[{"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-18":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},2336457,4569,"Chapter 18: The Ministers with Overly Exaggerated Acting!","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-18",18,"\u003Cp>The imperial palace, the imperial study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The appearance of these two senior officials at the start had already stirred Chu Ruoyan’s heart; she never expected to encounter such towering figures in this setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those who followed filled her with even greater unease, for some among them she actually recognized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a second-tier family of the capital, the Chu family still had access to certain upper circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people entering the imperial study one after another were all powerful officials of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the core figures of the Six Ministries, key officers of the Imperial Guard and City Defense Army, even the Capital Prefect and a renowned grand noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, several were towering figures Chu Ruoyan had met at various gatherings; her father often went out of his way to send gifts during festivals just to curry favor with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even went out of his way to learn their birthdays and anniversaries, and would show up uninvited, shamelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her father’s cultivation was respectable and he carried great prestige within the Chu family,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>before these powerful officials, he became meek, head bowed, tail tucked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, these powerful officials of the capital knelt trembling before Li Chen, some even shaking uncontrollably before entering the room, unable to speak clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the earlier Grand General and Prince had been acting, these later arrivals were genuinely terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the grand noble Chu Ruoyan knew nearly tripped upon entering—his performance was overly exaggerated, deliberately theatrical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan now understood why Li Chen had just muttered, “Old bastard, what an actor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, watching these high officials tremble on the floor, Chu Ruoyan felt deeply moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could those towering nobles her own father could never hope to reach really look like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps outside the palace, a single glance from them could freeze those around them with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, inside the palace, they faced the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this Emperor, it was they who trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, Chu Ruoyan’s gaze toward Li Chen began to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t quite articulate the rest, but reverence and admiration shone plainly in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan stood for nearly three hours before Li Chen finally finished reviewing the memorials on his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry to keep you waiting so long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the striking figure standing in the imperial study, Li Chen offered an apologetic smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This left Chu Ruoyan utterly flustered; her expression panicked, hands fluttering helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no, Your Majesty, don’t say that—you’re handling state affairs; for you to spare even a moment to see this humble subject is already my great honor. If you’re busy today, you may summon me at any other time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end, Chu Ruoyan didn’t even know what she was saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face flushed faintly with embarrassment, no trace left of the disdain or despair she’d shown when she first arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she was merely a girl lost in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time in her life she’d felt this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Chen approach, her heartbeat quickened; her mind went blank, unsure what to say next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen had merely intended to chat with her, get to know her better, perhaps even invite her out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was choosing a wife—appearance mattered, but character and temperament required deeper understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, there needed to be some emotional foundation; after all, they’d share a pillow. What if she slipped a dagger into him while he slept?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen was a cautious man; he wouldn’t risk himself for fleeting beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent years in seclusion, cultivating to the Saint Realm before revealing his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Chen was about to speak, several more people entered. Their arrival puzzled him—hadn’t he summoned everyone today? Who were these?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three eunuchs arrived; their leader was the familiar Chief Eunuch, Master Cui, who oversaw palace affairs and had served the late Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Cui and two junior eunuchs carried another large stack of memorials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, these are memorials from provincial administrations and secret reports from military officers—they’ve piled up for some time. Please attend to them soon. Old servant will leave them here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Master Cui ordered the two nimble junior eunuchs to pile the memorials on the desk and move the ones Li Chen had already processed to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, two more “little mountains” appeared on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen had just planned to go out and relax, and now this much more trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From dawn till now—does anyone even get to live?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen stared at the lively, alluring Chu Ruoyan, momentarily at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, please prioritize state affairs. If you don’t mind, this humble subject will stay here and keep you company.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan was, of course, a perceptive woman—this was the most appropriate thing she could think of to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she first entered the palace, she’d thought it cold and sterile, and couldn’t wait to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, she no longer found it so repulsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she saw a diligent, earnest Emperor at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his interactions with subordinates, Li Chen spoke with the authority of a sovereign ruling all under heaven, yet retained the calm wisdom unique to an emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In dealings with blood relatives, his words carried authority and strength, handling every matter with impartial fairness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Li Chen was a good Emperor by others’ standards, Chu Ruoyan didn’t know—but in her eyes, he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, well then, you may wander around here for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen summoned the senior palace maid and ordered her to prepare tea and snacks for Chu Ruoyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he sat back down and resumed reviewing memorials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pile had accumulated because the late Emperor had left them unattended during his final days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were all urgent memorials requiring his approval before action could proceed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen had no choice—he was Emperor now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he was Emperor, he must at least fulfill his duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Chen’s exasperated expression as he returned to his desk, Chu Ruoyan found it amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Emperor of the Celestial Strategy Dynasty could look so miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, could it be that the Emperor is frustrated because he wanted to take me out, but now can’t?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Chu Ruoyan felt a small, secret thrill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But quickly, she dismissed it as self-delusion—the Emperor was surely burdened by the fate of the nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a change she hadn’t even noticed in herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior palace maid placed a chair for her in the imperial study, beside it a delicate tea set and pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To an ordinary person, it might seem unremarkable, but Chu Ruoyan’s eyes widened in astonishment—she recognized several of the pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one that made her mouth water most was “Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cake was made with deep-sea dragon’s saliva incense, golden silk dates, and rare lingzhi spore powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan remembered—on her eighteenth birthday, a grand noble had gifted her exactly this cake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1168,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c3552b76c182370f806558be71c438a16a1a3fba0d9059009c53da9541e6a894","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-19","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-17",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]