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

Chapter 511 I will certainly relay this truthfully to His Majesty Charles! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
As soon as Minister of Rites Pan Xing finished speaking, the atmosphere in the banquet hall froze instantly.

The once lively and bustling scene of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The members of the Yongzhou delegation changed their expressions abruptly, while the Tiance ministers stared intently at Maurice's every move.

Morris's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the wine glass.

He could clearly feel the gazes of the court officials shooting at him like sharp arrows, as if trying to capture every subtle change in his expression.

What alarmed him even more was that Li Chen could make these ministers cooperate so tacitly with just a glance.

Such cohesion is almost unimaginable in the court of the Eternal Day Empire.

“Lord Pan.” Morris slowly put down his wine glass, still maintaining a polite smile on his face, “Our Eternal Day Empire is led by the royal family and supported by the Papacy. I have studied at the Papacy since childhood and have a certain status there, which is why I am able to represent both sides to negotiate with your country.”

These words were perfectly worded, neither denying the influence of the Papacy nor failing to subtly uphold the dignity of the royal family.

Minister of Rites Pan Xing persisted, "Oh? What is the purpose of the Papacy coming to our Tiance to preach?"

Morris was prepared: "The Pope said that a natural disaster is coming and the people of the North need to be saved."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the banquet hall.

The ministers of Tian Ce looked at each other in bewilderment. What kind of reason was this? Did the Eternal Day Church not even bother to come up with a decent excuse?

Your Vatican won't offer any benefits, yet you want to come here directly. Do you really think we, the Tiance faction, are easy targets?
Some ministers also felt that Morris might have said this on purpose to incite hatred of the Papacy among the Tian Ce officials.

Actually, this was a misunderstanding of Morris. He was simply repeating the Pope's words, saying that the Papacy was indeed that arrogant in the Everlasting Empire.

The Minister of War sneered, "Natural disaster? Our Tian Ce region enjoys favorable weather; how could there be a natural disaster?"

The Minister of Works slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "That's right, they don't even give a decent reason, yet they want to come to Tian Ce to spread their religion?"

Faced with the questions from his ministers, Maurice remained calm and composed: "My lords, please calm your anger. The Pope has prophesied that within three years, the entire continent will face a great calamity. The Papacy's actions are truly to save the people from suffering."

Pershing continued to refute, and Morris responded cleverly as well.

They're both old foxes; neither of them has shown any weakness, nor have they yielded.

Li Chen felt it was about time and suddenly raised his hand to stop their pointless conversation.

The entire banquet hall immediately fell silent.

"I will write a letter to the Pope regarding this matter." Li Chen's voice was not loud, but it made everyone hold their breath.

He wanted to see what the Pope really meant.

It is said that there are many Saints in the Holy See, and those who can become Pope must be among the most outstanding in the Saint realm.

Moreover, according to records, the Pope can also receive the baptism of divine light, making him far stronger than a Saint, just like Tian Ce receiving the blessing of a celestial artifact and becoming a Saint.

Only in this way could they subdue the behemoth that was the Eternal Day Empire.

At this stage, Li Chen's thoughts differed from others because the Pope had mentioned that a natural disaster would strike within three years.

Li Chen intends to break the level restrictions of the mortal realm and ascend to the immortal realm to obtain lifespan.

This will inevitably lead to a major war.

Others might think the Pope is using this as an excuse, but Li Chen isn't so sure. What if the Pope can foresee the future?

So he wrote a letter of divorce, asking the Pope if he had seen anything.

This is the difference in perception between people of different cultivation levels. At this moment, the Yongzhou delegation and the ministers of Tiance still thought that Li Chen was just playing coy.

Upon hearing Li Chen's words, Morris immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

The atmosphere at the banquet became lively again, but everyone knew that the real confrontation had only just begun.

After the banquet, Maurice, led by Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan, arrived at the Imperial Study.

Because Maurice just arrived with a delegation, mainly for official business, which means conveying the Pope's words.

He would definitely want to discuss personal matters with Li Chen now, namely the things Charles had instructed him to do, and even the possibility of introducing some advanced transportation equipment from Tian Ce.

Pushing open the door, one could see Li Chen reviewing memorials; in the candlelight, his young face appeared exceptionally somber.

"Your Majesty," Maurice bowed respectfully.

Li Chen didn't even look up: "Your Highness's late-night visit must be more than just to express your gratitude, right?"

Morris took a deep breath and decided to get straight to the point: "Your Majesty, His Majesty Charles wishes to cooperate with Tian Ce to break the Holy See's monopoly on the Eternal Day cultivation system."

Li Chen then raised his head, a half-smile on his face: "So, that performance during the day was staged for the Vatican's spies?"

Morris smiled wryly: "Your Majesty is wise. The Papacy has a huge influence in Eternal Day, and they even have spies within the mission."

"Tell me, what conditions can Charles offer?" Li Chen put down his vermilion brush and placed his ten fingers interlaced on the table.

Morris took out a secret letter from his robes: "This is written by His Majesty Charles himself. Yongzhou is willing to open three ancient ruins, share the Holy See's treasured sacred magic manuals, and one hundred heavenly treasures, and..."

Morris said a lot, and these conditions were indeed tempting, enough to drive countless cultivation forces crazy, and even allow some small countries to rise instantly to become medium-sized countries.

Li Chen took the confidential letter, quickly glanced through it, and suddenly asked, "How is Charles doing back home?"

This surprised Maurice, who replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My Majesty has been doing quite well lately."

He didn't know what Li Chen meant by asking that question, but he still gave a tactful answer.

“Then go back and tell Charles that if he only wants to check the Papacy, I refuse; but if he wants to destroy the Papacy, I might consider it.” Li Chen’s words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the Imperial Study.

Morris shuddered, and fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

This condition is far beyond his authority.

Destroy the Papacy? That's a behemoth that's been rooted in the Eternal Day for thousands of years!
He subconsciously wiped his sweat: "I will certainly convey His Majesty's meaning to His Majesty Charles truthfully."

Standing to the side, Zhao Wenyuan's lips curled up slightly.

Your Majesty's move is indeed brilliant: checking the Papacy is only a temporary measure, and the Yongzhou royal family will gradually become too powerful; but if the Papacy is completely eliminated, Yongzhou will inevitably fall into internal strife, at which point only one of the royal family and the Papacy can survive.

Either outcome is favorable to Tian Ce.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Maurice quickly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, actually, I have another request to make."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Tian Ce's railcar technology is truly amazing. I wonder if it could be introduced to my Yong Zhou?"

Li Chen glanced at Zhao Wenyuan.

Zhao Wenyuan understood and immediately took over the conversation: "Your Highness, this is the core technology of our Tian Ce, which involves national security."

(End of this chapter)