Chenghong Emperor

Emperor Chenghong, personal name Hu Fengyao and also known colloquially as Prince Hu, was a Bai monarch who founded the Middle Bai Dynasty. Reigning as the first Emperor of Middle Bai from 1798 to 1819, he was the first Bai Emperor to institute and implement a democratic constitutional government. Due to his legacy in restoring Bai's status as a regional power and establishing a democratic system, he remained one of the most widely-revered figures in Bai history.

Born in 1752, he was the nephew of the last reigning Lin Emperor Rentong. His exile overseas, particularly in Mauretia and the Federal States, led to him embracing democratic ideals and establishing his political philosophy of Bai Democracy (Bairen Minzhu). In the 1770s, rallying with overseas Bai intellectuals, he emerged as the leading figure calling for the overthrowing of the Lin Dynasty and the establishment of a democratic constitutional monarchy.

Returning to Bai in 1780, he was immediately placed under house arrest by his cousin, who saw him as a contender to the throne. Prince Hu ascended the throne as the Chenghong Emperor following the Huifu Restoration in 1798. As Emperor, he enacted the Chenghong Constitution which established the constitutional government still existing today. Under him, Bai grew more independent of its Ulethan overlords, transforming into a regional power and managing to renegotiate trade treaties with Ulethan powers. The Empire underwent rapid modernisation and reformation as Prince Hu championed respect for civil rights and vibrant economic growth. Hu eventually died of gallbladder cancer in 1819.