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

Chapter 414 That was all the emperor's decision on his own initiative; it has nothing to do with us! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

After the court session, Li Chen returned to the inner palace.

Imperial Consort Zhu Zhuying had been waiting outside the palace for a long time. When she saw the imperial carriage arrive, she quickly straightened her clothes and stood respectfully in front of the palace gate.

"Your Majesty, I request an audience," she announced softly, her voice as melodious as a clear spring.

"Come in," Li Chen's voice came from inside the hall.

Zhu Zhuying cautiously stepped into the hall, stealing glances at Li Chen's expression as she walked.

She saw Li Chen leisurely sipping his tea, his expression calm, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The imperial concubine had a graceful figure, and her light purple palace dress accentuated her perfect curves. As she walked, the hem of her skirt swayed gently, like a blooming violet.

She moved gracefully behind Li Chen, placed her slender hand on his shoulder, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, is this the right amount of pressure?"

"My beloved concubine's skills are quite good." Li Chen closed his eyes to enjoy the massage. "But surely you shouldn't come to me just for a massage?"

Zhu Zhuying's heart trembled, and she quickly went around to Li Chen and knelt down gracefully.

Her kneeling posture was elegant, her back straight, which made her chest curves even more impressive, and her delicate oval face showed a hint of fear.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to discuss with you."

Li Chen looked up at her and said, "Go ahead and speak."

"Your Majesty, we come from a small country. We have no intention of offending Your Majesty’s majesty. It was all the emperor’s doing that’s doing.” Zhu Zhuying’s voice was soft, but with a hint of urgency.

Through her explanation, Li Chen gained a general understanding of the situation in Xingluo Kingdom.

This medium-sized southern country has developed rapidly in recent years, with a significant increase in the number of cultivators and its national strength reaching its peak in hundreds of years.

Of course, this strongest is not comparable to the Tian Ce Dynasty, not even the Southern Army of the Tian Ce Dynasty.

The job of the Prince of Zhennan back then was to use his power to intimidate these small countries.

The Prince of Zhennan alone was enough to leave the southern kingdoms utterly powerless to retaliate.

They even offered their treasures and beautiful women to the Prince of Zhennan.

With the Prince of Zhennan being so powerful, even a rebellion wouldn't be very daring.

After all, the major army groups in the Tian Ce Dynasty were not just for show; they were all ruthless forces.

There has always been a rumor that only the army of the Tian Ce Dynasty could defeat the Tian Ce Dynasty's army.

Starfall Kingdom has indeed not been attacked recently, but precisely because of this, the current king has become somewhat complacent and dares to bargain between the two superpowers.

In other words, he listens to whoever offers him the most benefits.

If the two superpowers choose to compete, Starfall will benefit and rise to a new level, perhaps even surpassing the southern nations.

However, if the bottom line of a certain superpower is crossed, the Starfall Kingdom will perish.

After the morning court session this morning, the Xingluo Kingdom envoy immediately found Zhu Zhuying and truthfully reported what had happened in the court.

The envoy was a shrewd man and knew that the king was playing with fire.

They also knew that the emperor of the Tian Ce Dynasty was displeased with this matter.

Because the last country that dared to ask Li Chen for benefits has already been destroyed.

As an envoy from a small country, he was not qualified to explain directly to Li Chen, and could only convey the message through Zhu Zhuying: the king's attitude does not represent the will of the people of Xingluo, and the majority of the people are loyal to the Tiance Dynasty.

Zhu Zhuying raised her head, her beautiful eyes pleading, "Your Majesty, please understand. The people of Xingluo Kingdom are utterly loyal to you, but that foolish ruler has been misled by the envoys of the Yongzhou Empire."

She grew up in Xingluo Kingdom, which was her homeland and where her family lived, so naturally she wanted to ask for a favor.

Li Chen put down his teacup and looked at her thoughtfully: "What does my beloved concubine mean?"

Zhu Zhuying bit her lip: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, if Your Majesty permits, I am willing to write a letter back to the country and persuade the court officials to restore order."

Her family was a powerful clan in Xingluo Kingdom; her father was a high-ranking official, and her sister was the Empress. If her family exerted pressure, perhaps they could force the Emperor of Xingluo Kingdom to compromise and face reality.

What defines a superpower? Li Chen casually mentioned destroying a country, and he wasn't joking.

The last person to speculate whether Li Chen would dare to fight was Tuoba Zhen. Just wait and see if Li Chen fights him or not.

That's why Zhu Zhuying said that. Don't underestimate her just because she's only a concubine now. She's someone the Emperor of Xingluo Kingdom can't afford to offend, especially since the Emperor of Xingluo Kingdom is already offending Li Chen.

Despite Li Chen's easygoing nature, Zhu Zhuying felt a chill run down her spine when the topic turned to matters of national importance.

What does it mean to be unpredictable by the dragon's might? She had experienced it more than once, but now she understood it even more deeply.

Li Chen did not give a clear answer, but simply said, "I am aware of this matter and will make a decision on it."

Zhu Zhuying dared not say more, and respectfully kowtowed to take her leave.

As she stepped out of the palace gate, she discovered that a number of concubines were already lined up outside, all apparently seeking an audience with His Majesty.

No sooner had she left than Ji Lianyu and the Princess of Zhennan entered the palace.

The two women had barely knelt down and hadn't even spoken when Li Chen already guessed their purpose.

Ji Lianyu said softly, "Your Majesty, I dare to plead for Xu Zifeng's sake."

Princess Zhennan quickly echoed, "My son has been exceptionally diligent lately; I humbly request Your Majesty to grant him an opportunity to lead an expedition."

As expected.

Despite not having the title of a concubine, Ji Lianyu was indeed one of the earliest women to serve Li Chen.

It wasn't that Li Chen wouldn't grant her the status of an imperial concubine; it was that she felt her status as a widow was unworthy of Li Chen and would cast a shadow over his glorious image. Therefore, she chose to serve him secretly, always at his beck and call.

Li Chen also enjoyed the thrill of 'stealing', so he simply agreed.

However, in the harem, many concubines would call Ji Lianyu "elder sister" when they saw her.

She wasn't a concubine, but Li Chen liked her, which meant she was important.

Princess Zhennan was Li Chen's type, and he was deeply favored by her.

Who could blame her? Her figure was similar to the Empress Dowager's, and she was also incredibly beautiful.

These sisters are able to meet Li Chen's needs, so they must be favored.

Therefore, Xu Zifeng has been doing quite well lately.

Li Chen picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip: "I will consider it. However..."

He put down his teacup, his gaze sharp: "I want to see Xu Zifeng's recent performance."

Xu Zifeng currently holds the position of Colonel. Although he is the son of the Prince of Zhennan, the late emperor left him in the capital as a hostage in order to restrain the Prince of Zhennan.

However, the situation in the south is tense now, and the Prince of Zhennan wants to be a loyal subject more than anyone else.

After all, if the Tian Ce Dynasty were to go to war with the Yong Zhou Empire, his fiefdom would be the first to suffer.

How could he not panic? Among the pile of memorials yesterday, the Prince of Zhennan wrote quite a few, almost as if he had written about his ancestors for eight generations as loyal ministers.

Ji Lianyu and the Princess of Zhennan exchanged a glance, both seeing joy in each other's eyes.

His Majesty's lack of direct rejection means there's a chance!

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" the two kowtowed in unison.

After they left, Li Chen rubbed his temples.

The fact that these concubines came one after another to plead for him today reminded him that the problems of the southern kingdoms might be resolved from within.

(End of this chapter)