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

Outside the east gate of Chang'an City, the once desolate royal hunting grounds have now been transformed into an open-air plaza with an industrial, metallic feel.

This is the site of the first World Expo in the Tang Dynasty, which was also the first World Expo in human history.

When envoys from hundreds of countries stepped off their carriages under the guidance of the royal guards, they felt as if they were not crossing a national border, but rather the boundary between the divine and the mortal.

Around the square, huge steam pumps were humming rhythmically, sending water from the distant Wei River into the air like fountains, forming dazzling artificial rainbows.

"This...this is a specialty of the Tang Dynasty?"

Marcellus rubbed his ears, which were still throbbing from the shock, and stared blankly ahead.

In front of him stood dozens of huge exhibition halls, neatly arranged.

The first exhibition hall didn't contain gold or silver; instead, it displayed dozens of steel machines that were spinning wildly.

The long belt connects to the boiler, driving the densely packed spindles. In front of these machines, several skilled Tang Dynasty female workers only need to gently turn the lever, and the snow-white cotton threads are woven into cloth at a speed visible to the naked eye.

One of the envoys couldn't help but exclaim, "At this speed... one female worker is equivalent to all the embroiderers in our entire country?"

Li Chengqian walked slowly ahead of Li Shimin with his hands behind his back, a seemingly kind but actually cold smile on his lips.

"This is called efficiency, and it is also the mercy bestowed upon you by the Tang Dynasty."

He pointed to the rapidly forming fabrics, his tone indifferent.

"From now on, your country will no longer need to keep its people confined to their looms. They can simply bring their ore to the Tang Dynasty to exchange for vouchers, and they will be able to buy cotton cloth that is softer and cheaper than your hand-woven products."

The envoys exchanged bewildered glances. Although they understood the economic trap, their greed, driven by greed, had already overcome their reason as they looked at the endless stream of cloth.

This isn't business; it's magic!

When we entered the second exhibition hall, the atmosphere suddenly became somber.

There on display is an improved version of the revolver musket, which the Great Tang Divine Machine Battalion had just completed small-batch production of.

Mo Ju stood beside the booth with dark circles under his eyes, holding a musket that gleamed with a cold blue light.

"Let me demonstrate."

Li Chengqian casually gave the order.

Mo Ju nodded and pulled the trigger on the cast iron target a hundred paces away.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Five shots rang out in quick succession, without the tedious process of clearing the cannon barrel or the slow loading of gunpowder.

The five heavy iron targets were instantly riddled with holes, sparks flying everywhere.

The face of the Persian prince Peroz instantly turned from pale to ashen.

He looked down at the jewel-encrusted, flashy scimitar at his waist and suddenly felt it was just a piece of junk.

If the Tang Dynasty wanted to kill him, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to see what the other person looked like before being sent to meet the true god by this "firewood stick".

"Is this...is this not for sale?"

An envoy from a small country asked, trembling, his eyes filled with both fear and an intense longing.

Li Chengqian chuckled and patted the hot gun barrel.

"Sell it? If I sold it to you, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to withstand the recoil. This thing is an extension of the truth of the Tang Dynasty; you are only fit to admire it from afar."

The next exhibition hall showed these foreigners what a true "mechanical fanatic" really is.

In the center of the square, a colossal machine weighing several tons, emitting a strange roar, was slowly crawling across the ground, spewing black smoke.

The thing had huge iron wheels at the bottom, and a trailer behind it that could carry tens of thousands of kilograms of gravel.

No matter how rugged the ground, this monster can walk on it as if it were flat ground.

"This is an agricultural machine from the Tang Dynasty, which I call 'Iron Ox'."

Li Chengqian pointed to the prototype of the steam tractor that was emitting smoke.

"With this, a farmer in the Tang Dynasty could cultivate a thousand acres of land. And you, are you still using oxen to pull plows?"

The envoys went completely mad.

If textile machines are robbery and muskets are deadly, then this "iron ox" is uprooting them.

Faced with such unreasonable productivity, any traditional small-scale peasant economy is like snow melting under the scorching sun.

"I want to order one hundred units! No, one thousand units!"

"Your Highness, Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty! I have a gold mine! I'll exchange the gold for vouchers! Order me ten textile machines!"

For a moment, the square was no longer filled with high-ranking envoys, but only with a group of buyers waving pieces of paper and screaming wildly.

Dai Zhou was grinning from ear to ear, the beads on his abacus practically sparking.

This isn't an expo; it's clearly a massive harvesting ground for韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting consumers).

Every industrial product manufactured in the Tang Dynasty was reaping the resources and future potential of these countries.

Li Shimin walked behind, watching the envoys from those small countries who usually flitted about on the border, now looking as humble as stray dogs begging for food.

The pent-up frustration in his heart completely dissipated, leaving only boundless joy.

"Chengqian, in the past, when I fought wars, I always felt that only cutting off heads counted as conquering a country."

Li Shimin lowered his voice, his tone full of emotion.

"Now I realize that making them beg the Tang Dynasty to drain them dry is the true form of hegemony."

Li Chengqian simply smiled and did not reply.

He led everyone forward, finally stopping at the very center of the expo.

There was a huge platform, several tens of feet in circumference, covered with a thick red cloth that could blot out the sky.

Dozens of the most elite Iron Eagle warriors, holding battle scythes, stood guard around the red cloth with cold eyes.

The air in that area seemed to be filled with a strong smell of engine oil and a kind of oppressive feeling that made one's hair stand on end.

Even the noisy envoys around them unconsciously slowed their pace as they approached the red cloth.

"Your Highness, is this the grand finale?"

Li Shimin was also getting impatient. He circled the red cloth twice, his curiosity burning like a cat's paw.

Li Chengqian reached out and grabbed a corner of the red cloth, turned his head, and looked at the foreign envoys whose faces were full of expectation.

In his deep eyes, there gleamed a madness called "transcendental plunder".

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you just saw were just little gadgets that the Tang Dynasty used to improve people's lives."

"And what's under the red cloth..."

Li Chengqian suddenly ripped off the red cloth, his tone revealing a chilling madness.

"This is the true truth that will make you kneel at the feet of the Tang Dynasty, never daring to move for all eternity!"