[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet-":3,"chapter-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-103":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Just Maxed Out, and You Want Me to Be a Puppet Emperor?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2336542,4569,"Chapter 103: Trying to Threaten Li Chen, But Ended Up Giving Him Leverage!","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-103",103,"\u003Cp>Li Chen never felt being a Sage was shameful, so he never held back when it was time to show off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to bluff me? You’re still too green!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen and Lady Youlan each released their own aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, they both knew roughly each other’s realm, so they retracted their auras, and the restaurant returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet none of those present dared to look at them with that disrespectful gaze anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many finished eating and left immediately, leaving only a few bold souls to watch the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner of the exotic cuisine restaurant rushed over; his attire didn’t resemble that of a TianCe Empire citizen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unaware of your noble guests’ arrival, I beg your pardon for the lack of proper reception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner wore a headscarf and had a long beard, meticulously groomed and smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like most people, he only knew these two were extremely powerful, but had no idea just how strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he understood that when someone of this caliber entered his establishment, he must treat them with utmost care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go about your business, don’t bother with us—we’re just here to eat.” Li Chen replied casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner was wise enough to know he was in the way; he said if they needed anything, to call out, then departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, he instructed the serving girls to prepare the finest ingredients in the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps still uneasy, he went to the kitchen himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This minor incident passed, and Lady Youlan no longer intended to make Li Chen retreat; she knew she lacked the ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was merely curious: she’d long heard the capital was teeming with powerful experts, and initially hadn’t believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it seemed the rumors were true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who was this young powerhouse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen’s presence had, to some extent, overturned her perception—or rather, her disdain—of the secular world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To a woman raised within a sect, secular dynasties were merely ordinary institutions maintaining stability for common folk; sects stood far above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The secular world was rife with injustice and suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many problems secular dynasties couldn’t solve could only be resolved by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only sects could suppress regions, maintaining order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this very world she looked down upon harbored such terrifying power—her certainty in the sects’ superiority began to waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the capital concealed many such powerful experts, then the sects’ lofty status was a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it seemed implausible; perhaps this man was an exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Youlan was also curious: how many other skilled experts like this man remained hidden in the capital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If possible, she might even recruit this man to join her in confronting the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, her own Dao Companion, the Supreme Heavenly Man, had once tried recruiting the Sage-level Master Yu from Yunlu Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Supreme Heavenly Man was always deeply patriarchal; she had silently supported him all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly wished to prove her own capability, yet the Supreme Heavenly Man always believed she was incapable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, with the extraterrestrial demon’s treasure, he insisted she couldn’t control it—when she reached to touch it, she remembered how swiftly he withdrew it; she still resented that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she could recruit this one, wouldn’t it surprise the Supreme Heavenly Man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Lady Youlan recalled something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sage-level Emperor was Li Xian’s younger brother, meaning the Emperor was young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was also young, his aura unmistakably Sage-level, his appearance peerless—could it be that the Sage-level Emperor was him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she really run into the Emperor while having a simple meal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether or not he was, now that she’d thought of it, she decided to test him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly was the Emperor, she must advise her Dao Companion to proceed with caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their calculations, the Emperor was certainly no match for the Supreme Heavenly Man; he merely didn’t want to tarnish his reputation and planned to use subtle tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t taken the Emperor seriously at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it seemed they’d underestimated his combat power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this was only Lady Youlan’s suspicion—she still needed to test him further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly asking would yield no answer; no one would openly declare themselves Emperor, so she thought of tailing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she discovered where this man lived, she’d know his identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was the Emperor, she’d inform the Supreme Heavenly Man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wasn’t, she could still recruit him later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, recruiting an Emperor to fight against himself? That was beyond even her recklessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having decided, Lady Youlan began chatting with Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, she lied: she claimed she was visiting the capital, experiencing its customs and culture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was deliberate—if she said she came to do business or seek someone, and he probed further, her lack of details would expose her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she simply claimed to be a tourist, leaving him no opening for suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen then deployed his seduction tactics, asking about her hobbies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To seduce, one must start with the other’s interests to understand their character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of hobbies, Lady Youlan paused, then replied she liked growing flowers and plants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no other interests; in her small courtyard at the Tianyan Divine Sect, she merely cultivated spiritual flowers and immortal herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This indeed struck a blind spot in Li Chen’s knowledge—he wasn’t familiar with such matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet women who loved flowers and plants were usually patient and yearned for beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi at the next table grew more and more exasperated: are you two really having a conversation? Don’t you care about my feelings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d planned to watch Li Chen embarrass himself, yet he didn’t even pretend—he unleashed his aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a woman, she understood the elegant matron across from him was clearly interested in Li Chen. Whatever, she wasn’t his woman; why should she care?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi wasn’t the type to throw tantrums; having finished her meal, she paid and left the restaurant, giving Li Chen space to flirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just a few steps outside, a familiar figure appeared beside her—it was none other than Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why stop flirting?” Wu Nanzhi snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you tell me to flirt?” Li Chen replied seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone else said that, Wu Nanzhi would think them insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But coming from Li Chen, it felt perfectly normal—he’d always been insane!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know if he was deliberately provoking her or if he simply thought that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, his coming out made her genuinely happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant, in Li Chen’s eyes, she was still better than that woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how beautiful she was, she clearly was married—Li Chen wouldn’t be serious, just playing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My advantage is obvious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether true or not, thinking this made her joyful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gloom had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t you be less promiscuous? Won’t your wife get angry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My wife doesn’t control me—why don’t you take over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why don’t you just die! Next time I see your wife, I’ll tell her everything that happened today!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, sister—I’ll remind you to include our first meeting too; my wife loves hearing that story.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi’s restored mood was shattered again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Li Chen couldn’t let go of the “sister” joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if they told the world about their first meeting, everyone would think she was a pervert!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d intended to threaten Li Chen—yet ended up giving him leverage instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wu Nanzhi gritting her teeth, Li Chen found it amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the woman in the restaurant, he’d merely flirted a little for amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kind of smooth-talking mature woman was indeed hard to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After strolling awhile, Li Chen asked Wu Nanzhi if she’d join the evening banquet; she politely declined, saying she disliked going out at night and preferred staying home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen didn’t press; after bidding her farewell, he prepared to attend the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a shadow quietly followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It trailed him all the way to the Jing’an Prince’s mansion, stopping only after watching him enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could he be someone from the Jing’an Prince’s household?” Lady Youlan wondered internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the TianCe Dynasty’s imperial lineage was formidable—the Emperor was a Sage, and now even the Jing’an Prince’s household housed one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must return immediately and inform the Supreme Heavenly Man, lest their plans go awry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jing’an Prince’s mansion was unusually lively that day, packed with guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since there was no morning court, many officials had arrived by noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen wasn’t late, but when he arrived, everyone else had already gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides officials, the most numerous guests were members of the imperial clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this was simply a Li family banquet—most attendees were Li Chen’s relatives; he came in casual attire, appearing utterly relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen had just stepped through the door and saw nothing but familiar faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides Jing’an Wang Li Longyu, who rushed forward to greet him, there were Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan, Grand General Guo Po, and even the newly appointed Minister of Justice Pang Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A solid lineup of court heavyweights—Li Longyu’s prestige was fully displayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, Li Chen thought they were about to hold a meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came various princes, crown princes, and princesses—all powerful members of the imperial clan, all kin to Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many were older, and by convention, they were Li Chen’s elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Li Chen dreaded such gatherings, because the people before him were precisely the so-called “seven aunts and eight uncles,” each requiring a proper greeting; failing to recall the correct title or misaddressing someone led to unbearable awkwardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he was the Emperor—he didn’t need to greet these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, these elders hurried over to greet Li Chen, eager to make themselves known to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor was a unique figure even within the imperial clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wearing the dragon robe today to assert his status, but he was still the Emperor—they dared not offend him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the old princes paid their respects, the crown princes and princesses came forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the greetings were becoming tiresome; Li Chen beckoned Pang Jin over and asked him to report on his duties, to pass the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Emperor occupied with official business, others hesitated to interrupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Jin was bewildered—wasn’t today a day off from court? Why was he being summoned for a private report?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Minister of Justice, he had enough sense to understand: he was simply helping His Majesty avoid trouble—that was his duty as a minister!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was little to report anyway; important matters could never be discussed in such a public setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked to the back garden of the Jing’an Wang’s residence, which was not only vast but even featured a small racetrack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that Jing’an Wang’s princess loved horses, so he had built this racetrack for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, many young imperial clan talents were racing there, with plenty of cheers and shouts from spectators, as if in a competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet one man alone seemed shunned, mocked by the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen asked curiously, “Who is that man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Jin glanced over and replied, “Your Majesty, he is Jing’an Wang’s son-in-law, Chen Xuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1847,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0b0fc8ece7096b651b2eaa71830536f69fd3cc3d655c880878cf4c91e7bff7fe","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-104","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-102",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]