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

Amidst the lingering echoes of the Southeast Asian natives kneeling in farewell, the white "Salted Fish" slowly turned its bow, its massive propeller stirring up deep green whirlpools on the sea surface.

Li Chengqian did not choose to detour along the long and tedious route around the Cape of Good Hope, but calmly opened the secret report sent by the Ministry of Works of the Tang Dynasty half a year ago.

That is the Isthmus of Suez, which was dug through by tens of thousands of overseas laborers with their blood and sweat. Although the canal is still a bit narrow now, and the cement embankments on both sides have a rough feel of the early days of industry, it allows the will of the Tang Dynasty to penetrate into the heart of the Mediterranean at the fastest speed.

After the yacht passed through the canal and entered European waters, the original humid and unbearable Southeast Asian atmosphere was replaced by a slightly biting north wind, and the azure waves gradually turned into a deep leaden gray.

One morning two weeks later, the thick sea fog gradually dissipated at the mouth of the Thames, and what came into Li Chengqian's view was a fantastical scene that surprised even him.

Along the banks of the Thames, the dark, damp wooden shacks that once smelled of medieval decay have vanished without a trace, replaced by rows of neat, orderly red brick houses.

These buildings bear the strong style of Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty, but in order to adapt to the local cold climate, the chimneys of the fireplaces have been raised.

On the newly built cement embankments along the river, groups of Western nobles could be seen everywhere. They were not wearing heavy plate armor or simple linen robes, but rather the round-necked long gowns most popular in the Tang Dynasty.

"Hello, have you eaten yet?"

"Thanks to Your Highness, I ate two bowls of braised pork today, how wonderful!"

Several Western noblemen with full beards were imitating the Tang Dynasty people by waving folding fans and greeting each other in broken Mandarin with a Guanzhong accent. The scene was comical yet strangely harmonious.

Standing on the viewing platform, Li Chengqian looked at the cargo ships that shuttled back and forth, flying the Tang Dynasty dragon flag, and couldn't help but shake his head.

"That kid Lao Jiu really knows how to use my 'cultural invasion' technique perfectly, he even got his accent wrong."

Wu Meiniang stood to the side, holding the newly received shore-based signal briefing in her hand, and covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "The Ninth Prince said in the letter that he has turned the local churches in England into 'crash courses in Chinese.' Any noble who fails to pass the fourth level of the Chinese proficiency test will not receive tea or sugar. It seems to be quite effective."

As they were talking, a sputtering sound, like a broken bellows being pulled, suddenly came from the distant water. Immediately afterward, a thick cloud of black soot rose from a strangely shaped small boat.

It was a small steamboat, only one-tenth the size of the Saltfish. Due to inadequate soundproofing, the engine room was shaking violently, bouncing on the water like a startled grasshopper.

"Look! It's Zhi'er!"

Empress Zhangsun, leaning against the window sill, spotted a familiar figure standing on the deck of the small boat.

Li Zhi, the Prince of Jin of the Tang Dynasty, now the "Grand Administrator of Europe," was wearing a smart Tang Dynasty prince's ceremonial robe, with the jade belt at his waist gleaming in the sunlight.

He struggled to steady the crown, which was tilting due to the shaking of the small boat, while waving his arms, his excitement impossible to hide.

"Mother! Eldest brother! I'm here!"

After the steamboat docked at the gangway of the Salted Fish, Li Zhi practically tumbled and crawled onto the large ship. The moment he saw Empress Zhangsun on the deck, the majesty he had cultivated as the Grand Eunuch instantly collapsed.

"Mother! Your son misses you so much!"

Li Zhi threw himself into Empress Zhangsun's arms, his voice trembling with emotion, like a wronged child finally returning home.

Empress Zhangsun gently patted her son's back, her eyes also moistening. She looked at her son's face, which was slightly roughened by the sea breeze, and nodded repeatedly.

"You've lost some weight, but you've grown taller. You look like a real man now. Don't cry, your older brother is watching."

Li Chengqian was leaning against the railing, tossing a piece of high-quality Baltic amber in his hand, looking at his ninth brother with a half-smile.

"Alright, Ninth Brother, you're having a good time being a local tyrant on the other side of the ocean, aren't you? This steamboat may be a bit noisy, but it can sail freely on the Thames, quite the show."

Li Zhi wiped his eyes somewhat embarrassedly, released his mother, and respectfully bowed deeply to Li Chengqian.

"Brother, please don't make fun of me. This little boat is based on old blueprints sent by Lord Moju half a year ago. It took me and those barbarian blacksmiths a long time to tinker with it. Compared to your Salted Fish, it's practically a fire poker."

Li Chengqian reached out and pulled Li Zhi up, patting him heavily on the shoulder, feeling the thick muscles, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"Stop talking nonsense, come on, let's go to your residence and see. If you make a mess of it, I'll take you back to Chang'an and lock you up."

After following Li Zhi into London, Li Chengqian truly felt the tremendous changes that had taken place there.

The streets were wide and clean, and even had simple drainage pipes. The shops along the street were covered with Chinese signs, and sugar, porcelain and silk from the Tang Dynasty were the absolute hard currency here.

Li Zhi led everyone to his general's residence, which was not a luxurious palace, but a practical office building.

"Brother, this is the 'overseas provincial council system' that I've been promoting. It allows those honest Western nobles to participate in some management, but the core financial and military power is firmly held in the hands of our garrison."

Li Zhi took out a thick stack of reports, like a primary school student who had just received a perfect score on a test and was eager to report to his parents.

"And this is the assembly line factory I built downstream of the river, which specializes in producing canned goods and primary textiles. Now, people all over Europe are proud to wear fabrics made in our factory."

He led Li Chengqian on a tour of the territory, from the implementation of laws to the construction of infrastructure, every step of which was in line with the development rhythm of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian looked at the local commoners who were working hard in the factory, their eyes filled with longing for a new life, and then at Li Zhi's confident and composed demeanor.

He was silent for a moment, then reached out and gently patted Li Zhi's head.

"Zhi'er, you've done a good job. This territory looks presentable, and you haven't brought shame to our Li family."

That "Not bad" made Li Zhi feel like he was floating on clouds, and he puffed out his chest even higher.

"It's all thanks to my elder brother's excellent guidance; I was just imitating him."

Li Zhi chuckled, then looked at his mother, who was talking to Wu Meiniang in the distance. Suddenly, somewhat resentful, he leaned close to Li Chengqian's ear and muttered something in a low voice.

"Brother, although things are going smoothly for me, I heard from a secret message from Chang'an that Fourth Brother is making a much bigger splash in North America than I am here."

"I heard that he dug up the entire mountain and created that heavy industry base, which even General Bai Qi was envious of."

Li Chengqian had originally planned to stay in London for a few more days, but upon hearing this, his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, suddenly lit up.

"Oh? That fat guy didn't eat so much steak in North America that he couldn't walk anymore?"

Li Chengqian straightened up, looked at the vast new continent on the map, and a smile of excitement appeared on his lips.

"If even Bai Qi is envious of this place, wouldn't I be missing out if I didn't go and broaden my horizons?"

"Old Xu! Go fill up the tank! Let's head to North America and see what kind of tricks that fat guy is up to!"

Li Zhi couldn't help but sigh as he looked at his elder brother's enthusiastic expression.

"As expected of the eldest brother, the only things in this world that can make his eyes light up, besides delicious food, are newer and more novel things."

After replenishing its freshwater and fuel supplies in the Port of London, the HMS Saltfish sounded its deafening horn once again.

Western nobles on both sides of the Thames shouted in unison, "Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Chengqian was already standing at the bow of the ship, his gaze passing across the vast Atlantic Ocean and looking towards the distant shore.

"Fourth Prince, I hope you don't really turn into a pig that only knows how to eat. I'm taking Mother with me to check the accounts."

The Saltfish sped out of the Thames, its white spray shimmering with hope in the setting sun.

Target: The Great Tang North America Special Administrative Region.

Li Chengqian turned his head and watched as the small boat that Li Zhi was seeing off grew smaller and smaller.

"Let's go to North America and see just how curvy that fat guy really is."