Chapter 175: They are all very good, very good.
“I refuse!"
“Why?"
“What more reason do I need?" Bai Wei squinted. "Is there perhaps a possibility that, what if... I actually have a father?"
Hokusinn Xuanma immediately slapped his knee and laughed heartily.
“Sorry, that's not what I meant."
“I'm referring to a son, not an adopted child of low status."
“I mean son-in-law."
“If you marry Kichyō, you will naturally become my son-in-law as well."
Bai Wei raised an eyebrow. There's still a difference between son-in-law and son, isn't there?
Oh, this is Yingzhou. Regardless of whether a woman marries a man or a man becomes a son-in-law, they need to change their surname once.
Bai Wei shook his head. "Allow me to refuse."
Hokusinn Xuanma asked again, "And why is that?"
“Hokusinn Wei, that name doesn't sound pleasant."
“Hmm..." Hokusinn Xuanma pondered for a moment and shook his head. "I used to think the same when I was young. How could a man become a son-in-law?"
“And then?"
“Then, my wife seduced me." He sighed. "I never expected that I would be forced to ply that trade myself."
Bai Wei didn't want to hear the middle-aged man boasting about this, after all, he was a lonely old emperor with no harem beauties.
“I'm not interested in your love." Bai Wei waved his hand. "It's fine, I'll leave."
“Of course, there's something." Hokusinn Xuanma beckoned. "Why leave in such a hurry? If others find out, they might think we are being negligent and inhospitable to our guests."
Bai Wei was indeed not good at dealing with such situations, especially when the other party was scrutinizing him with the gaze of a son-in-law. It would create an unequal psychological status between them. Should he vehemently deny it? That doesn't seem polite either.
As a man, even if he didn't like it deep down, he still needed to show some tact in the face of a girl's straightforwardness.
Not to mention that Hokusinn Kichyō excelled in all aspects. She was undoubtedly beautiful, with great looks, and not like the short-legged and stout girls from Yingzhou. She had a straightforward and generous personality, a pure and reputable family background, and was impeccable in all aspects.
In terms of vanity alone, it was quite inflated, but Bai Wei had already been forced to be vain for many years as an emperor in the past.
In the past, certain lords of European countries were willing to offer their daughters and wives as concubines in order to secure a way out from under the Imperial Cavaliers. They would come before the golden throne, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times, transforming into ultimate bootlickers.
Not until one is in a high position does one realize that humans are capable of uttering words contrary to their true beliefs and yet convincing themselves. Ancient emperors were not all incompetent fools. Scheming ministers often overshadowed the loyal ones, but their words were truly pleasing and their actions impressive.
However, in the end, all of these people were incinerated by Bai Wei's flames.
He rejected all the sugar-coated bombs sent by the Duchy and sent them back without exception.
Beautiful princesses? They were sent directly for ideological education, trained to become his intelligence operatives, and sent back to the Duchy to carry out undercover missions.
It is nothing but vanity. I have long seen through the fickle nature of worldly possessions. What is this small bit of vanity brought by a beautiful girl worth?
Vanity is easy to restrain, but it is troublesome when genuine emotions are involved.
Facing Hokusinn Xuanma, Bai Wei knew exactly what the other person wanted to talk about.
Humans are creatures of habit.
There were reasons why the emperor remained single in his previous life. He could not leave behind any heirs or have any marriages. It was to ensure their image of iron-blooded ruthlessness and to prevent political marriages from becoming shackles of self-interest and leading to incomplete retribution due to infatuations.
There was no reason for the mentor to remain single, nor was he devoid of intense pursuit. He had experienced such situations before. However, Bai Wei resorted to the old saying of "Without achieving great accomplishments, how can one start a family?" to evade the matter, and then he died, naturally, his identity as the mentor vanished.
This inertia has persisted until now.
Although he may appear eager on the surface, deep down, he has long become a laid-back individual, like a salted fish.
If it were truly at the stage of marriage talks, Bai Wei should have some self-awareness, but it hasn't reached that level yet.
After all, when it comes to love, it's not entirely up to oneself whether it comes or not.
In a previous life, Bai Wei fell in love at first sight with Yagyū Yukichiyo and cherished those feelings for many years. In the end, they were all deeply hidden in his heart.
Perhaps every seemingly indifferent salted fish actually has high expectations for love.
However, deep down, they understand that they can never obtain such love, so they don't demand it and choose to be laid-back.
It's truly contradictory... Perhaps no one knows what kind of love they truly desire.
A simple and peaceful life together is good, holding hands and growing old together is good, a passionate love affair is good, childhood sweethearts with no secrets is good, love at first sight is even better, and even imperfect love is good.
The theory of lifespan is good.
Living with regrets for a lifetime is good.
Even if we meet, it's fine not to recognize each other.
Even abusive love is still love.
Humans simply desire love and to be loved, it is a basic instinctual need, there is nothing shameful about it.
However, love is always supposed to be embedded in marriage, and if there is no love involved, modern people find it difficult to accept.
Hokusinn Xuanma noticed Bai Wei's calm gaze, and he chuckled, understandingly, "So that's how it is."
...It seems there really wasn't any intention after all.
"I was impulsive," Hokusinn Xuanma apologized, "I shouldn't have shown that attitude."
"It's nothing," Bai Wei shook his head.
"But I will still look forward to hearing you call me father from the bottom of your heart."
"Everything is possible in dreams," Bai Wei rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong with my daughter?" Hokusinn Xuanma asked, puzzled.
"She's great," Bai Wei said, "She's a good girl, intelligent, ambitious, virtuous...she's the kind of woman who would only enhance her male partner's reputation when taken out."
Hokusinn Xuanma nodded repeatedly, this was his daughter, praise her well, keep going.
"But what's wrong with her?"
"Everything is fine."
"I've seen many girls like her."
Hokusinn Xuanma shook his head, "You're not answering the question."
Bai Wei changed the topic, "Have you seen the snowy scenery of Mount Fuji?"
"Of course, I got married at a shrine near Mount Fuji, and took my wedding photos there."
"The sea in Okinawa, the ancient temples in Kyoto?"
"I've seen them all."
"Well, what about the scenery in Jiangnan, the majestic mountains in the northwest, the beautiful waters of Guilin, the ancient city of Xi'an, and the beauty of Hangzhou's West Lake?"
"...I haven't been abroad."
"But even if you went, you'd probably just marvel for a moment, and then come back to see Mount Fuji, which you love."
Hokusinn Xuanma understood to some extent.
Bai Wei said, "The Mount Fuji in Yingzhou is beautiful, the ancient temples in Kyoto, the shrines in Osaka are also great, and the cherry blossoms in full bloom are beautiful too, all of these are really good... but I can't say that I like them, I just appreciate them. For me, they are far less captivating than the scenery of my hometown, less so than the tree I planted myself."
Hokusinn Xuanma pondered, "I forgot, you are a person from the Ming Country."
"Yes, but also not really."
"I do feel homesickness more intensely," Bai Wei pushed his nonexistent glasses, "I will go back to visit sooner or later."
Of course, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll go back to the Ming Country.
Hokusinn Xuanma said, "Yingzhou is great, maybe you just didn't stay long enough to fall in love with it."
Bai Wei stood up, "Perhaps...but now that the conversation is over, I should take my leave."
Hokusinn Xuanma saw Bai Wei off at the main gate and returned to his study. There, he found Hokusinn Kichyō standing, clutching her sleeves and tugging at the corner of her clothes. Though she had grown mature, she couldn't shake this habit of hers. Whenever she felt uncomfortable deep down, she would lower her head and tear at her clothes.
"Who told you to eavesdrop?" Hokusinn Xuanma said helplessly.
"I..." Hokusinn Kichyō lowered her head, feeling dejected, like a little kitten with airplane ears. She stubbornly said, "I was just passing by."
"He made himself very clear."
"I don't understand."
"Kichyō..."
"Father, I don't understand!" Her voice started to grow louder. "I don't want to understand."
Hokusinn Xuanma felt helpless. His experiences with relationships had always been smooth sailing, never encountering such a one-sided situation. Subconsciously, he believed that if something couldn't be obtained, it was best to let go.
Bai Wei was a person from the Ming Country, someone Hokusinn's family couldn't keep.
The old father said, "It doesn't have to be him. You're still young, still small. Everyone always holds fantasies about their first love... You can meet someone better too."
"Perhaps," Hokusinn Kichyō didn't deny it.
It wasn't that she had accepted it, but rather she was repeating Bai Wei's words from before.
"Yingzhou has cherry blossoms, has Mount Fuji, has shrines, has dojos, and there are handsome and brave men, elegant young men. They are all very good..."
"But..."
She clenched her clothes tightly, her eyes turning red.
"But I just don't like them!"
