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

News of the great victory at the Wei River flew back to Chang'an City as if it had grown wings.

When Li Shimin escorted the bruised and battered Jieli Khan back to the city with his unscathed imperial guards, he was greeted by thunderous cheers.

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

However, the cheers reached their peak when the extremely luxurious prince's carriage appeared.

"Long live Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is a divine being! He is the guardian deity of our Great Tang Dynasty!"

The people of Chang'an spontaneously knelt on both sides of the street, their eyes fixed on the carriage with fervent devotion, as if worshipping a god walking among mortals. In comparison, Emperor Li Shimin became merely a foil.

Li Shimin, mounted on his horse, had a fluctuating expression on his face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

are you happy?

Of course I'm happy. We repelled 200,000 enemy troops without bloodshed and even captured the Turkic Khan alive. This is an unprecedented feat since the founding of the nation.

But... this credit doesn't seem to have much to do with him, the emperor!

The whole thing was his eight-year-old son showing off his skills, while the father did nothing but shout "666" and question his own existence.

It feels like you've spent a whole night playing a game, only to find out that the person boosting your account is actually your five-year-old, who also happened to win a world championship.

It's very... subtle.

……

That evening, a victory banquet was held at the palace.

The atmosphere at the banquet, however, was somewhat strange.

The civil and military officials frequently toasted Crown Prince Li Chengqian, showering him with flattery such as "Your Highness is wise and mighty" and "It is a blessing for the nation to have such a crown prince."

And what about Li Chengqian?

He was standing on a stool, struggling to hold a plate of crystal pork knuckle, his mouth dripping with oil, completely ignoring the flattery.

If anyone dared to offer a toast, he would have Xu Xiao, who was standing next to him, drink it on their behalf.

Xu Xiao, that old man, accepted all drinks without hesitation and never got drunk. In the end, he single-handedly took down all those burly military men, leaving everyone amazed.

After the banquet, Li Shimin, under the pretext of "discussing post-war matters," kept several trusted ministers and Li Chengqian alone in the Taiji Hall.

The main hall was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was even more subtle than at the victory celebration banquet.

Li Shimin cleared his throat, breaking the silence first. He looked at Li Chengqian, who was burping and looking satisfied, and forced a kind smile onto his face.

"Chengqian, today on the banks of the Wei River, you deserve the greatest credit."

Li Shimin first affirmed his son's achievements, then abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions: "Your... well, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, is unparalleled in combat power, truly a national treasure. However..."

He paused, his eyes sharpening. "Such elite troops are being wasted on merely guarding the Eastern Palace. Father Emperor believes it would be better to incorporate them into the Sixteen Guards, under my personal command, so they can serve the entire Tang Dynasty. What do you think?"

coming.

The fox's tail has finally been revealed.

Li Chengqian sneered inwardly, but on the surface he maintained an innocent and naive expression.

Before he could even speak, his good uncle, Changsun Wuji, stepped forward, stroking his beard with an expression that said, "I'm doing this for your own good."

"Your Majesty is wise. Your Highness, it is not that I am being presumptuous, but it is unreasonable for the Crown Prince to privately possess a large army. Since this army is so powerful, it should be nationalized to demonstrate the power of our Great Tang Dynasty."

Fang Xuanling echoed, "The Duke of Zhao is absolutely right. Your Highness is too young to command such a fierce army. It would be the best course of action to entrust it to His Majesty."

Immediately, the ministers in the hall began to speak up, their words conveying the same message:

Kid, you're too green. You can't handle such a powerful army. You should let your dad handle it.

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction, looking at Li Chengqian, waiting for him to "know the bigger picture" and hand over his military power.

However, Li Chengqian's next reaction surprised everyone.

Li Chengqian wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth, then looked at everyone present, including his father Li Shimin, with a gaze as if they were looking at an idiot.

"Are you dreaming?"

Li Chengqian's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The entire room fell silent.

Changsun Wuji's smile froze.

The words Fang Xuanling was about to say got stuck in his throat.

Li Shimin's eyes twitched violently, and he almost couldn't resist drawing his sword.

"Ahem..." Li Chengqian seemed to realize that he had spoken too "directly," so he cleared his throat and changed to a "tactful" way of saying it.

"What I mean is, Father, Uncle, and all my uncles."

"Li Chengarkadaşlar, do you have some misunderstanding about this army?"

"Misunderstanding?" Li Shimin asked coldly, suppressing his anger.

"yes."

Li Chengqian spread his hands, looking completely matter-of-fact, "This army is very expensive."

He looked at Li Shimin and gave him an innocent yet extremely irritating smile.

"Father, can you afford to support me?"

Li Shimin was so choked by this rhetorical question that he almost couldn't catch his breath.

Can't afford it?

How could I, the mighty Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, be unable to support an army of three thousand men?

It's simply a horror of slipping the world!

"You unfilial son! Stop talking nonsense!" Li Shimin slammed his fist on the dragon throne in anger. "I possess the entire world, all land belongs to the king. How can you say that I cannot afford to support a mere three thousand cavalrymen?!"

"Really?"

Li Chengqian blinked, then reached into his wide sleeve and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of Xuan paper.

He slammed the paper onto the imperial desk with a "smack," his movements as elegant as a landlord collecting rent.

"Since Father is so rich, that's perfect."

Li Chengqian pointed to the paper and said with a smile, "This is the expense bill for the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry yesterday. It doesn't include battle losses, only food and drink."

"Would you please ask the Ministry of Revenue to reimburse me, Father?"

Li Shimin picked up the paper with suspicion and looked down at it.

It was written in childish handwriting:

"Daily Expenses for the Dragon Riders during the Great Snowstorm":

"One, three thousand soldiers, each consuming ten catties of beef per day, totaling thirty thousand catties."

"Two to three thousand warhorses from Beiliang need to be fed top-quality feed, and this supply must not be interrupted."

"III. A certain amount of medicinal herbs and pills required for the soldiers' daily cultivation..."

"Four,……"

Li Shimin's eyes widened, and his breathing became increasingly rapid.

When he saw the final total, he felt a wave of dizziness and almost died on the spot.

"Father? Father, what's wrong?"

Li Chengqian leaned closer with a concerned look, "Don't scare me, it's just a day's expenses. Didn't you say you were rich beyond measure?"

Li Shimin pointed at the bill, his voice trembling, "This...is what's written here true? The beef they ate in just one day is enough to feed my imperial guards for a month?!"

Li Chengqian shrugged, looking completely innocent. "Father, high investment yields high returns. Do you think martial arts masters grew up on air?"

"If you don't believe me, ask Minister Dai Zhou. Look at the meager funds in the national treasury—is it even enough to feed the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry?"