Chapter 199: Fear not godlike opponents, fear pig-like teammates!
Lin Beifan was also feeling upset!
When he saw the Third Prince again, he angrily questioned, “Third Prince, what is the meaning behind your actions today? I intentionally let you win, so why did you still lose?”
“Cough!” The Third Prince felt a knife to his heart.
“If you wanted to lose so badly, you should have said so earlier! I would have let you die thoroughly!”
“Cough!” Another knife struck the Third Prince’s heart.
“You give me money but don’t let me lose, intentionally playing tricks on me, is that it?”
“Cough!” Another strike to the Third Prince’s chest.
“Let me tell you, you’ve succeeded! I’ve never experienced such a loss in my entire life! Congratulations on your success, you’ve taught me a valuable lesson, I thank your whole family!”
“Cough!” Another stab to the Third Prince’s chest.
The senior minister on the side hurriedly tried to calm things down. “Principal Lin, please stop for now, His Highness is feeling very upset!”
Lin Beifan became even angrier, “He is feeling upset, so am I supposed to feel good? I sacrificed my reputation and future, but in the end, you still couldn’t do it, a rotten mud that can’t support the wall!”
“Cough!” The Third Prince responded.
Lin Beifan sneered, “Fear not godlike opponents, fear pig-like teammates!”
“Cough!” The Third Prince responded again.
“By calling you pigs, I’m insulting the animal itself!”
“Cough!” The Third Prince responded once more.
Lin Beifan’s words were deadly like knives.
The Third Prince held his chest, feeling a chilling sensation.
Although there was no blood, he was already full of wounds.
“Principal Lin, you’re right!”
The Third Prince stared blankly ahead, his eyes losing focus. “You created so many good opportunities for us, but we still lost. It’s all my fault! If it weren’t for me, we would have already won two rounds for Great Yan!”
As he spoke, he raised his right hand and slapped himself.
“I’m truly despicable!”
“Smack!”
“I’m truly worthless!”
“Smack!”
“I’m really…”
Lin Beifan grabbed his hand and shouted, “Third Prince, stop!”
The Third Prince turned his head and looked at Lin Beifan. “Principal Lin, you…”
“Let me do it!”
The Third Prince: “…”
“Smack!”
The Third Prince’s face twisted to one side, and the left half quickly swelled.
“Smack!”
The Third Prince’s face twisted to the other side, and the other half quickly swelled as well.
Lin Beifan raised his hand again.
The Third Prince quickly grabbed it and incoherently said, “Alright, alright, no need to hit anymore. I’ve learned my lesson!”
Lin Beifan regretfully withdrew his hand.
“In fact, everything is due to unfortunate circumstances!” Elder Minister Wang sighed. “If it weren’t for the sudden gusts of eerie wind and the thunder from the sky, the Third Prince wouldn’t have underperformed! It can only be said that it’s a matter of timing and fate, there’s nothing we can do but accept it.”
“But fortunately, we still have a chance to salvage the situation!” Elder Minister bowed to Lin Beifan and smiled. “Tomorrow, we’ll continue to trouble you, Principal Lin!”
“Trouble is fine, but it’ll cost you another 1 million!” Lin Beifan raised a finger.
The Third Prince and his companion were astounded. “Why do you need more money?”
“Tomorrow’s competition is about poetry, essays, and songs. This happens to be my strong suit! Everyone in the world knows that I’m especially skilled at composing poetry. If you want me to let you win, isn’t that testing my skills? If the skill level is high, then it should come with an added fee, shouldn’t it?” Lin Beifan confidently justified.
The Third Prince and his companion exclaimed, “What the hell!”
“And who knows if you’re playing tricks on me again?” Lin Beifan sneered. “Once again, I’m sacrificing my reputation and future, and yet you let me win. Isn’t that intentionally trying to disgust me? That’s why I need money to compensate for my losses!”
The Third Prince and his companion exclaimed, “What the hell!”
Lin Beifan continued, “Furthermore, after today’s battle, my soul has suffered severe trauma. Don’t you think you should give me some money to comfort me?”
The Third Prince and his companion exclaimed, “Bloody hell…”
You didn’t suffer any losses!
You took our money, won from start to finish, and profited from both ends. You didn’t have any losses at all!
What more do you need for comfort?
The ones who truly need comfort are us, not you, you bastard!
They finally witnessed Lin Beifan’s greed!
He truly pursued money, using any excuse possible, going to any extreme!
“But, we really don’t have any money left!” The Third Prince forced a smile.
“No worries, I’ll teach you a solution!”
“What solution?”
Lin Beifan smiled slyly. “Nowadays, banks provide lending services. With the Third Prince’s personal reputation, you can easily borrow 1 million taels from the bank. This way, won’t your financial problem be solved?”
The Third Prince was dumbfounded!
Damn, he wants me to borrow money to bribe him?
This is truly a first in history!
Inside his heart, he had ten thousand reasons to refuse!
Because borrowed money must eventually be repaid, and with interest!
How will he come up with the 1 million taels to repay the bank in the future?
Lin Beifan looked at the hesitant Third Prince, stood up and patted his buttocks. “If you don’t have the money, then I can’t help you. Farewell, gentlemen!”
“Principal Lin, wait! It’s just a matter of money. Give me some time, and I’ll get it for you!” the Third Prince called out.
He no longer had any way to turn back!
He had already lost four consecutive rounds in the literary competition. If he lost again tomorrow, it would be a complete defeat!
After returning, how would he explain to his father and the people?
They would surely be very disappointed!
The imperial throne he had always been yearning for would become increasingly distant from him!
It was possible to repay a debt, but once the imperial throne was lost, there would be no chance!
So, the old minister Wang immediately went to the bank to handle it.
While waiting, the Third Prince thought about Lin Beifan’s arrogant behavior today and couldn’t help but say, “Principal Lin, could you please tone it down a bit during tomorrow’s competition? Don’t be so arrogant. My mentality is fragile, and I can’t handle the pressure!”
Lin Beifan nodded. “I can do that.”
The Third Prince clasped his hands and smiled. “Thank you so much, Master!”
“But it will cost you more money!”
“Damn it!”
In the end, Lin Beifan accepted another 1.2 million taels.
Satisfied, he said, “Third Prince and Lord Wang, rest assured, I will definitely let you win tomorrow. You must seize the opportunity and lead Great Yan to turn defeat into victory. Don’t disappoint me again!”
“Thank you for your trouble, Principal Lin!” the Third Prince and his companion laughed.
After leaving the restaurant, Lin Beifan did not return home. Instead, he took a turn and arrived at a small courtyard.
This was the home of Liao Rumin, one of the participants in the Yan and Wu Literary Competition.
When Liao Rumin realized that Lin Beifan had come, she felt extremely honored and happy. She quickly spoke, “Mr. Principal, why have you come? Please come in quickly! Xiao Qing, serve tea!”
Lin Beifan smiled and said, “I came here for something and also to see how you’re doing! Tomorrow is the poetry, essays, and songs competition, the highlight of the literary contest. How are your preparations going?”
Liao Rumin clasped her hands and replied, “Sir, I have been preparing diligently, not daring to slack off in the slightest! To prepare for tomorrow’s competition, I have been reviewing the poems and verses I have written over the years, hoping for the chance to use them!”
Every talented individual has the habit of writing poems and verses. They like to accumulate their works and use them when the opportunity arises. Tomorrow’s competition is the perfect opportunity. If the topics align, it will be a stroke of luck, and they can directly bring out their prepared works!
“I see, you have put in effort! Can you let me have a look?” Lin Beifan asked.
“It would be my honor, please have a look, Sir,” Liao Rumin said.
Lin Beifan took the collection of poems and started to read. Most of the poems were ordinary without any shining points, but there was a small portion that was exceptionally well-done. Lin Beifan chose those poems to provide guidance and make some modifications.
Liao Rumin was ecstatic! How many people could receive personal guidance from the Mr. Principal?
It was a tremendous honor!
Moreover, Lin Beifan was truly talented and knowledgeable. The poems he guided and modified greatly improved, with more precise word choices and higher artistic conception. It was ineffably marvelous.
“Thank you so much for your guidance, Master!” Liao Rumin expressed her gratitude tearfully.
Lin Beifan returned the collection and said with a smile, “Continue your review, I will take my leave now.”
“I’ll see you off, Sir!” Liao Rumin followed with courtesy.
Then, Lin Beifan visited the homes of the other three participating contestants. He read their collections of poems, provided guidance, and made some modifications. In return for their overflowing gratitude, he calmly left.
In the evening, when it was quiet and late, Lin Beifan’s figure flickered and gracefully arrived at the Ministry of Rites. Inside, there was a box containing many slips of paper, which were the exam questions for the next day. Lin Beifan opened it, glanced through the contents, and then returned them to the box before leaving.
The next day, the literary competition continued. Today’s competition focused on poetry, essays, and songs, which was the highlight of the literary battle. One’s talent and knowledge could easily be revealed through a few poems or verses.
Due to their consecutive victories in four rounds, the Great Wu side appeared very relaxed with a significant lead. If they won one more round in poetry, their victory would be assured.
In contrast, the Great Yan side felt immense pressure, with serious expressions on their faces. If they lost a single round, the entire literary competition would be lost. They simply couldn’t afford to lose.
The Third Prince encouraged loudly, “Today’s competition is in poetry, essays, and songs, which are all our strong points! Let’s give it our all, and victory will surely be ours!”
“Yes, Your Highness!” The talented individuals from Great Yan replied, lacking some confidence.
The Third Prince inwardly shook his head, understanding the mindset of the others. They were completely intimidated by Lin Beifan. If he hadn’t already bought off Lin Beifan, he wouldn’t have had confidence himself.
At this moment, the talented individuals from both sides had already arrived at the martial arts field. With the Empress’s nod, the Master of Ceremonies announced loudly, “The literary competition continues!”
“Today’s competition is in poetry, essays, and songs, with a total of five questions, each question equivalent to a round!”
“In each round, Her Majesty will randomly select a question for the talented individuals from both sides to answer, by composing poems, verses, songs, or essays! The victor remains, and the loser steps down! The competition continues until one side’s five talented individuals are completely defeated!”
“However, please take note that this poetry and song competition is different from the previous ones. It will be timed!”
“The time limit will be one incense stick’s burning time! If, within the duration of one incense stick burning, the five talented individuals from one side have not all taken turns, but are unable to produce better poems or songs, they will also be considered the loser!”
“Now, both sides please send forth a talented individual to compete!”
