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

Li Mao looked around and said, "We are here to select a bride for a marriage alliance. The Wolf Lord hopes to choose a suitable woman from your Tar tribe and send her to Chang'an to marry Crown Prince Li Heng."

The old lord stared in astonishment, then a hint of joy appeared on his face: "This...is this real?!"

His tribe had just been annexed by the wolf lord, and he was filled with dejection and melancholy. But to his surprise, Li Mao had closed one door and opened another.

Being the Crown Prince's father-in-law is something many people dream of but never achieve; how did he end up with it?

Lord Tal has few other things to offer, but he has many children.

He immediately said, "There are countless girls in the Taer tribe, and they all consider it an honor to be chosen by His Highness Prince Shou."

The old lord hurriedly sent people to inform the young women in the tribe, including his own daughter, as well as his nieces and nephews.

Soon, dozens of girls gathered in the center of the camp.

They were all dressed in magnificent tribal costumes, looking both innocent and lively.

Li Mao and Princess Aya began to observe each person one by one, eventually settling their gaze on the girl standing beside the old lord. This girl had delicate features, a quiet temperament, and clear eyes. Unlike the other tribespeople who carried a wild air, she possessed a more clear and gentle demeanor.

Lee Hyung would probably like a girl like that.

“This girl is quite nice,” Li Mao turned to Princess Aya and asked, “What do you think?”

Princess Aya looked her up and down and nodded: "She is indeed very good, with graceful manners and a good temperament."

In truth, she had no interest in choosing this marriage partner. After all, it wasn't a marriage alliance with her, and they wouldn't be living together in the future, so what did it have to do with her? She was merely going through the motions because of Li Mao's invitation and the Wolf Lord's instructions.

The old lord seemed very pleased and said, "This is my youngest daughter, Ya Ru. Of all my daughters, she is the most beautiful and has the most obedient personality. She doesn't like riding horses or hunting, but like you Han women, she enjoys embroidery and needlework. She is the perfect person for this marriage alliance."

"Since no one has any objections, then we'll choose her." Li Mao made a quick decision, having set his sights on Ya Ru.

The old lord was overjoyed and quickly told Yaru to step forward and pay her respects.

Ya Ru stepped forward, bowed gracefully, her posture charming and captivating.

Before the old lord could speak, Li Mao smiled gently and asked, "Miss Ya Ru, you have been chosen as a candidate for a marriage alliance and will be sent to the capital to marry Crown Prince Li Heng. Are you willing?"

Ya Ru was taken aback. She hadn't expected that Prince Shou of the Tang Dynasty would be so approachable, choosing her and asking if she was willing.

She disliked life on the grasslands and had long wanted to visit Chang'an. Now was not the time to be coy, so she immediately nodded and said, "I'm willing!"

Li Mao nodded: "Very good. Tomorrow we will go to the Wolf Lord's camp and have him issue the formalities to adopt you as his daughter. From now on, you will be the daughter of the Lord of the Grasslands and the fiancée of my Great Tang Crown Prince. There are some things I need to teach you properly. When you come to my side, there will be many things for you to learn, so you need to be prepared."

Li Mao's words were quite meaningful.

Going to Chang'an with him to marry the Crown Prince would naturally require her to learn many court etiquette skills and acquire literacy. However, Li Mao's intentions went beyond these; more importantly, he wanted her to learn intelligence gathering abilities and cultivate her loyalty to him.

He wanted the only woman by Crown Prince Li Heng's side in the future to be his confidante!

Such a grand scheme was known only to Li Mao himself.

Princess Aya looked at Yaru and sighed inwardly. If she didn't go for the marriage alliance, someone else would have to leave their homeland in her place. She said, "Yaru, from now on you will represent the tribe and shoulder heavy responsibilities. I hope you can perform well and live up to everyone's expectations."

The next morning, Ya Ru was officially adopted as a daughter in the Wolf Lord's tent.

The wolf chief solemnly drew up the adoption document, declaring her and Princess Aya as the two princesses of the tribe. Yaru stood there, her heart filled with trepidation and excitement. Aya was beside her, occasionally whispering words of encouragement to her.

Both girls were tall and graceful, and looked very much like sisters!

"Ya Ru, from today onwards, you are my daughter." The Wolf Lord said in a deep voice, "You must always remember your identity and shoulder the mission of revitalizing the tribe. After you go to the Central Plains, you must always remember where you are from and whose daughter you are."

Ya Ru knelt on one knee and performed a special ritual of their ethnicity: "Father, please rest assured, I will do my best."

After the ceremony, the Wolf Lord entrusted Ya Ru to Li Mao.

"Your Highness, since you value Ya Ru so much, I will not keep her any longer. From today onwards, she will stay by your side, and I hope you will take good care of her."

—Old foxes are spicier. The cunning Wolf Lord had already seen through Li Mao's elaborate scheme to select a concubine for Crown Prince Li Heng, and knew his intentions were far from small. However, he didn't want to pry or interfere, but simply sent his newly arrived daughter directly to Li Mao's side so she could learn something from him.

Li Mao was very satisfied with the Wolf Lord's understanding and nodded: "Don't worry, Wolf Lord, I will take good care of her."

Afterwards, Li Mao took Ya Ru back to the Yinshan military camp.

As soon as they returned to the camp, Li Jingqing hurriedly came to greet them.

Upon seeing a beautiful foreign woman accompanying Li Mao, Li Jingqing's smile froze: "Your Highness, this is... the future Crown Prince's concubine, Princess Ya Ru?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Li Jingqing's expression became completely serious: "Your Highness, is this really the right thing to do? Princess Yaru has already been chosen as the Crown Prince's concubine, yet we are leaving her here, spending all her time with us men. If this news gets to Chang'an, His Highness the Crown Prince will be dissatisfied with you, and it will also affect Princess Yaru's reputation."

Li Jingqing is like that; sometimes he's a bit old-fashioned and thinks a lot. If Guo Ziyi were beside him, he certainly wouldn't offer any advice; he would only think that Li Mao has his reasons for everything he does.

Li Mao smiled slightly and said calmly, "Jing Qing, there's no need to worry about this. Ya Ru is the future Crown Prince's concubine, and we must ensure that she has enough wisdom and ability to deal with the various difficulties in the palace. If we don't teach her now, when will we? From now on, she will stay by my side, and I will personally teach her!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jingqing, though still harboring doubts, dared not say anything more.

He could only respectfully reply, "Understood."

Back at the camp, Yaru was settled in a relatively spacious tent.

Li Mao personally visited her, his demeanor composed and gentle.