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

"Clang—!"

A dull thud, accompanied by billowing dust, slammed heavily onto the golden brick floor of the Taiji Hall.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The entire court stared at the few mud balls, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. That's it?

Just now, His Highness the Crown Prince was so full of pride, saying that it was better to eat than grain, more filling, and had a higher yield. Everyone thought it was some kind of magic elixir that fell from the sky, or a delicacy from the Western Regions.

So, all you've got are these few broken stones?

"Chengqian..."

"The divine artifact you're talking about... it wouldn't happen to be this thing, would it? Is this edible? It looks like clods of dirt to me. Do you want me to lead my entire court to eat mud?"

"Father, you're so ignorant, aren't you?"

Li Chengqian walked over, snatched the potato, wiped the mud off his sleeve, revealing the pale yellow skin underneath.

He held up the potato, his eyes filled with a sense of superiority as if he were looking down on a country bumpkin.

"This is called a potato, scientifically known as Solanum potato. Don't let its ugly appearance fool you; this thing is incredibly versatile. It can be steamed, boiled, roasted, stewed—you name it, it's good. You can even grind it into flour to make noodles. Most importantly…"

Li Chengqian paused, his gaze sweeping over the disdainful officials from the aristocratic families present, a playful sneer curling at the corner of his lips.

"This plant is not picky about the land; it is drought-resistant and cold-resistant, and can be grown in sandy soil as well as on hillsides."

"As for production volume..."

He held up a hand and waved it in front of everyone.

"Five hundred catties?" Dai Zhou asked tentatively. If it really was five hundred catties, it would be a rare high-yield crop, since the current wheat yield per mu is only two or three hundred catties at most.

"five hundred?"

Li Chengqian chuckled and shook his head. "Minister Dai, your vision is too narrow. Broaden your horizons."

"Five thousand jin! Let's begin!"

boom--!

This is like dropping a depth charge into a calm lake; the entire Taiji Hall instantly erupted into chaos.

"Five thousand catties?! How is that possible!"

"Absurd! This is utterly ridiculous! Ancient texts record that even in a year of good weather and abundant harvests, the yield of fertile land is no more than three shi (a unit of dry measure). This... this young brat dares to claim five thousand jin (another unit of dry measure)?"

"Has His Highness the Crown Prince lost his mind? To dare tell such a blatant lie just to please His Majesty?"

Doubts, ridicule, and angry shouts rose and fell.

Especially those officials from aristocratic families, they were like cats whose tails had been stepped on, jumping the highest and shouting the loudest.

They held the Tang Dynasty's grain reserves in their hands, knowing best the grain yield. Five thousand catties? If such a thing truly existed, how could they hoard grain for speculation? How could they control grain prices? How could they maintain their grip on imperial power?

This is practically digging up their ancestral graves!

"Silence! All of you, shut up!"

Li Shimin slammed his hand on the dragon throne. Although he didn't believe it either, he hadn't gone so far as to publicly humiliate his son. He stared intently at Li Chengqian, his voice trembling slightly.

"Chengqian, there is no joking in the army, and even less so in the imperial court! Do you know what five thousand jin means? It's an auspicious omen! It's a miracle!"

"If you dare to deceive the emperor..."

"Deceiving the emperor?"

Li Chengqian toyed with the potato in his hand, looking completely nonchalant. "Father, although I may be a bit lazy and playful sometimes, when have I ever boasted?"

"I said the Great Snow Dragon Riders could wipe out the Turks, did they?"

"I said the Embroidered Uniform Guard could arrest corrupt officials, but did they actually do it?"

"I'm telling you now, this potato yield is 5,000 jin per mu, believe it or not. Anyway, it's not me who's going hungry."

This series of rhetorical questions left Li Shimin speechless.

Yes.

Although this rebellious son acts absurdly, it seems... he hasn't messed up yet?

"Nonsense!"

Just as Li Shimin was wavering, a sharp and piercing voice suddenly rang out.

Wang Gui, the Minister of Rites and a representative of the Taiyuan Wang clan, stepped forward with a dark expression. Holding his official tablet, he glared angrily at Li Chengqian, as if he were looking at a monstrous villain who would bring disaster to the country.

"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince's words are clearly utterly deceptive and misleading!"

"This old minister has read through the books of sages and the classics on agriculture, and has never heard of such a 'divine thing' in the world! A yield of five thousand catties per mu? Even if Shennong were alive today, he would not dare to utter such a wild claim!"

Wang Gui pointed at the potatoes in Li Chengqian's hand, spitting as he spoke.

"This thing is strangely shaped and hideously ugly; it is clearly a poisonous weed or root from the countryside! Your Highness, bring it into the court and intends to eat it. Where does this place His Majesty? Where does it place the people of the world?"

"In my humble opinion, the Crown Prince is clearly trying to use this 'auspicious omen' to cover up his own incompetence in overseeing the country and causing soaring grain prices!"

That hat is way too big.

Not only did they reject the potato, they also conveniently shifted the blame for the soaring grain prices in recent days entirely onto Li Chengqian.

"Are you done talking?"

Li Chengqian picked at his ear and looked at Wang Gui with an expression that said he was an idiot.

"Lord Wang, reading too much can damage your brain. I suggest you eat more walnuts to nourish it."

"You—! You rude brat!" Wang Gui was so angry that his beard trembled.

"Alright, stop with the fancy words."

Li Chengqian yawned, interrupting his spellcasting. "You say this is poisonous grass? I say it's grain. You say a yield of 5,000 catties per mu is a myth? I say it's basic practice."

"Since everyone has a mouth, and no one can convince anyone else, then let's shut up."

He turned around abruptly, bowed to Li Shimin, and although he had a smile on his face, his eyes revealed a sharpness that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

"Father, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."

"Whether these potatoes are any good or not, we'll know once we dig them up and see."

Li Shimin was taken aback: "Dig? Where to dig?"

"The Imperial Garden."

Li Chengqian pointed to the back as if it were a matter of course, "Three months ago (the timeline arranged by the system), I was bored, so I planted an acre of land in the Imperial Garden. Counting the days, it's ripe today."

"Let's go, Father, don't sit here."

"Bring your civil and military officials, and this learned and talented Lord Wang, let's go to the Imperial Garden and reap the rewards on the spot!"

"If it's even a pound less, I'll relinquish this position of regent and return to the Eastern Palace to be my salted fish. But if it's enough..."

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes and glanced at Wang Gui, whose face was ashen.

"Then how about Lord Wang eats the dirt on the ground?"

……

The Imperial Garden.

The royal gardens, originally intended for enjoying flowers and scenery, are now desolate.

The land that was once planted with precious peonies is now overgrown with clumps of half-withered plants, their leaves drooping and looking like a wasteland.

"Is this the auspicious omen His Highness the Crown Prince spoke of?"

Looking at the desolate land, Wang Gui couldn't help but sneer. "Your Majesty, please look! The grass is withered and dying; it's clearly a wasteland! The Crown Prince actually claims that this place holds grain yields of five thousand catties per mu? This is utterly absurd!"

The surrounding ministers also shook their heads.

This presentation is really terrible.

Even the roadside weeds grow more vibrantly than this thing.

Li Shimin's heart sank.

He had initially held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that this rebellious son might actually be able to create another miracle. But now it seems…

This is just a pile of withered grass!

"Chengqian..." Li Shimin sighed, and just as he was about to say something, a hoe was shoved into his hand.

It's heavy, and it's made of iron.

"Father, don't listen to their nonsense."

Li Chengqian stood at the edge of the ground, his sleeves rolled up. His brocade robe, typical of a prince, seemed out of place, yet it exuded a calm and confident aura.

"Some things can't be seen just by looking at the surface. Just like some people who appear to be upright gentlemen, but are actually wicked and immoral in private."

He glanced meaningfully at Wang Gui, then pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

"The treasures are all hidden down there."

"Father, you are the Son of Heaven, so you should be the one to dig the first hole. This is called... winning the lottery!"

Li Shimin looked at the hoe in his hand, then at his son's frighteningly bright eyes.

I don't know why.

His heart, which had grown cold, suddenly warmed up again.

Although this unfilial son is a scoundrel, he seems to have never failed in important matters.

What if?

What if a miracle really happens?

"Alright! I'll trust you this time!"

Li Shimin steeled his heart, disregarding any imperial image, and even spat twice into his palms and rubbed his hands together.

"If you can't dig anything out, I'll take this hoe and teach you a lesson on behalf of our ancestors!"

Done.

Li Shimin took a deep breath, raised the hoe high, and dug hard at the roots of the plant that looked the most withered and inconspicuous.

"drink--!"

The hoe blade pierced the soil with a muffled thud.

As Li Shimin forcefully lifted the soil, a large patch of earth was turned over, and a distinctive, earthy odor filled the air.

Everyone craned their necks and held their breath.

Wang Gui, in particular, stared wide-eyed like a copper bell, just waiting to see the joke.

however.

next second.

As the soil loosened, a heavy, yellowish object was lifted up by its roots and exposed to the sunlight.

One.

two.

Three...

There were seven or eight large, plump potatoes, like a litter of chubby piglets, huddled tightly on the stem. Each one was the size of a fist, covered in fresh, moist soil, and exuding the scent of a bountiful harvest.

"Clang—"

The hoe slipped from Li Shimin's hand and fell to the ground, hitting his foot, but he seemed not to feel any pain.

He reached out with trembling hands, ignoring the mud on them, and grabbed the string of potatoes as if he had grasped the very lifeline of the Tang Dynasty.

This amount...

The feel of it...

Is this really true?!

"This...this is all down there?"

Li Shimin's voice trembled violently as he abruptly turned to look at Li Chengqian, his eyes instantly reddening.

And behind him.

Fang Xuanling, who had just been preparing to laugh at the spectacle, now stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape as if he could fit a fist in it, frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

That's not a potato.

That's an auspicious omen! It's a divine object that can save countless lives!