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

The sounds of battle echoed across the front lines, and the Tang Dynasty's territory was expanding outwards at an alarming rate every day.

Meanwhile, in the warm pavilion of the East Palace, the very heart of the Tang Empire.

The air was so quiet that only a faint rustling sound could be heard.

"Don't move, stay in this position, and smile."

Li Chengqian stood in front of a heavy wooden box covered with a black cloth, holding an inflatable device that resembled a leather tiger, and solemnly gave instructions.

Not far ahead of him.

Wu Zetian wore a well-tailored light-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her hair was styled in playful double buns. Her hands nervously twisted the hem of her dress, and her beautiful eyes were filled with tension and curiosity.

"Your Highness... what kind of magical artifact is this?" The little girl's voice trembled slightly.

"This is called a camera. It's used to record your silly appearance right now."

A wicked smile curled at the corner of Li Chengqian's mouth.

This thing was something he had been bored out of his mind these past few days, so he used the basic optical principles rewarded by the system, combined with the Mo family's exquisite glass polishing techniques, to painstakingly create the "pinhole camera" prototype.

Although it could only produce blurry black and white photos, in the early Tang Dynasty, this was absolutely a magic that could be described as a game-changer.

"Ready? Three, two, one."

"Bang!"

As Li Chengqian squeezed the airbag, a burst of dazzling magnesium powder flashed from the front of the wooden box.

Wu Meiniang was so frightened that she cried out "Ah!" and instinctively covered her eyes.

After a while.

Li Chengqian carefully pulled out a sheet of photographic paper coated with silver nitrate solution from a hidden compartment behind the wooden box. He then dipped it in a simple developing solution that had been prepared beforehand.

"Alright, come and take a look. This is the first surviving photograph from the Tang Dynasty."

Wu Meiniang nervously stepped forward.

When she saw the black and white outline that gradually appeared on the paper, exactly the same as her own, she realized that...

The little girl gasped, startled, and stumbled backward, even falling flat on her backside onto the Persian carpet.

"This...this...how come the person in this painting has exactly the same hair as Wu Zetian?!"

Wu Meiniang's eyes instantly reddened as she looked at Li Chengqian in horror.

"Your Highness! You...you didn't absorb Meiniang's soul, did you? Is Meiniang going to die?"

Seeing this future empress, destined to dominate the world, now frightened to tears by a mere photograph, Li Chengqian couldn't help but burst into unrestrained laughter.

"Hahaha! Absorbing souls? What's going on in your little head all day long?"

Li Chengqian walked over, naturally reached out and pulled Wu Meiniang up, and casually brushed her nose.

"This is optical imaging, it's science. In a few years, I'll get the color version and make you a photo album."

Although Wu Meiniang was still somewhat skeptical, hearing the Crown Prince's words eased her fear somewhat. She held the photograph carefully in her arms, a sweetness she herself didn't even realize flashing in her eyes.

Li Chengqian ignored her and turned to lie down on a large, comfortable leather rocking chair next to him.

This genuine leather sofa was painstakingly sewn together by craftsmen using top-quality bear hides that were presented as tribute from Goguryeo.

On the small table next to it.

A glass of Xinjiang grape juice with crushed ice sits on the table, exuding an enticing coolness in the sweltering early summer.

"Sizzle... La la..."

Li Chengqian stretched comfortably and reached out to fiddle with the large bronze horn next to him.

It was a simple phonograph.

As the needle struck the rough wax cylinder, a series of operatic melodies, rich in background noise yet imbued with the charm of the Tang Dynasty, slowly flowed out from the warm pavilion.

That was the top performer of the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), forced by Li Chengqian to record a "modified" version of Peking Opera—"The Great Tang Divine Machine Battalion Angrily Slays the Eight-Nation Alliance".

"Great! That line was sung with great power, a thumbs up!"

Li Chengqian closed his eyes comfortably and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest in rhythm.

Above them, a huge fan powered by a generator was blowing cool air. Although sparks occasionally flickered, this was considered a top-tier luxury in the Tang Dynasty.

This is the salted fish life he wanted.

No need to get up early and stay up late to attend court and listen to those old men arguing.

There's no need to ride a horse under the scorching sun to fight those barbarians.

All he needs to do is lie in a rocking chair, enjoy the fan, and drink an iced beverage.

And this vast empire, under his will, will expand wildly like a sophisticated perpetual motion machine.

"Your Highness, this is the battle report that just arrived."

Xu Xiao appeared at the door like a ghost, holding several briefings that had just been received and quickly translated using a telegraph machine.

"Read it." Li Chengqian didn't even open his eyelids.

"General Yue Fei is making rapid progress in Southeast Asia, having already captured the capitals of three small indigenous kingdoms, and is currently sending people to explore gold mines and spice gardens."

"General Bai Qi built six mounds of Jing along the coastline, and the kings of dozens of island nations around the area have lined up at the Anxi Protectorate, kneeling and begging our Great Tang to accept their surrender."

"Furthermore, Minister Dai asked this old servant to convey a message to Your Highness..."

Xu Xiao paused for a rare moment, seemingly with a hint of helplessness.

"The national treasury... is full again. He said if they keep bringing back gold and silver like this, he'll have no choice but to demolish the back garden of Taiji Palace and build warehouses instead."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian showed no surprise whatsoever; instead, he sighed with satisfaction.

"This is the loneliness of being invincible."

He doesn't even need to think about strategy or arrange his troops.

Simply deploy those renowned generals, equipped with the Tang Dynasty's guns, cannons, and machinery. The world will be like a lavish buffet, available for the Tang Dynasty to use as it pleases.

"Let Lao Dai figure it out himself. If there's really no room left, melt it down and cast it into gold bricks to pave Zhuque Avenue."

Li Chengqian waved his hand casually, as if dismissing a trivial matter.

He readjusted to a comfortable position, listening to the melodious opera sounds coming from the gramophone.

"If I could sleep until I naturally wake up every day, I'd be willing to manage this Tang Dynasty until I die."

Li Chengqian muttered to himself, a contented smile on his lips, about to drift off into a sweet afternoon nap.

Right here in this harmonious, salty moment.

"Big brother! Big brother, where are you?"

A cheerful, somewhat childish voice suddenly drifted in from the outer courtyard of the East Palace, seemingly out of place.

"Bang bang bang!"

Accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps.

Li Chengqian painfully opened one eye.

He saw it.

Several young children, not quite grown up, excitedly pushed open the door to the warm pavilion.

Leading the group was none other than Li Tai, the Prince of Wei, a chubby man with eyes gleaming with a fervent thirst for knowledge.

Behind him followed several younger brothers.

"Brother! I've figured out how that telegraph machine works!"

Li Tai waved a complex blueprint in his hand excitedly, his fat face trembling.

"However, I have another question I'd like to ask you, brother!"

Looking at this group of annoying "ten thousand whys", Li Chengqian rolled his eyes in despair.

"Old Xu, kick them out."

"I want to sleep!"