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

The north wind whistled outside the window, whipping up white snowflakes.

But inside this temporary palace hall, it was as hot as the dog days of summer.

It wasn't because the charcoal fire burned brightly, but because people's hearts were warm.

Several painters from the Ministry of Works carefully climbed ladders and hung a huge map, freshly drawn and still wet with ink, on the main wall of the hall.

"Splash—"

The scroll is unrolled.

In that instant, the entire hall seemed to be illuminated by a red light.

Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back in front of the painting.

He has maintained this posture for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

It remained motionless, like a stone sculpture.

Only the hand behind his back trembled violently and uncontrollably within the wide sleeves of his robe, his knuckles white from clenching too tightly.

"Xuanling..."

After a long while, Li Shimin's voice finally rang out, hoarse and dry, with a hint of etherealness as if he were still in a dream.

"You read it to me..."

"What is this large red area that's suddenly appeared?"

Fang Xuanling stood to one side, holding a whisk in his hands, tears streaming down his face. He took a deep breath, and with all his might, shouted:

"Return to your majesty!"

"That's the southern steppe! That's the Yinshan Mountains! That's the former Turkic royal court!"

"Now, it has a new name—"

"The Great Tang Dynasty, the Beiting Protectorate!"

boom!

Even though he already knew the outcome, when the name was called out on the map, Li Shimin's mind still went blank.

He reached out his hand tremblingly, his fingertips touching the drawing that still smelled of ink.

The finger travels from Chang'an, across the Wei River, over the Great Wall, through the Yin Mountains, and finally stops at the distant Langjuxu Mountain, which once only existed in legends.

Everything is red.

That once black area, representing fear, slaughter, and barbarism, has now been completely dyed vermilion, representing the Tang Dynasty!

The territory has doubled in size!

"Double that..."

Li Shimin muttered to himself, his eyes instantly reddening.

He turned around abruptly, looking at the civil and military officials below the throne, his voice trembling.

Do you know what this means?

"Emperor Wu of Han devoted his entire life to the war, depleting the national treasury accumulated during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. It took him decades to barely drive the Xiongnu to the northern desert."

"And I..."

Li Shimin pointed to himself, then to the picture.

"It only took me three months!"

"In just three months! I have completely quelled the border troubles that had plagued the Central Plains dynasties for hundreds of years!"

"Not only did I level it, I also seized that land! I turned it into my ranch! My backyard!"

This sense of accomplishment is even more comforting than eating a ginseng fruit.

Li Shimin's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a few months ago.

On that rainy afternoon, on the Wei River Bridge.

He endured the humiliation, gritted his teeth, and signed a humiliating treaty with Jieli. At that time, looking at the arrogant backs of the Turks, all he could think about was how to protect Chang'an and how to prolong his life.

Back then, who could have imagined things would turn out this way?

Who would dare to imagine?!

"call……"

Li Shimin let out a long breath, as if he had expelled all the pent-up frustration he had accumulated over the past half-life.

He felt his soul was being elevated.

A great emperor throughout history?

No, my current achievements probably surpass even those of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han!

"Chengqian!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Li Shimin instinctively wanted to find someone to share this immense joy with.

He turned around and his gaze fell on the soft couch that had been specially moved in the corner.

Li Chengqian was curled up inside, covered with a thick fox fur coat, holding a hand warmer in his arms, fast asleep.

"..."

Li Shimin's face froze instantly, and his lips twitched twice.

That unfilial son!

I'm so excited I'm about to have a heart attack, and he's still sleeping?

This is territorial expansion! It's a glorious moment worthy of being recorded in history! Can't you at least cooperate and give some response?

"Wake up!"

Li Shimin walked over and kicked his foot impatiently. "Look at that map! Look at the empire I conquered!"

"Um……?"

Li Chengqian groggily opened one eye and glanced at the map following Li Shimin's finger.

Then, he yawned and rolled over.

"Oh, it's quite big."

"If I want to eat beef jerky in the future, I won't have to bring it from Chang'an anymore. I can just go there and have it slaughtered fresh. That's great."

After saying that, he closed his eyes again, clearly more interested in sleeping than looking at the map.

Li Shimin: "..."

He felt like all his passion had been wasted on feeding dogs.

Beef jerky?

Is beef jerky all you see?!

That is territory! That is glory! That is my civil and military achievements!

"Don't you think... I'm great?" Li Shimin, unwilling to give up, squatted down by the bed, trying to get a word of praise out of his son.

Li Chengqian sighed helplessly, stretched out a hand from under the covers, and patted Li Shimin's shoulder perfunctorily.

"Great, great."

"Father, you are the most powerful. You punched the Jieli and kicked the Turks. Your power shook the four seas and your virtue matched the heavens and the earth."

"Okay, okay? Can I go back to sleep now?"

"My hands are sore from counting money for you these past few days, I'm so tired."

Li Shimin was speechless, but upon hearing the words "counting money," his anger inexplicably subsided.

Yes.

Behind this expansion of territory lies not only a matter of appearances, but also substantial substance.

Those warhorses, cattle, sheep, and ores that were continuously transported to Chang'an... were all arranged by this rebellious son.

"Fine, considering your hard work and great contributions, I won't hold it against you."

Li Shimin stood up and walked back to the map.

His gaze finally settled on the small red dot marked "Chang'an" at the bottom of the map.

That was his home.

It is also the heart of the Tang Dynasty.

At this moment, a strong and uncontrollable impulse suddenly surged in Li Shimin's heart.

He wanted to go back.

He wanted to return to Chang'an in a grand procession, carrying with him this tremendous achievement, this expanded territory, the hundreds of thousands of prisoners, and countless spoils of war!

He wanted the people of Chang'an to see that their emperor had returned!

He wanted to show those who had questioned and opposed him what he had actually done!

This is what it means to return home in glory!

This is what it means to return home in glory!

"Issue my decree!"

Li Shimin suddenly turned around, waved his sleeves, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his voice was loud enough to pierce through the wind and snow.

"strike camp!"

"return after victory!"

"Return to court!"