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

Kill me! Take this old minister's life and use it to fill the Wei River!

In a side hall of the Taiji Hall, Dai Zhou, the Minister of Revenue, knelt on the ground, clutching several account books tightly in his hands, crying his heart out, tears and snot streaming down his face, completely disregarding the dignity of a high-ranking official.

Li Shimin's newly ignited ambition for a "personal military campaign" was nearly extinguished by this outburst. He frowned, strode over, and snatched the account book from Dai Zhou's hand: "What are you crying about! I'm not dead yet! The Turks want money, we'll give it to them. As long as we can protect Chang'an, in the future..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shimin's hand, which was opening the account book, froze in mid-air.

His gaze swept over the shocking deficits, his face turning from ashen to deathly pale, and finally to a deathly ashen.

Clean.

It's too clean.

The Ministry of Revenue's accounts are even cleaner than Empress Zhangsun's face. Forget about using gold and silver to appease Khan Jieli's 200,000 hungry wolves; even if they were to immediately give the Imperial Guards a full meal as a departure allowance, they'd probably have to catch rats from the palace to make up the numbers.

"What...what happened?" Li Shimin's voice trembled, as if his spine had been ripped out. "I remember the tax revenue from the ninth year of the Wude era was just deposited into the treasury, wasn't it? Where is the money?"

Dai Zhou raised his head, his face filled with despair and sorrow: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Shandong suffered a severe drought, so taxes were waived for three years; Hebei was plagued by locusts, so 300,000 strings of cash were allocated for disaster relief; and then there was the Xuanwu Gate Incident... cough, palace repairs, rewards for meritorious officials, which of these wasn't a money-devouring beast? Now, in the national treasury, let alone silver, even a rat that goes in would come out with tears in its eyes."

Li Shimin staggered a step and barely managed to stand up by holding onto the dragon table.

No money.

These two words felt like two mountains, pressing down on his chest.

What is war about? It's about money, supplies, and logistics. With the national treasury so empty, what can he use to fight Jieli head-on? Does he really want his soldiers to go hungry and fight the Turkic cavalry with rusty swords and spears?

"Sell!"

Li Shimin abruptly sat up, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. "Take all the calligraphy and paintings in my palace, the antiques from the previous dynasty, and even my imperial horses—sell them all! Raise as much as you can!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Wang De, standing to the side, stamped his feet anxiously. "That's about the imperial family's reputation! If the people knew that the emperor was selling goods to raise funds, where would the dignity of the Tang Dynasty be?"

"Majesty?" Li Shimin gave a bitter laugh, pointing to the gloomy sky outside the palace. "The Turks have their knives to my throats, what do I need majesty for! As long as they can repel the enemy, I don't care about my reputation!"

Just then, a flash of inspiration struck him.

and many more.

The palace is broke, the national treasury is broke, but there is one place where there might be money.

The Eastern Palace!

Li Shimin felt like he had grasped at a last straw. Although his son seemed lazy and unreliable at times, the expenses of the Crown Prince's palace were always accounted for separately. In addition, Empress Zhangsun often gave this boy his own money, and the boy never left the palace to spend money...

"Prepare the carriage! To the Eastern Palace!"

……

The East Palace, a small grove of trees outside the martial arts training ground.

This place is usually deserted, but now it is filled with a chilling atmosphere.

Xu Xiao, still dressed in a blue cloth robe, stood respectfully behind Li Chengqian and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry has broken into smaller units and is lying in ambush in the dense forest ten miles west of Chang'an. They will cut off the Turks' retreat within half an hour, just waiting for Your Highness's order."

Li Chengqian held a twig in his hand, casually drawing something on the ground. His eyes were focused and cold, showing no trace of the lazy demeanor he had displayed in the main hall earlier.

"not enough."

Li Chengqian shook his head, slamming the branch in his hand heavily on the ground. "Jieli brought 200,000 men this time. Although they are a rabble, even ants can kill an elephant. What I want is a complete victory, a crushing defeat, not a pyrrhic victory. Have the Embroidered Uniform Guard keep an eye on the Turkic supply camp. If there's an opportunity, burn it down."

"Yes." A hint of appreciation flashed in Xu Xiao's eyes. This young master usually looks at salted fish, but when it comes to fighting, he's ruthless.

Just then, a eunuch's high-pitched voice came from afar to report.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Li Chengqian frowned, and instantly threw the branch in his hand into the bushes. The cold expression on his face vanished as if by magic, replaced by a dazed look as if he hadn't woken up yet.

When Li Shimin rushed into the Eastern Palace in a great hurry, this was the scene he saw:

The young master was squatting on the ground, idly counting ants, while a seemingly honest, lame old servant was fanning him with a palm-leaf fan.

"Father?"

Li Chengqian looked up, staring blankly at Li Shimin, who was covered in sweat. "Weren't you going to negotiate at the Wei River? What, did you get lost?"

Seeing his son's carefree attitude, Li Shimin's anger flared up again, but remembering that he had come to "borrow money," he forced himself to suppress it. He rubbed his hands together, forcing a slightly awkward smile onto his face, looking more like a poor relative coming to borrow money than an emperor.

"Um... Chengqian, I've come to see you."

Li Shimin dismissed his attendants, leaned close to Li Chengqian, and said in a low voice, "Your father has always treated you well, hasn't he? Your mother also dotes on you the most..."

Li Chengqian shrank back warily, instinctively covering his sleeves with his hands: "Father, speak plainly. Your smile is making me uneasy. Let's make this clear first, if you want me to attend court, no way."

"It's not court, it's not court."

Li Shimin blushed and stammered, "It's like this, the national treasury... cough, it's a little tight. I wanted to ask, does your Eastern Palace have any surplus... um, savings?"

"I'm borrowing it! Once we've driven back the Turks, I'll repay you double!"

Borrow money?

The mighty Tang emperor was forced by the Turks to borrow his private savings from his eight-year-old son.

Looking at the embarrassed man before him, Li Chengqian felt a pang of sorrow for some reason. Was this the beginning of becoming a great emperor? It was truly hellish.

But he couldn't lend it.

If this money were given, Li Shimin would simply hand it over to Jieli as "toll money," which would be like throwing good money after bad. He wanted to help his father regain face in his own way, and without spending any money at all.

Thus, Li Chengqian channeled his inner movie star.

"money?"

Li Chengqian's eyes widened, and his voice instantly rose eight octaves, "Father, are you joking? Where would I get the money?"

"Your monthly allowance, and the rewards from your mother..."

"We've spent all the money!"

Li Chengqian spread his hands, making up a story with a straight face, "As you know, I'm still growing and eat a lot. The day before yesterday I bought two catties of grapes from the Western Regions, yesterday I had a rocking chair made of golden nanmu wood made, and the day before that... oh right, Xu Xiao isn't feeling well, so I need to buy him medicine. Father, I'm so poor right now I'm even going to pawn my underwear, and I'm just about to ask you for an advance on next month's living expenses!"

Xu Xiao, standing beside him, twitched his lips and silently lowered his head: Your Highness, this old servant is in excellent health; I could kill ten oxen with one punch.

Li Shimin was so choked up that he couldn't say a word.

As he looked at Li Chengqian's shameless attitude of "I have no money, but you can take my life," the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

Yes.

I was so anxious that I lost my mind.

Even if an eight-year-old child saves up some pocket money, how much could it possibly have? Compared to the gaping maw of an army of two hundred thousand, it would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

"Never mind... never mind."

Li Shimin sighed deeply, as if he had aged ten years. He reached out and touched Li Chengqian's head, his movement stiff and heavy.

"If you have no money, you have no money. Stay in the palace and don't go anywhere. If... if I don't come back, then follow your uncle's arrangements."

After saying this, he slowly turned around, no longer looking at Li Chengqian, and walked heavily out of the palace.

That figure, desolate and lonely, exuded a resolute air of "the wind howls and the Yi River is cold."

He is going to the Wei River.

He used his dignity as emperor, even his life, to buy a chance for the Tang Dynasty to survive.

Li Chengqian stood there, watching his father's figure disappear around the corner of the palace gate.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his youthful face, casting a long, long shadow.

The wind stopped.

The playful, roguish, and languid expression on Li Chengqian's face vanished like a receding tide. His once clear eyes suddenly flashed with two sharp, sword-like glints, so intense that no one dared to look directly at them.

He slowly straightened his back, his previously slouching spine now standing ramrod straight, like a spear piercing the sky.

"Xu Xiao."

Li Chengqian's voice was terrifyingly calm, yet it sent a shiver down the spine of the killing god behind him.

"This old servant is here."

"Pass on the order."

Li Chengqian gazed towards the Wei River, a bloodthirsty smirk playing on his lips.

"Great Snow Dragon Riders, assemble!"