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

Chapter 480 Brother Tang, I'm helping you out here! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

The officials were already feeling quite tired, but then Li Chen approved an overtime pay system to ensure they wouldn't work for nothing. The capable were encouraged to work more, and if they were tired, they could go home and rest instead of pushing themselves too hard.

Hearing that there would be overtime pay, they perked up and completely forgot about the last part.

In particular, the young officials all lived directly in the yamen (government office).

Meanwhile, at the foot of Yunwu Mountain in the southeastern region of the Tian Ce Dynasty, a richly decorated carriage slowly drove into Qinglin Village.

The villagers stopped to watch; such a magnificent carriage was a rare sight in a remote mountain village.

After the carriage stopped, a young man in brocade robes stepped down first; he was none other than Dai Xiaoyao, the new emperor of Xingluo Kingdom.

He turned around and waited for another young man to get off the bus; it was Tang Shan, who was returning to his hometown to visit relatives.

The two of them entered the little-known mountain village together.

Arriving in front of a house, Tang Shan excitedly called out to a woman, "Mother! Your son is back!"

Upon hearing this, the woman turned around, and Dai Xiaoyao's eyes lit up immediately.

She appeared to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with skin as white as snow and features as beautiful as a painting.

Although she was only wearing simple coarse cloth clothes, it couldn't hide her stunning figure.

Her full breasts created a beautiful curve in her dress, and below her slender waist were plump hips, exuding the unique charm of a mature woman.

Dai Xiaoyao was secretly shocked: This is Tang's mother? No wonder she could give birth to such a handsome son as Tang Shan.

And this beauty is just too exaggerated! Her fair skin and texture are beyond her years; you could easily mistake her for Tang Shan's older sister.

Only then did Dai Xiaoyao understand why Emperor Tian Ce had such a taste for it; who wouldn't love it?

Tang's mother hurried forward, tears welling in her eyes. She carefully looked her son over: "Shan'er! You're finally back! How have you been in the capital? Oh, and who is this?"

Tang Shan smiled and said, "Mother, I'm fine. This is my fellow disciple from the Chensha Dao Sect, and now he is His Majesty Dai Xiaoyao, the ruler of Xingluo Kingdom."

When Tang's mother heard that it was the king, she was about to bow.

But after thinking about it, it didn't seem right. I was in the Tian Ce Empire, not the emperor of Tian Ce, so why should I bow?

For a moment, Tang's mother didn't know how to address Dai Xiaoyao.

Dai Xiaoyao seemed to sense Tang's mother's embarrassment and said, "Hello, Auntie. You can call me Xiao Dai. Tang Shan and I are like brothers, so you are my elder."

Tang's mother smiled and said, "Little Dai is really easygoing. It's a blessing for Xingluo Kingdom to have a king like you."

Emperors love to hear this kind of talk, and Dai Xiaoyao was in a good mood.

After entering the house, Tang's mother busied herself preparing tea and snacks.

Taking the opportunity to observe, Dai Xiaoyao discovered that the simple thatched hut was spotless, but the food was mostly vegetarian, with very little meat.

This made him even more confused: how could a vegetarian have such a figure?
However, Dai Xiaoyao didn't pry into the details, but simply expressed his concern: "Auntie, it must be so hard for you to live alone in this mountain village. Why don't you let Brother Tang take you to the capital to enjoy a better life? Auntie, you probably don't know, Brother Tang now has a lot of businesses in the capital."

Tang Shan sighed: "I've mentioned it many times, but my mother always says she's not used to going to big cities."

Tang's mother explained, "I know Shan'er is filial and has gotten used to living in this kind of mountainous place."

She seemed to have something to hide.

During the meal, Dai Xiaoyao noticed that Tang's mother spoke and acted with elegance and grace, completely unlike a woman from a mountain village.

There must be a reason why she's here. And since Tang Shan has never mentioned her father, Dai Xiaoyao didn't feel comfortable asking. However, Dai Xiaoyao noticed that whenever Tang Shan's future was discussed, a look of concern would flash in Tang's mother's eyes.

He already had a plan in mind; he was determined to find out why Tang's mother wasn't going to the capital.

Then they could trick her into going to the capital, create a situation where she "accidentally" meets Emperor Tian Ce, and present this stunningly beautiful woman to him.

If successful, Dai Xiaoyao is determined to claim this great credit.

Dai Xiaoyao stayed here for a few days, diligently helping Tang's mother with chores every day.

There wasn't much heavy work involved; it was just checking on the fruit trees in the backyard.

Dai Xiaoyao was puzzled as he suggested that Tang's mother go to the mountain to look for spiritual fruits. It seemed that she could sense where spiritual fruits and spirits were.

Dai Xiaoyao exclaimed, "Auntie, you have such a keen eye! You were able to spot this 'Purple Spirit Grass' in such a hidden place at a glance."

Tang's mother smiled gently: "After living here for a while, you'll naturally become familiar with it."

As she bent down to gather herbs, her collar opened slightly, revealing her snow-white neck.

Dai Xiaoyao quickly looked away, but noticed a huge black bear staring at them from a distance.

He was about to warn them when he saw the black bear obediently lower its head and slowly walk away.

Even more strangely, in the following days, Dai Xiaoyao discovered that the wild beasts in the mountains all showed unusual awe towards Tang's mother.

Once they encountered a pack of wolves. When those ferocious beasts saw Tang's mother, they actually tucked their tails between their legs and ran away.

That evening, Tang Shan went to the village chief's house to discuss the renovation of his ancestral home.

Seizing the opportunity, Dai Xiaoyao spoke up while helping Tang's mother tend the fire in the kitchen: "Auntie, Tang Shan and I are like brothers, and he's practically your son. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me, and maybe I can help you."

Tang's mother paused slightly while chopping vegetables, then smiled and said, "Little Dai, you're so kind. Your aunt has no difficulties at all."

Dai Xiaoyao added some firewood, the firelight illuminating his sincere face: "Tang Shan is also at this age. If he knew you were in trouble, given his personality, he would definitely do everything in his power to help you. You wouldn't want to see him in danger, would you?"

The kitchen knife in Tang's mother's hand suddenly stopped.

She turned around, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes: "Has Shan'er gotten into some trouble in the capital?"

As the saying goes, no one knows a child better than their mother. In her recent conversation with Tang Shan, Tang's mother could tell that Tang Shan was hiding something from her about what he was doing in the capital.

Dai Xiaoyao quickly shook his head: "Auntie, don't worry, Brother Tang is doing very well in the capital. It's just that I always feel that you're staying in this mountain village because you have some unavoidable difficulties."

After a long silence, Tang's mother finally sighed, "Xiao Dai, I appreciate your kindness, but some things are in the past, let's not bring them up again."

Dai Xiaoyao understood; he certainly couldn't solve it with his abilities, and Tang's mother had figured that out, which was why she hadn't said anything.

Dai Xiaoyao then thought, "If I can invite Emperor Li Chen over and inform Tang's mother of Emperor Li Chen's identity, wouldn't Tang's mother be able to speak up? That would kill two birds with one stone!"
Dai Xiaoyao didn't dare to look at Tang's mother's voluptuous figure for more than a couple of seconds. He was eager to see what would happen after Emperor Li Chen arrived.

Dai Xiaoyao thought to himself: Brother Tang, I'm helping you out here too.

At this moment, Tang Shan was actually planning to trick him. He hadn't gone to negotiate with the village chief, but rather to communicate with the remnants of the Wang family.

They wanted to rely on Dai Xiaoyao's identity to transfer the core members and some assets of the Wang family remnants to the Xingluo Empire for development. Perhaps they could gain some power when the southern countries were reshuffling, and then make a comeback.

This is absolutely a trap for Dai Xiaoyao. If the Tian Ce authorities find out, Dai Xiaoyao will also be implicated. But in Tang Shan's eyes, there are no brothers. I only talk to you because I think you can be used by me!

(End of this chapter)