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

Time flies, and another half month has passed.

Winter in Chang'an seems to be warmer than in previous years.

Without the exploitation of powerful families and the fear of hunger, the people's faces showed more genuine smiles.

In the teahouses of the East Market, the storyteller's business was booming.

"On that day by the Wei River, His Highness the Crown Prince, dressed in white as snow, rode alone against two hundred thousand Turkic barbarians, and merely smiled faintly..."

The storyteller slammed his gavel, whetting everyone's appetite.

"What did His Highness the Crown Prince say?" a tea drinker in the audience asked eagerly.

"His Highness said, 'I only want to sleep. How dare you all make such a fuss here?'"

"And then what?"

"Then, three thousand divine soldiers descended from the sky, slaughtering the Turks until they cried out in terror, and even the Khan, Jieli, was so frightened that he wet himself and knelt down begging for mercy!"

"good--!"

The audience cheered, and coins rained down on the storyteller's stage.

In Chang'an today, from three-year-old children to eighty-year-old men, the most talked-about topic is not the brilliance and martial prowess of Emperor Li Shimin, but the various "miracles" of Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

What about repelling the Turks at the age of eight? What about turning stone into salt? What about annihilating the rebel army with a wave of the hand? What about slapping the Turkic envoy in a fit of rage for a woman?

These stories were circulated in an almost mythical manner, and Li Chengqian's reputation among the people had long surpassed that of his cheap father, who was still busy with national affairs.

In fact, in the hearts of the common people, the Tang Dynasty seemed to already belong to the crown prince.

"Have you heard? The irrigation canal in the west of the city is blocked, and those old men in the Ministry of Revenue have been trying for ages but haven't been able to fix it."

"Hey, what's the big deal? Go kneel down at the gate of the Eastern Palace and beg the Crown Prince!"

"Exactly! The Crown Prince could just pull out a treasure from his sleeve and the problem would be solved, right?"

……

Inside the Taiji Hall.

As Li Shimin listened to the "public opinion" that Wang De had collected from the people, his face turned pale and then red, and he clenched his teacup so tightly that it made a cracking sound.

"What do you mean by 'go beg the Crown Prince'? I'm not dead yet!"

Li Shimin slammed his fist on the table in anger, "This rebellious son, does he want to turn me into a mere puppet with a seal of office?"

Wang De stood to the side with his head down, not daring to speak.

In fact, it's not just the general public.

Even within the imperial court, the winds of change have long since shifted.

Nowadays, when ministers encounter problems they cannot solve, their first reaction is no longer to submit memorials to the emperor, but to gather together in private and whisper among themselves:

"This matter...why don't we ask the Crown Prince what he thinks?"

"I think it's a good idea. Although His Highness the Crown Prince is lazy, he's smart. Maybe he has a solution."

"But isn't His Highness currently in seclusion?"

"Well, let's talk about it after His Highness wakes up."

Although Li Chengqian no longer attends court, manages state affairs, or reviews memorials, he is like an invisible shadow looming over the entire Tang Dynasty.

His yawn was more effective than an imperial edict.

He wielded immense power, controlling both the court and the country.

……

And at this very moment, what is that powerful Crown Prince doing?

The Eastern Palace, Lizheng Hall.

At the entrance of the hall hangs a huge plaque carved from golden nanmu wood, on which eight large characters are written in a vigorous and elegant style:

"I am in seclusion for cultivation and will not be disturbed while I am sleeping."

The palace doors and windows were tightly shut, and even the ventilation openings were blocked with cotton, for fear that even the slightest sound might leak in and disturb the "cultivation" of the person inside.

Inside the hall.

Li Chengqian lay sprawled on the dragon bed covered with velvet, covered with a silk quilt, fast asleep, drooling almost uncontrollably.

Xu Xiao sat on the edge of the bed, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, gently fanning him. Although the floor of the palace was very warm from the heating, it was a matter of attitude.

Qinglong and Shen Lian, one guarding the roof beam and the other guarding the door, were two killing gods acting as gatekeepers. Let alone an assassin, even a fly would have to think twice before trying to get in.

Li Chengqian has been sleeping for three days and three nights.

In these three days, he made up for all the sleep he had missed since his transmigration.

He had a very, very long dream.

In his dream, he truly became a lazy, good-for-nothing prince.

There was no system, no missions, no Turks, and no noble families.

He sleeps until he naturally wakes up every day, then goes to the West Market to listen to music, goes fishing at Qujiang Pool in the afternoon, and meets up with Cheng Yaojin's old buddies for barbecue and drinks in the evening.

They lived a very carefree and leisurely life.

Just as he dreamt that he was embracing a Persian dancer with his left arm and holding a kebab in his right, preparing to embark on a decadent new feudal life.

"bite--!"

That damned, unromantic system notification sound once again exploded in the depths of his mind like a thunderclap.

In an instant, the beautiful woman disappeared, the kebabs flew away, and the whole world collapsed.

[System notification: Vacation ended.]

[Congratulations, host! The first main quest – "My First Experience with Salted Fish" – has been successfully completed!]

Overall rating: S-level!

[Comment: The host, single-handedly, resolved a series of major crises that could have led to the dynasty's downfall within just a few months, including external border troubles, internal rebellions, financial crises, and the monopoly of powerful families. Although the methods were somewhat crude and the process extremely unethical, the result was perfect. You are not only a qualified unethical person, but also a top-notch unethical king who knows how to cultivate excellent employees!]

Li Chengqian suddenly opened his eyes, jumped out of bed, and was wide awake.

He cursed at the air, "You son of a bitch! System, are you out of your mind?! I just got the Persian girl's contact information, and this is what you do?!"

[Rewards being processed...]

The system ignored his protest.

Based on your outstanding performance in the first stage, your "Salty Urry Level" has been raised to LV2.

[Unlock new feature: System Shop (Basic)]

[Unlock new permission: The ability to choose limited tasks.]

[System version is updating... Update progress 10%... 50%... 99%...]

"Stop updating! I don't want any new version! I just want to sleep!" Li Chengqian felt like he was going crazy.

[Ding! System upgrade complete!]

[New map module has been loaded!]

A new world line has begun!

[Second Phase Main Quest Released]

Li Chengqian covered his ears and let out a desperate wail.

"I won't listen! I won't listen! This is just nonsense!"

However, that cold, mechanical voice still relentlessly penetrated his mind.

[Mission Title: The Journey of the Tang Dynasty is to the Stars and the Sea!]

[Mission Brief: As a self-proclaimed "salted fish" with ideals, ambitions, and aspirations... how can I be content with just Chang'an? While maintaining my "salted fish" persona, please lead this era out of Asia and into the world!]

[Phase 1: That neighbor called Goguryeo is too noisy, and they like to build human head mounds (jingguan) on the border, seriously affecting the aesthetics of this system. It is recommended that the host personally go and teach them what art is.]

[Preview of Phase Rewards: 1 fragment of a blueprint for the Industrial Revolution, 1 complete nautical chart from the Age of Exploration, and... a mysterious clue about "immortality."]

Li Chengqian was stunned.

In his mind, a huge world map, radiating a faint blue light, slowly unfolded.

Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas...

The familiar yet unfamiliar outline of the landmass made him catch his breath.

His gaze eventually fell on the peninsula marked "Goguryeo".

And then there are those two words marked in blood-red font—

"Jingguan".

"Oh shit."

Li Chengqian cursed under his breath, then jumped off the bed. His usually sleepy eyes were now burning with two cold flames.

"I was sleeping soundly, and you just had to give me trouble."

He walked to the window, pushed it open, looked at the bright moon outside, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Okay."

"Since you guys like playing games where you just collect heads so much..."

"Then I'll play a big game with you."

"system."

"I'll take this order."