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

Chapter 684 A great cause for the ages cannot be preoccupied with petty gains and losses! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Romanov left so decisively, even somewhat hastily, because he clearly felt that the anger and humiliation accumulating in his chest were on the verge of exploding.

If he lingered any longer, he might really disregard everything and have a fight with Li Chen right here in the Heavenly Strategy Golden Palace!
At that point, there will be no room for maneuver, and the two countries will be locked in a deadlock that will last until the very end.

Leaving now, though it would be a loss of face, would at least preserve a glimmer of hope for the crumbling Great Luo Dynasty. Returning to devise another strategy would be the best course of action.

Once Romanov's figure had completely disappeared, the tense atmosphere in the hall eased slightly. The Minister of Rites stepped forward with concern and said, "Your Majesty, were we perhaps a little too forceful just now? That Romanov is, after all, the Great Ancestor of Romanov, representing the face of the nation."
Such humiliation will likely incite the entire nation of Da Luo to fight us to the death! Da Luo has occupied the far north for thousands of years and has a deep foundation. If they are willing to pay any price, even if our army wins, it will likely be a Pyrrhic victory with incalculable losses.”

Before he could finish speaking, an old general clad in black armor, his eyes gleaming with a fierce power, strode forward and interrupted him in a booming voice: "What outdated ideas! This humble general, Guo Poyun, begs Your Majesty not to listen to such cowardly words!"

He was a well-known warmonger in the Tian Ce Dynasty, and at this moment he was even more aggressive. "Now the Great Luo is beset by internal and external troubles. Sergei's rebellion is stirring up its heartland, and the Northern Witch Ancestor is eyeing it covetously. This is a golden opportunity that Tian Ce has never seen before! How can we miss it because of fear and hesitation?"
"My lords, look at that Romanov! How arrogant he once was! Today, before my imperial might, he can only bow and scrape, swallowing his pride. This is clear proof that the imperial dynasty's fortunes have waned, that it is at its last gasp! If we do not attack now, when will we?"

His words immediately sparked a heated debate in the imperial court.

In fact, the predicament that the Great Luo Dynasty is facing at this moment is so similar to that when Li Chen first inherited the throne of Tian Ce! Both are beset by internal and external troubles and are on the verge of collapse.

However, the two emperors responded in completely different ways.

When Li Chen faced two major internal threats—the Prince of Zhennan, who held a large army, and the Third Prince, who was also a powerful figure with his own troops—he did not choose to compromise or rush into internal purges. Instead, he marched north with lightning speed and first wiped out the major external threat, the Snow Eagle Royal Court.

Riding the momentum of a great victory, they consolidated their base and morale, then calmly dealt with internal issues, ultimately laying the foundation for the resurgence of Tian Ce.

In contrast, when faced with the threat of the external enemy Tian Ce, Ivan thought of pushing out Grand Duke Andrei, who held a position equivalent to the Prince of Zhennan, as a scapegoat in order to temporarily stabilize the situation.

This self-inflicted wound and act of discarding a useful tool ironically gave Sergei Andrei's son, Sergei, an excellent reason and opportunity to rebel, effectively forcing a powerful force that could have been an ally into rebellion.

With this move, Ivan had already lost strategically.

If he had been more resolute and shown the determination to fight Tian Ce to the bitter end, and had made every effort to appease and rely on Andrei's old subordinates and Tuoba Zhen, these two major forces would most likely have chosen to fight alongside the royal family for their own survival and interests.

At that time, Tian Ce will be facing a united and desperately resisting Great Luo. The war is likely to degenerate into a brutal tug-of-war, eventually resulting in a truce after both sides are severely weakened. Even if Tian Ce wins, it is impossible for them to advance as swiftly as they have now.

The losses in defensive battles are far lower than those in offensive battles. Even Han Wu, the shrewd commander of the Tian Ce Northern Army, had experienced this firsthand in previous battles, making the advance extremely difficult.

In the imperial court, civil and military officials continued to argue fiercely.

Most of the civil officials were cautious, repeatedly emphasizing the enormous costs and uncertain gains of war, and believed it was better to stop while things were going well and obtain practical benefits through negotiation.

The military generals, however, were filled with righteous indignation, shouting, "How can we be concerned with petty gains and losses for the sake of a great cause?" They strongly advocated pressing their advantage and establishing hegemony over the northern border in one fell swoop. Li Chen sat high on the dragon throne, listening quietly to the debate below as if watching a play, without interrupting.

This was his usual tactic. From these debates, he could clearly see which officials were staunch advocates of war, which were conservative appeasers, and which were wavering fence-sitters. This was crucial for him to control the court and balance the power.

When the argument between the two sides had subsided and all eyes were once again focused on the dragon throne, Li Chen slowly spoke, his voice calm yet carrying the power to establish order:
"Fighting is definitely necessary. Although the Great Luo is not at its last gasp, it is an opportunity that our Tian Ce has never had in hundreds of years. What they need most now is a 'helper' who can help them stabilize their internal situation and even fight against our Tian Ce."

Upon hearing this, the ministers were all taken aback. The "helpers" His Majesty spoke of were, without a doubt, the rebellious Sergei and the unyielding Northern Witch Ancestor.

However, they could never have imagined that these two "troubles" that were giving Da Luo such a headache were actually pawns in the hands of the emperor on the dragon throne.

"Let's adjourn the court session." Li Chen waved his hand, ending the meeting.

Leaving the bustling court, Li Chen strolled towards the inner palace.

He has not returned for a long time. The palace remains the same, but the concubines who have been eagerly waiting now have a hint of resentment and longing in their eyes.

Upon arriving at the palace where Chu Ruoyan resided, the palace servants, seeing the emperor's arrival, hurriedly knelt to greet him.

Chu Ruoyan's trusted maidservant hurriedly whispered to her mistress, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has not been here for a long time. Should we find an opportunity to apologize to His Majesty for the offense committed by the Chu family and your cousin at the border, and try to smooth things over?"

Chu Ruoyan, however, simply looked in the mirror, carefully adjusting the hair ornament in her hair, a calm and intelligent smile playing on her lips, and gently shook her head:
"No need. What kind of magnanimity does His Majesty possess? If he were truly angered by such a trivial matter, the Chu family would have long since ceased to exist. Since he has not yet punished anyone, it shows that he has not taken it to heart at all."

Now that His Majesty has returned from his arduous duties, what he needs is relaxation and enjoyment. If we were to bring up these old matters again, it would only cause trouble and make us appear petty and lacking in manners.

She paused, her tone clear and insightful: "His Majesty's decision not to pursue this matter is a great favor. If we keep bringing it up, wouldn't we be reminding His Majesty of this incident? I will not do such a foolish thing. Remember, serving His Majesty and making him happy and pleasing is your duty and the best way to protect yourself."

Upon hearing this, the palace maid's face showed a look of realization and admiration. She whispered, "This servant understands! No wonder Your Highness has been favored by His Majesty for so long. Such understanding and consideration are truly unmatched by others."

As the first concubine Li Chen took after ascending the throne, Chu Ruoyan may not be the most beautiful, nor the most illustrious in family background, but she is certainly the one who understands Li Chen's thoughts the most.

She knew that in the deep palace, especially by the side of an emperor like Li Chen, too much scheming and petty thinking would only lead to failure. Being frank, doing her duty, and making him feel comfortable and relaxed was the way to last.

All she needed to do was dress up carefully and greet her king with the most gentle and considerate manner, so that he could forget the turmoil of the previous dynasty.

(End of this chapter)