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

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Li Longji was discussing state affairs with several important ministers.

"My esteemed ministers," Li Longji asked, gazing at his assembled officials, "Although An Lushan has retreated, the situation remains uncertain. Should we reinforce the court with additional troops?"

Zhang Jiuling stepped forward and replied in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, although the current situation has stabilized somewhat, the actions of An Lushan's troops are still unclear, and the situation may change again at any time. Caution is the best policy."

"Your Majesty, we must not let our guard down. If the local powerful clans make any further moves, it will surely disrupt the central government," Xue Deng added from the side, his expression slightly worried.

Li Longji nodded, then turned to Li Heng, his gaze thoughtful. "Heng'er, what do you think we should do?"

Li Heng frowned slightly, sensing his father's slight nervousness. "Father, I believe we should strengthen border surveillance, continue to send capable envoys to pacify the local areas, and enhance communication."

"That makes sense," Li Longji said approvingly, and then ordered, "Implement it immediately, strengthen communication between different regions, and be sure to follow through."

at the same time.

Inside the Prince Shou's residence, Li Mao received an urgent report. He unfolded it and his expression changed slightly.

"Your Highness, there has been unusual activity in the southwest. What should we do?" Afu hurriedly entered the room to ask.

Li Mao's expression was solemn. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The most urgent task is to confirm whether these unusual movements will affect the current situation and to remain vigilant."

General Feng interjected, "Your Highness, should we first gather the troops stationed in the area to guard against unforeseen circumstances?"

Li Mao nodded. "We can make this arrangement first, while keeping a close eye on the situation. Then we'll contact Xianglan and ask her to help us get more information from within."

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll make the arrangements right away." Afu accepted the order and left.

Soon after, Xianglan quietly passed out some scattered information she had collected in the Taiji Hall.

Her every move was within Li Longji's sight.

"There are many unstable factors in the court recently. Xianglan, what do you think?" Li Longji asked casually.

"Your Majesty, the situation is volatile, and some are eyeing us. I believe that only by staying true to our original aspirations can we achieve victory with stability," Xianglan replied cleverly.

Li Longji smiled slightly, vaguely guessing the meaning behind her words, "It seems you are quite insightful."

Inside the Secretariat, Chancellor Li Shizhi was discussing new border defense policies with Zhang Jiuling.

“Although An Lushan has temporarily backed down, we still need to plan ahead and strengthen our internal affairs,” Zhang Jiuling suggested.

Li Shizhi nodded in agreement, "That's right. The northern frontier is currently weak, so making plans early is a good strategy to avoid being caught off guard in the future."

"Should we coordinate between the North and South to ensure that we can deal with the situation on both the East and West fronts simultaneously?" Zhang Jiuling pondered for a while before proposing a further plan.

"I will forward this to His Majesty, and at the same time, I request His Highness the Crown Prince to expedite the relevant arrangements and maintain a state of readiness for war," Li Shizhi replied cautiously.

at the same time.

Even in his secret camp, An Lushan dared not let his guard down.

“General, we need to ensure the secrecy of this new plan to avoid any leaks,” An Sishun reminded him.

An Lushan nodded. "We absolutely cannot allow any mistakes this time. I have already sensed the movements of Li Longji and Li Heng, and they will surely fall into their trap."

“Yes, this operation must be conducted without interference and with a high degree of secrecy,” An Sishun continued to emphasize.

An Lushan's gaze remained calm. "Continue to use our people in Chang'an to closely monitor their movements. Prepare false intelligence to attract their attention."

As night fell, Chang'an was brightly lit.

Li Mao was quietly contemplating at the Prince of Shou's residence.

"Your Highness, we've gathered some useful information through our spies in the palace," Afu reported in a low voice. "However, Zhang Jiuling and Li Shizhi's new border defense policy may affect our plans."

Li Mao's lips curled up slightly. "That's good. With information, we can prepare in advance. However, we still need to continue planning."

at the same time.

Inside the Eastern Palace, Li Heng and Gao Shi were also having close discussions about frontier defense.

"Your Highness, we need to mobilize the troops stationed on the border to prevent any unforeseen circumstances," Gao Shi said solemnly.

“That’s right. We still need to hurry up and coordinate resources from various places to ensure that all defenses are under control,” Li Heng agreed.

"I've heard that there seems to be some unusual activity at the Prince Shou's residence," Gao Shi mentioned in a low voice.

Li Heng paused slightly, then said in a low voice, "He's a smart man; he'll definitely take action before the situation becomes clear. We must keep an eye on him."

“Yes, Your Highness,” Gao Shi replied immediately.

The following day, Li Longji personally summoned Li Heng.

"Heng'er, the situation is unstable, we must be careful."

"Father, please rest assured, I will make careful decisions to ensure nothing goes wrong," Li Heng replied firmly.

Li Longji put aside his worries and said, "Very well, you should bear the heavy responsibility for the foundation of my Great Tang Dynasty."

Meanwhile, Li Mao was also secretly observing news from the palace from different locations.

"Your Highness, what should we do next?" Afu asked.

“We need to devise the next crucial step, one that will catch our opponents completely off guard,” Li Mao said with a determined look in his eyes.

Meanwhile, amidst the towering mountains, An Lushan's plan was quietly taking shape.

"We'll wait for the right moment to turn the tide." This was his decision.

“General, we cannot afford to be careless this time,” An Sishun reminded him again.

“Of course, execute the plan at full speed,” An Lushan said firmly.

……

Inside the Taiji Hall, Li Longji was convening important court officials to discuss a new round of strategic deployments.

"Recently, news has come that there has been unusual activity in the southwest. Has the Prince of Shou's residence taken any action?" Li Longji asked with a solemn expression.

Chancellor Li Shizhi stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, Prince Shou, Li Mao, has begun to strengthen the defenses of his residence and is negotiating with local powerful figures. The situation is temporarily stable."

Zhang Jiuling added, "However, according to intelligence reports, the local situation is complex and there may be factors that could cause instability. We need to monitor its dynamics at any time."

"We must keep a close watch on the situation and not be careless," Li Longji instructed. "The situation has stabilized somewhat, but that does not mean we can rest easy."

At this time, Li Mao was also paying attention to the changes in the situation in the southwest at the Prince of Shou's residence.

"Your Highness, there seems to be an unidentified force manipulating the unrest in the southwest," Afu secretly reported.

Li Mao frowned slightly. "Who would stir up trouble at this time? Could the hidden ones have other plans?"

General Feng asked with some concern, "Your Highness, is this related to the remnants of An Lushan's forces?"

Li Mao pondered for a moment, "It's very likely. We must find out the truth and not be passive."

Just then, someone rushed in to report, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Our scouts have reported unusual activity in the north as well!"

Li Mao's expression changed slightly, and he turned to ask, "What's going on?"

"The military situation in the north is unusual; there appears to be a small force gathering," the informant reported in detail.

Afu looked surprised. "This is no small matter! Should we respond immediately?"

After much deliberation, Li Mao decided to remain cautious and send more people to investigate. It would be better to make a mistake than to miss anything.

"Yes, Your Highness, we will take care of it immediately." General Feng responded and accepted the order.