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

The fine sand of Xianyu Island crunched under the reporter's leather shoes, and the previously tranquil, salty, damp air was instantly torn apart by a burning excitement. The red indicator light on top of the camera flashed rhythmically, like a beating heart, transmitting images of this remote island in real time to LCD screens in every corner of the world via the Datang near-Earth orbit satellite constellation.

At that moment, the hustle and bustle of Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an, the foggy harbor of London, the emerging industrial areas of North America, and even the rubber plantation markets of South America came to an abrupt halt.

Whether it was a craftsman sweating profusely in a workshop, a white-collar worker rapidly typing on a keyboard in an office building, or a businessman discussing stocks in a pub, everyone seemed frozen in place, abruptly looking up. Countless eyes were fixed on the figure in the center of the screen—wearing shorts and carrying a coconut. Their eyes gleamed with almost fanatical adoration, as if they were looking at a living god walking among mortals.

The reporter's voice was hoarse, his chest heaving violently, and the silver microphone in his hand trembled slightly, almost hitting Li Chengqian's nose.

"Your Highness! Please forgive my intrusion into your tranquil retreat!" The reporter took a deep breath, his eyes blazing, and recounted in a tone slightly choked with emotion due to excessive adoration, "You are the great driving force behind the Industrial Revolution, the creator of the Tang Dynasty's steel torrent! It was you who made the sails of Tang Dynasty merchant ships cover the five oceans, becoming the undisputed pioneer of global navigation! And it was you who personally lit that rocket that pierced the sky, becoming the guiding light for all mankind's space age!"

The reporter became more and more excited as he spoke, and he stomped a deep hole in the sand beneath his feet.

"The whole world is singing your praises! Everyone is wondering what kind of extraordinary wisdom you possess to accomplish these feats, which even the gods would find difficult to achieve, at such a young age?"

Li Chengqian blushed at the sudden shower of flattery. He could even see the veins bulging on the reporter's forehead from the excessive force, and the almost overflowing fanaticism in the other's eyes. He was all too familiar with that expression; those lunatics from the Ministry of Works looked at him with the same smug expression.

Beside her, Wu Zetian subtly pursed her lips, a hint of amusement in her eyes. She leaned gracefully against the parasol handle, seemingly eager to see how her prince would handle this global execution.

The reporter clearly had no intention of giving Li Chengqian a chance to catch his breath. He suddenly took half a step forward and blurted out the crucial question.

"Your Highness! A billion viewers worldwide want to hear your answer! How exactly did you manage to lead the Tang Dynasty to the pinnacle of the world, all by yourself, even when everyone else thought you were 'wasting your time'? What is your core secret? Is it diligence? Genius? Or some kind of grand vision that we cannot comprehend?"

This question, transmitted instantly across the globe via high-powered signal base stations, was uttered in a single moment.

The once noisy, bustling, and tense Persian Gulf oil field was deserted. The oil workers who had just been fiercely protesting wage increases and staging a strike, waving wrenches, were now eerily quiet, as if time had frozen. They silently placed the wrenches they had been gripping tightly to the side, then let out a long, relieved sigh.

Meanwhile, in a remote corner of a foreign land, a deathly silence reigned near a gold mine. Just moments before, two guards, each loyal to a different overseas vassal king, had been on the verge of a bloody battle over the mine's resources. But now, they had both ceased their hostile actions and swiftly sheathed their gleaming swords.

At this moment, the Imperial Study within the Taiji Palace was eerily quiet; even the sound of a pin dropping could be clearly heard. The usually dignified, solemn, and unsmiling Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty sat on his dragon throne, his face ashen, his eyes wide with rage as he glared at the massive projection screen before him. Veins bulged on his forehead, his right hand gripped his long, glossy black hair tightly, while his left hand gripped the edge of the table, seemingly trying to suppress the rage simmering within him. However, despite his efforts, he could not quell the resentment he felt towards his son, Li Zhi. He could only grit his teeth and growl in a low voice, "You unfilial son! Explain yourself! What did it take for you to manipulate me like a monkey? And how have you managed to govern this vast land in such a state?!"

The world held its breath.

The wind seemed to have stopped, and only the sound of the waves gently lapping against the rocks was particularly clear in the silent air.

Li Chengqian looked at the microphone that was almost shoved into his mouth, then at the ultra-high-definition camera that was filming him relentlessly. He could even clearly see his slightly comical beach outfit reflected in the lens.

It was a strange feeling. He just wanted to lie down and be an insignificant nobody, but he ended up being placed on a pedestal in front of all humanity and forced to give a public summary of some kind of "success philosophy".

He glanced down at the nearly dried-out green coconut in his hand. Glistening water droplets clung to the shell, and the straw emitted a hollow gurgling sound. The sound was unusually jarring on the silent beach.

He slowly squeezed the last bit of juice out of the straw.

At that moment, the cameraman held his breath in tension. He even held his breath, his fingers stiffly fixing the focus, afraid of missing any subtle expression from His Highness the Crown Prince.

Li Chengqian raised his left hand, his fingertips touching the specially made dark sunglasses. His movements were slow, as if he were performing some kind of solemn ritual, or as if he was hesitating about how to face this absurd world.

The guards around them straightened their backs unconsciously due to tension, and the nano-armor reflected a cold light in the sunlight.

As the sunglasses were slowly removed, those clear eyes, yet filled with helplessness and vicissitudes, were completely exposed to the gaze of all mankind.

His lips twitched slightly, revealing a smile that made the hearts of viewers around the world stop. That smile contained neither the domineering air of someone commanding the world nor the profound wisdom of someone strategizing; instead, it conveyed a deep, almost collapsing, salted fish-like sigh.

Li Chengqian finished the last sip of coconut juice, slowly took off his custom-made sunglasses, and gave the camera a helpless smile.