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

Chapter 595 Giving Me a hard time as soon as I got back? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
"Mother?!" Su Wanqing's dim eyes lit up with surprise when she saw who it was, as if a clear spring had been poured into them.

She jumped up and rushed into Hua Rumeng's arms like a swallow returning to its nest, her voice choked with sobs and grievance: "You're finally back!"

Hua Rumeng hugged her daughter tenderly, gently patting her back and comforting her for a while. Then, she softly asked, "Qing'er, what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly decide to go to the palace? What about Mingyuan?"

Mentioning painful memories, Su Wanqing's tears rolled down her cheeks like broken pearls: "Mother, please don't mention Brother Mingyuan anymore. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he saw me at a palace banquet and insisted on taking me into the palace."
I refused on the spot, citing my existing engagement. But just a few days later, news came that my brother Mingyuan had died in a horse-riding accident.

By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Hua Rumeng felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her body trembled violently.

Having weathered many storms herself, she instantly understood the sordid and inevitable nature behind this "accident."

An uncontrollable rage surged within her, making her fingertips tremble with anger: "Outrageous! This new emperor is utterly lawless! He forcibly took a subject's daughter and even resorted to such vicious methods!"

She never imagined that the royal family had become so domineering!
Hearing her mother so bluntly criticize the royal family, Su Wanqing turned pale with fright. She hurriedly grabbed Hua Rumeng's sleeve, nervously looked around, and whispered, "Mother! Be careful what you say! You can't talk about these things carelessly. Be careful, walls have ears! Besides, Father said that this is for the sake of the family's overall situation."

"The bigger picture?" A sharp glint flashed in Hua Rumeng's beautiful eyes, her tone laced with sarcasm. "That's definitely what your father advised you, isn't it? What bigger picture? It's nothing but an excuse for cowardice and compromise!"

Seeing her daughter bite her lip and lower her head, tacitly agreeing with her guess, Hua Rumeng's disappointment and resentment towards her husband instantly surged.

Spending a long time by Li Chen's side, I witnessed his true domineering nature—looking down on the world and doing whatever he pleased.

Looking back at her husband's behavior of only knowing how to endure things and even sacrificing their daughter's happiness in exchange for so-called "stability," she felt extremely frustrated and angry.

It must have been her husband who used those high-sounding words to subdue their daughter, leaving her to bear this injustice alone!
She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger towards her husband, and turned to look at Li Chen, who stood calmly to the side, with a hint of apology on her face: "I'm sorry, Mr. Li, family matters have been troubled, and I'm sorry you had to witness this."

Li Chen waved his hand casually, his gaze still appreciative on Su Wanqing, his tone calm yet unquestionable: "It's alright. I can help with this little thing."

Upon hearing this, Hua Rumeng's eyes immediately filled with deep gratitude and hope.

With those words from him, things became completely different.

Just then, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

As the Prime Minister of Qinglin Kingdom, Su Wenkang, returned home after court, he heard that his wife had returned and hurriedly went to the backyard without even changing out of his court robes.

Upon entering the lobby and seeing his wife, whom he hadn't seen for many years and who was still stunningly beautiful, his gloomy mood, which had been weighing heavily on him recently because of his daughter, immediately brightened, and a smile appeared on his face: "Rumeng, you've finally decided to come back."

Before he could finish speaking, he met Hua Rumeng's cold, even disgusted, beautiful eyes, and all his words got stuck in his throat.

"Hmph." Hua Rumeng snorted coldly, turning her face away and giving him the cold shoulder. Su Wenkang's smile froze, replaced by embarrassment and confusion: "What do you mean by this? Giving me attitude as soon as you get back?"

"Don't you know why I'm giving you attitude?" Hua Rumeng's tone was sharp. "Are you just going to let this go like this? Are you going to trade your so-called 'big picture' for your daughter's lifelong happiness?"

Su Wenkang felt humiliated by his wife's direct rebuke, but remembering how many years it had been since he last saw her, he suppressed his displeasure and said in a deep voice:

"Foolish! This matter concerns the face of the king, and even more so the future of my entire Su family! How could a woman like you possibly understand the implications? This is something I can't explain to you! Where is my daughter? I want to see her!"

He tried to project the authority of the head of the household.

The phrase "a woman can't explain it" completely ignited Hua Rumeng's pent-up anger. She stood up abruptly, her voice trembling slightly with rage:
"Can't explain it? That's what you always say! You thought you couldn't 'explain it' to me, so you wanted to keep me locked in this cage as your canary! Now you want to ruin our daughter in the same way? Let me tell you, our daughter is on a date with Mr. Li and has a heart-to-heart talk. She doesn't have time to see you!"

"What?! A date with Young Master Li?!" Su Wenkang was struck dumb, his eyes widening instantly.

That was the concubine personally chosen by His Majesty! He was so angry that his scalp tingled, and he didn't bother to ask about Young Master Li's background. He roared, "Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"

Before he finished speaking, he angrily flung his sleeves and strode towards the backyard. He had made up his mind that no matter who that Li was, he would teach him a lesson and let him know the consequences of provoking the future imperial concubine!

However, when he rushed to the backyard and saw the man in the pavilion chatting happily with his daughter, even displaying some intimacy in his behavior, he was about to get angry and scold him, and he was already planning to have the guards teach the man a lesson.

But when he saw the other party's extremely luxurious attire, with its clearly defined patterns belonging to the absolute high-ranking members of the Holy See, and the amethyst token at his waist that faintly exuded a powerful aura, his anger was instantly extinguished as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, leaving only a heart-pounding fear!
A member of the Vatican! And a very high-ranking one at that!

Even though the entire Qinglin Kingdom rejects the Holy See, no one dares to openly disrespect such a figure, as that could trigger a diplomatic storm or even more serious consequences!
He suppressed his turbulent emotions, forced a smile that was extremely strained and even somewhat distorted, and quickly stepped forward, bowing politely and saying, "I was unaware that this sir would grace my humble abode with his presence. Please forgive my lack of hospitality. My name is Su Wenkang. May I ask how you are addressed, sir?"

Hua Rumeng followed behind, watching her husband's arrogant yet obsequious and cautious manner. The more she looked, the more contemptuous and annoyed she felt. She sneered inwardly: "Is this all the grit and guts you have?"

Li Chen merely glanced at Su Wenkang indifferently, his attitude distant and even somewhat indifferent, and casually replied, "His surname is Li."

The attitude was as if the other party was not a prime minister of a country, but an insignificant servant.

Su Wenkang felt aggrieved but dared not show it. He could only continue to smile ingratiatingly, trying to probe the truth: "I did not know that Lord Li was here with my daughter."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Chen interrupted him, his gaze still fixed on the slightly uneasy Su Wanqing, his tone as casual as if he were deciding on a trivial matter:

"Prime Minister Su, there's no need for such formalities. I see that your daughter is quite talented and has a good character. She herself is willing to follow the Holy Light. Since that's the case, she will join the Holy See with me and serve by my side. That's settled then."

Upon hearing this, Su Wenkang was struck dumb, completely frozen in place, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

(End of this chapter)