[{"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-3":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},2336442,4569,"Chapter 3: I Won","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>The shock on the imperial court instantly settled the disputed succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would dare challenge a Saint Realm cultivator for the throne, especially when that Saint Realm cultivator already sat upon it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout history, only Saint Realm cultivators had ever seized the throne by rebellion—no one in their right mind would provoke a Saint Realm powerhouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the difference between that and seeking death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall fell into an eerie silence, so quiet a pin could be heard dropping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, everyone at this court session believed the three main players were the Empress Dowager, the Chancellor, and the Grand General who Protected the Nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of them led their own faction, and their subordinates controlled most of the court’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this session, their influence would grow even stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a powerful second prince had appeared out of nowhere, already catching everyone off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the new emperor, Li Chen, was utterly invincible—the Chancellor and the Grand General dared not speak, not even daring to breathe loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All conspiracies, all factional struggles, were mere clouds before absolute power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, if angered, the new emperor Li Chen could kill everyone present and replace them with obedient substitutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, no minister needed to wonder whether Li Chen would dare—he could do it, and no one could stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second son,” Li Chen said to Li Xian, who trembled before the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant—I am here,” Li Xian replied, immediately kneeling on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he now claim to be Li Chen’s second brother? He had already bowed his head and submitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling how he had just defied the new emperor, declaring himself the rightful emperor, he was drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that if Li Chen chose to execute him now, no one could save him—and he had no moral ground to stand on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t claimed the throne, and now his life might be forfeit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I bestow upon you is yours; what I do not give, you may not seize—do you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant understands. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the entire court fall utterly silent, Li Chen finally showed a look of satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally doubted his own fitness to be emperor and had been reluctant to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after the second prince’s outburst, Li Chen instead thought: If not me, then who? Who is stronger than I am?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That concludes today’s court session. The first minister on the left and the first on the right, report to my imperial study this afternoon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, as Li Chen rose to leave, not a single official dared utter another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers bowed respectfully as he departed—even the Empress Dowager waited until Li Chen had left before she dared to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention Li Xian, the second prince, who still knelt in the grand hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the Minister of Rites helped him to his feet, offering him a face-saving exit, and only then did he dare to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, you arrived at a terrible time. Shall we return first and plan our next move?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the imperial palace, the Minister of Rites saw his master could not swallow his humiliation and feared he might cause trouble, so he began to soothe him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xian had plotted for years, waiting patiently for the crown prince’s sudden death—how could he willingly abandon his chance now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now in the court, he had been terrified—only fear for his life had made him kneel before Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he was outside the palace, his courage swelled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right—I can’t stay in the capital anymore. I must bring my master here. Only a Saint Realm cultivator can oppose another Saint Realm cultivator!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xian’s strength came from becoming a disciple of a living supreme master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had rushed here immediately upon receiving a secret message from the Minister of Rites, arriving empty-handed—and had been thoroughly humiliated by Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he must plan slowly—but the throne will still be mine!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his way out of the capital, Li Xian couldn’t fathom how his sixth brother had attained such cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even been secure on the throne—and now, with my outburst, he’s become unshakable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it—I’ve become his pawn!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, on the frontier of the Tian Ce Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army rolled like a vast, churning sea of black, majestic and awe-inspiring. Sunlight glinted off iron armor, each shield and spear seeming to carry the valor and glory of countless warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This army was unquestionably the army of victors, advancing toward the distant capital with unstoppable momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every pass they passed through yielded passage without resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince, the young commander of the Tian Ce Dynasty, wore a military uniform edged with gold, his noble status evident and his aura forbidding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was resolute, his gaze deep and sharp; his forehead, bare and full, was framed by neatly bound hair beneath his helmet, adding to his martial vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, calm smile lingered on his lips—the composure of a man who already held the throne in his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince thought: Even if the second brother returns faster, what of it? When my army reaches the capital’s gates, won’t the throne still be mine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who dares withstand the might of this army?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the lesson he had learned after years of training on the frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he had long secured command of this elite force—waiting for the right moment to ascend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old emperor was dead; no one remained to restrain him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the second brother has cultivated to great heights, can he possibly reach the Saint Realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the third prince rode his steed, he pondered how he would instruct the historians to record his succession as legitimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A messenger galloped ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince’s subordinates instinctively moved to intercept the messenger, protecting his safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he waved them off, signaling calm—he knew this man was his own, likely bearing news from the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messenger reined in before the third prince, dismounted, and respectfully handed him a sealed letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince frowned as he opened it, sensing ill tidings—but the contents stunned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Withdraw the army. Return to the frontier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince immediately issued the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this army, his word was law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the deputy commander began organizing the retreat, he asked curiously: “Your Highness, what happened in the capital?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince remained silent for a long moment, then gave a bitter smile: “The sixth brother hid his strength—he’s a Saint Realm cultivator. He scared the second brother into fleeing the capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t intended to speak, wanting to maintain troop morale—but this news would reach everyone soon anyway; better he say it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the deputy commander dared not reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? The new emperor, Li Chen, is a Saint Realm cultivator?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the third prince dared not march on the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the message merely claimed Li Chen had reached the Saint Realm, the third prince would never have believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have suspected it was a deception by court officials, meant to halt his return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could reach the Saint Realm at such a young age? This was no age of great contention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the second brother, who had cultivated so far, had fled in terror—proof enough that the sixth brother’s power was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third prince withdrew because he feared only the Saint Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Saint Realm cultivator might not slaughter his entire army, but he could easily cut down the third prince in the midst of ten thousand soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could the third prince not fear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand—wasn’t the second brother the most gifted among the imperial princes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even taken a Saint Realm master as his teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had the usually meek sixth brother surpassed him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen revealed his power once—and the second prince fled the capital overnight, the third prince recalled his entire mutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Chen was napping in his chambers, while two senior ministers waited trembling in his imperial study for his arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1348,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","47db80b8d7097209b4d7fdbfadcb1845647602ecd700b52ec1188a17314b744c","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-4","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-2",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]