World's First Traitor System (421)

Chapter 421 - Honest Fan Li

"Fan Li, what do you have to say for yourself?!" Sage Ruler Jin De's face was a mask of fury, and her tongue was laced with venomous accusation. The devaluation of the Baochao and Lingshi Quan was undeniable.

The evidence was irrefutable. Jin De was confident that even Fan Li, with his silver tongue, couldn't twist black into white, couldn't distort the stark reality.

"I..."

Fan Li was about to speak, but Sage Ruler Jin De cut him off.

"You'd better speak the truth. Miaoyin and I weren't born yesterday!"

Fan Li's expression faltered, as if he had been rendered speechless. Seeing him squirm, a rare sight indeed, Jin De couldn't help but sneer repeatedly.

"Alas!"

Fan Li sighed deeply.

"Esteemed Sage Rulers, honored envoys, the devaluation of Great Chu's Baochao and Lingshi Quan is indeed a fact."

"I... I have no defense."

Seeing Fan Li's defeated posture, Jin De and Miaoyin exchanged glances. So he admitted it! With the envoys of three kingdoms as witnesses, since Fan Li had confessed, he would have to compensate the Great Ci Dynasty for its losses.

Only then could Jin De and Miaoyin face Empress Yao Guang.

"What do you intend to do?" Jin De demanded loudly.

"This..."

The more awkward and flustered Fan Li's reaction, the more triumphant Jin De felt.

Ha! Even this man has his day?

"As the head of Great Chu's officials, I bear the ultimate responsibility for the economic turmoil and the devaluation of the currency. Therefore, I will submit a memorial to the court, requesting punishment. Demotion, salary reduction, loss of titles – I am willing to accept any punishment."

Sage Ruler Jin De, however, grew impatient. She had little interest in Fan Li's career; what mattered was how he would compensate the Great Ci Dynasty's losses.

"Enough, enough!"

"I'm not interested in Chu's internal affairs. Just tell me, should you or should you not compensate us?!"

As Jin De spoke, her gaze fixed on Fan Li with undisguised hostility. If a single word of refusal escaped his lips, he would be digging his own grave!

"We should compensate, of course we should compensate."

Fan Li immediately stated his position.

"My elder brother, Marquis Liyang Fan Zhengming, personally escorted supplies to boost the morale of the Great Ci troops, and also signed a contract with Empress Yao Guang."

"The terms of the contract are clearly written in black and white. All rights, obligations, responsibilities, and the standards of compensation for breach of contract have already been listed in the contract."

"Please rest assured, esteemed Sage Rulers. I am a man of my word. I will strictly adhere to the terms of the contract and compensate Great Ci for its losses."

After listening to Fan Li's lengthy explanation. At first, Jin De and Miaoyin felt that everything was going smoothly and they could report back to Empress Yao Guang.

But gradually, Jin De felt something was amiss. "Wait a moment! You're saying you'll compensate according to the terms of the contract?!"

Fan Li nodded in a picture of innocence. "Yes."

"No... no! Absolutely not! How can we compensate according to the contract?" Jin De hastily backtracked.

The envoys of the three kingdoms, who had been mere spectators, were now intrigued.

Liu Chan asked, "Sage Ruler, what do you mean? Since there is an agreement, it should be handled according to the agreement."

Cao Huan added, "Indeed! The devaluation of Chu's currency has harmed Great Ci's interests. But Duke Jin's admission of fault is commendable, and he intends to honor the contract. Is Great Ci intending to break the agreement?"

Sun Hao concluded, "Duke Jin is a man of his word, a true gentleman, a model for us all."

Hearing the envoys' statements, Jin De's expression changed repeatedly. She wished she could slap them all to death! These wretched men! Their cultivation was weak, yet because of the alliance, she, a mighty Great Vehicle Sage Ruler, had to tolerate their insolence.

"You don't understand! That contract is flawed... that contract... it's clearly a trap set by Fan Li!"

Jin De's pale explanation, lacking any concrete evidence, was utterly unconvincing.

At that moment, Fan Li adopted a serious expression.

"Sage Ruler, be careful with your words! The contract was signed by my brother, Fan Zhengming, and Empress Yao Guang. I wasn't even present."

"The terms of the contract are clear and unambiguous, confirmed after repeated discussions between both parties, and finally signed and sealed."

"Given these circumstances, how could I possibly scheme and deceive? Or perhaps, Sage Ruler Jin De believes that Empress Yao Guang lacks wisdom, and that I, far away in Peng City, could somehow deceive her?"

Fan Li's impassioned speech left Jin De speechless. To insist on the deception was to admit Yao Guang was a fool.

How important was an Emperor's reputation?

If she didn't admit it, the Great Ci Dynasty would have to swallow this bitter pill!

Sage Ruler Jin De was utterly flustered. Sage Ruler Miaoyin, beside her, was equally helpless.

Fan Li smiled faintly.

He produced a scroll – the contract signed between Great Ci and Great Chu.

"Fan Zhengming, Marquis of Liyang of Chu, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu, hereby enters into the following agreement with Her Majesty Empress Yao Guang of the Great Ci Dynasty!"

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three, if price fluctuations in Great Chu cause the purchasing power of Baochao and Lingshi Quan to decrease, resulting in losses to the Great Ci Dynasty, the Chu side will compensate at a minimum of ten times and a maximum of one hundred times the loss. The preferred method of compensation will be the official currency of Great Chu, namely Baochao and Lingshi Quan."

"Four, if Great Chu is unable to pay a sufficient amount of Baochao and Lingshi Quan, then compensation will be paid in kind of equivalent value."

Fan Li recited the terms of the contract one by one, then displayed it for Liu Chan, Cao Huan, and Sun Hao to examine. These three were crucial witnesses!

Sage Ruler Jin De was trembling with rage.

"Fan... Duke Jin, my Great Ci demands compensation according to the fourth clause of the contract, in kind of equivalent value!" she probed, clinging to a last shred of hope.

Fan Li, however, shook his head.

"Sage Ruler Jin De, I have long heard of your mastery of Confucianism, of your profound scholarly achievements. How could you make such a basic error in reading comprehension?"

He pointed to the fourth clause of the contract.

"It's clearly written in black and white: only if Great Chu is unable to pay in Baochao and Lingshi Quan will compensation be made in kind."

"Please rest assured, Sage Ruler. Our Great Chu's printing presses are operating normally. Even if we have to compensate your country at one hundred times the loss, the necessary Baochao and Lingshi Quan can be printed immediately!"

One hundred times the standard? Great Chu had requested Great Ci's military assistance in Xiongzhou at the cost of five years' worth of taxes.

In other words, the Great Ci Dynasty could claim compensation equivalent to the sum of Chu's taxes over five hundred years.

This was far beyond an astronomical figure!

It was an utterly unimaginable, terrifying amount!

But Baochao and Lingshi Quan?

Sage Ruler Jin De's voice trembled. "I don't believe you. The largest denomination of Baochao is only ten thousand taels of gold, and the largest denomination of Lingshi Quan is only ten thousand spirit stones. How many notes would you have to print to compensate at one hundred times the standard? Fan Li, give us some actual goods..."

Towards the end, Jin De's tone became almost pleading. If she truly brought back a pile of useless paper, Jin De suspected her elder sister would kill her.

Fan Li, however, maintained his easy smile.

"Please rest assured, esteemed Sage Rulers. Ever since the purchasing power of Baochao and Lingshi Quan declined, in order to protect the interests of our allies, I have been preparing for compensation."

"The latest version of the [One Hundred Trillion Taels of Gold Baochao] and the [Five Hundred Trillion Spirit Stones Lingshi Quan] have already begun mass production, sufficient to fulfill the compensation requirements."