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

With a crisp "snap," the walnut shell shattered into pieces.

Li Shimin's heart trembled violently. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Imperial Seal of the State was still intact, without even a scratch.

"This He Shi Bi... is quite sturdy."

He muttered something, but before he could retaliate, Li Chengqian handed him a pair of chopsticks, silencing him.

"Father, don't just stand there. Tripe isn't tasty when it's old. Come, let me teach you. This is called 'seven up, eight down'."

Li Chengqian picked up a piece of crisp and tender tripe, counted the seconds in the boiling red oil pot, dipped it in the garlic and sesame oil sauce, and stuffed it directly into Li Shimin's mouth before he could close it.

boom--!

An unprecedented storm of flavors exploded in Li Shimin's mouth in an instant.

The richness of butter, the burst of chili peppers, and the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, combined with the crisp texture of tripe, are like a well-trained cavalry charge against his taste buds, which have been poisoned by boiled mutton for years.

Li Shimin's eyes widened instantly.

"Ouch—it's so hot! And it smells...it tastes so weird!"

He inhaled and tried to spit out what was in his mouth, but the domineering aroma seemed to hook his tongue, making him reluctant to open his mouth.

grunt.

As the tripe was swallowed, a warm current slid down the esophagus into the stomach, and all the pores on the body opened up in that instant, making one want to shout with pleasure.

"What...what is this? Why is it so spicy, yet so irresistible?"

Li Shimin wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, his chopsticks already reaching uncontrollably into the pot.

"This is called chili pepper, a rare commodity brought from the Western Regions."

Li Chengqian made up a story on the spot, scalding himself so much that he was panting, "Father, don't just eat meat, try this duck intestine, it's very crispy."

The father and son were sitting around a pot, eating with great enthusiasm.

Forget imperial majesty, forget the proper order between father and son—all of that pales in comparison to this hotpot feast. Li Shimin's dragon robe sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his mouth smeared with red oil, completely devoid of his usual dignified and solemn demeanor.

"That feels amazing! That's fucking awesome!"

Li Shimin took a bite of half of the "pissing beef ball," wincing at the scalding broth inside, but exclaimed how delicious it was. "Those cooks in my imperial kitchen should all be dragged out and beheaded! What kind of pig swill are they making? Compared to this, it's simply inedible!"

"That's right, my skill is unparalleled in the world."

Li Chengqian smugly added wide rice noodles to the pot.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Although Li Shimin was enjoying his meal, his mind wasn't completely clouded. He wiped the grease from his mouth, his eyes clearing slightly, and asked seemingly casually:

"By the way, Chengqian. I heard... Zhuque Street was quite lively today?"

"Is there?"

Li Chengqian didn't even look up, focusing on the top-quality pig brain in the pot. "When is Chang'an not lively? Father, you're overthinking it."

"Stop pretending to be stupid with me."

Li Shimin paused, his chopsticks still on his lips, staring intently at him. "Those people dressed in strange clothes and carrying long swords, are they from your Eastern Palace?"

"Oh, you mean the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Li Chengqian suddenly realized, "That's my newly recruited security team."

"Security team?" Li Shimin frowned. "To execute a fifth-rank physician in the street, your security team... you're meddling quite a bit, aren't you?"

"Father, you are wronging your son."

Li Chengqian put down his chopsticks, looking aggrieved. "Zhao Dequan embezzled military funds and resold weapons; the evidence is irrefutable. I was just trying to clean house for you, and instead of rewarding me, you're interrogating me?"

"I'm not blaming you for killing someone, I'm saying..."

Li Shimin lowered his voice and leaned forward, "How did you build your intelligence network? It's even faster than my 'Hundred Cavalry Division'?"

This is what Li Shimin feared most and was most curious about.

He had barely received word of it when the Imperial Guards had already killed the man; their efficiency was simply outrageous.

Li Chengqian chuckled inwardly: That's right, anything produced by the system is bound to be of high quality.

But on his face was an expression that said, "Is this so difficult?" He replied, "Money makes the world go round. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of money. As long as the money is right, there will be no secrets in Chang'an."

"Is it really that simple?" Li Shimin looked incredulous.

"It's that simple."

Li Chengqian shrugged, picked up a piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Father, you're overthinking it. Eat meat, eat meat, these brains will get old if we don't eat them soon."

Li Shimin glanced at him suspiciously, but his attention was quickly diverted by the delicious food in the pot. Oh well, this kid is his own flesh and blood anyway, he can get information out of him slowly later.

The two of them fought over the meat for a while longer.

The table wasn't very big to begin with, and it was covered with plates. The heavy copper pot made the table wobble a bit.

"Squeak—squeak—"

The sound of the table legs scraping against the ground annoyed Li Shimin.

"What's wrong with this table? It's making me dizzy."

Li Shimin frowned and subconsciously reached out to find something to prop up the table leg.

His eyes swept across the table, but he couldn't find anything suitable. Suddenly, he remembered the "hard thing" he had used to crack walnuts earlier.

"Where is that imperial seal? Bring it to me. I remember it was perfectly square and the height was just right."

Li Shimin stretched out his hand, "Hurry up, the soup is about to spill."

Li Chengqian, chewing on wide rice noodles, pointed vaguely to the area under the table.

"Father, please look down."

Li Shimin was startled and subconsciously bent down to look under the table.

Upon seeing this, he froze completely.

The Imperial Seal of the State, with a missing corner and gold trim, lay on the ground, covered in dust and dirt, pressed firmly under the carved table leg.

The table is stable.

But Li Shimin's mentality collapsed.

"Li! Cheng! Qian!"

Li Shimin suddenly straightened up, his face turning a deep liver color, and the veins on his forehead throbbing wildly like earthworms.

That's the Imperial Seal of the State!

It is a treasure passed down from Qin Shi Huang! It is a symbol of destiny!

He would wash his hands and burn incense even before touching it, for fear of desecrating the sacred artifact.

The results of it?

In this rebellious son's hands, it was first used to crack walnuts, and now it's being used to prop up table legs?!

If our ancestors found out, they'd be turning in their graves!

"You...you spendthrift! This is utter disrespect! This is blasphemy against the nation!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he trembled all over. He picked up the white jade plate next to him and was about to smash it on the ground, but then he thought that he was in the Eastern Palace and would have to pay for it if he broke it, so he held back.

"It's just a table leg support, isn't it?"

Li Chengqian looked completely innocent, even kicking the table leg with his toe to show that it was really stable. "Make the most of it. Besides, this broken stone is just gathering dust, so why not use it to serve the people and make our meal more comfortable?"

"A broken rock?!"

Li Shimin felt his blood pressure had burst through the top of his head.

He took a deep breath, just about to roar out the classic line, "You unfilial son, I'm going to depose you!", when a gentle yet authoritative female voice suddenly came from outside the door, instantly extinguishing the tense atmosphere like a spring breeze.

"Erlang, Gan'er, what are you two doing hiding here eating all by yourself? I could smell the delicious aroma from far away."