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

He sensed that Li Mao's gaze seemed to be murderous.

Zhou Li was so frightened that he trembled all over.

“Your Highness, this painting was drawn by me alone, and no one else knows about it.”

"Once the blueprints are finalized, the craftsmen will be carefully selected, and then these people will be secretly disposed of. Absolutely no information will be leaked."

Zhou Li glanced at Li Mao and noticed that he was staring intently at the details of the blueprints.

This made Zhou Li wonder, "Could it be that His Highness Prince Shou is planning to leave something behind? Or perhaps he suspects that I might cut corners?"

"This matter concerns His Majesty's life and death, so we must not be careless. No wonder His Highness Prince Shou is so cautious."

Li Mao stared at it for a long time, deep in thought.

"With three exits, two of which are downstream of the moat, the army can enter the imperial city undetected."

"The only drawback is that if you enter from the three tunnel exits in the opposite direction, you will inevitably merge into the main road."

"The palace tunnels are shaped like chicken feet, with one main road branching into three side roads. This may seem like a way to confuse the enemy during an escape, but in reality, it is disadvantageous to Li Mao."

"The road is too narrow; how can a large army enter smoothly?"

Immediately, Li Mao turned to Zhou Li and said, "The design is wrong."

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness Prince Shou, if there is anything amiss," Zhou Li said, his voice filled with trepidation.

"The road is too narrow."

At this point, Li Mao paused deliberately.

Zhou Li scratched his head and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, this is already the widest road possible."

"If we expand it further, and one day an earth dragon were to rise up, the entire palace would collapse."

"This can only be a tunnel converted from a drainage ditch."

Zhou Li knew that Li Mao didn't understand, but he didn't dare to say anything.

All I could do was patiently explain.

Li Mao thought about it carefully and realized that there didn't seem to be many earthquakes in Chang'an.

It seems to have been a very peaceful state for so many years.

Li Mao sighed softly and said, "What if we didn't widen the tunnel, but added more lines?"

Zhou Li quickly replied, "That's fine. We can change the route from the entrance to a shorter one, and then divide it into three sections."

“No,” Li Mao interrupted Zhou Li forcefully, “Three entrances, three main roads, three entrances.”

"If the palace is truly in danger, it is uncertain where they will flee to."

Zhou Li nodded, though reluctantly, he had to satisfy Li Mao's idea.

"I roughly understand His Highness Prince Shou's meaning. I will go and revise the blueprints now."

Li Mao waved his hand and said, "Okay, but remember, you must never let this slip out."

"Your Highness Prince Shou, please rest assured," Zhou Li said, bowing respectfully.

Then he turned and left Li Mao's study.

The moment Zhou Li stepped out the door, he felt a great sense of relief wash over him.

It felt as if a mountain had been lifted off my body, and even my breathing became easier.

Li Mao watched Zhou Li's departing figure, lost in thought.

"Under the pretext of repairing the palace, they dug tunnels without authorization."

"If an uprising were to occur one day, we could take advantage of the darkness and sneak directly into the palace. The entrance would be the exit, leading straight to that old man's bedchamber."

At this moment.

A servant rushed in to report, "Your Highness Prince Shou, your reputation for benevolence and righteousness has spread throughout Chang'an City, and the people are praising your merits."

"The number of sailors and boatmen recruited is gradually increasing, but very few can meet the prince's requirements."

Li Mao waved his hand and said, "It's alright, even if there are fewer people, we must not lower the standards."

"I obey, little one."

Then, Li Mao continued, "How are the preparations at the horse farm going?"

"Your Highness, everything is ready."

Li Mao smiled faintly and said, "Remember, have our people be discreet."

"For the next ten days, our people will bet small amounts, just like retail investors, provided there are a lot of people."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, I have already arranged for over a hundred people to disguise themselves as merchants from other places to place bets."

"Okay, let's prepare for tomorrow."

"I obey, little one."

Having said that, the servant bowed and withdrew.

Li Mao stretched lightly.

These princes who want to make exchanges with me should at least offer something in return.

Using one's own hundred taels of gold to launder one's own five hundred taels of gold is a much better deal than buying and selling.

The key point is that these princes are all enjoying it.

Just wait for the gold to arrive tomorrow.

And since this money doesn't go through the racetrack's books, no matter how much Gao Chen sends people to investigate, they can't find any clues at all.

Thinking of Gao Chen, Li Mao's expression suddenly turned cold.

Ten days later, get rid of Xiao Xizi first, and put Xiao Zhuo in charge.

As long as Gao Chen is surrounded by his own people, before the uprising begins, give the order to kill this bastard tonight.

the next day.

The racecourse was incredibly popular.

Princes from various regions, as well as prefects, salt commissioners, grain transport commissioners, military governors, and other wealthy and lucrative officials, flocked to the racetrack.

They either came in person or sent their sons.

After arriving, no one rushed to the horse farm to choose their own warhorse.

Instead, he first brought generous gifts to visit Li Mao.

"Your Highness Prince Shou, how have you been?"

"Eighteenth brother, you must pick out a good horse for your elder brother today."

"Your Highness Prince Shou, I am very grateful to you last time. I have prepared a small gift for you, and I hope you will accept it."

Li Mao looked at all the people in front of him and responded with a smile to each of them.

Some people come to watch the spectacle, some want to win money, and some just want to launder the gold in their homes.

Li Mao had already anticipated these circumstances.

Furthermore, it was instructed in advance that the people at the horse farm change the order and numbers of the warhorses.

After all, a casino where you either win or lose all the time doesn't get you hooked.

The constant wins and losses in casinos are what make them so addictive.

Now that these people are here, whatever their purpose, Li Mao's goal is to get them addicted.

Those who have too much money will find ways to enjoy themselves, since they can't spend it all in their lifetime.

They're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, and they don't care much about this little bit of money; it's not even enough for what they embezzle from all over the country every year.

At this time, An Sishun, the military governor of Hexi, wanted to meet with Li Mao alone.

After hearing the servant's report, Li Mao couldn't help but think to himself, "An Sishun? An Lushan's cousin, they're very close."

"So, what is his purpose in trying to launder the gold?"

When the idea was first proposed, An Sishun was the first person to support it.

Although we didn't talk much, this person is still worth meeting.

After dealing with the princes in front of him, Li Mao led his servant to the secret room.