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

Chapter 472 Understanding the Simplicity of the Great Dao! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Meanwhile, chaos reigned within the royal palace of the Hundred Kingdoms.

King Baifan had met Li Chen once at the border, and he still couldn't forget the young emperor's majesty.

He immediately ordered: "Prepare the horses! Send the personal guards! Bring that thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum from the national treasury as a congratulatory gift!"

"Your Majesty, aren't you going to ride in a carriage?" the head guard asked anxiously.

"The carriage is too slow! I want to be the first to arrive at the capital! Let His Majesty Tian Ce see the sincerity of my Bai Fan!" With that, King Bai Fan mounted his horse.

The most dramatic event was the rise of Dai Xiaoyao, the new king of Xingluo Kingdom.

The young king, who had recently ascended the throne, was enjoying fine wine and food in his palace when he heard the news and nearly fell off his throne.

"Quickly! Bring my Purple Lightning Leopard here! Inform the Prime Minister to temporarily take charge of state affairs, as I am going to the capital to pay homage to His Majesty Tian Ce!" Dai Xiaoyao hurriedly fastened his belt.

The favored concubine beside him said coquettishly, "Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a few days and you're already leaving?"

Dai Xiaoyao retorted anxiously, "What do you know! If it weren't for me last time... cough cough... anyway, we absolutely have to go this time!"

He remembered that his mother was still in the Tian Ce harem, and he had to maintain that relationship.

In just three days, the kings of the southern kingdoms displayed their unique abilities and marched toward the capital of Tian Ce at top speed.

The VIP cabins on the railcar were fully booked, and the rest stops along the route were packed with people.

For those countries that were far away, the kings spared no expense in hiring monsters to travel.

On Suzaku Avenue, the people watched as processions of foreign ceremonial guards passed by, and they discussed among themselves:
"Look at that flag, it must be from the Kingdom of Tasha, right? Their king has actually come in person!"

"The procession from the Kingdom of Baifan is even more extravagant. I heard that their king rode a horse all the way for three days and three nights without closing his eyes!"

"Look over there, isn't that the new king of Xingluo Kingdom? Why does he look so flustered?"

Meanwhile, inside the imperial capital's guesthouse, the kings who arrived first had already begun their open and covert struggles.

King Tasha specially prepared a box of South China Sea pearls, while King Baifan offered his country's specialty medicines. Dai Xiaoyao went even further, bringing a group of dancers from Xingluo Kingdom, saying he wanted to present them to His Majesty Tian Ce for his enjoyment.

"Your Majesties, why go to such lengths?" the official from the Ministry of Rites said with a smile, declining the offer.

Despite being just a minor official in the Ministry of Rites of Tian Ce, and not even holding the rank of Minister, these kings didn't dare to put on airs with him; in fact, they had to curry favor with him.

The Minister of War is even more so, as many kings want to import advanced weapons and equipment from the Tian Ce Dynasty, which requires the Ministry of War's permission.

The Minister of War had already devised a plan: at that time, he would 'accidentally' leak the evidence of Li Chen and Charles' 'conspiracy' so that the emperors of various countries could spread it.

Charles won't even have a chance to explain then.

Even more coincidentally, Charles's brother Chet, along with the second prince Li Xian, was also spreading rumors everywhere, not only in Tian Ce but also in the Yong Zhou Empire. It can be said that Charles was completely set up by 'capital' and could not be cleaned up.

"Of course, of course! When will His Majesty Tian Ce summon us?" King Tasha said, rubbing his hands together.

"The Grand Flower Festival is still a few days away, everyone please get some rest," the official replied tactfully.

That means, you should just stay here and not rush.

Our Emperor of Tian Ce is not someone you can see whenever you want.

Don't think you're emperors too; here, you're just ordinary outsiders.

Actually, Li Chen wasn't deliberately ignoring them. There were still some kings who hadn't arrived yet, and Li Chen was too lazy to meet them one by one. He just wanted to find an opportunity to meet them all at once.

Meanwhile, envoys from neutral countries were also observing from the shadows.

The envoy from Canglan Kingdom whispered to his attendants, "Hurry up and urge our king to come quickly, or we'll miss our chance."

Indeed, the subjects dared to urge their king, but their king had to hurry. If Li Chen summoned them now, this would be the only opportunity; any subsequent visits would be futile.

Meanwhile, the envoys from the smaller nations within the Eternal Day Empire's camp looked worried.

The envoy from the Crimson Flame Kingdom sighed, "Our king probably won't have that chance. I wonder if our country will survive this catastrophe."

This unexpected flower festival has quietly changed the political landscape of the southern countries.

Every king knew perfectly well that this was not just a flower-viewing banquet, but a crucial moment for taking sides and making a statement.

And our Emperor Tian Ce, Li Chen, is quite busy these days.

After General Guo Poyun and the Minister of War left the Imperial Study, Li Chen summoned Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan and Minister of Personnel Luo Hui.

"My two ministers, the Ministry of Rites has made arrangements for the audience of the kings of the southern kingdoms in a couple of days. However, I have summoned you here today for another matter to discuss." Li Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Zhao Wenyuan and Luo Hui stood respectfully with their heads bowed: "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

Li Chen put down his teacup, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "I've recently taken on a subordinate, and I need to assign him a job. Ideally, it should be a sinecure, but the pay shouldn't be low. This person doesn't have much work experience, so the position shouldn't be too high, and certainly not too important. Which position do you think would be suitable?"

Li Chen's new subordinate is Daoist Yang Ci. He jokingly offered him a job, but to his surprise, Yang Ci agreed and followed him all the way to the capital.

Zhao Wenyuan and Luo Hui exchanged a glance, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.

It is unusual for His Majesty to personally inquire about such a minor job assignment.

Luo Hui hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Horse Administration is still short of a deputy director, a seventh-rank official, with a monthly salary of eighty taels of silver, in charge of the maintenance of the imperial horses; the work is relatively easy."

Li Chen nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, this position is fine."

Zhao Wenyuan couldn't help but ask, "Whom does Your Majesty intend to appoint?"

Li Chen's lips curled slightly: "A Taoist priest named Yang Ci, whom I met in the south a few days ago, insisted on coming to the capital with me to seek a job."

The two high-ranking officials were even more surprised upon hearing this.

How could a wandering Taoist priest be given a position personally arranged by His Majesty?
Neither of them knew that this person was a Saint Realm expert; they thought Li Chen simply wanted to use connections to get his 'acquaintance' a position.

Soon, the imperial decree reached the inn where Daoist Yangci was staying.

The old Taoist priest, with his white hair and beard, was stunned after hearing the words of the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict.

"The Imperial Stables? Horse breeding?" Yang Ci Daoist muttered to himself, almost dropping his whisk.

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree said with a smile, "Daoist Master, this is an assignment personally appointed by His Majesty. Go and take up your post tomorrow."

After the eunuch left, Daoist Yangci sat on the bed and fell into deep thought.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this matter was not simple. Why would His Majesty specifically arrange for him to raise horses? There must be a deeper meaning behind it!

His cultivation had not progressed, and seeing that he was getting old and unable to seek the path to immortality, he only wanted to pass on his mantle, so he went around taking on disciples and accidentally met Li Chen.

Li Chen's strength far surpasses that of Yang Ci Daoist; they are not even in the same league.

Yang Ci Daoist felt that Li Chen must be trying to give him some kind of hint.

"Royal Horse. Royal Horse"

Suddenly, Master Yangci's eyes lit up.

"As the old saying goes, 'Great things in the world must be accomplished through small steps.' Your Majesty wants me to start with the most basic tasks and understand the principle that the greatest truths are the simplest!"

He grew increasingly excited as he thought about it, pacing back and forth in the room: "The horse represents the Qian hexagram, symbolizing the vigorous movement of heaven. Raising horses is cultivating the mind, and controlling horses is controlling oneself—how wonderful! Your Majesty is enlightening me!"

(End of this chapter)