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

"What...what exactly is this thing?"

Cheng Yaojin tucked the broken axe handle into his waistband, stared with his large, round eyes, and cautiously approached.

The eight black and white giant beasts were lined up in two rows, their bodies draped in specially made brocade harnesses, but they showed no intention of pulling a cart.

One of the leaders simply plopped down on the blood-soaked mud, its two furry front paws clutching a bright green bamboo stalk, crunching away happily.

As it gnawed, it scanned the surrounding group of murderous Tang soldiers with its innocent little eyes, which were covered in dark circles, as if it were looking at a bunch of country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

"A bear? It's way too fat!"

Yuchi Gong also came over and reached out to touch the round buttocks, but the giant beast slapped him away.

The movements appear clumsy, but are actually as fast as lightning.

"Don't move!"

The carriage curtain was lifted again, and Li Chengqian leaned out, holding a purple clay teapot in his hand, his face serious.

"This is an ancient ferocious beast, an iron-eating beast! The great god Chi You rode it to fight the Yellow Emperor!"

"A ferocious...beast?"

Cheng Yaojin's mouth twitched wildly as he looked at the chubby ball that had just finished eating bamboo and was rolling around and acting cute.

"Your Highness, are you sure this thing can fight? I feel like it couldn't even beat the pigs I raise at home!"

"Uncultured."

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and rolled his eyes.

"That's called feigning ignorance, don't you understand?"

"Don't let their docile appearance fool you. If they get really angry, their bite force can bite through a metal plate! One slap and your skull will be as brittle as a watermelon!"

"and……"

Li Chengqian pointed at the eight pandas, a sense of superiority on his face that seemed to say, "You bunch of poor bastards don't know how to appreciate things."

"They're stable!"

"With its low chassis and strong grip, it can traverse mountains and valleys as if it were flat ground. Sitting inside the car, it's incredibly stable; you won't even spill soup."

As he spoke, to prove that what he said was true, he deliberately turned to the side, revealing the scene inside the carriage.

hiss--

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

Even Li Shimin's eyelids twitched violently twice.

In the very center of that spacious carriage, which was as big as a small house, sat a copper pot that was still steaming!

The red oil in the pot was bubbling, and a few slices of mutton were bobbing up and down in it. There were also various vegetables, dipping sauces, and even a plate of sliced ​​watermelon on the side!

"Gurgle."

A loud bang came from someone's stomach on the deathly silent battlefield.

I'm hungry.

After being besieged for two days and two nights, these Xuanjia soldiers were barely able to get any horse meat. When they saw the red oil hot pot, they felt even closer to it than to their own mother.

"Hey, it's still running?"

Li Chengqian glanced at the bottom of the pot, picked up his chopsticks, and very naturally picked up a piece of meat, stuffing it into his mouth in full view of everyone.

"Yeah, I'm getting old."

He frowned, looking disgusted. "We rushed too much on the way here, and I didn't control the heat properly. Old Xu, remember to remind me next time that we should turn the fire down when we cross the Yellow River."

Xu Xiao stood beside the carriage, smiling as he replied, "This old servant has remembered. It's mainly because this iron-eating beast runs too fast and the wind is strong that the fire is burning so brightly."

The master and servant chatted back and forth, oblivious to everyone else, about the cooking time of the hot pot.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Li Shimin stood there, his golden armor tattered, his face streaked with black and red, his hair a mess like a bird's nest, and his lips chapped and peeling.

He looked at his son, who was sitting amidst brocade, eating hotpot and singing, and who had come to his rescue riding a panda.

That instant.

He felt like he was losing his composure.

It's completely collapsed.

While I'm fighting the Turks here, you're having a picnic in the back?

I'm here gnawing on tree bark and drinking muddy water, and you're over there complaining that the mutton is too tough?

Is this place here to fight a war?

This is clearly an attempt to sow discord among me!

"Li! Cheng! Qian!"

Li Shimin squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth, his voice trembling, carrying the fury of a volcano about to erupt.

"You...you..."

He pointed at the eight pandas that were still whimpering, his fingers trembling as if he had Parkinson's disease.

"Father, please don't get agitated, it can easily cause high blood pressure."

Li Chengqian quickly put down his chopsticks, jumped off the car, and grabbed a slice of watermelon.

"Here, have a piece of melon to cool down. It's just been taken out of the freezer, it's sandy and very sweet."

"I won't eat it!"

Li Shimin slapped the watermelon open, scattering the red flesh all over the ground, much like his broken heart at that moment.

"I'm asking you a question!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Li Chengqian, and uttered a question from the depths of his soul.

"You're sitting in this thing..."

"Eating hot pot the whole way..."

"They've come to save me?!"

"yes."

Li Chengqian nodded confidently, with a look that said, "Is there a problem with this?"

"Father, think about it. The journey is long. How can we have the energy to travel if we don't eat our fill? How can we have the energy to command on the battlefield if we don't sit comfortably?"

"This is called sharpening the axe before chopping wood."

"Look, didn't I arrive just in time? A moment earlier and you wouldn't have given up hope, a moment later and you would have been truly doomed."

"That's what you call—"

Li Chengqian snapped his fingers, a bright smile on his face.

"Saving the situation at a critical moment is the most fatal mistake."

"puff--"

Li Shimin felt a sweet taste in his throat, his vision went black, and he swayed twice, almost fainting on the spot.

孽 孽!

What sins did I commit in my past life to have such a thing born?

"His Majesty!"

Changsun Wuji quickly supported the swaying emperor, pinching his philtrum and patting his back to help him breathe. "Please take care of your health! His Highness the Crown Prince... although he acts recklessly, at least... at least he rescued you!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Cheng Yaojin chimed in, his eyes constantly glancing at the hot pot, "This Iron-Eating Beast looks clumsy, but I, Old Cheng, saw its speed with my own eyes just now! It runs like a whirlwind! It's definitely a divine beast!"

"Mythical beast my foot!"

Li Shimin caught his breath and looked at the pandas trying to gnaw on Cheng Yaojin's axe handle, and he was furious.

"This is clearly a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

"Just like their owners!"

"They're all just gluttons!"