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

Chapter 622 It's most likely His Majesty himself! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
The invitation, though seemingly ordinary, was quite suggestive in the dead of night. It was both an excuse for Ren Ling to stay and an opportunity to push her toward Li Chen.

She had been lonely for so many years, while Li Chen was now in his prime; it was like dry tinder meeting a raging fire.

Ren Ling doesn't dislike men; she just can't find a man who satisfies her.

The fact that she just expressed envy for Tuoba Anyu's good husband shows that she actually has feelings for Li Chen.

Upon hearing this, Ren Ling's cheeks instantly flushed red, whether from the effects of the alcohol or from shyness, it was hard to tell.

She lowered her head slightly, her eyelashes trembling. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded softly, her voice barely audible: "Well then, I'll trouble you and Master Cheng."

On the way to Li Chen's courtyard, the night breeze was slightly cool, but it couldn't dispel the heat on Ren Ling's face.

Her heart pounded like a deer's, and as she walked, she was secretly torn: Was this too fast? Was it too unladylike for a widow like herself to act this way?

But when she thought of Li Chen's heroic demeanor and words just now, her admiration overcame her unease.

Upon entering Li Chen's room, the furnishings were simple yet tidy, exuding the neatness characteristic of a soldier.

Ren Ling stood in the room somewhat flustered, too embarrassed to look up at Li Chen. She could only try to make conversation by asking in a low voice, "Master Cheng, where is the wine that Sister An Yu mentioned?"

Looking at her shy and flustered mature beauty, Li Chen smiled playfully, stepped closer to her, and said in a deep voice with a hint of seduction, "Wine? It's on me. Boss Ren will definitely let you drink your fill tonight."

Upon hearing this, Ren Ling's ears turned bright red, and her body trembled slightly, but she did not flinch; instead, she lowered her head even further.

The next day, when Li Chen went to work, Ren Ling was still in shock; she had never seen such a powerful man in her life.
She hadn't expected things to progress so quickly. Would Li Chen think she was too casual?

The fact that she was thinking about these things meant that she had already been won over and was starting to consider Li Chen's feelings.

Li Chen naturally didn't need to appease them; he knew Tuoba Anyu would handle the aftermath, so he was just responsible for enjoying himself.

The first to arrive at Hantie Pass was naturally Chu Jingsong, the head of the Chu family in the capital.

His presence at the border immediately alarmed all the local dignitaries and high-ranking officials.

Whether they were from families of cultivators or wealthy merchants, they all came to welcome them, and the city gate was bustling with carriages and horses, and a great gathering of dignitaries.

In the eyes of these local aristocratic families, Chu Jingsong was a top-tier nobleman from the capital, and the Chu family was a behemoth that could be ranked among the top aristocratic families.

Inside the Chu family compound, Chu Pengzhan and his servants were already waiting with bows.

Seeing Chu Jingsong's carriage enter the courtyard surrounded by guards, he quickly put on a fawning smile and went forward to greet him. He was about to say some flattering words, and hadn't even had time to tell his nephew Chu Xiang about being bullied.

"boom!"

Without saying a word, Chu Jingsong raised his leg and kicked Chu Pengzhan hard in the chest!
The kick was extremely powerful. Chu Pengzhan was caught off guard and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the bluestone ground with a muffled groan.

Everyone present was stunned. For a moment, there was complete silence. People looked at each other, wondering why the head of the Chu family had become so furious.

Chu Jingsong's face was ashen. He didn't even look at the sycophantic nobles around him. He only glared at the disheveled Chu Pengzhan on the ground and squeezed out the order through gritted teeth: "You, come with me into the inner courtyard! I have something to ask you!" Chu Pengzhan was kicked so hard that his blood was churning, but he didn't dare to complain in the slightest.

His cousin, who was always arrogant and domineering, was now bursting with rage.

He hurriedly got up, not even bothering to brush the dust off his robes, and followed Chu Jingsong through the corridor with his head down and trembling, heading towards the secluded inner courtyard.

In the inner courtyard study, the doors and windows were tightly closed, leaving only the two of them.

The air was terribly still; the only sound was Chu Pengzhan's heavy, tense breathing.

Chu Jingsong sat down in the main seat without any hesitation, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Chu Pengzhan stood below with his hands hanging down, his body trembling slightly, and fine beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

After a long silence, Chu Pengzhan finally couldn't help but speak cautiously, "Brother... what's wrong? Did I... did I do something wrong to make you angry?"

Chu Jingsong slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clang loudly.

He had just picked up his teacup to take a sip when he suddenly smashed it to the ground! Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and hot tea spilled all over the floor.

"You dare ask me?" Chu Jingsong's voice trembled with anger. "What kind of good deeds have you been up to these past few days?! Don't you know the answer?!"

Chu Pengzhan was bewildered by the scolding. He thought back carefully and realized that apart from the conflict with Captain Cheng a few days ago when he was transporting goods, and his nephew being beaten and imprisoned, he didn't seem to have done anything particularly outrageous.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and recount the whole story, adding embellishments at the end: "...Brother, that Cheng fellow is just a minor captain, yet he dares to be so arrogant, clearly showing no respect for our Chu family! Moreover...and I saw with my own eyes that he actually has snow lotus, a tribute from the palace! This, this is no small matter; it concerns the decorum of the palace!"

He had thought that his cousin would be even more furious about bringing out the tribute from the palace, but to his surprise, Chu Jingsong's anger was replaced by a deeper fear after hearing the story.

He took a deep breath and almost gritted his teeth as he asked, "Since that Commandant Cheng knew you were from the Chu family, yet still dared to lay a hand on you and imprison Xiang'er, don't you think there's something fishy about this?!"

Chu Pengzhan remained unconvinced and argued, "So what if he has some connections? Our Chu family isn't someone to be trifled with! That's what you've always taught me!"

"Fool! Utterly stupid!" Chu Jingsong's fingers trembled with anger as he pointed at Chu Pengzhan, looking utterly disappointed. He hesitated several times before finally letting out a long sigh, "Alas! What... what can I say to you! Just read that Commandant Cheng's name backwards!"

"The other way around?" Chu Pengzhan was taken aback, and subconsciously murmured, "Cheng Li... Li Cheng?"

He frowned, repeatedly pondering those two words, when suddenly, a terrifying name struck his mind like a thunderbolt—"Li Chen, Li Cheng?!"

The moment the name left his mouth, Chu Pengzhan felt his legs go weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. His face turned deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with extreme terror.

He looked up, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Brother, no, no... it can't be that person, can it?!"

"Otherwise what?!" Chu Jingsong lowered his voice, his tone filled with lingering fear and sternness. "Do you think anyone in the world today would dare to have such audacity? His Majesty often travels incognito, and 'Cheng Li' is one of his commonly used aliases! Moreover, based on your description of his appearance and demeanor, it's highly likely that it is His Majesty himself!"

These words, like a final, heavy blow, shattered all of Chu Pengzhan's remaining hopes.

(End of this chapter)