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

Li Mao took the letter with a solemn expression, and said casually, "Leave the messenger for now, I want to read the contents of the letter first."

He then opened the envelope and slowly unfolded the letter.

The neat handwriting and strong strokes are enough to prove that this letter was clearly written by someone who was skilled at writing.

At this moment, General Feng strode in, glanced at the letter in Li Mao's hand, then cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Your Highness."

"Ah."

Li Mao nodded slightly, glanced at General Feng, and then focused his gaze on the words in the letter.

Surprisingly, the letter was not a threat, which left Li Mao speechless.

The letter detailed the rebels' underlying intentions.

The rebels were supported by the military governor of Jiangnan, and the reason they wanted to expand their army was to follow Li Mao.

Li Mao was speechless. Jiangnan was a prosperous land with few natural disasters and wars, so why should they be loyal to me?

Now that the crown prince is in power, supporting him is less risky than supporting oneself.

"General Feng, this is interesting." Li Mao slowly put down the letter, his face showing deep thought.

General Feng couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, what is it? Could this letter contain some hidden secret?"

Li Mao folded the letter and pondered for a moment before saying, "The letter states that they want to submit to me, rather than being true enemies. The person behind them is the military governor of Jiangnan."

"The military governor of Jiangnan?" General Feng was startled upon hearing this. "The interests behind this are probably not simple."

“They say they want to pledge allegiance to me,” Li Mao continued. “It seems we need to verify the contents of the letter further. Until then, we should not act rashly.”

General Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness, should we accept them, or continue to maintain strict vigilance?"

Li Mao pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is of great importance, and we cannot decide our stance based solely on a written statement. However, we can temporarily suspend hostility and observe their specific actions."

Immediately, Li Mao turned to the scout and instructed him: "Take good care of the messenger and do not harm him. Also, secretly send someone to investigate the background of that military governor."

"Yes, Your Highness." The scout accepted the order and left.

the next day.

Li Mao summoned all his accompanying generals and began to plan the next steps.

"Gentlemen," Li Mao said, looking around at the crowd, "the letter indicates that the other side is willing to pledge allegiance to me. This is an opportunity. We need to understand the true intentions of the military governor and deal with the rebels properly."

General Feng added, "We must find out their motives and properly integrate their forces."

"Your Highness, is it possible for us to contact that military governor directly and probe his true intentions?" Qiu Tianqi asked.

Li Mao shook his head slightly, his expression grave. "Now is not the time. We need to control the situation first, and at the same time, orchestrate a few small-scale contacts to obtain more information."

at the same time.

Wang was talking with Yang Yuhuan in the Taoist temple.

"Sister Yuhuan, the Prince is away on a long journey, and he must be worried about things in Chang'an." Madam Wang brought the freshly brewed medicine to Yang Yuhuan.

Yang Yuhuan sighed softly and took the medicine. "Your Highness is concerned about the affairs of the world. We should assist you from within, and we must always keep you in mind."

"Take good care of yourself. The Prince will be pleased to return," Madam Wang said softly.

……

Late at night.

Li Mao was studying intelligence letters in his study.

"Afu, how is it?" After a while, Li Mao put down the letter and turned to ask the servant beside him.

"Your Highness, we have already sent people to investigate the background of the military governor of Jiangnan, and we believe we will receive a reply soon," Afu replied softly.

"Alright, it must be done as soon as possible." Li Mao nodded slightly, then ordered, "Arrange to make contact with the rebel generals tomorrow. I want to personally find out their movements."

As dawn approaches,

Li Mao then prepared to depart, taking several trusted confidants with him to the meeting place with the rebels.

Upon arriving at the designated location, he met the rebel leader who had been sent to make contact with him.

A young general named Xue Cheng.

"My name is Xue Cheng. I greet Your Highness Prince Shou." Upon seeing Li Mao, the other party quickly clasped his hands in a salute.

Li Mao nodded slightly and said directly, "General Xue, I am aware of your demands. But why did you choose to pledge allegiance to me? I want to hear the truth about that."

Xue Cheng hesitated slightly, but then composed himself and replied earnestly, "To be honest, we follow Your Highness for a very important reason."

Li Mao's gaze was sharp as he awaited Xue Cheng's further explanation.

Xue Cheng continued, "Although Jiangnan is prosperous, everyone has their own hardships, which is why the military governor is willing to be loyal to the prince."

Hear this.

Li Mao frowned slightly. "But the Crown Prince holds immense power in the court, so why would the military governor of Jiangnan take such a risk?"

"Your Highness is wise. The military governor is well aware of Your Highness's benevolence and wishes to establish a close relationship with you. Furthermore, the military governor is concerned that after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he may purge the military governors in various regions. Therefore, he hopes to befriend virtuous and capable individuals to protect himself," Xue Cheng said sincerely.

Upon hearing this, Li Mao felt a strange, indescribable emotion.

General Feng said in a deep voice, "It seems that the military governor of Jiangnan also has his own considerations."

He stood aside, observing Xue Cheng's expression to see if he was hiding anything.

Xue Cheng met his gaze calmly, appearing frank and composed. "If Your Highness is willing to take us in, the land of Jiangnan will surely be of assistance to Your Highness."

After pondering for a long time, Li Mao said, "I can consider accepting you, but whether you are truly loyal still needs time to prove."

"I am willing to serve you with utmost sincerity and will never fail Your Highness's expectations." Xue Cheng knelt on one knee, his attitude respectful.

"In that case, you should return to your place and rest for the time being, and wait for a suitable opportunity," Li Mao ordered.

Xue Cheng accepted the order and left, while Li Mao watched his retreating figure thoughtfully.

On the way back, General Feng couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, what exactly is he trying to do? Be careful, it might be a trap."

Li Mao nodded without saying anything.

A few days later, Afu brought back detailed information about the military governor of Jiangnan.

“Your Highness, this man is of moderate character and handles matters with meticulous care. Although this operation is quite bold, he is unlikely to act rashly without careful consideration,” Afu reported.

Li Mao gently closed the fallen scroll and pondered, "That's precisely why we need to probe further to ensure their intentions are clear."

"Your Highness, may we have a private meeting with the military governor to explore the possibility of further cooperation?" Qiu Tianqi asked.

After a moment's thought, Li Mao said, "Observe first and then act, and then use the invitation as a starting point."

at the same time.

Wang, who was in Chang'an, received Li Mao's letter, while Yang Yuhuan waited quietly in the Taoist temple as usual.

"Sister Yuhuan, it is said that the situation at the front is favorable and the Prince's return is just around the corner," Wang Shi comforted softly.

Yang Yuhuan smiled, trying her best to hide her unease, "I hope so, and I only wish to reunite with you soon."

After saying this, Yang Yuhuan returned to the statue of the Taoist patriarch and silently prayed for Li Mao.