Since ancient times, differences in aesthetics have been more distressing than differences in world views.

Huo Guang probably never expected to come to such a conclusion. Seeing him take a deep breath and about to speak at length, Liu Tan quickly said, "I have an idea in mind, but I don't completely believe him."

Huo Guang was stunned for a moment. For a moment, he actually felt a little sympathy for Lu Xuan?

He quickly adjusted his mindset and said solemnly, "It would be best if Your Highness could think this way..."

Liu Tan just wanted to end this embarrassing topic quickly. This time, his wish came true and someone actually came to end the topic.

One of Li Buyan's guards came running over and said, "Your Highness, we've found General Junji!"

Liu Tan's eyes lit up: "Where is he?"

Now we don’t ask Zhao Po Nu to be a match for Wu Shilu, as long as he can bring the person back.

The guard gasped and said, "It's at the mine. The coal mine."

Liu Tan was puzzled. "Why did he get there? Why did he ask Li Buyan to bring him back quickly? How many people did he bring back?"

The guard said, "Two thousand people."

Liu Tan's expression froze. "Two thousand people?"

The guard nodded. Perhaps because he always considered himself as the Northern King's personal guard, he was not afraid of the stage. However, the news he brought was not a happy one.

Liu Tan took a deep breath and said, "Twenty thousand people, and he brought back two thousand. He's really capable."

However, now was not the time to assign blame. He quickly ordered, "Have Li Buyan quickly find out the whereabouts of the remaining soldiers."

After a pause, he said, "At least I want to see him alive, or his body if he's dead."

To be honest, the fact that Zhao Po Nu was not captured by the Huns means that he must have led his men to resist.

After the resistance, only 2,000 people were left. What happened to the other 18,000 people... Liu Tan didn't dare to think about it for a moment.

The guards took their orders and left. Huo Guang, standing by, also put aside Liu Tan's emotional issues and whispered soothingly, "Don't worry, Your Highness. The grasslands are vast and sparsely populated. If Zhao Po Nu were to flee, the Xiongnu would not harass the soldiers too much."

What he didn't say was that the soldiers were not that loyal, and if the commander fled, they would also flee.

But if they flee, they will probably never come back.

Because in the Han Dynasty, the crime of desertion has always been very serious.

At this moment, Liu Tan really hoped that Zhao Po Nu would be frightened by the army led by Wu Shilu and run away without saying a word. This would actually reduce some losses. Just run away, as long as he could keep his life and come back, it would be fine.

This time of desertion is different from the previous ones. If you don't escape after following such a coach, you will die in vain.

Liu Tan suddenly cursed: "What the hell is going on!"

He never imagined that one day he would want his own coach to escape!

Liu Tan summoned Wei Buyi and instructed him, "Zhao Po Nu has escaped, and the Xiongnu might be following him. Send out scouts to scout the surroundings. If you find anything, ring the bell. Don't be too cautious; caution is not a bad thing."

When Liu Tan was building the city, he installed a large bell on each city wall. Once the enemy was discovered, the bell would be rung to alert the entire city. At that time, whether to fight or defend would depend on the situation.

Now it is very likely to be a closed-door defense.

Liu Tan hurried back to the palace, preparing to write several edicts to prepare for different situations. It would be too time-consuming to write them when an emergency really came.

However, he had anticipated a lot, but he never expected that the guard he had just sent to deliver the message would come back covered in blood, and brought him a piece of news that caught him off guard - the Huns had followed Zhao Po Nu's trail and were approaching the coal mine!

The moment Liu Tan heard the news, he couldn't help but feel dizzy.

Li Buyan is in the mine, Wei Deng is in the mine, and the one thousand elite soldiers he selected are in the mine. If something happens, how can he explain to the Li family, how can he explain to the Wei family, and how can he explain to the people who came to join the army with confidence?

Before Huo Guang could ask what was going on, he saw Liu Tan lean forward slightly.

He supported Liu Tan in shock and said, "Your Highness, the Xiongnu haven't found the mine yet, so there's still a chance."

Liu Tan said in a hoarse voice: "Opportunity? What opportunity? There is an easy path for the Xiongnu!"

No one knows how Zhao Po Nu was able to accurately find the coal mine among so many directions.

To be honest, at that moment Liu Tan even felt that finding an iron mine would be better than finding a coal mine.

After all, he had already prepared to give up the iron mine and even set an ambush.

As for the coal mine, because it is located deep inside, there are not too many troops deployed there. Letting Li Buyan take people there is basically a precautionary measure. The idea is to be able to support the iron mine at any time, and by the way, give these elite troops a lesson and let them feel the atmosphere of impending storm.

But Liu Tan never thought that the Huns would bypass all the borders and go straight to the coal mine.

For a moment, Liu Tan even suspected that Zhao Po Nu was an undercover agent sent by the enemy.

But Zhao Po Nu came slowly but left quickly. He stayed in Shuofang City for one day to rest and did not even leave the post station. On the third day, he led his troops straight to Junji Mountain.

During this process, unless someone from Shuofang leaked the geographical location of the coal mine, it would be impossible for him to know.

And even if they knew, they would be more inclined to the iron mine. The iron mine is close to the Huns and is easier to seize. Even if the coal mine is seized, Liu Tan can counterattack at any time!

Liu Tan squeezed his eyes shut tightly. When he opened them again, they were bloodshot, but his expression was icy cold. He quickly ordered, "Send someone to tell Li Buyan to evacuate immediately."

After a pause, Liu Tan said, "Miners can take away whatever they can!"

Huo Guang opened his mouth, wanting to say that they should ignore the miners at this time.

Most of the miners in the coal mine are now Hun captives. If these people hear that the Huns are coming, they will probably turn against them on the spot.

But before he could finish, Liu Tan spoke directly, "Order Li Buyan. If any of the Xiongnu captives make any unusual movements, they must be killed on the spot. I grant him the power to make the final decision! Not only the captives, but anyone else who makes any unusual movements will be dealt with as well!"

Liu Tan knew too well what kind of trouble would come from being restricted when a general was away from home. Even a sure win situation could turn into a sure loss, not to mention Li Buyan...who actually didn't have much experience, and his opponent was most likely Wu Shilu.

Apart from Wu Shilu, he couldn't think of anyone else who was so crazy that he would chase after them relentlessly even though he knew he was deep in the enemy's territory.

Immediately after Liu Tan finished giving his order, a guard ran to pass on the message. Liu Tan turned to look at Huo Guang and said, "Send someone to call Wei Buyi to assemble his troops, bring his catapults and follow me to the coal mine. I'll leave everything in the city to Prime Minister Huo."

Huo Guang stopped him and said, "Your Highness, this is not possible. This son of a wealthy family..."

Liu Tan interrupted him with a sneer and said, "I have to go. If it's not Wu Shilu who comes this time, then keep that person. If it's Wu Shilu, then keep him if you can. If not, then make sure he learns a lesson."