[{"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-23":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},2336462,4569,"Chapter 23: Not My Bro, You Really Dare to Provocate the Emperor?","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>Liu Hao was the son of a great noble family, and in the capital, he was accustomed to wielding great influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peers of his age all addressed him as “Hao Ge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone dared defy him, he would beat them until they submitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With formidable strength and powerful backing, bullying others was second nature to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even elders from prominent clans treated him with great courtesy—this was the privilege of a noble scion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But recently, his sense of superiority had been crushed utterly, all because the goddess he had pursued for years had been summoned into the imperial palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to think to know how things would unfold next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, he had tasted the helplessness of being bullied himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His former rivals had been the mysterious and formidable Xiao Ming, and the enigmatic yet powerful Wu Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao believed he was no weaker than either of them, which was why he had clashed with them for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now came an opponent who crushed him from above—leaving him utterly miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, he didn’t even have the right to consider himself an opponent of the new emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao wasn’t being philosophical—he had no choice but to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could he do? Challenge the emperor for a woman?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he so much as entertained that thought, he knew his father would eliminate him immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liu family had held firm in the capital for centuries by clinging to the imperial clan’s leg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he clashed with the emperor, the entire Liu family would vanish overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a day’s pause, Liu Hao went to the capital’s luxurious commercial street to buy something to comfort himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, he saw his goddess strolling with another man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the shy, delicate demeanor of Chu Ruoyan—he had never seen her like that before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his ice queen goddess—how she behaved before those with power and influence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao immediately burned with rage and wanted to teach that man beside Chu Ruoyan a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he cooled down even faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao’s cultivation level meant he wasn’t a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan had been summoned by His Majesty—and if she acted so bashful before this man, it could only mean he was the reigning emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Li Chen and Chu Ruoyan passed by, Liu Hao could only hide in a corner, silently heartbroken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Chen’s near-obsessive shopping habits, Liu Hao already understood the gap between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the goddess being claimed was merely a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao asked the person beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I already say my ancestral elder asked me to buy something in the capital? You think I’m joking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qi shrugged, expressing his helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been shopping here when he spotted Li Chen and Chu Ruoyan, and had hidden himself away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew he’d run into Liu Hao, who was also secretly observing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Wu Qi’s inner turmoil matched Liu Hao’s exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two golden sons of the capital, rivals for years, now felt for the first time a shared sense of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll probably be heading back soon. You’ve lived in the capital your whole life and pursued Ruoyan the longest—can you really just stand here and watch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qi instinctively stoked Liu Hao’s anger—but to his surprise, Liu Hao actually walked toward Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dude, you really dare to provoke the emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, as Li Chen finished his afternoon shopping and grew hungry, a nobleman in lavish robes approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a coincidence—I never expected to meet you here. Who’s this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao naturally greeted Chu Ruoyan and asked about Li Chen’s identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan was momentarily speechless, even slightly panicked—she feared Liu Hao might lose his temper and cause trouble before Li Chen; if Li Chen grew angry, disaster would follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew Liu Hao had pursued her for years—he wouldn’t give up so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Li Chen, a friend of Ruoyan’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chu Ruoyan’s hesitation, Li Chen answered for her, simply stating his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re Brother Li! A pleasure, truly. I always said Ruoyan’s beauty was heavenly—no mortal could match her. But now I’ve met you, Brother Li, I see you’re equally divine—you two are truly made for each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ruoyan was baffled—wasn’t he here to cause trouble? Why was he matchmaking for them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen liked this answer, and his first impression of Liu Hao improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, Liu Hao introduced himself as a noble scion, the son of the Liu family patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His demeanor was the very model of a refined gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for one fleeting glance at Chu Ruoyan, his eyes never left Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen had only just become emperor and knew little of noble scions; recently, many memorials had raised issues concerning the nobility, so he seized the chance to ask Liu Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning Li Chen planned to eat, Liu Hao eagerly claimed to know a restaurant with exceptional food—and generously offered to treat him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To secure the meal, Liu Hao spun vivid tales of the dishes, making Li Chen’s mouth water; naturally, he won the right to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The restaurant was soon decided: Zui Xian Lou, famed throughout the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Hao normally couldn’t afford such a place—his father had taken him there only rarely—but today was one of the rare chances to curry favor with the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Liu Hao was determined to spare no expense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zui Xian Lou stood at the heart of the capital, its exterior ancient and elegant, its interior a world unto itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its specialty was the unique “Immortal Brew,” said to be crafted by a secret master brewer using century-old spiritual springs and rare herbs—each drop infused with heavenly spiritual energy, capable of sharpening the mind and even aiding cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each floor of Zui Xian Lou featured a different theme, offering everything from traditional Tian Ce Dynasty delicacies to exotic dishes from across the world, making it a coveted destination for the capital’s elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the three entered Zui Xian Lou, Wu Qi, watching from the shadows, slapped himself hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! Liu Hao’s groveling to the emperor! Why didn’t I think of this trick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the goddess was lost, winning favor through her man was a cunning strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Liu Hao had such high cultivation—his insight was extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qi grew anxious in secret—he felt he’d accomplished nothing in the capital, while other disciples in his clan waited to replace him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he could curry favor with the emperor, who would dare challenge him upon his return?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t miss this chance—once it passed, it would never return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Chen and the others entered Zui Xian Lou, Wu Qi made a “chance encounter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wu Qi went further—he directly greeted Liu Hao, using the moment to introduce himself to Li Chen, never even glancing at Chu Ruoyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Wu Qi joined the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In manners and conduct, Liu Hao and Wu Qi were flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Chen moved toward a private chamber, Liu Hao rushed ahead to open the door and pulled back the curtain so Li Chen could enter unimpeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Qi adjusted Li Chen’s chair, moving it to the most comfortable position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the meal, whenever Li Chen swallowed or seemed thirsty, Wu Qi immediately rose to pour wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Chen’s chopsticks hovered over a dish nearly finished, Liu Hao instantly ordered the waiter to bring more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when speaking to Li Chen, whenever he asked a question, Liu Hao and Wu Qi answered fully and without reservation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having lived in the capital for so long, they knew many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if some opinions offended powerful figures, they knew this was exactly what the emperor wanted to hear—the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In casual conversation, they were careful, humble, and dripping with flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire meal, Chu Ruoyan felt like an outsider, unable to interject a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only as the meal neared its end did she finally realize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no—these two are here to steal my man!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1344,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","aedc3904be8a39f0eee16dc40f696b12c5a22a1283e33e747c04fcd07ccce741","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-24","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-22",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]