I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 416 What does it mean to serve a ruler like a tiger? What does it mean to be unpredictable by the wrath of Heaven? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Li Chen's care for Lin Yue'e was meticulous. Every time he came to the Department of Sect Affairs, he would personally adjust her cultivation techniques to ensure that her cultivation path was unobstructed.

Lin Yue'e's gaze toward Li Chen was filled not only with endless gratitude, but also with absolute fervor and loyalty.

Xu Zifeng observed all of this, pondering: Perhaps His Majesty is implying that as long as I remain loyal, I will surely be given an important position?

Although no one knows Li Chen's true intentions, Xu Zifeng has already concluded that this must be some kind of test.

It is said that the Emperor's heart is unfathomable. His Majesty would not have brought me out for no reason; there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

After leaving the Ministry of Imperial Clan Affairs, Li Chen's next stop was the Ministry of Rites.

Xu Zifeng had bribed all the officials here on his father Zhennan Wang's orders, so they had some connections.

However, when Li Chen inquired, these officials dared not praise Xu Zifeng too much and could only try to give an objective evaluation of Xu Zifeng's recent performance.

"Captain Xu has indeed become much more restrained lately."

"He's definitely more mature than before."

Xu Zifeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief at the officials' lukewarm comments; at least no one was revealing his past to His Majesty.

Li Chen listened without commenting, only nodding slightly.

Then they went to the Ministry of Justice, which made Xu Zifeng's heart tighten.

He had hoped that his good "buddy" Xiao Ming would put in a good word for him, but Xiao Ming was not at the yamen.

The reason they were close was that they often drank together, and Xu Zifeng wasn't interested in the woman Xiao Ming liked.

This falls outside Xiao Ming's 'enemies' category, so their relationship is naturally good.

"That damn simp, he must have skipped work again to go see Wei Manying!" Xu Zifeng cursed inwardly.

Pang Jin, the Minister of Justice, was an incorruptible man who directly recounted Xu Zifeng's past misdeeds in detail:
"A street fight occurred last March."

"In the twelfth lunar month two years ago, he caused trouble while drunk."

The year before last

With each story mentioned, Xu Zifeng broke out in a cold sweat.

That old bastard Pang Jin showed absolutely no mercy!

"Minister Pang, I...I haven't offended you, have I?" Xu Zifeng couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Pang Jin said sternly, "I am simply stating the facts."

After listening, Li Chen gave Xu Zifeng a cold look: "It seems that Lieutenant Xu has quite a few criminal records in the Ministry of Justice."

Xu Zifeng knelt down with a thud: "Your subject knows his crime! Your subject will definitely repent and correct his past mistakes!"

He didn't dare to lift his head, much less look at Pang Jin's ashen face.

Only now did he truly realize that his status was insignificant in front of the Minister of Justice. Unless his father, the Prince of Zhennan, came in person, perhaps Pang Jin would give him some face.

When Xu Zifeng left the Ministry of Justice, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

He finally understood that His Majesty was giving him a warning: no matter who your father is, you have to follow the rules in the Tian Ce Dynasty!

Next, Xu Zifeng followed Li Chen to the Ministry of Revenue, where he suffered another beating.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue meticulously listed the public facilities he had previously damaged: statues were toppled, flower beds were trampled, and street railings were smashed—every loss was clearly remembered.

Xu Zifeng was so engrossed in listening that he could barely stand up straight, and could only lower his head to count the cracks between the bricks on the ground.

Then there was the Ministry of Works, which was next to the Ministry of Revenue.

Lin Mo, who was in charge here, was an acquaintance of Xu Zifeng. Although their relationship was not particularly close, they had no history of conflict.

The problem was that Xu Zifeng hadn't done anything good in the areas under the Ministry of Works' jurisdiction, and Lin Mo didn't know what to say, so he could only offer a standard assessment: "Captain Xu... well, he's quite strong."

Such lukewarm comments made Xu Zifeng want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Xu Zifeng's head was spinning even more; the Ministry of Personnel was right in front of him!

There is an “excellent” official here, Fang Qian.

Fang Qian and Xu Zifeng didn't get along very well. To be precise, it was because Fang Qian and Xiao Ming were rivals for Wei Manying's affections, and the two had even fought over her. As Xiao Ming's drinking buddy, Xu Zifeng was naturally seen as a thorn in Fang Qian's side.

As expected, when Li Chen questioned him, Fang Qian exposed Xu Zifeng completely:

"Last July, Commandant Xu harassed a woman at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"Back in July of last year, Commandant Xu illegally detained goods belonging to a merchant caravan."

It's still July of last year.

With each point Fang Qian made, Xu Zifeng's eyes widened a little more.

Why do you remember every single one of my messages so clearly?
This guy is practically taking revenge on his own! If Li Chen hadn't been there, he would have rushed up and given Fang Qian a good beating.

He cursed inwardly: You son of a bitch, it's Xiao Ming who stole your woman, what does it have to do with me!

After listening, Li Chen even patted Fang Qian on the shoulder: "I am very pleased that the Ministry of Personnel has such a discerning official as you."

This praise flattered Fang Qian, but plunged Xu Zifeng into an icy abyss.

The most terrifying thing was that Li Chen left the Ministry of Personnel without saying a word to Xu Zifeng and without any expression.

Xu Zifeng was so frightened that he unconsciously shrank back as he followed behind, looking like a wilted eggplant.

Finally, they arrived at the Ministry of War, the place where military officers were managed.

Xu Zifeng's heart was in his throat; this place would determine his fate.

Based on the evaluations from so many departments, Xu Zifeng felt that his chance to go on the expedition was definitely gone.

He had said some bad things about each department, and he was especially terrified of the Ministry of War.

There was a rising star in the Ministry of War named Wu Qi, who had a powerful background.

His aunt was Wu Nanzhi, Li Chen's most favored concubine, and his grandfather was Li Chen's confidant.

Although his official rank was not high, even the Minister of War had to give him some respect.

Faced with Li Chen's question, Wu Qi glanced at Xu Zifeng, who was trembling like a leaf beside him, and suddenly smiled: "Your Majesty, Captain Xu's military achievements are outstanding."

Then she recounted Xu Zifeng's military achievements in pacifying the northern royal court and conquering the Sasanian dynasty.

Back then, Xu Zifeng was a vanguard general, charging into battle and slaying countless enemies.

Xu Zifeng's eyes welled up with tears. He had only met Wu Qi a few times, all at Xiao Ming's drinking parties.

Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, Wu Qi was the only one who spoke up for him.

"I must invite Brother Wu to Zuixianlou for a good drink after get off work!" Xu Zifeng secretly vowed to himself.

After listening, Li Chen nodded, offered a few words of encouragement to Wu Qi, and then left the Ministry of War.

What made Xu Zifeng uneasy was that His Majesty had not yet given a clear indication of whether he would be allowed to lead the expedition to the south.

Back at the mansion, Xu Zifeng was restless.

His mother and aunt surrounded him and asked him questions, but he didn't know how to answer.

Today's experience made him truly understand what it means to be "unpredictable in the face of divine might" and what it means to "serve a ruler as if serving a tiger."

"What exactly does His Majesty mean?" Princess Zhennan asked anxiously, hoping that her son could achieve great things.

The more merits a son has, the more secure his position in the imperial court will be.

Xu Zifeng shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Mother, I really don't understand His Majesty's meaning."

Ji Lianyu said thoughtfully, "Perhaps His Majesty is testing your character. You must be able to endure the loneliness."

She had been following Li Chen for some time and knew him quite well. If Li Chen didn't intend to send Xu Zifeng on the expedition, he definitely wouldn't have taken Xu Zifeng with him.

That's why she's Li Chen's bedmate; she truly understands what Li Chen means.

(End of this chapter)