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

The news that Li Chengqian had approved the shipbuilding project spread like wildfire from the Eastern Palace to the Quanzhou shipyard, thousands of miles away.

The craftsmen who were busy installing steam turbines for the Tang Dynasty navy were all stunned when they received the imperial edict.

The requirements in this imperial edict were written in a way that was truly astonishing.

Why don't we want red-coated cannons? Why don't we want troop transport compartments?

Not only that, His Highness the Crown Prince also strictly ordered that even if one ton less fresh water was added, the so-called "constant-temperature indoor theater" must be left empty.

The governor of the Quanzhou Shipyard was an old craftsman in his sixties. At this moment, he was holding the blueprints sent by the Crown Prince, and his hands were trembling as if he were being shaken.

"Is this building a ship, or a celestial palace?"

The old craftsman's eyes nearly popped out as he stared at the densely packed layout on the blueprints.

In the very center of the drawing is a huge, temperature-controlled swimming pool enclosed by two layers of special steel decks.

In the Tang Dynasty, when even bathtubs required hot water to be carried by hand, this was a design that only a madman could come up with.

Li Chengqian's instructions were simple and brutal: disregard costs.

He directly allocated a huge sum of money from the Crown Prince's treasury—enough to stop the head of the national treasury from his heart—and made it clear that the ship should not be considered for war.

Its sole purpose is to make the lonely creature comfortable on the sea.

The most advanced steel mill in the Tang Dynasty received a death order.

This special steel, originally used to build the core armor of warships, is now being cut and welded piece by piece to form the skeleton of this yacht.

To ensure the ship's streamlined shape, Mo Ju even personally oversaw the work, leading thousands of skilled craftsmen to meticulously correct the curvature of the steel plates using large hydraulic presses.

The complexity of this process was such that it was unmatched by any other country in the world at the time.

"His Highness said that this ship must have light."

Xu Xiao, leading a team of Donggong technicians, was busy laying out copper wires wrapped in rubber in the unfinished cabin.

This is not just about lighting.

Li Chengqian requested that a separate generator set be installed.

This means that when the ship sails in the middle of the dark sea, it will be like a sun fallen to earth, shining brightly.

"Old Xu, do you think our boss is getting tired of having too much of a peaceful life?"

A young technician muttered a complaint in a low voice as he tightened a screw.

"If this generator breaks down, we'll have nowhere to repair it in the middle of the sea."

Xu Xiao glared at him and tapped him on the head in an annoyed tone.

"Enough with the nonsense. If His Highness says it can be done, then it definitely can. Look at our lives now, who would have thought we could eat iced watermelon in the winter?"

"Besides, if His Highness wasn't confident, would he dare to take Consort Wu out for a wild time?"

The artisans of the Tang Dynasty were indeed working incredibly hard.

To meet Li Chengqian's requirement for a "glass observation deck," the Ministry of Works even specially developed a thicker, more transparent bulletproof glass.

These expensive transparent cubes are embedded in the side of the bow of the ship, allowing people to see the rolling waves and swimming fish below while lying in bed.

The soundproofing of the indoor theater uses top-quality cork and rubber pads imported from South America.

The noise control of the generator set forced Mo Ju to stay up for three consecutive days, and he managed to create a complex set of silencer and exhaust pipes.

This is no longer shipbuilding.

This is to concentrate all the technological points of the Tang Dynasty to build an ultimate, luxurious dream world.

Including material costs, labor costs, and the research and development costs of the not-yet-fully-developed power systems, the cost of this ship is outrageously high.

It was sufficient to equip an expeditionary fleet consisting of fifty top-class treasure ships.

But in Li Chengqian's eyes, the money was well spent.

"Money is something you can't take with you when you die."

Li Chengqian was sitting in the East Palace, looking through the progress reports sent back from Quanzhou.

He took a sip of the chilled plum juice, his expression one of utter nonchalance.

"I've provided the Tang Dynasty with so much advanced technology, can't I even enjoy it?"

"If I made all the money in the world and was still stuck here eating meager rations like an old man, what was the point of me transmigrating here?"

Wu Meiniang sat to the side, fiddling with a specially made diving suit mold, another novel contraption that Li Chengqian had casually drawn.

"Your Highness, the people in Quanzhou say that the paint scheme for the ship has been chosen."

Wu Meiniang spoke softly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"According to your instructions, the finest white porcelain lacquer was used, and pearlescent powder specially supplied to the Crown Prince's Palace was also added."

"At sea, as long as the sun shines, this ship can rock so much that sea creatures within a ten-mile radius dare not raise their heads."

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction and pressed his finger heavily on the island marker on the map.

"That's the effect I wanted. I'm going on vacation; how can it be a small affair?"

"How's the old man doing? Has he been nagging me about spending money recklessly?"

Wu Zetian covered her mouth and chuckled, "His Majesty has no time to think about you right now?"

"He is leading General Bai Qi in some kind of '100-day training exercise' in the north, supposedly to test the cavalry unit that has just been equipped with repeating muskets."

"As long as you don't steal his military funds, he now sees everything you do as 'technological exploration'."

Li Chengqian breathed a long sigh of relief.

This is the state he desires most.

The old man, full of vigor and vitality, pursued his war ideals while he himself squandered resources in the rear to build his retirement life.

They do not interfere with each other, and each gets what it deserves.

Six months passed in the blink of an eye amidst the roar of busy machines.

For the past six months, the area around Quanzhou Port has become almost a no-go zone.

A large number of Imperial Guards tightly sealed off the sea area within a ten-mile radius.

The people could only hear the rumbling sound of power testing coming from the port late at night.

No one knows what kind of monster was conceived in that huge factory.

Until the morning of that day.

A thin layer of mist rose over the sea off Quanzhou.

As several loud whistles shattered the silence, the factory's massive iron gate slowly opened.

A colossal vessel, pure white and elegantly shaped like a sword, slowly glided into the azure harbor, propelled by a hydraulic slide.

The waves stirred up by the two sides were several feet high.

It completely abandoned that bulky treasure ship design.

There was not a single mast, nor a single sail.

It features only streamlined decks and three staggered observation decks.

Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, shining on the milky white lacquered surface and refracting a dazzling and luxurious brilliance.

It rested quietly on the sea, like a proud white swan surveying its ordinary territory.

In the distance, several of the Tang Dynasty's main warships appeared cumbersome and outdated in comparison, like remnants of a bygone era.

At the stern of the ship, two Chinese characters, "鹹鱼" (salted fish), were engraved in gold paint.

Although these two words don't quite match the luxurious ship, no one dares to laugh at them.

As everyone knows, the owner of this ship is the most unapproachable Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Highness, the launch was successful."

Holding the telegram, Xu Xiao stumbled into the East Palace, his excitement barely concealed.

"Lord Mo was crying like a child over there. He said that during the ship's trial run, the speed reached thirty knots, and even dolphins couldn't catch up with it!"

Li Chengqian suddenly stood up and casually threw the watermelon rind in his hand.

"Thirty sections? Not bad, Old Mo didn't let us down this time."

He looked at Wu Meiniang, his eyes flashing with a kind of wild joy called "successfully skipping class".

"Meiniang, pack your things. Let's go."

Wu Meiniang smiled, her clear eyes filled with anticipation.

"Your Highness, are we really not going to say goodbye to His Majesty?"

"Why say goodbye? Just send a telegram."

Li Chengqian picked up the exquisite little leather suitcase that had been prepared in advance and walked out with cheerful steps.

"By the time he sees the telegram, I reckon he'll already be drinking coconut juice on a beach in Hawaii."

"Xu Xiao! Prepare the special train, we're going to Quanzhou!"

"Your Highness, what about those memorials in the court..."

Li Chengqian waved his hand without turning his head.

"Let Father Emperor approve it at his leisure! He's in good health; the capable should do more!"

As the sun set, a steel train billowing black smoke roared out of Chang'an Station and sped off in the southeast.

Meanwhile, in the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin was staring at a stack of secret reports about the cost of the "Salted Fish" ship.

"That unfilial son... he spent ten million taels of silver to build a ship?"

Li Shimin's eyes widened, and his finger trembled as he pointed at the report.

"How much is the annual military expenditure for my Great Snow Dragon Cavalry?"

"Wang De! Go! Summon the Crown Prince to me! I want to ask him if this ship is inlaid with the elixir of immortality?"

Wang De knelt on the ground, sweat pouring down his face.

"Your Majesty... His Highness the Crown Prince just sent a telegram. He says he's going overseas for a 'geological expedition,' which could take anywhere from six months to a year..."

"What? An inspection?"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up, gritting his teeth as he looked into the distance.

"What kind of assessment is he doing! He's clearly just trying to dump all the work on me again!"

"You unfilial son! You better not come back!"

Even so, as Li Shimin looked at the report with the shocking data of "Great Tang Salted Fish", a hint of curiosity quietly flashed in his eyes.

"Can it run at 30 knots? Without a sail?"

"Wang De, once this rebellious son has had his fill of playing around, have Old Mo get me one too. I've already thought of a name: the Great Tang War God!"

Li Shimin cursed as he sat back on the dragon throne, picked up his vermilion pen, and resignedly turned to the next folded document.

"There's nothing I can do; I'm young and strong right now."

On the distant sea, a white yacht cuts through the waves.

Li Chengqian lay on the wide deck, facing the salty sea breeze, and let out a heartfelt exclamation.

"This is what life is all about."

"Your Highness, a pod of whales has been spotted ahead!"

"Xu Xiao, stop yelling and bring me my fishing rod!"