I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 356 In this day and age, surely no one still thinks Li Chen is weak? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

On the bustling Zhuque Avenue in Shanghe City, a magnificent mansion stands tall. Above the vermilion-lacquered and gold-studded main gate hangs a black gold plaque with two large, elegant characters.

The Wei residence!

The edges of the plaque are inlaid with deep-sea pearls, which gleam even at night.

In front of the mansion gate, eight servants dressed in brocade outfits stood on both sides, each with slightly bulging temples and piercing eyes, clearly skilled in martial arts.

They wore gilded waist tags with the family crest of the character "Wei" engraved on them.

This is proof of their status. Being able to become a servant in the Wei family is considered prestigious in Shanghe City, second only to the Jiang family.

However, the Jiang family is not to be compared with anyone. The Jiang family has transcended the concept of a merchant family and entered the ranks of imperial relatives.

Who could blame them when the Jiang family had so many concubines, who were deeply favored by the emperor?

The Wei family was one of the fastest-rising families in Shanghe City during this period.

You could call them nouveau riche, and they wouldn't say anything; they really are wealthy.

Upon entering the Wei family mansion, one is greeted by a winding white jade bridge. Beneath the bridge, flowing water forms a pond in which rare golden-scaled dragon carp swim. It is said that each of these fish is worth a thousand gold pieces.

At the end of the bridge stands a huge jade screen wall, inlaid with gold wire depicting the trade routes that led to the rise of the Wei family, from the salt fields of the East China Sea to the camel caravans of the Western Regions, all vividly portrayed.

Of course, much of this is fabricated, simply boasting about how powerful the Wei family is.

The fact that the Wei family could spend so much money to build these things shows that they have a deep financial foundation.

There was nothing they could do; the Wei family had managed to climb the social ladder by securing several major projects from the Ministry of Works, making countless merchant families envious.

Everyone thought the Wei family would keep a low profile, but who knew they would be so high-profile, spending their money however they wanted.

This also reinforces the perception that the Wei family is a prominent merchant family.

The Wei residence was unusually lively today.

Inside the council hall in the front courtyard, dozens of heads of Wei family branches from various cities gathered together, along with many bigwigs from the Shanghe City Chamber of Commerce.

But the core members were still from the Wei family. Most of these Wei family members wore exquisite brocade robes, with abacuses, seals, and other items hanging from their waists. They occasionally revealed a shrewd look when they talked.

Young men gathered in small groups, some showing off their newly acquired overseas treasures, others discussing their recent investments in mines.

Although their appearances varied, each of them wore jade bracelets and other religious artifacts on their wrists, exuding an air of grandeur.

The women were vying for attention with their beauty. The beauty known as Miss Wei the Third wore a smoky gauze dress and had a "seven emotions butterfly" in her hair that changed color with her mood. She covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes attracting the attention of several young managers.

Although Madam Wei, from the East Sea branch, was over thirty, her voluptuous figure was perfectly outlined in a deep blue silk dress. The "Fragrance Pearl" hanging on her chest emitted a faint begonia fragrance with her breath, making people unable to help but steal glances.

The most eye-catching was Wei Manying's mother, who wore a moon-colored tassel dress. Her beautiful face made her look much younger than her age. If it weren't for her full and voluptuous figure and elegant demeanor, everyone would have thought she was someone else's daughter.

Wei Manying's mother rarely appeared in public, and many members of the Wei family had never seen her.

I did come to this place at Wei Manying's invitation.

Meanwhile, Wei Manying herself was chatting with her younger sister in a secret room.

The Wei family appeared to be very prosperous, and this was a grand family gathering, but in reality, it was all a scheme orchestrated by Wei Manying for the emperor of the Tian Ce Dynasty.

Everyone outside is putting on an act, acting like a normal merchant family.

They did this so that the people in the Chamber of Commerce could spread the news, reduce the royal family's vigilance, and achieve their own goals.

In fact, the core members of the Wei family were all remnants of the previous dynasty; none of them were surnamed Wei, but Yuan. Wei Manying's younger sister, using the alias Wei Manping, was the legitimate second princess of the previous dynasty.

"Sister, is this news reliable? When will that dog emperor come to Shanghe City?"

Wei Manping stood respectfully next to Wei Manying, looking very obedient and well-behaved.

As Wei Manying's younger sister, she had an impeccable figure and face; she was the kind of woman who could bring ruin to a country.

Perhaps because she was younger, Wei Manping wasn't as well-developed as her older sister, but she was definitely not someone that could be completely grasped with just one paw.

"Don't worry, although Consort Jiang didn't reveal it directly, she has already instructed the people at the hot pot restaurant that she wouldn't have done these things on purpose if the Emperor hadn't come."

Wei Manying was 90% certain that Li Chen would come to the hot pot restaurant in Shanghe City.

I'll have a hot pot meal with some important local officials and experts from the Zixiao Heavenly Palace, the cultivator alliance.

These all require advance reservations; not only do the hot pot restaurants need to make preparations, but officials and powerful figures in the cultivation world also need to do so.

Even if the emperor comes in private, it's still considered an assessment, so they have to perform well.

If Wei Manying were to directly ask Jiang Rong, it would seem too deliberate. She could only infer Li Chen's whereabouts from subtle clues.

This also shows that Wei Manying does have some ability and is not simply relying on anyone.

Since Li Chen was coming, Wei Manying naturally prepared something to cater to his interests, namely, beautiful women.

Anyone with connections to the palace knows that Li Chen has quite a few concubines, which also shows that he is a normal man.

Very few people would inquire about these things, but Wei Manying would definitely try to find out.

Fearing that Li Chen would be too picky, Wei Manying summoned all the pretty women in her family to come over, intending to find a way to impress Li Chen. Once Li Chen took a liking to her, Wei Manying's plan to assassinate the emperor would officially begin.

She wasn't afraid that Li Chen was lustful, but she was afraid that Li Chen wasn't lustful.

It's fair to say that the Wei family has all kinds of beautiful women, as long as Li Chen likes them!
Wei Manying herself did not intend to participate in this plan. She knew that she was very beautiful and would most likely be noticed by the emperor.

However, she is a key figure among the remnants of the previous dynasty. As long as Li Chen values ​​her and the plan succeeds, she will also be buried with him.

Having finally made it this far, how could Wei Manying possibly choose to be buried with him?

Her family will understand, after all, she has too many 'threads' in her hands, and the family still needs her.

The women who came here were prepared to die.

Perhaps their ultimate destiny was to witness the death of the emperor of the Tian Ce Dynasty.

"But sister, since we know where the dog emperor is coming, why don't we just find a way to kill him?"

Wei Manping tried to say something, but was met with a slap from her sister.

The crisp sound of a slap echoed throughout the secret room, and blood was still trickling from the corner of Wei Manping's mouth.

"You're so old, why can you still say such childish things? You should know what level of emperor Li Chen is, unless you're deaf or blind, right?"

Wei Manying was also furious. In this day and age, surely no one really thinks Li Chen is weak?

The three major cultivator alliances are very strong, right? Li Chen went alone, and all those alliances were completely subdued, with not a single one daring to resist.

Don't you think that our Yuan family has someone more terrifying than the Three Great Cultivator Alliances?
Our Yuan family's highest cultivator is only at the peak of the Heavenly Abyss Realm, not even a Saint Realm cultivator. How dare we assassinate Li Chen, a Saint Realm expert?
Let alone assassination, any cultivator below the Saint Realm who knows who Li Chen is wouldn't even have the courage to draw their sword.

(End of this chapter)