[{"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-72":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},2336511,4569,"Chapter 72: Xu Zifeng","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>After leaving Yunlu Academy, Feng Wuhen, the capital’s fastest swordsman, walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, did you reach an agreement with Master Yu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the academy, guarded by Master Yu—his status makes it hard to enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Xian’s confidant, he needed to devise strategies for Li Xian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t mention it—that old bastard won’t act until he sees the rabbit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xian felt this trip was pointless; he’d wait until his master arrived in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, he needed to hide in the capital, continue gathering intelligence on Li Chen, and slowly lay his plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the northern border, the Third Prince wasn’t idle—he began playing a dangerous move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the new emperor Li Chen had declared war on the Northern Khanate, the Khan had yet to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the northern armies of the TianCe Dynasty were already mobilizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many northern forces: group armies, garrison troops, reserve units, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most were loyal to the late emperor—that is, to the military officers in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They naturally would obey Li Chen’s orders, especially since they wanted war even more than he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were also agents of the Empress Dowager, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these agents couldn’t interfere too much with the northern troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only provide intelligence and make adjustments when necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were hidden cards—usable only once at a critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager’s ambiguous stance left both the Second and Third Princes baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Second Prince sought allies, the Third Prince went mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Northern Khanate wasn’t reliable enough, the Third Prince decided to approach the Southern Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the northern conflict escalates and war breaks out, the central forces of the TianCe Dynasty will be redeployed, greatly reducing the Southern Prince’s pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Southern Prince’s rebellious intentions were strong—many could see it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the Third Prince simply issued a joint rebellion invitation to the Southern Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s rebel together and ease each other’s burdens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Chen is busy with the northern war and Li Xian has no military authority,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Third Prince believed he might be the first to storm the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he became emperor, if he asked the Northern Khanate for a little face, they’d hand over some land and settle down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he’d turn the northern army southward, cut the Gordian knot, and exterminate the Southern Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t his throne then be secure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d even eliminate the Southern Prince as a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just imagining how history would record his glorious achievements,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Third Prince couldn’t stop the upward curl of his lips—this emperor, only he could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In military combat, the Third Prince was extremely arrogant—he possessed extraordinary talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had long forgotten his younger brother Li Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the late emperor was alive, young Li Ran had captured the Third Prince during a military simulation hosted by the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That memory was a humiliation the Third Prince refused to recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A useless cripple—how could the Third Prince care about such a trivial matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the capital, inside a dark, silent cultivation chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber held abundant cultivation resources and priceless rare treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called cripple Li Ran, as the Third Prince called him, sat cross-legged on a mat, enveloped in thick black qi, as if fused with the darkness of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though blind, his mind was exceptionally clear—he focused entirely on cultivating a self-created forbidden demonic art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ran’s breathing grew deeper, energy surged wildly within him, like storm-tossed waves crashing against his body in relentless succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black qi seemed alive, slithering across his skin, sometimes coalescing into grotesque demon faces, sometimes forming sharp black blades that sliced the air with piercing shrieks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veins bulged on Li Ran’s face; sweat poured like rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as blood continuously seeped from his lips and corners of his eyes, he paid no heed—each pang of pain made him feel his power surging faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the palace—he could boldly accelerate his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ran knew he had only this one chance—he had nothing left to lose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing several cycles, Li Ran exhaled a foul breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second and third brothers, wait for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his cultivation was complete, he’d turn both of them into human pigs to avenge his hatred!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting awhile, Li Ran left the secret cultivation chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had promised Li Chen he’d help find the Emperor Dragon Holy Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen kept his word and released him from the palace—so Li Ran would fulfill his promise too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To seek revenge, he certainly needed Li Chen’s help; alone, he couldn’t possibly shake the decades-long networks of the Second and Third Princes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the southern region of the TianCe Dynasty, the Southern Prince’s mansion resembled a small imperial palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Southern Prince ruled here like a local emperor, hoarding resources and building his own paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the few feudal lords in the TianCe Dynasty with military authority, he was far from content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His duty was to deter the southern nations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always done so, subduing the southern nations into submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as his power grew, he began to stir with ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The birth of his heir, Xu Zifeng, was undoubtedly the key trigger for his rebellious thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zifeng was born with supernatural strength and cultivated at several times the normal rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was also blessed with immense destiny, always escaping danger unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a young age, his cultivation base was already terrifying, and his wisdom was exceptional, surpassing all others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even reclusive masters claimed Xu Zifeng bore the physiognomy of a dragon-human hybrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Southern Prince wondered: was this heaven’s sign that he could take that final step?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the southern nations were already subdued—even some kings bowed to him as their lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Southern Prince’s mansion—the little imperial palace—there were many beauties looted from southern nations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, he’d even summon the queens of these small nations to his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reveled in the pleasure this local emperor status brought him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at this moment, the Southern Prince still hesitated—the emperor had done nothing wrong to him, and had even granted him great power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the late emperor and the Southern Prince had grown up together—they shared old bonds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He truly couldn’t bring himself to rebel and invite the world’s scorn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The turning point came when Xu Zifeng was summoned to the capital as a hostage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Southern Prince thought inwardly: You forced me into this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The late emperor had his own reasoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, the Southern Prince, bound by old ties, would never rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what if both he and the Southern Prince died? Xu Zifeng, raised with boundless ambition, had once publicly uttered disrespectful words—like “the throne rotates; this year it’s my turn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d even beaten imperial princes within his own territory—if he inherited the Southern Prince’s title, how could the south remain stable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the eternal foundation of the TianCe Dynasty, the late emperor made this decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never intended to kill Xu Zifeng—only to imprison him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The late emperor believed his own health was strong, while the Southern Prince, a battle-hardened veteran, was riddled with illness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could outlive the Southern Prince, dismantle his faction, neutralize the southern military threat, then release Xu Zifeng to live as a wealthy, honored prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a gesture acknowledging the Southern Prince’s past merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who could have foreseen that the Southern Prince hadn’t died—and the late emperor did?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This messy situation now lay before Li Chen—the Southern Prince had no ties to Li Chen and would rebel without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Southern Prince had been preparing for this time, and just then received a secret letter from the Third Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As all factions prepared to turn the TianCe Dynasty upside down, what was Li Chen doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was making no preparations—he had already gone to reset his beginner dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1317,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","52f183a15be83eb2d7e46dac2360439800547245b0917efadb561efcf19aa94b","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-73","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-71",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]