Chapter 52

But upon closer consideration, it all made perfect sense.

First of all, they had fallen into Lin Beifan’s hands, their lives gripped tightly within his control; whether they lived or died was at Lin Beifan’s whim.

Whether he revealed the whereabouts of the five million taels or not, he couldn’t guarantee his own safety.

However, transforming the situation into this condition was different.

As long as he made it public, he would win the support of public opinion.

Lin Beifan, as the Emperor, cherished his reputation and would have some reservations about taking action.

Moreover, by staying in Lin Beifan’s territory, one can be monitored and even placed under house arrest, having lost any threat. Whether to kill or not has become irrelevant to Lin Beifan.

In this way, one can actually preserve one’s life.

However, this condition has its pros and cons for Lin Beifan.

The advantage, of course, is the acquisition of 5 million taels of silver, which for his small kingdom, amounts to the income of the national treasury for two years—a very substantial sum for development.

With this enormous sum, the development of the Xia Kingdom is bound to accelerate.

As for the disadvantages…

Since the other party is the fugitive monarch of the Mo Kingdom, he is inevitably seen as a thorn in the side by the An Kingdom, Peng Kingdom, and Shang Kingdom, all of whom would be eager to get rid of him.

Therefore, Lin Beifan must rack his brains to ensure his complete protection while also preventing him from escaping.

After weighing the pros and cons, Lin Beifan still chooses to agree.

There’s no helping it; the offer was too generous.

Lin Beifan clapped his hands and laughed, “Indeed, one who has been an Emperor knows best. I admire you for that, and I accept your terms!”

The Emperor of the Mo Kingdom exclaimed loudly, “Good! A gentleman’s word…”

“…is his bond!”

……

Subsequently, Lin Beifan made the matter public.

Everyone was shocked.

“Who would have thought the fleeing Emperor of the Mo Kingdom would actually fall into the hands of the little foolish emperor!”

“Moreover, a promise of five million taels has been reached between the two parties!”

“What kind of dumb luck has the little foolish emperor stumbled upon to make such a profit!”

“It’s enviable indeed!”

Everyone was abuzz with discussion.

…….

At this time, Lin Beifan arrived at a quiet courtyard where the Mo Kingdom Emperor and his family were being held under house arrest.

“I have already announced this matter to the world. Now it’s your turn to fulfill your promise!” Lin Beifan said.

“No problem! The 5 million taels are hidden in…” The Mo Kingdom Emperor revealed the location of the treasure to Lin Beifan, who then instructed Eunuch Liu to personally retrieve it.

Five days later, Eunuch Liu returned, indeed bringing back 5 million taels worth of gold, silver, and jewels.

Lin Beifan was very happy; with 5 million taels of silver, he could do many things.

“Since the Mo Kingdom Emperor has fulfilled his promise, it is time for me to fulfill mine!”

“Bestow upon the Mo Kingdom Emperor the title of Duke of Mo, with all the privileges accorded to a duke! Allow the Duke of Mo and his family to move freely within the boundaries of the capital city and arrange for their complete protection!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Upon receiving Lin Beifan’s decree, the Mo Kingdom Emperor felt a trace of relief in his heart.

Being granted the title of Duke of Mo, with all the privileges of a duke, at least preserved the dignity of an Emperor!

Thus, the Mo Kingdom Emperor and his family settled down in the capital city of Xia Kingdom.

At this moment, Yaoyao ran over excitedly: “Little foolish Emperor, I heard you made 5 million taels of silver! Without me, you wouldn’t have earned this money! How do you plan to repay me?”

Blinking her adorable big eyes, she gave a crazy hint.

Lin Beifan bashfully lowered his head, “I have nothing to repay you with, so I will offer my body! Whenever you want, in whatever position you desire, I shall comply!”

Yaoyao’s face turned red with anger, and she cursed loudly, “You pervert! Dream on! Even if you want to, I wouldn’t agree! I’m asking if you should give me a share of the money?”

“Yaoyao, don’t be like that, talking about money hurts relationships!” Lin Beifan tried to persuade her.

“But talking about relationships hurts the wallet, you know. It’s not easy for someone to make some money, and you wouldn’t refuse someone as smart and cute as Yaoyao, right? I’m not greedy, just two million will do!” Yaoyao’s eyes twinkled with the glint of gold.

Lin Beifan clenched his fists, finally making up his mind, “Alright then, I shall give you a share!”

Speaking, he walked into the study and then came out holding a box: “Yaoyao, this is the money for you!”

“How much is in here?” Yaoyao asked curiously.

Lin Beifan said, “There are one hundred million taels of silver inside!”

Yaoyao scoffed, “You’re joking, how could there be so much money?”

“If you don’t believe it, just open it and see for yourself!”

Yaoyao opened the box and saw that it contained only a piece of white paper with a red heart drawn on it.

Yaoyao was baffled, “Little foolish emperor, what do you mean by this?”

“Here is the money for you, one hundred million taels of silver!”

Yaoyao grabbed the piece of paper inside: “Just this paper with a heart drawn on it, it’s worth a hundred million taels?”

“Yes, because it represents my wholeheartedness!” (a pun on ‘一心一意 (wholeheartedness)’ which sounds like ‘亿(one hundred million)’ in Chinese)!”

Yaoyao: “…”

At this moment, Lin Beifan coughed: “Right, you said you only wanted two million taels. I gave you one hundred million taels, so you need to give me back ninety-eight million taels, thank you!”

Yaoyao: “…”

A moment later.

Lin Beifan: “Ow, ow, ow…”

…

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