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

Seeing how insightful Ya Ru was, Li Mao breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that Ya Ru would not be an obstacle for Jiang Caiyue to become a maternal relative in the future. With this in mind, Li Mao revealed Gao Lishi's plan to her, telling her about Jiang Caiyue and Consort Mei, and explaining that all of this was to help the two sisters.

Upon hearing this, Ya Ru's eyes lit up, and she suddenly smiled and said, "I see. Since it's for Cai Yue, I'm willing to sacrifice myself for it. If the Emperor is willing, I can only obey, otherwise he will just keep thinking about it day after day. But if it can help my friend and my master, I think it's all worth it."

Li Mao cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Ya Ru, saying, "Your insightful and open-mindedness is truly admirable!"

Ya Ru smiled slightly and said, "Master Caiyue has treated me well, so this is all I can do to show my appreciation in this small way. I also congratulate her on successfully reuniting with my sister. As for what will happen in the future, we can only leave it to fate."

After chatting casually for a few more minutes, Li Mao became even more certain that Ya Ru had indeed resigned herself to her fate and was genuinely willing to sacrifice herself to help Jiang Caiyue and the others.

"Ya Ru, take care. I will try my best to minimize the impact this matter has on you. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to ask me for help anytime," Li Mao finally stood up and said to Ya Ru.

Such a kind and righteous woman deserves his care.

Ya Ru nodded and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured, I will take good care of myself."

It was already late at night when we left the Lishan Palace.

Now that Ya Ru and Gao Lishi's problems are resolved, the only uncertainty lies with Crown Prince Li Heng. After being cuckolded by his own father, Li Heng certainly wouldn't dare hold a grudge against Li Longji; instead, he'll likely turn his hatred on Ya Ru.

With this in mind, Li Mao decided to persuade Li Heng not only not to hold a grudge against Ya Ru, but also to join him in directing their attacks against Li Longji.

He returned to his residence and rested for a while.

He then sent a message to Li Heng, inviting him to meet at Tai Zhen Temple the next morning.

Inside the Eastern Palace, Li Heng, upon receiving the news, was somewhat puzzled.

Why did this eighteenth brother insist on meeting at the Taoist temple?

However, while puzzled, he also felt a bit excited. He figured Li Mao must have a way to solve the problem he had asked him to solve before. The fact that he specifically asked to meet tomorrow morning must be to help him solve this problem!

Li Heng quickly replied, indicating that he would definitely go to Tai Zhen Temple the next morning to keep the appointment.

The next day at noon, the sun was at its zenith, the warmest time of day.

The area in front of Taizhen Temple was quiet, with only the occasional Taoist priest hurrying by.

Li Mao and Li Heng stood out conspicuously in front of the temple gate.

"Brother, do you know why I asked you to meet here?" Li Mao spoke first, his tone heavy.

Li Heng frowned slightly and shook his head: "I don't know. I'm also wondering why the Eighteenth Brother specifically chose this place?"

Li Mao took a deep breath and looked around.

After a moment, he said in a low voice, "Because this is where my most beloved woman, Yang Yuhuan, is. She is coveted by the Emperor and has to spend her days in seclusion here. It is very difficult for me to see her. The reason I made this appointment here is to tell my brother that I am in the same boat as you, and we brothers are in the same boat."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng felt a pang of pain in his heart.

He had always known that Yang Yuhuan was forced to live a solitary life in a Taoist temple.

Thinking of my own and Wusun Yaru's situation, I couldn't help but empathize with them.

“Father…” Li Heng murmured, a hint of helplessness and anger in his eyes, “His actions are truly chilling.”

The two brothers looked at each other in silence, a faint melancholy atmosphere filling the air.

After a moment of silence, Li Mao suddenly changed the subject and said, "Actually, Father Emperor had already sent Ya Ru to the Lishan Palace. And today, he went to the palace in person. Now, I'm afraid they've already consummated their relationship."

Li Heng was shocked upon hearing this, and his face instantly turned furious: "What?! You, you knew about this all along, so why didn't you tell me sooner?! And Ya Ru, she didn't even try to tell me about this, what a fickle woman, seducing Father Emperor!"

Li Mao smiled bitterly, "Even if I told you, what could I do? I could only guard against it for a while, not forever. Since this is the woman Father Emperor wants, what's the use of us trying to stop him? In the end, Father Emperor will still get his way. And how can you blame Ya Ru? It's not easy being a woman in this world."

"..."

Soon, Li Heng's face turned from anger to pale.

He clenched his teeth, his heart filled with resentment and pain.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "You make it sound so easy, but how can I accept such a fact so easily? To be honest, the moment I saw Ya Ru, I fell in love with her. This is the woman I'll spend my life with. How can Father Emperor just take her away like this?"

"Although Yang Yuhuan is at the Taizhen Temple, she has never become my father's woman. Although she is nominally a Taoist priestess, you are still her only man. Ya Ru is different; she will never belong to me again."

“Brother,” Li Mao patted Li Heng’s shoulder for the first time, comforting him, “I understand how you feel. But sometimes, we have to face reality. However… it is comforting that Ya Ru has made it clear that she is in Cao Cao’s camp but her heart is with Han. Although she will be Father’s woman in the future, her heart will still be with you.”

Li Heng was stunned when he heard this.

He asked, "What does this mean?"

Li Mao smiled and said, "Since there's no way to change the current situation, let's try to make things work in our favor. Your father took your woman away by trickery and force, but he didn't expect that he had actually planted a female spy for you by his side. If you ever need anything in the future, you can ask Ya Ru to whisper in your ear. Ya Ru feels guilty towards you, so she will definitely help you."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng's thoughts suddenly jumped from matters of love and romance to something much higher.

Li Mao is right. If we can make good use of the role of Ya Ru, it can be a great help to us!

He immediately said, "Eighteenth Brother, thank you for your guidance."

Li Mao said it was alright, there was no need for such formalities between brothers.

But deep down, I felt incredibly happy.

—I got everything done within the last two days.

Not bad, not bad. Now you can go back to your residence to drink tea and practice your swordsmanship!

After bidding farewell to Li Heng, Li Mao went straight into the Taizhen Temple.

The tranquility of Taizhen Temple gradually calmed Li Mao's mood.

He walked through the long corridor and finally arrived at the door of an elegant room.

Gently push open the door, and you'll see Yang Yuhuan dressed in a Taoist robe, sitting quietly by the window.

Upon hearing the voice, Yang Yuhuan turned around and saw Li Mao. A smile immediately bloomed on her face.