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

Chapter 17 If I catch you pretending to obey me but actually disobeying me, don’t blame me for being ungrateful!

"What's wrong with you?" Li Chen said casually as he looked at Guo Poyun's hands and boots covered in mud.

"I was punished by His Majesty to be under house arrest for three days. I was just growing some vegetables at home. When I heard that His Majesty summoned me, I immediately ran here." Guo Poyun replied while kneeling on the ground.

"Hey, are you complaining to me?"

Don’t think that Li Chen couldn’t hear it. This old guy was just taking the opportunity to bring up the three-day house arrest.

As to whether he was really growing vegetables or just acting, it’s hard to say.

Hearing Li Chen's tone, Guo Poyun kowtowed again and said in fear and trepidation: "I dare not, Your Majesty, why did you summon me?"

Li Chen touched his chin and said, "When the prince got into trouble, were you responsible for protecting him?"

These words made Guo Poyun sweat break out.

He wondered in his mind which bastard had written this memorial to His Majesty to slander me.

If this crime were really pinned on me, I would have to go see the late emperor immediately.

"Your Majesty, I am wronged. A week before the Crown Prince got into trouble, he had already ordered my secret guards to withdraw. I dare not say anything about other officials. If it is really me who is guarding the Crown Prince, then I will definitely swear to protect the Crown Prince until my death. I have spent decades of my life in the military, serving the Li family."

As he spoke, the old general began to talk about old things, telling of his hard work and efforts.

I have "worked" for the Li family for so many years, shed blood and sweat, how could I betray the Li family?

That was the order given by the prince himself. As a subject, he could only obey. He was absolutely loyal!
"Okay, okay, I'm just asking, you can go back first."

Li Chen got annoyed after hearing so much, so he interrupted him.

Just as Guo Poyun was about to leave, he was stopped by Li Chen again.

"Wait a moment."

"Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"

"Seven days of confinement."

"."

My goodness, His Majesty really holds a grudge.

I just said a few more words and I have to endure four more days.

Whatever, now that someone is probably fueling the prince's death, he feels that he should not be the first to do so.

After thanking the Lord for his grace, Guo Poyun left the imperial study trembling with fear.

There was still some soil where he had knelt just now, proving that he had indeed been there.

"These old guys are really smart."

Li Chen muttered something and began to review the memorials again.

However, the scene that just happened shocked Chu Ruoyan.

In her eyes, the great general Guo Poyun, who was unattainable and like a god of war, was actually so afraid of the new emperor Li Chen.

If she told this to her father, he probably wouldn't believe it.

Because there are "rumors" in the capital, saying that Li Chen is just a puppet emperor, and the so-called "strength" or other things cannot be confirmed.

As an ordinary family, how could they know so much?

They got the news from the servants of some court officials' families.

After all, it's spread by word of mouth, who knows what it will become when it's passed on later.

But now, in Chu Ruoyan's opinion, no matter what, Li Chen is definitely not a puppet.

How could a puppet frighten such a prestigious old minister as the National Defense General Guo Poyun?

Especially the innate kingly aura displayed by Li Chen caused a wave of waves in her heart.

Not long after the great national defender Guo Poyun left, another heavyweight figure came to the imperial study.

Li Longyu, the Jing'an Prince of the Tiance Dynasty, is the younger brother of the late emperor and Li Chen's uncle. Li Longyu hasn't been to court for a long time, and I don't know why Li Chen called him over.

If he hadn't heard that Li Chen was at the Saint level, he wouldn't have bothered to come.

This is the face given to the Saint Realm.

Although Prince Jing'an Li Longyu is old, he still has a handsome face. He wears luxurious prince's clothes and a jade pendant around his waist that symbolizes his status.

When he first entered the imperial study, his face still had a relaxed and uninhibited look, and he seemed unaware of what was about to happen.

In a place like this that is not a court, he doesn't have to kneel down, just say hello politely.

Li Chen didn't say anything, but just threw a memorial in front of him.

Li Longyu picked up the memorial, and the calmness on his face slowly began to disappear.

At this time, Li Chen said, "Prince Jing'an, it says that you have recently allowed your subordinates to forcibly seize good farmland. Don't tell me that you don't know it."

His tone was flat, but his voice carried unquestionable authority.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing'an was shocked, but he still pretended to be calm and tried to defuse the sudden crisis with a relaxed tone: "Your Majesty, I have never heard of this matter. Perhaps someone below made the decision on their own. I will punish them strictly when I return."

This matter was definitely not done by Li Longyu. As an old prince holding a high position, how could he care about such a small matter?

Most likely, one of his descendants took a fancy to the fertile land somewhere and used his power to seize it by force.

The late emperor had issued an explicit ban on such things, but some people still did them secretly, and Li Longyu did not take it seriously.

Perhaps in his eyes, we are all royal family, and the world belongs to our family.

We are a family. Since you told me not to do it, I will give you face and go back and tell my men not to do it. Let's just leave it at that.

However, Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a very casual tone: "I think that your men have forcibly seized the good farmland of the people. The people have no land to grow food to eat. They will rebel if they are not full. You can't even see this, right? Or are you doing this on purpose to teach me a lesson?"

When Prince Jing'an Li Longyu heard this, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Li Chen had said this, and Li Longyu had already realized that his "nephew" was angry.

This matter is small if you say it is small, but it is also big if you say it is big.

Li Longyu knelt on the ground with shaking knees, his voice filled with fear and pleading: "Your Majesty, I really didn't know about this! I will punish my subordinates severely, return all the fertile land that was forcibly seized, and compensate the persecuted farmers. Please show mercy, Your Majesty!"

This time he firmly said that he didn't know, without the vagueness he had shown before in an attempt to fool people.

"I am too lazy to waste time talking to you. I have been busy lately. I will forgive you for now and simply fine you one year's salary. You must complete the things you promised within three days. I will take the time to go and see it in person. If I catch you pretending to obey but secretly disobeying, don't blame me for being rude. Get out of here now."

"I will do it right away. Thank you, Your Majesty, for letting me go. I will leave right away."

After saying this, Li Longyu ran out like the wind.

That feeling was that I was afraid that Li Chen would catch more evidence on me.

We must conduct a thorough investigation after we return. Your Majesty may need to "brush up performance" recently, so you should ask your descendants to be more restrained and just do their jobs well.

If any other prince became emperor, Li Longyu would not have to be so afraid, nor would he give him face, and he could even use his uncle's status as pressure.

But this person is not familiar to me and is also at the Saint level.

It's not a question of giving face or not. If someone wants to kill him, they can just use force.

“Each one is better at acting than the other.”

After muttering something again, Li Chen continued to review the memorials.

But Chu Ruoyan next to her was shocked beyond words. She didn't expect that Li Chen would dare to punish even her own uncle, and show no mercy, or even leave any room for negotiation.

It seems that the new emperor is not as bad as the rumors say, and is even outstanding beyond ordinary people.

Perhaps it would be a blessing for all people if the Tiance Dynasty had such an emperor.

This is the most intuitive feeling of the people of the Tiance Dynasty.

Chu Ruoyan wanted to know more and more how outstanding this Majesty was!

(End of this chapter)