[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat":3,"chapter-the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},925106,1214,"Chapter 114: An Irreconcilable Feud for a Slain Kin","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Even a slacker has to have some pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid being looked down upon by that damn man, Hua Manman fought and failed, time and time again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until the sun was about to set that Li Ji spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s all for today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then could Hua Manman stop to catch her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She collapsed onto the ground, panting from exhaustion. A fine layer of sweat beaded on her forehead, and her cheeks and the tip of her nose were flushed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji sat in his wheelchair, watching her at his leisure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been teaching you for so long. It can’t have been for nothing. Tell me, what do you think you’ve learned?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman wiped the sweat from her forehead and answered in all seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After such long and diligent study, I have carefully compared my literature and swordsmanship lessons and discovered that I am better suited for farming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made Li Ji laugh in exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, with those scrawny arms and legs of yours, you think you can farm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman was quite indignant. \"Farming is an innate talent of us Chinese! Just give me a plot of land, Your Highness, and I guarantee I’ll grow something for you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t the least bit afraid of her bluff being called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Anyway, this is Yuqing Palace, the Emperor’s territory. There’s no way Prince Zhao would let me farm here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji heard her thoughts, and the smile on his face deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. When we return to the Prince Mansion, I will set aside a plot of land for you. We’ll see what you can manage to grow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Wait, why doesn’t this man play by the rules?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I was just bluffing, but he actually took it seriously!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming heavier. \"If you dare to lie to me, I’ll double your lessons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman’s vision went dark, and she wanted to cry but had no tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That damn man is going to work me to death!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, she really wanted to sing a song to him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*You’re so cruel, you’re so cruel, you’re so cru-el-el-el-el!*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the song in her mind, Li Ji could no longer hold back and laughed out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This woman really is amusing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two returned to their quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji had just finished washing his hands when Chen Wangbei strode in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness, I just received news. Jin Zhi has committed suicide in her cell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji looked up at him, his gaze sharp and cold. \"She was so badly injured. How could she have committed suicide?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei replied, \"I heard that when no one was around, she smashed her medicine bowl and used a shard of porcelain to cut her own throat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji asked, \"Who left her the medicine bowl?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei answered, \"I do not know. The prison is managed by the Flying Dragon Cavalry. Our men can’t get involved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Flying Dragon Cavalry were under the Emperor’s direct command; only the Emperor could mobilize them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Jin Zhi was dead in her cell. Officially, it was a suicide, but everyone knew in their hearts that for her to die at such a critical moment, she must have been silenced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To dare kill someone right under the noses of the Flying Dragon Cavalry—the mastermind behind this was truly audacious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What should we do next?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were an ordinary person who learned that their only lead had been cut off, they would probably have no choice but to give up the investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ji was different. He had already identified his suspects. Even without Jin Zhi, he could uncover the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally planned to throw out some bait to lure the mastermind into his trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he had a better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji had Hua Manman summoned and asked if she had any more Truth Elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman answered obediently, \"I have one left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji knew from his Mind Reading Technique that she wasn’t lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was very pleased with her honesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suspect the mastermind is either Wen Zhaorong or Yichongyuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman immediately understood. \"You want to use the Truth Elixir to make them tell the truth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji nodded. \"Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to all the roundabout methods, making the mastermind confess in their own words was clearly faster and more effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman said with difficulty, \"But I only have one Truth Elixir left. I can’t use it on two people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji said, \"Then choose one of them to use the Truth Elixir on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman was very curious. \"Who do you plan to choose?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of answering, Li Ji asked, \"Who do you think is more suspicious?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman’s face fell. \"Your Highness, that question is too difficult. I’ve only met them twice. I don’t know them at all. How could I guess which one is the mastermind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji smiled faintly and said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just take a guess. It doesn’t matter if you’re wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’There’s only one chance,’ Hua Manman thought. ’If I guess wrong, not only will I waste a precious Truth Elixir, but I might also alert the enemy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’We have to get it right on the first try.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman began to think seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only two suspects before her now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no useful clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that case, she could only deduce from their motives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman asked, \"Do Wen Zhaorong and Yichongyuan have any grudges against you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Ji was like a homeroom teacher, showing great patience in the face of his student’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wen Zhaorong’s younger brother was once a junior general under my command. He was later executed on my orders for violating military discipline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman sucked in a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The grudge from having a relative killed is irreconcilable!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed, \"And Yichongyuan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji said slowly, \"She has no grudge against me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her mind, Hua Manman immediately raised her suspicion of Wen Zhaorong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her motive was much stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, however, she heard Prince Zhao say slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Yichongyuan has a son, the current Sixth Prince, Li Yi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman was confused. \"What does that have to do with you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji looked at her with a half-smile as he slowly explained the full story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The current Emperor has a total of five sons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Third Prince, Li Cheng, has already been established as the Crown Prince, the Emperor is still in his prime. It will be a long time before the Crown Prince inherits the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other four Princes are surely unwilling to be mere background players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For her son’s sake, Yichongyuan would definitely want to make a play for the throne.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial Concubines had given birth to more than five Princes, but only these five had successfully grown to adulthood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others all died prematurely for various reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A one-in-five chance of success. It wasn’t high, but it wasn’t low either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enough to tempt many people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman grew even more confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even so, that has nothing to do with you. You’re Prince Zhao. You’re not in competition with those Princes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish her sentence, she stopped abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered what Li Zhaoyuan had said that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumor had it that Prince Zhao was the Emperor’s illegitimate son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Emperor doted on Prince Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the rumor was true, it meant that Prince Zhao was also qualified to inherit the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one throne. To ensure her son could ascend, Yichongyuan would naturally try every means to eliminate all the competitors in her path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji heard every one of her thoughts clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on his face slowly faded, his dark eyes like a bottomless abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman longed to ask if those rumors were true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But meeting Li Ji’s dark, heavy gaze, her throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and she couldn’t get a single word out.\u003C\u002Fp>",1342,"2026-06-03T06:42:34.635Z","2026-06-03T06:42:37.769Z",1,"novelbin.me","eccc0194032af0ea07300215f968bfd1cb88e382dc714c028600bc8855d5db9b","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-115","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-113",293,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-cover.jpg"]