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

The coconut palms on the island of Hawaii rustled restlessly in the sea breeze, and the once tranquil beach now exuded a suffocating sense of dread. Li Chengqian remained in a half-squatting position, his fingertips trembling slightly as he pressed down firmly on the urgent telegram, half of which was soaked with seawater.

The paper had become somewhat soft due to the dampness, and the ink smudges at the edges resembled an unyielding bruise. But the eight large, blood-red characters in running script—"His Majesty seals the palace, the world comes to a standstill"—still pierced deep into his retina like a heavy hammer.

He could even picture Li Shimin's expression as he wrote that secret letter; the old man must have gritted his teeth, sneering as he scribbled haphazardly on the imperial desk.

Li Chengqian stared at the scrap of paper in silence for a full thirty seconds.

During that long half-minute, the guards in the distance seemed to sense some unusual pressure, holding their breath and even deliberately lowering the frequency of the changing of the guard's boots. In that second, only the distant waves tirelessly pounded against the rocks, splashing up a spray of broken foam.

"I should have known... I should have known that his temper wouldn't be able to withstand this kind of Versailles-like stimulation."

Li Chengqian gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

He abruptly stood up, his floral shorts swaying in the wind, looking utterly ironic now. He paced back and forth on the beach, his toes sinking into the fine white sand, then kicking away a scattering of pebbles in frustration.

The system panel on his retina was still flashing wildly. The blood-red countdown of 71:42:15 was like a silent death knell. With each number that jumped, Li Chengqian felt that he was getting further and further away from his wonderful retirement life.

"This old man is really being unreasonable this time! Is he trying to take me down with him?"

He turned his head sharply and looked at Wu Meiniang behind him.

Wu Meiniang still held the plate of unfinished watermelon in her hands, her once bright eyes now filled with complex emotions. Looking at Li Chengqian's exasperated yet helpless expression, she knew very well that this man's last line of defense had been completely breached by the emperor far away in Chang'an.

"Your Highness, things in Chang'an are probably in complete chaos. Not only the court, but the global flow of goods is likely blocked by that copper lock from the Taiji Palace."

Wu Meiniang spoke softly, her tone carrying a hint of rational cruelty.

"I know! Of course I know!"

Li Chengqian scratched his head in frustration, his once smooth hair now looking like a bird's nest.

"He's just being reckless! Does he think this is some old workshop? Does he think a strike is just about locking yourself in and taking a nap? He's playing with my system's durability! That's the tech tree I worked so hard to build up. If it rusts, how is he going to compensate me?"

As he cursed, he gestured with his hands, his tone filled with deep resentment towards Li Shimin's "irresponsible" behavior.

"He's usually so energetic when things are getting tough, so why is he throwing a tantrum now? Locking up the palace? Locking it down? I think he's tired of being in the Imperial Study and wants to see me make a fool of myself! This isn't an emperor, this is clearly a spoiled old child!"

Li Chengqian kept complaining, as if the red countdown would stop if he kept grumbling.

But no matter how much he fussed, the setting sun on the island continued its relentless descent. The surrounding guards, utterly shocked, remained silent, pretending not to hear a thing. In their minds, only this man before them dared to speak so vehemently of His Majesty.

Another minute passed.

Li Chengqian suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He stood beside a craggy rock, the sea breeze tousling his short hair and dispelling all the resentment and impatience on his face.

His eyes changed.

The relaxed and languid demeanor that originally belonged to the salted fish vanished without a trace in an instant, replaced by a chilling coldness that could freeze the air. This transformation happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that even Xu Xiao, who was watching from the sidelines, subconsciously straightened his spine.

"Xu Xiao."

Li Chengqian spoke in a deep voice, not loud, but with an undeniable penetrating power.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Xu Xiao suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute, the sound of armor clashing echoing crisply on the empty beach.

"Pass on my order. The entire Great Snow Dragon Cavalry Guard is to assemble and enter a state of first-level war mobilization. Everyone, appear in the airport lobby in five minutes. If even one person is missing, you, the commander, will be sent back to Chang'an to clean toilets."

"yes!"

Xu Xiao didn't ask why, nor did he hesitate for even a second. He knew that once His Highness dropped that joking attitude, the empire would have to accelerate again according to his will.

"Meiniang, please take this opportunity to work hard."

Li Chengqian turned to look at Wu Meiniang, his tone softening somewhat, but still carrying that decisive and authoritative air.

"Use all the satellite access privileges of the Tang Dynasty Chamber of Commerce. Forcibly insert my private flight route into the global civil aviation map. I need to reach Chang'an within three hours. Anyone who dares to block my way, regardless of which country's restricted flight zone, will have their escort fighter jets ram through it."

Looking at Li Chengqian's expression, Wu Meiniang felt no resentment, but rather a surge of inexplicable admiration. This was the man she believed could hold up the sky of the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Majesty understands. The flight path will be cleared within five minutes."

In that instant, the atmosphere on the island completely changed.

What was once a leisurely resort was transformed into a top-level military command center in just a few dozen seconds. Commands were transmitted rapidly along the island's fiber optic cables like invisible currents.

The guards began to run, and the previously dormant defense system automatically activated, with laser turrets slowly rising and pointing towards the azure sky.

Without uttering a single word, Li Chengqian strode into the villa's interior.

When he pushed open the white French window again and came out, the once flashy pair of shorts had been completely discarded.

He changed into a black special bulletproof windbreaker.

The cold, stiff fiber material reflected a dark luster in the setting sun. Golden dragon claw snaps adorned the collar. The trench coat's extremely long hem reached his ankles, billowing and rustling violently in the surging sea breeze.

With a cold expression, he fastened the last button on his collar with one hand.

In that instant, the pressure emanating from him seemed to thicken the surrounding air. That aura of authority unique to the crown prince of the empire made the coconut trees on the beach seem to bend over.

"Let's go."

Without any hesitation, Li Chengqian turned around and walked towards the silver-white runway in the center of the island.

Behind him, three thousand fully armed Snow Dragon Riders had gathered like ghosts. Their nano-armor reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, making them look like a group of metal war gods crawling out of the abyss.

The moment the group stepped onto the track, a camouflaged mountain in the distance slowly cracked open.

A jet-black, sleek supersonic private jet, resembling one from the future, slowly glided out of the hangar, supported by hydraulic struts.

The preheating sound of the engine began to echo across the empty island at that moment.

Li Chengqian stepped onto the gangway, his steps heavy yet resolute. In the last second before the cabin door closed, he glanced one last time at the blue sky, a ruthless glint in his eyes, a hint of bitterness at the forced interruption of his vacation.

"Old man, since you want to play, I'll play big with you."

"boom--"

The deafening roar of the engine erupted completely in that second.

The powerful thrust instantly pushed aside the waves on the sea surface, stirring up white spray tens of meters high. The black plane left a scorched mark on the runway, then suddenly tilted its nose up and took off at an almost vertical angle.

The clouds were torn apart like paper in front of it.

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

No, that's the scene from when we arrived.

At this moment, it has transformed into a jet-black sword, filled with rage and anxiety, locking onto the heart of the empire that has already come to a standstill.

The supersonic private jet roared to life, tearing through the tranquil clouds of Hawaii, like a sharp sword piercing the heart of the Tang Dynasty—Chang'an.