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

One penny.

In the Tang Dynasty, you couldn't even buy a bowl of the simplest plain Yangchun noodles.

But this one coin caused a piece of paper, exuding the fragrance of ink, to sweep through the entire city of Chang'an like a plague.

"Give me one! Is that story about His Highness the Crown Prince destroying Goguryeo really written in it?"

Zhang, the butcher, didn't even wipe the pig's blood off his hands. He simply pulled a copper coin from his apron and slapped it into the newsboy's hand.

Ignoring the fact that his oily hands would soil the newspaper, he eagerly unfolded it. Having only studied for a few months in the literacy class at "Datang Technical School," he stumbled as he read the pinyin on it.

Several middle-aged women who were buying meat nearby immediately crowded around, craning their necks.

"Old Zhang, read it quickly! What does it say?"

Zhang the butcher cleared his throat, pointed to the bold black characters on the front page, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Shocking! The Goguryeo royal family was arrogant and decadent; the Tang army, acting on behalf of Heaven, razed Pyongyang to the ground with a single cannon shot!"

"Good heavens! One cannon shot and it's flattened everything? Your Highness must possess incredible magical power!"

"I knew it! Our Tang Dynasty's heavenly soldiers are like gods descended to earth. Those barbarians dare to provoke us; they're really asking for trouble."

An elderly woman carrying a shopping basket proudly puffed out her chest.

"Just a few days ago, I heard from Old Li next door that our Tang Dynasty's fleet is already swarming at sea like dumplings."

"When do you think we should go and bomb that country called Rome? I heard their treasury is full of gold!"

Similar discussions are currently taking place in every corner of Chang'an.

Li Chengqian's tactic of "lowering the dimension of public opinion" can be described as extremely ruthless.

In feudal times, the channels through which ordinary people obtained information were tightly monopolized by powerful families. They could only hear what the court wanted them to hear, and often they were even unaware of what was happening in the country.

But now, the Tang Empire Daily has directly broken down this barrier.

Using the most accessible language, along with pinyin annotations, it exaggerated and inflammatoryly instilled the image of the Tang Dynasty's strength and the backwardness of its foreign enemies into the minds of every ordinary person.

Especially the second edition of the serialized martial arts novel.

The "Great Hero Guo of the Tang Dynasty Border Army" who wielded a repeating musket and drove a steam car, righting wrongs in the Western Regions.

He practically became an idol for all the young people in Chang'an.

The extreme national pride and expansionist desire of "I am a Tang Dynasty citizen, I am invincible, and even foreign princesses have to kneel and lick my boots" were easily brought to a boiling point by this novel, which also contained its own agenda.

Under the impact of this information deluge.

The most desperate were the foreign envoys staying in state guest hotels.

The Roman envoy Marcellus sat on the wool carpet in the luxurious suite.

He clutched a copy of the *Great Tang Empire Daily*, which his attendants had bought at great expense. Although he couldn't read Chinese characters, he paid a down-on-his-luck scholar to read it to him word by word.

After reading the first edition of "The Mighty Army of the Tang Dynasty," the scholar read the second edition, "Hero Guo Slays the Demons of the Western Regions."

Marcellus's face was as pale as paper.

"This...this is what the Tang Dynasty showed its people?"

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with undisguised fear.

In Rome, the Senate went to great lengths to conceal the news of the defeat from the common people, fearing it would incite riots.

But what about the Tang Dynasty?

They not only loudly proclaimed the use of force, but also deliberately cultivated aggression among the entire nation's civilian population!

"Their people... are actually discussing when to rob our national treasury?"

The Persian prince Peroz listened with trepidation, so much so that he could barely hold his teacup.

"Lord Marcellus, the Tang Dynasty is not showing off at all."

"They are using this paper to turn every person in the Tang Dynasty into a war-craving madman!"

"If we don't bow our heads... no, even if we do, they will come and crush us sooner or later."

The power of information monopoly and cultural invasion was on full display at this moment.

The Tang Dynasty didn't need to send a single soldier; it only needed a few sheets of paper printed with ink.

That was enough to make these foreign envoys kneel down completely in spirit, extinguishing even the last thought of resistance.

half a month later.

The circulation of the Tang Empire Daily has exceeded a staggering 300,000 copies.

It sold out not only in major cities like Chang'an and Luoyang.

Even the caravans that traveled all over the country regarded newspapers as the most sought-after commodity, taking them to the border, to the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and even to the Japanese province where mining was underway.

This newspaper, like an invisible giant net, tightly gripped the public opinion and thoughts of the entire Tang Empire and even all the surrounding vassal states in the hands of the Crown Prince.

And under this frenzied movement of creating a god.

A person's reputation among the people began to soar at an incredible speed.

Taiji Palace, Imperial Study.

The morning sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows and fell on the large imperial desk.

Li Shimin did not rush to tease the newly presented Western Region hunting dogs as usual, nor did he fuss over his beloved steam car model.

He sat quietly on the dragon throne.

He held in his hand the latest issue of the "Great Tang Empire Daily," which had just been delivered that day and still smelled of fresh ink.

His expression grew increasingly strange as his gaze shifted.

Even the rhythm of her breathing became slightly disordered.

The old eunuch served him attentively, not daring to even breathe loudly. Having served the emperor for so many years, he knew all too well what his master's expression meant.

It was a complex feeling, a mixture of pride, helplessness, and a deep sense of...resentment.

"Eunuch Li."

Li Shimin suddenly put down the newspaper, his voice low and somber.

"Look at this front page, what does it say?"

The old eunuch trembled with fright, quickly knelt on the ground, and stammered as he read:

"Your Majesty... The front page is titled 'Results of the Annual Election of the Great Tang Dynasty'."

"What...what was the result?"

The old eunuch swallowed hard, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

"The Crown Prince... His Highness the Crown Prince has... topped the list with 99% of the votes."

Li Shimin's eye twitched suddenly.

"And what about me?"

"Your Majesty...you are second in rank." The old eunuch pressed his head firmly to the ground, not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and picked up the newspaper again.

Second place?

Ninety-nine percent of the votes went to that brat. What's the difference between me, who came in second, and those who came in last?

So, I've spent half my life conquering the world on horseback, shedding blood at Xuanwu Gate, and even being revered as the Heavenly Khan.

In the hearts of the people.

It's not as great as that kid setting up a few water-boiling machines and printing a few tattered newspapers!