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

Chapter 420 It was your generals who forced me to rebel! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Border guards from several small countries even personally came to offer their condolences with generous gifts:

"General Yun, you've come from afar, you must be tired."

"Please accept these local specialties, soldiers."

"Please let me know if you need anything."

"Commander Yun, are you comfortable here? How about we go into town?"

Yun Xu refused them one by one with a stern face: "I appreciate your kindness, but the soldiers of Tian Ce have their own military regulations and are not allowed to accept gifts."

He knew perfectly well that without His Majesty's decree to accept gifts, who would dare to make such a decision on their own?

Moreover, these opportunists may be fawning over us today but turning against us tomorrow.

The army of the Tian Ce Dynasty crossed the border, and even though it was only 1000 meters, it still caused a stir in dozens of southern countries.

In some countries, riots broke out even before the Tian Ce Dynasty's army arrived.

Huijia was one of the countries most affected by this turmoil.

Huijia's overall level is considered average among the southern countries, and it is a neutral country.

Faced with this covert struggle between the Tian Ce Dynasty and the Yong Zhou Empire, Hui Jia Kingdom, like most countries, tried not to offend either side.

Moreover, with the recent activity of merchants from the Tian Ce Dynasty, Huijia Kingdom's foreign trade has also made good progress.

A few days ago in the capital of Huijia Kingdom, King Roca was parading with his concubines, like a lion surveying its territory.

For Roca, this was a common occurrence; whenever the people saw him, they would kneel down.

But on this day, a few people did not kneel, which made them stand out in the crowd.

A guard stepped forward and rebuked, "How dare you! Why do you not kneel before the king?"

The leading merchant, Qian Zaili, bowed respectfully, his attitude neither servile nor arrogant: "Sir, we are merchants from the Tian Ce Dynasty, and according to our dynasty's etiquette..."

His meaning was clear: I am not from your country, so why should I kneel before your king?

The guard sized up the merchants. They were dressed elegantly, with special merchant badges made by the Tian Ce Dynasty hanging from their waists, and their expressions revealed a hint of arrogance. They certainly didn't seem to be from this country.

Since they were from the Tian Ce Dynasty, the guard was in a dilemma. He glanced at King Roca in the carriage and saw Roca's displeased look. The guard understood and immediately scolded, "Insolence! This is the Huijia Kingdom. Since you are here, you must abide by the rules here."

Qian Zaili straightened his back and said in a loud voice, "How can the people of a superior country kneel before their sovereign?"

I've already been so tactful and given you plenty of face, but you insist that I just say yes, right?
These words were like a slap in the face to Roca.

The people lining the streets whispered among themselves, and Roca felt that the king's authority and dignity were being challenged like never before.

Roca coldly ordered, "Take them down! Let them think carefully about what to say in jail."

His meaning was clear: the people of the Tian Ce Dynasty were not to be trifled with, but he still had to save face.

If these merchants from the Tian Ce Dynasty admit their mistakes in prison and write a self-criticism, they can be released.

The guards swarmed forward and surrounded Qian Zaili and his entourage.

Surprisingly, none of the merchants resisted; they merely sneered.

"King Huijia, you will regret your decision today."

When Qian was taken away, he turned back and threw the money to the ground with a loud thud.

Roca waved his hand dismissively, thinking to himself that they were just a few merchants, not members of the Tian Ce Dynasty's royal family, so what kind of trouble could they cause?
Little did he know that this decision would be the beginning of his nightmare.

Today, Roca heard that the Tian Ce Dynasty's army had crossed the border, and he began to panic.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest of the throne. Several merchants from the Tian Ce Dynasty were still imprisoned, and their army had already arrived?

Even if you are in the right, who will listen to your explanation when a large army is pressing in?
I'd long heard that Emperor Li Chen of the Tian Ce Dynasty wasn't a reasonable person.

Inside the palace hall, Roca paced back and forth, pondering a solution. "Perhaps we should release them first?"

He muttered to himself. But then he thought, what if they still refuse to leave after we release them?
Just then, a loyal guard rushed in, his face covered in blood. Roca, seeing this, nearly slid off his throne in shock: "The Tian Ce Dynasty's army has invaded?"

Didn't I hear that the Tian Ce Dynasty's army had just crossed the border? How come they arrived so quickly?

This is an incredible marching speed.

The guard, panting heavily, replied, "No, not at all."

Roca breathed a sigh of relief, then angrily demanded, "Then what's wrong with you?"

The guard knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Your brother, Luo De, has rebelled!"

Roca's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he immediately ordered the surrounding troops to quell the rebellion.

But after the order was issued, no one responded; only a few guards remained by his side.

When Rhodes led the rebel army into the palace, Roca hysterically questioned, "Brother, why are you doing this? I have treated you well, why have you rebelled? And how did you bribe my generals?"

Rhodes's lips curled into a sarcastic smile: "Brother, I never intended to rebel. It was your generals who forced me to rebel."

Just last night, many powerful ministers and generals gathered together and discussed the matter. They felt that if Luo Ka did not go down, the emperor of the Tian Ce Dynasty might massacre the entire country in a fit of rage. What would they do then?
The emperor himself said that if anyone disobeyed, the country would be destroyed. As the supreme ruler, his word was law; he was not joking.

"My ministers, why is this?" Roca asked incredulously.

Rhodes sneered, "You've offended the people of the Tian Ce Dynasty. We just want to live."

Thus, Rhodes was "forced" to ascend the throne. He imprisoned Roca, intending to deal with him after the arrival of the Tian Ce Dynasty officials.

Subsequently, the new king personally came to the prison and removed the shackles from Qian Zaili and others.

Rhodes smiled broadly: "You gentlemen have been frightened. It was all due to my foolish brother's ignorance. I have already apprehended him and leave him to the Tian Ce Dynasty to deal with."

He no longer had any kingly airs about him; he looked more like a waiter.

Seeing the former King Roca arrested and imprisoned in the next cell, Qian Zaili felt a great sense of satisfaction.

That evening, Rod hosted a grand banquet for Qian Zaili and his party, constantly offering toasts and apologies, and presenting them with a large amount of gold and silver jewelry.

Qian Zaili then reluctantly nodded: "His Majesty Rhodes is indeed reasonable."

The army of the Tian Ce Dynasty advanced only a thousand meters before causing a change of dynasty in a country.

Such a deterrent force made the entire southern kingdom tremble.

Even the relatively powerful Xingluo Kingdom among the southern kingdoms was affected.

Huijia Kingdom only offended some merchants, and it has already become like this. Xingluo Kingdom, on the other hand, has even allowed the Yongzhou Empire's garrison to enter.

Many citizens are worried about the country's future.

Meanwhile, Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying had already crossed the border of the Tian Ce Dynasty and were on their way to Xingluo Kingdom.

Transportation to these small countries is not very convenient, and Li Chen's speed slowed down noticeably after leaving the Tian Ce Dynasty.

The most outrageous thing was that they encountered bandits as soon as they arrived in a small country called Tasha.

This group of robbers brazenly blocked Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying's path.

(End of this chapter)