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

"Lord Wang, open your mouth! What's wrong, are you scared?"

Li Chengqian pinched the tuft of snow-white crystals between two fingers, smiling like a wolf in sheep's clothing trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood.

Wang Gui kept his mouth tightly shut, shaking his head like a rattle drum, his heels scraping against the ground as he desperately tried to pull himself back. His posture made it seem as if Li Chengqian was holding not salt, but a deadly poison.

"No...I won't eat it! It's poison! I absolutely will not eat it!"

Wang Gui forced out a few words through gritted teeth, his face trembling, "Your Highness, even if you are the heir apparent, you cannot force a minister to his death in court! It is common knowledge that this salt is highly poisonous! You are attempting murder!"

"Tsk, boring."

Li Chengqian curled his lip in disgust, withdrew his finger, and wiped it on his clothes. "Your families deserve to eat dirt for the rest of your lives, since we've already fed you all the good stuff."

He turned to face the assembled officials and held the plate of freshly crystallized salt high in the air.

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the main hall, landing precisely on the plate of salt.

In that instant, the dazzling light almost blinded everyone.

Pure white, delicate, and crystal clear.

It has no impurities and no dust.

It lay quietly at the bottom of the black iron pot, like the first snowfall of winter, or like crushed stars.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the sound of swallowing saliva rose and fell.

This is... something that came out of those dirty, poisonous stones?

"Is this really salt?"

Cheng Yaojin, a rough and uncouth man, had long been unable to contain himself. He strode forward, his large, fan-like hands reaching for the plate. "Who cares if it's poisoned or not? I, old Cheng, will taste it for His Majesty first! What's a little scar if my head falls off? I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Zhijie!" Qin Qiong tried to stop him, but couldn't.

Cheng Yaojin didn't care about any of that. He dipped his index finger hard into the plate, which was covered with snow-white salt grains, and then shoved it into his mouth and sucked hard.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

Wang Gui, in particular, stared intently at Cheng Yaojin, cursing viciously in his heart: Die! Die quickly! Bleed from all seven orifices! Die on the spot! As long as someone dies, the prince's sorcery will crumble!

However, the expected screams did not occur.

Cheng Yaojin smacked his lips, his large, round eyes suddenly widened, and his entire black face instantly turned red, as if he had been struck by lightning and froze on the spot.

"What's wrong? Is it a stomachache? Quickly summon the imperial physician!" Li Shimin jumped down from the dragon throne in a panic.

"No...don't call the imperial physician!"

Cheng Yaojin roared suddenly, his voice filled with unbelievable ecstasy, and even cracked a little.

"Good salt! This is fucking good salt!"

The little devil was so excited that he danced around, pointing at the plate of salt, spitting everywhere.

"Salty! Really salty! And not bitter at all! No astringent taste! No earthy smell either!"

"I've lived half my life, and compared to this, the salt I used to eat was like horse piss and mud!"

As he spoke, he actually reached out again, trying to grab a second handful.

"Snapped!"

Li Chengqian slapped his hand away, guarding the food tightly. "Uncle Cheng, just try it once, this is a sample, it's very expensive."

How expensive?

Li Shimin disregarded his decorum at this moment, rushed over in a few steps, and without caring that Cheng Yaojin had just dipped his finger in the sauce, he carefully dipped a little into it and put it in his mouth.

The salty flavor explodes on the tip of the tongue.

Pure, clean, and soul-stirring.

Li Shimin closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, and two lines of tears actually flowed down his cheeks.

"It's not bitter...it's really not bitter..."

"My Great Tang Dynasty actually possesses such a divine object!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Li Chengqian, his voice trembling: "Chengqian, can this method... be mass-produced? Is the poison really completely removed?"

"Father, that's like asking if a sow can fly."

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes and pulled out a piece of "top-grade green salt" that Wang Gui had just presented as a treasure.

It was a piece of salt with a bluish-yellow tinge and mixed with fine sand.

"Come on, let's compare them."

Li Chengqian held the priceless piece of salt in his left hand and grabbed a handful of snow-white fine salt with his right.

"The one on the left, the wealthy families sell it for three hundred coins a catty, and they only sell it if they have a good relationship with the customer."

"The one on the right, which is the one I'm holding."

Li Chengqian tilted his palm, and fine salt slid down like sand through an hourglass, forming a white waterfall in the air.

"The raw material for this stuff is a poisonous ore that no one wants, which grows all over the mountains. As for the cost..."

He held up a finger and waved it in front of Wang Gui's pale face.

"Including labor, charcoal, and depreciation costs of the large pot, the maximum price is one coin for ten catties."

"puff--!"

In a corner of the main hall, one of the officials with poor mental fortitude suddenly choked and passed out.

One penny...ten pounds?!

This isn't just a bargain price, it's practically free!

It's cheaper than soil on the ground!

"How is this possible... How is this possible..."

Wang Gui slumped to the ground, his official hat askew, his hair disheveled, looking as if he had gone mad.

"That's poisonous ore...that's useless rock..."

"How could it possibly turn into salt? This doesn't make sense! This goes against the laws of our ancestors!"

His family heritage, which he was so proud of, and the trump card he used to blackmail the emperor, were shattered at this moment by this pile of snow-white salt grains.

Green salt costs 300 coins per pound, while snowflake salt costs 1 coin for 10 pounds.

Even a fool would know which one to choose!

What monopoly? What lifeline?

Faced with an absolute technological gap, that's a joke!

Li Chengqian walked up to Wang Gui and looked down at this once arrogant representative of a powerful family.

"Lord Wang, times have changed."

He casually tossed the piece of salt in his hand aside.

"Clatter!"

The salt fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces, mixing with the dust, its original "noble" appearance no longer discernible.

"From today onwards, you aristocratic families should keep your salt for pickling vegetables. Oh, no, even pickled vegetables are too gritty."

Li Chengqian clapped his hands, turned around, and faced the civil and military officials who were already numb with shock. His youthful voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable domineering aura.

"Issue my decree to oversee the state!"

"Effective today, the 'Great Tang Royal Salt Industry Company' is officially open for business!"

"The first batch of 100,000 jin of snowflake salt will be distributed right on Zhuque Street, directly opposite your family's salt shop!"

"As for the price..."

Li Chengqian stroked his chin, revealing a cunning merchant's smile.

"We're honest merchants, we can't be too greedy. Let's sell it for two coins a pound, that'll be enough to cover our hard work."

"Furthermore, to prevent certain 'envious' individuals from resorting to desperate measures..."

His eyes turned cold as he looked at the Azure Dragon, who had been standing in the shadows.

"Azure Dragon, heed my command!"

"Your subject is here!"

"Mobilize the Imperial Guards, fully armed, to take turns guarding the royal salt shops around the clock!"

"Who dares to cause trouble, who dares to create chaos, who dares to pull stunts behind our backs..."

Li Chengqian's gaze swept over Wang Gui, who was sprawled on the ground, and a chilling smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"No need to ask permission, just chop it up and feed it to the dogs!"

"By imperial decree, we can act first and report later!"

"Did you understand?"

"promise--!!!"

The roar of the Azure Dragon shook the hall, and the bloody killing intent made everyone present, even those with guilty consciences, shudder.

Standing on the high platform, Li Shimin looked at the small, imposing figure issuing commands and felt that the pent-up resentment in his chest had finally been released.

Cool!

So cool!

This is my son! This is the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty!

What are these "five surnames and seven noble families"? What are these "thousand-year-old clans"?

Compared to this fine salt, they are all just dirt chickens and clay dogs!

"Court adjourned!"

Li Shimin waved his hand, his voice filled with unprecedented joy, "Let's go! Chengqian, take your salt, let's go cause a ruckus in the streets!"