Chapter 21: The Existence of Sects: Benefits and Drawbacks Coexist!

"Forget it, let’s clear things up when we meet again."

After developing a slight fondness for Li Chen, Chu Ruoyan had no thoughts of eloping.

Chu Ruoyan never grew up in luxury, but her living conditions were far from poor.

One path meant enduring wind and rain with Xiao Ming; the other meant enjoying boundless wealth and honor within the imperial palace.

Moreover, Xiao Ming is merely a potential asset—perhaps in ten or several decades, he might achieve great success.

This is still only a possibility; no one can predict the future.

Li Chen already stood at the pinnacle of this world: as Emperor of the TianCe Dynasty, his power had reached its zenith, and his beauty was unmatched across the land.

He was an emperor with real authority, his strength utterly inscrutable.

To say Chu Ruoyan wasn’t moved was impossible.

It wasn’t that she was fawning over power—Li Chen’s advantages were simply undeniable. Which woman could resist them, especially after only their first meeting?

Moreover, Li Chen was a seasoned player in romance; he knew his strengths well. Once he identified the type of woman he wished to court, he simply leveraged his advantages naturally.

Back in her room, Chu Ruoyan had intended to cultivate for a while, but Li Chen’s striking face kept surfacing in her mind, disrupting her thoughts.

Even as she undressed and lay down to rest, she still recalled the scenes she had witnessed in the imperial study.

At first, she had merely thought Li Chen imposing and commanding—but now, after carefully reflecting on his conversations with the ministers, she increasingly sensed he was no ordinary man.

She remembered when General Guo Po Yun arrived, his shoes were caked in mud.

He claimed he was growing vegetables, but in truth, he was showing weakness—to let the Emperor know he harbored no great ambitions.

The most cunning was Prince Li Longyu: when first questioned by the Emperor about whether his subordinates had forcibly seized farmland, Li Longyu gave vague answers, merely saying he didn’t know and would discipline them upon returning.

This was feigned ignorance—he had no intention of making any concessions.

After all, he was the Emperor’s uncle; perhaps he believed the Emperor wouldn’t press the matter.

But when the Emperor truly lost his temper and rebuked Li Longyu under the pretext of peasant rebellions, he finally knelt down, promising strict action and detailing exactly how he would handle it—only then did the Emperor dismiss him.

Recalling Li Chen’s muttered remarks, Chu Ruoyan couldn’t help but smile.

Chu Ruoyan truly felt it remarkable that Li Chen, so young, could outmaneuver these old foxes.

At dinner, Li Chen had seemed to invite her to meet again tomorrow.

As she thought about it, a faint smile lingered on Chu Ruoyan’s lips as she drifted into drowsy sleep.

The next day, morning.

Chu Ruoyan woke up feeling unsettled.

While eating breakfast, she wondered when Li Chen would summon her and what attire she should wear.

Did Li Chen prefer yesterday’s outfit, or did he want to see something different?

Looking at the full wardrobe, she felt for the first time that her clothes weren’t enough—she had already changed outfits several times this morning.

The maids were left exhausted from all the changing.

Yet the maids remembered that yesterday, the young mistress had changed reluctantly, like a lifeless doll.

Why was she so eager today, complaining her clothes weren’t enough and wanting to buy more?

While changing, gazing at her reflection, Chu Ruoyan began wondering if her figure wasn’t good enough, whether she needed to reapply makeup, and so on.

In the past, when attending banquets or meeting other nobles in the capital, she had never considered such things—her natural beauty was already unparalleled.

Time passed slowly; as noon approached, Chu Ruoyan grew increasingly uneasy.

Because she still hadn’t received any summons from Li Chen.

Li Chen was the Emperor—she couldn’t possibly go to him herself. Had he forgotten their arrangement?

Complex emotions began swirling within her again.

Chu Ruoyan’s mother seemed to sense this and comforted her: “The Emperor just ascended the throne—he’s likely very busy. He probably hasn’t even finished morning court yet. Look at how anxious you are.” “Who, who’s anxious? We just made plans last night. Mother, please leave—I’m changing clothes.”

As she spoke, Chu Ruoyan’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“You said that yourself—after all these years of fashion experience, are you sure you won’t listen?”

In matters of cultivation, Chu Ruoyan’s mother could offer no advice—but when it came to showcasing feminine charm, Chu Ruoyan couldn’t possibly match her.

“Daughter admits her mistake—Mother, please help me choose.”

Chu Ruoyan quickly stopped her mother, pleading for just a few tips.

Meanwhile, Li Chen had just finished morning court—a day of chaos from the ministers again.

Today’s court summary centered on the issue of sect control within the TianCe Dynasty.

Sects have always been hard to manage; some house Saint Realm cultivators, far beyond the reach of secular authority.

These sects wield immense local prestige, severely undermining the governance of regional government offices.

!

If these sects were virtuous, the problem wouldn’t be so severe.

Local officials would simply turn a blind eye; everyone kept to their own lane.

When needed, they could even cooperate—for instance, when demonic beasts caused havoc or evil cultivators used humans to brew elixirs, these sects would step in bravely, contributing to local stability.

Thus, past emperors had never strictly regulated them—nor could they.

But in recent years, problems have emerged: as sects grew and their disciples multiplied, their members’ moral character became uneven, and conflicts arose between sects.

These sects began forming alliances—such as the Piaomiao Immortal Alliance, the Jiuyuan Sacred Domain, and the Zixiao Heavenly Palace—all major sect groups within the TianCe Dynasty.

These alliances were originally formed merely to mediate disputes among sects in their regions.

Now, they have evolved into rival factions fighting each other, competing for territory.

Especially when rare mineral veins or divine artifacts appeared, they clashed fiercely, causing massive chaos in the regions.

These alliances teem with powerful cultivators; the TianCe Dynasty lacks both the energy and capability to control them.

Had another emperor been on the throne, these ministers would never have raised the issue in court—they’d have mentioned it only in private memorials.

Put bluntly, these sects now tower above imperial authority; other emperors couldn’t control them even if they wanted to.

Any minister who raised this in court would embarrass the Emperor.

But Li Chen is a Saint Realm Emperor—the strongest sovereign in five centuries—so they dared to raise it in court, urging him to find a way to manage them.

Li Chen deeply understood this issue: yesterday, while reviewing memorials, he found many regional officials reporting that certain sects had become hiding places for the most vicious criminals, leaving them helpless.

Military officers’ memorials also described sect disciples brawling within military camps, disrupting normal operations.

Li Chen recognized these were real problems, but since he hadn’t yet personally interacted with any sect members, he couldn’t yet judge their true intentions.

He would wait for an opportunity to meet them, then decide.

The existence of sects brings both benefits and drawbacks—they coexist; managing them wisely is the best strategy.

With that, today’s court session ended.

Li Chen returned to the imperial study; because he had been diligent yesterday, today’s memorials were few, and he finished them quickly.

He stretched, then noticed his “beginner task” countdown was still ticking.

“If I remember correctly, Chu Ruoyan’s family lives in Chengdong. Perfect—I can summon her as a guide, and continue pressing my advantage.”

Thinking this, he ordered a eunuch to summon Chu Ruoyan.

Soon, a tall, stunning figure appeared in the imperial study.

(End of Chapter)