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

The river breeze at the Wei River dock was slightly restless, making the fat flesh on the back of Li Tai's neck feel a chill.

When Li Tai asked about the slimming fruit, Li Chengqian's lips twitched. He thought to himself that this fat guy always had such a peculiar focus.

He grabbed Li Tai's broad shoulders, which were as thick as a wall, and said in a tone just like a conman selling insurance: "Qingque, would your big brother cheat you? There are no weight loss fruits in North America, but there is one thing that will absolutely make you unable to resist."

Li Tai's eyes shone brightly, and a clear, muffled sound came from his stomach—a longing from the depths of his soul.

"Brother, tell me quickly, what kind of magical fruit is it?"

"It's beef!" Li Chengqian gestured excitedly, as if a sizzling steak was already laid out in front of him.

"On that vast plain, countless bison roam. Tens of thousands! You just need to drive the cannons over there, you don't even need to aim, just fire one shot and the whole army will have an extra meal tonight."

Li Tai swallowed hard as he listened, his thick arms trembling restlessly.

In the Tang Dynasty, oxen were protected strategic resources; if you wanted to eat beef, you had to wait for the oxen to "have a change of heart" and jump off a cliff.

Now he heard that there was a land far away where bison were so plentiful they could be bombarded with cannons, which was heaven for a seasoned gourmand like him.

"Not only that," Li Chengqian continued, his voice full of seduction, "there is a vast land with few people, there are no old bastards like the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families to disgust you, and no censors watching how many bowls of rice you eat every day."

"Don't you like doing research? I'll allow you to take a thousand elite Shenji Battalion soldiers with you, along with three thousand of the Tang Dynasty's top craftsmen. Steam engines, rifled guns, ore exploration tools—take them all!"

"Over there, you can build your laboratory however you like. You can construct a city of steel even grander than Chang'an. Then, you'll be the god of science in North America!"

Li Tai was stunned by this grand plan, and he could already picture himself sitting on an iron throne, a rifled gun in his left hand and a steak fork in his right.

He stomped his foot hard, making the wooden planks on the dock creak.

"I'll take it! Brother, I'll do it! Nobody stop me, I'm going to North America to contribute to the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Shimin, who was listening nearby, kept rubbing his forehead, thinking to himself that the Prince of Wei was completely ruined.

A prince of the Tang Dynasty would have to fight wild buffalo in the wilderness just for a bite of beef. If word got out, where would the royal family's reputation be?

But then I thought about it again. Li Tai, that tech fanatic, did indeed create all sorts of strange and unusual things every day while he was in Chang'an, causing explosions to frequently occur in the palace. Sending him away would bring some peace and quiet.

"Qingque, are you really sure? That place is thousands of miles away from Chang'an. Once you go, the chances of us meeting will be much fewer." Li Shimin was still somewhat reluctant, and his tone softened.

Li Tai's mind was filled with steak and Steel City at that moment, and he couldn't care less about being sad.

He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Li Shimin and Li Chengqian.

"Father, elder brother, a fledgling eagle must eventually leave the nest. My skills can only be truly put to use on that uncultivated wasteland of North America. Once I've built the city that never sleeps there, I'll bring Father there to retire!"

Li Chengqian thought to himself: Forget about providing for the elderly, just don't feed all the natives steaks over there.

Meanwhile, supplies were being frantically loaded onto ships on the other side of the dock.

The things Li Tai brought were completely different from those Li Zhi brought.

Besides the necessary weapons, the most abundant items were boxes and boxes of blueprints.

From the various parts of the steam engine to the design of the drainage system, and even the groundbreaking mechanical ideas that Li Chengqian casually sketched, Li Tai regarded them all as treasures.

"Reporting to King Wei, the steam engine unit has been loaded! The spare gunpowder and ore drilling equipment have been loaded into the cabin!" A chief craftsman ran over and bowed, his face full of excitement.

Although these craftsmen were treated well in Chang'an, there were too many rules and regulations.

Hearing that they were going to undertake a massive construction project in the New World, this group of infrastructure enthusiasts were even more excited than Li Tai.

Li Tai stood up and waved his hand with great enthusiasm: "Let's go! Destination: North America! We'll eat bison and build an Iron City!"

Watching Li Tai's chubby figure struggle to climb onto the deck of the treasure ship, Li Shimin's eyes finally welled up with tears.

Originally, his sons getting together would have been a disaster, but now that they've all flown away one by one, he, as their father, feels a deep emptiness in his heart.

"Chengqian, you said the Ninth Prince went to the island and the Fourth Prince went to the wilderness. Can they really accomplish anything in the future?"

Li Chengqian watched the departing sails, let out a long sigh of relief, and felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He lazily lay down on a recliner next to him, leisurely swinging his toes.

"Whether it succeeds or not depends on fate, but at least the banner of the Tang Dynasty has been planted at the ends of the earth. Old man, stop being so sentimental and hurry back to the palace to review your memorials."

Li Shimin kicked the chair leg in annoyance, then sighed, "These troublesome ancestors are finally all gone, and Chang'an is finally quiet, but why do I feel a little uneasy?"

Li Chengqian closed his eyes, a playful smile curving his lips.

He knew that this was just the beginning, and the Tang Dynasty's conquest was no longer confined to the small Guanzhong region.

"It's normal to be furious; it means you haven't gotten used to being the global leader yet."

As the father and son stood by the river sighing, Xu Xiao, the steward of the Eastern Palace, suddenly came running over with a limp and a strange expression on his face.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Li Chengqian didn't even bother to lift his eyelids: "What major event has happened? Has the sky fallen or have the Turks invaded again?"

Xu Xiao swallowed hard and said in a low voice, "It's those officials from the Censorate. They heard that you 'exiled' the princes, and now they're all kneeling at the palace gate, saying they want to impeach you for harming your brothers. Some of them are even ready to smash their heads against a pillar to their deaths."

Li Chengqian suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Xu Xiao with disbelief.

"Are these people out of their minds? I gave them fiefdoms to enjoy a life of luxury, and they accuse me of harming my own brothers?"

Li Shimin laughed gleefully from the side: "How about that? This is your retribution for being the Crown Prince Regent. Now, since you've driven your brothers away, you'll have to take the blame yourself."

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes, patted the dirt off his buttocks, and stood up.

He glanced at the direction where people were kneeling outside the palace gates, and then at Li Tai's fleet, which had become tiny black dots.

"Xu Xiao, go tell those censors, whoever wants to run into a pillar, hurry up and do it, don't delay my lunch."

Xu Xiao looked troubled: "Your Highness, Lord Wei Zheng is leading the charge. He said that if you don't give a reasonable explanation, he will flood this dock today."

Li Chengqian snorted coldly and looked at Li Shimin.

"Old man, didn't you just say you felt empty? Now things are getting interesting, why don't you go and battle with Old Man Wei?"

Li Shimin waved his hands repeatedly and took two steps back: "That's your business. I'm tired, I need to go back to my palace to catch up on my sleep, and no one is allowed to wake me up."

Li Chengqian was both angry and amused to see his father's "better to die than die" attitude.

He turned his head and stared at the surging Wei River, cursing inwardly.

This prince really wouldn't even be a dog!

"Your Highness, shall we return to the palace now or..." Xu Xiao asked cautiously.

Li Chengqian sneered and walked towards the carriage.

"What's the point of going back to the palace? Go to the East Palace and open those jars of fine wine that Bai Qi brought back last time. Let those old geezers kneel at the door; I'm going to drink my fill today!"

Li Tai's fleet sailed further and further away, while the turmoil in Chang'an seemed to have only just begun.

"By the way, Your Highness, there's something else." Xu Xiao caught up and whispered in his ear.

"Spit it out!"

"King Li Ke of Shu just sent a letter asking when you will grant him a fiefdom in South America. He said he wants to go there to plant rubber and also to see the toucans."

Li Chengqian slipped and almost fell.

He gritted his teeth, glared into the distance, and shouted, "These bastards, do they really think I'm some kind of real estate wholesaler?"