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

The air in Chang'an City, which was originally filled with the aroma of roasted potatoes, is now mixed with a deathly aura that evokes despair.

Three days.

In just three days, the capital city, which had just escaped the shadow of hunger, was plunged into another, even more terrifying panic.

On the streets and alleys, people held steaming hot potatoes in their hands, but their faces were sallow and their eyes were unfocused. When they walked, their legs felt like they were walking on cotton, weak and powerless.

Even the mules and horses pulling the cart lay on the ground, panting heavily, refusing to move no matter how much the whip was lashed.

No salt.

Man is made of iron, food is made of steel, but salt is the fire that forges steel. Without salt, even the strongest man will become a weakling.

This time, the five families and seven powerful clans took drastic measures, not only closing their own salt shops but also using their connections to block all salt routes in and out of Guanzhong.

In the entire city of Chang'an, not a single grain of salt could be bought!

……

The Taiji Hall, the morning court session.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The once spirited generals were now all slumped over. Cheng Yaojin leaned against a pillar, too weak to even curse, his throat bitter and tasteless from lack of salt.

The officials from aristocratic families, on the other hand, were all full of energy, standing ramrod straight, with a smug look on their faces that said "victory is assured."

"His Majesty!"

Wang Gui, as a leading figure among aristocratic families in the imperial court, once again stepped forward.

What he held in his hands was not a memorial to the throne, but a "petition" written jointly by five surnames and seven clans, or rather, an ultimatum.

"The salt shortage in Chang'an has lasted for three days. The people's hands and feet are weak and their resentment is boiling. As far as I know, many elderly people have fainted at home due to the lack of salt."

Wang Gui's voice was loud and clear, even carrying a hint of heartbroken performance.

"This is a divine warning, Your Majesty! Potatoes, though delicious, are evil creatures that defy the laws of nature, draining the earth's resources and bringing about this salt famine!"

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, his hands gripping the armrests tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the force.

Looking at Wang Gui's righteous and awe-inspiring face, he really wanted to draw the Emperor's Sword and chop him in half.

What kind of heavenly guards? What kind of monsters?

It's clearly you vampires who are behind this!

"My dear Wang," Li Shimin's voice was low and hoarse, suppressing a raging fire, "I have no desire to hear such talk of ghosts and spirits. I only ask you, when will the salt shops of the major clans be allowed to open for business?"

"Your Majesty, it's not that we don't want to open it, it's just that we have no salt."

Wang Gui spread his hands, looking helpless, but his eyes revealed a hint of provocation.

"The family had exhausted its reserves to support the country a while ago. Now, the salt lake area has suffered a natural disaster, and production has plummeted. We're like a skilled cook without rice to cook."

At this point, he abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions.

"However, if Your Majesty can follow the will of Heaven, perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope for this salt famine."

Li Shimin sneered: "Oh? What do you mean by 'following the will of Heaven'?"

Wang Gui straightened his back, glanced around, and finally stared intently at Li Shimin, uttering their conditions word by word.

"Firstly, Crown Prince Li Chengqian's actions are absurd and his virtue is unworthy of his position. He must be immediately relieved of his regency and confined to the Eastern Palace!"

"Secondly, that so-called 'potato' is the source of chaos in the country. Its promotion must be stopped immediately, and all seeds must be collected and destroyed to appease the wrath of Heaven!"

"If Your Majesty agrees to these two conditions, this old minister is willing to stake his life and fortune on it, and pray to Heaven. Within three days, the salt road will surely be open!"

boom--!

Although the officials had long guessed the aristocratic families' intentions, they still couldn't help but gasp when they heard the threat that was practically a direct insult.

This is a blatant coup!

They used the lives of millions of people in Chang'an and Guanzhong to blackmail the emperor and ruin the crown prince's hard work!

"presumptuous!"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up, grabbed the paperweight on the table, and slammed it down hard.

With a loud crash, the jade shattered.

"Are you threatening me?!"

"When did the salt lakes of the Tang Dynasty become the private property of your noble families? When did it become your place to interfere with my crown prince's affairs?!"

When an emperor is enraged, millions will die.

But this time, Wang Gui did not kneel.

The powerful officials behind him did not kneel either.

They stood there silently, watching the enraged Li Shimin, their eyes filled with indifference and mockery.

You have a knife, we have salt.

You have the Great Snow Dragon Riders, you can slaughter all the Turks, but can you slaughter all the noble families in the world? Can you conjure up salt?

As long as you can't conjure up salt, the Tang Dynasty will descend into chaos!

This is the power of monopoly.

This is the confidence of a family with a thousand-year history!

Looking at this group of arrogant parasites, Li Shimin's chest heaved violently, and that suffocating sense of powerlessness surged into his heart once again.

A bottleneck.

The feeling of being held by the neck was even more unbearable than facing 200,000 Turkic cavalry on the banks of the Wei River.

Because the enemy is not outside, but inside our own walls!

He looked at Dai Zhou, who shook his head in despair; he looked at Fang Xuanling, who also had a bitter expression on his face.

No solution.

In this era, salt is life. Whoever controls salt controls life.

……

Meanwhile, at the Eastern Palace.

In the courtyard of Lizheng Hall, Li Chengqian was squatting in front of a pile of gray, dark red stones, holding a small hammer and tapping them.

"Your Highness, there's complete chaos up ahead."

Xu Xiao stood beside Li Chengqian, handing him water while reporting, "That old bastard Wang Gui is trying to force you to abdicate. He says he wants to strip you of your regent power and burn our potatoes."

"oh."

Li Chengqian didn't even look up, his eyes fixed on the stone in his hand. "Let him force me, anyway, old Li can hold out for a while longer."

"But Your Highness..."

Shen Lian stood by anxiously, "Rumors are flying everywhere outside. People can't buy salt, and some are already cursing. If this continues, things could get out of hand."

"What's the rush?"

Li Chengqian finally knocked down a satisfactory stone, blew off the dust, and held it up to the sunlight.

It was a piece of mineral salt.

This is what the aristocratic families referred to as "poisonous salt."

During the Tang Dynasty, people mainly consumed sea salt and lake salt. As for mineral salt mined from mountains, it was considered waste rock because it contained a large amount of impurities and toxins, and consuming it could be fatal.

But in Li Chengqian's eyes, who possessed modern chemical knowledge, this was hardly a piece of waste rock.

This is clearly pure silver, a slap in the face to a powerful family!

"Did they think that by cutting off the supply of salt from the lake and sea, I would be helpless?"

Li Chengqian curled his lips into a mocking smile and tossed the piece of salt into the wooden bucket beside him.

"These bumpkins have no idea what 'science' is."

"Xu Xiao, are you ready?"

"Your Highness, as you instructed, the large pot, filter cloth, and charcoal are all ready."

"very good."

Li Chengqian dusted off his hands, stood up, and stretched.

"Let's go then."

"Let those self-righteous old geezers see what a dimensional reduction attack really is."

He turned to look in the direction of the Taiji Hall, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a hunter spotting his prey.

"You want to cripple me? You want to burn my potatoes?"

"Since you don't want to be dignified, then I'll help you be dignified."

……

Inside the Taiji Hall, the standoff continues.

Li Shimin was so angry that he was almost out of strength, and he sat on the dragon throne, panting heavily.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Wang Gui decided to add the final straw.

He stepped forward, knelt down again, and spoke in a mournful voice, as if a cuckoo were crying blood.

"His Majesty!"

"For the sake of all the people, for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, please reconsider!"

"The people can't wait any longer! If there's no salt, a popular uprising is imminent!"

"This old minister dares to humbly request Your Majesty—to issue an edict of self-reproach!"

"Acknowledge the fault of promoting potatoes, depose the crown prince, and appease the anger of heaven and the resentment of the people!"

An edict of self-reproach!

The moment those three words were uttered, the entire court was in uproar.

To make the emperor issue an edict of self-reproach? That's like peeling off Li Shimin's face and trampling it on the ground!

Li Shimin's eyes were wide open, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Deceiving too much!

This is absolutely outrageous!

Just as he was so angry that he wanted to draw his sword and kill someone.

"An edict of self-reproach?"

A clear, languid voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, suddenly came from the palace entrance, instantly breaking the solemn atmosphere.

"I think what should be issued is a 'pig-slaughtering order'?"

Everyone turned around abruptly.

Li Chengqian walked in slowly, his hands behind his back.

Behind him followed several Imperial Guards, who were carrying several large wooden barrels filled to the brim with... stones?

Li Chengqian walked up to Wang Gui, looked down at the old man who had been so aggressive just moments before, and sneered.

"It's just salt, what's the big deal? Why force my dad to write a self-criticism?"

"Your aristocratic families don't have it, but I do."