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

Yang Yuhuan was indeed a woman who understood words; after hearing just a few words from her, Li Mao felt completely at ease.

After a moment's thought, I decided to put aside my doubts for the time being.

He then looked at Yang Yuhuan and said softly, "Yuhuan, trust me. I'm going to Lingzhou. Wait for me to come back."

Hearing that Li Mao was leaving again, Yang Yuhuan felt somewhat aggrieved.

But she quickly calmed down and nestled in his arms like a kitten.

She said softly, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Li Mao felt a surge of warmth in his heart and couldn't help but lower his head to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. He then hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to etch this tenderness into his very bones.

As dawn broke, the two reluctantly parted ways.

As Li Mao walked out of Taizhen Temple, the tenderness and affection he had just experienced still lingered in his mind.

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, two people were also embracing each other.

One person said, "Don't worry, I've found a way out. Sooner or later I will keep my promise and take you away from this hellhole. You have to wait for me and believe in me."

The other person sighed, “What I have never sought is wealth and glory, nor is a thousand bushels of pearls worth anything. I only wish to find a soulmate and grow old together. I do not believe in you, but I am waiting for you. If you still have a conscience, you should come back to me.”

……

Seven days later, the sun shone brightly and the weather was perfect.

Guo Ziyi led two thousand elite soldiers who had followed him through thick and thin, preparing to go to Lingzhou to become the military governor of Shuofang.

Li Mao knew that Guo Ziyi would meet his chosen subordinate, Li Guangbi, there.

Afterwards, the two would join hands to guard the Shuofang border and make numerous military achievements.

Although everything has taken a different turn than in history, fate has still brought them together.

Li Mao also mounted his horse and called out, "Ziyi, we're about to leave Chang'an. How are you feeling?"

"I'm not afraid of the rugged road ahead, I'm only afraid of having no opponents to face, leaving me with no opportunity to display my skills!" Guo Ziyi declared arrogantly. It was precisely because of his youth, boldness, and arrogance that his two thousand elite soldiers became even more excited and echoed his words in unison.

Now, even without Li Mao's support, Guo Ziyi can stand on his own.

Seeing Guo Ziyi's confidence and arrogance, and the soldiers around him's complete trust in him, Li Mao was satisfied. Now, he was taking a step-by-step approach, gradually driving away every virtuous minister and capable general from Li Longji's side or bringing them under his own command.

When he returns from Yinshan, we will study Gao Lishi carefully.

When will Gao Lishi also become his man...?

Hmph, back then, if he wanted, he could even make Li Longji call him Father Emperor. If Li Longji ever wanted to look at Yang Yuhuan again, he'd gouge out Li Longji's eyes!

Thinking about it all the way, Li Mao couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Your Highness is so happy to see me off?" Guo Ziyi was puzzled by Li Mao's smile, but he was also infected by Li Mao's smile and grinned.

Li Mao was naturally embarrassed to admit that he was thinking of Yu Huan, nor could he admit to being rebellious and thinking about killing Li Longji so that he and Yu Huan could be together forever. He could only say, "What I was thinking about was the gentle affection of my two concubines. Putting myself in their shoes, I thought of Ziyi, who is still unmarried. When we go to Lingzhou, we can meet and see if any local ladies catch Ziyi's eye. If so, we'll immediately bring them back as his wives!"

Li Mao spoke loudly, and everyone below heard him.

They all joined in the commotion, only to be angrily rebuked by Guo Ziyi, who blushed with embarrassment.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the journey was exceptionally relaxed and pleasant.

As long as there is no war to fight and no one to die, people can feel at ease, even if the road is long and arduous.

Now, Li Mao and An Lushan have completely fallen out because An Lushan is not only dissatisfied with Li Longji, and not only wants to invade Li Longji's country, but also wants to take many lives.

At first, Li Mao could tolerate it, but later he directly killed An Lushan, forcing him to flee in disarray.

It's just a pity for An Sishun. He was originally loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but now he can only wander around with An Lushan. Historically, An Sishun was falsely accused by Geshu Han of being an accomplice of An Lushan, but was later exonerated by Guo Ziyi.

An Sishun has now been spared death, but he is now wandering outside under the guise of a rebel, with no known destination.

At this time, Guo Ziyi did not know An Sishun.

His mind was filled with the joke Li Mao had just made.

They said they'd find him a satisfactory girl in Shuofang...

Honestly, he has no such thoughts. He wants to serve his country, he can even neglect his basic needs, let alone think about women!

The journey to Lingzhou was filled with laughter and joy.

Despite being the Prince of Shou, Li Mao had none of the airs of a nobleman.

He ate and slept with his soldiers, and occasionally told some crude jokes.

The group traveled along in a relaxed and cheerful mood, feeling that following Li Mao, their "good leader," was a blessing from their past lives.

However, the good times did not last long.

As they approached Lingzhou, Li Mao frowned and looked into the distance—

In the distance, billowing smoke rose into the sky. Although no sounds of fighting or war could be heard, the tension ahead was palpable, and a sense of crisis instantly surged toward Li Mao and his companions from all directions.

"Brothers, let's not rest anymore!"

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Li Mao quickly ordered everyone to be on high alert.

Guo Ziyi's eyes also turned cold. He said, "Lingzhou is not far from the border with the Turks. I'm afraid... there are foreign enemies attacking from the front. The Shuofang Army stationed here must be facing them."

He was very unhappy. He thought about the army he had just taken command of, which had suffered heavy losses before he even had a chance to settle in. Anyone would feel bad about that. It was both unlucky and unpleasant.

Seeing Guo Ziyi like this, Li Mao couldn't help but feel a pang of gloom in his heart.

Thinking it over, he decisively said, "You, and you. You two are the best at footwork, go ahead and scout ahead. If you find any danger, do not linger, come back immediately and ask for backup, and do not act rashly."

The two spies immediately agreed and got up to leave.

however……

Two hours, three hours, and finally a whole night passed, but they still hadn't returned, nor had any news come back.

The scouts who went out had not returned for a long time, and everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

"Your Highness, how about this, we each lead a team and search separately," Guo Ziyi finally couldn't sit still any longer and suggested, "This way we can find the spies as soon as possible and also learn about the situation at the front."

Normally, Guo Ziyi would not have been willing to let Li Mao put himself in danger.

But now his status is different; he is the future leader of the Shuofang Army.

As a leader, the first priority is to ensure the safety of your subordinates.

He must put his subordinates first in order to gain the complete trust of the soldiers in the army.