Chapter 63: There are no bribery that can defeat me!
Then, Prince Hamu clapped his hands again.
Immediately, an emissary pulled out a beautifully-crafted wooden box and pushed it in front of Lin Beifan.
Opening it revealed shiny gold and silver jewelry worth about 100,000 taels.
Lin Beifan calmly poured himself a glass of wine and asked, “Prince Hamu, what is the meaning of this?”
“Mr. Lin, it’s like this!”
Prince Hamu politely smiled and said, “In two days, it will be the day of negotiations between Great Wu and Darro. It has been preliminarily agreed that the annual compensation will be nearly 3 million gold and jewels, as well as resources! However, the expenditure of 3 million per year is too much for our Farro to bear!”
“We Darro are just a small country with a population of just over 10 million, limited resources, and the people are suffering greatly! Our annual financial income is only about 8 million taels, which is simply not enough! If we take out 3 million every year, it will be the last straw for our country! If there is any natural disaster or calamity, it will be even more unimaginable!”
“So, during the negotiations, I hope Mr. Lin can speak on our behalf and help us reduce our burden! On behalf of the millions of people in Duoluo, I thank you, Mr. Lin!”
“This is just a small gift for our meeting! After the successful negotiations, there will be heavier gifts to present!”
The other emissaries all smiled flatteringly at Lin Beifan and spoke up.
“Yes, Mr. Lin, we entrust Darro to you!”
“The millions of people in Darro rely on you, sir!”
“After the success of negotiations, you will benefit greatly!”
…
Under the watch of everyone, Lin Beifan calmly closed the box.
“Take it back, I won’t accept it!” Everyone was stunned. Just then, Lin Beifan stood up and angrily declared: “Do you think this small amount of money can buy me? Do you think it can make me betray the interests of Great Wu? Do you think it can make me betray the empress?”
“I’m telling you, it’s impossible!!!”
Lin Beifan stood tall and straightened his chest: “Although I am corrupt, I do have principles! My loyalty to the empress is evident from the passing days, and my love for Great Wu is known to all! If you want me to betray the empress and Great Wu, then you are asking me to betray my conscience! How can someone without a conscience stand between heaven and earth?”
Everyone was once again dumbfounded. Prince Hamu blurted out, “You, such a corrupt official, actually have principles?”
Lin Beifan was furious: “As a corrupt official, I must have principles! Otherwise, without principles, what’s the difference between me and an animal?”
Darro envoys looked at each other, feeling extremely frustrated. T
hey thought they had chosen a good target, but they had chosen the wrong person! Although the other party was a corrupt official, he was a corrupt official with principles! All their previous efforts were in vain!
Prince Hamu smiled bitterly and picked up a glass of wine: “Mr. Lin, I apologize for my rudeness just now. I didn’t expect Mr. Lin to be such a loyal person! I’ll drink this cup as my punishment, and let’s just forget about this incident, shall we?”
Lin Beifan was still not very happy: “It’s good that you know! Great Wu is the country I love, and the empress is the master I love. If you want me to betray them…you need to pay more!”
Prince Hamu exclaimed, and everyone was shocked for the third time! They thought the other party was a loyal person, but they didn’t expect…a leopard can’t change its spots!
Prince Hamu asked in surprise, “Mr. Lin, didn’t you say that this money couldn’t buy you off?”
“It’s true that it’s not enough, so I asked you to add more!”
The envoy from Darro exclaimed, “What the f**k!”
Prince Hamu asked again, “Mr. Lin, didn’t you say that you are a conscientious person, and would never betray Great Wu and the empress?”
“The reason why I didn’t betray them is because the chips they offered weren’t enough!”
The envot from Darro exclaimed again, “What the f**k!”
Prince Hamu asked again, “Mr. Lin, didn’t you say that you are a person with principles?”
“I do have principles, but money can sell my principles!”
The messenger from Darro exclaimed again, “What the f**k!”
Seeing Prince Hamu talking incessantly, Lin Beifan became angry: “I’ll tell you straight up, there’s no bribery that can beat me! The reason why you can’t beat me is because you haven’t offered me enough! Do you understand?”
“Yes, we understand!” Everyone nodded repeatedly.
They sat back at the table, but the atmosphere was completely different. Prince Hamu clapped his hands, and someone brought a small box filled with gold, silver, and jewels.
Lin Beifan glanced at it indifferently: “Not enough!”
Prince Hamu clapped his hands again, and someone brought another box of gold, silver, and jewels.
Lin Beifan remained calm and shook his head: “Not enough!”
Prince Hamu had someone bring another box of gold, silver, and jewels. “Not enough!”
Prince Hamu couldn’t sit still any longer: “Mr. Lin, how much do you want exactly?”
Lin Beifan sneered: “Prince Hamu, you’re asking the wrong question! It’s not about how much I want, it’s about how much you have! I’ll take as much as you have!”
The envoy from Darro exclaimed, “What the f**k!”