Chapter 437: I will will never bow down to that woman!
For some reason, under the Empress’s gaze, Lin Beifan always felt uncomfortable. But with no other choice, he said firmly, “Your Majesty, I may have some information.”
“I believe we should assist the rebel army in defeating the Dayue Dynasty!”
The Empress sneered inwardly, “I knew you wouldn’t forget that cunning fox.”
“Minister, why would you want to assist the rebel army?” the Empress asked.
“There are several reasons,” Lin Beifan replied loudly. “First, we have a longstanding feud with the Dayue Dynasty. They once allied with the Wuxi Army and nearly invaded the Phoenix Mountain Range, threatening our rule.”
“Although we eventually defeated the Dayue Army and obtained numerous war reparations, the grudge remained unresolved due to the compromises we had to make at the time. Now, our country is strong, while the Dayue Dynasty is in turmoil. Your Majesty, it’s time for us to seek revenge!”
The Empress nodded, “You speak the truth; revenge is in order.”
“Secondly, now is the perfect opportunity for revenge!” Lin Beifan raised two fingers, “Your Majesty, the world is in chaos, and the Dayue Dynasty has no strong external support. There’s a rebel uprising within, isolated and without assistance. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for us to exact revenge. We can defeat the Dayue Dynasty at a relatively low cost and settle the score!”
Again, the Empress agreed, “You are correct.”
“Thirdly, we can gain significant benefits from this war.”
The Empress inquired, “What benefits are you referring to?”
At this point, an elder courtier chimed in, “Prime Minister, are you suggesting we expand our territory and annex the Dayue Dynasty?”
Lin Beifan replied with a smile, “I’ve thought about it, but in recent years, we’ve already acquired significant territories in the Far East from Darro, White Elephant, and Great Xia. Our territory has expanded by over thirty percent, and we simply don’t have the resources to reclaim more land. Trying to expand further would be burdensome. It’s better not to.”
The courtiers were puzzled, “If that’s the case, Prime Minister, what are the benefits you mentioned?”
“We can demand benefits from the rebel army!” Lin Beifan smiled, “This rebel army emerged suddenly, gained momentum in a short time, and threatens the Dayue Dynasty’s rule. They are organized, well-planned, and undoubtedly have substantial financial support.”
“Therefore, we can support the rebel army and use this opportunity to demand some benefits. In doing so, we not only settle our old scores but also gain some spoils of war. What’s not to like?”
The courtiers nodded in agreement, “Prime Minister, you are absolutely right!”
“We can seek revenge and profit from this war!”
“I believe this plan is feasible,”
The Empress, seated on the dragon throne, chuckled to herself.
He’s speaking so eloquently, but it’s clear he wants to protect that woman!
“All esteemed ministers, do any of you have differing opinions regarding the Prime Minister’s proposal?”
“We have no objections,” the officials said in unison.
The Empress inquired, “What do you think, Prime Minister?”
“I also believe this plan is feasible!” The Empress nodded, “However, we need to negotiate terms with the rebel army first before providing assistance. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be like warming one’s face while exposing one’s backside?”
“Your Majesty speaks wisely!” The officials agreed.
“Since this matter was brought up by Minister Lin, I will entrust him with the arrangements. I believe you will fulfill this task satisfactorily,” the Empress said with a sly smile.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan felt a bit uneasy, as if the Empress had seen through him.
“However, if the other party cannot offer an appropriate price, I can understand. We can still support them. But once they overthrow the rule of the Dayue Dynasty, they must bow to our Great Wu.”
The Empress smiled mischievously, plotting something. “Your Majesty is gracious!” The officials exclaimed.
This condition was indeed generous, requiring little to no payment in return for Great Wu’s support. It was an attractive offer for many small nations, but Lin Beifan couldn’t help feeling that it was unlikely to succeed. Princess Ziyue was a proud and somewhat disrespectful woman, especially in her interactions with the Empress. Making her bow to the Empress was simply impossible.
At this point, the Empress added, “Prime Minister Lin, you must convey my message to the leader of the rebel army.”
“I will do my best,” Lin Beifan said.
“Not ‘do your best,’ but ‘you must!’ It’s just a message, nothing too difficult, don’t you think?” The Empress chuckled, eager to see the expression on that cunning fox’s face after hearing her message.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will certainly deliver the message,” Lin Beifan replied with a bitter smile.
With that, it seemed like a meteor was about to collide with Earth.
After dealing with some official business, Lin Beifan set out the next day. After approximately a week, he arrived at the Qingneng Fortress and met with Princess Ziyue. She looked a bit more worn and fatigued compared to before.
It seemed that the affairs of the Dayue Dynasty had been quite taxing for her. However, when she saw Lin Beifan, her tired expression immediately turned into surprise.
“Strategist, you’ve come! I almost couldn’t believe it when I heard you were coming to the Qinglong Fortress!”
Lin Beifan smiled and said, “Your Highness, I heard about the situation with the Dayue Dynasty, so I came to assist.”
“Strategist, I always knew that you had me in your heart!”
Princess Ziyue was deeply moved, feeling warmth in her heart. At the moment when she needed this man the most, he appeared before her.
Princess Ziyue struggled to contain her excitement as she hurried over to Lin Beifan. Lin Beifan, slightly flustered, inquired, “Your Highness, I’ve came to see you. What’s wrong?”
“Strategist, it’s hard to keep my composure when I’m with you,” she confessed.
In the end, Lin Beifan, who had no strength to resist, allowed Princess Ziyue to approach. Her head rested on Lin Beifan’s chest.
Although Lin Beifan’s chest wasn’t particularly broad, it gave her an unprecedented sense of security. It felt like as long as he was there, nothing could go wrong. They embraced each other, shared their feelings for a long time, and reluctantly let go to discuss matters.
“Your Highness, I have come here on behalf of the court’s orders. Great Wu has grievances with the Dayue Dynasty, so we want to assist your rebel army in defeating the Dayue and seeking revenge,” Lin Beifan said earnestly.
“It must be you, Strategist, who advocated for this in the court, isn’t it?” Princess Ziyue smiled cunningly, her gaze filled with shrewdness.
Lin Beifan nodded, “Indeed! Initially, the court’s stance was to watch from the sidelines and benefit when both sides are weakened. However, through my persuasion, everyone agreed to support the rebel army.”
“Strategist!” Princess Ziyue was once again touched and seemed like she wanted to rush into his arms.
“Your Highness, please calm down. Let’s finish discussing the matter at hand first, and then you can embrace me if you wish.”
“Strategist is right; I got carried away just now. Let’s discuss the important matters first!”
Princess Ziyue regained her composure and asked, “Strategist, how does Great Wu plan to support my rebel army?”
Lin Beifan replied, “We can send troops. In total, we have 500,000 soldiers stationed in the Qinglong Fortress, Wuxi region, and the White Elephant Prefecture, which can be mobilized at any time. If you lack innate experts, we can also send them. However, what your rebel army mainly lacks are Grandmasters, and Great Wu can dispatch Grandmasters to support you. This will greatly increase your chances of success.”
“Strategist, what conditions does Great Wu have?” Princess Ziyue inquired.
“It depends on how many troops and resources you wish to mobilize. The more you want to mobilize, the higher the price. For example, if you want to mobilize 500,000 troops, you will not only be responsible for their provisions and salaries but also pay a price of 10 million taels of silver. Additionally, if there are significant casualties, further compensation will be required,” Lin Beifan explained.
Princess Ziyue furrowed her brows, “We are not lacking in troops, and we have quite a few innate experts. What we truly lack are Grandmasters, and we will need to request one from the Great Wu court. How much will that cost?”
Lin Beifan raised two fingers, “20 million taels of silver. Half of it is a tribute to the Grandmaster, and the other half belongs to the court.”
Princess Ziyue’s brow furrowed even more tightly. 20 million taels of silver, they could afford it, but it was still quite costly. However, they had no choice since they needed a Grandmaster to counter the Dayue Dynasty’s Grandmasters.
To be honest, 20 million taels of silver is enough to hire a Grandmaster, although it’s expensive, it’s still cost-effective.
Because most Grandmasters are solely focused on martial pursuits and aren’t interested in gold and silver. Trying to buy them with money is simply impossible.
Now that there’s an opportunity, it must be seized firmly. “In fact, there is another way to obtain a Grandmaster without spending money!”
Princess Ziyue was delighted and asked, “What method is that?”
Lin Beifan cautiously glanced at the princess and said, “Your Highness, it was suggested that a Grandmaster could be dispatched to support you. However, once you overthrow the Dayue Dynasty, you must bow to Great Wu.”
Princess Ziyue exploded, “What? Bow to that woman? Absolutely not! I would rather pay 20 million taels, or even 30 million taels, but I will never bow to that woman!”
Lin Beifan smiled bitterly in his heart; he knew it was impossible unless the sun rose from the west.
Princess Ziyue huffed, “Strategist, go and tell that woman that I can spend 20 million taels, or even an extra 10 million taels, to get a Grandmaster from Great Wu. I owe her nothing!”
Lin Beifan earnestly said, “Your Highness, please don’t be angry. In fact, there is another way.”
“What other way, Strategist?” Princess Ziyue looked over, eager to know.
