Chapter 154.1
Originally, they thought they were all doomed!
However, the Sword Elder of Great Xia unexpectedly intervened, rescuing them from the clutches of the Great Xue Emperor.
It must be said that the money was well spent!
The Sword Elder sheathed his sword back into the scabbard behind him, then turned to ask the two Emperors, The Great Xue Emperor has left. Will you now follow this old man back to Great Xia, or will we part ways here, each going our separate paths?
The two Emperors looked at each other and in unison said, To Great Xia!
Even though the Great Xue Emperor had left, there was still the possibility that he might return to strike them down and take their lives.
Thus, they had only one choiceGreat Xia.
Only by reaching Great Xia, under the protection of Great Xia, could they save their lives.
Then lets set off!
Two teams of luxurious carriages set off once again.
On the other side, the Great Xue Emperor returned to the Great Shi capital city with a somber expression.
Everyone, upon seeing the Great Xue Emperors face, knew something was amiss, so no one dared to speak more than necessary, silently attending to their tasks.
However, the Great Xue Emperor did not let the people off easily.
Sitting on the throne that once belonged to the Great Shi Emperor, he spoke loudly, Before I left the capital city, I ordered you all to take inventory of the grain and valuables! Now, tell me the results of the harvest, and do it quickly!
General Nangong said with a stiff face, Report to Your Majesty, ever since we captured the Great Shi capital city, we have dispatched people to scour the entire city, only to find that the national treasury is empty, as is the Internal Affairs Department, and so are the homes of the princes and ministers. Our gains are meager!
This humble servant has learned that previously, Great Xia had sent envoys to visit Great Shi, threatening military action to extort a huge amount of wealth. The Emperor of Great Shi conceded and, in order to gather the wealth, emptied out all the valuables!
We have not obtained much, and I ask for Your Majestys forgiveness!
The Emperor of Great Xue had only just learned of this matter too, so he did not blame everyone.
However, after thinking it over, he still felt extremely frustrated.
He had gone to great lengths to conquer two nations, and just when it was time to reap the rewards, Great Xia had beaten him to it.
Who can bear such grievance?
Regardless of whether others can bear it or not, he certainly cannot.
Great Xue Emperor has already made a secret vow that when he becomes a Grandmaster, he will definitely launch an assault on Great Xia!
He will annihilate cities and destroy the nation, slaughtering everyone in Great Xia from top to bottom!
Especially that dog of an Emperor and the Sword Elder, he will ensure they die by lingchi (slow slicing), cut them into a thousand pieces!
If the treasures cannot be found, so be it, but what about the food?
Great Xue Emperor bellowed, They can take away gold, silver, and jewels, but food, so abundant and piled like mountains, they surely cannot take it all, right?
Report to Your Majesty, the food is still here! However, compared to previous years, the harvest of Great Shi has also decreased!
As long as the food is secure! The Great Xue Emperor felt a trace of comfort in his heart.
Their greatest objective in this battle was the food supply.
If they had lost the food as well, he would have truly gone mad.
Now, immediately gather the troops and transport the food back to Great Xue! As for settling scores with Great Xia, we will deal with that another day!
Yes, Your Majesty! the crowd responded to the order.
Following that, the mighty forces of Great Xue grandly transported the food back to their nation.
On the other side,
Great Shi Emperor and Great Zhu Emperor followed the Sword Elder to the Great Xia capital city, where they met Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan said with a smile, I am very pleased to welcome both of your majesties to Great Xia as guests! Although we have fought several battles and struggled to the death, today is actually the first time we meet face to face!
The two Emperors listened with a bit of trepidation, fearing that Lin Beifan would settle scores after the autumn, and they hurriedly explained.
Your Majesty, we were ignorant and blinded by self-interest at that time, which led us to do such things! Looking back now, we deeply regret it and feel that we really were worthless!
Your Majesty, we have deeply recognized our mistakes! We know we were wrong, and we ask for your magnanimity to spare us!
Lin Beifan waved his hand generously: Rest assured, I am not a petty person! All those are things of the past, let them be bygones, and let all grievances be wiped clean!
The two Emperors were overjoyed: Thank you, Your Majesty!
Lin Beifan smiled and said, Now you are safe, and I have fulfilled my promise! Whether you choose to stay in Great Xia or go elsewhere is up to you! If you stay in Great Xia, I welcome you; if you leave Great Xia, I bid you farewell!
Your Majesty, I choose to stay in Great Xia! Great Shi Emperor said without hesitation.
Me too! Great Zhu Emperor followed.
Their Innate masters and other guards had already been annihilated by Great Xue Emperor, leaving them without any protective forces. Leaving Great Xia would mean death. Therefore, it was better to stay.
At least here, that Great Xue Emperor wouldnt dare to come and kill them.
The Great Xia Emperor, considering the 10 million taels of silver, would also take extra care of them.
Lin Beifan laughed and said, Staying in Great Xia isnt so bad. Our Great Xia has changed a lot! You can be wealthy landlords here, and as long as you dont engage in illegal activities, you can definitely live a very comfortable life!
Thats not enough!
Great Shi Emperor said anxiously, Your Majesty, could you grant me an official title, or perhaps a noble rank?
Yes, Your Majesty, could you grant us an official position too? Great Zhu Emperor was also eager.
Although they possessed vast wealth, without power and status in Great Xia, they were just ordinary common people, vulnerable to exploitation. No matter how much wealth they had, it could be stripped away.
Therefore, to protect themselves and safeguard their wealth and family, they must hold official positions, and not just any positions, but high-ranking ones.
Only then would others dare not target them.
Lin Beifan cracked a slight smile. That will depend on your contributions. The greater the contribution, the higher the official rank!
Great Shi Emperor spoke out loudly, Your Majesty, I am willing to offer all the gold, silver, and jewels that I have brought from Great Shi to you!
How much are they worth? Lin Beifan asked.
Approximately five million taels of silver!
Good! I shall bestow upon you the title of Earl! Lin Beifan declared with a clap.
Earl? Great Shi Emperor frowned, evidently not quite satisfied with the reward.
You should know that in Great Xia, there are 5 Emperors, all of whom are dukes.
He is a minor earl, far too inferior compared to them!
How could he, who once was an Emperor of a great kingdom, fall behind others?
Your Majesty, is it possible to be granted a higher title?
Lin Beifan shook his head: No, your contributions are only worth that much!
The Great Shi Emperor became anxious: But in the past, the Emperors of the Mo Kingdom, An Kingdom, and others contributed just over 5 million taels of silver, so why were they able to become dukes, while I cannot?
Because, in the past, my country was just a small kingdom, and 5 million taels for a dukes title in a small kingdom was enough! But now, our Great Xia has become a Quasi-Dynasty, and naturally, the value of titles has increased with our status. You should understand this principle, right?
Great Shi Emperor naturally understood, but his heart was still filled with bitterness.
After some thought, he gritted his teeth and said, Your Majesty, our Great Shi still has a treasure hidden outside, worth about 8 million taels of silver! I wonder if these silver taels could be exchanged for a dukedom?
He now had nothing, and the chances of making a comeback were slim; that treasure was essentially useless to him. Rather than letting it rot in his hands, he preferred to trade it for a tangible benefit.
Lin Beifan laughed and said, If you contribute it all, I will grant you a dukedom!
Thank you, Your Majesty! Great Shi Emperor exclaimed joyfully.
Following closely, Great Zhu Emperor spoke up, Your Majesty, I am also willing to offer all the gold, silver, and jewels brought from Great Zhu, worth about 4 million taels of silver! In addition, we have another treasure, valued at around 10 million taels, which we are also willing to contribute. I wonder if that could be exchanged for a dukedom?
Of course, you can!
Thus, the two Emperors handed over all their wealth and, in a single transformation, became the Duke of Shi and the Duke of Zhu in Great Xia.
Although they had lost their wealth, their status had reached the pinnacle of Great Xia.
With the rank of duke, they had enough clout to thrive in Great Xia, and no one dared to bully them.
And with their contribution of 28 million taels of silver, the national treasury of Great Xia became even more abundant.
Adding to that the 30 million taels of silver extorted previously
Lin Beifans national treasury had now surpassed 80 million taels of silver, with gold and jewels piled everywhere.
Even among dynasties, there are few as wealthy as him!
***
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