Chapter Summaries

On his first day as emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, Li Chen discovered that his long-dormant system had activated, though its rewards and mission were useless to someone already at the Saint Realm’s great perfection. After Li Chen tried to leave morning court, the empress dowager took over the discussion of state affairs from behind the curtain.

• After the crown prince died and the old emperor passed away, the empress dowager placed Li Chen on the throne as the only prince in the capital.
• Li Chen’s Accumulation System activated, identified his cultivation as the great perfection of the Saint Realm, and issued pills and an art meant for far weaker cultivators.
• The system assigned Li Chen a fourteen-day mission to defeat a mid-stage Meridian Opening Realm cultivator in the eastern capital, with a height loss as the failure penalty.
• At morning court, Li Chen realized he had been daydreaming through the ministers’ heated arguments and started to leave for a nap.
• The imperial censor-in-chief grew disappointed in Li Chen, and the empress dowager told him to rest while she discussed state affairs with the ministers.

Li Xian challenged Li Chen’s right to rule and revealed his heaven-viewing cultivation, but Li Chen answered with the overwhelming presence of a saint-realm expert. The court was left stunned as Li Xian found himself unable to move beneath Li Chen’s pressure.

• The Empress Dowager declared that she would rule if Li Chen could not be emperor, while Li Chen tried to leave the court session.
• Li Xian entered the hall and claimed that he should take the throne instead of his sixth brother.
• Li Xian argued that his cultivation qualified him to rule and displayed his power at the heaven-viewing realm.
• Li Chen challenged Li Xian with a brief question, then revealed nine divine rings and the pressure of a saint-realm expert.
• Li Xian froze under Li Chen’s presence as the officials and Empress Dowager reacted with shock.

Li Chen secured the throne by revealing his Saint Realm cultivation and forcing Li Xian to submit. Li Xian fled to seek help from his master, while the third prince recalled his army after learning Li Chen’s strength, leaving two senior officials waiting nervously in the imperial study.

• Li Chen ordered Li Xian to remember that only what the emperor granted belonged to him, and Li Xian begged forgiveness.
• Li Chen ended court and summoned the first official on either side to his imperial study that afternoon.
• After leaving the palace, Li Xian decided to bring his Saint Realm master to challenge Li Chen for the throne.
• The third prince received a letter ordering him to withdraw his army and return to the border.
• The third prince told his deputy that Li Chen had reached the Saint Realm and had driven Li Xian from the capital, then recalled his troops.
• Li Chen went back to sleep while two senior officials waited anxiously in his imperial study.

Li Chen summoned Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan and Grand General Guo Poyun after a contentious morning court, leaving them anxious about whether he meant to punish their factions. He asked about the eastern district and ordered them to accompany him there, leaving his purpose unclear.

• Zhao Wenyuan and Guo Poyun waited nervously in the imperial study, fearing Li Chen would hold them responsible for their followers' behavior at court.
• Li Chen kept the two ministers waiting for three hours before arriving and asking whether they knew the eastern district.
• Zhao Wenyuan described the district's merchants and proposed creating a tax agency and offering policies to support business growth.
• Li Chen ordered Zhao Wenyuan and Guo Poyun to accompany him to the eastern district, and both agreed without asking why.

Li Chen searched the eastern quarter for a mid-stage Meridian Opening Realm cultivator to fight, but Guo Poyun’s covert guards had cleared away trouble ahead of him. After Guo Poyun pointed him toward the combat academies, Li Chen headed for what he believed was a natural place to find conflict.

• Li Chen wandered the eastern quarter looking for a troublemaking cultivator to beat and fulfill his mission, but found no suitable target.
• Guo Poyun explained that the eastern quarter had several combat academies with many cultivators.
• The chapter revealed that Guo Poyun’s covert guards had been removing fights and other dangers from Li Chen’s path.
• Li Chen recalled that the three major combat academies competed fiercely for limited official positions and that their students often brawled.
• Li Chen decided the combat academies were the ideal place to complete his mission.

Li Chen confronted Guo Poyun over covert guards who had been hiding trouble from him, then visited Kindling Combat Academy and ate with Zhao Wenyuan. When the two men realized neither had brought money to pay for the meal, a beautiful young woman sat beside Li Chen.

• Li Chen discovered that Guo Poyun's covert guards had concealed a dispute at a treasure shop and ordered Guo to return home and remain there for three days.
• Li Chen confirmed that Zhao Wenyuan had no guards nearby, and Zhao introduced him to Kindling Combat Academy.
• Li Chen ate at a small eatery and learned that the young waiter was a student earning his living expenses.
• Li Chen and Zhao Wenyuan realized they had no money to pay for their meal, and a beautiful young woman sat down beside Li Chen.

Li Chen agreed to help Lin Yue'e resist a powerful official's son who was threatening her future at the Kindling Combat Academy. After she paid for his meal, they arrived at the Ministry of Rites banquet, where Zhao Wenyuan was barred from entering and warned that trouble was coming.

• Lin Yue'e told Li Chen that an over-forty son of a high-ranking Ministry of Rites official was pressuring her to become his wife or concubine and threatening to prevent her graduation.
• Lin Yue'e asked Li Chen for help after recognizing the imperial dragon patterns on his clothes, and he agreed in exchange for her paying for his meal.
• Lin Yue'e paid the restaurant bill, and she and Li Chen headed to the Ministry of Rites banquet with Zhao Wenyuan following.
• The guards admitted Li Chen and Lin Yue'e but stopped Zhao Wenyuan, whom they mistook for a servant.
• Zhao Wenyuan restrained his anger and realized the Ministry of Rites was likely in trouble because Li Chen had entered the banquet.

At a Ministry of Rites banquet meant to assess elite combat academy students, Li Chen saw privileged wastrels harassing them and grew furious at the officials’ indifference. When a wastrel threatened Lin Yue'e, Li Chen kicked him across the banquet, then openly dared him to challenge royal authority.

• Li Chen noticed officials and privileged wastrels intimidating the academy students, while Lin Yue'e explained that students had little choice but to endure it.
• Lin Yue'e's friends gathered around Li Chen and told him about the wastrels’ harassment and abuse of students.
• Li Chen promised to beat up any wastrel who bothered them, though the students initially thought he was joking.
• A middle-aged wastrel confronted Lin Yue'e about his demand, and Li Chen kicked him through nearby tables and chairs.
• After Ministry of Rites officials helped the injured man up, he challenged Li Chen for using royal status to hit people, and Li Chen answered that royalty was a big deal.

Li Chen struck Chen Jie and then Chen Rong after Chen Rong arrived to punish him, prompting Chen Rong to threaten an impeachment. When Minister of Rites Yan Hai reached Li Chen, he recognized him as His Majesty and immediately knelt.

• Chen Jie left to fetch help after Li Chen slapped him, and Lin Yue'e explained that Chen Jie was the son of powerful court official Chen Rong.
• Li Chen said he had no backing, and Chen Rong arrived with Chen Jie and demanded that the assailant step forward.
• Li Chen slapped Chen Rong, who threatened to have him impeached at the next morning court.
• Lin Yue'e urged Li Chen to flee, but Li Chen said he was trying to beat his way to someone who recognized him.
• Minister of Rites Yan Hai arrived, and after approaching Li Chen, he knelt and paid his respects to His Majesty.

Li Chen revealed himself as emperor at Yan Hai’s banquet and ordered the Minister of Rites to deal with corrupt officials and hear the Battle Academy students’ grievances. After promising to visit and teach the students, Li Chen left, while Lin Yue'e never got the chance to speak to him.

• Yan Hai recognized Li Chen as the emperor, and Chen Rong fainted while Chen Jie was left terrified.
• Li Chen questioned Yan Hai about the privileged young wastrels, so Yan Hai had them removed and their fathers dismissed and investigated.
• Li Chen invited the Battle Academy students to voice their grievances, and Yan Hai recorded their requests and resolved to return to his proper duties.
• Li Chen sent Yan Hai to fetch Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan, who scolded Yan Hai for having been kept outside the residence.
• Li Chen promised to visit the eastern Battle Academy and teach its students, then left the banquet without Lin Yue'e getting a chance to speak with him.

Lin Yue'e rejected her friend's suggestion that she pursue Li Chen, while Li Chen discovered his mission remained incomplete and struggled through morning court. Court was thrown into turmoil when the Minister of War reported that the Third Prince had rebelled and was marching on the Imperial Capital, leaving Zhao Wenyuan suspecting the Empress Dowager had arranged the confrontation.

• Lin Yue'e told her friend she would repay Li Chen's kindness through diligent cultivation rather than chasing imperial favor.
• Li Chen learned that defeating Chen Rong and Chen Jie had not fulfilled his mission because neither met its required cultivation level, and he considered going alone in disguise.
• At morning court, Yan Hai presented evidence of Ministry of Rites officials' misconduct, and Li Chen ordered them punished according to the law.
• Li Chen delegated routine court matters to officials and relied on Zhao Wenyuan for major decisions as reports and memorials overwhelmed him.
• The Minister of War reported that the Third Prince had rebelled at the frontier and was marching toward the Imperial Capital.
• Zhao Wenyuan suspected the absent Empress Dowager was trying to pit Li Chen against the Third Prince.

Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan weighed the factions’ interests as Li Chen ordered the Minister of War to handle the Third Prince’s rebellion. The Empress Dowager responded by setting her own plans in motion, intending to test Li Chen’s authority.

• Zhao Wenyuan reasoned that Li Chen’s strength and lack of a faction made him a useful emperor, while the Empress Dowager and the princes posed greater threats to his rule.
• Li Chen ordered the Minister of War to arrest the rebellious Third Prince, and Zhao Wenyuan pressured the minister to obey the decree.
• The Minister of War agreed to seek a solution and planned to ask the Empress Dowager for instructions.
• The Empress Dowager told her maid to have Zou Chong leave the Imperial Capital, provoke the Third Prince without starting a major conflict, and check on the Second Prince’s preparations.

The Empress Dowager visited Li Chen to win his trust and influence him, but his hot pot distracted her from her scheme. She presented him with a list of potential consorts, and Li Chen kept the list rather than choosing one on the spot.

• The Empress Dowager dismissed her attendants and joined Li Chen for lunch, where she eagerly tried his hot pot.
• The Empress Dowager praised the rare ingredients and Li Chen’s cooking, then remembered her reason for visiting.
• The Empress Dowager asked whether Li Chen had loved anyone before becoming emperor, then urged him to produce heirs.
• The Empress Dowager offered Li Chen a list of ten women, including eight from her faction and two aloof beauties backed by Saint Realm powerhouses.
• Li Chen tucked the list into his sleeve without choosing a woman.

Emperor Li Chen accepted the Empress Dowager’s offer to meet selected women, choosing Chu Ruoyan while heading to review memorials. At the Chu Lineage residence, Chu Ruoyan’s beauty and talent were described as the family’s hope for preserving its standing, and she remained unaware of Li Chen’s summons.

• Li Chen told the Empress Dowager he would meet the women one at a time and reflected that his strength let him rule without worrying about court factions.
• The Empress Dowager introduced Chu Ruoyan as a talented beauty from a prominent imperial lineage, and Li Chen chose to meet her when she arrived.
• Li Chen went to the Imperial Study to review the memorials that had accumulated.
• At the Chu Lineage residence, the family’s reliance on the Empress Dowager’s faction and its fear of losing status were explained.
• Chu Ruoyan was described as a beautiful, gifted woman pursued by many suitors who resented her family’s efforts to use her for marriage alliances.

Chu Ruoyan learned that Emperor Li Chen had summoned her, while her suitors Liu Hao and Wu Qi fled and Xiao Ming promised to take her away within seven days. Xiao Ming consulted the Saint's remnant soul in his necklace, who agreed to help him abduct Chu Ruoyan, as she arrived at Li Chen's Imperial Study.

• Chu Ruoyan's maid told her that Emperor Li Chen had summoned her, exciting the Chu Lineage.
• Liu Hao and Wu Qi made excuses and fled, while Xiao Ming stayed and promised Chu Ruoyan he would take her away in seven days.
• Chu Ruoyan left to change before meeting Li Chen, and Xiao Ming went to a deserted street to contact the Saint's remnant soul in his necklace.
• The remnant soul agreed to help Xiao Ming seize Chu Ruoyan after seven days, and Xiao Ming began planning an escape from the Imperial Capital.
• A graceful figure entered Li Chen's Imperial Study.

Chu Ruoyan entered the Imperial Study expecting the emperor to treat her as a prospective consort, but Li Chen’s striking presence and calm manner unsettled her expectations. When the revered Guardian General Guo Poyun knelt before Li Chen, Chu Ruoyan realized the emperor commanded even a legendary warrior, and Li Chen turned his attention to the general.

• The Chu Lineage’s patriarch and family waited outside the palace while Chu Ruoyan entered, hoping her visit would secure their standing.
• Chu Ruoyan arrived at the Imperial Study and expected Li Chen to leer at her, but he told her to sit while he finished his work.
• Chu Ruoyan was captivated by Li Chen’s appearance and imposing aura, and her fear and disgust gave way to curiosity.
• After half an hour, Guo Poyun arrived and knelt before Li Chen, astonishing Chu Ruoyan.
• Li Chen closed his memorial, set it down, and fixed his gaze on Guo Poyun as his aura spread through the room.

Li Chen questioned Guo Poyun about the crown prince’s death, then confronted Prince Jing'an over the seizure of farmland. Chu Ruoyan watched the emperor assert his authority, while Li Longyu left under orders to return the land and compensate the farmers within three days.

• Li Chen asked Guo Poyun whether he had guarded the crown prince, and Guo Poyun said the crown prince had ordered his covert guards to withdraw.
• Li Chen dismissed Guo Poyun, then extended his house arrest to seven days after he complained about the earlier punishment.
• Li Longyu read a memorial accusing his subordinates of seizing fertile farmland and initially claimed he knew nothing about it.
• Li Chen warned Li Longyu that the land seizures could drive commoners to rebel, and Li Longyu knelt and promised to return the land and compensate the farmers.
• Li Chen fined Li Longyu one year’s salary and ordered him to fulfill his promises within three days, while Chu Ruoyan reconsidered the rumors that Li Chen was a puppet emperor.

Chu Ruoyan watched powerful officials tremble before Li Chen and began to see him as a capable, hardworking emperor. Li Chen’s plans to spend time with her were interrupted by another delivery of urgent memorials, leaving Chu Ruoyan in the Imperial Study as he resumed work.

• High-ranking officials entered the Imperial Study and knelt in fear before Li Chen, while Chu Ruoyan recognized several of them and watched her respect for him grow.
• After nearly three hours, Li Chen finished reviewing memorials and apologized to Chu Ruoyan for making her wait.
• Eunuch Cui arrived with two young eunuchs and delivered another large stack of provincial memorials and confidential military reports.
• Chu Ruoyan offered to stay and keep Li Chen company while he handled state affairs, and Li Chen had tea and refreshments prepared for her.
• As Li Chen resumed reviewing memorials, Chu Ruoyan noticed the Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cake among the refreshments and remembered receiving it from a distinguished noble on her eighteenth birthday.

Chu Ruoyan spent the day with Li Chen, grew impressed by his diligence, and became more comfortable as they talked over dinner. She left the palace pleased with their meeting, unaware that a mysterious figure was following her.

• Chu Ruoyan ate all the Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cakes Li Chen had ordered for her, then accidentally knocked over a teacup and apologized.
• Li Chen reassured Chu Ruoyan, ordered more tea and snacks, and returned to reviewing memorials while she watched him and developed affection for him.
• After finishing work at six-thirty, Li Chen shared a meal with Chu Ruoyan and guided their conversation from her interests to his own.
• Chu Ruoyan left the imperial palace feeling relaxed and delighted after her time with Li Chen.
• A mysterious figure followed Chu Ruoyan as she rode back to the Chu Lineage's residence.

Chu Ruoyan told her family that Li Chen had treated her courteously, and her father realized she admired the emperor. Xiao Ming then appeared at her courtyard to say his master could help her leave the Imperial Capital, unaware that she had begun to favor Li Chen.

• Chu Ruoyan returned to the Chu Lineage residence and told her parents that Li Chen had treated her with consideration, though they had not discussed personal matters.
• Chu Ruoyan mentioned seeing ministers kneel before Li Chen, and her mother warned her to keep palace affairs private.
• The Chu Lineage's patriarch recognized Chu Ruoyan's admiration for Li Chen and felt some relief about the family's prospects.
• Xiao Ming appeared in Chu Ruoyan's courtyard and said his master had agreed to help them leave the Imperial Capital.
• Xiao Ming urged Chu Ruoyan to stall for seven days and vanished before she could explain that she had reconsidered eloping with him.