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

Chapter 121 The results of the Spring Examination are announced, and Pang Jin is going crazy! (Please subscribe and give me monthly votes)
After two full days, Li Chen finally experienced the joy of the king not holding court early in the morning.

It is also an achievement that can only be unlocked by becoming an emperor.

During this period, Chu Ruoyan also participated in the battle, but was quickly defeated.

Fairy Youlan is at the saint level, so her body can still withstand the pressure.

"Are you still a human being if you behave like this?" Fairy Youlan said to Li Chen viciously.

I didn't expect that I would end up like this just a few days after arriving in the capital.

She actually wanted to scold Li Chen for doing this and he would suffer retribution, but the problem was that the two of them sneaked attacked Li Chen and even lost the fight.

As for the retribution, it was nonsense. She had no reason to say that Li Chen would suffer retribution.

Besides, Li Chen did not seize power and usurp the throne, and he did not become a tyrant after becoming emperor, so there is no reason to criticize him.

But I was so angry that I couldn't say anything, so I could only unilaterally point out Li Chen's personal morals.

But Li Chen replied: "We should speak with conscience. You took the initiative in the second half. You enjoyed it more than me. Can you blame me?"

"You" Fairy Youlan was speechless, not knowing whether she was angry or embarrassed.

Now she has recovered her memory, but her meridians have been blocked by Li Chen, so she is in the state of an ordinary person, except that her physical strength is stronger than that of an ordinary woman.

There are two ways to break the blockade.

Either kill Li Chen, or find someone with a similar or even higher cultivation level as Li Chen to solve the problem.

But where can she find such a person? She couldn't even see through Li Chen's cultivation level, and even the top person was easily defeated.

What's more, she is locked up in the deep palace, which is someone else's territory.

"If you have nothing else to do, I will go to the morning court."

This is the main reason why Li Chen got up.

"You, what are you going to do with us?"

Fairy Youlan said that she actually couldn't hate Li Chen, she didn't know why.

If Li Chen used despicable means, she would definitely not accept it.

But this man fought head-on, one against three, and won even after being ambushed. His victory was fair and square. How can you say he is despicable?

As for the Soul-Controlling Needle, it really wasn't Li Chen's fault. After all, it was the prop that she and Dingtian Shangren intended to use against Li Chen, but it was refined by him in the end.

Besides, they did meet by chance at the beginning, and Li Chen also expressed his love for her and did not do anything inappropriate.

This made Fairy Youlan feel a little puzzled. She was clearly the one being taken advantage of by this guy. When she thought about it carefully, she felt that she deserved it.

After all, Li Chen didn't provoke her. She wanted to come to the imperial capital on her own. Now she had nothing to lose.

Her behavior was also part of Li Chen's plan. He just needed to start for the first time and let her taste the sweetness. In fact, she would not resist much, and she knew she could not resist.

"It depends on my mood." Li Chen answered casually, but it was true.

He had always known about the affairs of the sects, but no sect was in the imperial capital, and the imperial capital did not allow large sects to move in.

At most, there are some folk martial arts schools, and opening a martial arts school also needs to be registered.

The more formal ones are the major combat academies, which are the official training places of the Tiance Dynasty.

Many talents from various departments come from here.

Li Chen mentioned the issue of sect control not only in the court, but also in memorials to some local officials.

Li Chen didn't care much at that time. After all, he didn't like such troublesome things.

The sect didn't provoke him, and he didn't really want to control the sect.

But it’s different now. Two people have come to provoke him, and he does have some ideas.

If this is not managed, then the monks from other sects will also think that dealing with the emperor is no big deal.

But now is not the time to talk about this, let’s talk about it when I come back.

"If you need anything, just tell the palace maid. I'm going to court." With that, Li Chen left the bedroom.

The tone of voice made Fairy Youlan feel a little dazed. Why did she feel like a member of Li Chen's family?

After spending these two days together, they have indeed become very familiar with each other.

Not long after Li Chen left, Fairy Youlan put on her clothes and got up. She was not used to being served by palace maids, so she would naturally do these things well.

Looking at this strange place, she didn't know how she came here. She lost consciousness after being defeated in the Wild Mountains.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself on the dragon bed.

This is Li Chen’s resting place, and every corner exudes a magnificent atmosphere.

The monks in the sect mainly live in a simple style, which is indeed different from the luxury here.

Fairy Youlan left the bedroom and went to the dining area.

In front of you is a round table carefully carved from fine mahogany, on which are placed all kinds of delicacies, with a fragrant aroma.

When the palace maids serving around saw her coming, they all asked her whether the symbols were to her taste and asked the imperial kitchen to prepare anything she needed.

Fairy Youlan was not a very picky eater, and she had been exerting a lot of energy recently, so she was indeed a little hungry, so she started eating helplessly.

Just at this moment, a figure slipped in from outside the door.

Even though he didn't want to make any noise, Fairy Youlan still noticed it keenly.

"Who?" Fairy Youlan put down her bowl and chopsticks and stared at the door warily.

At this time, a beautiful figure appeared in front of her.

The visitor was dressed in palace attire, and her delicate and beautiful facial features were adorned with a hint of mischief.

"Don't mind me. I just want to see who can keep His Majesty from going out for two days."

Li Si Ning looked at Fairy Youlan curiously.

After watching it, I finally understood why my brother could stay in the room for two days.

This woman is so mature and beautiful. Not only is she pretty, she also has such a great figure.

She also began to realize that Li Chen seemed to like big ones.

"Are you his concubine?" Fairy Youlan asked doubtfully.

After all, she had met Chu Ruoyan, her teammate who had just played duo with her, but she didn't have time to say hello at that time.

And Fairy Youlan had indeed never seen this person.

"No, I'm the sister of that person you mentioned. Don't be nervous. We will be a family from now on."

Li Si Ning's words made Fairy Youlan at a loss for words. She was a married woman, but it was difficult for her to explain what had happened in the past two days.

At this time, Chu Ruoyan also came in, bringing some supplements.

As Li Chen's first concubine, she felt that she should be more sensible.

Only by constantly taking care of the "sister" who comes later, can I get along well in the harem in the future.

This was the method her mother taught her. The Chu family was not a large and noble family, so as long as someone joined the harem, Chu Ruoyan had to maintain a good relationship with them. This would also make the emperor feel that she was sensible and ensure her position in the harem.

After they chatted for a while, Fairy Youlan finally had a rough idea of ​​where she was and who these women were to Li Chen.

Fairy Youlan is now feeling mixed emotions, because these women seem to really like Li Chen, and they themselves are Li Chen's trophies.

When asked about Li Sining and Chu Ruoyan's life experiences, she kept silent. She was indeed too embarrassed to say it out loud.

So much so that no one knew where Li Chen found this woman.

Because she is not a concubine, Fairy Youlan has very few powers. She cannot leave this place and does not have to see the Queen Mother.

I can only sit quietly in this place.

In fact, Li Sining also planned to take her to visit other rooms here, where there were many interesting things.

However, Fairy Youlan seemed to be not of the same age as Li Sining, so she did not force it.

Here, only Chu Ruoyan can play with her.

Outside the court hall, the three students were extremely nervous.

In particular, the leading student was named Zhang Gongquan, who came from the south and was the new top scholar.

Hearing the call from the eunuch in the palace, he took a step and followed the eunuch beside him into the court.

Although his steps were steady, his heart was beating as fast as a drum. He was nervous and excited.

After entering, he looked around and saw courtiers in official robes of various colors standing or sitting, with great majesty. Every look and every movement revealed unquestionable authority.

The patterns on those official robes are intricate and exquisite, and every stroke carries the glory bestowed by the Tiance Dynasty.

As Zhang Gongquan walked in, he took deep breaths continuously, trying to calm his heartbeat which was accelerated by nervousness.

Finally, his gaze fixed on the dragon throne. The person sitting there was the most supreme being in the world!
This emperor has the appearance of a man and a dragon, and his imperial majesty is undoubtedly displayed!

Even though he was young, the feeling of being intimidating without even getting angry made the number one scholar feel awe. Zhang Gongquan could clearly hear his own heartbeat, which sounded particularly loud in this silent and solemn court.

He felt an invisible pressure coming from all directions, as if it was going to drown him in this ocean of power.

He clenched his fists nervously, his nails almost digging into his palms, in order to distract himself from the tension in his heart.

The two people next to Zhang Gongquan were extremely nervous, and they were even trembling slightly.

Li Chen is different from other emperors. His absolute dominance makes even Pang Jin, who has just entered the court, feel pressured, let alone these weak scholars.

However, amidst this tension and pressure, Zhang Gongquan also felt an unprecedented excitement.

He recalled the years when he studied hard, and those days when he worked day and night and wrote tirelessly seemed to be right before his eyes.

Now, he can finally stand on the stage of power of the Tiance Dynasty and stand shoulder to shoulder with these great men who once only existed in history books and legends.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty!"

The new top three students knelt down to greet Li Chen. The three of them had been practicing this action and posture since the results were announced last night and they were already familiar with it.

In the court, all the officials focused their attention on the three new talents.

Li Chen, who was sitting on the dragon throne, had read the information of these three people, Zhang Gongquan, the top scholar, was a talented man from the south.

The runner-up was a talented scholar from the Yunlu Academy in the imperial capital, with a scholarly air between his brows.

Because he is a native of the imperial capital, a descendant of a scholarly family, and has someone in his family who is an official, he is relatively more relaxed than the other two.

The third place winner was a student of a great scholar in the north. It was worth mentioning that this great scholar also wrote a poem of praise for Li Chen, which he handed to Li Chen at Yunlu Academy last time, but this was not enough for Li Chen to remember.

However, no one knew that Master Yu was dead. People in Yunlu Academy only knew that Master Yu had gone out and had not returned.

Li Chen managed to give him some dignity, otherwise, the runner-up would probably have to be replaced.

Master Yu's suicide also left a way out for his students.

This may be the last thing he can do as a teacher.

Li Chen has indeed been busy these days, but during the morning court session, Eunuch Cui had already handed him the so-called "homework".

That is to say, how emperors of past dynasties conducted palace examinations. Eunuch Cui knew that Li Chen had never been exposed to this before, and no one told him how to deal with these things, so he was well prepared.

This is what a servant should consider for his master.

After all, Li Chen has been living in the palace, and he knows very well what Li Chen knows and what he doesn't know.

This made Li Chen very satisfied, and his status in the palace would continue.

Li Chen first asked the top three to stand up, then slowly said: "My dear ministers, the results of the Spring Examination were announced last night, and today I am able to see the top three. I would like to take this opportunity to test your talents and see if you have the ability to govern the country and maintain peace."

After saying this, Li Chen turned his gaze to Zhang Gongquan and asked, "Zhang Gongquan, you are the top scholar in this spring's imperial examination. I want to ask you, how can you govern a country with the way of righteousness and reason?"

Zhang Gongquan calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I believe that the way of righteousness and reason is to take benevolence as the foundation and propriety as the guideline. A ruler should take the people's hearts as a mirror and morality as a yardstick, practice benevolent governance, and teach propriety, so that the country can be peaceful and the people can live in peace."

Li Chen nodded slightly, then turned to the runner-up and asked, "You are a senior student of Yunlu Academy. I want to ask you, what can you learn from the historical records?"

The runner-up thought for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, the records in history are all lessons from past events. Those who govern a country should learn from history, understand the rise and fall of nations, and understand gains and losses. Only in this way can we avoid repeating past mistakes and create a prosperous era."

Li Chen nodded with satisfaction, and finally turned his gaze to Tanhua, and asked: "Since you have entered the top three, I would also like to ask you, regarding food reserves and floods and droughts, if you were the parent official, how would you deal with it?"

Tanhua pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, food reserves are the foundation of the country. Floods and droughts are natural disasters and man-made disasters. If you are a parent official, you should prepare for the rainy day, store up food, and build water conservancy projects to cope with unexpected needs. When a disaster occurs, you need to open the warehouse to provide relief food and appease the people so that we can overcome the difficulties together."

After hearing this, Li Chen probably knew that these three people were indeed capable.

At least I have memorized everything in these "textbooks" and have passed the exam based on my own abilities, not just for show.

As for whether they will do so, it depends on whether they can remember their original intention later.

Everyone has different experiences and ideas.

But they passed the palace examination.

The next step was the tradition of the Tiance Dynasty. Li Chen stood up, stepped down from the dragon throne, and came to Zhang Gongquan. He personally presented him with the prey he had obtained during the spring hunt and said, "Zhang Gongquan, I am very pleased that you have outstanding talent. This prey was obtained during my spring hunt. I am giving it to you now to show my appreciation for you. I hope you can serve the country in the future and live up to my expectations."

Zhang Gongquan excitedly took the prey, kowtowed and thanked the emperor, saying: "I, your student Zhang Gongquan, will do my best until my death to repay your majesty's great kindness."

The gift from the emperor is a family heirloom!
The next matter is the Minister of Revenue. Unless Li Chen personally grants the official position, the Minister of Revenue Liu Minghan will assign it to the three of them.

Liu Minghan had already prepared these and assigned official positions to the three according to their rankings.

According to tradition, the top scholar Zhang Gongquan was granted the position of editor in the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank official, responsible for compiling the national history, drafting imperial edicts, etc., in order to demonstrate his literary talent.

The other two also hold positions in various departments.

After receiving the imperial edict and expressing gratitude, the three left the court.

With their current status, they are not yet able to survive in this place.

Perhaps one day, they will be able to come to the court again, and Li Chen is looking forward to it.

Being an emperor does give you a feeling of nurturing, and you hope that those people you like will grow up slowly.

The palace examination is over, and the next step is to deal with state affairs.

Li Chen hadn't attended court for two days, and the court officials had some things they needed to report to him.

The Minister of Punishments Pang Jin was really powerful. He impeached the Minister of Rites Yan Hai right away.

According to Pang Jin's investigation, Yan Hai participated in the rebellion plan of the second prince Li Xian. Dingtian Shangren has been arrested and the second prince Li Xian is now wanted, so Yan Hai will naturally be implicated.

Lin Yue'e arrested too many people yesterday, but most of them were minor officials, and her intelligence did not lead to Yan Hai.

But Pang Jin knew that he had been investigating these things since he took over the Ministry of Justice.

In the past two days, many people related to the second prince were found, and now a major purge is being prepared.

The Minister of Justice is a close minister to the emperor, so naturally he has to clear up the troubles in the court for the emperor.

Li Chen glanced at Yan Hai and asked him if he had anything to say.

Yan Hai did not defend himself and simply admitted that he was guilty.

At this time, everyone is pushing the wall down, and it is redundant to say anything.

Besides, if he contradicted His Majesty, there might be a nine-clan elimination game, so he didn't dare.

Upon hearing this, the court officials were discussing what Yan Hai's fate would be.

If Li Chen showed consideration for him, he would take off his official hat and demote him to a commoner.

If Li Chen was a little more ruthless, Yan Hai would definitely go to jail this time.

Li Chen thought for a moment and felt that Yan Hai had indeed completed his work recently. At least Yan Hai did not make any mistakes in the things he asked Yan Hai to do.

The most important thing is that this guy offered treasures a few days ago.

At that time, Li Chen didn't know who Yan Hai belonged to, nor did he know why he wanted to pay tribute.

Now I understand that he may have guessed his fate and begged Li Chen to spare his life.

Well, Li Chen showed some mercy, took off his official hat and demoted him to a commoner.

Yan Hai excitedly accepted the order and expressed his gratitude. It was already good enough that he could leave alive.

It was impossible for Li Chen not to punish him, because the Minister of Justice had impeached him, but he did not deal with it himself.

Then the ministers would think, if it’s okay to participate in a rebellion, then wouldn’t it be okay for them to rebel in the future?

This ending can be considered as a tribute to Yan Hai's hard work over the years.

The new Minister of Rites will be replaced by the Vice Minister of Rites, which can be considered as a promotion.

After all, the Minister of Rites was not the Second Prince's man, and he had not made any mistakes. He had been in the Ministry of Rites for so many years, and he had both prestige and ability to do things.

Today Pang Jin can be said to have gone crazy and has been impeaching people all the time.

Yan Hai can be said to have had a good ending, as some princes and nobles were directly sent to the Ministry of Justice prison.

In order to arrest these people, Pang Jin could only get Li Chen's permission.

He is not Lin Yue'e, who can do whatever he wants with Li Chen's badge.

During this court meeting, many court officials were sweating profusely, fearing that their names would be the next ones Pang Jin would mention.

There were three people who were dragged away on the spot by the imperial guards.

Pang Jin also became a figure feared by many court officials.

After today, all officials in the imperial capital, big and small, will give this Minister of Justice a wide berth.

Even though Pang Jin is a new court official and he starts to show off his military achievements right after he came to power, how could the other court officials not be afraid?

Pang Jin's impeachment was just the prelude to this court meeting. A lot of things have happened recently.

Pang Jin's impeachment had just ended, and before the Assistant Minister of War, who was also the acting Minister of War, had opened his mouth, Pang Jin stood up again.

Now the nearby court officials are at a loss as to who this guy is going to target next. They are all wondering who this guy is going to target next?
(End of this chapter)