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

Li Mao thought to himself, feeling that he was almost intoxicated by the smell.

He immediately stepped forward and called out repeatedly, "Yu Huan, Yu Huan! I'm here."

No one responded. Li Mao continued, "I know you're angry because I didn't come to see you immediately after returning to Chang'an. But here I am, please forgive me, Yuhuan..."

Li Mao called out Yang Yuhuan's name repeatedly, but received no response.

Just as he was anxiously thinking about how to beg for Yu Huan's forgiveness, he suddenly heard a soft sob—

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw Yang Yuhuan sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, making her look exceptionally pitiful.

“Yu Huan…” Li Mao quickly stepped forward, reached out and gently embraced her, and said softly, “I know you are angry. It is because I married Lady Wei as my concubine that you are upset.”

“But I can swear that I treat Wei and Wang differently than I treat you. Wei’s father is a Lieutenant General who commands the Imperial Guards. He is willing to send his daughter to me, and I cannot refuse, otherwise I will be making an enemy of him.”

"Everything I've done is to better solidify my position, so that you and I can have more opportunities to be together. Really, I'm not lying to you!"

Li Mao didn't bother explaining to others, and he wasn't even bothered to give them a perfunctory answer.

But as for Yang Yuhuan...

Seeing her crying, Li Mao felt incredibly heartbroken.

He loved her and couldn't bear to see her suffer even the slightest grievance.

Yang Yuhuan raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, tell me the truth. You've married a new concubine, have you already forgotten me? As long as you tell the truth, I will believe you!"

Li Mao shook his head and said firmly, "I won't forget you, I will never forget you. You know, sometimes I can't let my emotions get the better of me, but you will always have a place in my heart."

He knew that Yang Yuhuan would understand his difficulties.

Yang Yuhuan remained silent for a moment, and her tears gradually stopped.

Finally, she smiled slightly, reached out and gently patted Li Mao's cheek, and said, "You always have so many reasons, and I don't know if they're true or not. But I can't help but believe you. When I see your face, I can't help but think that what you say is true."

Seeing that her attitude had softened, Li Mao felt relieved.

He knew that at this moment, the bond between the two of them was stronger than ever before.

Yang Yuhuan leaned against him and whispered, "Your Highness, I believe in you. I just hope it's all worth it."

Li Mao gently kissed her hair, and they spent the night together.

The next morning, when Li Mao woke up, he found that Yang Yuhuan had already put on a Taoist robe and was reciting scriptures.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, making her appear even more elegant and refined.

Li Mao was immediately drawn to her and got out of bed to come to her side, gently pulling her back onto the bed.

"Yu Huan, even in your Taoist robes, you are breathtakingly beautiful," Li Mao whispered, gently wrapping his arms around her waist, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Yang Yuhuan blushed, but did not resist; instead, she took the initiative to move closer to him.

In this tranquil setting, the two reveled in a pleasure unacceptable to the world. —Although this place was supposed to be a sanctuary for spiritual cultivation, they seemed to have found even greater joy on the edge of immorality, free from all taboos.

After it was over, Li Mao got dressed.

Thinking of the unresolved questions from last night, and wondering if he could get some information from Yu Huan, he asked, "Yu Huan, have you seen Gao Lishi?"

Yang Yuhuan nodded and said, "I have met Eunuch Gao before, and we even have a history together."

"What connection?" Li Mao asked hastily upon hearing that Yang Yuhuan knew Gao Lishi.

—Yang Guifei was indeed a compass that guided me through my confusion!

“Last time, he brought a beautiful woman from Guangzhou. Everyone who saw her praised her. The woman was graceful and skilled in singing and dancing, especially the ‘Dance of the Startled Swan’… At that time, my father wanted me to marry into the royal family, so he asked Eunuch Gao to act as a matchmaker and introduce me to that woman to learn to dance.”

"It's a pity..." Yang Yuhuan said, feeling embarrassed, "It's a pity that I am too plump to learn the graceful and agile movements of the Dance of the Startled Swan, so my father eventually gave up on the idea. Later, I married into the Prince of Shou's mansion and never saw Eunuch Gao again, nor did I see the woman who taught me to dance."

Seeing her blush, Li Mao quickly comforted her, "Whether you are plump or slender, you are my Yu Huan, my beloved Yu Huan. Although I have never seen that woman, she is definitely far inferior to you!"

Even the most beautiful woman, could she possess the captivating beauty of Yang Guifei? Could she be so stunning in a Taoist robe that one could not look away? Certainly not!

Yang Yuhuan smiled when Li Mao praised her like that.

That smile made Li Mao's eyes light up, and his heart was captivated by her.

So when Yang Yuhuan asked him why he cared so much about Gao Lishi, Li Mao didn't hide anything and said frankly, "Gao Lishi is no simple man. He is deeply trusted by the Emperor. The Emperor trusts him more than he trusts me and Prince Yong, and even the Crown Prince. You know, at that time, Li Linfu and his men strongly supported me, but that only made me someone the Emperor feared. It was Gao Lishi who secretly supported my brother as the Crown Prince, and my brother really became the Crown Prince."

“If Gao Lishi supports me, Father might actually choose me. I originally thought that Gao Lishi and I were at odds, and that he should dislike me. But he is very friendly to me, unusually so… So, I want to know why he is doing this. Is it to balance power like Father, or does he have some other purpose?”

Then, Li Mao asked Yang Yuhuan, "What happened to the woman you mentioned who could dance the 'Dance of the Startled Swan'?"

"She was sent to the palace by Eunuch Gao and presented to the Emperor," Yang Yuhuan said.

Li Mao's brow twitched, and he quickly asked, "Do you still remember her name?"

“She… my father called her Miss Jiang, and I called her Sister Ping.”

That's it!

Almost instantly, Li Mao realized what was happening.

The woman Yang Yuhuan mentioned is none other than Consort Mei, Jiang Caiping, a talented woman who has appeared countless times in later films and television dramas.

He wasn't particularly interested in the women of the Tang Dynasty's harem, so he listened to Yang Yuhuan's description for a long time without understanding. It wasn't until he learned the woman's name that he realized that Consort Mei, Jiang Caiping, was brought back to the palace from the south by Gao Lishi and presented to the emperor.

Li Mao noted this down and pondered it in his heart.

Yang Yuhuan smiled slightly and comforted her, "No matter what, he's treating you well now, and maybe he really does consider you a friend. Your Highness, just think about it that way, and you won't feel so uncomfortable."

"Your Highness, we've finally managed to get together, so let's not think about anyone else, okay?"