[{"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-16":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},2336455,4569,"Chapter 16: A Legend, a Being of War God Status!","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Outside the palace gate, many from the Chu family had arrived, even the Chu family’s ancestral elder had come out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they had not been summoned by Emperor Li Chen, they could only wait at the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Chu family head noticed Chu Ruoyan walking slowly, he even considered shoving her forward forcefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his wife stopped him, reminding him this was the imperial palace and they must behave with decorum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chu family head finally gave up, yet he remained deeply uneasy and agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancestral elder was elderly; the Chu family’s future in the imperial capital depended entirely on Chu Ruoyan’s visit to the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chu family head had roamed the imperial capital for years—he was a seasoned veteran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, Chu Ruoyan’s appearance was exceptional; with the young new emperor still without a consort, her being summoned could mean nothing other than selection as a concubine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He actually hoped Chu Ruoyan would never leave the palace after this visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already bribed several eunuchs to speak well of her to the Empress Dowager and ask for her favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment she stepped into the palace, Chu Ruoyan wore an expression of utter despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after all her relentless cultivation, she could not escape her fate as a mere tool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was filled with revulsion toward this place; everything here felt cold and lifeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only warmth in her heart was Xiao Ming’s promise that he would take her away in seven days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the palace maid slowly led her through the grand imperial palace, the maid—having received a bribe from Chu Ruoyan’s father—was earnestly explaining the palace’s rules to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan’s mind was a storm of conflicting emotions; she heard none of it, and before she knew it, they had reached the door of the Imperial Study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor inside was utterly unknown to her—so unfamiliar that she felt fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing Chu Ruoyan knew: she must not offend the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the emperor became angry, she and her entire family would be punished by association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Chu Ruoyan forced a smile and stepped into the Imperial Study after the palace maid announced her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Li Chen heard someone enter and glanced up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan’s entrance immediately stunned everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her long, black hair, like a waterfall of snow, appeared ethereal and lively at first glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pale violet eyes sparkled with starlike brilliance; her delicate nose was high and refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips, a soft pink, were slightly pursed; her overall bearing was elegant and dignified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her snow-white skin radiated a refined, delicate aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her skirt had a slit; Li Chen could faintly glimpse her long, slender legs through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden sequins adorned her waistband, revealing her collarbones clearly and accentuating her slender frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight made one yearn to bite her, to leave a mark upon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her age, her chest had already developed a modest but noticeable curve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Xiao Ming saw her like this, he might bite his lip until it bled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, when she trained with them, she was wrapped up like a dumpling—nothing visible but her hands and face—yet here she was, dressed in a slit gown with a low neckline before Li Chen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This outfit had been carefully chosen by her family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their intent was clear: to display every advantage she possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in her usual attire, she had driven countless young talents mad; how much more so now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could already imagine the emperor’s lecherous expression upon seeing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made her feel disgusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the moment she entered, she felt a gaze upon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who could have guessed the owner of that gaze merely said calmly: “I’m busy. Find a seat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This response took Chu Ruoyan completely off guard; she looked curiously at Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What met her eyes was a face of divine beauty—sharp, defined features, strong lines, both imposing and strikingly handsome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His deep eyes seemed to pierce through all things, gleaming with wisdom and resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows were slightly furrowed as he focused on the memorial scroll in his hands, his concentration inspiring awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Chu Ruoyan saw Li Chen, the entire world dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Li Chen shone as the sole brilliance of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more astonishing, a vast imperial aura radiated from him, his body wreathed in misty celestial light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such heavenly grace and divine countenance gave the impression of a celestial lord descended to mortal earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing Li Chen, Chu Ruoyan stood frozen, utterly awestruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes filled with disbelief; her heart whispered: So this is what true celestial beauty truly is!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, her most accomplished suitor was Liu Hao; the most handsome was Wu Qi; Xiao Ming was merely clean-cut and powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That these three were her suitors proved just how high her beauty stood in the imperial capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, she finally understood what true divine beauty meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura radiating from Li Chen made even a single hair of Liu Hao’s seem insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qi’s looks paled beside Li Chen’s—like a brick on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Xiao Ming, he was merely the most loyal lickspittle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan stared blankly at Li Chen, utterly at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did not think Li Chen was deliberately ignoring her; he was the emperor, burdened with state affairs—how could he waste time on a trivial matter like meeting her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements as he flipped through memorials were swift and precise, as if not a single character escaped his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers were long and strong; his grip on the brush was exquisitely graceful, pleasing to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Chu Ruoyan suddenly developed strong affection for Li Chen, but at least her initial revulsion had lessened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “lifeless despair” expression she wore upon entering the palace had now transformed into curious fascination with Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan stood in the Imperial Study for half an hour—not because Li Chen had finished, but because someone else arrived at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chu Ruoyan saw this person, her eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen him before—at a grand banquet of a powerful noble family in the imperial capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, she had only glimpsed him from afar; he sat at the innermost seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Chu family’s status as a second-tier clan, they could only sit in the outer middle seats, far from such a towering figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan remembered that even from far away, she had felt his unmatched, overwhelming aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was none other than Guo Po Yun, the mighty general who had won glorious victories for the Tian Ce Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A legendary figure, a war god in the people’s tales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Chu Ruoyan had dreamed that if she could reach the rank of Guardian General, her Chu family would flourish under her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only a fantasy; in a dynasty of billions, only one Guo Po Yun had ever emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The odds were lower than her reaching the Saint Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this revered Guardian General, worshipped by thousands, now knelt before Li Chen like an ordinary old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staggering contrast left Chu Ruoyan dizzy, wondering if she were dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—when I came in, I forgot to kneel. Should I kneel now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, that’s not right either—the emperor told me to sit down when I entered. Am I disobeying an imperial order by standing here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chu Ruoyan’s thoughts churned, Li Chen closed the three-fold memorial scroll in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed it on the table and fixed his gaze on the general before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a commanding aura began to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1275,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","01b794a3063236e85ef9303c5b50c1e9940e041d832ed6e268b3fce77c35cf55","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-17","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-15",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]