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

The Crown Prince now trusts Li Mao far more than he loves Li Longji.

After hearing Li Mao's words, he immediately said, "I will return to the palace now. If my eighteenth brother finds out anything, he must inform me immediately."

Li Mao readily agreed to Li Heng's request.

He strongly suspected that Li Longji's trip to the detached palace was a ploy to secretly send Ya Ru there while the Crown Prince was off guard. Even if the Crown Prince discovered something, he wouldn't be able to get there immediately and disturb his father's enjoyment.

Once Li Longji and Ya Ru have consummated their relationship, the Crown Prince will be unable to cause any trouble.

This kind of clandestine maneuvering is not Li Longji's style.

Li Mao felt that someone must have given him some advice in secret.

This person was likely Gao Lishi, whom Li Longji trusted most.

Li Mao couldn't understand why Gao Lishi, who had originally supported the Crown Prince, would suddenly turn against him and offer Li Longji a plan that would make Li Longji so desperate to obtain Ya Ru.

Of course, he felt he should cultivate a better relationship with Gao Lishi than with the Crown Prince.

After all, the Crown Prince was kind-hearted and wouldn't cause any trouble, while Gao Lishi was mysterious and cunning.

Given his previous amicable cooperation with Gao Lishi, Li Mao felt that Gao Lishi would tell him the truth. So, after seeing Li Heng off, Li Mao immediately went to the Tianji Pavilion and specifically requested to see Gao Lishi.

"Please wait here for a moment, esteemed guest, while I go and announce your arrival." The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has its own rules; even if royalty or nobles grace us with their presence, they must first announce their arrival before they can see the Pavilion Master, Gao Lishi.

Li Mao waited for a long time before Gao Lishi finally appeared in the reception room.

He was dressed in black and exuded an aura of decisiveness and efficiency.

Judging from the looks of it, they must be carrying out some official business at the Tianji Pavilion.

Upon seeing Li Mao, Gao Lishi smiled and bowed, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Li Mao stood up, looked directly at Gao Lishi, and went straight to the point: "Lord Gao, given our relationship, I don't think there's any need for beating around the bush. I've come to ask you why you suggested to my father that he disregard ethics and morality to take away the Crown Prince's woman?"

Gao Lishi smiled slightly and said calmly, "Your Highness, please don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly. I have my reasons for doing this. The young lady Caiyue in Your Highness's residence is the younger sister of Consort Mei in the palace. A few days ago, Consort Mei met with the young lady Caiyue. Does Your Highness remember this?"

Li Mao was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Of course I remember, what's wrong?"

What is the connection between Caiyue and this matter?

This was something Li Mao had never expected.

"She told Consort Mei that she and Li Guangbi, the deputy commander of the Shuofang Army, are now deeply in love, and they are only one step away from confessing their feelings. In order to arrange a good future for them, I thought of asking His Majesty to grant Jiang Caiyue the status of a maternal relative, so that she could marry Li Guangbi. This would not only bring happiness to the two of them, but also give them support in the court," Gao Lishi explained.

Li Mao frowned: "Why must the Crown Prince and Princess Ya Ru be sacrificed in this matter?"

Gao Lishi sighed and said, "This is a last resort. His Majesty has always had a preference for beauties. If we directly ask for the status of a maternal relative, it may displease His Majesty. And if His Majesty really takes a fancy to Jiang Caiyue and brings her into the harem, it will be even more troublesome. Therefore, I can only choose this compromise, divert His Majesty's attention to others, and strike while the iron is hot so that everything can go more smoothly."

In Gao Lishi's eyes, sacrificing either the Crown Prince or Wusun Yaru was of little consequence. He was willing to do anything to fulfill Consort Mei's wish.

Upon hearing this, Li Mao couldn't help but sigh.

In this day and age, those with power and influence can easily decide the fate of others.

“Everything was arranged last night. His Majesty will go to Mount Li to recuperate tomorrow, and Princess Ya Ru has already arrived at the Mount Li Palace. After His Majesty arrives, he will try to move things forward. As for the details… that’s not our concern; His Majesty has his own arrangements,” Gao Lishi added.

Li Mao remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said directly, "Sect Master Gao, since you've told me the truth, I might as well tell you directly as well. I plan to go to Mount Li to find Ya Ru and find out her true thoughts. If there's really no way, I will persuade her to accept reality and help you complete your plan. Please be sure to cover for me and don't let anyone find out."

Gao Lishi smiled and readily agreed: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will cover for you. However, I hope you can resolve this matter as soon as possible and not let it drag on for too long, so as not to delay my grand plan."

After leaving Tianji Pavilion, Li Mao quickly returned to his residence and packed his belongings.

They left Chang'an under the cover of night and sped off towards Mount Li.

Several hours later, the detached palace at Mount Li was in sight.

The night at Mount Li was exceptionally quiet, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects. Li Mao skillfully infiltrated the detached palace and quickly found Ya Ru's room.

A gentle knock came at the door, and Ya Ru's voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

Li Mao responded in a low voice: "It's me, Li Mao."

"Your Highness Prince Shou?" Ya Ru was very surprised, clearly not expecting to see Li Mao at this time. She opened the door.

For a moment, the two sat facing each other in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"Why is Your Highness here?" Ya Ru broke the silence first.

Li Mao took a deep breath and said, "I know things are a bit complicated, but I must find you. It's about Father..."

“I know,” Ya Ru suddenly interrupted Li Mao and said, “I’m not stupid either. I noticed His Majesty’s strange behavior a long time ago. He has been harboring ulterior motives towards me for a long time. It’s just that in the last two days, with the guidance of a wise man, he has come up with a plan to bypass His Highness the Crown Prince and make our relationship a fait accompli.”

It turns out that Ya Ru has been in the palace for so many days, experiencing all sorts of ups and downs, and is no longer the naive girl she once was.

Ever since Li Longji's last attempt to take advantage of her failed, she had been secretly observing him. When she heard from the palace servants that the emperor was going to give her a surprise by granting her a hot spring bath, she realized what was going on.

Now that she is in Lishan, it seems impossible for the Crown Prince to take her back.

Ya Ru resigned herself to her fate, saying, "I know that the emperor's orders cannot be disobeyed. Since no one can help me, I might as well obediently submit and try to gain some favor from the emperor. Anyway, as long as the emperor is still in power, His Highness the Crown Prince won't dare to do anything to me. As for what will happen in the future, we'll just have to deal with that when the time comes."