation has already broken through to the Ancestor Origin Realm, and this happened thanks to my husband's help."
"So, did you come here on purpose to see me?" Yan Qiong asked as he smiled faintly.
"Ha ha." Bai Yinyue laughed softly at his question. "My father was right about you; I came here especially to see you, for I want you to become the next Emperor to replace the late Hu Duan."
After saying that, the atmosphere in the garden grew quiet, and the brothers and sisters looked at Bai Yinyue with looks of shock. After all, they had not heard of the commotion that was going on in White Imperial City, especially since their residence was very far from the capital.
Soon, Yan Ran asked with a shout. "Are you joking with us, Princess Yinyue? How could Hu Duan die? And how did you find out?"
"Because I killed Hu Duan and his entire family." Bai Yinyue replied with a relaxed smile, causing Yan Ran to freeze in shock.
On the other hand, Yan Qiong could see that Bai Yinyue was not joking with her words, and he then asked her. "Why do you want me to be the next Emperor? You know that I don't like politics, right? Moreover, being an Emperor has very heavy responsibilities, and I prefer to live life as an ordinary citizen."
"I know it." Bai Yinyue replied with a nod. "You are a smart guy, and I believe you must be very familiar with those old Kings characters, right?"
"Yes." Yan Qiong nodded at her, but he then asked back. "Isn't there still King Bai? Moreover, he is already very experienced in leading this Bai Kingdom, and the people of this continent hold him in high regard, so I believe he is more worthy of becoming the next Emperor than me."
"I agree with you; my father deserves more to be one than you." Bai Yinyue then sighed softly before continuing. "However, my father is not interested in becoming the next Emperor, and he even handed over all the affairs of this Bai Kingdom to me, for he will be in seclusion for a long time. Therefore, I must find someone else to replace Hu Duan, and you are the best choice."
Suddenly, Yan Ran spoke to her. "Princess Yinyue, if my brother becomes the next Emperor, I believe those old Kings will revolt to overthrow him, especially since he has no political support."
Bai Yinyue smiled at that, and she asked her back. "Do you still need to think about that? If I can annihilate Hu Duan without many people knowing, do you think those old Kings can fight me?"
Yan Ran was speechless after hearing that, especially since Hu Duan was the strongest cultivator on the Western continent. Yet, Bai Yinyue could do such a thing so easily.
"Do you want me to replace Hu Duan, Princess Yinyue?" Yan Qiong asked after he analyzed her words.
Bai Yinyue nodded to him. "Yes! I believe you will become a wise Emperor, and this Western continent will surely thrive under your leadership. As for those old Kings, I will deal with them and make them submit to you. If any of them try to oppose me, then my people will exterminate them as well."
Yan Ran frowned upon hearing her words. She had known Bai Yinyue for a long time, but the current her was completely different from the old her. She could even say such things quickly, and her expression did not show the slightest regret. "Are you really Princess Yinyue? I feel that I don't know you anymore, for you are really different now. Not only have your physique and appearance changed, but your mindset has also changed greatly."
"You're right, I did change, especially since my husband and I will face many obstacles in the future, so I can't continue to act like before." Bai Yinyue replied with a smile, and she then turned to Yan Qiong. "So, how about your answer? Since Hu Duan is already dead, I need to appoint a successor as soon as possible, or else the situation on this continent will get out of hand."
Yan Qiong sighed and answered her. "Please give me some time to think and discuss this matter with my parents first, Princess Yinyue. This matter is too much for me, so I would like to discuss and hear their opinion first."
"All right, I'll give you three days to think, and you should give me your answer right after." After saying that, Bai Yinyue immediately disappeared from their sight.
Yan Ran then asked. "Are you thinking of replacing Hu Duan, Brother?"
"Yes." Yan Qiong then turned to his sister. "We both know that this continent will become even worse if one of the old Kings becomes the next Emperor, so I thought about accepting Bai Yinyue's offer, but I don't want to decide in a hurry."
"Then what if they oppose and rebel against you?" Yan Ran asked with a frown.
Yan Qiong shook his head at her. "As long as Bai Yinyue has my back, then I'm sure that they won't dare to do all that. However, if I become the next Emperor, I can't continue to rely on her. Moreover, I feel he won't always be around me, so I must build my power."
"What do you mean by that?" Yan Ran felt confused by her brother's last sentence.
Yan Qiong laughed and pinched his sister's cheeks. "Sister, you may not know this, but I know that the Venerable Origin Realm is not the pinnacle of cultivation. I believe there are other levels above it. Moreover, Bai Yinyue could become so strong in such a short time, so I believe she will not continue behind me to help me."
Upon hearing that, Yan Ran fell pensive and thought of Xia Tian, but she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
- To Be Continued -
