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

Chapter 606 This background is something you and I can afford to mess with? (Please subscribe and vote!)
The train continued north, traversing vast lands that were once barren and relied solely on nomadic herding.

Today, the steel tracks, like the lifeblood of the empire, inject new vitality into the north.

Increased productivity brought prosperity, with goods, technology, and tourists pouring in from the south.

What was originally a harsh and cold place has been transformed into a series of famous tourist attractions, attracting countless curious tourists, thanks to its unique snowfields, icy lakes, and forests.

The view outside the window was vastly different from the hometown that Tuoba Anyu remembered.

Several days later, the train arrived at its destination, the important northern town of "Han Tie Guan".

Li Chen didn't alert anyone. He and Tuoba Anyu got off the car discreetly and checked into an ordinary hotel.

He then changed into a plain officer's uniform that had been prepared beforehand, took out a letter of introduction issued by the Ministry of War that had nothing special about it, and went to report to the garrison of Hantieguan.

In order to conceal his identity as much as possible and experience real military life, Li Chen deliberately chose a unit he had never directly contacted before, an ordinary garrison battalion under the Northern Fourth Army Group, stationed at Hantieguan.

Here, he would no longer be the all-powerful Emperor Tian Ce, but just an ordinary captain named "Cheng Li" who had just been transferred.

Tuoba Anyu plays the role of Li Chen's wife, named "Anyu".

No one knew that this graceful and beautiful woman was actually the former esteemed Empress Dowager of the Northern Royal Court.

Being able to accompany Li Chen on his incognito travels and enjoy this time alone was indeed the envy of many women in the harem, especially Xuan Ji, who was almost inseparable from Li Chen, and felt extremely uncomfortable.

Today is the first day that Li Chen, using the alias "Cheng Li," reported to the garrison at Han Tie Guan.

This majestic pass stands tall on the edge of the extremely cold northern land, where the wind howls fiercely. However, the pass itself was built in recent years and has quite complete facilities.

The area inside the pass is a mixed community, including naturalized northern tribesmen, merchants and adventurers from the heart of Tian Ce, and tourists who come to experience the northern culture.

The composition of the garrison at Hantie Pass also reflects integration: one part comes from the central part of Tian Ce, and the other part is selected from the sons of the northern tribes who have submitted.

Through Li Chen's promotion of cultural unification and education, these northern soldiers, although retaining some traditional tribal totems or decorations on their armor, have become virtually indistinguishable from the Tian Ce army in terms of military system, commands, and attire.

Li Chen brought Tuoba Anyu to the military affairs office inside the pass to report.

They were received by a clerk from a northern tribe named Batel, who was about thirty years old, with an honest face, but who was efficient in his work.

He was clearly seeing an officer arrive at the military camp with such a beautiful woman for the first time. He paused for a moment before taking Li Chen's transfer order and ID card for verification.

"Lieutenant Cheng Li, from the capital?" Batel asked routinely while registering him. "Assigned to the Third Garrison Battalion as deputy captain."

He looked up at Tuoba Anyu, who stood quietly behind Li Chen, her eyes lowered but her charm undeniable, and softened his tone, "According to regulations, officers can live in military barracks dormitories or find their own accommodation. You've brought your family, so you must be staying outside, right?"

Li Chen nodded: "Yes, it's more convenient to live outside."

Batel understood and quickly took out a key from a bunch of keys, handing it to Li Chen along with a slip of paper with the address written on it: "This is the accommodation arranged for you, at No. 7, Anning Lane, South District of Guannei. It's a small, detached house, and the conditions are quite good. Please take a look first, and if you're not satisfied, come back and let me know so I can change it." Li Chen took it, inwardly praising Batel's efficient and thoughtful arrangements.

After Li Chen and his companion left, another tall, thin officer from the Tian Ce faction approached, frowning as he whispered to Batel, "Old Batel, why were you so polite to that kid? He's obviously a spoiled brat from the capital trying to climb the ranks, bringing a woman to the military camp—what kind of behavior is that! Just give him a makeshift place, wouldn't that have been enough?"

Batel glanced at him and lowered his voice: "You know he's from the capital, and he's a captain at such a young age. You and I can't afford to mess with someone like that. It's better to avoid trouble."

His expression turned serious: "You can say this to me and that's fine, but don't go around gossiping about it outside. If something happens, I can't protect you."

Originally, Batel was from a northern tribe. Having spent a lot of time in the Tian Ce system, he naturally knew how to behave.

To get to this position, one must have some skills.

The tall, thin cadre curled his lip, saying "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," but in his heart he was even more disdainful and repulsed by "second-generation rich kids" like Li Chen.

Li Chen found the residence according to the address. It was indeed a quiet and tidy courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. In this harsh place, it was considered a fairly good accommodation, which was usually reserved for higher-ranking officers.

Tuoba Anyu appeared to be very diligent and sensible. She immediately began to tidy up the house, wipe the tables and chairs, and lay out the bedding she had brought. Her movements were quick and she looked focused, as if she was enjoying the feeling of settling down with Li Chen like an ordinary couple.

Li Chen was somewhat surprised: "I didn't expect you to be able to handle these trivial matters."

As Tuoba Anyu tidied up, he replied softly, "When I was raising my child alone in my early years, I was busy with everything inside and outside the house by myself. I got used to it."

His tone was calm, yet it revealed a hint of past hardships.

Li Chen nodded slightly, thinking that it was no wonder her aunt Li Xueying recommended her to follow her. Indeed, she was capable of both intimacy in bed and managing daily life well. She was "capable" in every aspect.

After settling Tuoba Anyu in and informing her that she could contact him by "cell phone" in case of emergency, Li Chen went to the military camp to report for duty alone.

His first impression of the Han Tie Guan military camp was one of solemnity and order.

The towering gate, the thick city walls, and the soldiers training in the cold wind on the drill ground—their shouts were uniform, the clanging of weapons was powerful, and a chilling military might was palpable.

The guards checked his officer's token and, after careful examination, allowed him to pass.

At the military command post, he met the highest-ranking officer in the area, Garrison Commander Zhou Meng.

Zhou Meng, true to his name, was about forty years old. He was tall and strong, with a dark complexion, a short, stiff beard, and piercing, tiger-like eyes that exuded the fierce courage of someone who had been through many battles.

He briefly explained to Li Chen the important task of guarding the border, the ironclad military discipline, and the duties of the Third Garrison Battalion, and then had a squad leader named Feng Shuo show Li Chen around the area.

Feng Shuo was a warm and cheerful fat man, and also a second-generation military officer. As soon as he saw that Li Chen was a young officer from the capital, he immediately regarded him as "one of his kind". He put his arm around Li Chen's shoulder and complained bitterly: "Brother Cheng! You know, this godforsaken place is so cold that your snot can freeze into icicles!"
"My dad's really something, insisting on sending me here for 'training,' saying things like 'true character is forged in hardship!' Pshaw! Where in those prosperous places in Central China can't I get trained? There isn't even a decent tavern to listen to music here! I was quite excited to see the snow at first, but now, I'm thoroughly fed up!"

(End of this chapter)