GBP Chapter 88 A Heavy Responsibility in a Deceptive Situation
Chapter 88 A Heavy Responsibility in a Deceptive Situation
The sky over Chang'an was just beginning to brighten.
Li Longji decided to summon Li Mao.
Li Mao received a summons from Li Longji at the Prince of Shou's residence. Although he was suspicious, he dared not delay and immediately got up and rushed to the palace.
……
Inside the Tai Chi Hall.
Li Longji sat solemnly on the dragon throne.
Li Heng stood by his side, glancing at Li Mao every now and then.
"Prince Shou, the situation has gradually stabilized recently. There is a matter that I need you to personally go to the south to resolve." Li Longji cut straight to the point.
Li Mao was slightly taken aback, and with a premonition in his heart, he asked in a deep voice, "May I ask, Father, what is it that worries you so much?"
Li Longji's gaze was sharp as he slowly said, "The south has been hit by a sudden flood. I am worried about the suffering of the people and hope that you will go to manage the disaster and appease the local area."
Li Mao felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that this matter was far from simple.
The South is not only plagued by floods, but also harbors undercurrents of rebellion.
But now he had no choice but to accept this heavy responsibility. "Your subject obeys the order and will certainly live up to the trust placed in you."
Li Longji revealed a barely perceptible smile and continued, "The situation in the south is complex. I observe that you are meticulous, but you must still act with caution."
Li Mao cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Your subject will respectfully obey Your Majesty's command."
After leaving the Taiji Hall, Li Mao felt a little heavy-hearted.
This is not disaster relief; it's clearly a campaign to quell a rebellion.
With widespread famine and an increasing number of refugees, rebellions are bound to escalate.
Upon returning to his residence, Li Mao summoned Lady Wang to confess a secret.
"Madam Wang, while I was away from Chang'an, Princess Yang Yuhuan was entrusted to your care. Please be careful," Li Mao said in a low voice.
Wang understood immediately and nodded in agreement, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of the Princess and no one will find out."
"Just keep her at the dojo to avoid being seen, and don't let her show herself easily," Li Mao instructed again, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
"I will certainly not disappoint Your Highness," Lady Wang readily agreed.
Deep down, I felt both worried and envious.
But in order to secure a place in Li Mao's heart, Wang Shi convinced herself...
After making the arrangements, Li Mao carefully examined the intelligence regarding the south. This trip was fraught with danger, and he needed to proceed with caution.
Just before Li Mao was about to set off, an urgent report arrived at his residence.
"Your Highness, there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the floods in the south. We must be extra vigilant," Afu reported with a furrowed brow.
Upon hearing this, Li Mao was slightly shaken. "It seems that this is not just a natural disaster."
"Does Your Highness need to gather more men?" Qiu Tianqi asked.
Li Mao said with a solemn expression, "Send a team ahead of us to the areas in the south most severely affected by the floods, and make sure to gather detailed intelligence."
After giving all his instructions, Li Mao set off south with a lean and capable personal guard.
At this moment, new developments came from the palace.
"Your Majesty, is Prince Shou's trip really just for flood control?" Li Heng finally couldn't suppress his suspicions and turned to Li Longji.
Li Longji smiled, his gaze meaningful, "Heng'er, with the departure of Prince Shou, Chang'an has become much clearer, especially regarding matters of the palace."
Li Heng, seemingly understanding but not quite, cupped his hands and replied, "Your subject understands."
Meanwhile, Li Mao remained highly vigilant throughout his journey to the south.
"Afu, what's the situation at the front?" Li Mao asked his attendant as he stopped his horse at a camp.
"Your Highness, the situation is relatively stable at present, but the situation in the flood-affected areas is quite complicated, and we need to proceed with caution while maintaining stability," Afu reported.
Li Mao nodded and said, "First, we must appease the people and stabilize their morale."
Looking at the passing refugees, Li Mao felt that something was amiss.
Just as he was deep in thought, a scout hurried over.
"Your Highness, the situation upstream on the river ahead is suspicious," the scout reported in a low voice.
"As expected..." Li Mao's heart tightened.
"The vanguard battalion is to immediately scout the situation. The rest of you are not to leave the camp without orders." Li Mao made a decisive decision, while simultaneously dispatching a large force to protect his safety.
Under Li Mao's orders, several elite personal guards immediately prepared and set off with the scouts to the upper reaches of the river.
Li Mao stood in the center of the camp, gazing at the departing figure, lost in thought.
The floods in the south are not as simple as they seem on the surface.
In less than half an hour, the reconnaissance team returned and passed the rope they had found in the treacherous terrain to Li Mao.
"Your Highness, the river embankment upstream appears to have been damaged by human intervention," the scout reported briefly.
Upon hearing this, Li Mao's expression grew even more solemn.
They then unfolded a map and studied the terrain of the upstream area and valley in detail.
"Afu, quickly send a message to the local officials and inform them of the situation," Li Mao decisively instructed. "Make sure the safety of the people downstream is ensured."
Afu immediately obeyed and quickly began making arrangements.
"Your Highness, if we want to completely resolve this issue, should we coordinate with local forces to strengthen our defenses and ensure that the problem does not spread downstream?" Qiu Tianqi suggested.
Li Mao nodded and said, "Alright, send someone."
For several days in a row, Li Mao personally went to the site to direct operations and checked information with local officials.
Although no rebels have been found yet, Li Mao still dares not let his guard down.
After all, this isn't Chang'an, so safety is a very important issue.
Soon, a scout entered the tent, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Your Highness, according to rumors circulating among the people, there seems to be a group of people moving among the local populace, distributing grain and offering reassurance. Their strength is unknown, but their behavior appears unusual."
"Most likely, the rebels are trying to win over the people with food and then expand their army." Li Mao pondered for a moment, then handed the documents in his hand to Afu beside him.
"Most of the rebels are peasants. They destroyed the riverbank and then used grain as bait. Ordinary nobles wouldn't do something so despicable," Li Mao said with a sneer.
General Feng slammed his hand on the table and said, "We must indeed guard against their schemes."
“That’s right,” Li Mao replied calmly. “This group may be trying to create chaos, at best they will take advantage of the chaos to plunder, at worst they will incite the people’s hearts. Without eliminating them at the root, it will be difficult to ensure long-term stability.”
Immediately, Li Mao ordered the village heads of nearby villages to be summoned for questioning.
Meanwhile, Li Longji closely monitored the progress of Prince Shou in Chang'an.
"Heng'er, Prince Shou has done a good job this time, gradually stabilizing the situation in the south," Li Longji said to his crown prince Li Heng beside him.
“Father, Prince Shou’s abilities are indeed not to be underestimated,” Li Heng echoed, becoming increasingly wary of Li Mao.
……
At this time, Yang Yuhuan was in the Taoist temple. Although she was being closely cared for by Wang, she still felt somewhat uneasy.
She often leaned against the window, gazing into the distance, hoping for Li Mao's safe return.
……
A few days later, a scout reported back.
"Your Highness, the scout team we sent out before setting off has been captured alive, but there were no casualties. The rebel general has instead ordered them to bring this letter back."
"And he specifically instructed that the contents of the letter could only be read by the prince."
"Your Highness, should we use the messenger?" As he said this, the scout made a throat-slitting gesture...