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

"Sizzle—"

The lamb skewers tumbled on a specially made electric grill, golden fat dripping onto the heating element and releasing an exceptionally enticing aroma.

Li Chengqian lounged lazily in his iconic huanghuali rocking chair, a bottle of chilled sparkling water wafting from his hand. Outside the walls, the sounds of revelry from Chang'an echoed like waves crashing against the red walls of the Eastern Palace. The Tang Dynasty's astronauts had planted their flag on the moon, and the entire world was in a frenzy, their voices hoarse from shouting as they marched and celebrated in the streets.

"Your Highness, this skewer has been sprinkled with extra cumin from the Western Regions. Would you like to try it and see how it's cooked?" Wu Meiniang, dressed in a light and comfortable silk home dress, handed a skewer of lamb that was grilled to a crispy exterior and tender interior to Li Chengqian's mouth.

Li Chengqian unceremoniously shoveled off three pieces of meat in one bite, hissing as he scalded them. He mumbled indistinctly, "Comfortable! This is the life a human being should be living. The old man is probably still gnawing on dry, compressed biscuits in the command center right now, while I'm enjoying skewers in the Eastern Palace with the evening breeze. The difference is obvious."

Wu Meiniang covered her mouth and giggled, then picked up a silk handkerchief chilled in ice water and gently wiped away the light sweat from his forehead and the corners of his mouth.

Li Chengqian closed his eyes contentedly. In this night of revelry, so noisy it was worthy of being recorded in history, his thoughts drifted back to his earliest years like a wild dog that had broken free of its reins.

Looking back on my life, it's truly like a pure, exhilarating action movie with unlimited cheat codes.

The first image that popped into his mind was when he had just transmigrated. Back then, he was an unlucky crown prince who was neglected because of his foot ailment. According to the original, messed-up script, his fate was to fail in his rebellion and be deposed.

But he just wouldn't play by the rules.

He remembered clearly that day at Taiji Palace, in front of all the civil and military officials, he hugged the dragon pillar of the main hall with tears streaming down his face, howling at the top of his lungs that he wanted to resign, and begging the old man to take back the position of crown prince.

At that time, Changsun Wuji was so frightened that he broke off more than a dozen of his beard hairs, Wei Zheng's eyes were so wide they almost popped out of the gold bricks, and the old man Li Shimin was so angry that he searched the whole palace for a stick, determined to beat this unfilial son to death.

"Oh my, thinking about it now, my acting back then really deserved an Oscar." Li Chengqian chuckled in the rocking chair, his shoulders twitching, and he even spilled a few drops of sparkling water from his hand.

Wu Meiniang leaned closer curiously, a fragrant breeze wafting by: "Your Highness, what are you enjoying all by yourself? Are you reminiscing about something fun from back then?"

"I was thinking back to the first time I invited all the civil and military officials to eat hot pot." Li Chengqian opened his eyes and said with a wicked smile, "I set up that big copper pot, threw in the bright red beef tallow broth, and it was so spicy that that old scoundrel Cheng Yaojin had to search for a water vat all over the place and drank three ladles of cold water in one go."

"And those few gray potatoes, which were casually buried in the ground, were dug up during a severe drought in Guanzhong, when even the tree bark was eaten away, and they yielded thousands of kilograms per mu, a truly auspicious sign."

He looked at the night sky, his eyes revealing a sense of exhilaration and pride from his overwhelming victory.

"You didn't see their expressions back then. Those old scholars who only knew how to read the Four Books and Five Classics, looking at the pile of potatoes that looked like a small mountain, knelt in the field and cried like children, shouting that God bless the Tang Dynasty and that I was a god descended to earth."

Once the thrill is unleashed, it's like a flood bursting its banks—completely unstoppable.

Then came the sudden appearance of the Great Snow Dragon Riders. Li Chengqian's mind flashed back to that vast grassland, with all the heavily armored white horses galloping through the wind and snow, like heavenly soldiers and generals.

The rain of arrows from the composite bows blotted out the sky, and the long-handled swords, like the scythe of death, plowed bloody alleys through the Turkic ranks. It was pure equipment annihilation, crushing the arrogance of the Khan and his scimitars into the dust of the steppe. Even the military genius Li Jing was speechless for a long time upon seeing the casualty ratio.

"Later, the pace of this crushing force went too far, even I myself felt it was outrageous." Li Chengqian took a sip of iced sparkling water and let out a loud burp.

He watched as the bumpy, dirt roads of the Tang Dynasty were roughly leveled and paved with smooth, black asphalt. The once arduous 800-li express courier service, which used to exhaust horses, was transformed into a steel dragon roaring across the tracks, its whistle echoing throughout the land.

The slow-moving wooden sailboats along the Wei River were replaced by steel warships spewing thick smoke and equipped with massive cannons. Then, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers capable of launching and recovering jet fighters from the sea were launched, completely transforming the Earth into an inland lake of the Tang Dynasty.

From flickering torches to electric lights that shine all night, from bumpy horse-drawn carriages to high-speed trains that speed by, from simple wooden boats to massive aircraft carriers.

He single-handedly bridged the technological gap that spanned thousands of years with just a few shabby blueprints.

"What does it mean to feel good? It means seeing those blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign envoys step out of Chang'an Railway Station, so intimidated by our towering buildings and flashing neon lights that they immediately kneel down and shout 'God!' That's what it means to feel good!" Li Chengqian slapped his thigh, his tone excited.

But what Li Chengqian was most proud of was not these technological leaps, but his almost rogue "salted fish philosophy".

He turned to Wu Meiniang, whose eyes were filled with adoration, and asked with utmost seriousness, "Meiniang, tell me, in my entire life, have I ever personally dug a piece of coal? Or personally hammered a piece of iron in a blacksmith's shop?"

Wu Meiniang was taken aback by the question, then honestly shook her head: "Your Highness is of noble birth, so naturally you don't need to do such menial work. Your Highness has barely even reviewed any memorials in the Imperial Study."

"That's right!" Li Chengqian clapped his hands and concluded triumphantly.

"Which of those wise rulers in history books didn't work from dawn till dusk, toiling like old dogs, to bring about a peaceful and prosperous era? I'm different! I didn't do anything. Every day I just walk pandas, listen to some tunes, and figure out how to grill lamb skewers to make them more flavorful."

He paused, his tone revealing a pure cunning and pride.

"But it is precisely this lazyst salted fish that has become the most powerful behind-the-scenes force in the entire history of mankind."

He successfully tricked Li Shimin, making the great emperor drink the workaholic version of the elixir of immortality, and willingly become a top-notch employee for life.

From Chang'an infrastructure to global air routes, and now the lunar landing program, it's all been the old man charging ahead, staying up all night and losing hair. Meanwhile, Li Chengqian only needs to draw a prize behind the scenes, throw the blueprints at the entrance of the engineering department, and then continue to lie down and sleep soundly.

"This is the highest level of capitalists: making their fathers work for them illegally for their entire lives, and they still think it's an unparalleled honor." Li Chengqian laughed loudly, almost to the point of tears.

Wu Meiniang found his twisted logic both absurd and perfectly reasonable. While trying to soothe Li Chengqian's anger, she said coquettishly, "If His Majesty heard what Your Highness said, he would surely come back from the launch site with the Emperor's Sword."

"He only has eyes for the moon now, he doesn't care about me, the weak and sickly crown prince." Li Chengqian waved his hand dismissively.

After laughing enough and reviewing all the exciting moments, Li Chengqian's initial excitement gradually subsided, turning into a gentle warmth and a sigh.

Over the past few decades, although technology has advanced by leaps and bounds and the territory of the Tang Dynasty has expanded infinitely, the most wonderful thing in this world is not those cold steel machines, but those living people.

His thoughts, like the gentle night breeze, drifted away from himself and towards the various characters who were making their appearances on this magnificent stage.

That emperor who was fooled by himself, that troublemaker Cheng Yaojin who always wanted to chop people down with a Xuanhua axe, that troll Wei Zheng who would cling to a pillar and threaten to die for his cause at the drop of a hat...

And then there are those brothers who were driven out to become local tyrants all over the world.

"Meiniang," Li Chengqian's voice became somewhat distant.

"Your Highness, I am here."

"I was so focused on my own enjoyment that I suddenly remembered those old faces I had tricked." Li Chengqian stood up, walked to the edge of the observation deck, and held onto the railing with both hands, looking down at this unparalleled cyberpunk Tang Dynasty City that never sleeps.

A nostalgic smile curved his lips, and his eyes sparkled.

"Tell me, is that fat guy Li Tai, who originally wanted to be the crown prince, doing well mining in the North American heavy industry base? And what about the ninth prince, Li Zhi? Is that kid being bullied by those blond nobles in Europe, where he's the speaker of parliament?"

Wu Meiniang walked to his side and stood beside him, replying softly, "Since Your Highness misses them, why don't you go to the telegraph office and make a transoceanic video call to ask? Or you could send an urgent telegram."

Li Chengqian waved his hand, looking at the bright moon in the night sky, a smile flashing in his eyes:

"No, it's pointless to make a phone call."

I'd like to go and see for myself what kind of chaotic mess they've made on this vast earth without me constantly keeping an eye on them with a whip.