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

Inside the Lizheng Hall, candlelight shone brightly and the underfloor heating provided a warm and cozy atmosphere, creating a world apart from the somber darkness outside the window.

A large round table made of rosewood was laden with all sorts of delicacies.

Braised lion's head meatballs, crystal pork knuckle, sweet and sour pork ribs, and a steaming pot of sauerkraut fish.

Li Chengqian was holding a blue-and-white porcelain bowl, engrossed in his meal. He was eating with great relish, his cheeks bulging like a little hamster hoarding food for winter.

"Your Highness, the Cui family of Boling sold off 30% of their land today to cover the debts from usury, but there is still a shortfall of 500,000 guan."

Qinglong stood by the table, holding a newly delivered secret report in his hand, his voice calm and without a trace of emotion.

"Um!"

Li Chengqian nodded vigorously, swallowed the meatball in his mouth, and mumbled, "Good news! This one's worth half a bowl of rice! Xu Xiao, give me another bowl!"

Xu Xiao smiled and took the bowl, quickly filling it with white rice and pressing it down a bit.

"Your Highness, there's more."

Qinglong continued reading, "All twenty-eight pawnshops owned by the Lu family of Fanyang in the West Market are up for sale tonight. It is said that the head of the Lu family pawned his most beloved pair of jade ruyi scepters from the previous dynasty in order to raise money."

"puff--"

Li Chengqian almost choked on his food, but quickly drank some soup to calm himself down, and his face lit up with a smile.

"He even pawned the jade ruyi? Didn't this old man brag to me a few days ago about his family's deep wealth? He can't even hold on now?"

He picked up a piece of pickled fish, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, looking completely absorbed.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this is really appetizing. The news of our enemy going bankrupt is more appetizing than this pickled fish, and more refreshing than the best pickled vegetables."

"Your Highness, the Zheng family of Xingyang..."

"etc!"

Li Chengqian waved his chopsticks, interrupting Qinglong, "Stop reading for now, save some, I'm afraid I might accidentally overeat."

He patted his round belly and let out a satisfied burp.

The feeling of sitting at home, eating hotpot and singing songs, without having to lift a finger, while watching those arrogant old men from wealthy families cry and beg for mercy is simply wonderful.

Just then, the curtain was roughly pulled open.

A gust of cold wind blew in, followed by a bright yellow figure rushing hurriedly to the table.

"You unfilial son! You still have the appetite to eat?!"

Li Shimin strode in, a few drops of night dew still clinging to his hair, clearly having traveled a long way. Looking at the table full of leftovers, he was immediately enraged.

"The world is in chaos! I heard that the powerful families have gathered a thousand elite soldiers and are heading straight for your Eastern Palace! Do you know what a thousand elite soldiers means? That's a force capable of razing the Eastern Palace to the ground!"

"I've already transferred the Xuanjia Army here, and what are you doing here...?"

Li Shimin suddenly stopped speaking.

His gaze fell upon the thick stack of intelligence reports on the corner of the table.

He instinctively picked up a copy, glanced at it, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Liquidation Report of Shijia Assets"

Beneath these large characters are a series of shocking figures and family businesses on the verge of collapse.

The Cui family went bankrupt, the Lu family sold off their ancestral property, and the head of the Wang family vomited blood...

"Is...is this real?"

Li Shimin's hands trembled slightly as he looked at Li Chengqian in disbelief.

"Of course it's true."

Li Chengqian stuffed the last piece of pork rib into his mouth and mumbled, "Father, do you think I've been playing around these past few days? This is called economic warfare, killing without bloodshed, do you understand?"

"Emptying their pockets hurts them more than cutting off their heads."

Li Shimin took a deep breath and slowly put down the intelligence report in his hand.

Looking at his eight-year-old son, who was eating with his mouth full of grease, he felt a deep chill, but even more so, an indescribable shock.

As an emperor who rode on horseback, he was used to speaking with swords.

But this unfilial son taught him a lesson.

It turns out that by lowering the price of salt and increasing grain production, those colossal structures that have been passed down for thousands of years could collapse in just a few days.

"ruthless."

After a long pause, Li Shimin finally uttered only one word: "Your methods are more inhumane than my killing of people."

"You flatter me."

Li Chengqian chuckled, picked up a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. "Who told them to make the first move? If they want to play, then let's play big. This is called tit for tat."

"But……"

Li Shimin frowned, his eyes filled with worry. "Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall. They've been driven to a dead end. Tonight, those thousand elite soldiers are here to fight to the death."

"Do you think you, the Crown Prince, can stop them?"

Although the Great Snow Dragon Riders are formidable, they are kings of open field battles. Within the narrow confines of the palace walls, facing a group of reckless warriors, the cavalry's advantages are difficult to exploit.

"block?"

Li Chengqian stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The night wind howled in, making his robes flutter loudly.

He gazed at the pitch-black night in the distance, a cruel yet excited smile curving his lips.

"Why block it?"

"Father, have you ever heard of 'catching a turtle in a jar'?"

"I specifically ordered Qinglong to remove the outer defenses, and even halved the patrols on the palace walls, just to let them in."

Li Shimin was taken aback: "Are you crazy? Inviting a wolf into the house?"

"Not wolves, but sales results delivered to our door."

Li Chengqian turned around, his eyes flashing with an alarming light. "Shen Lian's Embroidered Spring Blade is already itching for a fight, and although Xu Xiao's Great Snow Dragon Cavalry has dismounted, his Mo Dao has long been honed to a gleaming shine."

"Now that we've already defeated them economically, we can't let them off the hook physically either."

"To cut the weeds, you must pull them out by the roots."

The moment he finished speaking.

"kill--!!!"

A piercing shout of battle, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, suddenly shattered the silent night sky above the Eastern Palace.

Immediately afterwards, flames shot into the sky.

Countless dark figures surged in from all directions like a tide, and the shouts of killing, screams, and the clash of weapons instantly intertwined into a symphony of death.

Those were the elite warriors of aristocratic families, making their last desperate stand.

Li Shimin's expression changed, and he instinctively reached for his sword.

"Don't worry, Father."

Li Chengqian reached out and pressed down on Li Shimin's wrist, his face showing no panic, but rather a leisurely air as if watching a play.

"Are you full?"

He pointed to the leftover food on the table, then to the towering flames outside the window, and laughed like a devil.

"Now that you've eaten, let's go see a play together."

"After tonight, some family names will... completely disappear from the genealogy of the Tang Dynasty."