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

Chapter 729: Presenting a letter of state to Emperor Tian Ce, expressing willingness to submit to him! (Please subscribe)
According to Mavit's judgment.

That night, after the old master Romanov went to the palace to "dine" with his master, something bad probably already happened!

Along with his father, Ivan, he was likely also eliminated by his master with swift and decisive measures!

Why didn't Master say it explicitly? Mavit's thoughts raced.

Yes, Master must have considered my feelings, after all, Ivan is my biological father and Romanov is my ancestor.

He was afraid that if I heard the news suddenly, I wouldn't be able to handle it and would feel resentful.

My master... he is protecting me in his own way, clearing away all obstacles for me.

Thinking of this, Mavit felt an extremely complex emotion welling up inside him.

There was a slight instinctive tremor over the death of her biological father, but more than that, there was a sense of relief and a surge of gratitude towards Li Chen!

'Master,' he murmured to himself, his gaze hardening. 'Perhaps many in the court and among the people are gossiping, saying that you are merely using me, this puppet emperor, to legitimize your control over the Great Luo. But so what?'

"From you, I gained power I never dared to dream of before; it was you who taught me to judge people and situations, imparted to me the art of rulership, and allowed me to truly begin to understand the meaning of power and responsibility!"

Even if this is exploitation, it's a kind of exploitation that transforms me, grants me new life and strength! This kind of "exploitation" is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than being a subservient, insecure puppet emperor for my father and grandfather for the rest of my life!

Mavit was simply a bit weak-willed, not stupid.

He understood the stakes involved better than anyone else.

Li Chen gave him dignity, strength, and a future, while Ivan and Romanov treated him merely as a pawn that could be discarded at any time.

In a flash, Mavit already knew how to handle the situation at hand.

Since Master has chosen not to say it, it means that this matter absolutely cannot be made public!

"The Imperial Tutor and the Witch Ancestor plotted to kill the Great Luo Ancestor and the Former Emperor"—such news, once it gets out, will surely cause a huge uproar.

This would not only severely damage his image as a "guardian deity," but also plunge the royal family, which had just begun to lean towards him, into division and panic once again, and even give external hostile forces an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Don't say that Mavit is heartless. Putting aside the royal family, his father never treated him as a son, but only as a tool and puppet. Putting yourself in his shoes, how could he possibly treat his father as a father?

However, he has indeed come to regard Li Chen as his father, even more so than his own father.

Thinking of this, Mavit took a deep breath, his face showing just the right amount of shock and worry, and said in a deep voice to the kneeling head guard:
"Such a thing has happened?! The safety of the Ancestor and the late Emperor is a matter of life and death for the nation! You must immediately select an absolutely reliable and agile person to secretly investigate the outer perimeter of the Imperial Mausoleum! Remember, all actions must be carried out in secrecy, without alerting outsiders, and report to me immediately upon receiving any news!"

His arrangement, seemingly a proactive investigation, was actually full of hidden agendas.

He ordered the investigation to silence any potential doubts within the royal family and to demonstrate his "concern" and "ignorance" of the matter. He also demanded secrecy, that it be kept "undiscovered," and that the investigation focus solely on the "outer periphery." This was both to avoid uncovering anything that might implicate Li Chen and because he was deeply certain of his position.

Given Master's meticulous approach to things, even if they were to investigate, they would absolutely not find anything substantial!
As expected, the people sent later wandered around the heavily guarded and restricted imperial tomb for many days, but found nothing except for some energy disturbances caused by its age.

The disappearance of Romanov and Ivan ultimately became a deeply unsolved mystery within the Great Luo royal family, and all clues vanished without a trace with the complete purification of the cave that night.

In the period that followed, a silent yet fierce storm swept through the imperial court.

With Matvey personally overseeing the operation, and with the assistance of the royal family members who had already seen the winds of change and turned to fully support the new emperor, a purge of the former officials who had previously been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant and unruly unfolded in an orderly manner.

These specific matters no longer require Li Chen to personally guide or take action.

Although Matvey had only recently ascended the throne and lacked sufficient imperial authority, he had, after all, been immersed in the officialdom of the Holy City for many years. Through this exposure, he was not entirely ignorant of the balance of power and how to handle officials' weaknesses.

Now, with the strong support of the royal family and Li Chen backing him up, he is gradually showing more decisiveness in handling these matters.

Those ministers who had previously been the most vocal and suspected of being instructed by Ivan or Romanov were quickly framed for various crimes.

They might collude with local powerful figures to plot against the government, embezzle military funds and deplete the national treasury, or form cliques for personal gain and control of the government.
These charges were not entirely unfounded. Most of these ministers had gotten to this point because they had something to hide. With the royal family's deliberate collection and "processing," the chain of evidence quickly became "clear and conclusive."

Dismissal from office, stripping of titles, confiscation of property, and exile—a series of swift and decisive measures were implemented, bringing order to the court. Opposition was quickly suppressed, and the vacant positions were rapidly filled by new nobles who favored Matvey and the royal family.

The power of the capital was concentrating in the hands of the young emperor at a visible speed.

After initially stabilizing the court, Matvey did not feel relieved. Instead, he went to see Li Chen with even greater worries.

He dismissed his attendants and respectfully asked Li Chen, "Master, the situation in the court has now stabilized, and the capital and surrounding areas are basically under our control. However, there are still two major problems..."

First, there's Grand Duke Sergei, whose power in the east is now practically a separatist, and who often ignores imperial edicts; second, the Tiance army remains stationed on the border, watching with predatory intent.
"Your disciple is inexperienced and truly doesn't know how to deal with these two formidable enemies. Please, Master, teach me."

His tone was full of dependence and unease, after all, both Sergei and the Tian Ce Empire were behemoths that were difficult for him to shake.

Looking at the disciple before him, who had grown considerably but was still somewhat timid at heart, Li Chen had already made up his mind.

His tone was calm, as if he were discussing a trivial matter: "As for Sergei, we need not concern ourselves with him for now. He has his uses and will not pose a threat to the Holy Capital in the short term. As for the Tian Ce Empire..."

He paused, then looked calmly at Matvey. “All you need to do is present a letter of state to the Emperor of Tiance in the name of the Emperor of Da Luo, expressing your willingness to submit to him, regard Tiance as your suzerain state, and promise to pay tribute every year and obey his orders in everything.”

"To bow down and submit?!" Matvey trembled violently upon hearing this.

(End of this chapter)