Chapter 325: Trash Isn’t My Persona, Greed Is My Persona!
Lin Beifan was taken aback.
Princess Ziyue’s gaze seemed as if she could swallow him whole.
It was as though as long as he didn’t comply, she would use force to bind him to Dayue.
Lin Beifan hurriedly waved his hand, “Princess, please don’t act recklessly. Now isn’t the time for me to leave Great Wu!”
“But… does timing really matter?”
Princess Ziyue asked in confusion, “Strategist, honestly, in Great Wu, you can only rise to the position of a Prime Minister! Although being a Prime Minister might seem prestigious, you still have to listen to the Empress! If she wants to dismiss you or even kill you, it’s a matter of a single command!”
“Throughout history, Emperors and Prime Ministers have had irreconcilable conflicts! Because your power and the Emperor’s power overlap. The higher you climb, the more outstanding your abilities, the more she’ll fear you! The more she fears you, the more dangerous it becomes for you!”
“Strategist, you’re wise. I don’t need to explain much, you understand this principle! However, if you follow me to Dayue, you won’t encounter these problems!”
Princess Ziyue chuckled, “As long as you follow me to Dayue, restore the dynasty, not only will you be a Prime Minister, but you’ll also become my husband, and at the same time, the prince of Slanted Moon! Isn’t that better than just being a Prime Minister, living an uneventful life?”
“Moreover, you need not worry about me mistreating you!” Princess Ziyue extended her delicate jade hand, gently caressing Lin Beifan’s face, and said softly, “I love you too much to even think about mistreating you. How could I bully you?”
Lin Beifan trembled, “Princess, please have some decorum. I’m not an ordinary man!”
“Neither am I. It’s only when I’m with you, Strategist, that my true nature shows!” Princess Ziyue became emotional, “I wear all sorts of masks to face this world, reserving only my innocence and childishness for you!”
Lin Beifan was deeply moved, “This woman…”
“Furthermore, if we have children in the future, they will inevitably inherit my throne! You’re the man of the modern Slanted Emperor and the future Emperor’s father. Are you afraid of instability and lack of power? Are you afraid of someone trying to take you down?”
“That’s why, Strategist, our hearts are united from beginning to end!”
Princess Ziyue continued to caress Lin Beifan’s face, persuading, “Follow me to Dayue, that’s where you truly belong!”
Lin Beifan’s heart was racing!
As long as he went to Dayue and restored the dynasty, he could become the Emperor’s husband and the future Emperor’s father!
His power would soar directly to its zenith, unshakable by anyone!
Moreover, this Empress was beautiful, powerful, wealthy, and pampered him greatly…
It fulfilled every fantasy a man could have!
Oh no, oh no!
Lin Beifan felt himself falling!
He suddenly wanted to say, “Princess, I don’t want to resist anymore!”
But at the critical moment, Lin Beifan held onto his saintly resolve!
“Princess, now truly isn’t the time to leave!”
Princess Ziyue was quite puzzled, “Strategist, I’ve said so much. Why do you…”
“Princess, please listen to me!” Lin Beifan said seriously, “Although the Dayue Dynasty has suffered heavy losses, it’s not utterly defeated! To deal with it, we must attack from within and without, in order to overthrow this wicked regime!”
“From within, you’ll lead the troops and incite unrest, gradually eroding their power! From without, you can apply pressure through neighboring countries, making them deal with Dayue’s troubles and distracting the Emperor!”
“Therefore, I must remain within the Great Wu court to help you! Through the Great Wu court, I can constantly apply pressure to them! I can also instigate conflicts among other nations, making them trouble Dayue!”
Lin Beifan smirked, “By doing so, won’t it make your actions easier?”
Princess Ziyue exclaimed, “It’s still you, Strategist, who has thought it through! Remaining within the Great Wu court, you can exert more force and create more pressure and trouble for Dayue!”
Lin Beifan nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, that’s exactly it!”
In his heart, he thought: I am indeed a righteous and great person; it’s definitely not for the sake of greed!
“It’s just, Strategist, it’s too unfair to you!” Princess Ziyue said with concern, “You’ll be all alone in the midst of the Great Wu court, surrounded by enemies, facing great danger. What if you’re exposed?”
“Not unfair at all! Although it’s dangerous, for the sake of Princess and our grand cause, I’m willing to sacrifice myself!” Lin Beifan spoke with great integrity.
“Strategist!” Princess Ziyue was deeply moved, her eyes turning red.
“Princess, wipe your tears. Now isn’t the time for personal feelings between us!” Lin Beifan advised, “As long as we accomplish our goal, we’ll be able to stay together, side by side, in the future.”
“You’re right, Strategist! But it’s still too unfair to you. I can’t bear it!” Princess Ziyue shook her head.
“Even though I can’t bear it, I have to. This is the necessary price to pay!” Lin Beifan’s voice softened, “Actually, I can’t bear it either, Princess! As long as you remember my good points and bring money to see me often, I’ll be content!”
“Here, here, all for you!” Princess Ziyue immediately took out the money she had on her and handed it to Lin Beifan.
Looking at the full sum of money in his hands, Lin Beifan suddenly felt like a scoundrel, as if he were a man trying to deceive for money and affection!
Come on! Being a scoundrel isn’t part of my persona; being greedy is!
Now, even his persona had collapsed!
Lin Beifan reluctantly accepted the money. This was the only way to console the agony of his shattered persona.
Just then, Princess Ziyue took a step forward, “Strategist…”
Lin Beifan was a bit flustered, “Princess, please don’t act impulsively. I’m a man of virtue!”
“I know, but I like you just the way you are!” Princess Ziyue stepped closer.
Lin Beifan became even more flustered, “Could we change the location? It’s kind of embarrassing out here in the wilderness!”
“Strategist, don’t refuse. Before we part, I want to give you a proper embrace!” Princess Ziyue said as she lunged forward.
“Ah!!!”
After the duration of an incense stick burning, the two finally parted reluctantly.
Princess Ziyue went off to attend to her restoration efforts, while Lin Beifan prepared to pack his belongings and depart for the capital tomorrow.
At that moment, Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai walked over with serious expressions on their faces.
Lin Beifan also couldn’t help but become serious, “Did something happen? Is something going on with Prince of Northern Hebei…?”
“Indeed, there’s an issue with Prince of Northern Hebei! However, there’s an even more serious matter to attend to now!”
Lin Beifan’s expression grew even more solemn, “What matter?”
Mo Rushuang handed over a white handkerchief with an expressionless face, “Young Master, wipe off the love marks on your neck first, then we can discuss serious matters!”
Lin Beifan coughed, “Umm…”
While wiping his neck, Lin Beifan explained, “Rushuang, you know, I’m a virtuous and chaste handsome man…”
Mo Rushuang’s expression remained emotionless as she said, “I know, but please refrain from charming recklessly! You might have self-control, but other women might not!”
Lin Beifan empathized deeply, “Rushuang, you’re right! Indeed, the ones who understand women the best are women themselves!”
A twitch appeared at the corner of Mo Rushuang’s mouth, and she didn’t feel like talking anymore.
Guo Shaoshuai spoke with envy, “Young Master, how did you manage this? Can you teach me? If a woman treated me like this, I’d willingly die for her!”
Lin Beifan sized up Guo Shaoshuai and chuckled, “Shaoshuai, you’re still a greenhorn, not fearing the tigress yet!”
“You should know that some women may appear gentle and weak, but they aren’t easy to deal with! The more assertive they are, the more dangerous they actually are! The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she’ll deceive. Shaoshuai, you’re still young, lacking in experience in the martial world, so…”
Lin Beifan patted Guo Shaoshuai’s shoulder and spoke with sincerity, “If you encounter women in the future, it’s best to avoid unnecessary trouble!”
Guo Shaoshuai looked enlightened, “Thank you, Young Master, for the guidance!”
“Leave the dealing to me!”
Guo Shaoshuai asked puzzledly, “Huh???”
… Something just doesn’t seem right!
After wiping away the love marks on his neck, Lin Beifan spoke earnestly, “Alright, let’s discuss serious matters now!”
Mo Rushuang felt a bit jealous and didn’t want to talk, while Guo Shaoshuai took out a small bottle and said seriously, “Young Master, this is a pill that Prince of Northern Hebei had someone deliver to us. It’s called the ‘Gathering Qi Pill,’ and it’s quite remarkable! According to the letter, after ingesting this pill, one’s cultivation speed will increase. However, I sense that there’s a problem with it.”
Ever since discovering Prince of Northern Hebei’s true identity, Guo Shaoshuai didn’t quite trust anything he provided.
Lin Beifan took the small bottle and poured out a plain-looking pill. He examined it, then sniffed it, and smiled, “You’re right, there’s definitely something wrong with this pill!”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai exchanged glances and spoke in unison, “What’s wrong with it?”
Lin Beifan said, “This is a poison pill.”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai were astonished, “A poison pill!”
“I’ve told you before, strength is built through rigorous practice, leaving no room for carelessness or shortcuts! All the gifts of fate have their prices marked in the shadows!”
Lin Beifan held the pill in his hand and said seriously, “This pill is refined from twelve relatively rare toxins. Each poison can cause fatal harm. But after being refined into this pill, the poisons counteract each other, turning into medicine.”
“But poison is still poison. While this pill can indeed accelerate cultivation speed, it comes at the cost of one’s life, similar to the Forbidden Evil-Repelling Sword Manual and the Sunflower Manual! Once the poison activates, even immortals can’t save you.”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai felt a shiver run down their spines!
“It’s Prince of Northern Hebei again!” Guo Shaoshuai gritted his teeth, his voice dripping with anger, “First, he sent us the Sunflower Manual to harm us, and now he sends poison to harm us! How can there be such a wicked person in the world?”
“He truly is sinister. We trusted him so much in the past!” Mo Rushuang’s tone was equally resentful.
Lin Beifan wanted to explain that this item might not have been produced by Prince of Northern Hebei. He didn’t have that level of capability. It might have been the work of the Tianmen’s Sect Master, Leng Ruochen.
But the words stuck in his throat, and he also gritted his teeth, “You’re right, Prince of Northern Hebei is truly malevolent! He’s willing to sacrifice everything for his ambition. He deserves death!!!”
