Chapter 17: If I catch you pretending compliance while secretly disobeying, don

“What happened to your clothes?” Li Chen glanced at Guo Po’s muddy hands and boots and said casually.

“Aren’t I under house arrest for three days? I was just planting vegetables at home, then heard His Majesty’s summons and rushed right over.” Guo Po replied, kneeling on the floor.

“Oh? Are you complaining to me?”

Li Chen wasn’t fooled—he knew this old man was using the house arrest as an excuse.

Whether he’d actually been planting vegetables or just putting on a show was hard to say.

Hearing Li Chen’s tone, Guo Po bowed his head again, trembling with fear: “Dare not, dare not! What does His Majesty summon this humble minister for?”

Li Chen rubbed his chin. “When the Crown Prince was attacked, were you in charge of his guard?”

These words sent a cold sweat pouring down Guo Po’s back.

He thought: Who the hell wrote that report framing me?

If this charge sticks, I’ll be joining the late Emperor right away.

“Your Majesty, I am innocent! A week before the Crown Prince’s incident, he himself ordered my covert agents to withdraw. I can’t speak for others, but had I been assigned to guard the Crown Prince, I would have died defending him. I’ve spent decades in military service for the Li family—”

The old general began dredging up old grievances, listing every hardship and sacrifice he’d endured.

He’d bled and sweated for the Li family for so many years—how could he ever betray them?

It was the Crown Prince’s own order; as a subject, he could only obey. His loyalty was absolute!

“Enough, enough. I was just asking. You may go.”

Li Chen had heard enough and cut him off.

Just as Guo Po was about to leave, Li Chen called him back.

“Wait.”

“Does His Majesty have further orders?”

“Seven days of house arrest.”

“.”

Damn, this Emperor really holds grudges.

I only spoke up once, and now I’ve got four extra days.

Fine, fine. Someone’s probably stoking the flames around the Crown Prince’s death—I’d better not be the first to stick my neck out.

After thanking the Emperor, Guo Po left the imperial study, trembling.

A few patches of mud still clung to the spot where he’d knelt, proving he’d truly been there.

“These old foxes are cunning.”

Li Chen muttered, then resumed reviewing memorials.

But the scene had left Chu Ruoyan utterly stunned.

In her eyes, Guo Po—the revered Guardian General, a living war god—was terrified of this new Emperor, Li Chen.

If she told her father, he wouldn’t believe her.

In the capital, rumors spread that Li Chen was merely a puppet emperor, and his so-called strength was unproven.

Ordinary aristocratic families had no way of knowing the truth.

Their information came only from servants of court officials’ households.

After all, it was gossip passed mouth to mouth—who knew how it twisted by the end?

But now, Chu Ruoyan saw clearly: Li Chen was no puppet.

A puppet couldn’t make a revered old minister like Guo Po tremble like this.

Especially the innate royal aura Li Chen radiated—her heart stirred with awe.

Not long after Guo Po left, another heavyweight entered the imperial study.

Prince Li Longyu of the Tiance Dynasty, younger brother of the late Emperor and Li Chen’s uncle, had long stopped attending court. He didn’t know why Li Chen summoned him.

If not for rumors that Li Chen was a Sage Realm cultivator, he wouldn’t have bothered coming.

This was simply respect for a Sage Realm.

Though aged, Prince Li Longyu still had a handsome face, dressed in luxurious princely robes, a jade pendant symbolizing his rank at his waist.

Upon entering the study, he wore an air of casual ease, seemingly unaware of what awaited him.

In this informal setting, he need not kneel—just a polite greeting sufficed.

Li Chen said nothing, merely tossed a memorial before him.

Li Longyu picked it up, and his calm expression slowly vanished.

At that moment, Li Chen spoke: “Prince Li Longyu, the memorial accuses you of recently tolerating your subordinates seizing farmland. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

His tone was flat, yet carried undeniable authority.

Prince Li Longyu’s heart lurched, but he forced a calm smile to defuse the sudden crisis: “Your Majesty, I was unaware of this. Perhaps my subordinates acted on their own—I’ll punish them severely upon returning.”

!

This wasn’t Li Longyu’s doing. A high-ranking old prince like him wouldn’t bother with such petty matters.

More likely, one of his descendants had set his eyes on fertile land and used his influence to seize it.

The late Emperor had explicitly forbidden such acts, yet people still slipped them in quietly. Li Longyu had ignored them.

Perhaps he thought: We’re all imperial family— isn’t the whole empire ours?

We’re family. You tell me not to do it, I’ll give you face and tell my men to stop. Let’s call it even.

But Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, speaking with casual indifference: “I think if your subordinates seize the people’s farmland, the people won’t have land to grow food. Starving, they’ll rebel. You can’t possibly miss that—or are you deliberately trying to teach me a lesson?”

Prince Li Longyu felt as if plunged into ice.

At this point, Li Longyu realized his “nephew” was furious.

The matter was small, yet could be huge.

Li Longyu’s knees trembled, and he sank to the floor involuntarily, voice trembling with fear and pleading: “Your Majesty, I truly knew nothing! I will punish my subordinates, return all seized farmland, and compensate the affected farmers. Please, Your Majesty, show mercy!”

This time, he firmly claimed ignorance—no more vague evasions to brush it off.

“I’m too tired to waste words with you. I’ve got too much on my plate. I’ll spare you this once—fine you one year’s salary, and complete what you promised within three days. I’ll come personally to inspect. If I catch you pretending compliance while secretly disobeying, don’t blame me for showing no mercy. Get out.”

“I’ll act at once. Thank Your Majesty for the order to leave—I’m leaving.”

Saying this, Li Longyu fled the room like a man pursued.

He feared Li Chen might uncover more evidence.

Once back, he’d have to investigate thoroughly—His Majesty might be on a performance spree. His descendants must rein in their actions and just do their duties.

If another prince had become Emperor, Li Longyu wouldn’t have feared so much, wouldn’t have shown any face—he could’ve even used his uncle status to intimidate.

But this one? He didn’t know him, and he was a Sage Realm.

This wasn’t about giving face—it was about whether Li Chen chose to kill him with a flick of his wrist.

“Each one’s a better actor than the last.”

Li Chen muttered again, returning to his memorials.

But Chu Ruoyan was left speechless—she hadn’t imagined Li Chen would punish his own uncle so harshly, with no mercy, no room for negotiation.

Clearly, this new Emperor wasn’t the weakling the rumors claimed—he surpassed even the highest expectations.

Perhaps Tiance Dynasty’s greatest blessing was having such an Emperor.

This was the most direct feeling among Tiance’s people.

Chu Ruoyan grew more and more curious—just how outstanding was this Emperor?

(End of Chapter)