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

Three days later.

Inside the Chang'an Imperial Palace.

Li Longji sat in the imperial study, his expression solemn.

The memorials piled up on his desk recorded the various affairs inside and outside the court, but what worried him at the moment was the situation at the front.

Crown Prince Li Heng hurried in and, seeing Li Longji's serious expression, immediately stepped forward to pay his respects: "Father, I have heard that there are frequent reports of victories from the front lines. Is there anything else that worries you?"

Li Longji looked up and sighed softly, saying, "Although Prince Shou has made military achievements on the front lines, the Wolf Army is currently seeking peace, and the situation is unclear. I fear that he may be misled by the enemy."

"Is Father worried that the Wolf Army has ulterior motives for negotiating peace?" Li Heng pondered for a moment.

They clearly have some understanding of the situation.

Moreover, they secretly collected a lot of battle reports from the front lines.

“That’s right. The wolf army has been fighting for a long time without retreating. There must be a reason why they are seeking peace now. If we relax our vigilance now, they may take advantage of our weakness to attack us,” Li Longji said with great concern.

Li Heng analyzed carefully, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the soldiers at the front must be cautious in dealing with the peace talks, while also strengthening their defenses to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Li Longji nodded: "That makes sense. However, if the Wolf Army mobilizes its forces again, the troops under Prince Shou's command may not be able to hold out on their own."

Li Heng stepped forward and said firmly, "Father, in my opinion, it would be better to send reinforcements to help Prince Shou, so as to ensure that the existing positions are not lost, and at the same time prevent the enemy from counterattacking or setting up an ambush."

After a moment's thought, Li Longji made up his mind: "Issue an imperial decree to dispatch a contingent of the Imperial Guards, led by General Weiyuan, to immediately go and provide reinforcements."

Li Heng responded, "Yes, Father, I will make the arrangements immediately."

"This meeting requires the mindset of a protracted war and the promise of peace talks; no mistakes can be made," Li Longji added solemnly.

"Your subject understands and will certainly urge all departments to carry it out. Even if peace is negotiated, the frontline deployment must be firmly maintained." Li Heng said without hesitation.

Li Longji breathed a sigh of relief, his brows relaxing slightly: "After the reinforcements depart, inform Prince Shou and order him to remain vigilant and not let his guard down, while also searching for any favorable opportunities for battle."

Seeing his father's expression soften, Li Heng felt somewhat relieved and then said, "Father, I will also arrange for some intelligence personnel to go to the front lines to assist Prince Shou in obtaining information about the enemy's movements, so as to provide more reliable information for the negotiations."

"With this plan in place, there is no need to worry about the future." Li Longji looked at Li Heng with approval, feeling extremely gratified.

At this moment, soft footsteps came from outside the Imperial Study, and a eunuch came in to report: "Your Majesty, General Weiyuan and his troops are fully prepared and ready to depart at any time."

Li Heng was slightly taken aback.

My father had just finished telling me about this when General Weiyuan was already fully prepared to set off.

It seems that my father had been preparing all along, and this was just a test for me.

"Very good. Make sure to inform the soldiers at the front that this mission is of great significance and cannot be lost." Li Longji turned to the man and gave the order in a serious tone.

"This servant will go and deliver the message immediately." The eunuch respectfully withdrew.

Then, Li Heng bowed and cupped his hands to Li Longji, saying, "Your subject takes his leave."

"Ah."

Only after receiving Li Longji's permission did Li Heng dare to slowly walk out of the imperial study.

After leaving, he immediately sent someone to inform General Weiyuan.

"I have important matters to discuss with General Weiyuan. I have asked him to come to the Eastern Palace to see me."

"The slave obeys."

When General Weiyuan was summoned to the Eastern Palace, Li Heng was writing at his desk. Upon seeing the general arrive, he put down his brush and gestured for the general to sit down.

"Your Highness, this humble general is fully prepared and ready to depart at any time," General Weiyuan said calmly.

Li Heng nodded, his tone somewhat solemn: "General, this expedition is indeed urgent, but we must not rush into anything. I want you to slow down the marching speed appropriately while ensuring that we do not give others ammunition to criticize us."

General Weiyuan was slightly taken aback, clearly puzzled by the order.

"Your Highness, this seems to differ from the court's decision, and I dare not speculate."

Li Heng waved his hand at General Weiyuan, indicating that he did not need to be too hasty. "No need to worry, I have a more comprehensive consideration. The fact that the Wolf Army is seeking peace indicates that they are no longer fully capable of fighting. If we rashly send troops to reinforce them, we may fall into their trap. Therefore, General, you need to be more cautious in seizing the opportunity."

General Weiyuan nodded, understanding Li Heng's good intentions: "Does His Highness the Crown Prince mean to give Prince Shou more initiative?"

“That’s exactly right.” Li Heng said with a hint of relief. “That’s why we need the general’s cooperation. We must make the enemy at the front misjudge our marching speed and make them think that we are not fully prepared. In this way, we can maintain the initiative in the negotiations.”

"Understood, this subordinate will certainly not fail in his mission." General Weiyuan revealed a knowing smile.

"Furthermore, intelligence gathering is extremely important. Throughout the march, we must pay close attention to the Wolf Army's movements and report back promptly. When the time is right, with the support of Prince Shou, we will leverage the pressure of negotiations and our covert march to strive for a decisive victory." Li Heng explained in detail, ensuring that every step was flawless.

"This humble general will certainly inform all departments of these matters and strictly follow Your Highness's strategy," General Weiyuan replied again, bowing respectfully.

After the conversation ended, Li Heng watched General Weiyuan leave.

Meanwhile, at the front-line camp, Prince Shou, Li Mao, was listening to reports from his various generals.

"Your Highness, our scouts reported yesterday that the Wolf Army seems to be making unusual movements in our southeast direction, but the exact number has not yet been determined." A scout frowned, his tone revealing a hint of unease.

"Furthermore, there has been a recent surge in messengers coming and going from their camp, suggesting some kind of unexplained mobilization," another adjutant added.

Li Mao pondered for a moment, then picked up a bamboo stick from the table and marked the key areas on the map with great effort.

He knew that if the wolf army made any unusual moves, it would be a test of our army's defensive capabilities.

"It seems the enemy is not so simple. Their offer of peace may not be benevolent; it's more likely a diversionary tactic," Li Mao calmly analyzed, his gaze shifting back and forth across the map.

"So, Your Highness, what is our next step?" a general asked.

Li Mao said firmly, "Our army must ensure that all possible breaches are tightly sealed off. At the same time, we must also send people to continue to infiltrate behind enemy lines to obtain more intelligence and understand their true intentions."

Suddenly, a whistle sounded outside the tent.

A man dressed in foreign clothing was brought in.

After entering the tent, they quickly untied him.

Because he was a spy that Li Mao had already planted within the enemy army.

"Your Highness, this is a small document that circulated within the Wolf Army. I have risked my life to obtain it," the spy said with some difficulty.

Li Mao carefully opened the bamboo tube and read the contents. He discovered that the Wolf Army seemed to be carrying out some kind of personnel reshuffle, and the phrase "combining the real and the fake" was mentioned.