[{"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-206":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},925198,1214,"Chapter 206 - 207: I Just Like Her That Way","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-206",206,"\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Ji was facing a difficult problem: a forced marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor was preparing to choose a wife for him and wanted to know if he had any requirements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji stated that he did not wish to marry yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor said, \"They say a man should start a family and build a career. You now hold the title of a prince, so your career is established. The next step is to start a family. It’s unseemly for the great Prince Zhao Mansion to be without a mistress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji said nonchalantly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think things are just fine as they are. There’s no need for me to marry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how strongly he resisted the idea, the Emperor, contrary to expectations, became even more determined to have him marry as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nonsense. Who ever heard of a man never marrying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can tell me what kind of woman you like. If you have no particular requirements, then I will make the decision myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji knew the Emperor was dead set on finding him a wife, so he said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I happen to like Lady Hua. If Your Majesty insists on me taking a principal wife, then I shall marry her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor frowned and rebuked him, displeased. \"With her background, how could she possibly be worthy of being your principal wife? Stop this nonsense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji chuckled and asked lazily,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there a problem with her background?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s the legitimate daughter of Elder Zhong’an. Her family background is perfectly respectable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if her family’s status is a little low? I’ve never cared about such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, even if I did marry a high-born lady, would that guarantee a good life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With my temperament, could any of those pampered young ladies possibly tolerate me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor said earnestly, \"Since you know your temperament is poor, you should try to rein it in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji just laughed again, drawling indolently,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am who I am. I won’t change, not even on my deathbed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor couldn’t stand seeing him like this, so utterly resigned to his own faults and devoid of any ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor admonished him in a stern voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re still so young. Stop talking about death so casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, what does it matter if they’re high-born ladies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how pampered they were at home, once they marry you, they must serve you obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they dare to throw tantrums, you can just send them back to their families to reflect on their behavior.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji laughed self-deprecatingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I appreciate Your Majesty’s kind intentions, but I truly am not worthy of those high-born ladies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor stared at him. \"You really like Lady Hua that much?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji replied without hesitation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor couldn’t understand. \"From what I’ve seen, that Lady Hua has no notable qualities besides her decent looks. What is it that you like about her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji smiled. \"You misunderstand her. She has her qualities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor asked, \"What qualities?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, she’s terrible at everything, but second to none when it comes to eating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What kind of quality is that?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji continued, \"As for what I like about her? I suppose I like that she’s greedy and lazy, two-faced, and a glib talker.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor gave him a look that said, ’Are you kidding me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji said with a helpless air, \"Everyone has different tastes. I just happen to like her type.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor rubbed his temples, feeling utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had several sons and daughters, but all of them combined didn’t worry him as much as Li Ji did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor said in a deep voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter how much you like her, you should not have taken her to Chongwen Hall. If the officials find out, they will surely impeach you again, and harshly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji replied nonchalantly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let them. The number of times they’ve impeached me is already countless. What’s one or two more?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that he was completely impervious to persuasion, the Emperor was at his wit’s end and could only say,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go back for now. I will have someone select a few suitable young women and send their portraits to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>See if there are any you find pleasing. If not, I’ll find more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t take my words lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you continue this foolishness, my only choice will be to issue an edict and have Lady Hua sent away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor didn’t want to come into conflict with Li Ji over a mere Lady Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Li Ji remained obstinate, he would have no choice but to take action against Lady Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Li Ji did not refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up. \"I take my leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found Hua Manman near Hanzhang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji was on horseback, as usual. He asked Hua Manman if she wanted to ride with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman waved her hand, refusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sneaking into the Imperial Palace disguised as a man was already a grave offense. To then parade through the palace on horseback with Prince Zhao would be practically suicidal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before she knew it, Li Ji suddenly reached out while she was off guard and pulled her up onto the horse’s back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman let out a startled cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah! What are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of Li Ji’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist while his other hand flicked the reins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horse beneath them immediately broke into a wild gallop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji laughed into the wind. \"What’s there to be afraid of? When life is good, one must enjoy it to the fullest!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them, sharing a horse and galloping madly through the palace, immediately drew the attention of the patrolling guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they saw the rider was Prince Zhao, they could only pretend they hadn’t seen a thing and quietly move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman had never imagined she would one day be galloping through the Imperial Palace on horseback. Amid her nervousness, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of novelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even found it a bit amusing, especially when she saw the dumbfounded expressions of the people they passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It was all Prince Zhao’s fault. He was a bad influence.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after they had passed through the palace gates did Li Ji pull on the reins and let Hua Manman dismount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman retrieved her horse from a guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them rode their horses home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city was different from the palace. Inside the palace, the grounds were vast and sparsely populated, so it was fine to gallop about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city, however, was full of pedestrians. Riding too fast could easily cause an accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the two of them rode back at a leisurely pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji asked her,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did it feel, galloping through the palace? Thrilling, wasn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman had to admit that it was, indeed, thrilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she still admonished him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should try not to do things like that in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor had granted Prince Zhao the special privilege of riding his horse and bearing his sword within the palace as a sign of trust. If he exploited that trust to do as he pleased, he would quickly wear it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji wasn’t very concerned about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei came to report that Lin Qingzhi had recently been in contact with the Fourth Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the Crown Prince’s case was settled, Lin Qingzhi had been released and sent back to the Crown Prince Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji had someone keeping a secret watch on her, curious to see what the woman would do next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems the Fourth Prince is also investigating Lin Qingzhi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji’s interest was piqued. \"What is he trying to find?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei shook his head. \"I don’t know. They’re being very discreet. If I hadn’t kept men tailing Lin Qingzhi, we wouldn’t even know the Fourth Prince was investigating her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ji said, \"Keep watching them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Wangbei accepted the order and departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manman saw Prince Zhao’s thoughtful look and couldn’t help but ask,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you worried Lin Qingzhi is colluding with the Fourth Prince?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ji just smiled and said languidly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do I have to worry about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wish they’d all stir up trouble. It would only get interesting if they turned all of Shangjing City on its head.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1395,"2026-06-03T06:42:34.636Z","2026-06-03T06:42:37.770Z",1,"novelbin.me","90037d5924b7e5b5f854f3d79ed6a2099f82faa42c0b20ccde598e15a5d80a32","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-207","the-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-chapter-205",293,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-side-character-wants-to-lie-flat-cover.jpg"]