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

"Splash!"

A basin of cold water mixed with ice crystals was mercilessly splashed onto Changsun Chong's pale face.

The biting cold instantly sent a shiver down his spine.

Changsun Chong suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily, like a fish that had just jumped back into the water from the shore.

He looked around blankly.

I am no longer on that locomotive that vibrated so violently it felt like my internal organs were about to shift.

Instead, he lay in the outer room of the bridal chamber in the Duke of Zhao's mansion, which was decorated in an extremely festive manner and covered with red double happiness symbols.

"woke up?"

A voice, extremely languid yet exuding an undeniable authority, rang out from the side.

Changsun Chong turned his head with difficulty, his pupils suddenly contracting.

There sat Prince Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty, sitting imposingly in a rosewood armchair, holding a gold-embossed dowry list in his hand, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Your Majesty... Your Highness..."

Changsun Chong was so frightened that he tried to get up and pay his respects, but found that his legs were still trembling uncontrollably.

He had never experienced anything as thrilling as this in his entire life.

First, she was terrified by the dowry document that read "Ownership of the Beijing-Luoyang Railway," and then she was dragged along by that fire-breathing, smoke-spitting steel monster to parade through the streets.

The sheer awe of being propelled by the incredibly violent forces of industry amidst the cheers of tens of thousands of people directly shattered his fragile intellectual mind.

"Look at you, so pathetic."

Li Chengqian curled his lip in disgust and threw the gift list in his hand onto Changsun Chong's chest with a "thud".

"You're already dizzy? I was counting on you to manage this cash cow for Chang Le in the future. Judging from your condition, you probably can't even understand the accounts."

Changsun Chong clutched the gift list tightly, as if it were an extremely hot potato.

He knew what the words on it meant.

This is a gold mine, but also an extremely heavy shackle!

"Your Highness... this dowry... is far too heavy," Changsun Chong stammered. "What merit does the Changsun family... possess to deserve this..."

"This isn't for your Changsun family."

Li Chengqian suddenly dropped his nonchalant smile, leaned forward slightly, and his eyes instantly turned icy cold.

The sudden murderous aura made the indoor temperature seem to drop several degrees.

"This is the confidence I give to Chang Le!"

Li Chengqian spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to strike Changsun Chong's bones.

"Your Changsun family are powerful relatives of the imperial family, and influential officials. But Chang Le is my own sister, the most esteemed eldest princess of the Tang Dynasty!"

"I gave her this railway as her dowry to tell the world, and to tell your Changsun family."

Li Chengqian stood up, walked to Changsun Chong, and looked down at him.

"As long as this railway is still running, Chang Le will be the richest woman in the Tang Dynasty!"

"She doesn't need to consider the opinions of any member of your Changsun family, understand?"

Changsun Chong was so overwhelmed by this powerful aura that he could barely breathe and could only nod frantically.

"I understand... Your Majesty understands..."

"Good that you understand."

Li Chengqian patted Changsun Chong on the shoulder and suddenly smiled in an extremely gentle manner, but to Changsun Chong, that smile was a hundred times more terrifying than his previous coldness.

"Changsun Chong, I am a reasonable person."

"If you ever dare to treat Chang Le badly in the slightest, or cause her any injustice..."

Li Chengqian pointed in the direction outside the door.

"The red-coated cannons of the Divine Machine Battalion aren't just aimed at those barbarians in the Western Regions. I wouldn't mind using those cannonballs to plow up the land of your Duke Zhao's mansion in Chang'an."

This extremely direct and undisguised death threat completely shattered Changsun Chong's last line of psychological defense.

He fell to his knees with a thud, trembling like a leaf, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Your Majesty, I swear! I will never betray Princess Chang Le in this lifetime! If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Seeing that the groom had been completely tamed, Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, get up. Today is your big day, what kind of behavior is this, making such a mess of yourself? Go inside, don't keep Chang Le waiting."

Changsun Chong scrambled into the inner room.

Changsun Wuji, who had been standing in the shadows outside the door and had taken in everything, slowly walked out.

This most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty watched as his eldest son was being disciplined by the Crown Prince like a dog, yet he showed no anger whatsoever.

Instead, she smiled as brightly as a flower, even the wrinkles on her face smoothed out.

"This old minister thanks Your Highness for your guidance."

Changsun Wuji bowed deeply to Li Chengqian with utmost respect.

He was an extremely clever old fox; how could he not see the deeper meaning behind Li Chengqian's series of domineering methods?

The purpose of reprimanding Changsun Chong was to protect the Changsun family!

The Crown Prince was drawing a very clear line, telling the Changsun family: as long as you behave yourselves and obediently serve as the Tang Dynasty's moneybags and pawns, you will be rewarded with wealth and honor.

But if you dare to harbor even the slightest improper thoughts, the Red Cannon will teach you a lesson at any time.

This extremely brutal yet highly effective imperial strategy instilled a deep sense of awe in Changsun Wuji, while also putting his mind at ease.

Meanwhile, in the wedding banquet hall not far away.

The atmosphere was lively, with clinking glasses and a cacophony of voices.

Fang Xuanling, the Grand Secretary, stood quietly beside the pillar, holding a cup of wine.

He looked at the young crown prince who walked out of the backyard with a relaxed air, and then at Changsun Wuji, who was all smiles and following behind the crown prince like a servant.

This renowned prime minister, famous for his strategic brilliance, sighed deeply.

He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, his eyes filled with an indescribable sense of awe and vicissitude.

"A railway was used to buy the loyalty of a top-tier aristocratic family, and the power of industry was used to shatter the pride of a traditional family..."

Fang Xuanling shook his head with a wry smile.

"Your Highness's ability to manipulate events is something I, your humble servant, could never hope to match, even if I studied for another hundred years."