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

The smell of gunpowder had not yet completely dissipated in Donggong Square.

Mo Ju was still slumped next to the pile of broken wood and steel pipes, looking like a beggar who had crawled out of a coal mine, coughing and grinning at the same time.

The thing called "Datang No. 1" was leaning precariously against the stone pillar, the leaking fuel spreading out in a colorful pattern in the cracks between the blue bricks.

Li Chengqian, with his hands behind his back, like a landlord inspecting his territory, slowly circled the dilapidated plane three times.

He stretched out his toe and kicked the exhaust pipe, which was slightly deformed due to the high temperature.

"Old Mo, you're planning to send me soaring into the sky in this thing?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with undisguised disdain.

"The noise was so loud that my ears are still ringing. If the smell of cooking oil in the cabin had lasted for half an hour, I would have turned into a walking piece of dried meat."

"Not to mention the turbulence. When I watched you land, your butt was so jolted that it made me throw up my dinner from last night."

"If I were to sit on this piece of junk, my delicate skin and bones would surely fall apart."

Mo Ju awkwardly wiped the soot off his face and chuckled, "Your Highness, this is the first time. Being able to fly is a miracle. As for comfort... I'll definitely add a few rubber pads later."

"Add cushions? You might as well just give me a genuine leather sofa."

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Don't count on me for this. I haven't lived enough yet. You should leave this kind of life-threatening work to Father Emperor."

"He's on his medication now, full of energy. Even if he fell from the sky, he'd probably just dust himself off and maybe even spar with you."

Although he complained about it to the bitter end, Li Chengqian knew exactly what was going on.

The appearance of this dilapidated aircraft signifies that the industrial level of the Tang Dynasty has completed a perilous leap from the "steam age" to the "internal combustion engine age".

Once the spark of this internal combustion engine is ignited, it will only be a matter of time before tanks, armored vehicles, and even real long-range bombers follow.

Since technology has reached this level, it means that the physical distance of this planet has completely disappeared in the face of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian turned to look in the direction of Chang'an City. The bustling Zhuque Avenue was still lively, but after looking at it for a while, he felt that it had lost some of its novelty.

His stoic personality means that what he fears most is a life that becomes stagnant and lifeless.

Now, the Tang Dynasty enjoys favorable weather and abundant harvests. The Five Clans and Seven Noble Families have long since become background figures in history books. Neighbors like the Turks and Goguryeo have either become provinces of the Tang Dynasty or its backyard.

There is no one left in this world who can defeat me.

"Boring, so boring."

Li Chengqian yawned and casually pulled out a finely drawn world map from his pocket.

This map was compiled by him based on his memories from his previous life and the ocean-going fleets he had sent out over the past few years.

On the map, the black banners of the Tang Dynasty have been planted all over the Eurasian continent, and even in the distant Americas, the figures of the third and fourth princes can be seen.

His finger slid slowly across the map, past the bustling Tang Dynasty mainland, past the Western Regions undergoing massive infrastructure construction, and finally stopped in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

In the vast blue ocean, several pearl-like islands lie quietly.

"Old Xu, what do you think of this place?"

Li Chengqian beckoned, signaling Xu Xiao to come closer.

Xu Xiao squinted at the few small red dots, somewhat bewildered: "Your Highness, this place is isolated overseas; I doubt even a blade of grass could grow here. What are we going here for? To catch fish to eat?"

"You don't know anything."

Li Chengqian pointed to that area, his eyes filled with longing, "This place is called Hawaii, and it's probably still a primeval forest now. But it's summer all year round here, the sun is so strong it makes your bones feel soft, the sand is as white as silver, and the seawater is as clear as glass."

"Most importantly, there's no Wei Zheng watching me every day, and no old man calling me to review memorials every few days."

"The Tang Dynasty is so strong now. I've worked so hard for so many years, what's wrong with me enjoying myself a bit?"

The more Li Chengqian spoke, the more he realized that it made sense. Although Chang'an had greenhouses in winter, it still lacked a certain natural atmosphere.

Now that the old man has a lifespan of five hundred years, he should sit comfortably in the Taiji Palace and be his "working emperor".

As for himself, the crown prince, he should take fine wine and dancing girls to a deserted island in the deep ocean and live a few days of true salted fish life.

"Your Highness, are you really planning to travel far away?"

Wu Meiniang walked over at some point, still wearing that fox fur coat, her cool eyes carrying a hint of a smile.

"Are you really willing to leave all the affairs of Chang'an to His Majesty alone?"

"He'd love to."

Li Chengqian snorted, "He's full of energy right now, he'd love to take on even the sweeping work at the Court of State Ceremonial. My presence here is just getting in his way."

"Old Xu, pass on my order to the shipyard."

Li Chengqian put away the map, a determined smile curving his lips.

"Ordinary treasure ships are stable, but I'm not used to sitting on them. If I were to drift at sea on those wooden stakes for half a year, I would definitely get sick from sitting on them."

"I want to build a different kind of ship."

Xu Xiao was taken aback: "A different kind of ship? Is it going to be made of steel? Wouldn't that iron lump sink to the bottom if it fell into the water?"

"Your brain is only good for holding dry rice."

Li Chengqian scoffed, "So what if it's steel? If I want to, I can make tens of thousands of tons of steel run faster than a horse on water."

"This time it's not just about building a ship; I'm going to build a palace on the sea."

"There should be a refrigerator to keep things cool, a bathtub to take hot showers, and a deck where you can lie down and fish alone."

"Most importantly, I need to use the top-of-the-line engine. I don't want to rely on feng shui to make a living at sea."

He had already conceived a prototype of a luxury cruise ship similar to those of later generations.

It's not an exaggeration, but in this era, it's definitely a game-changer.

Previously, due to inadequate rubber and material technology and poor sealing, internal combustion engines were prone to breaking down at sea.

But now that airplanes are flying, if Moju can't even handle the basic corrosion resistance and sealing work, then they really should go to South America to grow rubber.

"What if His Majesty asks..." Xu Xiao hesitated.

"Just tell them I've gone to inspect the conditions of the people in the overseas vassal states."

Li Chengqian spread his hands confidently, "As the future heir of the Tang Dynasty, what a perfectly justifiable reason it is to care about the people thousands of miles away!"

"Even if that stubborn old man Wei Zheng heard this, he would have to write two poems praising me."

Li Chengqian patted Mo Ju on the shoulder, his tone so friendly that it made Mo Ju feel uneasy all over.

"Old Mexican, put the planes aside for now. For the next three months, you need to focus all your energy on the shipyard."

"I need to see the actual power system, electricity supply, and freshwater purification device in three months."

"If it succeeds, you're allowed to bring your collection of precious wrenches with you on my future sea vacations. If it fails..."

Li Chengqian chuckled, revealing his white teeth, "Then you go and fix this broken plane, and then fly to Hawaii to see me."

Mo Ju was so startled that his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the blueprints in his arms.

Fly to Hawaii?

This dilapidated wooden frame would probably fall apart if it flew out of Guanzhong.

"Your Highness, rest assured! I will go immediately! Even if it means exhausting all the shipyard's craftsmen, I will build that floating palace for you!"

Mo Ju ran off in a flash, not even bothering to wipe the grease off his face.

Li Chengqian looked at the empty square and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The wind in Chang'an was still a bit chilly, but his thoughts had already flown to the shimmering South Pacific Ocean.

"A vacation...this is what life should be like."

Li Chengqian squinted, as if he could already smell the salty and fishy smell brought by the sea breeze, and the sweetness of the chilled coconut juice.

"Your Highness, who do you plan to take this time?" Wu Meiniang asked softly.

Li Chengqian turned his head and, with a wicked smile, lifted her chin.

"Is that even a question? Of course, I'll take whoever is best at peeling grapes with me."

Wu Meiniang blushed slightly and spat lightly, but the smile in her eyes and brows was impossible to hide.

Just as Li Chengqian was full of confidence and planning his famous voyage to the sea.

At the other end of Chang'an City, in the Imperial Study of Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin, who had just finished processing a stack of telegrams from the Western Regions, suddenly sneezed.

He rubbed his nose and looked towards the direction of the Eastern Palace with some suspicion.

"Strange, I have a feeling that that rebellious son is plotting against me again."

"Wang De! Go see what's going on at the Eastern Palace? I heard thunder just now!"

Li Shimin was unaware that his thoughtful eldest son was already preparing to completely dump the mess of the entire Tang Dynasty on him and go off to live a carefree life in the heavens.

"Yes, sir!" Wang De retreated tremblingly.

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian had already begun directing Xu Xiao to take measurements in the courtyard.

"The deck must be large, preferably big enough to park two small planes, so it's convenient for me to occasionally take a cruise at sea."

Li Chengqian snapped his fingers, his expression triumphant.

"Old Xu, send word to the shipyard. I'm not used to sitting in ordinary treasure ships; I want to build one that's different."

"Tell them I've already chosen a name for this ship: the Great Tang Salted Fish!"

Xu Xiao's lips twitched violently as he heard the name, which had lost all its domineering aura.

"The Salted Fish? Your Highness, that name hanging on the mast symbolizes the majesty of our Great Tang..."

"Awe and authority are earned through force, not through shouting."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and walked back to the greenhouse without looking back.

"If I am comfortable at sea, the Tang Dynasty will have prestige. If I suffer, no one will have prestige."