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

Chapter 137: Xiliang Zou Family, should we investigate or not? (Please subscribe and give me monthly tickets)
When Li Chen heard that it was someone from Lingyan Taoist Sect, he roughly knew who it was.

Li Chen had also checked the information about the Jiuyuan Holy Land. There were more than forty large sects and countless small sects.

If they were integrated, they would become a powerful Li Ling.

Just like what Fairy Youlan said, as long as we control four core sects with saints, it will be enough.

I have never met Li Chen, the leader of the Qingming Immortal Sect, but he doesn't care about things. His wife Dai Hongling has a very close relationship with Li Chen. Not only will she take the initiative to help, she has also said that she will be there whenever she is called. She is indeed obedient and well-behaved.

There is no need to talk about the Tianyan Divine Sect, whose leader is still in the Heavenly Prison.

The acting sect leader, Master Lingtian, only follows Li Chen's orders, not to mention the core figure, Fairy Youlan, who can be said to be Li Chen's accomplice.

According to intelligence from the Ministry of War, some elders of the Tianyan Divine Sect have already brought their disciples to the northern battlefield to help. It seems that they really want to perform well and are very proactive.

Mu Qingrou, the Palace Master of Ziyun Immortal Mansion, is indeed very strong. After she comes to work in the harem, I guess there won’t be too many problems.

Naturally, the one to be dealt with now is the Lingyan Taoist Sect. The sect leader, Zhenren Wanfeng, is a shrewd man, and the type who won't show his strength until he sees the rabbit. He has to see the benefits first, only then will he stand on the side.

Now someone from Lingyan Taoist Sect has come. Naturally, it is the test sent by the sect leader, Zhenren Wanfeng, that is, his daughter Xia Qing.

As long as Xia Qing can gain benefits, Master Wanfeng will naturally increase his bet.

Li Chen asked Eunuch Cui to summon Xia Qing to an audience.

Not long after, a timid woman came into the imperial study.

Her pair of autumn-water-like eyes looked around, and her delicate mouth was kept pursed, and it was obvious that she was very nervous.

This was Xia Qing's first time in the palace. Her parents had taught her a lot of etiquette in the past few days, and she even consulted a retired official from the Ministry of Rites who was living in Yunhai City.

The moment she entered the imperial study and saw Li Chen, she immediately chose a position, which was right in front of Li Chen. Her kneeling etiquette was also very accurate. Li Chen could see that she had studied this aspect.

Xia Qing was naturally very talented and could learn many things after only being taught once or twice.

The last time she saw Li Chen was in her own sect, and this time he was in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. She was indeed a little nervous, and her voice was trembling, for fear of offending His Majesty.

Li Chen was not in a hurry to let her get up, but looked at her with interest.

Xia Qing was wearing a light green robe today, with garlands of flowers blooming on his cuffs and lapels.

The loose cuffs fluttered, making her look more ethereal.

In addition, she is beautiful, and her every move is very lively.

Li Chen rarely sees a girl who can compare with Chu Ruoyan in terms of youth and beauty.

It turns out that the women selected by Fairy Youlan are not ordinary women.

After Li Chen said "stand up", Xia Qing stood up.

"Where are the other people in your sect?" Li Chen asked.

"Your Majesty, the sect leader sent me here in the hope that I could learn something from Your Majesty." Xia Qing said.

Now Li Chen understood that Master Wanfeng asked Xia Qing to come alone so that it would be more convenient for him to do things. It seems that he is very knowledgeable.

"Do you have a residence in the imperial capital?"

"No, I just arrived in the imperial capital today and came to see His Majesty."

Lingyan Taoist Sect was a small sect in the past and had no plans to develop in the imperial capital, so it did not station any personnel here.

Even if it has become a large sect now, at most it has its own intelligence agencies in Yunhai City. These intelligence agencies only collect information that Yunhai City can obtain, and a lot of the information is not very accurate.

"Okay, your father has entrusted you to me, and I have to ensure your safety in every aspect. Since you have no place to live, you can live in the palace."

Xia Qing was slightly stunned when she heard Li Chen say this.

Ah? I live in a palace?

What's going on? The retired official from the Ministry of Rites said that only the royal family and concubines live in the palace. Apart from them, there are palace maids and eunuchs. He has never heard of outsiders living in the palace.

Li Chen didn't treat her as an outsider. The reason why he let her live in the palace was to let her get familiar with the environment where she would live in the future in advance.

Anyway, she is already at my fingertips, how can I let her go?

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xia Qing wondered if the official from the Ministry of Rites had missed something, but she still did not reject Li Chen's request.

Perhaps in her opinion, this was the emperor's home, and it was reasonable for the emperor to arrange an empty room for her to live in his backyard.

Li Chen had finished his government affairs for the day, so he personally took Xia Qing to choose the palace she liked.

Along the way, Xia Qing looked at this place curiously. Wherever Xia Qing's eyes reached, it was all magnificent and golden. Every brick and tile exuded a heavy and majestic atmosphere.

Perhaps unlike others, Xia Qing, as a cultivator of a sect, felt that this place was built on a dragon vein and was full of spiritual energy and blessings, and was indeed very suitable for cultivation.

Then there is the towering palace wall, winding like a giant dragon, isolating the imperial palace from the outside world.

The glazed tiles on the wall sparkled in the sun, flashing dazzling light.

Maybe others thought it was glorious, but Xia Qing felt that it should be some kind of formation to protect the safety of the palace.

Under the guidance of Li Chen, Xia Qing continued to stroll in the palace. The two of them shuttled between the staggered buildings. Every building here was unique and ingenious.

Some palaces are majestic, with flying eaves and corners on the roof pointing straight to the sky, while others are small and exquisite, like pavilions in gardens, revealing a unique kind of gentleness and elegance.

The amount of manpower and material resources consumed is not something that ordinary forces can afford, and the royal family's background is undoubtedly revealed.

Xia Qing used to think that the royal family was vulgar, but now it seems that they are not.

The palace maids and eunuchs passing by stopped and bowed their heads when they saw Li Chen. Their every move was filled with awe for Li Chen.

Xia Qing could tell that the smiles of these palace maids and eunuchs were respectful yet sincere, as if they felt extremely honored and proud to be able to serve the emperor in this palace.

Li Chen almost never lost his temper, and he never exploited them. They only needed to work normally to get their wages, so they naturally had a good impression of the emperor.

As a monk of the sect, Xia Qing prefers quietness, so he chose a palace in the corner as his residence.

In fact, she wanted to choose a smaller one, but the palaces here were all very big, so she could only pick one at random.

After choosing the palace, Xia Qing naturally arranged palace maids according to the treatment of a concubine, and the place was also built according to her preferences.

Even though she is not one now, the head maid and the other maids understand and are naturally very respectful to her.

This made Xia Qing feel a little embarrassed, and she always felt that Li Chen was too good to her.

Now that the accommodation has been settled, Li Chen asked her what she wanted to do. Li Chen could directly arrange many positions in the imperial capital.

Even if Xia Qing wanted to be a concubine, it would only take a few minutes.

Xia Qing stroked her chin and thought for a while, then said, "Your Majesty, I talked to a court official in the secondary hall of the Qiankun Terrace in Yunhai City the other day. She said that she graduated from the Battle Academy in the Imperial Capital, which seemed to be the Xinhuo Battle Academy. It is said that all the alchemists in the Imperial Capital are in the Battle Academy. I want to teach there. On the one hand, I can exchange cultivation methods with the masters in the Imperial Capital, and on the other hand, I can learn the alchemy skills of the alchemists in the Imperial Capital."

The reason why Lingyan Taoist Sect developed so fast was because there were many alchemists in the sect.

In the entire cultivation world, few people are willing to offend alchemists. Alchemists have extensive connections and are able to maximize the effects of spiritual herbs.

Therefore, most practitioners want to get to know alchemists.

As Xia Qing inherited her father's talent and her mother's beauty, she is naturally also an alchemist with extensive connections.

Not only does she possess the dual attributes of wind and fire, she is also a cultivator in the late stage of the Void Breaking Realm, only one step away from the Six Harmonies Realm.

This level of cultivation can be said to rank among the best in the imperial capital, and he is a true genius.

Xia Qing can naturally use this identity to enter the Combat Academy as a teacher.

Moreover, her father said that if she became a teacher at the Battle Academy, she would get to know all kinds of geniuses in the imperial capital, and many officials would be her disciples in the future.

This is the process of accumulating personal connections.

Of course, there was one very obscure point that her father did not say directly. He only told Xia Qing that if she could have a closer relationship with the emperor, she could get to know many people through the emperor.

Master Wanfeng is a saint, with a certain status and power. Naturally, he will not tell Chu Ruoyan the benefits of being a concubine like the head of the Chu family. Everything depends on the development of Li Chen and Xia Qing.

When Li Chen heard Xia Qing say that she was going to teach at Xinhuo Combat Academy, he naturally agreed and was able to arrange it. It just so happened that he also had a mission at the Combat Academy, so they could complete it together when the time came.

Besides, he seemed to have promised to take time to visit the Battle Academy and give guidance to the students of the Battle Academy. He has been very busy recently and has not had time to go.

Now that I have some free time, I can do all three things at once.

"Tell me when you are settled and ready to teach, and I will visit the Combat Academy as well." Li Chen said.

"Your Majesty, are you going to teach too?" Xia Qing expressed doubt.

"No, I'm going to enroll as a candidate."

"I understand. Your Majesty wants to check whether the admission to the Battle Academy is fair and just. You are really working hard."

"It seems that there is nothing wrong with you thinking so. If you are the invigilator, you must not let the students down. And remember to report any problems to me."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Leave this matter to me."

Xia Qing patted her slightly plump chest and assured.

Many young female monks wear breast binders to facilitate their practice.

Xia Qing's tied up body is quite large, but I don't know what she will look like when she is untied. Can she compare with Chu Ruoyan?

Just when Li Chen was about to improve their relationship, the maid in charge came to report that the Minister of Justice Pang Jin wanted to see Li Chen about something.

Since Pang Jin came in person, it meant that something was wrong. Li Chen had no choice but to let Xia Qing take care of the place where he lived first, and tell the head maid if he needed anything. After Xia Qing thanked him, he left and went to the imperial study.

Not long after Li Chen left here, a woman dressed in palace clothes and as beautiful as a fairy walked in.

She has dignified and elegant manners, a great figure and a beautiful face.

This surprised Xia Qing a little, as she rarely saw women of the same age who were as beautiful as herself.

Hearing the palace maid next to her calling this "Madam", Xia Qing also realized that this should be Li Chen's concubine, so she naturally went up to pay her respects immediately.

Chu Ruoyan told Xia Qing not to be so polite. She came here this time because she wanted to establish a good relationship with her new sister who had just entered the palace.

After all, she is Li Chen's first concubine, and this is something she needs to do well.

This is also what Li Chen considered. After having a certain emotional foundation, his woman will take the initiative to do something.

Just like Chu Ruoyan, she wanted to live a better life here, so she took the initiative to build good relationships with other women and also considered many things for Li Chen.

If they skip the feelings, they will only consider how to gain benefits from Li Chen. When their own interests are threatened, they will start to fight each other.

Just like a bride price, a woman who likes you won’t ask for it because she’s afraid of adding burden to you.

A woman who doesn't like you will ask for money with all kinds of reasons and will keep asking for it, because she doesn't like you at all and the money is the compensation she wants.

Chu Ruoyan has been in the harem for quite some time, but she has never taken the initiative to ask Li Chen for anything because she was worried that if she asked, Li Chen would think that she became a concubine just for these things.

Therefore, Li Chen has never felt any burden in the harem.

However, Li Chen would take the initiative to give her a lot of things, making her very satisfied.

"My sister is so beautiful. I wonder where she is from and how come I have never seen her in the imperial palace." After Chu Ruoyan asked the palace maid to put various gifts in, she began to chat with Xia Qing.

With such a beautiful sister entering the palace, she naturally thought that this was Li Chen’s new harem.

As for those charming mature women in the past, she didn't know where Li Chen found them, and she didn't ask.

Those people didn't live in the palace either. Even Ji Lianyu was only living there temporarily and was not yet a concubine.

This person is cleaning the bedroom. When Chu Ruoyan heard about it, she would definitely come over to take a look.

It’s not that she wants to show off her status as the queen, but she thinks that by doing so, Li Chen will think she is sensible, as long as she can make Li Chen happy.

"Sister is the prettiest one. I am a disciple of the Tianyan Divine Sect. Today is my first time in the imperial capital." Xia Qing answered truthfully.

For some reason, whenever she saw Chu Ruoyan, she always felt an inexplicable pressure, which made her a little restrained.

Chu Ruoyan herself might not have realized this. She had just stayed in the palace for a long time and had been in contact with Li Chen for a long time, so she naturally learned the aura of a superior.

I heard that she was a disciple of a sect, which meant that she was quite capable? This made Chu Ruoyan interested.

After chatting, Chu Ruoyan learned that Xia Qing was an alchemist with dual attributes of wind and fire, and her cultivation had reached the late stage of the Void Breaking Realm. This made Chu Ruoyan even more envious. She didn't know when she could be like Xia Qing.

Thinking of this, Chu Ruoyan felt a little disappointed. She had been practicing very hard, but her cultivation level was still so low.

Moreover, Xia Qing is an alchemist. If Chu Ruoyan was not the imperial concubine, she would definitely try her best to become friends with Xia Qing. Knowing an alchemist may not be of much use in the early stage, but it will definitely be helpful in the later stage.

Xia Qing tactfully stated that she was still just a half-baked person, and that she was usually protected by her parents from the sect and had full access to all kinds of resources. She admired a hard-working and self-reliant woman like Chu Ruoyan, who continued to practice so hard even after entering the palace.

According to Xia Qing, Chu Ruoyan's cultivation level was already considered very strong among the sect's disciples, which made Chu Ruoyan feel better.

After discussing the basics, the next thing is what I, as a 'senior', need to tell the juniors.

Chu Ruoyan had been in contact with Li Chen for some time, so she naturally knew what Li Chen liked and disliked, and she told Xia Qing all of this.

When Xia Qing first listened to it, she thought it made sense. After all, she would be living in the palace for some time, so she had to get to know Li Chen's habits well without offending him.

But as she listened, Xia Qing began to blush.

Because Chu Ruoyan had already talked about the techniques of intercourse, how Li Chen liked to do it, and how she should cooperate to make Li Chen satisfied.

When Chu Ruoyan said this, Xia Qing, an inexperienced girl, felt extremely embarrassed.

She quickly said, "Sister, you must have misunderstood something. His Majesty and I have nothing to do with each other."

Even if Xia Qing was a fool, she could hear that Chu Ruoyan had already regarded her as Li Chen's new concubine, so she immediately began to explain.

She had indeed never heard of the situation where one had to sleep with someone when visiting a home.

Chu Ruoyan was slightly stunned, then said: "Sister, it's right for you to learn these first. No matter what, you will definitely need them in the future. This can also be regarded as a kind of skill exchange."

Based on Chu Ruoyan's understanding of Li Chen, he had arranged this person in the palace, and this person's appearance and figure were close to perfect, so how could Li Chen let her go.

And from what she said, it could be judged that her father also acquiesced to this matter, but it all happened too quickly and she had not yet considered how to proceed.

Because young girls are very immature and not as hungry as mature women.

These are all Chu Ruoyan's experiences. She has also been through this stage, so she naturally knows Xia Qing's thoughts very well.

Xia Qing could do nothing but listen to Chu Ruoyan explaining the techniques with a blushing face, unable to get a word in.

Maybe Chu Ruoyan is not as good as her in cultivation, but in this aspect, Chu Ruoyan is definitely better than her.

Of course, these are only temporary.

On the other side, the imperial study room.

When Li Chen arrived, Pang Jin was already waiting inside.

It was still the same old routine. Pang Jin hinted to Li Chen to let the eunuchs leave. Li Chen waved his hand and the eunuchs nearby dispersed.

"Just tell me what's on your mind." Li Chen said while sitting on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, this is the clue I recently found in my investigation into the Crown Prince's case." Pang Jin took out the file from his arms and presented it to Li Chen.

Li Chen explained as he watched.

After discovering the body of Fan Kuai, the prince's confidant, they followed the clues suggested by the body and first found Li Yang, the prince of Jing'an. According to the investigation of Pang Jin's men, Li Yang seemed to have taken over some of the prince's old subordinates, that is, the forces secretly cultivated by the prince.

Li Yang was one of the first people to follow the prince. It was natural for him to appear as a spy in the Ministry of Justice, as he had been investigated before.

But there were clues that proved that Fan Kuai was not dead when he contacted Li Yang, and then he contacted Xiliang Zou. No one knew what they talked about, but after that, Fan Kuai disappeared, and his body was only found some time ago.

The Zou family of Xiliang is a noble family, so Pang Jin, as the Minister of Justice, naturally dares to investigate. But the problem is that Pang Jin knows that Li Chen has a good relationship with the Queen Mother, so he comes to ask Li Chen whether he wants to continue the investigation.

(End of this chapter)