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

Chapter 696 A Master's Demeanor and Practical Enjoyment Never Conflict! (Please Subscribe, Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

Upon entering the Holy Palace of the Great Luo Dynasty, Li Chen keenly sensed within moments how aggrieved Emperor Matvi was.

If it weren't for his "master" by his side, he probably wouldn't even be able to easily order around a palace maid or guard.

To be able to make the emperor so virtually invisible is a kind of "skill".

Ultimately, the root cause is simply that Matvey is too timid and lacks a strong backer. He has been used to being submissive and obedient in the infighting among his brothers since childhood, and has long been accustomed to being ignored and bullied.

Li Chen saw this and had his own plans.

Under the guise of teaching spiritual practice, he summoned Matvey to a secluded place and began to "enlighten" him.

“Matvi,” Li Chen’s voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power, “Now that you have ascended to the throne, you must understand what it means to be an emperor. Today, I will teach you your first lesson.”

When it comes to how to be an emperor, Li Chen is an absolute authority, as he is the powerful Emperor Tian Ce who reigns supreme in the north.

Now, as the ancestral sorcerer, he plays the role of "Imperial Tutor," teaching the new emperor the way to govern the country. This is simply a matter of course and perfectly reasonable.

He didn't talk about any profound cultivation methods, but instead analyzed the art of imperial power in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

"The way of an emperor lies first and foremost in maintaining balance," Li Chen said, standing with his hands behind his back, his voice steady. "The court is rife with factions, like a jungle. An emperor must neither allow any one faction to become too powerful, nor allow any one faction to completely lose power."
Like a master chess player, one must sometimes support the weak to counterbalance the strong, and sometimes suppress the rising stars to maintain a balance of power, ensuring that all forces depend on you, yet no one can truly threaten your position.

He went on to talk about the art of employing people: "Knowing how to recognize, employ, and control people is the foundation of an emperor. Loyalty and treachery are not absolute; the key lies in how to use them. For treacherous people, one can use their talents but guard against their intentions, keep them in the open, and drive them with benefits."

Loyal and upright officials need both trust and favor; they should be placed in important positions and moved by their emotions. The goal is to make all the talented people in the land feel that only you appreciate them and provide them with a stage to realize their ambitions.

He also discussed the art of rulership: "A ruler must know how to conceal his shortcomings and show favor. Sometimes he needs to demonstrate swift and decisive action to deter the wicked; other times he needs to display boundless benevolence to win people's hearts."
One's thoughts should not be easily read by others; one should not show one's emotions, so that one's subjects are always trying to figure out one's intentions. Only then will they respect one and do their utmost.

Li Chen's narration was not dry and dogmatic, but rather incorporated many vivid examples, some of which were even based on his own experiences. Matvey listened with great interest, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

Which man hasn't dreamed of ruling the world?

Matvey was no exception, except that this dream was unattainable for him in the past. Now, although he had unexpectedly ascended the throne, he was a puppet on a string.

Li Chen's words were like a boulder thrown into the stagnant lake of his heart, completely stirring up his long-suppressed desire for power and true imperial dignity!

He knew that his master was genuinely teaching him, and he longed to become the kind of emperor his master spoke of, one who could truly govern the country and bring peace to the world!

Unfortunately, the reality is that none of the officials in the court truly listened to him.

The next day, Matvey, unusually mustering his courage and drawing some confidence from his master, stepped into the long-absent court.

Li Chen did not follow; he wanted to see how Matvey would handle the situation alone.

However, reality dealt Matvey a heavy blow.

When he tried to offer his opinions on several government affairs as instructed by Li Chen, the officials either gave him perfunctory answers or ignored him outright.

They continued to act according to the procedures they were already accustomed to and the wishes of their true masters, completely ignoring the emperor.

Looking at the respectful yet empty eyes of the ministers and listening to their formulaic reports, Matvey stood before the high throne and for the first time clearly felt what it meant to be "a lonely ruler".

An indescribable sense of grievance, anger, and resentment began to accumulate and ferment in his heart.

While Matvi was being sidelined in court, Li Chen began his "social" activities in the Holy Palace's rear garden. Living in such a place teeming with beauties, wouldn't it be a waste to just watch? Although his identity as the Witch Ancestor required him to be a little more discreet and not be too blatant, normal contact and interaction were perfectly acceptable.

To his surprise, before he could even make a move, the stunningly beautiful Vorentsova, dressed in a low-cut red dress, came to him.

With a charming smile, she invited Li Chen to her luxurious and extravagant palace under the guise of seeking his guidance on the ways of nature.

"Your Excellency, the Witch Ancestor, have graced my humble abode with your presence." Vorenzova said in a charming voice as she personally poured Li Chen a cup of fine wine.

She was still wearing that scarlet low-cut dress today. When she bent over, her full and proud breasts seemed to break free from their restraints, and the deep cleavage exuded a fatal allure.

Her emerald eyes were like bewitching whirlpools, and in the flow of her gaze, she made no attempt to hide her admiration for this powerful ancestral witch and hinted at something more.

Looking at her luscious red lips, her slender waist, and her swaying, trembling breasts as she walked, Li Chen felt a surge of lust rising from his lower abdomen.

He forced himself to remain calm as he spoke with her, the conversation consisting of nothing more than romantic tales and seemingly plausible philosophical observations about nature, but the atmosphere between them grew increasingly ambiguous and heated.

Vorentsova actually had other plans in mind.

She did admire the shaman's power, but deep down she still harbored feelings for Ivan.

This proactive contact was entirely on Ivan's secret orders, aimed at seducing the ancestor of witchcraft, creating a scandal, and ruining his reputation for being aloof from worldly affairs.

Ivan, naturally unwilling to let his queen do such a thing, assigned it to one of his more favored concubines.

Vorenzova's plan was simple: invite the shaman to lunch, be enthusiastic and proactive during the meal, and then use the excuse of taking a bath and changing clothes to enter the inner room after the meal.

At that time, regardless of whether the witch ancestor was spying or not, she would make a fuss and claim that the witch ancestor had behaved improperly and tainted her innocence.

She was certain that a person of such high status as the Witch Ancestor, even if harboring wicked thoughts, would value his reputation above all else and would have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

However, she completely misjudged Li Chen.

For Li Chen, there is no conflict between the demeanor of a superior person and the actual enjoyment.

The luncheon ended in a tacitly ambiguous atmosphere.

Li Chen had already stood up, making a move to leave.

Just then, the sound of running water and Vorentsova's deliberately coquettish bathing could be heard from inside the room.

"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty. I will bathe and change before I see you out."

How could Li Chen not understand such an obvious hint?

He sneered inwardly. Peeping? That's so boring!
So, to Vorenzova's astonishment, Li Chen not only did not leave to avoid suspicion, but instead pushed open the half-closed bathroom door and went inside.

Vorentsova was genuinely startled; she hadn't expected the other party to act so unpredictably!
With Li Chen's strength, who could possibly resist him?

Over the next five hours, Vorentsova went from initial panic to completely forgetting about the mission.

Meanwhile, the maids outside the palace who "knew the truth" were praising the empress for her good acting, even though it wasn't an act.

(End of this chapter)