[{"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-9":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},2336448,4569,"Chapter 9: You wait—I","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>For a moment, the onlookers couldn’t tell who was causing the trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if Li Chen had just spoken the villain’s lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second-generation heir was furious—he would normally have cursed Li Chen’s ancestors to the eighteenth generation and ordered his men to break Li Chen’s legs and throw him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Chen wore a dragon-patterned robe with embroidered borders; his imperial lineage was undeniable, and many officials were present—he truly lacked the courage to curse him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet to the second-generation heir, what did imperial lineage matter? Even royalty had its tiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary imperial clansmen had no power or wealth—mere ornaments with a title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’ve got guts, stay right here—we’ll see who wins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second-generation heir had indeed felt, from that slap, that he was no match for Li Chen—he ordered his men to help him up and go fetch reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him leave, Li Chen didn’t care—he wanted to see just how rotten this place was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those nearby grew frantic: striking the son of a court official until he bled? There was no way to settle this privately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the second-generation heir didn’t press charges, other officials would surely bring Li Chen down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yue’e hurriedly informed Li Chen of the second-generation heir’s identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This second-generation heir was named Chen Jie, son of Chen Rong, Director of the Board of Rites’ Office of Ceremonial Regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong, Director of the Board of Rites’ Office of Ceremonial Regulations, oversaw auspicious rites, military ceremonies, academic affairs, and imperial examinations—he was a powerful figure in court with considerable authority and many disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the foundation of Chen Jie’s arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yue’e had merely hoped Li Chen would block the situation—she never expected him to act without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jie was Chen Rong’s only son, his sole heir, and Chen Rong was famously protective of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Chen mishandled this today, he’d face at least ten years in prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Li Chen remain calm after hearing this, she assumed his backer must be powerful indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of Lin Yue’e’s female friends even quietly inquired about Li Chen’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her surprise, Li Chen replied: “I have no background.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was utterly stunned: you have no background—and yet you dared strike Chen Jie?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We thought your father was some prince—now it seems this fellow might be some distant imperial relative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this ignorance giving birth to fearlessness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the crowd now looked at Li Chen with pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For at that moment, Chen Jie had returned with reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chen Rong, Director of the Board of Rites’ Office of Ceremonial Regulations, appeared, he naturally became the center of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many immediately rushed forward to greet him, eager to make themselves familiar in the eyes of this court official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong’s voice was low and resonant, radiating undeniable authority, his bureaucratic tone perfectly calibrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After greeting the crowd, he strode toward Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong slowly raised his hand and gently stroked his meticulously groomed beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every motion exuded calm composure—as if he had long grown accustomed to such lofty living, as if such scenes were routine to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Chen Jie’s expression was smug—he could already picture Li Chen groveling in moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You hit me like that just now—I’ll hit you back the same way!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who struck someone here? Step forward, official!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong barked sharply, his official authority unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just from those words, you could tell he was a seasoned bureaucrat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t ask who hit his son—that would make him look like a father shielding his child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong focused on the key point: punishing the attacker as a superior official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, it was his son who beat others and caused trouble—he’d been in the wrong and had to forcibly protect him, forcing the other side to show him face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now his son had been beaten—rarely had he such a favorable position—he couldn’t let it slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the attacker was imperial royalty, he held the moral high ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what answered Chen Rong was a massive slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong flew along the exact same path his son had just taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was over sixty—this slap nearly killed him. The entire crowd was left speechless with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, the imperial youth striking the second-generation heir was bad enough—perhaps only prison awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he had dared strike a court official—in front of so many?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this escalated, he’d be lucky to avoid exile—or death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yue’e rubbed her eyes—if she hadn’t misseen it, that slap had come from Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d seen ruthless people who spoke little—but this one didn’t speak at all—he just struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong, struck, was livid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His son Chen Jie stared at him with an innocent gaze, as if to say: I told you I was hit like this—you didn’t believe me—now you see, this man doesn’t play by any rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong spat blood, glaring furiously at Li Chen: “You think imperial lineage makes you superior? Do imperial heirs get to strike anyone they please?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen’s lips twitched slightly: “Can you say something else? I’ve heard that before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Rong gritted his teeth: “Fine, fine, fine—you wait. Tomorrow at court, I will have the Minister impeach you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted—Chen Rong meant to take this to His Majesty; clearly, this wouldn’t end easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these words amused Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? Impeach me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who dares accuse the Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now you realize your mistake? Too late!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Chen silent, Chen Rong assumed he was afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere had reached its peak of tension—many officials were calming Chen Rong’s rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other onlookers speculated whether Li Chen would spend the rest of his life in prison or be exiled to the frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yue’e quietly tugged Li Chen’s sleeve: “Maybe we should run now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d already planned her escape—after all, Li Chen was her responsibility; she couldn’t abandon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d find a sect, change their identities, and vanish into seclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just wondered if it was still possible to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen waved his hand calmly: “No need. I just wanted to strike until someone recognized me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few understood—what did “strike until someone recognized me” mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did beating someone lead to friendship?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, that phrasing sounded odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said “recognized him,” not “he recognized.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t their fault—they didn’t understand. Chen Rong was too low-ranking to attend court; only a few officials had ever seen Li Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes: strike the son, the father comes; strike the father, the grandfather comes. Li Chen meant to strike until someone big appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the crowd murmured, the big one finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister of Rites approaches!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the guards announced it, the Minister of Rites slowly entered the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was stern and solemn, his gaze deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd instinctively bowed in unison, movements precise and synchronized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces bore reverence and awe—this was a true high official; some would never see one in their lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his superior arrive, Chen Rong hurried to Minister Yan Hai and began his complaint—no trace remained of his earlier arrogance; he looked like a child wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Hai frowned slightly—who was this bold imperial youth, daring to strike his subordinate on his own turf?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t punish this imperial youth severely, how could he maintain his standing in court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yan Hai stepped before this audacious imperial youth, he immediately knelt to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Yan Hai pays homage to His Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1253,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","637189d76db337b4d5bc07ef8069c03455981e3a6c4181b0449031dd02e11a38","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-10","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-8",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]