Tang Dynasty: To win Yang Guifei, they asked Emperor Xuanzong to die.

Just before setting off, they received a secret report indicating that something was wrong in Chang'an.

This is not a good sign.

Li Mao's expression gradually became serious.

He slowly unfurled the parchment scroll, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed even deeper: "...What?"

The text above is as clear as cold iron, each character distinct.

"His Majesty has ordered us to immediately lead our troops back to Chang'an!" Li Mao announced the contents of the secret report to the crowd.

Guo Ziyi immediately said, "Your Highness, this shouldn't be the case."

Since Li Mao left Chang'an, he has never been recalled.

Li Longji was wary of Li Mao, yet he also wanted to utilize Li Mao's military leadership skills.

The wolf army in Yinshan has not yet been dealt with, and His Majesty will not want Li Mao to return to Chang'an.

Li Mao nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Could this secret report be fake?"

After saying that, he paused for a moment, then turned the scroll over to the other side.

—A golden seal was prominently displayed on it, its golden light shimmering and dazzling.

"The Golden Seal!" Guo Ziyi's eyes widened in disbelief. "The appearance of the Golden Seal is as if the Emperor himself has arrived. This is clearly an order personally issued by the Emperor. We have no room for questioning or resistance."

Li Mao did not answer immediately, but carefully examined every detail in the letter.

Only after confirming that the secret report in their hands contained no flaws and that the seal was the genuine imperial seal, impossible to forge, was the authenticity of the letter beyond question.

"It seems I have no choice but to return to Chang'an first."

Li Mao finally put away the letter, and his previously relaxed and carefree gaze suddenly became calm and profound.

He said to Guo Ziyi, "Prepare to turn around."

Although Guo Ziyi was worried, he knew there was nothing to say.

It's pointless to say anything now; only by returning to Chang'an in person can we understand the true nature of this mystery.

Guo Ziyi raised his voice: "All soldiers, listen to my command! Turn around and return to Chang'an immediately!"

The soldiers were well-trained; they turned around in unison and headed towards Chang'an.

The closer Li Mao got to Chang'an, the deeper his doubts became.

The journey from Luoyang back to Chang'an was not short, and it had always been a bustling one. But this time, they encountered neither patrols from Chang'an nor any passing caravans.

Only the occasional sound of the wind brushing past my ears made me feel even more desolate.

You must know that businessmen are profit-driven.

Most of the time, as long as they can still trade, they won't give up.

But now...

"Your Highness, I have a chill running down my spine," Guo Ziyi said.

Li Mao couldn't help but grit his teeth and sigh, "I feel the same way as you, something's wrong. I'm afraid something bad is happening in Chang'an."

These days, they have been traveling back and forth between Yinshan and Luoyang.

They had assumed that with Li Heng in charge of Chang'an and troops stationed there, all would be well. But everything they saw and heard along the way spoke of sorrow and grief.

A few days later, the two led their team through a village near Chang'an.

The place is called Lindu Village, which means "near the capital".

As a village adjacent to the capital, it should have been bustling with activity. But now, it was deserted, not even a wisp of smoke rising from its chimneys. The few houses in the village had their doors tightly shut, and the interiors were dark and gloomy. If one came here at night, one might mistake it for Silent Hill.

Li Mao and Guo Ziyi exchanged a glance.

If it was just speculation before, now they can be certain.

Something terrible has happened in Chang'an.

Suddenly, a mournful cry came from not far away.

The sound, sometimes near, sometimes far, was filled with despair and seemed to come from some corner of the village.

"Who is it?" Guo Ziyi asked warily.

He blocked Li Mao behind him and went forward alone to check.

In the overgrown weeds, a young woman in tattered clothes was sobbing.

Upon seeing Guo Ziyi, dressed in armor and military attire, she shrank back in terror, crying out, "Sir, spare my life! Sir, spare my life! I've given away all my possessions, and my husband and son are dead... Please, sir, have mercy and spare my life!"

Guo Ziyi was stunned when he saw the woman with tears streaming down her face.

Li Mao stepped forward to help him out: "Don't be afraid, young lady, we are not rebels. Look—"

As he spoke, he pointed to the military flag behind him.

On the military flag, there was a prominent character "Tang".

After confirming Li Mao and his group's identities, the woman paused for a moment.

Then, as if seeing a savior, she cried and tried to throw herself into Li Mao's arms: "Tang army, you are the Tang army, you have come to save us! If only you could have come back sooner! My husband and my son died so tragically, so unjustly..."

Li Mao, supporting the woman, couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

He thought it was fortunate that Yu Huan wasn't there, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain.

After calming the woman down, Li Mao and the others learned what had happened in Chang'an during this time.

It turned out that at the same time they decided to attack Luoyang, An Lushan's remnants also made a decision. That was to send a group of people from the Luoyang remnants to join Shi Siming and some of his private troops near Chang'an.

Upon hearing the name "Shi Siming," Li Mao hissed.

He was so focused on An Lushan that he forgot about this person!

An Lushan was the leader of the rebel army, and Shi Siming was his most famous subordinate.

Historically, after Emperor Suzong ascended the throne, An Lushan suffered repeated defeats and was eventually killed by his second son, An Qingxu. It was Shi Siming who took over An Lushan's "ambition and hegemony" and helped his former leader avenge his death by killing An Qingxu.

This person is clearly not to be underestimated, but because it is not yet time for him to show his talent, Li Mao has never paid attention to him.

But now...

Because of Li Mao's appearance, history was rewritten.

Guo Ziyi became a general ahead of time, so why can't Shi Siming make his debut earlier?

As Li Mao pondered this, he heard the woman continue, "Shi Siming and his rebel army took advantage of the fact that they still controlled the waterway from Luoyang to Chang'an, and infiltrated the city using grain transport ships. Our village was the first one they slaughtered, and now they've already headed towards Chang'an."

With several key generals in the court, including Li Mao, Li Jingqing, and Guo Ziyi, being dispatched by Li Longji, Chang'an was practically an empty city.

An Lushan, that old scoundrel, was a master of scheming.

It's estimated that they had already planned the sneak attack on Chang'an while they were still in Yinshan!

Thus, although the Battle of Luoyang was a major defeat, Chang'an was captured.

The historical turmoil in Chang'an ultimately unfolded ahead of schedule.

but……

This time it's different from history; now Li Mao is present.

As long as he is alive, he will not allow the empire he has worked so hard to protect to be taken away by An Lushan and Shi Siming.

Thinking of the unofficial historical accounts that An Lushan coveted Yang Yuhuan's beauty after capturing Chang'an and took her for himself, and how their erotic scenes were frequently written into novels and TV dramas, Li Mao was furious.

The drums of war from Yuyang shook the earth, shattering the "Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Robe" dance.

He, Li Mao, would never allow such a thing to happen!