Liu Tan nodded. "Yes, it exploded. I'll have the Prime Minister handle it later. I'll ask them to pay double compensation for all the honeycomb coal I ordered. Regarding Chang'an... I'll write to Princess Dangli."

Huo Guang almost fell off his horse because he couldn't catch his breath. He couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, there is no need..."

Liu Tan turned to look at him and said, "I know what I'm doing. I made the decision, I blew up the mine, and I bear the responsibility."

Huo Guang's intelligence finally returned to normal at this moment. He said with a cold look in his eyes, "Your Highness is worried about someone in Chang'an..."

Liu Tan said: "It's better to take precautions before they happen."

Huo Guang smiled coldly: "They dare."

Liu Tan said, "They're so far away, what are they afraid of? They can just pay a little money to shut them up, which is quite worry-free."

Huo Guang originally wanted to say that it was not a small amount of money, but when he turned around, he saw the fatigue that could not be concealed on Liu Tan's face. Even so, he sat on his horse with his back straight. People around him looked over in groups of three or four.

At that moment, Huo Guang understood what Liu Tan meant. Liu Tan no longer had the energy to deal with those people in Chang'an.

Liu Tan didn't want Liu Che and Liu Ju to cover for him if something went wrong, so he simply spent money to buy peace.

But even though he understood, Huo Guang still felt a little distressed. How much money would that cost? Liu Tan said he had money, but the copper mine had just been minted not long ago and not many coins were minted. Moreover, Liu Tan had been preventing too much from circulating outside, saying that he was afraid of inflation.

It will take some time to get the remaining money. If Liu Tan didn't have the candy shop in Chang'an to support him, he might not be able to get the money out for a while.

Liu Tan was also calculating at this time. The money from Chang'an was due every six months and was about to be handed over. It was just right that he could keep the money for compensation and give some to Liu Ju. He also had to pay dividends from his copper mine to Liu Ju.

After doing the math, it was probably enough to justify the account. Fortunately, he was busy building the city and thought the output of honeycomb coal should not be high, so he did not release the supply. Otherwise, he would not be able to afford the loss even if he sold it.

Then there is the Northern Border Kingdom. Most of the people who have placed orders here are wealthy families in the surrounding counties and prefectures. From farther away, there are county governors and the like who have placed orders to show their support for him. The money is not much, so he should be able to afford it.

Liu Tan returned to the palace and turned to Huo Guang and said, "I will go wash up first. Prime Minister, please wait for me."

Although Lu Xuan asked him to have a good rest before leaving, Liu Tan actually had no way to rest at all. There were still many things to follow up, and he needed to discuss them with Huo Guang bit by bit.

Huo Guang felt a little sorry for him and said, "Leave the rest to me. Your Highness should go and rest first."

Liu Tan shook his head: "Some things have to go through my hands and have my stamp on them."

Huo Guang laughed and said, "The Prime Minister should still have this much power, as long as His Highness does not think I am trying to usurp the throne."

Liu Tan glared at him and said, "What nonsense."

He paused and said, "I'm talking about Wu Shilu leading his troops south. I have to write a letter to Chang'an immediately and have the riders inform the counties along the way not to panic. They've been turned back."

"Wu Shilu is heading south..." Huo Guang's expression changed slightly.

This matter is indeed sensitive. How did Wu Shilu cross the Great Wall without them receiving any warning? This is a very serious issue.

Even if it is related to Zhao Po Nu, it shows that there is a problem with the Northern Border Kingdom's defense line.

Because this is the second time. The first time, it could be said that they relaxed their vigilance because the Surrender City was in front. In addition, all the top leaders of the Northern Border Kingdom returned to Chang'an for the New Year. Now that they are all here, shouldn't they learn a lesson?

Even if Zhao Po Nu had led the people here, so what? Zhao Po Nu's escape was not the reason why the Great Wall's defense line was like nothing!

This kind of thing cannot be shirked just because they have been in office for a short time. When they came, they knew that they had to guard the country, but they ended up not paying attention to the defense of the Great Wall. If someone pointed this out, they would be in big trouble.

Huo Guang could not bear this responsibility. If he were really asked to take it, he might lose his position as prime minister.

So Liu Tan had to bear the responsibility. He was the King of the North, so could his throne be stripped away because of this incident? Moreover, he had also defeated Wu Shilu.

Huo Guang's throat choked, he took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, this matter is my..."

Liu Tan walked towards the bathhouse and said, "It's not time for a post-war review yet. Take back your apology. Besides, I know how many problems I've solved for you in the past six months. It's not a big deal, so don't take it to heart."

Huo Guang was speechless for a moment after hearing this, and then he smiled helplessly after a while. It was not a big deal because Liu Tan used his identity as a talisman. That was because he was thick-blooded and not afraid of anything, but it did not mean that this matter was not important.

However, his Highness is right, now is not the time to talk about this.

He waited here for a while and saw Liu Tan walking hurriedly towards him, with Miao Rui chasing him with a towel in his hand to wipe his hair.

Huo Guang was slightly startled when he saw Liu Tan with disheveled hair. He subconsciously turned his eyes away and said, "Your Highness..."

Liu Tan said, "Alright, forget about whether your clothes are neat or not. There are only two of us here, so please bear with it for now, Prime Minister."

Huo Guang said helplessly: "I am worried that Your Highness will catch a cold."

Liu Tan sat down and drank a glass of honey water. He said, "Why are you catching a cold in the middle of summer? Okay, enough nonsense, let's deal with the matter at hand. Oh, I forgot. Send the order down. When Li Buyan and Wei Buyi return with their troops, have them go find Lu Xuan."

Huo Guang let out a long sigh: "That's very good."

He had just been thinking about this. It was really outrageous to let Lu Xuan wander around the north of Shuofang City. Even if the area north of Shoujiang City was not the territory of the Han Dynasty, it still made people feel a little uncomfortable.

What's more, if the people in the surrendering city find out and start fighting again, wouldn't that be a fight between them?

Moreover, if Wu Shilu is really surrounded, more people will provide protection.

Huo Guang was hesitant to speak just now because he felt that the other party had just come to his aid from thousands of miles away and worked tirelessly and sleeplessly to eliminate the threat to Shuofang City. It seemed inappropriate for him to show such obvious distrust on his face.

After Liu Tan finished his instructions, he turned to Huo Guang and said, "Apart from the mines, the losses aren't great. As for casualties... I don't have any here. We'll have to see what happens with Li Buyan and Wei Buyi. I'm going to Beijing to write a letter to the Emperor. Please write whatever you have to say as well. Also, have them quickly count the prisoners and those killed and report them. Also, quickly find out what happened over at Changqian."

This is the most important thing now. Before, he was worried that he could not stop Wu Shilu from lighting the signal smoke. If he did not quickly pass on the news of the great victory, everyone would be frightened.

Liu Tan wrote letters to Liu Che and Liu Ju respectively. In the letters, he did not mention the war much, but just said that the construction of Shuofang City was almost completed and his palace would be completed soon. He also proudly said that the summer in the northern border country was cooler than in the capital. Anyway, if you just read the letters, you can feel that the years were really peaceful.

However, the content of his letter to Liu Che was full of blood between the lines.

Just as Huo Guang expected, Liu Tan took all the responsibility.

After he finished writing, he wanted to send it out immediately. But Huo Guang looked up and said, "Let me help Your Highness polish it."

Liu Tan hesitated for a moment and said, "No, just hand it in like this. This is urgent. Even if it's not well written, Father won't say anything."

Huo Guang's eyebrows moved slightly, and he changed the subject calmly. However, after Liu Tan handed the memorial to him, Huo Guang sat in his prime minister's residence and opened it and took a look - his prince was so busy tonight, could he have forgotten that his memorial had to go through his own hands?

However, Huo Guang knew his limits and certainly did not read the letter. After opening the memorial, his eyes fell on the last few lines.

It was written on it: This time it was my son who built the royal palace and the capital, and the long trench was left undefended, which was taken advantage of by Wu Shilu. It has nothing to do with others, and I, your son, ask to be punished.