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

"boom--!"

"boom--!"

"boom--!"

That wasn't thunder.

That was the sound of hundreds of armored boots stepping on the white marble floor tiles outside the Taiji Hall.

Neat and uniform, heavy as a mountain.

With each step, it seemed as if even the majestic hall trembled.

Zhi Shisi's curved blade was less than three inches from Li Chengqian's head, and the sharp wind from the blade even ruffled the stray hairs on Li Chengqian's forehead.

But he couldn't cut any further.

Because a large hand, like an iron clamp, gripped his wrist tightly.

Immediately afterwards, an irresistible force came.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones cracking was so crisp it made your teeth ache.

"ah--!!!"

Zhi Shisi let out a shrill scream, and the scimitar in his hand clattered to the ground.

He looked up in horror.

Standing in front of Li Chengqian was a man as tall as an iron tower.

He was eight feet tall, with a back as straight as a javelin, and carried a Liquan spear in his hand. His gaze was so resolute that it seemed to pierce through metal and stone.

Yue Fei!

At the entrance of the main hall, a black torrent surged in.

Those were eight hundred Beiwei soldiers clad in heavy infantry armor and carrying divine crossbows!

Unlike the flamboyant Snow Dragon Riders, they were steady and imposing, like moving steel walls, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression that instantly filled every inch of the hall.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Those Turkic guards who had originally intended to draw their swords in resistance were sent flying by these steel monsters before they even had a chance to pull out their blades.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After a few muffled thuds, a dozen elite Turks were pinned to the ground like dead dogs, with cold blades held to their necks. The slightest movement would result in blood splattering five steps away.

crush.

A complete and utter crushing defeat.

Faced with this heavily armed heavy infantry, the Turks' pride in their bravery seemed like a joke.

"This humble general, Yue Fei, has arrived late to rescue Your Majesty. Please forgive me!"

Yue Fei, carrying the still screaming Zhishi Sili in one hand, turned around and knelt on one knee in front of Li Chengqian, his voice loud and clear.

Li Shimin stood frozen halfway, sword in hand, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared at the suddenly appearing divine weapon.

The style of this armor... the terrifying discipline...

It's that unfilial son's secret stash of money again?!

How much more can he buy with that secret stash of money?!

"Not too late, just right."

Li Chengqian patted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, a satisfied smile curving his lips.

He bypassed Yue Fei and walked up to Zhi Shi Si Li, whose wrist had been crushed and whose face was covered in cold sweat from the pain.

At this moment, the Turkic envoy had completely lost the arrogance he had shown earlier.

He looked at the expressionless armored soldiers around him, and at Yue Fei, who seemed like a god or demon, and the fear in his eyes almost overflowed.

"You...you all..."

Zhi Shi Sili's lips trembled. "In times of war, envoys are not to be killed... I am an envoy! You cannot..."

"messenger?"

Li Chengqian sneered, raised his foot, and unceremoniously stepped on Zhishi Sili's stubble-covered face with his thick-soled court boot.

Press down hard.

"On my turf, if I say you're an envoy, then you are. If I say you're trash, then you're a pile of shit."

Li Chengqian bent down, staring into Zhishi Sili's eyes, his voice soft yet chilling.

"Weren't you so arrogant just now? Didn't you say you wanted to raze Chang'an to the ground? Didn't you say you wanted to marry my sister?"

"Come, let me hear it call out twice more?"

Zhi Shisi's face was throbbing with pain from being stepped on, and his mouth was full of the taste of blood, yet he didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

He sensed it.

This seemingly harmless little child actually wanted to kill him.

And they really dared to kill him!

Li Chengqian slowly straightened up and scanned the entire room.

Those ministers who had originally intended to mediate were now shrinking back, silent as if trembling with fear.

Looking at the Turkic envoy trampled underfoot, and at the menacing Beiwei Army filling the hall, they felt a chill run down their spines.

"Listen up, all of you."

Li Chengqian's voice echoed in the hall, youthful yet exuding an air of dominance.

"Go back and tell that damn Khan of yours."

"The princesses of my Great Tang Dynasty will not marry into foreign lands! Will not pay tribute! Will not pay reparations! Will not cede territory!"

"Want peace? Fine, pay with your life!"

He stomped down hard, causing Zhishi Sili to scream in agony again.

"And remember these words of mine, engrave them in your minds, etch them into your bones!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, each word like a thunderclap bursting from between his teeth:

"Those who offend the mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished!"

"Anyone who offends my sister will die right now!"

boom--!

These words were like a shot of adrenaline, piercing the hearts of every man of the Tang Dynasty present.

Although the term "powerful Han" sounds a bit out of place, it doesn't diminish the exhilarating feeling of heroism.

Yuchi Gong was so excited that his face turned purple. He clenched his fists, wanting to shout, but found that his throat was choked with emotion.

This is the true Tang Dynasty!

This is the Tang Dynasty we've always wanted!

Li Shimin stood on the high platform, looking at his son who trampled on the enemy and pointed out the direction of the country, and slowly sheathed the Emperor's Sword in his hand.

His eyes were extremely complex.

There was shock, relief, and a deep sense of pride.

Although this unfilial son is a bit of a scoundrel usually, he really brings honor to the Li family when it matters!

He's much better than that emperor who's even more concerned about the big picture!

"roll!"

Li Chengqian kicked Zhishi Sili away as if he were kicking away a bag of garbage.

"Yue Fei, have someone throw these useless bastards out. Tell the gatekeepers that if they let any more of these filthy creatures in, I'll break their legs."

"promise!"

Yue Fei waved his hand, and the Beiwei Army dragged the group of Turks away like dead dogs.

Silence returned to the main hall.

But within this silence, there was a suffocating sense of oppression.

The crisis is over.

The Turks were proven wrong.

But the story isn't over yet.

Li Chengqian neither returned to his regent's throne nor went to claim credit with Li Shimin.

He slowly turned around, and his eyes, which had just calmed down a little, were now covered with frost again.

His gaze, like a sharp scalpel, landed precisely on the front row of the civil servants.

The blame fell on Prime Minister Xiao Yu, who had just cried the most and shouted that he wanted to marry the princess in exchange for peace.

And the group of peace-loving ministers behind him.

"Just now……"

Li Chengqian tilted his head, revealing a bright yet somewhat eerie smile, and walked towards them step by step while flexing his wrists.

"Who said we should sacrifice my sister for some bullshit peace?"

"Is that you, Lord Xiao?"

Xiao Yu trembled all over. Looking at Li Chengqian approaching and the still-dispersing Beiwei Army behind him, his legs went weak and he knelt down with a "plop".

"Your Highness...Your Highness..."

"Don't kneel down. Weren't you quite eloquent just now? So righteous and awe-inspiring."

Li Chengqian walked up to him, squatted down, and leveled his gaze.

"Come on, stand up."

"I recently learned a set of bone-loosening techniques, and I was just looking for a place to practice them."

"Since you're all so flexible, kneeling for too long must be uncomfortable, right?"

"I'll help you... realign your bones!"