Li Zhun's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he quickly embellished his account of what he had seen and heard in Shannan Prefecture.
Lu Yan is portrayed as an arrogant, conceited, and disdainful person.
They also exaggerated the military strength of Shannan Prefecture.
They were said to be well-equipped and well-trained, even more formidable than the Imperial Guards.
And his "tragic" experience of how he fought bravely but ultimately failed.
He described it vividly.
Liu An's originally calm face gradually darkened.
The teacup in his hand slammed heavily onto the table, making a crisp sound.
"Useless trash!" Liu An roared, startling Li Zhun so much that he trembled.
"Ten thousand elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the best of the best, were actually defeated by a mere prefect!"
"You still have the nerve to come back?"
Li Zhun was so frightened that he trembled and quickly explained:
"Your Excellency, Lu Yan is cunning and treacherous. I was caught off guard and thus fell for his trick..."
"Fell into what trap? Fell into Lu Yan's treacherous scheme? Do you think I'm a fool?"
Liu An, enraged, interrupted Li Zhun.
"I can see right through Lu Yan's little tricks!"
"You clearly underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, missing a golden opportunity to attack Shannan Prefecture!"
Li Zhun was thoroughly scolded by Liu An, and only then did he realize his mistake and feel extremely remorseful.
"Your Excellency is right! This humble general was foolish and fell for Lu Yan's treacherous scheme!"
Li Zhun quickly admitted his mistake, but secretly groaned inwardly.
Liu An pointed at Li Zhun with exasperation and scolded him:
"Look at what you've done! What kind of mess have you made!"
"Ten thousand elite troops couldn't even take Shannan Prefecture!"
"How can you possibly compare to your brother Li Mu?"
"If he were to go, this small Shannan Prefecture would have been razed to the ground long ago!"
"You must know what position your brother Li Mu holds now!"
"He is a dignified General of the Imperial Guard, commanding an army of 100,000, with numerous military exploits!"
"Look at you! You're hopeless!"
Upon hearing this, Li Zhun's expression turned even more unpleasant.
He always lived in the shadow of his older brother Li Mu, and was constantly compared to him.
This was undoubtedly a thorn in his side.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, but dared not make a sound.
He stammered.
"Your Excellency is right, Your Excellency. This humble general...this humble general knows his mistake..."
Liu An snorted coldly, still seething with anger, and said...
"Acknowledge your mistakes? What's the use of acknowledging your mistakes now? What's the point of saying this now?"
Li Zhun was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he immediately kowtowed and said:
"Your Excellency, please calm your anger! This humble general is willing to atone for his crimes and perform meritorious service, sparing no expense to capture Shannan Prefecture!"
Liu An took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger in his heart.
He pondered for a moment and then slowly said:
"There's no point in saying more now that things have come to this."
"The only solution now is to revise the battle plan and take Shannan Prefecture within three months!"
Li Zhun quickly replied, "This humble general will obey the Prime Minister's orders!"
Liu An waved his hand, signaling Li Zhun to step down.
Li Zhun felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude before limping away from the Prime Minister's residence.
Seeing Li Zhun's pathetic state, Liu An felt even more annoyed.
He returned to his desk, picked up a brush, and wrote the two characters "Lu Yan" on a blank sheet of Xuan paper.
Then he slammed the pen to the ground, ink splattering everywhere, just like his restless and agitated mood.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
"At least I managed to capture Princess Mingyue of Beixiang Kingdom,"
"Let her become my pawn, to help me get rid of you, this thorn in my side!"
"Someone come here!"
Liu An called out in a deep voice.
A guard immediately pushed open the door, knelt on one knee, and respectfully asked:
"What are your orders, Your Excellency?"
He instructed:
"Go, invite the envoy from the Northern Xiang Kingdom who came to the capital a few days ago. Tell him I have important matters to discuss with him."
The guards obeyed and left, while Liu An sat back down in his armchair and closed his eyes to rest.
He began to plot how to use Princess Mingyue to get the Northern Xiang Kingdom to send troops to attack Shannan Prefecture.
As night fell, the Prime Minister's residence was brightly lit.
The envoy from the Northern Xiang Kingdom, led by his guards, arrived at Liu An's study.
"Your Excellency summoned me so late at night, what important matter is it?"
The envoy bowed respectfully, speaking in a deferential tone.
Liu An gestured for the envoy to sit down, then personally poured him a cup of tea, his face plastered with a fake smile.
"Your Excellency has come from afar; you must be tired."
"I have indeed invited you here today because there is an important matter I wish to discuss with you."
As Liu An spoke, he carefully observed the changes in the envoy's expression.
The envoy took the teacup and took a small sip.
Then he put down his teacup and waited quietly for Liu An to continue.
Liu An lowered his voice mysteriously and said:
"Does the envoy know the whereabouts of Princess Mingyue?"
Upon hearing this, the envoy's expression changed slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
But he quickly regained his composure and asked calmly:
"Princess Mingyue? What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?"
"Hasn't Her Highness the Princess been staying in Shannan Prefecture all this time?"
Liu An feigned regret and said:
"It seems that Princess Mingyue of your country has met with misfortune."
The envoy's smile froze instantly, and he stared wide-eyed as he asked:
"Your Highness? What happened to her?!"
Liu An sneered and said:
"Envoy, stop playing dumb. We both know that Lu Yan, the prefect of Shannan Prefecture, harbors wolfish ambitions."
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