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

The night was cool and still.

The ruins of the Imperial Garden have been renovated, and the fragrance of earth still lingers in the air.

Li Shimin did not return to Ganlu Palace, but instead set up a table of food and wine here.

There were no delicacies, only a few dishes of stir-fried shredded potatoes, a plate of peanuts, and a pot of warm yellow wine.

He sat alone on the stone bench, pouring himself a drink, looking at the bright moon in the sky, his eyes filled with a hint of intoxication, but more so with a sense of relief and ease.

Won.

In this contest with the ancient aristocratic families, Li Shimin, or rather, his Li family, emerged victorious.

To win completely and cleanly.

Looking back on the thrilling events of the past few months, Li Shimin felt as if he were in a dream.

From the humiliation of being forced to sign a humiliating treaty by Jieli on the banks of the Wei River, to the present day with a full treasury, a strong army, and the power to keep one's word.

This feeling is even more exhilarating than after the successful Xuanwu Gate Incident.

This time, he was not defeating his own brother, but a behemoth that had been entrenched in the Central Plains for nearly a thousand years.

A malignant tumor that even Emperor Yang of the previous Sui Dynasty could not get rid of.

"That felt so good... that really felt great..."

Li Shimin took a swig of strong liquor and felt as if every pore on his body opened up, sweeping away the fatigue and depression of the past few days.

Now he truly felt that he was the one and only master of this Tang Dynasty.

We no longer have to act according to those old guys' whims, and we no longer have to worry about being held hostage by others due to an empty national treasury.

They can hit whomever they want, and curse whomever they want.

This feeling is simply amazing.

"Father, isn't it boring to drink alone in silence?"

A lazy voice came from behind, interrupting Li Shimin's reflections.

Li Chengqian strolled over unnoticed, carrying two skewers of freshly grilled chicken wings that emitted an enticing aroma.

Without any hesitation, he plopped down opposite Li Shimin, picked up the wine pot on the table, and filled himself a cup.

"Your subject has come to have a couple of drinks with you."

Li Shimin looked at his son's rosy face illuminated by the firelight, his expression extremely complex.

There was admiration, pride, and a hint of... apprehension that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

"You little rascal, you know how to pick your time."

Li Shimin snorted, but still pushed the peanuts in front of him toward his son.

"Father, you seem quite happy?"

Li Chengqian took a bite of a chicken wing and asked indistinctly, "Is it because my hands cramped up from counting money all day?"

"presumptuous!"

Li Shimin glared at him, but the smile he couldn't suppress betrayed his true feelings.

"Was I happy? I was heartbroken!"

"It's heartbreaking to see those traitors who plundered so much of the people's wealth!"

"but……"

Li Shimin changed the subject, picked up his wine cup, and raised it to the bright moon in the sky.

"After this battle, the powerful clans and aristocratic families have completely withdrawn from the core of the Tang Dynasty. Imperial power has become more centralized than ever before."

He turned his head and looked deeply at Li Chengqian, his eyes filled with unprecedented solemnity and satisfaction.

"Chengqian, all of this is thanks to you."

"If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I'd still be arguing with those old foxes and worrying about a few copper coins in the national treasury."

"Although you are unruly and lazy, you see further and act more decisively than I do when it comes to important matters."

This was the first time Li Shimin had praised his son so openly.

Li Chengqian was a little embarrassed by the praise and scratched his head: "Father, you flatter me. I was just lucky, a blind cat stumbled upon a dead mouse."

"This is not luck."

Li Shimin shook his head. He took a sip of wine, and as the alcohol took effect, he became bolder.

Looking at his son, who was only eight years old but whose mind and methods were more cunning than those old foxes in the court, a bold, even shocking, idea suddenly popped into his head uncontrollably.

"Chengqian..."

Li Shimin put down his wine cup, grasped Li Chengqian's small hand, and in his dragon eyes, there was a trace of weariness and longing that he had never seen before.

"I... am a little tired."

"From the time the uprising began in Taiyuan until now, more than ten years have passed, and I haven't had a single good night's sleep."

"Before, I was afraid of not being able to beat others; later, I was afraid of being stabbed in the back by my own people. Now that I've finally secured my position, I still have to fight wits and courage with those pedantic scholars every day."

"I'm thinking, being an emperor is really damn boring."

Li Chengqian was stunned, forgetting to even eat the chicken wing in his hand.

Is Old Li...drunk? Is he starting to talk nonsense?

"so……"

Li Shimin took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and said, word by word:

"Chengqian, I entrust the Tang Dynasty to you from now on. I... am at ease."

"How about... I abdicate early and become the Retired Emperor, and you become the Emperor?"

"puff--!"

Li Chengqian spat out a mouthful of wine, spraying it all over Li Shimin's face.

"Cough cough cough!"

He choked and coughed violently, his face turning red, and he looked at Li Shimin as if he were a madman.

"Father! Are you alright?!"

Li Chengqian suddenly jumped up, standing three feet away from Li Shimin, as if avoiding some raging flood or ferocious beast.

"abdicate?!"

"You're only in your early thirties, in the prime of your life, full of energy and vigor, you can still eat three bowls of rice in one meal, why would you want to step down?!"

"Your son is only eight years old! Eight years old! Still a child! I need to grow! I need to enjoy my childhood!"

Li Chengqian was so anxious he was almost crying, clinging to a nearby pillar and refusing to let go.

"I won't do it! I'd rather die than do it!"

"What's so great about being an emperor? You get up earlier than the rooster, go to bed later than the dog, have to be told what to eat, and can't even choose your own wife!"

"That's not a human life! That's corporate slavery! That's 007!"

Li Chengqian shook his head frantically, his face filled with resistance.

"Father, please have pity on your son! Please work hard for another fifty years! After fifty years, I will give you a grand funeral!"

Li Shimin wiped the wine off his face and looked at his son's terrified expression, as if he saw the throne as a venomous snake. He was both annoyed and amused.

In this world, countless people have fought tooth and nail for this position, with fathers and sons killing each other and brothers turning against each other.

Why is it that when it comes to this unfilial son, it's like he's about to die?

"Alright, alright, I was just saying it offhand, look how scared you are."

Li Shimin waved his hand, and the thought of "abdication" that had just arisen in his mind vanished instantly.

Are you kidding me? Passing the throne to this salted fish?

Then he could use the imperial seal to prop up a table leg and the dragon robe to make a rag the next day.

He's going to squander the entire Tang Dynasty's territory.

"Really...really?" Li Chengqian cautiously peeked out half his head.

"real."

Li Shimin glared at him irritably, "Get back here and sit down, drink with me!"

"Okay!"

Li Chengqian instantly revived, ran back excitedly, and picked up another skewer of grilled chicken wings.

Li Shimin watched his son's retreating figure and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The hearty laughter echoed throughout the Imperial Garden, dispelling the last trace of bloodshed.

Although he was rejected, he felt more at ease than ever before.

With a son like this, what more could a husband ask for?

Just then.

The Eastern Palace, Lizheng Hall.

On the dragon bed where Li Chengqian had slept for three days and three nights, the boy, who had been lying quietly, suddenly heard a cold and mechanical notification sound in his mind.

【Ding! 】

[Detection indicates that the first volume of main quests has been completed; final settlement is underway...]

Li Chengqian abruptly stopped eating the chicken wing, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

[Settlement complete!]

[Host's Salted Fish level has increased! Title obtained: "King of Salted Fish"!]

[System version 2.0 update complete, new map module loaded!]

A new journey is about to begin...