Chapter 1339 - 1276: Ambush
Tuoba Liuxiu suddenly charged forward, leaped onto the chariot, and reached out to grab Tuoba Biyan’s collar, attempting to yank him off.
The ceremonial guards hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed, jumping up from both sides to hold Tuoba Liuxiu’s arms, "How dare you, this is the Great King’s chariot!"
Tuoba Liuxiu held tightly to Tuoba Biyan’s collar, staring at him menacingly.
Tuoba Biyan was only startled for a second; seeing Tuoba Liuxiu’s arms were held, rendering him helpless, he became smug again, deliberately provoking, "Father ordered me to sit here, you were meant to kneel and salute at the sight of the chariot. So what if you refused to kneel yesterday, today you still have to kneel before me?"
Tuoba Liuxiu’s eyes almost cracked with anger as he roared at the sky, shifting his grip to seize Tuoba Biyan’s throat, ignoring the pressure and pain on his arms as he slowly applied force.
Tuoba Biyan’s face instantly turned ashen, his mouth opened wide yet unable to make a sound, hands flailing in a vain attempt to push his hand away.
The guards too were taken aback, quickly trying to pry his thumb, "Eldest Prince, you will kill the Third Prince like this—"
Tuoba Liuxiu’s men were also shocked, disregarding rank, immediately climbed onto the chariot to pull at Tuoba Liuxiu, loudly advising by his ear, "Eldest Prince, calm down, this is Ping City, this is the Third Prince!"
If they killed the Third Prince in Ping City, none of them would make it out alive.
Lady Jujube cried out in anguish, ran to the side of the chariot to hold onto his leg, incessantly beating it, "Liuxiu, calm down, calm down, this is your father’s ploy, he wants to make you err, don’t do this, don’t do this..."
All the voices faded away, Tuoba Liuxiu’s eyes only saw Tuoba Biyan’s arrogant face, his body felt like being crushed by a mountain, suffocating under its weight. He desperately wished for that face to vanish, for once it did, the mountain and all the pain would disappear too.
As the objective was about to be achieved, his mother’s cries and the stinging pain in his leg finally brought him back slightly, and as he regained bearings, across the long street, through numerous crowds, he saw guards rushing quickly towards them.
Panicked civilians were knocked down, as the approaching guards bore a deadly aura.
Tuoba Liuxiu immediately sensed it, they wanted to kill him, to kill him with rightful justification!
Tuoba Liuxiu suddenly released his grip, drove back the guards clutching his arms and those pulling him, then leaped down from the chariot, scooped up his mother and placed her on his horse, shouting a command, "Let’s go!"
Tuoba Liuxiu’s men saw the guards heading towards them as well, quickly mounted their horses, and with a swift whip, galloped for the city gates to escape.
The guards of the ceremonial entourage were urgently resuscitating Tuoba Biyan, prying open his teeth, patting his chest several times, at last, the breathless Tuoba Biyan gasped desperately.
The guards nearly wept with relief, "Alive, the Third Prince is alive."
Turning to see, Tuoba Liuxiu had already vanished out of sight, they immediately dispatched people to pursue him.
The Great King first informed the Eldest Prince to see him off, then specially prepared his own chariot and procession for the Third Prince, even the vanguard and accompanying guards were from the ceremonial entourage, definitely not just to mock the Eldest Prince, he must not be allowed to escape.
Tuoba Liuxiu pressed on towards Xinping City, behind him began appearing a large number of pursuers, chasing them from afar.
Lady Jujube glanced back, shouted in her son’s ear, "Put me down, no matter how skillful your horse is, it can’t outrun them with two people!"
Tuoba Liuxiu ignored her, reached out with one hand to steady her by the shoulder.
Lady Jujube cried and shouted, "Child, it’s your mother’s fault for not raising you well from young, if only you were more stable and patient. You should return to Xinping City, do not come back to Ping City, don’t oppose your father again. If he strikes you, seek out your aunt, she is a formidable person, she will definitely make things right for you!"
Saying that, she pushed away his hand, using a clever maneuver to evade Tuoba Liuxiu’s grasp, falling off the horse.
Tuoba Liuxiu couldn’t help but cry out, "Mother!"
As Lady Jujube fell from the horse, she shielded her head, rolling twice. One of the subordinates following closely behind Tuoba Liuxiu pulled the reins, leaping over her, while those further back dismounted, grabbed the reins, and with a quick step forward, managed to stop after about ten paces.
Two subordinates helped Lady Jujube up, then handed the reins back to Tuoba Liuxiu, "Eldest Prince, quickly go."
The others, seeing this, also got off their horses in agreement, swiftly freeing up fifteen horses for the remaining people, ensuring everyone had a spare horse, only taking the swords they carried with them.
Lady Jujube also took a sword from her son’s horse, told Tuoba Liuxiu, "Don’t worry, even though I’ve been disfavored, I’m still your father’s woman, they dare not kill me! You go quickly!"
Having said that, she slapped the horse’s rump hard, sending it off running swiftly.
Tuoba Liuxiu looked back at his mother and the fifteen left-behind subordinates, wiped a tear away, then widened his eyes to stop more tears from falling, kicked the horse’s belly hard, and the remaining escorts tightened the reins on their horses, cracking the whip fiercely to follow.
Lady Jujube watched her son disappear into the distance, finally relieved, she turned to face the ever-approaching pursuers, raising her sword to the others, "Though we can’t hold them for long, any delay is something, as long as my son safely returns to Xinping City, your families will not be wronged!"
The men who came with Tuoba Liuxiu to Ping City were those he deemed trustworthy, intending to take to Luoyang to seek their fortunes.
Naturally, they were willing to die for their lord, and thus shouted a battle cry, drawing their long swords, forming a military formation to stand.
Lady Jujube brandished her sword at the forefront.
Sons and daughters of the grasslands, whether male or female, are all skilled in archery and horsemanship, and Lady Jujube’s skills in mounted archery were not lacking.
She had not killed an enemy for many years, but in the backyard, she never abandoned her martial skills. Standing before the soldiers now, she was prepared to die in battle, hence unafraid of the charging war horses.
Tuoba Yilu gave the order, Tuoba Liuxiu must be brought back, if met with defiance, they may kill, and even dispatched General Kuzuhun Shun, from Tuoba Biyan’s maternal family, to pursue.
Seeing Lady Jujube blocking the way, not only did he not halt, but accelerated the charge, ordering to kill without exception.
The soldiers hesitated for a moment, this was the battlefield, orders were to be obeyed.
Lady Jujube gripped the sword tightly in hand, being adept in archery and horsemanship, she knew well what cavalry feared most, but time was short, they could do little but fill the gap with their lives.
Facing the blades, she moved forward fearlessly, wielding the finest strike of her life, successfully intercepting a slashing blow, two swords collided, cavalry possessed a natural advantage, dropping to one knee, she sacrificed an arm to hold him for three moments.
And within those three moments, a follower behind her slid to the ground, sliding under their interlocked swords, and with a fierce blow, cut into Kuzuhun Shun’s horse’s leg...
The horse let out a painful scream, its body collapsed to the ground, Kuzuhun Shun atop could only collect his sword and roll down, first protecting himself.
As he dismounted, the follower a step behind immediately raised his sword, chopping towards his head.