He paced back and forth, restless and anxious like a trapped beast.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
Where are our troops now?
Another guard quickly stepped forward and respectfully replied:
"Your Majesty, the 50,000-strong army has crossed the canal and is stationed near Shannan Prefecture, ready to attack at any time."
"good!"
A sinister smile appeared on the king's face.
"Send the order to attack Shannan Prefecture immediately! I will make Lu Yan and Tu Rong pay the price!"
"Let their blood stain the land of Shannan Prefecture!"
At this very moment, Liu An's confidant also secretly arrived in Beixiang Kingdom.
Liu An's trusted confidant disguised himself, evaded the patrolling guards, and sneaked into the palace.
After searching for a long time, he finally found the king's trusted guard in a secluded corner.
He handed him a heavy piece of gold and whispered:
"This is a small token of my master Liu An's appreciation. Please, General, personally deliver this secret letter to His Majesty the King."
The guard weighed the gold in his hand, accepted the letter without batting an eye, and nodded.
In the royal palace of Beixiang Kingdom, a strong sandalwood scent permeated the air.
The King of Beixiang Kingdom reclined on his tiger-skin throne, holding a wine jug in one hand.
He had one arm around a scantily clad woman, his eyes glazed over.
"Your Majesty, Liu An, the Prime Minister of the Great Tong Dynasty, has sent a secret letter."
A guard reported this cautiously, afraid of disturbing the king's enjoyment.
"Liu An? That old fox, what's he up to?"
The king hiccuped and waved his hand impatiently.
"read!"
The guard quickly unfolded the secret letter and read it aloud in a slightly trembling voice.
In the letter, Liu An described how Lu Yan was arrogant and domineering, and how he oppressed the people.
How to threaten the rule of the Datong Dynasty and propose to join forces with the Beixiang Kingdom.
They attacked Shannan Prefecture from both the north and south, eliminating Lu Yan.
After the matter is accomplished, we are willing to hand over Shannan Prefecture to you as a sign of our sincerity.
"What is Liu An up to?"
The King of Beixiang asked in a gruff voice.
The prime minister, standing to the side, bowed and replied:
"Your Majesty, Liu An's actions may seem absurd, but they are not."
“He is currently being suffocated by Lu Yan and desperately needs outside help, and my Northern Xiang Kingdom is his only hope.”
"Hope? I think he's clearly using me as a pawn!"
Another prime minister then chimed in:
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter should not be readily believed."
"Liu An is cunning and treacherous; we must be wary of him."
The king snorted coldly.
"Of course I know he has ill intentions."
“That brat Lu Yan defeated my Northern Xiang Kingdom army twice and captured my Jianmen Pass.”
"If I do not avenge this, I swear I will not be a human being!"
He took a big gulp of wine, his eyes filled with rage.
"only……"
His voice lowered, as if he hesitated.
"Mingyue is currently in Shannan Prefecture. If we send troops, what if..."
The king's hesitation was observed by the prime minister standing to the side.
The Prime Minister stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that cooperating with Liu An would be more beneficial than harmful."
“Lu Yan is now growing stronger and will sooner or later become a major threat to our Northern Xiang Kingdom.”
"Why not take this opportunity to join forces with Liu An and eliminate him?"
"As for the princess, as long as we plan carefully, we can ensure her safety."
At this moment, a man dressed in black walked in; he was Liu An's confidant.
He bowed to the king, his tone respectful yet carrying a subtle hint of arrogance:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My prime minister is well aware of your concerns, and therefore specially sent me to show Your Majesty our sincerity."
"Sincerity? What sincerity? Does Liu An intend to offer up Lu Yan's head?"
The king snorted coldly, clearly not believing this explanation.
Liu An's confidant smiled slightly and said calmly:
"Your Majesty, my master said that as long as Your Majesty is willing to send troops,"
"Shannan Prefecture and Jianmen Pass shall both belong to the Northern Xiang Kingdom!"
"In addition, our dynasty is willing to pay tribute to the Northern Xiang Kingdom every year with one million taels of silver, one thousand bolts of silk, and various rare treasures to show our sincerity."
Upon hearing this, the king's expression softened slightly, but his doubts remained unresolved.
"Anyone can talk big, but why should I believe you?"
Upon hearing this, the confidant's lips curled into a sinister smile:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, my Prime Minister has already laid a trap, just waiting for Lu Yan to walk right into it."
"Within five days, Your Majesty will surely see how Lu Yan will be humiliated!"
"Then, Your Majesty, if you send out troops, won't victory be assured?"
After a moment's hesitation, the king was ultimately swayed by his confidant's sweet talk and generous terms.
He knew that if he could retake Jianmen Pass and annex Shannan Prefecture, it would be a great victory.
The strength of the Northern Xiang Kingdom will be greatly enhanced, and it may even be able to rival the Great Tong Dynasty.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Very well! As long as Liu An can prove his strength, I will send troops!"
Liu An's confidant was overjoyed and quickly assured him:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, my master will certainly not disappoint you!"
"Within five days, you will see news of Lu Yan's humiliation!"
After saying this, he took his leave and disappeared into the night.
After Liu An's confidant left, the prime minister walked to the king's side and whispered:
"Your Majesty, I believe we must proceed with caution in this matter. Lu Yan is cunning and treacherous; we must be on guard."
"What you say is absolutely right."
The king nodded.
"I will immediately send someone to the capital to find out the truth and see what that old fox Liu An is up to."
...
At the dock outside Shannan Prefecture.
The sea breeze was biting, and the waves crashed against the stone steps, making a loud noise.
Lu Yan was unaware of Liu An's scheme to cooperate with the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
He was dressed in official robes and stood with his hands behind his back on the dock.
Looking into the distance, at the horizon where the sea meets the sky, several ships flying foreign flags are cutting through the waves.
He knew that Tu Rong had returned.
A surge of warmth welled up in Lu Yan's heart, and the worries of the past few days vanished.
As the ship docked, Tu Rong, dressed in Javanese attire, leaped onto the pier and knelt on one knee.
"My lord, I am lucky enough to live up to my command!"
Lu Yan quickly helped him up, his gaze passing over Tu Rong and looking at the hundreds of sailors standing in formation behind him.
They were dark-skinned and lean, but their eyes were piercing and ruthless.
Each person held a weapon, with a curved sword at their waist, exuding a fierce and valiant aura.
Lu Yan noticed that although they had weathered many storms.
But their armor was neat and their ranks were orderly, clearly indicating that they were well-trained.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Lu Yan praised her repeatedly and patted Tu Rong on the shoulder.
"You have indeed not disappointed me!"
Tu Rong chuckled and pointed to the soldiers behind him, saying:
"My lord, these brothers are my comrades-in-arms who have risked their lives for me. Each one of them is worth ten men and is brave and skilled in battle!"
"They're all top-notch fighters in Java!"
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