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

"Click."

Li Chengqian paused slightly with the small silver knife in his hand, and the apple peel, which had been cut in one continuous line, snapped off.

He raised his head and looked at the prime ministers in front of him, who were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. A subtle, complex emotion flashed in his perpetually sleepy eyes.

"Master Fang, what are you saying?"

"It's like they're hoping something bad happens to my father so I can ascend the throne quickly."

Li Chengqian handed the peeled apple to Wu Meiniang, who had been sitting quietly beside him, his tone slightly teasing.

"Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling was so frightened that he immediately knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty would never have meant that!"

"Your Majesty's loyalty is as clear as heaven and earth, as evident as the sun and moon! I only... I only worry about the affairs of the state, and about Your Majesty's safety!"

This usually shrewd and resourceful prime minister of the Tang Dynasty was now weeping uncontrollably, like a child.

"A country cannot be without a ruler for even a day, Your Highness!"

"His Majesty's fate is now uncertain, and 300,000 troops from the north are pressing in. The people of Chang'an are gripped by fear. If we don't make preparations soon, once bad news arrives, the Tang Dynasty… the Tang Dynasty will truly be finished!"

Changsun Wuji also knelt down. Although he was Li Chengqian's maternal uncle, he looked solemn and pleading at this moment.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Even if you don't think of yourself, you should think of the people and the hard-won country!

"You are now the Crown Prince Regent, the only hope for the Tang Dynasty. If you continue to be so...so 'calm,' the morale of the entire court will truly crumble!"

Although Du Ruhui did not cry, he bowed deeply, his voice hoarse.

"Your Highness, please prioritize matters of state!"

Good guy.

This is a group coming together to force the emperor to resign.

Looking at the prime ministers kneeling on the ground, Li Chengqian felt utterly overwhelmed.

This is the kind of scene he hates the most.

They were all crying and sobbing, and all they talked about was the country, the people, and the fate of the nation.

Are you tired?

"Get up, everyone."

Li Chengqian waved his hand impatiently, "What are you crying for? It's like you're attending a funeral. My father isn't even dead yet, and you're already putting pressure on me?"

He jumped down from the throne of regent, walked up to Fang Xuanling, and pulled him up from the ground.

"Master Fang, let me ask you this: if I were to lead troops to rescue people, would you know which way to go?"

Fang Xuanling was taken aback, then shook his head: "I don't know."

"Let me ask you again, even if you knew, could you lead the troops? Would the Xuanjia Army listen to you, or the Sixteen Guards?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head again, his old face turning red.

That solves it.

Li Chengqian shrugged, his face saying, "If you're so good, then you do it."

"The enemy situation is unclear, our commander-in-chief (my father) is missing, and the military seal and command token are all gone."

"In this situation, you want me to send troops? Send what troops? Send eunuchs out to shout 'Stop fighting!'?"

Although the words are rough, the principle is sound.

The three prime ministers were rendered speechless by the rebuttal.

Yes.

The emperor personally led the expedition, taking supreme command with him. Now that the emperor is missing, the entire military machine of the Tang Dynasty has instantly come to a standstill.

Apart from the few "private armies" in the Eastern Palace that only obey the Crown Prince's orders, no one else can mobilize a single soldier.

"But... but we can't just wait here like this!" Du Ruhui wrung his hands anxiously.

"Who said I've been waiting idly?"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes and pointed to his two huge dark circles.

"See? Because of my father's petty troubles, I haven't had a nap for days."

"Training troops, cooking meals, sharpening knives... which one doesn't require my attention?"

"Do you think being a couch potato is easy? You need to balance work and rest, you know!"

Fang Xuanling and the others were both amused and exasperated by the Crown Prince's absurd reasoning.

So in your eyes, worrying about your father's safety is less important than taking a nap?

Just as Fang Xuanling had organized his thoughts and was preparing to appeal to his emotions and reason, he launched another round of "remonstrance to the death."

Li Chengqian seemed to see through his thoughts, and suddenly waved his hand, looking annoyed.

"Alright, alright, stop crying, it's annoying to watch."

He stretched out a big yawn, his joints cracking and popping, his languid appearance suggesting that the heated exchange had exhausted all his energy.

"Considering that you old men are still worried about the country at your age, I'll give you a sneak peek."

The three prime ministers instantly perked up, raising their heads in unison and staring intently at him.

Li Chengqian walked to the huge sand table, picked up the slender bamboo pole, and gently tapped the "Longmen Mountain" spot.

"My father is right here."

"They've been surrounded by that old fox Jieli with his army of 300,000. They're starving and thirsty, probably gnawing on tree bark."

Although this news was expected, hearing it from the Crown Prince himself still made Fang Xuanling and the others feel a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.

"Then...then we..."

"Don't rush."

Li Chengqian raised his hand, stopping them from speaking.

He walked to the window, squinted at the setting sun outside.

"Wait two more days."

"Why?!" Changsun Wuji exclaimed.

"Because the time isn't right yet."

Li Chengqian turned around, a profound smile on his face, a smile that even carried a hint of... schadenfreude.

"My dad is too arrogant."

"He didn't fall hard enough, and he hasn't learned his lesson yet."

"Only by letting him starve until his stomach is practically touching his back, by letting him watch the people around him collapse one by one, by letting him truly experience what despair is..."

Li Chengqian's voice was very soft, yet it sent a chill down the spines of the three high-ranking officials present.

"If I were to reappear at that time, that would be a true act of kindness in times of need, a true act of saving the day."

"Go now? That would be stealing credit and slapping him in the face."

"Don't you agree?"

Fang Xuanling opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Your Highness, this is treasonous," but the words wouldn't come out.

Because he discovered that what the Crown Prince said... actually made some sense.

So...

Li Chengqian lay back down on his throne, picked up the unfinished storybook, and covered his face with it.

"Go back, everyone. Don't just stand here."

"Wait two more days."

"By the time my father was nearly starving, his memory had also returned to normal."

He peered through the gaps in the book at the three stunned old faces, a wicked smile creeping onto his lips.

"Of course I'll go... to get him out of there."