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

The appearance of Gao Lishi calmed down Li Longji, who was in a bad mood.

Following Li Longji's instructions, the messenger signaled the guards to bring Gao Lishi in.

"Your subject Gao Lishi pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Gao Lishi walked into the room, looking around.

He no longer serves in the inner court, but has become an official active in Chang'an. Therefore, when facing the imperial family, he does not need to refer to himself as a slave, but simply as a subject.

Seeing Li Mao kneeling on the ground and Li Longji with a flushed face, Gao Lishi, though unaware of the specifics of what had happened, had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. His gaze swept over the shattered glass and the messy ink stains on the rice paper, further confirming that this was yet another argument between father and son.

Li Longji didn't speak, but only gave a heavy snort, then said, "Gao Ban, you've come at the right time. Come here. Do you know what Prince Shou, Li Mao, just said to me?"

Gao Lishi frowned slightly, secretly trying to figure out Li Longji's attitude.

After thinking for a moment, he pretended to know nothing: "Your Majesty, please speak, I will certainly listen."

Li Longji, still furious, didn't care about airing his family's dirty laundry in public. He pointed at Li Mao and said, "This rebellious son dares to talk back to me, saying that I wronged him and suspected him, and even dares to ask if he is my biological son! Tell me, what use is such a rebellious son to me?"

Prince Shou was eccentric and unconventional, a fact that Gao Lishi had already heard of when he was in Chang'an.

He had many informants working in Chang'an. They were fully aware of Li Mao's horse farm and restaurant business. However, apart from these activities, Li Mao hadn't done anything too outrageous, so to say he was treasonous was really unfair.

Gao Lishi thought to himself, but his face remained expressionless. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. As children, we should naturally prioritize filial piety. To claim that we are not your biological children is an insult to both our father and our mother."

Upon hearing this, Li Mao felt a chill run down his spine.

I shouldn't have had any hope for Gao Lishi after all.

Although this man was a rare eunuch in history who was neither a treacherous official nor someone who left his mark on history, old habits die hard, and no eunuch is ever a good person. No wonder, then, that someone like Gao Lishi would raise a godson like Gao Chen!

Upon hearing this, Li Longji's anger subsided slightly, and he gestured for Gao Lishi to continue, seemingly expecting further statements from him.

However, Gao Lishi did not grant his wish: "Your Highness has indeed gone too far, but I also feel that there may be some misunderstanding. Your Majesty, you see, Prince Shou is, after all, your own son, and he has always been loyal and filial in his actions. If he really had ulterior motives, why would he choose this time to launch an attack?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mao's heart stirred.

—I never expected that Gao Lishi would speak up for me.

Even so, he remained wary of eunuchs, still harboring a psychological aversion to them.

Li Longji pondered for a moment, seemingly genuinely persuaded by Gao Lishi, his expression softening slightly. The same words, which Li Mao considered mere sophistry, sounded quite reasonable when spoken by Gao Lishi.

“Gao Ban’s words make sense,” Li Longji said slowly, “but I still find it suspicious. The assassination of the Crown Prince this time is too coincidental. How could someone know the situation and be able to make the arrangements? Apart from Prince Shou, I can’t think of anyone else for the time being.”

Gao Lishi sighed softly and walked to Li Longji's side.

He spoke softly in a consoling tone: "Your Majesty, I believe that although there are many suspicious points regarding the assassination, if Prince Shou truly cared for the Tang Dynasty, he would not have created a rift with Your Majesty at this time and place. If we want to reach a conclusion on this matter, further investigation is needed."

Li Mao felt conflicted upon hearing this. He had initially assumed that Gao Lishi would side with his father, but after hearing Gao Lishi's words, he couldn't help but feel a little more favorably toward him.

Perhaps this person could play a slightly advantageous role in the conflict between him and Li Longji, the father and son.

Li Longji looked at Gao Lishi, remained silent for a while, and finally nodded: "Alright, since you say so, then let's put this matter aside for now. Li Mao, you can go back, but this matter is not over yet. You must continue to investigate the origin of the assassin and find out the truth. If you can redeem yourself through meritorious service, I will forgive your disrespectful remarks today."

People who are suspected should not be involved in the investigation.

However, there are not many capable people in Xianyang City at the moment. After Li Longji calmed down, he realized that his suspicions seemed too far-fetched, so he handed the matter over to Li Mao.

Now that things have come to this, Li Mao wouldn't be so ungrateful.

He said in a deep voice, "Your subject obeys the decree and will do everything in his power to investigate the truth."

Li Longji looked up and saw Gao Lishi standing to the side, adding, "This matter is of great importance. Gao Ban will cooperate with Prince Shou to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that nothing is overlooked. Prince Shou, Gao Ban has been in and out of the palace for many years and has more experience in investigating these matters than you. You must respect him."

Li Mao naturally had no objections.

Even if he had objections, Li Longji would not listen to him.

"Gao Ban, you've come all this way, you must be tired. Don't bother with anything else today, get some rest." After saying this, Li Longji added, "I'm tired, you may all leave!"

This is probably to make amends for his unreasonable behavior earlier.

Gao Lishi knew the emperor very well, so he didn't refuse, bowed, and left.

As they approached the gate, they suddenly heard Gao Lishi say in a low voice, "Your Highness Prince Shou, please forgive my earlier offense."

She had clearly helped him out of a difficult situation, yet she still said she hoped he wouldn't blame her.

Li Mao turned to look at Gao Lishi, his heart filled with mixed feelings, but he still smiled slightly: "I naturally understand Eunuch Gao's good intentions."

The two exchanged a smile. Although resentment lingered, they had at least reached a temporary understanding under the current circumstances. Li Mao walked out the door, glancing back at the room where Li Longji was.

Even now, Li Longji is still a high-ranking ruler.

But he intends to proceed gradually, and sooner or later, Li Longji will regret his words and actions today.

Li Mao returned to his residence, where Guo Ziyi had been waiting impatiently. Upon seeing him return, Guo Ziyi immediately went to greet him and asked with concern, "Your Highness, what is His Majesty's attitude?"

Li Mao smiled slightly, his tone calm but tinged with helplessness: "Thanks to Gao Lishi's timely appearance, it was he who negotiated with the Emperor that allowed me to get away temporarily. From now on, he will be working with us on cases. You must show him respect and not treat him like an ordinary eunuch."

"Gao Lishi?" Guo Ziyi was slightly surprised upon hearing this. "He is His Majesty's confidant and Gao Chen's godfather. Will he help us? Or is he here to cause trouble again?"

“At least he’s not on my side.” Li Mao shrugged.

"Very well." Even though Guo Ziyi was unwilling, he had no choice but to accept Gao Lishi's joining.