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

Chapter 682 How can a matter concerning the lives of billions be treated so lightly? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Upon seeing Li Chen, Romanov couldn't help but recall the scene of his meeting with the late Emperor Tian Ce.

The late emperor gave him the impression of being as steady as a mountain, unfathomable, and his words and actions carried the tact and humility of an older generation of strongmen. He always left room for maneuver and emphasized the overall balance.

When chatting with the late emperor, Romanov felt that every word he said had a subtext and needed to be carefully considered.

The late emperor was young at the time, and Romanov was considered his elder, so the late emperor treated him very politely.

But the Li Chen before us is a completely different style. He is a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, an eagle soaring through the sky, with his sharpness fully revealed and domineering aura!

The undisguised sharpness and all-encompassing confidence in his eyes seemed to be telling everyone: My will is the will of Tian Ce; my rules are the rules of the world!

"No wonder he was able to make Tian Ce's national strength so rapidly increase and its military might so formidable in such a short period of time."

Romanov secretly gasped. The resentment he had felt from waiting and the sense of superiority he felt as a senior dissipated involuntarily when faced with Li Chen's unfathomable aura.

Instead, there was an unprecedented solemnity.

He performed an equal greeting and spoke in a steady voice: "Romanov of the Great Luo Dynasty greets His Majesty Emperor Tian Ce."

At this moment, he truly placed Li Chen on a position of equality with himself, and even one that required more careful consideration.

Li Chen sat high on the dragon throne, looking down at the seemingly respectful Romanov below, and sneered inwardly: This old man is really good at keeping his composure.

After waiting for seven days and being treated like this by me, how could you still remain unfazed?
I was hoping you would act arrogantly because of your age, so I could use that as an excuse to launch a large-scale invasion and make my army's advance even more legitimate.

He had a clear plan in mind. Back then, Tian Ce was surrounded by enemies on all sides and faced great difficulties.

Now, the troubles in the east, west, south, and north have been either quelled or subdued by me. Why do you, Da Luo, insist on provoking me?

Now that I have no worries, I can focus on playing with you.

I'm out of trouble, so you're the ones in trouble.

After Romanov finished bowing, Li Chen did not offer him a seat, nor did he exchange any pleasantries. He went straight to the point, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable distance: "What is it? Speak, I'm listening."

This statement was utterly disrespectful, showing absolutely no respect due to a nation's patriarch or someone of equal status to the monarch.

If the occasion were different, or if the emperor were different, he would probably have slammed his fist on the table and stood up on the spot.

But this is the capital of Tian Ce, and he is facing Li Chen, whose strength is unfathomable. Romanov's purpose for this trip is to "negotiate peace," or even to "seek peace."

He had endured seven days of cold treatment, and he could only continue to tolerate this verbal disrespect.

Romanov remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the coldness in Li Chen's words, and immediately began with his prepared remarks: "Your Majesty, Emperor Tiance, I have come here because I believe that Tiance and Da Luo, as neighbors for thousands of years, have never had any fundamental conflicts. Even when friction occurs, it is always resolved peacefully."
Now that our two nations are at war, with conflict raging on, this is neither a blessing for either country nor the wish of our people. I have pondered this deeply and believe that there must be a villain at work, sowing discord and causing such a calamity. Such villains often profit from the conflict between the two sides. I urge Your Majesty to be discerning and not fall for their schemes.”

His words shifted the blame for the war to some vague "petty person," attempting to downplay the Daluo Dynasty's own aggressive intentions and responsibilities.

Upon hearing this, Li Chen's lips curled into a half-smile. He leaned forward slightly and asked in an almost interrogative tone, "Oh? Then tell me, who is this nobody?" This tone was not like a conversation between two monarchs of equal rank, but more like a high and mighty emperor questioning a subject from a vassal state.

The ministers of the Heavenly Strategy, who were standing in the hall, especially the old ministers who had met Romanov before and knew his identity and prestige, straightened their backs and felt very proud.

He secretly praised in his heart: His Majesty truly deserves to be called a sage emperor for all ages! This majesty, this demeanor, which emperor in the last five hundred years could match him?

Romanov's eye twitched almost imperceptibly, but he forcibly suppressed his displeasure, pretending not to notice the insulting tone, and continued as planned:
"Your Majesty, you are wise. According to our investigation, the culprits behind this matter are our border general, Grand Duke Andrei, and the traitorous general Tuoba Zhen! These two colluded to provoke border conflicts, deceived their superiors, and thus deepened the misunderstanding between our two countries, leading to endless war."
His Majesty the Emperor is also deeply grieved by this. If the Tian Ce Army is willing to temporarily cease hostilities, our dynasty will certainly exert all its strength to capture these two traitors and escort them to the Tian Ce Army for His Majesty's judgment, thus quelling your nation's anger!

This rhetoric was quite shrewd. On the surface, it was an admission of wrongdoing and the handing over of a "scapegoat," but in reality, it concealed a hidden agenda, setting a trap for Li Chen. If Li Chen agreed to this plan, then Romanov could legitimately demand that Tian Ce stop its attack first.

The reason is "sufficient": If your Tian Ce keeps fighting, how can our Da Luo have the ability and energy to capture Andrei and Tuoba Zhen?

That sounds perfectly reasonable.

If Li Chen disagrees, it would make Tian Ce seem unreasonable and lacking in sincerity for peace.

Romanov was quite confident in his plan, thinking that Li Chen was young and might fall into the trap of language.

However, after listening, Li Chen did not respond directly to whether he accepted the conditions as he expected. Instead, he let out a meaningful chuckle: "Romanov."

He addressed him by his first name, omitting even the honorifics like "Your Excellency" or "Old Ancestor".

"This is a matter of great importance concerning the diplomatic relations between our two countries and the lives of hundreds of millions of people. How can we treat it so lightly?"

Li Chen's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Some things are not as simple as you say them. Since you keep saying that everything was done by Andrei and Tuoba Zhen, where is the evidence? Or, bring them here and confront them with me face to face?"
"Words alone are insufficient proof. I hereby order a truce, Romanov. Have you oversimplified the nature of our conflict?"

These words, like a sharp counterattack, instantly put Romanov in the awkward position of having to prove his point.

Li Chen didn't buy into his "hand over a scapegoat in exchange for a ceasefire" approach at all. Instead, he shifted the burden of proof back to Li Chen, cleverly avoiding the ceasefire trap.

Romanov was speechless for a moment; what solid evidence could he possibly have?
Andrei was in a coma, his son was still rebelling in the country, and Tuoba Zhen had long since defected and disappeared, so there was no way to talk about a confrontation.

His seemingly foolproof strategy proved utterly ineffective against Li Chen.

Only now did he truly realize that this young Emperor Tian Ce was not only incredibly powerful, but also far more meticulous in his thinking and quicker in his reactions than he had anticipated.

Do you think you can get Tian Ce to stop the war with just a few empty words and a small trap? That's wishful thinking.

This emperor did not place his Romanov, or even the entire Great Romano royal family, in a position that was "respectable" enough.

Romanov was right to think that way; Li Chen was exactly the same.

(End of this chapter)