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

Tianjinwei was the first royal military port of the Tang Dynasty.

The sea breeze of late autumn, carrying a salty and damp scent, swirled wildly over the wide, concrete-paved dock. Thirty steam-powered treasure ships, like black mountains, stood in a row, their smokestacks spewing thick smoke that seemed to tear a hole in the azure sky.

Just as the echoes of Li Chengqian's cry of "Great Tang Dongsheng Prefecture" were still reverberating on the sea, dust suddenly billowed up at the end of the distant official road.

"Wait! Make room for me! Chief Steward Zheng, don't pull the anchor yet!"

A hoarse, angry voice pierced through the noisy crowd.

A burly man, clad in gleaming armor but tanned as dark as charcoal, was seen riding a ferocious Akhal-Teke horse that was about to break its legs, charging madly toward the flagship "Dingyuan".

Before the person even got close, the smell of desert sand hit the air first.

Li Chengqian stood on the watchtower, squinting for a long time before he could make out a few outlines of royalty from the black and grime covering the face.

"The third son?"

Li Chengqian was somewhat surprised.

Shouldn't Li Ke, the "King of the Western Regions" of the Tang Dynasty, be leading those Tibetan prisoners of war to build railways and dig foundations in the Western Regions?

Why did you suddenly come here?

"Whoa—!"

Li Ke suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse let out a painful neigh, barely stopping in front of the gangplank below the deck.

Before he could even dismount properly, he leaped onto the deck like a vicious dog pouncing on its prey. He was panting like a broken iron furnace working a bellows, and the sweat on his face washed away the black ash, leaving comical white streaks.

"Big brother... Whew... Whew... I finally made it!"

Li Ke, ignoring his sweat, grabbed Li Chengqian's sleeve, his eyes gleaming like a hungry wolf.

"I heard you're sending Chief Steward Zheng to that 'Dongsheng Prefecture'? They say it's paved with gold?"

Li Chengqian shifted his body in disgust and brushed the muddy paw prints off his sleeve.

"So what if you are? Why aren't you in the Western Regions being your 'foreman'? What are you doing here causing trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ke's voice instantly rose eight octaves.

"Foreman? Brother, you have no idea how rough the sand and wind are in the Western Regions! I led my men to lay the railway all the way to Yanqi, and for the rest, that technical madman Li Tai is better at it than me!"

He slapped his chest, making the deck thump loudly.

"Clearing land is hard work, it's life-threatening! Only brothers can be relied upon!"

"Although Chief Steward Zheng is formidable, he is ultimately a refined man. What if the Americas… no, what if Dongsheng Prefecture encounters unruly savages? Wouldn't there be a killing god surnamed Li to keep things in check?"

As Li Ke spoke, he pointed enthusiastically at the vast ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Brother, let me go! I don't want any reward, I just want to see what that place, where there's more gold than dirt, looks like!"

Li Chengqian stroked his chin, lost in thought.

He looked at his younger brother, whose skin was almost peeling from the sun, but whose eyes shone with a kind of "ambition" and "drive".

The little scale in my heart, called "salted fish," was quietly turned.

The third brother's physical strength is truly remarkable. In the original historical timeline, he was an exceptionally brave and valiant individual. Now, having been sent to the Western Regions to build a railway for over half a year, he's so robust he could tear apart a tiger or leopard alive.

Most importantly, this kid has now been completely brainwashed. He's no longer staring at that broken chair in Chang'an City; instead, he's preoccupied with how to plant more red flags on the map.

If I get rid of him, wouldn't I be one less "workaholic" to bother me when I sleep in Chang'an?

This isn't a biological younger brother, this is practically a top-tier workhorse sent by heaven to do my bidding!

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian's lips curled into a kind yet cunning smile.

"Third brother, I am very pleased that you have this heart to share the country's burdens."

Li Chengqian sighed, reached out and patted Li Ke's broad shoulder, his tone so heavy it was as if he were handing over the entire world to him.

"Originally, I was reluctant to let you go on this perilous expedition. But since you insist, I... have no choice but to grant your loyalty."

He turned his head and looked at Zheng He, who was standing solemnly to the side.

"Zheng He, convey my decree."

"Effective immediately, Prince Li Ke of Shu is appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Great Tang East Sea Exploration Fleet, a first-rank official position, to assist you in coordinating the eastern expedition."

"The three thousand Snow Dragon Riders and ten thousand Divine Machine Battalion soldiers on the ship are under the direct command of the Third Prince!"

"Yes, sir!" Zheng He bowed and accepted the order, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Li Ke was so excited that his face turned purple.

"Commander-in-Chief? That's a great title! It sounds more imposing than a prince!"

He suddenly knelt on one knee, the sound of which made the sails on the mast tremble three times.

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother! If I, the third brother, can't bring back the gold, I'll never return to Chang'an in my life!"

"Gold is secondary, come here."

Li Chengqian pulled Li Ke into the flagship's secret chamber.

There were no outsiders here, only two thick tallow candles burning quietly.

Li Chengqian took out an exquisite leather-bound map book from his pocket and placed it on the table. It contained a satellite holographic simulation of the nautical charts, accurate to every ocean current and archipelago.

"Take this," Li Chengqian whispered.

"This is something I obtained from a dream. Follow this red line, and once you pass that Hawaii transit station, you'll see that pristine continent."

He pointed to the vast American wilderness on the map, his expression becoming more serious than ever before.

"Remember my words, Third Brother."

"Once you get there, gold, silver, and jewels are all cold, hard things that can only fill the national treasury, not fill the stomachs."

"What the Great Tang Dynasty needs is the true foundation of the nation."

Li Chengqian bent down and pulled a tightly sealed camphor wood box from under the table.

The box contained several strange cloth bags filled with some dry, grayish tubers.

"These are potato and sweet potato seeds, as well as some high-yield corn seeds. I've had the Mo family treat them with special lime and chemicals so they won't rot at sea for a year."

Li Chengqian pointed at the seeds, his tone sharp as a knife.

"When you get to Dongsheng Prefecture, no matter what gods the locals believe in, you must teach them to grow these things."

"Plant these crops all over the continent, and you will be a true god there. The grain you bring back will be enough to feed ten Tang dynasties!"

"At that time, you will be the first governor of Dongsheng Prefecture of the Great Tang Dynasty, a sage whose name will be remembered for eternity. Do you understand?"

This top-notch, low-level PUA technique completely captivated Li Ke.

He looked at those dusty, drab "treasures" with a gaze more intense than when he looked at a stunningly beautiful woman.

His name will be remembered for eternity! A sage of grain!

This is a million times better than being a coward in Chang'an, constantly being impeached by censors!

"I understand! I understand everything!"

Li Ke carefully picked up the wooden box, as if it were his own lifeline.

"Don't worry, big brother, even if I don't eat myself, I'll still take good care of these 'divine seeds'!"

A moment later, Li Ke returned to the deck.

He stood confidently on the forecast, slamming his halberd onto the deck, exuding an aura of dominance.

"General Manager Zheng, give the order!"

"Ugh—!!!"

Three deep, resonant blasts of the steam whistle shattered the remaining tranquility of Tianjin Port.

The huge anchor was pulled up by the winch with a creaking sound.

The steam engine roared like a dragon's cry, and the propeller churned up huge white waves.

Thirty treasure ships, arranged in a V-shape, slowly departed from the embankment.

Li Ke stood at the stern, waving the red flag in his hand wildly, his dark face gleaming in the setting sun.

"Big brother! See you later! I'm off to take over some territory for you!"

Standing on the concrete embankment, Li Chengqian watched the black plumes of smoke gradually shrink on the horizon and let out a long sigh of relief.

He pulled his white fox fur coat tighter around himself, and his once straight back instantly slumped, reverting to his half-dead, salted fish-like appearance.

"That silly third brother of mine is really energetic."

Li Chengqian rubbed his sore shoulders and muttered to himself.

"In this way, the food, silver, and that battle-crazed brother are all taken care of."

"The old man was also fooled by that globe and started researching how to build an aircraft carrier."

"Phew... Finally, no one is nagging me to become the emperor anymore."

He turned his head and looked behind him at the endless expanse of Chang'an, which had been completely transformed by cement and steel.

"Meiniang, let's go back to the palace."

"I want double the amount of tripe for that hot pot lunch today."

The setting sun dips behind the mountains, and the waves are silent.

The Tang Dynasty's most elite exploration fleet, with ambitions that belonged to an era out of its own, plunged headlong into the endless deep blue.

On the shore, there was an eight-year-old boy.

He was yawning as he slowly walked toward his horse-drawn steam carriage.

The curtain of the Age of Exploration was thus abruptly drawn back in a comical yet domineering atmosphere.

"Your Highness, do you think the Third Prince can really find that continent?"

"Whether he can be found or not is not important. What is important is that he will never have time to return to Chang'an to bother me again."

"...Your Highness is wise."