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

Li Mao waved his hand and said, "You dare not disobey my request, and you haven't caused any trouble for Wei Jian these past few days, which I have all noticed. I am not the kind of person who would cause trouble for no reason, so the reason I came to see you this time is naturally not because of this matter."

Seeing this, Li Linfu felt somewhat relieved.

During this period, the relationship between Prince Shou and him was neither particularly good nor bad.

It made him feel very insecure.

He targeted Wei Jian because of his sense of security; he always felt that Li Heng would hold a grudge against him for trying to enthrone Li Mao, so he decided to strike first.

Your Highness Prince Shou...

How can you not understand what this old minister is thinking?

Li Linfu pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "May I ask Your Highness, what brings you to this old minister today?"

“Now that I have dealt with most of the major and minor matters around me,” Li Mao said, “it is time to consider finding a better concubine for the Crown Prince. Lady Wei is definitely not suitable. She was originally a member of the Crown Prince’s faction and has always been wary of us.”

So it turns out it's still about dealing with the Wei family!

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu became interested and immediately said, "Your Highness is wise! This old minister also thinks so, which is why we want to deal with Wei Jian. This old minister believes that Your Highness's words make sense. We should start with the Crown Prince's concubine, then proceed step by step, and finally turn the knife on the Wei family..."

Li Mao had no time to listen to Li Linfu's ramblings and asked directly, "What are your thoughts on the selection of this concubine?"

Li Linfu quickly listed several noble ladies he thought were good, all of whom were well-educated and refined.

However, Li Mao was not satisfied. He countered, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is very satisfied with Wusun Yaru. Yaru's strength lies in the fact that although her dance is not the most beautiful and her paintings are not the most exquisite, she is lively, intelligent, and knows how to please people. Do these ladies from prominent families you mentioned have any similarities to Yaru?"

“This…” Li Linfu was speechless.

The young ladies he chose were all well-bred and educated from a young age, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, literate, and also good at needlework.

Ya Ru came to Chang'an from the grasslands, and her personality was the complete opposite of that of a gentle and quiet lady from a prominent family; they had nothing in common at all.

Li Linfu felt that Li Mao was simply making things difficult for him.

But then Li Mao said, "Since the path of a lady from a respectable family is not feasible, I think we can choose a suitable person from the music hall."

"This, this isn't appropriate, is it?" Li Linfu glared.

Yaru is at least a princess of the grasslands, and her status is not simple.

What about the women in the Coca-Cola shop? Most of them come from humble backgrounds and may not even know where their ancestors came from.

Even if such a woman catches the Crown Prince's eye, she probably wouldn't be qualified to become his concubine.

Li Linfu was thinking to himself, but saw Li Mao looking completely at ease.

Li Mao said, "This is an era of moral decay. If His Majesty, as the Crown Prince's father, can do something as absurd as snatching the Crown Prince's concubine, what other ridiculous things can't the current royal family do? I think we should let the Crown Prince fall deeply in love with the women of the music hall and personally ask for their hand in marriage as his concubine."

At that time, Li Longji will remember that he stole Ya Ru.

Since the Crown Prince already has a principal wife, Lady Wei, who comes from a respectable family, Li Longji wouldn't be too fixated on the status of the Crown Prince's concubine.

In short, as long as Li Heng is under control, everything will fall into place.

Li Linfu never objected to Li Mao's requests.

In particular, what Li Mao said made sense.

After thinking for a moment, Li Linfu immediately stood up and said, "This old minister understands. I will obey Your Highness's order and go to find and train suitable women for the music troupe!"

"Remember not to look for music from any of my music halls, to avoid suspicion," Li Mao said.

Li Linfu nodded repeatedly and quickly went to take care of the matter.

Meanwhile, Li Mao entered the palace to request an audience with Li Longji.

Li Mao entered the palace to see Li Longji, but upon entering, he noticed that the old man's expression was somewhat strange.

— Li Longji was seen with his brows furrowed and his face gloomy, looking as if he had something on his mind.

This startled him, and without exchanging pleasantries with Li Longji, he went straight to asking, "Father, what's wrong? Is something troubling you lately?"

When Li Longji saw his son, a shrewd glint flashed in his eyes.

He quickly considered all his sons in his mind and became increasingly certain that Li Mao was the best person to help him deal with this troubling matter.

He then said, "Mao'er, you've come at the right time. I have indeed been troubled by something recently, and I'll tell you about it now to see if you have the ability to help me solve this problem."

Both father and son had their own strengths and weaknesses, and Li Mao was well aware of this.

He replied with feigned respect, "Father, please speak. If I can be of any help, I will do my utmost."

Li Longji nodded slightly, sighed, and said, "I have been considering the reconstruction of Ningyuan recently, but I can't seem to get to the point. In particular, I am completely baffled as to who should be assigned to this task."

Ningyuan is a royal garden located in the eastern suburbs of the city. It has been situated there for several years without any renovation or maintenance. Now that Li Longji has acquired a beauty named Wusun Yaru, knowing that she grew up on the grasslands, he plans to arrange hunting and camping activities for her in the garden to make her happy.

Thus……

Managing Ningyuan well will inevitably require manpower and resources.

The renovation of Ningyuan Garden was not a lucrative or desirable task, but it was a matter of great importance that concerned the Emperor's heart.

No matter who it is assigned to, no one is willing to take on this hot potato.

Especially Crown Prince Li Heng, since Li Longji had just taken Li Heng's woman, how could he dare to let Li Heng do such a thing now?

Not to mention the Fourth Prince Li Yan, who was in Wuwei County and didn't care about anything in Chang'an.

Consort Liu's beloved son, the Sixth Prince Li Wan, was in Chang'an, but Consort Liu doted on him so much that he was spoiled rotten and would never do such a thankless task.

Now that Li Longji has seen Li Mao, he feels that this son is the best candidate.

Every single thing Li Mao did in the past demonstrated his abilities.

Moreover, he has a unique mind, and he might add some clever touches when renovating Ningyuan, which would make the effect even better!

Upon hearing this, Li Mao had an idea.

His original purpose in entering the palace was to discuss matters concerning the Shuofang Army with Li Longji.

But now it seems... what I'd rather do is more important.

Although he thought this way, his expression was somewhat troubled, and he said in a deep voice, "Father is absolutely right. This matter is indeed a difficult problem. If it were handed over to me, I would also find it very troublesome. I wonder... if Father has already found a suitable candidate?"