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

Chapter 659 I'm risking the lives of my entire clan to gamble my future with you! (Please subscribe and vote!)

The next second, Sergei knelt down with a thud, kowtowed heavily, and said in a choked but firm voice, "Master! I understand! In the whole world, only you, Master, believe in me and cultivate me like this!"
I, Sergei, swear to the heavens that I will never fail my master's expectations! Either I will lead my army to raze the Holy Capital to the ground, for you and for myself, and for a glorious empire! Or I will die on the westward expedition, wrapped in a horse's hide, without a single complaint!

If I fail, I will never dare to tarnish my master's reputation; I will gladly die to repay his kindness!

His eyes were filled with determination, even a hint of madness burning within them, but more than anything, they were filled with almost blind worship and gratitude for Li Chen.

Without Li Chen, he would have long been a pile of withered bones outside Han Tie Pass.

Seeing Sergei display such strong will, Li Chen nodded slightly in his heart.

His motivation for training Sergei was not to care about his success or failure.

If successful, the Great Luo Dynasty will be replaced by its own puppet emperor; if it fails, it will greatly deplete the Great Luo's national strength, paving the way for the future annexation by the Tian Ce Dynasty.

Even if it takes several years, or even decades, Li Chen will destroy the Great Luo Dynasty.

He would never allow a powerful force hostile to Tian Ce to exist for long; it must either submit or perish.

But Sergei's determination to burn his bridges was truly rare, making Li Chen feel that he could "invest" a little more.

So, Li Chen softened his tone and decided to give him a few more pointers.

As night fell, the master and apprentice had a long talk under the lamp. Li Chen began to teach Sergei some "human relationships" and higher-level strategies that he had previously overlooked.

Li Chen slowly said, "Sergei, you have been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, and I will not elaborate on matters of battle. However, for a long time you have only been the son of a duke, and your vision has been limited to a territory. Now you are facing the political chessboard of the entire empire."

“To rebel, especially to rebel successfully, it is not enough to have an army; it is also necessary to have a ‘righteous’ justification and the means to divide and weaken the enemy.”

"The greater good?" Sergei seemed to be deep in thought.

“That’s right. Your father, Andrei, fought for the Great Luo Dynasty his entire life and made outstanding contributions, but now he is being made a scapegoat because of the emperor’s own strategic mistakes. This in itself is clear evidence of Ivan’s lack of virtue and trustworthiness!”

You must publicize this matter widely, not only to ignite the righteous indignation of your subordinates, but also to let the whole world know! You must question all the nobles and generals who serve Ivan: If Ivan can treat the meritorious Grand Duke Andrei this way today, will he treat you the same way tomorrow? Is an emperor without faith and integrity worthy of your loyalty? This is called 'winning hearts and minds'.

Li Chen took a sip of tea and continued to advise, "Secondly, we must make good use of the contradictions within the enemy's ranks. Did Emperor Ivan not have any enemies? His sons, especially those who were not the crown prince, didn't they have any ambition for that throne? They dreamed of it!"

You can secretly send someone to contact them and promise them: Your rebellion, Sergei, is not for the throne, but only to avenge your father and remove the corrupt officials from the emperor's court! As long as any one of them is willing to stand up and promise to exonerate your father and punish the treacherous officials around the incompetent emperor after you ascend the throne, you will be willing to support him as the new emperor!

"Wouldn't those princes who are ambitious but lack the courage or power be tempted? Wouldn't they create trouble for you within the empire, or even secretly help you?" Sergei's eyes lit up, but then a question occurred to him: "Master, this plan is brilliant! But if I'm fortunate enough to conquer the capital and support a prince to the throne, are we really going to hand over the throne to him? Wouldn't we be doing all the work for someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen let out a deep, meaningful laugh from beneath his mask, as if mocking his disciple's naivety: "You still can't wrap your head around it. Of course you must keep your promise, support him to the throne, and proclaim to the world that you, Sergei, are a loyal and righteous man."

Then, he changed the subject, his voice carrying a hint of cold cunning: "But isn't it common for a new emperor to overwork himself, contract a serious illness, and suddenly die?"

Or, given that the capital has just been ravaged by war, and remnants of the previous dynasty or assassins from other countries lurk there, wouldn't it be reasonable for the new emperor to be assassinated? Or perhaps, out of gratitude for your unwavering protection, the new emperor, acknowledging his own shortcomings, willingly abdicates the throne to you, his great benefactor—wouldn't that be a timeless tale?

Upon hearing this, Sergei's pupils contracted sharply, then burst into a light of wild joy. He was so excited he almost jumped up: "Brilliant! Master! Absolutely brilliant! This way we gain both a legitimate claim and the power of those princes, and the throne will ultimately be ours! This is simply...!"

He couldn't find the right words to describe this brilliant political maneuvering. He felt a sudden sense of clarity, and his previous worries about the future vanished, replaced by boundless anticipation and a more determined resolve.

"Disciple understands! Thank you for your teachings, Master!" Sergei bowed deeply again. This time, in addition to gratitude, he felt even more awe for Li Chen's unfathomable wisdom.

He seemed to see a broad road leading to the pinnacle of power slowly unfolding beneath his feet, under his master's guidance.

Before leaving, Li Chen casually offered another piece of advice, his voice calm yet hitting the nail on the head: "There's one more thing you must remember: your generals and strategists are risking the lives of their entire families for your future."
You must make it clear to them that following you, Sergei, guarantees a bright future and a very high chance of success! At any time, no matter how uncertain you feel, you must never show them the slightest hesitation or lack of confidence.

If you show any weakness first, their morale will crumble instantly.

Sergei's expression hardened, and he kowtowed respectfully again, deeply imprinting these words in his heart: "Disciple understands! Master, rest assured, disciple will never let his subordinates see any weakness!"

Li Chen nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to leave Sergei's temporary resting place.

Night had fallen, and the cool moonlight shone on the stone path.

Li Chen had only walked a short distance when he paused slightly.

His powerful intuition keenly detected that in the quiet darkness around him, there were a few faint, obscure wisps of air that blended into the night, and a very faint, yet carried by the wind, smell of blood.

"Heh, not slow at all." A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Chen's mouth beneath his mask. "It seems someone is already impatient to get rid of Sergei, this 'source of trouble.' But these small fry?"

He didn't even look back in the direction of Sergei's residence. He just muttered to himself as his figure gradually blurred like a ghost, eventually disappearing completely into the shadows as if he had never been there.

Almost at the same moment his figure disappeared, several extremely faint, short muffled sounds and a faint hiss of a sharp weapon slicing a throat came from the shadows around Sergei's residence. Then everything returned to silence, and those restless auras dissipated instantly, like candle flames being extinguished.

(End of this chapter)