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

Chapter 634 How can we allow him to boss people around in the army? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Vasily was secretly delighted, but outwardly remained extremely respectful: "Yes, sir! I will certainly not fail you!"

Not long after he left, Sergei, Andrei's eldest son, who was equally ambitious, walked in.

He had clearly overheard part of the conversation, and his face was filled with excitement: "Father, Strategist Vasily is right! This is our family's chance to rise! I am willing to personally lead men to assist Tuoba Zhen!"

With even his son's support, Andrei's last bit of hesitation disappeared, and he made up his mind completely.

Thus, with the help of Emperor Ivan's inside man and driven by his own ambition, Grand Duke Andrei soon presented a memorial to the Holy See.

In his memorial, he passionately described the "utility" of Tuoba Zhen and the feasibility of his "southward strategy," and expressed his willingness to act as the empire's vanguard, "secretly" supporting Tuoba Zhen's actions and creating opportunities for the empire to expand its territory.

Inside the Holy Palace, Emperor Ivan looked at the timely memorial and a satisfied, cold smile appeared on his face.

This is exactly what he wants: a written record, which will serve as irrefutable proof that Andrei "acted on his own initiative and disrupted national policies"!

However, Ivan's ambitions went far beyond simply finding a scapegoat.

He stared at the map of the north, his eyes burning with the same desire.

If we could seize this opportunity to march south and take over the rich northern territories of the Tian Ce Dynasty, what a glorious achievement that would be!

This is enough to make his name, Ivan Redis Romanov, surpass that of all previous emperors and be remembered for eternity! Risk and opportunity coexist. He has already rolled the dice in this high-stakes gamble and is just waiting for Li Chen's response.

And coincidentally, Li Chen had wanted to fight for a long time; how could he complete the mission if he didn't fight?

The situation at Hantie Pass has become increasingly tense recently, with the air seemingly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Inside and outside the pass, troops dispatched from various places could be seen stationed and training everywhere, with banners waving and swords and spears like a forest, creating an atmosphere of solemnity and readiness for battle.

However, contrary to the usual pre-war scene of civilians fleeing in droves, the population of Han Tie Pass and the surrounding northern cities increased rather than decreased, and even a large number of cultivators of all kinds poured in.

Among them, the most conspicuous were the groups of cultivators who usually farmed sea creature materials and experience packs in the eastern sea area, now marching north in a grand procession.

The first batch of people to arrive in the North alone numbered no less than 200,000! They were not all gathered at Cold Iron Pass, but were scattered along the long northern border.

Although the number sounds large, it is still manageable for the vast and populous northern part of Tian Ce.

In addition, disciples from many local sects in the north can be seen gathering, eager to fight.

Li Chen was puzzled when he saw the intelligence gathered from various places in the military camp. He complained to Lü Mumu beside him, "It's one thing for these guys to treat the sea creatures like wild monsters, but do they also want to treat the Great Luo Dynasty as a new secret realm?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Mumu covered her mouth and chuckled, explaining, "Your Majesty is unaware of this, and I don't know who has been spreading rumors in the cultivation world that the Great Luo Dynasty is rich in rare treasures such as ten-thousand-year-old mystic ice, polar snow marrow, and ice-soul cold iron."
These items are extremely beneficial to cultivators practicing ice and water-based techniques, and are indeed very rare within our Tian Ce territory. In the past, although the two countries were neighbors, the conflict was not deep, so it was not advisable for anyone to rashly cross the border for a large-scale search.

Now that the situation is tense and war is imminent, these people are naturally eager to take advantage of the chaos and get a share of the spoils.

Li Chen felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples, thinking that he was trying to improve his quest progress, so why were so many people trying to steal his monsters?

However, upon further reflection, he realized that this also reflected the current prosperity and fierce atmosphere of the cultivation world in the Tian Ce Dynasty. Fortunately, the management of the Tian Ce sects was now quite standardized and stable.

The system, led by the imperial court and jointly managed by the four top-tier Daoist alliances, began to operate efficiently.

At this moment, representatives of the four major sects and leading figures from various sects have gathered in the important northern city of Beiyue to discuss wartime cooperation plans, profit distribution, and code of conduct with high-ranking officials dispatched by the imperial court.

Clearly, everyone wants to gain something from this potential conflict.

The Great Luo Dynasty coveted the rich lands of Tian Ce, and the cultivation world of Tian Ce also coveted the unique resources of Great Luo.

It is said that even the leaders of two reclusive sects who rarely appear in public attended the meeting in person. However, the meeting was not held at Hantie Pass, but at Beiyue City, which is further back.

Li Chen believed that Han Wu would soon report the final results of the discussions to him.

While Li Chen found the scene of "overwhelming public sentiment" both amusing and satisfying, Tuoba Zhen on the snowy plains was equally "satisfied."

His strategy of sowing discord seemed to have finally worked, and he unexpectedly gained the support of Grand Duke Andre, a powerful figure.

Inside his tent, his generals showered him with compliments: "The Great Khan is wise! Grand Prince Andrei is truly righteous! Compared to him, Emperor Ivan is nothing but a cowardly timid coward!"

Tuoba Zhen was a reckless man who was brave but lacked wisdom. As long as he had troops and was strong enough, he dared to march south without thinking about the complexities behind it.

Moreover, his luck seems to be truly heaven-defying. After being defeated by Li Chen last time, he unexpectedly found a drop of true blood left behind by an ancient ice-type sacred beast during his escape. After refining it, his strength reached a new level!

He was brimming with confidence, even arrogantly thinking: "That brat Li Chen had better stay in the warm capital of Tian Ce and enjoy his life! If he dares to come to the front lines again this time, I will make sure he dies on the spot and wipe away his shame!"

At this time, Vasily, a confidant of Grand Duke Andrei, arrived again. He not only formally informed Tuoba Zhen that he would receive continued support, but also brought a person with him, namely Sergei, the son of Grand Duke Andrei.

Sergei, dressed in a crisp and imposing military uniform, looked quite dignified. He had studied military strategy since childhood and was quite skilled in it. His face carried the pride and confidence unique to nobles.

However, Tuoba Zhen felt displeasure after only a short conversation with him.

Although Tuoba Zhen himself didn't like to use his brain, he had accumulated a wealth of experience over many years of warfare. He could tell at a glance that Sergei was just a playboy who only knew how to talk about war on paper and lacked practical experience.

His words were filled with idealistic speculation and unrealistic arrogance.

If this were in his former Snow Eagle Royal Court, he would have sent this kind of person to a remote pasture to feed cattle long ago. How could he allow him to point fingers in the army?
Unfortunately, the situation was beyond his control, and he desperately needed Grand Duke Andrei's assistance, so he had no choice but to accept this "burden."

Tuoba Zhen suppressed his displeasure and decided to give Sergei a leisurely logistics position, letting him hold a nominal title and coast along.

But Sergei had his own ambitions. He insisted on taking actual command of the army, arguing, "Without actual military power, how can I supervise the use of aid supplies for Father? How can I assist the Great Khan in achieving his great cause? If I cannot take command of the army, I will have to truthfully report to Father that the level of support here needs to be reassessed."

(End of this chapter)