Film and TV: The Puppet Strikes Back, Recruiting Di Renjie as His Strategist

Li Yan transmigrates into Judge Dee: The Tang Dynasty, becoming a puppet crown prince whom Wu Zetian casually installs on the throne. He has no power or troops, and the court officials treat him like air. His older sister, Li Qingxia, is about to be sent far away to the Turks and die, just as she does in the original story. The System activates and gives him 20 points. He maxes out Xiang Yu's template for peerless martial prowess, and seven "household servants" arrive at his residence overnight: Guiguzi, Zhuge Liang, Yue Fei, Mo Di, Qi Jiguang, Fan Li, and Yuhuatian of the Western Depot. He stages an assassination attempt on himself and uses it to bring people like Wang Xu into the open.

When Judge Dee goes to Youzhou to investigate the case involving the Turkic delegation, Li Yan volunteers to accompany him. Li Yan follows Hu Jinghui when he secretly meets Jin Mulan. With one strike, the Orchid Sword is knocked from her hand, and the Shadowless Needles have already been taken. Jin Mulan throws herself into her younger brother's arms and weeps. "These fifty million taels of silver were all saved by your sister for you." Li Yan wipes away her tears. "Sis, from now on, things will be done by my rules."

Judge Dee pretends to nap in an abandoned temple and hears Li Yan and Hu Jinghui return at the same time. He strokes his goatee and murmurs to himself, "This crown prince is far more interesting than Li Xian."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.