Chapter 91: Whoever brings money to my door, that’s who I’ll be friends with!
As expected of a Zhuge (military strategist), he quickly came up with a satisfactory solution. Then he quickly communicated it to Mo Rushuang, informing Lin Beifan.
“His Highness the Prince welcomes Mr. Lin’s joining us very much!”
“But you are requesting too much, and he cannot come up with so much money at once. So let’s change the conditions. You do one thing for His Highness, and he will pay you accordingly. How about that?”
This method is currently the most appropriate way of cooperation. First of all, Prince of Northern Hebei cannot immediately come up with the money that Lin Beifan needs, so by paying him in installments, he can accumulate the money needed.
Second, both parties currently cannot trust each other. Especially Prince of Northern Hebei, who is afraid that if he gives Lin Beifan the money, he will not listen to him and might even betray him. Therefore, by using this method of paying for each job, it can prevent any loss from happening while also providing Lin Beifan with the corresponding motivation.
Lin Beifan nodded. “Okay, but before I do anything, I need a 30% deposit. Otherwise, I won’t do it. And I won’t do a second thing until I receive full payment.”
He also does not trust Prince of Northern Hebei and is afraid of working for nothing, so he requested some money in advance.
“I’ll convey your request back. But I think there shouldn’t be a problem! In addition, one more thing to mention is that His Highness the Prince has commanded my junior sister and brother to stay in the capital! First, because it can observe the situation in the capital and, at the same time, make it easier to contact you! Second, it can also protect you!”
“Isn’t it to monitor me?” Lin Beifan laughed.
“Hmph! Think whatever you want, but these are the two commands I received!” Mo Rushuang suddenly looked a little unhappy.
Guo Shaoshuai o took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and said, “This is the greeting gift from His Highness, a total of 300,000 taels!”
Lin Beifan took the silver notes with a smile. “He gave me 300,000 taels of silver without doing anything. His Highness is finally generous for once! It won’t be a bad thing to follow such a master!”
Looking at Lin Beifan’s smug smile, Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai wanted to punch him.
“You know, with these 300,000 taels, how many good things His Highness could do for the people? But it all went into your pockets, you corrupt official!” Mo Rushuang said angrily.
“Hmm!” Guo Shaoshuai nodded in agreement.
Lin Beifan snapped his fingers. “I don’t care about how he uses the 300,000 taels. I only care about where he got the 300,000 taels to give to a person he just met. It proves that his family wealth must be more than 3 million!”
“Then the question is, after he has been an Imperial Prince for over 40 years and has received over 40 years of imperial salaries, he still has millions of taels of silver left. Where did the extra money come from?” Lin Beifan asked.
Mo Rushuang and General Guo were stunned. “This…”
“You can’t think of it, right? I can’t either, but we can slowly figure it out. It’s going to be interesting!” Lin Beifan leaned back and put his hands on his head, smiling. “To be honest, you keep saying that Prince of Northern is a wise ruler, but I don’t see any signs of it at all!”
“Don’t insult His Highness!” Mo Rushuang was angry.
“Ahem! His Highness is generous, helping the needy and distressed, often giving money and helping families in need. He punishes criminals, strikes down lawbreakers, and never hesitates to help fellow martial artists in need. That’s why many martial artists are willing to serve him! How can such a person not be a wise ruler?” Guo Shaoshuai defended Prince of Northern Hebei.
Mo Rushuang nodded vigorously.
Lin Beifan smiled. “Yes, it seems that he has done many good things on the surface and is a decent person, but it’s too early to call him a wise ruler! You know what the standard of a wise ruler is in my mind?”
“What is the standard?” both asked in unison.
“The standard is very simple!” Lin Beifan sat up straight, seriously saying, “Don’t look at what he has done, but look at the area he governs, whether the people are living well, and whether their lives have improved. That’s enough!”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai both pondered on those words.
“Now, let’s use this standard to prove whether Prince of Northern Hebei is a wise ruler!”
“Your praise of the Prince is righteous, and he has been resident in Northern Hebei for more than 20 years, giving him ample time to improve the living standards of the people in Northern Hebei! But have the lives of the people changed at all?”
Lin Beifan shook his head. “None! Not at all! It’s still chaos, the people’s lives are miserable, it’s no different from elsewhere, or even worse! Do you think this kind of person is still a wise and martial master?”
“This…” Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai were speechless.
They couldn’t refute it, but the more they thought about Lin Beifan’s words, the more they felt it made sense. If Prince of Northern Hebei is indeed a wise ruler with the heart and capability to save people, then the people in his jurisdiction should be living in peace and prosperity, enjoying great changes in their lives. Why has nothing changed, and why are the people poorer?
One chilling thought popped up in their heads! Have they been following the wrong master all these years?
Lin Beifan waved his hand. “Okay, I am going to sleep now, you all should go back! Let’s talk about anything else tomorrow!”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai both bid farewell with heavy hearts. At this moment, a white figure suddenly appeared before Lin Beifan.
Although he was already accustomed to it, Lin Beifan was still startled. “Bai Guanyin, could you not be so scary the next time you appear? Especially at night, it’s too scary!”
“Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time,” said Bai Qingxuan lightly.
Lin Beifan rolled his eyes. She said the same thing every time, but still did as she pleased.
“Do you really plan to join Prince of Northern Hebei?” Bai Qingxuan asked curiously.
Lin Beifan shook his head. “I never had that intention! The Empress treated me so well. How could I betray her? It’s just that I’ve been earning money slowly lately, so I want to open up a financial path from him. There should be a lot of money on the Prince’s body, right?”
Bai Qingxuan felt speechless. “You really don’t have any scruples!”
“Thanks for the compliment! My biggest advantage is that I’m not picky about food and like making friends! Whoever brings money to my door, that’s who I’ll be friends with! This is the money I just earned, it’s still hot, take it!” Lin Beifan hehehe smiled.
Bai Qingxuan took the silver notes and warned him. “You have to be careful. Prince of Northern Hebei is ambitious, and to work with him is to risk your life. If you’re not careful, you’ll be labeled a traitor and lose everything!”
“Don’t worry, I know!” Lin Beifan nodded seriously.
Bai Qingxuan left with the money and reported the matter to the Empress.
“What? Prince of Northern Hebei came to Lin Beifan and they’re in cahoots?” the Empress was shocked.
Bai Qingxuan nodded.
The Empress was furious. “This bastard Lin Beifan! He’s getting wilder and bolder, how can he get involved in this kind of thing? As long as he’s associated with the Prince, he can never wash off the stains on his political career! What if something happens in the future? How will he solve it?”
Bai Qingxuan also felt that Lin Beifan was too reckless.
He had a bright future ahead of him, but for the sake of a little more money, he actually got involved with Prince of Northern Hebei.
Her courage pales in comparison.
The Empress was exhausted. “Forget it, since it’s already happened, let him go! This man always makes people worry, making them anxious every time!”
Bai Qingxuan nodded in agreement.
“By the way, Qingxuan, what does Lin Beifan think of this Imperial Uncle of mine?”
Bai Qingxuan explained Lin Beifan’s theory of a wise ruler, and concluded that Prince Jibei was either a dishonest and maligned person or a stupid and foolish person.
The other party is clearly the former, playing a game of deception for his own ambition, deceiving the world.
In fact, he didn’t do anything good behind the scenes.
“As expected of my trusted attendant!” The Empress praised. “It took me several years to see through this Imperial Uncle’s true colors! But Lin Beifan saw through his illusions at a glance, his vision is remarkable, I admire him!”
She felt that she and Lin Beifan were becoming more and more in sync with each other!
The way he looked at problems was often very similar to hers, giving her a companionable feeling. A kindred spirit is hard to come by in life! It’s been a while since she bestowed a reward, and it seems like she can bestow another wave tomorrow!
Let him feel the grand imperial grace of the Empress!
So, the next day, during the morning court.
“Director Lin, where are you?”
“I am here, Your Majesty!”
“Today is sunny, and my mood is good, so I shall bestow upon you…”
“Ten thousand liang of silver!”
“10 roots of top-quality ginseng!”
“10 pairs of jade and emerald!”
“10 liang of top-quality Dahongpao tea!”
…Lin Beifan was dumbfounded!
Here it comes again!?
He already has so many things that his house can’t hold anymore!
The officials were also stunned! Here it comes again!?
Empress, can you please be more rational and not so impulsive?
He doesn’t even need it, why give so much?
Can’t you leave a little for us old officials?
However, the Empress seemed to be unable to see the officials’ resentful expressions.
After the rewards were given, she felt very happy and waved her hand, “Alright, Director Lin, quickly thank me for my grace and retire! Morning court is about to begin, those with matters to report may speak, those without may retire!”
Lin Beifan’s mouth twitched: “Thank you for your grace!” And so, the morning court officially began.
At this time, the Eldest Prince Wu Yingjie had already rushed to the capital in a bedraggled state. As soon as he set foot in the capital, he was mesmerized by the bustling scenery of the city.
The neat and tall buildings, lively and prosperous streets, flowing crowds of people, and the cries of peddlers everywhere made this country bumpkin from Jibei forget to return.
“Is this the capital? It’s several times more prosperous than our Northern Hebei!” The Eldest Prince was extremely enraptured.
Just then, someone beside him reminded him in a low voice: “Your Highness, this is the Emperor’s foot, and your status is very sensitive! So act with caution and do not expose your identity!”
The Eldest Prince nodded slightly: “Don’t worry, I understand!” They talked carefully and slowly blended into the crowd.
