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

Gao Lishi nodded slightly, and without being polite, asked directly, "When was this fireworks factory built? Who is the owner? Has it undergone repeated inspections by the imperial court? Are its qualifications complete?"

"Your Excellency, all the paperwork and qualifications are complete," the middle-aged man replied. "As for the boss..."

"What?" Gao Lishi raised an eyebrow: "Why is the boss's identity something to be ashamed of?"

Just as Gao Lishi was about to ask further questions, he suddenly heard a familiar laugh.

He looked up and saw Li Mao walking towards him.

With a warm smile on his face, Li Mao saw Gao Lishi and immediately greeted him familiarly, "Eunuch Gao, isn't the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion busy lately? What brings you to a place like this?"

Gao Lishi was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.

He smiled and said, "So this is His Highness Prince Shou's property. I even sent someone to investigate. If I had known this earlier, I would have been relieved. I trust His Highness Prince Shou to handle things."

In fact, Gao Lishi was suspicious precisely because the fireworks factory was owned by Li Mao. Why would a prince neglect his duties and run a factory to make money? And could a factory producing small fireworks like "Hundred-Day Red" and "Ground Mouse" really make any money?

He strongly suspected that Li Mao's opening of this fireworks factory was a ruse, a cover for his true intentions.

maybe……

While Gao Lishi was still wondering, Li Mao had already dismissed all the foreman and workers.

For a time, only the two of them were in the factory area.

Li Mao bluntly stated, "Eunuch Gao's guess is correct. I am using this fireworks factory ostensibly to make a profit, but secretly to accumulate gunpowder and develop firearms. My ambition lies with the entire world, not just with a mere prince. Do you understand, Eunuch Gao?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi's eyelids twitched!

He never expected that Li Mao would be so "honest" and tell him his purpose directly.

Prince Shou clearly knows that he is the Emperor's confidant.

Isn't he afraid that he might report this himself?

Secretly developing firearms is a serious crime of treason.

Seeing that Gao Lishi remained silent, Li Mao continued, "Eunuch Gao, you need not be surprised by my honesty. I value your clear thinking. If Your Majesty were to pass away, and the Crown Prince, with his rigid and old-fashioned ways, were to ascend the throne, he might make the concubines who were once favored keep vigil for the late emperor year after year."

"What's worse, if the Crown Prince finds out that the concubines in the palace are having affairs with eunuchs... I'm afraid he will definitely not let this ill-fated couple go. If I were to ascend the throne, it would be different. I can let Ya Ru leave the palace, and naturally I can let Consort Mei leave the palace as well. At that time, whether Consort Mei wants to be a commoner or continue to be a spy for the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is up to her."

Isn't that better?

Li Mao stared into Gao Lishi's eyes and, sure enough, saw a hint of wavering in the other man's gaze.

After a long pause, Gao Lishi suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness has truly laid out a brilliant plan. It sends chills down my spine. I'm afraid nothing can escape Your Highness's eyes!"

I originally thought that Li Mao was just observant and had noticed the special relationship between me and Consort Mei.

Now it seems that it's not that simple.

Li Mao analyzed everyone thoroughly.

The reason he dared to confess such a serious crime to himself was because he was certain that he would not betray him.

Because he had leverage over both himself and Consort Mei.

At the same time, Li Mao did not threaten them. Instead, he maintained a friendly relationship with Gao Lishi, gradually drawing the two to the same side until they could not be separated.

What a brilliant plan! What a brilliant plan!

Gao Lishi thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "In that case, Your Highness, I will await your good news. From now on, I will not expose any unusual occurrences. But Your Highness, let's make this clear beforehand: if you want me to do anything that endangers His Majesty's safety, that is impossible."

After all, there was still some friendship between them, so Gao Lishi would never harm Li Longji.

However, turning a blind eye to what Li Mao did was relatively easy for him...

The two reached an agreement, and from then on, the Tianji Pavilion would no longer interfere with Li Mao's every move.

With Gao Lishi's silent support, Li Mao's elaborate plans in Chang'an were greatly enhanced. The fireworks factory and Ningyuan Garden he set up were not particularly noteworthy, and Li Longji was too busy with his affectionate relationship with Ya Ru to pay attention to them. The Crown Prince also did not think of this aspect.

But this is not enough.

Half a month later, the renovation of Ningyuan officially started, and the fireworks and firecrackers factory was already taking shape.

Li Mao didn't stay idle; he went back to his horse farm in Chang'an.

"Your Highness!" Someone immediately stepped forward to report on the recent situation: "The warhorses Your Highness specifically requested have resumed training. Although they are not as valiant as they were on the battlefield, they are not bad either."

"The horses are performing well on the track, and the surrounding people, hearing that they can make money by betting on horses, are flocking to the area. Following Your Highness's instructions, I personally contributed a thousand taels of silver from the government treasury, making them a fortune. They've been coming to bet on horses every day lately. Your Highness, how long are we going to keep contributing money?"

The subordinates in charge of the racecourse thought that Li Mao was about to stop when he saw that the time was right, but to their surprise, Li Mao said: "It's not enough. We have to keep posting and keep people interested in horse racing."

Only by making people from all walks of life dream of making money through horse racing and getting rich overnight can he legitimately expand his horse farm.

The significance of his horse farm lies not in making money, but in the proper breeding of his own warhorses. When the time comes, combining the warhorses with the soldiers training at Ningyuan will create the most powerful private army.

This private army didn't have to hide like An Lushan and Shi Siming; instead, it could build momentum right under the emperor's nose!

Hmph, I wonder what Li Longji's expression will be when he sees all this?

Li Mao was really looking forward to that day.

But until that day arrives, it's still necessary to play the subservient role and win Li Longji's favor.

Li Mao thought to himself, and brought some "gifts" that Li Longji must have wanted recently into the palace.

Upon entering the study, one would see Li Longji looking dejected.