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

The air in the imperial study seemed to have been sucked out instantly.

The old eunuch knelt on the floor, cold sweat dripping from his forehead and onto the gold bricks, making a faint "drip-drip" sound.

If this were in another dynasty...

The fact that the crown prince's popularity among the people so overwhelmingly surpasses that of the current emperor is definitely a signal that his achievements are so great that they threaten the emperor's position and that a bloody storm is about to break out.

The emperor would most likely immediately order the imperial guards to surround the Eastern Palace, staging a horrific scene of father and son killing each other.

But Li Shimin did not fly into a rage, nor did he call for war.

He just rubbed his cheeks in annoyance.

On that face, weathered by countless storms, there was no fear or murderous intent of an emperor who had been dethroned.

Instead, there was a strong sense of grievance, as if the whole world had abandoned it.

"Ninety-nine percent of the votes..."

Li Shimin muttered to himself, glancing again at the striking bold characters on the newspaper.

He felt like a boss who had worked hard to make his company bigger and stronger, and suddenly one day, all his employees ran up to his son and shouted "Long live the chairman!"

And he, the founder, wasn't even a background figure to applaud.

How can this not make people feel wronged?

Li Shimin slammed the newspaper onto the imperial desk, stood up, and walked to the window with his hands behind his back.

Outside the window lies the vibrant and ever-changing Datang New City.

In the distance, there are towering concrete buildings reaching into the clouds, locomotives that puff out white smoke day and night, and electric lights that illuminate the sky every night.

All of this was indeed caused by that lazy brat who was lying in the East Palace.

"Does my Great Tang Dynasty no longer need me?"

Li Shimin sighed deeply, his tone filled with a profound sense of desolation.

He recalled the scenes of the morning court sessions he had attended every day for the past six months.

Previously, he was the supreme Heavenly Khan, and every imperial edict he issued was obeyed by all the civil and military officials.

But now?

After Fang Xuanling finished reporting the central government's infrastructure budget, he would not only present it to Li Chengqian first, but would also always glance at Li Chengqian, who was sitting below him and yawning, out of the corner of his eye.

Changsun Wuji's version was even more exaggerated.

Every time the silver reserves of the Tang Dynasty Royal Bank are mentioned, or when the trade treaties concerning those vassal states are discussed, it is always a topic of conversation.

This old fox didn't even try to hide it; he turned around and asked the Crown Prince for his opinion.

"Your Highness, do you think the tariff rate should be increased by another 10%?"

"Your Highness, the Roman envoy is again pressing for more goods, what do you think..."

Those old foxes in the imperial court knew exactly what was going on.

Although His Majesty the Emperor is majestic, the reason why the Tang Dynasty can now act with impunity is because of the advanced technology in the hands of the Crown Prince, which can defeat the enemy with overwhelming force.

As long as the Crown Prince doesn't agree.

Even if the emperor's decree was issued, the Ministry of Works could not build a steam engine, and the Ministry of Revenue could not print vouchers.

Even the proud and fierce soldiers of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Divine Machine Battalion only recognized the military command token in the Crown Prince's hand.

"What am I now?"

Li Shimin chuckled self-deprecatingly, then turned and walked back to his desk.

"The national treasury is so full that even Dai Zhou is too lazy to come and complain about being poor to me."

"The barbarians from all over the world are now lining up outside the Court of State Ceremonial to kowtow to Chengqian, without even having the chance to offer tribute to me."

"I sit in this imperial study every day, reading newspapers and studying new mechanical models, and I can't even find a single memorial that requires my personal approval!"

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

He was a dignified general, and spent his entire life seeking thrills and a sense of accomplishment amidst the clash of swords.

It's fine now.

The world is so peaceful that there aren't even any bandits left.

The surrounding countries were being drained dry by the Tang Dynasty's economy and military power, to the point that they could barely breathe.

He was like an old man who had been prematurely sent to a nursing home; apart from being fed and cared for every day, he had no sense of presence at all.

"I can't live like this anymore!"

Li Shimin grew angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly crumpled the copy of the "Great Tang Empire Daily" into a ball and slammed it to the ground.

The old eunuch kneeling on the ground was so frightened that he trembled all over and almost fainted.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!"

The old eunuch quickly crawled two steps on his knees and picked up the wad of newspaper.

"Your Highness... His Highness is still young. These empty titles are just something the people want to see..."

"What's the point of this novelty!"

Li Shimin roared, making the glazed windows of the imperial study vibrate.

"He not only did all my work, but he also stole my reputation!"

"Those common people only know that the Tang Dynasty has a living god-like crown prince now. Who remembers how I single-handedly defeated a thousand men at Hulao Pass back then?"

Li Shimin irritably tugged at the buttons on his collar.

He suddenly felt that wearing this heavy dragon robe was like wearing an airtight shackle, making it hard for him to even breathe.

He had taken the health-strengthening pills given to him by Chengqian.

Now I'm as strong as an ox, and I have so much energy that I can run ten laps around the Tai Chi Palace every day.

Why should a military emperor with boundless energy be confined to this gilded cage every day as a mascot?

It's worse than killing him!

"Since Li Chengqian is more adept at managing this Tang Dynasty than I am at it."

"Since all the people in the world think that he is greater than his father."

Li Shimin's eyes darted around, and a crazy, even absurd, idea began to grow wildly in his mind like weeds.

"Then why should I stay here and put up with this nonsense?"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up straight, grabbed the Tian Ce sword from the table, and casually hung it at his waist.

He strode to the entrance of the main hall.

"Someone come here!"

Li Shimin's voice was so loud it seemed to pierce the clouds.

"Prepare your carriage!"

The imperial guards and eunuchs outside the door immediately sprang into action.

The old eunuch quickly got up from the ground, wiping away cold sweat with his sleeve, and followed Li Shimin step by step with his back bent.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, where are you going?"

The old eunuch cautiously probed and asked.

"It's time for the morning court session, and all the officials are waiting in the Taiji Hall. Are you... are you going to court?"

"Attend court?"

Li Shimin stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head, looked in the direction of the magnificent Taiji Hall, and gave a disdainful and arrogant sneer.

The laughter carried a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from its shoulders.

"What a load of crap!"

Li Shimin waved his hand domineeringly, stunning everyone present.

"I'm going to the Eastern Palace today!"

"This damned emperor, I'm done with him!"