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

The secret letter was handed to Li Lin, who accepted it with a puzzled look.

A moment later, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and he tore the letter to shreds: "Slander! This is slander! Eunuch Gao, I never expected that you, who appear unassuming on the surface, had actually been investigating me behind my back all along. You really are... you're like a dog that bites but doesn't bark!"

“Your Highness Prince Yong is truly strict with others but lenient with yourself,” Gao Lishi smiled. “This evidence is irrefutable. You can call it slander, but you have no proof, yet you claim that Your Highness Prince Shou is plotting a rebellion. Your Highness, tearing up the secret letter won’t help. I have kept the original account books and letters attached to the secret letter. What you tore up are just replicas.”

Upon hearing this, Li Lin was completely stunned.

He wanted to say something more, but then he heard Gao Lishi say, "By order of the Emperor, drag these treacherous officials who slandered Prince Shou away and execute them by slow slicing as a warning to the public!"

He was pointing at the group of men in black kneeling on the ground.

The men in black trembled at the thought that their lives were at stake.

Several of them, who were more timid, were already in tears.

Some even jumped out and clung to Li Lin's leg, crying and pleading, "Your Highness, you promised to protect our lives. We helped you frame Prince Shou, we did everything we could, you can't go back on your word..."

They didn't realize that Li Lin was now in dire straits himself.

Li Heng said coldly, "How dare they behave so improperly in front of His Majesty! Guards, drag these people away and interrogate them later."

“These guys aren’t entirely useless,” Li Mao chuckled, “If they hadn’t changed their stance several times, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to so easily confirm what Sixteenth Brother did. Sixteenth Brother, your judgment of people is really not very good; you’ve chosen these rabble to help you succeed.”

These people were actually Li Lin's trained assassins, but their quality varied greatly.

Some were willing to commit suicide by poison for Li Lin's sake, while others betrayed him to save their own lives...

At this moment, Li Longji completely ignored Li Heng and Li Mao. His eyes, burning with rage, were fixed solely on Li Lin. He shouted sternly, "Li Lin, things have come to this, what else do you have to say?!"

Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating and becoming extremely unfavorable to him, Li Lin immediately denied it outright, "No, this isn't true... Father, you can't believe these lies! This was all planned by Gao Lishi and Li Mao. They're working together against me! Brother, how could I possibly harm you? Say something, say something!"

But by this time, even Li Heng, who had originally had faith in him, had completely realized the truth.

Given Gao Lishi's advanced age and status as one of the Emperor's most trusted advisors, there was no reason for him to collude with Li Mao.

For a moment, Li Heng's eyes were filled with disappointment.

His voice trembled as he asked Li Lin, "Why did you do this? You actually used me as bait to plot against me. I've always treated you well, you've been with me since you were little..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Heng fainted from excessive excitement.

No matter how much Li Lin cried and pleaded, the matter was already settled.

Gao Lishi ordered the Imperial Guards around him in a deep voice: "Take Prince Yong away. His Majesty wants to bring him back to Chang'an City to be questioned in the palace."

As three or five Imperial Guards escorted the limp Li Lin away, Gao Lishi followed, and the willow tree fell into a deathly silence. Li Mao stood alone for a long time before turning and leaving.

The following night, when the night was deep.

Li Mao, Guo Ziyi, and Gao Lishi sat around a table in a private room at a high-end restaurant in the center of Xianyang.

The restaurant was brightly lit, and the tables were laden with delicious dishes.

However, the three of them had other things on their minds.

"Eunuch Gao, it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, I might not have been able to clear my name of the 'treason' charge so quickly." Li Mao raised his wine cup and toasted Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi, of course, wouldn't take credit. He knew that even without him, Li Mao's abilities wouldn't have prevented him from escaping this calamity. —While Li Lin's methods were cunning and ruthless, he wasn't very bright, and his actions were full of flaws.

His appearance only accelerated the progress of the case. At the same time, it was also a way for him to gain credit in front of the Emperor. Over the years, the Emperor had built up a secret intelligence organization like the Tianji Pavilion in Chang'an. Even if the Emperor trusted him the most, it was easy for suspicion and resentment to gradually arise from that.

My ability to uncover the Yongwang Rebellion by stepping out of seclusion will earn the Emperor's trust in me more, and even if he becomes suspicious, now is not the time.

Gao Lishi smiled slightly, took the wine cup and took a sip: "Your Highness is too kind. I was just doing my duty. It was mostly Your Highness's cooperation that mattered. If Your Highness and General Guo hadn't been willing to trust me, even if I had intelligence, I wouldn't have been able to use it."

Guo Ziyi, being the most easygoing, drank a cup directly and laughed loudly: "The three of us have formed a life-or-death bond, why be so polite? From now on, let's cooperate more and work together to protect the Tang Dynasty!"

He used to discriminate against eunuchs with physical disabilities, but Gao Lishi changed his view of eunuchs.

The three exchanged a smile and continued to raise their glasses in a toast.

Half a month later, the group finally returned to Chang'an.

The city remained prosperous and peaceful, as if the previous turmoil had never happened.

Returning to Chang'an and the palace after several months, Li Longji was overjoyed, his spirits lifted by the gloom brought by Prince Yong. Looking at the bustling scene before him, he said with satisfaction, "It seems that Mao'er's arrangements were good. Chang'an has regained its former vitality and is no longer like it was when it was occupied by Shi's army."

Gao Lishi chimed in softly, "His Highness Prince Shou's competence is a direct result of His Majesty's wise guidance."

Longevity King, Longevity King.

This name has been constantly echoing in Li Longji's mind lately.

In fact, this son had long since lost his father's favor.

The thought of his beloved Consort Wu Hui's death made it impossible for him to love his son, whom he had once doted on. Furthermore, the thought that his son refused to obediently offer Lady Yang to him only fueled his resentment.

Later, it was discovered that Li Mao possessed exceptional talent in warfare, so he was frequently sent on campaigns. He won numerous battles, and even saved Li Longji and the Crown Prince's lives from a bandit stronghold...

Even a stubborn rock should be moved by Li Mao.

Although Li Longji doesn't completely approve of this son now, he has gained more trust in him.

Thinking of Li Mao inevitably brings to mind Xiang Lan.

Li Longji suddenly ordered, "Someone, pass on my order to move Xianglan's residence to the pavilion furthest from the Daming Palace. I do not wish to see her for the time being!"

Xianglan had no official status in the palace; her residence was entirely at the emperor's discretion. Naturally, eunuchs immediately went to arrange it.

Xianglan fell out of favor, and the news quickly spread to the Prince of Shou's residence.