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

Li Heng took the secret letter, unfolded it, and his brows gradually furrowed. It contained information about Li Mao's activities in Chang'an and his secret meeting with An Lushan.

“An Lushan?” Li Heng muttered to himself, the image of a fat man appearing in his mind. “This man is cunning and treacherous. My father has mentioned him many times.”

The advisors stood cautiously to the side, not daring to disturb the prince's thoughts.

"Your Highness, should we summon the ministers tomorrow to clarify the rumors and boost morale?" the advisor suggested.

Li Heng shook his head slightly, his gaze deep: "We should not rush things. We need to wait until the situation becomes clearer before making any decisions."

"Pass on my orders: continue to monitor Li Mao's actions and do not act rashly." Li Heng put away the secret letter, his tone firm.

"Yes, Your Highness." The staff member took the order and left.

Li Heng gazed at the night sky outside the window, pondering to himself: "Li Mao is ambitious, and An Lushan is extremely cunning. If the two collude, they are very likely to be brewing a major upheaval."

But with the Emperor seriously ill, we must not easily alert them.

Meanwhile, Li Mao's plan was also proceeding quietly.

On this day, he put on airs and appeared at a tavern in Chang'an, leisurely drinking tea and discussing philosophy with several scholars, laughing and joking, trying to win people over.

"Your Highness Prince Shou's literary talent is indeed outstanding, truly admirable," a scholar complimented.

"Not at all, you are all literary giants, a great number of talented individuals." Li Mao smiled without saying a word, seemingly unintentionally, but in reality, he was secretly observing the power behind these scholars.

In the midst of their lively conversation, a subordinate rushed over and whispered in Li Mao's ear, "Your Highness, I have something important to report."

Li Mao bid farewell to the scholars and went straight to the back hall, asking, "What is it?"

The subordinate said gravely, "Your Highness, there's news from the palace that the Crown Prince is closely monitoring our movements."

Li Mao remained expressionless, having already anticipated this: "It's alright, the Crown Prince is merely being careful; it's all within expectations."

"Your Highness, I believe it is best to make a decision as soon as possible, lest things get complicated," the subordinate cautiously suggested.

Li Mao shook his head and calmly said, "Rest assured, all the Crown Prince can do is observe. The real game of chess still needs to be played by us."

He knew that he had been planning for a long time, and now that the situation was settled, he could not easily change his strategy because of some minor disturbances.

Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Li Mao summoned his trusted confidants to discuss the next steps in his plan.

"What is An Lushan's attitude?" Li Mao asked.

"Your Highness, An Lushan is ready and confident that we can achieve our goals," a trusted aide replied.

“Alright, continue to strengthen communication with An Lushan and ensure unimpeded intelligence flow.” Li Mao nodded with a hint of satisfaction.

"Yes, Your Highness," the trusted men replied in unison.

Li Mao said to everyone, "Next, I will personally inspect all the important strongholds to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"I obey my orders."

Time flies by.

Crown Prince Li Heng remained vigilant at all times and made every effort to unite the loyal ministers and veteran generals in the court.

However, just as he was setting about reforming the court, he frequently heard news of war breaking out on the frontier, which made him uneasy.

"What are His Majesty's instructions?" Gao Chen, who had come to visit Li Longji, asked.

Li Longji trembled slightly, his voice still muffled: "Your Highness, do not underestimate him, and make sure to repair him properly."

Gao Chen respectfully said, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. Your subject will do everything in his power to assist you."

Li Longji nodded, already having gained some insight.

"The Crown Prince has been intelligent since childhood, and we must not let him down." Li Longji secretly made up his mind that even if he was afflicted with illness, he would do his best to support Li Heng and safeguard the stability of the Tang Dynasty.

In the southeast, An Lushan knelt alone in a felt tent, with an open map laid out in front of him.

"If this place can win my heart, why worry about my future?" he muttered to himself, his words revealing his hope for the future.

The tent flap was lifted, and a follower entered tremblingly: "Your Excellency, Li Sheng has replied..."

……

"Your Highness, due to the instability on the border, the military governors in various regions are frequently submitting memorials proposing military action, which seems to indicate some unusual activity," the advisor respectfully reported from the side, a hint of worry showing between his brows.

Li Heng nodded slightly, already prepared. He gazed at the map of the Tang Dynasty in the center of the hall and said slowly, "Various regions want to take advantage of this opportunity, but we will remain still for now and see what they really want to do."

In this tense moment, Li Heng knew he had to tread carefully.

If we are not careful, the entire Tang Dynasty could be plunged into chaos.

at the same time.

Li Mao secretly contacted An Lushan, preparing to deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment.

He knew that success or failure hinged on this one move, and he could not afford to hesitate in the slightest.

"Your Highness, An Lushan has replied that he has made all the necessary arrangements and is awaiting Your Highness's command," Afu said in a low voice.

Li Mao nodded and said, "Alright, tell An Lushan that all plans must proceed simultaneously, and no place can be delayed."

Afu bowed slightly and added, "In addition, Li Sheng from the southeast is also willing to support Your Highness, but on the condition that we can share the benefits in the future."

Li Mao pondered for a moment, a sly glint in his eyes: "Tell him to go ahead and do it. I, Li Mao, will never mistreat loyal ministers and generals."

at the same time.

Li Heng received an urgent report from the border that the Khitan tribes in the northeast had gone into a frenzy and were secretly colluding with a certain military governor, intending to disrupt our territory.

"Your Highness, what should we do?" the advisor asked anxiously.

Li Heng frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm: "Immediately send an envoy to inform the border general to control this matter. If necessary, the garrison troops can be mobilized. We must not let them succeed."

Inside the Chang'an Imperial Palace, Li Longji leaned against a soft couch, his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Consort Liu gently held his hand, her eyes full of concern: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is sharing your burdens; he is also working extremely hard."

Li Longji nodded slightly: "It is a blessing for our Great Tang Dynasty that he can shoulder this heavy responsibility. But we still need to be vigilant at all times, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

Gao Chen, on the other hand, was busy handling palace affairs.

Despite the rumors circulating outside, he knew perfectly well that maintaining the peace and tranquility of the palace was the most urgent task.

Gao Chen's expression was grave as he discussed with Consort Liu Hua: "Your Majesty, the military governors are already impatient. If anything unexpected happens, it may be detrimental to our Great Tang."

Consort Liu nodded slightly and said gently, "Eunuch Gao, you must do your best to protect His Majesty and stabilize the situation in Chang'an no matter what."

Gao Chen replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost."

……

"Lord An, His Highness Li Mao has sent word with great conviction that he will not disappoint you if things succeed in the future," the strategist said, stroking his beard with a smug look on his face.

An Lushan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "These words resonate with me. As long as we can defeat our enemies, the world will surely be transformed in the future."