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

Chapter 689 Acceptance, Why Not? (Please subscribe, please vote)
Seeing that Ivan still looked dejected, Romanov stepped forward and, unusually, patted his great-grandson emperor on the shoulder, his tone reassuring: "Grandson, I know you feel wronged and resentful, but those who achieve great things must endure what ordinary people cannot."
The infamy you bear today is for the sake of preserving the Romanov family's empire and ensuring the continuation of the Great Romanov Dynasty. Temporary humiliation is nothing; history will record your forbearance and sacrifices for posterity!

These words were like a bowl of scalding hot chicken soup poured down Ivan's throat.

Ivan felt bitter inside; he knew all too well that these were just words of comfort.

History is often written by the victors. If Ivan the Great is ultimately doomed, he will be a sinner for all time. If he is lucky enough to survive this calamity, his reputation in the eyes of posterity may be somewhat mitigated.

But right now, does he have any other choice? To fight Li Chen to the death? That's exactly what Li Chen wants to see, to rightfully crush the Great Luo completely.

"I understand." Ivan exhaled a long breath, as if exhaling all his pride with that breath.

Soon, Ivan issued a decree summoning the third prince, Matvey, to the palace for an audience.

The reason for choosing Matvey, rather than the capable and ambitious Crown Prince, was precisely because of his "incompetence" and "cowardice".

The crown prince is stubborn and self-willed, extremely capable, and arrogant. He may not be willing to bow down to the ancestral witch, and may even act rashly when the situation is unstable, leading to total defeat.

Matvey was the least remarkable, most mediocre, and arguably the most incompetent of Ivan's many sons.

He was neither good at academics nor martial arts, timid by nature, and indecisive in the face of problems.

But at this moment, this "useless" trait becomes his greatest advantage: he is obedient enough and easy to control.

To save his life and wealth, he would absolutely not hesitate to bow down to the shaman, and would even beg for mercy from the rebel leader Sergei.

Ivan never dreamed that the throne he had painstakingly built and fought for half his life would eventually be passed on to the son he despised the most.

When Matvi received the decree, he was living in constant fear in his own residence.

The court has been in turmoil lately, and his father is in a bad mood. He is afraid that he might bring about his own destruction if he is not careful.

When he nervously entered the solemn imperial study and saw the mess on the floor, his father's ashen face, and the solemn-looking ancestor beside him, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Your son pays respects to the Emperor and the Ancestor!" Matvey knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling like a withered leaf in the wind. He kept his head down and dared not meet Ivan's eyes. His eyes darted around, and he looked extremely timid and frightened.

Looking at his son's incompetent state, and thinking that the country was about to be handed over to such a person, Ivan felt a surge of anger rising to his head. He was so angry that he almost spat out blood again, and wished he could kick him out immediately.

Where is there even a trace of imperial bearing in him?!

Seeing this, Romanov sighed inwardly, but his face showed an unprecedentedly gentle expression.

He stepped forward and personally helped Matvey up, his voice softening like that of a kind elder: "Good child, don't be afraid. Stand up and speak." He pulled the stiff Matvey along and began to patiently and step by step instruct him on what to do next, how to issue a self-reproach edict, and how to take the blame upon himself.

How to conduct the abdication ceremony smoothly, how to immediately exonerate Andrei after his ascension to the throne, and most importantly, how to humbly pay homage to the Northern Shaman Ancestor and seek his understanding and support.
Romanov explained in detail, while Matvey listened in bewilderment, nodding repeatedly and muttering, "Grandson understands, grandson will listen to Grandfather, whatever Father tells me to do, I will do."

Soon, an edict that shocked the entire Daluo Dynasty was issued from the palace: Emperor Ivan felt deeply ashamed for "his incompetence in governing the country, which led to internal and external troubles and the suffering of the people," and decided to issue an edict of self-reproach and abdicate in favor of his third son, Matvi!
The news caused a nationwide uproar! Whether it was the imperial court and nobles or ordinary people, everyone was stunned by this sudden change.

No one expected that the usually powerful Emperor Ivan would choose to abdicate during a time of national crisis, and that the person he would pass the throne to would be the third prince, who was known for his mediocrity and cowardice!
For a time, all sorts of speculations, rumors, and conspiracy theories ran rampant, plunging the political situation of the Great Luo Dynasty into unprecedented turmoil and confusion.

All of this was just the first step in Romanov's grand strategy of "cutting off the tail to survive."

The second step was for the new emperor, "Matvi," to personally travel to the north in a grand manner to pay homage to the ancestral shaman with the utmost humility and sincerity, acknowledging his supreme status and requesting protection and guidance.

At this moment, Li Chen had returned to the Witch Ancestor's Cave Heaven, donned the Witch Ancestor's robe that symbolized nature and mystery once again, covered his face with ancient paint, held the "Words of the Stars" scepter, and resumed his identity as Master Urg.

After hearing the news hastily relayed by his subordinate wizard about the change of the Great Luo throne and the upcoming arrival of the new emperor to pay homage, a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, hidden beneath his painted face, and he nodded.

"Just as I expected." Li Chen understood. "That Ivan is arrogant and proud. Making him step down and bear the infamy is worse than killing him. This kind of drastic measure of cutting off one's own arm and enduring humiliation must be the work of that old bastard Romanov."

It seems this old fellow, though frustrated, is still quite clear-headed and knows what's most important right now. It's quite remarkable that he managed to persuade Ivan to go this far.

The old sorcerer Canggu, who was standing to the side, respectfully inquired, "Great Ancestor, the new Emperor of Da Luo is about to come to pay homage. How should we respond? Should we accept his audience?"

Li Chen pondered for a moment, then his voice came through the mask, carrying a grand and indifferent tone: "Accept? Why not accept? I want to see for myself what that old fox Romanov is up to, and what kind of character this newcomer Matvey is."

He paused, then ordered, "Go, gather all the information on that Matvey as soon as possible and send it to me."

"I will obey the decree of the Ancestral Shaman!" The old shaman Canggu bowed and accepted the order, immediately arranging for people to carry it out.

At the same time, the rebel leader Sergei also received an order from the new emperor Matvi of the Holy City.

The decree not only formally exonerated his father, Grand General Andrei, clearing him of the charge of "treason" and restoring all his honors.

Sergei was highly praised for his "commendable loyalty and bravery" in stepping forward during the national crisis, and was appointed "Grand Duke Protector of the Southern Border," a position and power that even subtly surpassed that of his father, Andrei, during his lifetime!

Holding this edict, which was extremely appeasing in its wording and offered astonishingly generous rewards, Sergei felt no joy whatsoever. Instead, he felt a chill run down his spine and cold sweat pour down his back.

(End of this chapter)