Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

Who dares to move?

These three words, though seemingly light, carried a weight heavier than a rain of arrows.

Xu Xiao's eyelids drooped, and the cold blade in his hand was still not fully drawn, only revealing an inch of its gleaming edge. But that inch of edge was enough to make the 200,000 remaining Turkic soldiers not dare to even breathe.

That was murderous intent.

It is a murderous aura built from countless dead heads, a city that has been massacred and a country destroyed.

Jieli Khan lay stiffly on the ground, his Akhal-Teke horse nailed to the ground beside him. He was trembling all over, with the instinctive fear of a mouse before a cat. He tried to get up, but his legs were as weak as noodles, and he couldn't muster any strength.

It’s over.

It's completely over.

In the suffocating silence, the creaking sound of wheels rolling suddenly came from behind the Tang army camp.

The voice was slow and leisurely, completely out of place in this chaotic atmosphere.

Everyone instinctively turned around.

A ridiculously large carriage was slowly approaching. The carriage was extremely luxurious, with the carriage made of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood, windproof silk curtains hanging all around, and even thick animal hides wrapped around the wheels for shock absorption.

This isn't a war zone.

This is clearly some young master from a wealthy family out for a spring outing.

The carriage stopped ten paces away from Jieli.

A small, fair hand lifted the curtain, and then an eight-year-old boy dressed in the prince's everyday clothes rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned as he walked down.

"yawn--"

Li Chengqian stretched lazily, looking grumpy from just waking up. He glanced disdainfully at the bloodstains and corpses on the floor, then pulled out a clean white handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose.

"Old Xu, didn't I tell you to keep it down? The smell of blood is too strong and it's affecting my appetite."

Xu Xiao, that ruthless old devil who killed without hesitation, now looked like an old servant who had made a mistake. He put away his cold knife, bowed, and jogged over, forcing a chrysanthemum-like smile on his face.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. These barbarians are too stubborn; some bumps and bruises were inevitable when a fight broke out. This old servant will be more careful next time, I certainly will."

Li Chengqian pursed his lips and ignored him.

next moment.

A breathtaking scene unfolded.

The young general Chen Zhibao, who looked like a god descending to earth, suddenly dismounted, knelt on one knee, and slammed the plum wine in his hand heavily on the ground.

Followed by.

Three thousand Snow Dragon Riders, with perfectly synchronized movements, dismounted in unison. The clanging of their armor merged into a deafening roar.

"boom!"

Three thousand iron cavalrymen knelt on one knee before the eight-year-old child, lowering their proud heads.

"The Great Snow Dragon Riders pay their respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

The roar surged and soared into the sky.

There was no reverence for imperial power in that voice, only absolute loyalty and fanaticism for the boy before him.

The bridgehead of the Wei River.

With a "click".

Li Shimin's slightly open mouth gaped open completely, his jaw dislocated from shock. He ignored the pain and even his appearance, staring intently at his son, who usually seemed lazy and did nothing but eat and sleep.

This...this is Chengqian?

Is this really my eight-year-old rebellious son who said he wanted to retire and enjoy his old age?

Even he, a general of the Heavenly Strategy Army, felt a chill in his heart when he saw this army of three thousand fierce warriors. They were so devoted to this kid.

"Oh my god..."

Yuchi Gong's steel whip fell to the ground again, this time hitting his toe. But he didn't even jump; he just stared blankly. "Your Highness... is this a celestial being descending to earth?"

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji… this group of shrewd men from the Tang Dynasty were completely bewildered. They racked their brains but couldn't understand how the Crown Prince, who had grown up deep within the palace, had conjured up such an invincible army.

Is it truly destiny's will?

And right in the center of the battlefield.

Jieli Khan stared at the tiny child who was only as tall as his thigh, and his whole body cracked.

He was not wronged to lose to Li Shimin.

He could tolerate losing to a famous general of the Tang Dynasty.

But now, the mastermind behind the destruction of his vanguard and the terror of his 200,000-strong army is actually a baby who hasn't even been weaned yet.

Where does this leave him, the overlord of the grasslands?

Eternal Heaven, are you kidding me?

Li Chengqian didn't care what they were thinking. He covered his nose and walked up to Jieli with an air of indifference.

He looked down at the once arrogant Turkic Khan with the same gaze he would give a piece of breathing garbage.

"It's you?"

Li Chengqian frowned, his voice youthful yet carrying an undeniable domineering air.

Jieli swallowed hard. "Wh...what?"

"Is it you who brought people here to yell and disrupt my afternoon nap?"

Li Chengqian was very angry. The consequences were severe.

He lifted his foot and rubbed non-existent dust on the extremely expensive boot, looking utterly disgusted.

"You'd be so happy herding sheep and dancing on the grasslands, why did you have to come all the way to Chang'an to die? Do you know I was just dreaming about eating hot pot, and I'd only just put the meat in when you all woke me up!"

"That's top-quality lamb rolls! Can you afford to pay for them?"

Jieli opened his mouth, only to feel a sense of absurdity welling up inside him.

With an army of 200,000 pressing in, the Tang Dynasty faced a critical juncture in its survival.

In this young prince's eyes, it's not even as good as a hot pot meal in his dream?

What kind of logic is that?!

"I...I am the Great Khan of the Turks..." Jieli said in a dry voice, trying to regain some dignity.

"Snapped!"

Li Chengqian retaliated with a powerful backhand slap, which, though not very forceful, was extremely humiliating.

"What's wrong with being a Khan? Does being a Khan give you the right to disturb the people?"

Li Chengqian shook his hand, looking impatient. "Old Xu, this guy is annoying. Drag him away and behead him."

"promise."

Without saying a word, Xu Xiao walked over with his cold knife in hand, his eyes looking at him like he was looking at a pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Jieli was terrified.

He really peed.

A foul odor wafted from his crotch. Looking at Xu Xiao's cold eyes, he knew this old man truly dared to kill him.

"No! Don't kill me!"

Jieli frantically kowtowed on the ground, all traces of his former domineering status as the ruler of the grasslands gone. "I surrender! I'm willing to submit! I'm willing to pay reparations! Please don't kill me!"

"Tch, coward."

Li Chengqian glanced disdainfully at the water stains on the ground, took two steps back in disgust, and said, "Weren't you making such a racket just now? Why are you so soft now?"

He turned around, not even glancing at Jieli again, and waved to the Wei River Bridge in the distance.

"Father! I've cleaned up this mess!"

Li Chengqian's voice traveled across the battlefield and clearly reached Li Shimin's ears.

"Although this guy is a coward, he's still a Khan. He's more valuable alive than dead. You decide what to do with him. I need to go back and catch up on my sleep; I'm exhausted."

After saying that, he yawned and climbed back into the luxurious carriage.

"Xu Xiao, return to the palace. Have the imperial kitchen prepare a hot pot for tonight; I need to eat meat to calm my nerves."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Xu Xiao sheathed his sword and transformed back into the hunched old servant. He drove the carriage, escorted by a group of Snow Dragon Riders, and swaggered towards Chang'an City.

All that was left for everyone was an extremely arrogant back view and a mess on the ground.

The bridgehead of the Wei River.

Li Shimin finally got his dislocated jaw back in place.

He watched as Jieli was dragged over like a dead dog, then watched the carriage drive away, and the Snow Dragon Riders who were closely guarding the carriage and didn't even glance at him, the emperor.

that moment.

The ecstasy in Li Shimin's eyes gradually faded.

Instead, there is an unprecedented level of complexity.

That was the pride of being a father.

But more than anything, it was the emperor's apprehension.

There was also a hint of... inexplicable jealousy.

"That brat..."

Li Shimin squinted, his fingers gently stroking the hilt of the Emperor's Sword at his waist, muttering to himself.

"Even my Xuanjia Army doesn't possess such power. This army only recognizes him, not me."

"Chengqian, the surprise you gave your father... is a bit too much."

"It seems you're destined to be the regent."