Chapter 64: How to Make Money Without Betraying Great Wu?
The envoys from Darro were shocked at the greed of the young man in front of them. They had never seen anyone so insatiable before. It was outrageous and even angered the gods.
Prince Hamu spoke in a low voice, “Mr. Lin, it’s not that we don’t want to give you more, but what if you fail to deliver? Then all our money would have been wasted.”
Lin Beifan calmly drank his wine while the emissaries from Darro continued to speak.
“So let’s give you a small gift as a token of our appreciation. After the job is done, we will give you more, based on how well you perform. Rest assured, Mr. Lin, we will not cheat you.”
“Yes, Mr. Lin, please take this money first.”
“After the job is done, we will give you more.”
“Duo Luo will never treat you unfairly.”
The emissaries of Duo Luo spoke one after another.
Lin Beifan nodded and said, “That’s fine. But we need to set some ground rules. Otherwise, you might end up giving me too much or too little.”
“Very well.” Prince Hamu spoke sternly. “From what we know, Darro needs to pay Great Wu 3 million taels of tribute silver each year. Let’s use this as a benchmark. We will give you as much as we owe Great Wu. Is that acceptable?”
Lin Beifan countered, “What if I decide to waive the tribute silver altogether?”
“In that case, I will add 500,000 more as a token of our gratitude for your help.” Prince Hamu gritted his teeth.
“Good. It’s a deal!” Lin Beifan said loudly.
Finally, the negotiations were completed, and everyone continued to enjoy themselves.
After finishing the drinks, Lin Beifan left with jewelry worth 300,000 liang. However, as soon as he closed the door, he saw a figure in white.
He was startled, “It’s you! Your sudden appearance is quite scary.”
The white-clad woman was Bai Qingxuan, also known as “Bai Guanyin,” a woman with unpredictable and mysterious powers. She calmly asked, “Are you scheming with the Darro emissaries to betray the interests of Great Wu?”
“How do you know?” Lin Beifan asked in surprise.
“When I passed by Drunk Flower Tower just now, I saw you and the envoy from Darro drinking and having fun. I was curious and went to take a look, and naturally found out!” Bai Qingxuan said seriously, “Although you are greedy for money for the sake of the people, there are some things that cannot be done. Without a country, how can there be a home?”
“Don’t worry, I never planned to betray Great Wu!” Lin Beifan smiled, “The Empress treats me so well, even if I am heartless, I cannot do such a thing!”
“So, you were just playing them?” Bai Qingxuan asked.
“I wasn’t playing them, I still wanted their money!” Lin Beifan shook his head.
“Hmm?” Bai Qingxuan didn’t understand.
He wasn’t betraying Great Wu, but he still wanted money from Darro, how was this possible?
Although she was a martial arts master and her martial arts were profound, she was a novice in politics.
“Let me sell you a hint, you’ll know later!” Lin Beifan smiled mysteriously.
Then, Bai Qingxuan took away the gold and silver jewelry in Lin Beifan’s hands and told the Empress about the incident.
The Empress was confused after hearing it, “It doesn’t harm Great Wu’s interests and can still make money from Darro? How is this possible? Is Lin Beifan tricking us?”
Money was limited, Great Wu wanted more and Darro wanted to pay less!
This was a zero-sum game!
The Empress looked at Bai Qingxuan.
Bai Qingxuan shook her head, “I’m not sure either. That’s just what he told me. He sold me a hint and didn’t reveal his method. I can’t force him.”
“This bastard! Always dancing on a tightrope, it makes people worry! Fine, let me see what he’s up to!” The Empress gritted her teeth.
Then, Lin Beifan accompanied the envoy from Doro for two more days before finally entering the negotiation stage.
Representatives from both sides argued fiercely over the amount of compensation and refused to give an inch.
After three days of arguing, they still hadn’t reached a result.
Lin Beifan, on the other hand, watched the whole thing indifferently, neither speaking up for Darro nor for Great Wu.
This made Prince Hamu anxious, so he sent another gift overnight.
“Your Highness, please rest assured. I have been thinking about this matter and am just waiting for the right moment! Please be patient, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!”
“Thank you, Mr. Lin!”
Finally, on the fifth day, they reached a decision.
Darro would have to compensate Dahu with 3.2 million taels of silver or goods each year.
This condition was harsher than before.
In the Golden Palace, the Empress looked at the compensation terms and asked loudly, “Any objections, my lords?”
“We have no objections!” The officials said in unison.
At this moment, Lin Beifan finally stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I have a different opinion!”
