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

Chapter 703 I'd be willing to give up ten years of my life! (Please subscribe and vote!)

Recently, Sergei felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his life to some extent.

Although he has not yet sat on the throne, at a young age, his status and power have already surpassed those of his father, who once held immense power in the court!

He not only possessed a vast fiefdom and a large population granted by the new emperor, but also commanded an elite army that obeyed his orders.

Moreover, since his father, Grand Duke Andrei, was only in a coma rather than dead, his original vast fiefdom was still effectively controlled by Sergei in the name of "acting".

It can be said that Sergei is now the undisputed first duke of the Great Luo Dynasty, with immense power and influence that no one can match.

Just as he was feeling smug, his master Li Chen's new instructions were delivered through secret channels.

The instructions required him to go even further, to proactively demand more authority from the new Real Madrid manager, such as the right to garrison certain important passes, the right to collect taxes in specific areas, and so on.

The directive clearly states that given Matvey's cowardly nature, he will most likely agree, but in the process of execution, he will inevitably encounter obstruction from those stubborn ministers in the court who are loyal to Ivan and whom Matvey cannot replace.

At that time, Sergei could use this opportunity to confront these ministers head-on and find ways to sideline or even overthrow them.

Although these ministers wielded considerable power and had deep-rooted influence, they dared not offend Sergei, who held considerable military power and had just "submitted," during this sensitive period.

After all, the imperial court had only managed to temporarily appease this tiger with high-ranking officials and generous salaries. If their obstruction led to Sergei rebelling again, no one could bear the responsibility.

Since Romanov had already warned Li Chen not to incite the emperor to manipulate those ministers again, but Sergei could.

This was precisely a carefully planned move by Li Chen, allowing his two "disciples" to cooperate without each other's knowledge.

Matvey openly "promised," while Sergei secretly "launched an attack," together undermining the power base that Ivan and Romanov had left in the court.

Meanwhile, Li Chen had already quietly left the palace and even the Holy Capital. He took Lyudmila, who adored him, and headed towards Maple Leaf Territory in the eastern border of the Empire.

Before leaving, Matvey learned that his master was leaving, and he turned pale with fright, fearing that Ivan and Romanov would immediately attack him.

Li Chen simply reassured him with a calm "Don't be afraid, just stay in the palace," before gracefully departing with Lyudmila.

Sure enough, as soon as Ivan learned of the ancestor's departure from the Holy Capital at the villa, he was like a shark that had smelled blood, eager to return to the palace and give his increasingly disobedient son, Matvey, a good "discipline."

Then go and appease, or rather investigate, your harem, which has been cared for by the Witch Ancestor for so long.

"Ancestor! The opportunity has come! That witch has left. If we don't return to the palace immediately, when will we?!" Ivan said eagerly to Romanov.

However, Romanov stopped him again, his gaze deep: "Don't be impatient. The departure of the Witch Ancestor may just be a smokescreen. At his level, creating a convincing decoy is not difficult. Perhaps his true self is hiding somewhere in the palace, waiting for you to walk into his trap!"

Seeing that Ivan was still somewhat impulsive, Romanov continued his analysis: "Think about it, why was it I who went to test him yesterday, and not you? It's precisely because the Ancestor of the Witches can't do anything to me, his ancestor, for the time being."
But if you go, he could easily use his status as the "Imperial Tutor" to accuse you of "interfering in court affairs" or even "plotting rebellion," taking the opportunity to strip you of all your power and place you under house arrest! Therefore, you must endure it!

Upon hearing this, Ivan broke out in a cold sweat.

Upon closer examination, this is very likely a trap set by the Witch Ancestor!

He used his departure to create a false impression, luring me back to the palace, so he could then rightfully punish me! Luckily, the ancestor saw through his scheme!

"What the ancestor said is absolutely right! I was impulsive!" Ivan was filled with lingering fear and forcibly suppressed the urge to return to the palace immediately.

Since we've already endured this for so long, what's one more time?

This is precisely the reason why Li Chen dared to leave with peace of mind and told Matvey there was no need to be afraid.

He had already anticipated Romanov's caution and suspicion, as well as Ivan's dependence on Romanov.

The psychological game involved was incredibly precise.

Meanwhile, Li Chen, disguised as an ordinary accompanying wizard, followed Lyudmila and, after several days of travel, finally arrived at Maple Leaf Territory, located in the eastern border of the empire. In order not to attract the possible secret surveillance of Romanov, he deliberately concealed all his powerful aura and behaved no differently from an ordinary wizard.

Maple Leaf Territory is a typical northern city, with tall stone walls weathered by time, and maple leaf banners symbolizing Lyudmila's family hanging on them.

Because it is located in the relatively remote northwest of the empire, it was not directly affected by the main battlefields of Tian Ce and Da Luo, and the city appeared to be relatively peaceful on the surface.

However, the shadow of war still looms over this place.

Outside the city walls, a large number of refugees who had fled from the southern war zone had gathered.

They were ragged, emaciated, and huddled in makeshift shacks, their eyes numb and desperate, forming a huge refugee encampment that stood in stark contrast to the relatively tidy streets of the city.

As Lyudmila led the way, she whispered to Li Chen about the territory, her tone carrying a hint of responsibility and worry as a member of a lord's family.

When the group arrived at the outskirts of the family mansion near the city center, they saw a scene that seemed out of place with the desolate surroundings.

A long queue had formed on the open ground outside the side gate of the mansion, filled with refugees waiting for alms.

At the very front of the procession, in a makeshift soup kitchen, a woman was personally leading several servants, distributing thin porridge and black bread to the refugees.

The woman was petite, dressed in an elegant light blue dress, without any makeup, yet her exquisite and refined beauty was undeniable.

Her skin was fair and delicate, like the finest mutton fat jade, and her pair of azure eyes were like clear lake water, so gentle that they seemed to be able to embrace all the suffering in the world.

What is most striking is that even under her simple dress, her full breasts still outlined a breathtaking curve, trembling slightly as she scooped porridge, creating an extremely alluring contrast with her slender waist.

With gentle movements and a soft voice, she comforted each refugee who came forward to receive food. Her kind and pure temperament contrasted sharply with the dirty and chaotic environment around her, like a snow lotus blooming in the mud.

Lyudmila saw the woman and her face showed a hint of helplessness and affection. She whispered to Li Chen, "Lord Wuzu, that is my sister, Olga. She has a very soft heart and can't bear to see others suffer. Since the influx of refugees, she has been distributing porridge here every day, and we can't persuade her to stop."

Lyudmila could handle these matters through her family even in the Holy Capital.

Li Chen's gaze fell on Olga, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

The unique charm formed by this combination of innocence, kindness, and a mature body is truly captivating.

However, as they got closer, they could hear some refugees who had just received their food, squatting in the corner and wolfing it down, glancing greedily toward the soup kitchen while whispering amongst themselves:

"Tsk tsk, Mrs. Olga is such a kind-hearted woman, and she's as beautiful as an angel."

"If I could sleep with a beauty like that, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life!"

"More than ten years? It would be worth it if I died on the spot after playing with her! Look at that figure, that chest, hehe."

"Keep your voice down! Don't let anyone hear you! But you're right, this woman is a real gem."

These vulgar words clearly reached Li Chen and Lyudmila's ears.

Lyudmila's eyebrows shot up in anger, her fists clenched, and she hissed, "These ungrateful bastards! My sister kindly helped them, and they dare to blaspheme behind their backs! They deserve to die!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

He looked at Olga, who seemed oblivious to the potential danger and remained focused on doing good, and then glanced at the vagrants whose eyes gleamed with desire. He already had a new plan in mind.

This seemingly peaceful Maple Leaf Territory appears to hold many interesting secrets.

(End of this chapter)