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

Chapter 232 It’s good enough that I don’t sell you out, but you still dare to look for me? (Please subscribe and vote)

As a loyal minister, the Minister of War was also thinking about Li Chen.

Only when Li Chen sits firmly on the throne will his position be stable.

Normally, ministers only need to complete their work.

But the emperor is Li Chen, and they are willing to work harder and participate in the governance of the country.

Li Chen understood what the Minister of War said. It was not good to let the two of them fight each other like this. He had to find an opportunity to get rid of them.

In fact, the Prince of Zhennan was the cunning and treacherous one. Even the emperor was embarrassed to take action against him after he made such a report.

There was no substantial evidence of his rebellion, and his son performed well in the Northern and Western Expeditions.

If he was punished directly, what would the senior generals in various regions think? These were issues that Li Chen had to consider.

"Since he wants to be loyal, I'll let him be loyal to his heart's content."

Li Chen had already thought of how to deal with the Prince of Zhennan, so he asked the Minister of War to send someone to tell the Prince of Zhennan to wait for orders.

This is your way of showing your loyalty. When I send you out, if you don't obey, you will be punished.

Don't say I didn't give you a chance.

After obeying the order, the Minister of War left the imperial study.

It has been a while since he last came back, and Li Chen has started to get busy with government affairs.

Li Chen is more concerned about the construction of the "rail train", that is, the construction of the track from the imperial capital of the Tiance Dynasty to the most prosperous Yunhai City in the central part of the Tiance Dynasty.

If this is successful, it will make it easier for the Tiance Dynasty to manage its vast territory. The construction of the rail train has been going on for several months.

A joint report from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue stated: 90% of the main track has been laid, and the post stations, warehouses, and track protection arrays along the way are all complete. The road will be open to traffic within seven days.

This speed far exceeded Li Chen's expectations, and the reason for this was the full support from the aristocratic families and the cultivation sects.

The Minister of Revenue Liu Minghan also followed Li Chen's idea and recruited many aristocratic families to participate, especially merchant families, who all seemed to value this major project of the court.

In addition, the court officials encouraged their own forces to participate in the investment, so there was no problem with funding at all.

Moreover, with Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan personally in charge, no one would dare to withhold money here.

As long as they had money, the idle people in the local area found jobs. Not only ordinary people, but even practitioners participated in it.

According to Zhao Wenyuan's report, Jiuyuan Holy Land, a sect alliance in the central part of the Tiance Dynasty, responded actively to the call.

The four major sects, Lingyan Taoist Sect, Ziyun Immortal Mansion, Tianyan Divine Sect, and Qingming Immortal Sect, all contributed both manpower and effort.

There are hundreds of sects participating in the construction of the alliance, and the progress is terrifying, and the practitioners themselves are strong.

Just like Li Chen said before, the Tiance Dynasty is not afraid of having no people, but is afraid of not having enough positions. The "engineering team" of the Tiance Dynasty has always been like this since ancient times. As long as the money is in place, everything is not a problem.

In addition, various detailed information is written on it.

Qian Wanguan, the president of the Imperial Capital Chamber of Commerce, joined forces with major merchant families in the Imperial Capital to take over 30% of the forging of the rails.

The furnaces in the weapon-making workshops of the major families in the Chamber of Commerce are kept burning day and night.

The grain merchant Caoyun Chenjia from the south of the Yangtze River used hundreds of cargo ships to transport black iron ore and arrived at the construction site in advance along the Yangtze River.

The "Zou Clan of Xiliang" even donated the Cloud-Treading Rhinoceros beast that they had tamed for many years. This powerful beast played a huge role in some sections of the road.

When Li Chen saw this, he understood that it seemed that the Queen Mother's family also wanted to get a piece of the pie, and even released Zou's spirit beast, which could be said to be a huge investment.

However, Li Chen allowed this kind of thing and encouraged the aristocratic families to participate in the construction.

I guess they also want to see how this pilot project goes. If it is successfully opened to traffic, the subsequent construction of other roads will be a good job.

The sect's monks also made a lot of contributions to the information that Li Chen looked at.

Lingyan Taoist Sect uses the strange fire of heaven and earth to temper the rails, making them indestructible and greatly increasing the service life of the rails.

Ziyun Immortal Mansion set up a large protective formation to prevent sabotage by thieves and monsters.

Tianyan Divine Sect calculated the weather and avoided all rainy, thunderstorms.

The Qingming Immortal Sect even mobilized the entire sect to cut a dangerous cliff into a smooth road to ensure the smooth operation of the railway.

Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan specially marked in red ink: All the aristocratic families demand 30% of the future horse and carriage tax. When the track network is completed, there will be a new tax system to govern it.

These were all allowed by Li Chen. After all, these big forces invested in order to gain benefits. How could they be willing to pay without any benefits?

Before the track was built, it took about 20 days to walk from the imperial capital to Yunhai City, or about 7 days by horseback. The actual time was also affected by factors such as road conditions, weather, and horse fatigue, so the actual time would fluctuate.

After the track is completed, it will only take half a day to travel from the imperial capital to Yunhai City, and caravans, armies, and civilians can all leave in the morning and arrive in the evening.

What’s even more interesting is that those noble families who invested huge sums of money have already been tied to the imperial chariot.

They fear track accidents more than anyone else, so they naturally become the most loyal track protectors.

After looking at the progress of the track construction, Li Chen's eyes turned to the memorial from the north.

The north has a vast territory and rich resources. If properly developed, it will surely become another major economic pillar of the Tiance Dynasty.

Animal husbandry and handicrafts are important, but Li Chen's vision has long gone beyond these traditional industries.

What he thought of was the tourism industry, an industry that ordinary people had never dared to think about before.

As long as rail construction continues to develop, ordinary people will definitely want to visit the north.

The north has magnificent mountains and rivers, vast grasslands, towering snow-capped mountains and mirror-like lakes, all of which are natural tourist resources.

"It's not just sightseeing, we can also develop special activities such as hunting, horse riding, skiing, etc." Li Chen thought secretly in his mind.

In this way, the economy in the north will be greatly boosted and may even bring considerable tax revenue to the imperial court.

Thinking of this, Li Chen picked up his pen and wrote a few lines of instructions on the memorial, requiring the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to jointly formulate a detailed plan for the development of northern tourism and implement it as soon as possible.

He also stressed the importance of paying attention to environmental protection and avoiding over-development that would damage the natural landscape in the north.

Then, Li Chen turned his attention to the memorials sent from the eastern region.

Although the last expedition was a great victory, the sea people have a strong desire for revenge and will never give up easily.

According to the report from the admiral of the Tiance Dynasty navy, the activities of the sea creatures have been quite frequent recently.

Moreover, the secret letter from the Empress Pei Wanyu of the Tianwu Dynasty also stated that they had discovered many spies of the sea tribe. It was estimated that the sea tribe had learned from the lessons of the last failure and was ready to know both themselves and the enemy this time.

This is indeed a problem that Li Chen should be prepared for in advance.

But Li Chen already has a solution. Didn’t you, the King of Zhennan, say that you are a loyal minister? It will depend on whether you will listen to me or not when the time comes.

When he was almost done, Li Chen saw Ji Lianyu walking into the imperial study carrying pastries.

She also came at the perfect time, because Li Chen was most tired at this time, and it would be very comfortable if someone served him.

It just so happened that Ji Lianyu was the woman who was very good at taking care of others. Her meticulous care made Li Chen very satisfied.

However, Ji Lianyu came to the palace this time to ask Li Chen for something.

Li Chen could also see it and asked her to speak frankly.

Ji Lianyu said that the King of Zhennan had imprisoned many members of the Ji family in prison, and asked Li Chen to think of a solution.

It can be seen that since many important members of the Ji family have moved to the imperial capital, the Prince of Zhennan will definitely deal with the Ji family.

When Ji Lianyu came here, she didn't actually have much hope.

The Prince of Zhennan had the intention of rebellion and had long disobeyed the orders of the court. How could he possibly listen to Li Chen?

But Ji Lianyu always said that she had connections in the palace, so her family let her give it a try.

"This is easy. Recently, the Prince of Zhennan has begun to show his loyalty to me. I only need an imperial edict."

Li Chen said it was no big deal. You came to me a few days ago and I guess I didn’t have much to do. Now it’s just a matter of convenience.

Ji Lianyu was overjoyed when she heard this. She felt more and more that serving Li Chen was the right choice. If she could successfully help the Ji family this time, her status in the Ji family would continue to rise. This was what she had always pursued.

To express her gratitude, Ji Lianyu asked Li Chen to move to the Ji family mansion, and she and her sister personally prepared delicious meals for Li Chen.

When Li Chen thought of the figure of Princess Zhennan, he felt a little excited. It was indeed a delicious dish. He hadn't eaten it for a while, so he agreed.

After work, you must enjoy yourself.

In the imperial capital, Li Chen was not the only one who returned from the Western Expedition.

Li Ling walked into the dark and damp prison with mixed feelings. It was her first time in this place.

She was dressed in the uniform of a soldier who had gone on the Western Expedition. When she walked in, the nearby jailers all stood straight.

In the cell, Prince Jing'an Li Longyu sat on a straw mat with a haggard face.

"Ling'er, you're back." Li Longyu's voice was hoarse with a hint of excitement.

Li Ling nodded, her eyes slightly red: "Father, your daughter is here to see you."

Li Longyu smiled with relief and said, "Well, I am relieved that you can come back safely. You have made great contributions in this Western Expedition. I am proud of you."

Li Ling forced a smile and said, "Don't worry, father. I will do more military merits and find a way to rescue you."

Li Longyu shook his head and said solemnly, "Ling'er, please don't do anything stupid to save me. Your father is a prince after all. You only need to be imprisoned here for a year. Just bear with it and it will pass. You just need to remember not to learn from your brother. You must follow His Majesty. His Majesty is definitely an emperor of all ages. If you follow him, your future will be bright."

Li Longyu seemed to be a prince with no ability, but the most important thing for a person is to know himself.

He has no ability and has relied on the previous emperor to rise to power.

He could see that Emperor Li Chen was definitely a powerful figure, and one that was unprecedentedly powerful.

In this world, it is not shameful to suck up to someone powerful. Some people want to suck up to someone powerful, but they haven't had the chance yet.

Li Ling nodded seriously: "My daughter understands. She will definitely listen to her father and General Guo Poyun."

At this moment, the jailer came over and said seriously, "It's time, Princess, please come in."

Li Ling stood up and looked at her father reluctantly.

The jailer's attitude was unexpectedly nice, without any disrespect.

Li Ling took out a silver ingot from his bosom and wanted to give it to the jailer.

The jailer waved his hands and said, "Princess, this is unacceptable. The Minister has already told us to take good care of the prince. I dare not accept him."

Li Ling tried to force the money into her pocket, but the jailer still refused. She had no choice but to take it back.

When Li Ling left the Ministry of Justice prison, she was still worried about her father's affairs.

Just as she walked a short distance, her husband Chen Xuannan came over quietly.

Chen Xuannan looked around nervously, then took Li Ling to a place where there were not many people.

He whispered, "Princess, don't go back to the mansion yet. The prince's people seem to be near the mansion gate. If you don't want to see them, I can help you send them away."

Li Ling was shocked when she heard this: "What? Li Yang dares to come to me? Is he so brave?"

Chen Xuannan snorted coldly: "For someone like him, it is definitely not a good thing for him to come to you at this time. You have accumulated so many military merits with great difficulty. There is no need to get involved with him. If the Ministry of Justice finds out, you will be dealt with immediately."

Chen Xuannan had a very bad relationship with Li Yang, so he felt that Li Yang deserved to be wanted, but he just didn't want to see Li Ling implicated.

Li Ling looked at Chen Xuannan gratefully and said, "Xuannan, thank you. Please help me get rid of those people."

In her opinion, as a younger sister, it was good enough for her not to sell out her brother to seek credit, but he dared to come to me? He was really harming me.

Chen Xuannan nodded, turned and left.

Li Ling stood there waiting for news, and at this moment, a mysterious figure quietly appeared beside her.

The man was wearing a black cloak and a half mask on his face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes.

"Who are you?" Li Ling was very alert.

The mysterious man smiled slightly and did not answer directly. Instead, he handed Li Ling a note and said, "This is from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He said you will know after you read it."

After handing the note to Li Ling, the mysterious man disappeared nearby.

Zuixianlou, where many young generals who went on the Western Expedition gathered.

King Anxi Li Ji also performed well in the Western Expedition and was familiar with these young generals.

He also spent a lot of money today to treat his brothers to a drink here to consolidate their relationship.

In addition to Liu Hao and Xu Zifeng, there were also Ma Hei and seven young generals with whom he had a good relationship, and even Wu Qi was brought along.

Now Wu Qi is also a popular figure in the imperial capital, after all, he has a great background.

When Wu Qi first entered the Ministry of War, he shamelessly attended various drinking parties, hoping to get to know these high-ranking officials.

After his background was exposed, people invited him to various parties every day, and everyone wanted to have a good relationship with him. This was the treatment he enjoyed after being taken care of by Li Chen.

Today, King Anxi is the host, so Wu Qi must give him face.

Originally, Li Ji had invited Xiao Ming and Lin Mo, but Xiao Ming was not in the imperial capital, and Lin Mo was too busy to have time at all.

In fact, Xu Zifeng had no intention of coming. He was not very interested in making friends with this group of people and only wanted to return to the south.

It was only after he returned to the imperial capital and received a secret letter from Prince Zhennan, in which he was asked to suspend his rebellion plan and allowed to develop normally in the imperial capital first, that he reluctantly went out.

After three rounds of drinking, Xu Zifeng left, using the excuse that he couldn't hold his liquor.

He asked Ma Hei to continue drinking and not to accompany him, and he went alone to the place he had been longing for, which was the Ji family.

The reason why he worked so hard on this Western Expedition was to gain military merit and protect his aunt and mother from harm from the imperial court.

As the young master of the Ji family, the guard naturally did not dare to stop him.

Because the Ji family had been back here for a while, their size began to grow, even more magnificent than before.

"That's strange, aren't mother and aunt here?"

Not seeing Princess Zhennan and Ji Lianyu in the hall, Xu Zifeng went to the backyard.

He first came to the courtyard where the Prince of Zhennan lived and found that his mother was not there. Then he came to his aunt Ji Lingyu's room.

The lights were on, so he started knocking on the door, asking if anyone was inside.

Then I heard the voice of my aunt Ji Lianyu, which sounded a little nervous and hurried.

His aunt asked him to wait outside the door, so Xu Zifeng naturally stood outside the door.

After a while, Ji Lianyu came out and closed the door.

At this moment, her face was ruddy, her breathing was a little rapid, and there was a trace of crystal 'saliva' at the corner of her mouth.

Fortunately, Xu Zifeng was drunk now, otherwise he would be able to smell something.

"Zifeng is back. I heard that you performed bravely during the Western Expedition." Ji Lingyu still cared about her nephew very much.

"That's right. I grew up in a military camp. Fighting in a war is no problem for me. But what about my mother?" Xu Zifeng asked curiously.

"Your mother has caught a cold and is resting in my room."

Ji Lianyu also started to make up stories on the spot, with the purpose of preventing Xu Zifeng from entering the room.

But after hearing this, Xu Zifeng wanted to visit his mother even more.

This frightened the Princess of Zhennan inside. She was extremely nervous and had an unprecedented experience.

Ji Lingyu also tried to persuade Xu Zifeng by saying that she would take good care of her sister, and only then did she stop him from entering the room.

In order to show his concern, Xu Zifeng simply stayed in the next room, which made Princess Zhennan dare not breathe loudly all night.

(End of this chapter)