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

Under the cover of night, the dazzling neon lights of Chang'an illuminated the sky as if it were daytime. Deep within the Eastern Palace, in a secluded secret chamber, Wu Meiniang sat gracefully before a rosewood table, her slender, pale fingers gently resting on the unassuming black crystal panel at the corner. Her gaze was calm and serene as she pressed the communication button—the button that signaled the highest level of alert—with a slight pressure from her fingertips.

"Click".

A faint, crisp sound echoed through the air. As quiet as a mosquito's buzz, it seemed like a key unlocking an ancient seal. The command transformed into an invisible electronic pulse, traveling at the speed of light through a densely packed, encrypted fiber optic network, piercing through a 150-meter-thick layer of blast-resistant concrete, and instantly reaching the deepest armed base within the Eastern Palace. In that instant, the behemoth slumbering in its steel lair slowly opened its cold eyes.

Standing in the center of this underground base, filled with the cold, hard texture of metal, Xu Feng, the current commander of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, keenly caught the fleeting flash of the warning indicator light above his head. The red light illuminated his resolute face. His pupils contracted sharply in a fraction of a second, and the taut muscles of his face sculpted a cold, stern expression. It was a subtle expression tinged with fanatical faith and absolute obedience. Xu Feng made no sound; he simply raised his right arm, covered in nano-armor, and slammed it heavily against his left chest, right in front of his heart. The clang of metal clashing resounded through the empty, silent underground base, vibrating the air.

The Tang Dynasty's army had long since been equipped with the most advanced weaponry thanks to the rapid advancement of technology. Border guards were beginning to deploy rudimentary concept mechs equipped with laser-guided weapons, and swarms of unmanned combat aircraft, controlled by supercomputers, patrolled the skies. In the eyes of many up-and-coming military leaders, traditional cavalry formations should have long been ruthlessly crushed by the relentless wheels of history. But the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry was different. This legendary force, which had accompanied His Highness the Crown Prince through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, through biting winds and freezing cold, stubbornly maintained its purest form of organization. They were the last line of defense for the Eastern Palace, and the sharpest, never-rusting blade in Li Chengqian's hand.

Rows of cold white searchlights illuminated the base, dispelling the shadows. Three thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders stood silently before their respective hibernation pods. They wore top-tier bulletproof individual armor, secretly developed by the Tang Dynasty Royal Academy of Sciences at a cost of hundreds of billions. This armor was coated with a high-polymer energy-absorbing coating that perfectly absorbed radar waves and high-frequency lasers, yet its appearance stubbornly retained the imposing, austere aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty's Mingguang armor. In the location of the breastplate, miniature cold nuclear fusion batteries were embedded, emitting a dark and deep blue light.

Beside them stood three thousand heavily genetically modified mechanical warhorses. Highly elastic carbon nanotubes were implanted into the muscle fibers of these horses, and their robust limb joints were fitted with sophisticated hydraulic transmission systems. With each breath, the horses exhaled a cooling white mist carrying a frosty aura. Cold and chilling, they were like death messengers descending from the depths of hell.

On the top floor of a skyscraper in the heart of Chang'an's commercial district, less than two kilometers from the Eastern Palace, Antony, the newly appointed Commercial Administrator of the Rome Special District, swirled a glass of expensive, aged red wine. Standing before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, a self-satisfied, contemptuous smile played on his lips. He had privately mocked the Tang Dynasty Crown Prince's conservatism and stubbornness, for maintaining a cavalry force seemingly stuck in the age of cold weapons in the heart of the city, where land was incredibly valuable.

However, in that brief second when he lowered his head to sip his drink, his smile froze completely on his face.

Anthony's tactical thermal imaging monocle on his right eye suddenly emitted a piercing red alarm. One second. Just that brief second. The world Anthony saw underwent a terrifying, cataclysmic change. He clearly saw the heavy alloy doors of the Eastern Palace slowly slide open to the sides. Three thousand scorching energy sources, almost blinding his pupils, poured out in an absolutely uniform and terrifying formation, like a white torrent of steel.

"This...this is impossible." Anthony's breathing was rapid, like a leaky bellows. He gripped the metal frame of the French windows tightly, his knuckles turning a glaringly white from the excessive force. His mind frantically processed the combat capabilities of this cavalry. The seemingly decorative armor on those warhorses was far harder than any known main battle tank. And the high-frequency vibrating sabers held by the cavalrymen, under the thermal imaging, showed a despairingly high temperature at the edge of the blade. They were blades of death capable of slicing through titanium alloy blast doors in an instant.

Anthony felt a profound sense of powerlessness and fear. He had initially thought that cutting off a few trade routes would force the Crown Prince to compromise. But faced with this absolute violence, any commercial sanctions seemed like a joke. His fingers went numb, and the priceless wine glass slipped limply from his fingertips. Pulled by gravity, the glass tumbled in mid-air, the glistening red wine spilling out like blood. With a sharp "crack," the glass shattered against the edge of the carpet. Anthony didn't even have the courage to look down; cold sweat instantly soaked through his expensive custom-made shirt.

At this moment, outside the East Palace gate, Li Chengqian was slowly descending the bluestone steps. He had changed into a well-tailored black bulletproof casual trench coat, his hands casually in his pockets. Wu Meiniang lagged half a step behind him, holding a light cashmere cloak in her hand.

Li Chengqian's gaze slowly swept over the silent, steel-clad army before him. A barely perceptible warmth flickered deep within his eyes. A slight, relaxed smile curved his lips. Not a single one of the three thousand men uttered a sound. But the fervent loyalty conveyed through their eyes was like a volcano about to erupt, fiery and intense.

Xu Feng strode forward, his right knee slowly bending. With a soft hiss of hydraulic pressure, the heavy mechanical armor made contact with the cobblestone ground. The armor's internal cushioning absorbed all the impact within a fraction of a second. He lowered his head, his voice hoarse yet resolute: "The Great Snow Dragon Riders are assembled. Please give your orders, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian reached out and gently patted the neck of his personal mechanical horse. The cold metallic touch traveled through his fingertips.

"The old man keeps saying he wants to replace all of you with fully automated intelligent mechs, saying that mechs don't feel pain or fear." Li Chengqian chuckled, his tone somewhat nonchalant.

Xu Feng abruptly raised his head, his eyes showing no fear, only a fury that had crossed his bottom line. He clenched his teeth, awaiting his lord's next words.

"But I told him." Li Chengqian's eyes suddenly deepened as he slowly surveyed the entire army. His voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears. "The mechs are indeed fearless. But the mechs have no souls. You are different. The Great Snow Dragon Riders are my shadow. As long as I stand on this land, the Great Snow Dragon Riders' battle flag will never fall."

These words were like a hurricane, instantly igniting the passion in the hearts of three thousand soldiers. They remained deathly silent, but in all three thousand pairs of eyes, a chillingly fanatical light simultaneously erupted. It was an absolute faith, a readiness to die for the man before them.

"I swear to follow Your Highness to the death!" Xu Feng lowered his voice and squeezed out this beast-like growl from deep in his throat.

"Alright, stop making it so dramatic. I'm just going to an island for a vacation." Li Chengqian waved his hand, reverting to his usual lazy demeanor. He turned and opened the door of the specially modified, extended, bulletproof hovercar, then casually got in. Wu Meiniang followed closely behind.

The carriage door closed. Xu Feng mounted his horse and raised his high-frequency vibrating battle blade high in the air. The blade drew a dark blue arc of light in the night.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Three thousand mechanical warhorses marched forward simultaneously. A white torrent of steel surged into the wide Zhuque Avenue of Chang'an City in an instant. Li Chengqian's black hovercar was tightly guarded in the center.

"Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!" The sound of three thousand warhorses landing was perfectly synchronized, without the slightest discordant noise. They moved as one, each step, each landing, on the same beat with microsecond precision. This uniform sound echoed through the empty streets, creating a wondrous acoustic resonance. The sound struck the hearts of the onlookers, compelling them to breathe involuntarily in rhythm.

Wherever the convoy went, the people retreated. The citizens of Chang'an spontaneously stopped and stood on both sides of the street. They did not whisper to each other; everyone watched this legendary army with an almost pious gaze.

A five- or six-year-old boy, holding a glowing toy mecha, stared blankly as a warhorse walked past him. Beneath the warhorse's cold visor, bright blue electronic eyes gleamed. The boy's face flushed with excitement.

"Mother, look! Those are the Dragon Cavalry! They're even more imposing than in the picture books!"

The mother quickly covered her child's mouth, bowing her head in awe, yet she couldn't help but steal glances at the hovercar's dark windows out of the corner of her eye. Those were the living beliefs within them.

The Snow Dragon Riders didn't activate any sirens. Their sheer presence was the best pass. The dazzling holographic projections lining the streets paled in comparison to this silent army. Aircraft traversing the sky all instinctively increased their altitude.

Li Chengqian leaned back in his leather chair, picked up a glass of red wine, and chuckled at Wu Meiniang, "Finally, I can have a few days of peace and quiet. Let this old man worry about the affairs of the Tang Dynasty."

The plane soared into the clouds and, a few hours later, landed on Li Chengqian's private island in Hawaii.