GBP Chapter 39 There was a reason for this, please forgive me, Your Highness Prince Shou.
Chapter 39 There was a reason for this, please forgive me, Your Highness Prince Shou.
Upon receiving the order, the coachman did not rush to change course, but instead frantically cracked his long whip.
"Clap clap clap!"
The whip cracked three times in the air.
Immediately, several identical carriages sped from various streets.
Li Mao got off the carriage once, bought a pastry at random, and then randomly got into a horse-drawn carriage.
The eunuchs who accompanied Li Mao had no idea where he had gone, or even which carriage he had boarded.
In Chang'an, Li Mao knew very well that Gao Chen was not the only one watching him.
Upon arriving at the Li residence, Li Mao did not rush to get out of the carriage, but instead sent someone inside to deliver a message.
"My lord, His Highness Prince Shou has sent someone to deliver a message."
Li Linfu quickly opened the letter and glanced at its contents.
He then hurriedly changed into a servant's uniform.
As he walked along the road, Li Linfu couldn't help but think about it.
Since His Highness Prince Shou promised to help me become the prime minister.
He shouldn't break his promise, so why did he conspire with Zhang Jiuling in the first place?
Is it because you couldn't reach an agreement with Zhang Jiuling back then that you've come to see me today?
With all his questions in mind, Li Linfu changed into servant's clothes and got into the carriage.
After entering the carriage, it swayed and bumped back onto the main road.
On the main streets of Chang'an, people came and went, and several similar carriages traveled back and forth between the streets.
Inside the carriage, Li Mao slowly spoke, "Has Lord Li sent people to follow me these past few days?"
Upon hearing this, Li Linfu showed no panic. Instead, he readily admitted, "That's right, I did send someone to follow His Highness Prince Shou."
"However, there are reasons for this, and I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
Li Mao chuckled and asked, "What is the reason?"
"Since I am willing to serve His Highness Prince Shou, I will naturally consider His Highness's safety."
"Chang'an City is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and Prince Shou's racecourse is the envy of many."
"Therefore, many people will be secretly watching Prince Shou's every move. I sent people to follow Prince Shou, naturally to find out who is following him."
Li Mao clearly did not believe his explanation.
It appears to be a spy operation, allowing them to anticipate certain information.
In reality, it's just for their own benefit, because they're afraid the other party will back out.
Li Mao stared into Li Linfu's eyes for a while, but Li Linfu remained calm, as if the matter were true.
"Therefore, Lord Li knows that I went to the Prime Minister's residence a few days ago."
"I do know, and I also know who has been watching His Highness Prince Shou these past few days."
“These are not the questions I wish to ask.”
"Your subordinate understands, and is also very curious as to why His Highness Prince Shou would visit Zhang Jiuling, and even more so why Zhang Jiuling would target His Highness Prince Shou at every turn in the court."
At this point, Li Linfu quickly bowed slightly to Li Mao and said, "Because I was unaware of the cause and effect, I did not stand up for His Highness Prince Shou in court that day. I hope His Highness will forgive me."
Li Mao chuckled softly, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."
Otherwise, given Li Linfu's silver tongue, how could he have been so quiet in the court back then?
"It's alright, I don't blame you." As he spoke, Li Mao gently helped Li Linfu up.
"Lord Li's role is far more than this. If you were to speak up for such a trivial matter, wouldn't I be a useless person?"
"Your subordinate is terrified," Li Linfu said with some guilt.
In fact, Li Linfu's expression remained almost completely unchanged from beginning to end.
Li Mao was very satisfied with his deep cunning.
However, he is also a double-edged sword.
If used well, it can definitely overcome all obstacles; if used poorly, it will inevitably backfire.
Li Mao looked calmly at Li Linfu and said, "Since I am cooperating with you sincerely, I naturally do not wish for any barriers to our cooperation."
"Therefore, if you have any questions, ask them as soon as possible, and don't let them fester in your mind."
"Moreover, I discovered your people long ago, so I made it so that you could see them openly and honestly."
This statement came out.
Li Linfu finally felt a slight sense of panic.
He originally thought that the people he sent out had not been discovered by Li Mao.
In retrospect, it was nothing but self-deception.
These few carriages alone are enough to prove that His Highness Prince Shou is not a fool.
Now that the issue has been discussed...
The two no longer intended to beat around the bush.
Li Linfu asked directly, "I wonder what Your Highness Prince Shou has to do for me today?"
"It's very simple. In the short term, we'll move a few political enemies to the capital. In the long term, we'll give the court a complete overhaul."
Li Linfu frowned slightly and looked at Li Mao, asking, "Does Your Highness Prince Shou intend to usurp the Emperor's power?"
"No, that is not what I think."
"These are things that Lord Li can do for me now."
As soon as he finished speaking, the only sound in the carriage was the creaking of the wheels.
The two looked at each other without saying a word.
Li Linfu felt that Li Mao had too high expectations of him.
Li Mao felt that Li Linfu had the ability, but was just too afraid to do it.
The two remained frozen in place.
Li Mao spoke first, asking, "I wonder what concerns Lord Li has, or what difficulties he may be facing?"
"It's just the two of us today, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have."
Li Linfu looked troubled, and opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
He finally said with some hesitation, "Your Highness Prince Shou, it's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm truly powerless to do so."
"In the imperial court, various forces are deeply intertwined."
"Most ministers are backed by powerful clans. If we want to overthrow them, we would probably have to fight against the entire powerful clan."
"I'm afraid I can't help you."
Li Mao looked calmly at Li Linfu and asked, "Are there any other questions?"
"That's the biggest problem; everything else is fine," Li Linfu said, his face full of worry.
"It's alright, we'll take it one step at a time. Just follow my orders."
"Very well, Your Highness Prince Shou, please give your orders, and I will do my utmost."
Li Mao gave a soft "hmm," then asked, "Does Lord Li know who is in charge of the naval forces in Chang'an?"
Li Linfu frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "It seems to be Wang Chong of the Wang family of Taiyuan."
"If he weren't from a prominent family, such a minor official position would probably be hard to remember."
"What is his background? Is he a spoiled brat, or does he have real skills?"
"I don't know this, but I've heard that he's brave and fierce. He offended the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and was therefore demoted to the position of Captain of the Chang'an Naval Forces."
At this point, Li Linfu looked at Li Mao with some confusion and asked, "Why did Your Highness Prince Shou suddenly ask about this person?"