While Miao Rui and Bigao were frantically sending messages to Huo Guang, Li Ling, looking pale, followed Liu Tan and asked, "Your Highness, where are you going?"

Liu Tan said: "Guan City!"

Li Ling couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to look for Wu Shilu?"

Liu Tan said, "Yes, so you should follow closely, and don't try to send a message to the Prime Minister and the others. I may not be able to do anything if that happens, but you will definitely be in trouble."

Li Ling really wanted to send a message to Huo Xiang and the others. He brought more than 20 people with him to follow Liu Tan, so it probably wouldn't be so noticeable if one person was missing.

But what their prince said was right. He had already helped cover up the prince's whereabouts and let him leave the convoy. It was too late to report it now.

Otherwise, he shouldn't have listened to Liu Tan from the beginning. The only thing he can do now is to follow their prince till the end and help him no matter what he does.

This way, if Prime Minister Huo wants to punish him when he returns, Your Highness will at least be able to help him because of his hard work and great contributions.

What's more, Li Ling's current identity is the leader of Liu Tan's guards. He should obey the King of the Northern Territory, and the Prime Minister has no control over him.

Thinking of this, Li Ling immediately said: "Whatever Your Highness wants to do, I will definitely fight to the death..."

"Stop, stop, stop." Liu Tan waved his whip and said, "You don't need to do anything. The only thing you need to do is protect me."

Li Ling thought about it and it didn't seem too difficult. He didn't bring enough people, but they still had people in Guan City.

Liu Tan had said before that he wanted to set up an escort agency, and so he really did. There were a hundred elite members stationed there every day to take on various businesses. Wouldn't that be a lot of people if they were added together?

They traveled all the way to Guanshi, exhausted. At that time, Wu Shilu was still being held in Tongda City, waiting for the Huns to come with their men.

After Liu talked about Guan City, he was not idle. He took Li Ling and others to the place where the replacement was about to take place to check it out.

When they got there, they found that there were already many people waiting there, including Huns and Han people as well.

Because there were so many people, he did not go over, but he also took a look at the tent belonging to the Khan among the Xiongnu people from a distance. After looking at it, he said, "Let's go back first."

Li Ling was stunned by Liu Tan's series of actions, but he didn't say anything. He knew that he didn't need to say anything now. He just had to keep his mouth shut and follow their prince.

After two days, the Huns came with a mighty force of more than 2,000 people. The team was truly spectacular.

Liu Tan and Li Ling stood on a high ground and took a look. When they saw the Xiongnu riding horses and whipping the Han people, Li Ling gritted his teeth and said, "If we have the chance, we will attack the Xiongnu royal court sooner or later!"

Liu Tan asked without even looking at him, "Do you know where the Xiongnu royal court is? Do you know the way?"

Li Ling was a little bewildered. "You know... right? Isn't it all clearly marked on your Highness's map?"

Liu Tan glanced at him and said, "I'm afraid you'll get lost."

Li Ling originally wanted to say that he was not lost, but then in an instant he thought of his grandfather Li Guang, and suddenly felt helpless. It seemed that there was really no way to explain this.

He could only whisper, "With your Highness's map and compass, I will definitely not get lost."

Liu Tan thought about it and agreed. He had already upgraded his equipment to this level. If Li Ling still got lost, he might as well strangle Li Ling to death now.

He took a last look at Zhang Qian and Su Wu, who were being held in a prison car among the crowd.

Liu Tan had never seen them before. Even if he saw the two men now with their disheveled hair and tattered clothes, he estimated that he would not be able to recognize them.

But no matter what, as long as I can really change it back, it's fine.

He turned and said, "Let's go."

Li Ling now really couldn't understand what his prince was trying to do. Was he going back and forth just to take a look at these captives who were brought here for exchange?

He couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, are you going back?"

Liu Tan said, "I haven't finished what I need to do yet, what am I going to do when I go back?"

Li Ling asked, "Then...what should we do?"

Liu Tan said, "After the exchange is complete, and before the Xiongnu leave, send someone to find Wu Shilu and tell him that I want to see him."

Li Ling immediately gasped, his legs weakened and he almost fell down: "Your Highness?"

Didn't you want to not even look at Wu Shilu before? Why did you suddenly want to see him again?

Liu Tan waved his hand: "Don't worry about it, just do as I say."

Li Ling was not like Huo Guang and others. He did not dare to confront Liu Tan directly, so he could only say bitterly: "This...even if I go, what if the other party doesn't believe it?"

Liu Tan said, "Wu Shilu should know you, but...if you take my jade crown with you, he will believe it."

Li Ling asked quietly, "Your Highness, what exactly are you going to do?"

Liu Tan said, "It's best if you don't know. If the Prime Minister asks you later, just say you followed my orders and I won't tell you. If you know and still obey me, I'm afraid Prime Minister Huo will throw you back to Chang'an."

Li Ling shut up decisively. His prince was right. It would be better for him not to know anything so that he could live longer.

Although it was easy to say the exchange, it was not easy in reality, because Wu Shilu was alone, and he did not seem to care about the captured Huns before, but there were quite a few people exchanged.

The Northern Border Kingdom sent a large number of people to count the number of people. Among them, Zhang Qian and Su Wu were the easiest to deal with. After confirming the identities of these two people, they just had to take them over and properly settle them.

Zhang Qian and Su Wu had just been settled in, washed up and had a hearty meal when they heard a burst of noise in the camp.

Originally, the two had been worried these days, fearing that their hope of returning to the Han Dynasty was just a mirage. In the end, they found that they still could not go back. Now that they have finally returned to their own territory, they can't help but worry that the Huns are attacking when they hear any movement.

Su Wu and Zhang Qian couldn't help but walk out of their tents, only to see a group of people arriving at the camp in a dusty state.

Su Wu didn't quite recognize those people, but when Zhang Qian saw the leader, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Prime Minister Huo?"

Huo Guang, who had just dismounted from his horse, turned around and took a look. Seeing Zhang Qian, he handed his whip to someone else, walked over, bowed to Zhang Qian and Su Wu, and said, "Greetings to the Marquis of Bowang and the General of the Central Army."

Su Wu quickly returned the greeting: "I dare not. It is I who should greet you."

Although he had been in the Xiongnu for ten years and didn't know much about the situation in the Han Dynasty, he recognized Huo Guang's outfit.

Zhang Qian returned the greeting and said, "Greetings to Prime Minister Huo. Why did you trouble him to come here in person?"

Huo Guang was slightly taken aback: "You two...have you never met my prince?"

Zhang Qian was surprised. "His Royal Highness the King of the Northern Territory? Where is His Royal Highness? I, this old minister, must thank him sincerely."

Huo Guang immediately gasped: "His Highness didn't come? Then... where did he go?"

Originally, after receiving the news, Huo Guang judged that Liu Tan might have come here in person. Although he didn't know Liu Tan's purpose, this was the only possibility.

So Huo Guang made some arrangements and hurried over to persuade Liu Tan to go back, but he never expected that Liu Tan didn't show up at all?!

At this point, Huo Guang couldn't understand what Liu Tan was trying to do.

He forced a smile at Zhang Qian and Su Wu and said, "Your Highness said earlier that he wanted to relax and come to greet you two. We felt it was unsafe, so we asked Your Highness to wait inside the city. So Your Highness should be in Tongda City now."

Su Wu, unsuspecting, quickly replied, "The Xiongnu are cunning and treacherous, often going back on their words. This place is truly unsafe, and Your Highness should not be here."

Zhang Qian was, after all, a well-traveled man. Currently, the only person in the Han Dynasty who had more experience than him was probably Liu Tan.

Although Huo Guang concealed it well, he could see the anxiety hidden in the other person's eyes and couldn't help but say, "It's not safe here, and Prime Minister Huo shouldn't have come here."

Huo Guang smiled and said, "Your Highness wanted to come in person earlier, and said that not allowing him to come would be a disrespect to the two heroes. I was worried about your safety, and I felt that your words were absolutely right, so I volunteered to come and greet you. Welcome back to the Han Dynasty, you two."

Although he had not met Liu Tan yet, it did not prevent Huo Guang from trying to gain Liu Tan's favor.

Zhang Qian was better off as he was not detained for long. After hearing this, Su Wu burst into tears. He originally thought that he would die of old age in the Xiongnu and live with sheep all his life, but he never expected that he would be able to come back one day.

After Huo Guang comforted the two of them for a few more words, he left and went back to his own tent.

As soon as he entered, he said to Wei Buyi with a serious expression: "Oh no, His Highness didn't come. Where will he go?"

Wei Buyi said, "Li Ling is with Your Highness, so he shouldn't be in too much danger. But...what's wrong with Your Highness?"

Huo Guang felt a headache: "If I knew, I could find him!"

Just when Huo Guang was worried, the person sent by Liu Tan received a reply from Wu Shilu, and agreed to meet at the night three days later. Of course, the meeting place was a secluded and deserted place.

After receiving the reply, Liu Tan turned to Li Ling and said, "Three days later, as soon as we set off, we will send someone to deliver a letter to Prime Minister Huo."

"Ah?" Li Ling hesitated and said, "This... If we ask Prime Minister Huo to arrange for reinforcements, it will be too late, right?"

Liu Tan said, "Huo Guang must be in the camp right now. Send someone there to deliver the letter."

Now that he is missing, it would be strange if Huo Guang could still sit still.

Li Ling didn't know why Liu Tan was so sure, but since Liu Tan said so, he would just do it.

Three days later, the number of people on the Han side was almost counted, and most of them had returned to the interior of the country. Only Huo Guang and his men remained behind, and even Zhang Qian and Su Wu refused to leave.

That night, Liu Tan stood on the grassland, gazing at the moon. Just as he thought he could faintly see craters on the moon's surface, he heard someone say with a smile, "I wonder why Ah Tan asked me to meet him here tonight?"

When Liu Tan turned around, he saw Wu Shilu and his men walking towards him.

He looked at Wu Shilu calmly and said, "Nothing, I just have a question that I can't figure out. I think only the Chanyu can give me an answer."

Wu Shilu asked unexpectedly, "What's the problem?"

Liu Tan walked slowly towards Wushilu, hands behind his back, and asked as he walked, "Why did the Chanyu go through so much trouble to make such a long detour and then show up in Shuofang City?"

Wu Shilu was a little surprised: "You came here just to ask this question?"

Liu Tan stopped about two arms' distance from him, raised his eyebrows and said, "What else?"

Seeing that he was no longer moving forward, Wu Shilu took a step forward and chuckled softly, "I thought you were reluctant to leave me."

Liu Tan mentally estimated the distance between them. His hands behind his back moved slightly, and a sneer appeared on his face: "I am a little reluctant to not be able to leave your life in Shuofang City."

Wu Shilu's smile widened, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw Liu Tan take a step forward. He instantly became alert and quickly stepped back, but even so, it was too late.

Liu Tan thrust out with his right hand, and a white blade instantly penetrated Wu Shilu's right chest.