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

The journey from Chang'an to Tianjin was originally a long and arduous one for an army of 100,000.

But now, with the railway trunk line running through the Central Plains, this journey has been compressed to five days.

As Li Chengqian sat in his comfortable private carriage, listening to the regular creaking of the train, he sipped chilled grape wine.

The accompanying military officers, including Xue Rengui who had just been promoted to vanguard, were still in a daze.

They couldn't understand why they didn't have to ride horses, but could eat canned braised pork and sleep in soft sleeper carriages.

Is this the legendary "eating hotpot and singing songs while incidentally destroying the enemy country"?

Five days later, at the Tianjin estuary.

The biting sea breeze, carrying salt, swept over me, dispelling the fatigue of the long journey.

When the 100,000-strong army lined up on the wide cement dock, the incredibly awe-inspiring, almost miraculous scene before their eyes left everyone speechless.

There were none of the dilapidated wooden sailboats that they had imagined, circling in the rivers.

Anchored in the harbor are thirty super warships, so large they make you question reality, like steel mountains at sea!

These "Ming Dynasty treasure ships" have long been transformed by the Mohist craftsmen who modified them according to the system blueprints.

The ship's hull was covered with a thick layer of cast iron armor, which gleamed with a cold and indestructible light in the sunlight.

On either side of the hull, massive steam paddle wheels slowly churned the seawater, emitting a deep, mechanical roar. This was the pinnacle of the early industrialization of the Tang Dynasty—a steam-powered armored treasure ship!

Nine thick masts, each requiring ten people to encircle, pierced the sky, covered with blood-red dragon flags that blotted out the sun.

On the deck, wide enough for horses to gallop, rows of dark, smoothbore guns stood like awakened monsters, coldly gazing at the distant sea.

"My goodness..."

Cheng Yaojin stood on the dock, and his prized Xuanhua axe fell to the ground with a "thud".

He swallowed hard, pointing at one of the treasure ships, his hand trembling.

"Your Highness...is this thing really for people to ride in? Or is it a chariot prepared for heavenly soldiers and generals?"

Yuchi Gong, who was equally stunned, pinched himself hard, wincing in pain.

"Old Cheng, this ship is taller than the city walls of Chang'an! If it were to ram into those dilapidated Goguryeo rafts at sea, wouldn't they be reduced to splinters in an instant?"

Xue Rengui was so excited that his face turned red. He gripped his halberd tightly, feeling the blood in his body boiling wildly.

As a naval vanguard, commanding such an invincible fleet is an honor that no general could even dream of.

"Alright, stop making a fool of yourselves like country bumpkins."

Li Chengqian stepped down from the palanquin, stretched, and interrupted the generals' exclamations of surprise.

He turned his head and looked at Zheng He.

This legendary navigator stood beside the flagship's gangway, his posture upright as a pine tree, his eyes revealing absolute control over the ocean.

"Chief Steward Zheng, are you ready?"

Zheng He knelt on one knee, his voice as loud as the ocean waves.

"Your Highness! Thirty treasure ships are fully loaded with provisions and canned goods! Thirty thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders, five thousand Divine Machine Battalion musketeers, and sixty thousand naval soldiers have all boarded and are in position!"

"We await only Your Highness's command, and the Tang Navy is ready to tear this Eastern Sea apart at any moment!"

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

He slowly walked up the wide gangway, each step extremely steady.

When he stepped onto the highest point of the flagship's forecast, the Tianjin residents who had come to see him off on the dock erupted in thunderous cheers.

"May the Great Tang Dynasty prosper! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Uphold our national prestige! Crush Liaodong!"

The deafening roar, mixed with the thick black smoke rising from the treasure ship, created a war scene worthy of being recorded in history.

Li Shimin did not come because he could not bear the feeling of being able to only watch his son achieve great things, so he simply hid in Chang'an to avoid seeing or hearing about it.

Li Chengqian stood in front of the railing, feeling the slight vibrations coming from the steam turbine below the deck.

This sense of power that transcends time ignited a touch of heroism in his otherwise lazy nature.

He slowly raised his right hand, preparing to issue the command that would change the course of Asia.

however.

Just as his gaze swept across a corner of the deck below, his hand suddenly froze in mid-air.

Among the neatly arranged ranks of soldiers dressed in uniform naval armor, one figure stood out from the crowd.

That person was dressed as an ordinary soldier.

But he was wearing a large straw hat on his head, and his face was completely covered with a thick linen mask, only revealing a pair of eyes that were darting around and looking around furtively.

What's even more outrageous is that the person was extremely petite. Standing among a group of burly sailors, he looked like a rabbit mixed into a pack of wolves, which seemed completely out of place.

"What is that thing?"

Li Chengqian frowned and turned to look at Xu Xiao behind him.

"Old Xu, when did the selection standards for our Tang Dynasty navy drop to this level? Can that short guy even pull the sail?"

Xu Xiao was also completely confused. He followed Li Chengqian's finger and saw a hint of doubt flash in that single eye.

"Your Highness, this old servant will send someone to investigate immediately."

Just as Xu Xiao was about to give the order.

The masked soldier seemed to sense the gaze coming from the forecourt and shuddered in fright.

Instead of lowering her head to hide, she nervously hid behind a burly man, trying to use his broad back to shield herself.

But in doing so, she accidentally stepped on the foot of a soldier next to her, and immediately let out a very crisp, slightly spoiled cry.

"Ouch!"

Although the voice was very low, Li Chengqian could hear it clearly with his enhanced hearing.

Li Chengqian's expression instantly became extremely strange.

That sound...

Why does that sound so familiar?

Moreover, the childlike voice in that exclamation was definitely not something a young eunuch going through puberty could produce.

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

He lowered his raised hand, did not give the order to set sail, but instead slowly pointed to the soldier who was frantically trying to squeeze into the crowd.

"Xue Li".

Xue Rengui, who was standing at the very front of the deck, immediately looked up.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"go."

Li Chengqian pointed to that corner, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Bring that rabbit wearing a mask up here."

"I want to see which audacious little thief dares to sneak into my invincible fleet."