si-mexico Chapter 2277 Not bowing to the king?
Chapter 2277 Not bowing to the king?
Chu Xuan recognized the banner; it belonged to Ma Chao of Xiliang, renowned for his fierce bravery, whose iron cavalry excelled in open-field battles.
He never expected that before Xue Huaide's pursuers arrived, this Xiliang wolf cavalry, known for its speed, would descend like divine soldiers and seize him by the throat first!
"Your Highness...it's the Xiliang soldiers! We...we're trapped!" The general beside him said, his voice trembling.
Chu Xuan felt a chill in his heart, and despair clung to him like a poisonous vine.
With ambushes ahead and pursuers behind, the terrain of Luoyan Gorge is unfavorable, our men and horses are exhausted, and morale is on the verge of collapse... Is fate really going to destroy us here?
However, his survival instinct and the deep-seated unwillingness in his bones forced him to suppress his fear.
He glanced at the remaining thousand or so cavalrymen around him, then looked back at the road they had come from.
There are no torches from Xue Huaide's main force there yet; perhaps there is still a little time left?
He suddenly grabbed a trusted general beside him and growled, "Quick! Organize men and launch a probing charge! See if we can break through! Also..."
His gaze swept darkly over an ordinary carriage that was heavily guarded in the middle of the procession; that was where Su Tingmei was.
"Please invite Mr. Su to the front!"
He knew that a direct confrontation was unlikely to succeed, and perhaps... this hostage was his last and most valuable bargaining chip.
Ma Chao may be brave and fierce, but the emperor wants to protect Su Tingmei, which is Chu Xuan's only chance of survival!
At the same time, Ma Chao was also coldly observing the chaotic enemy forces opposite him.
He immediately spotted Chu Xuan, who was surrounded by people, and also noticed the carriage that was being given special attention.
Xue Huaide's words echoed in his ears: "Ensure Mr. Su Tingmei's safety."
"Archers, prepare!"
Ma Chao raised his right hand, his voice icy: "Without my order, no one is allowed to fire arrows and startle the carriage! Infantry, prepare your ranks, and press forward on my command!"
"Remember, the primary objective is to trap them and wait for General Xue to arrive! But if the enemy dares to charge..."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Kill them without mercy! Try to avoid the carriage area!"
The Xiliang cavalry responded in unison, their voices echoing through the valley.
The arrowhead was slightly adjusted to avoid the general location of the carriage.
The infantry dismounted, shields in hand, and advanced slowly, compressing the space for Chu Xuan's remaining troops to maneuver.
Before Luoyan Gorge, flames flickered and a murderous aura permeated the air.
On one side is a cornered beast desperately trying to grasp at the last straw.
On one side is the hunter, ordered to intercept, yet he is all the more resolute and ruthless, fearing to harm the prey.
In the brief silence, only the crackling of the burning torches and the heavy breathing of both sides could be heard.
Chu Xuan was urgently deploying a desperate counterattack, Ma Chao was patiently waiting for the best opportunity to encircle them, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the silent carriage.
Su Tingmei, a scholar who was powerless to even kill a chicken, had become a delicate and crucial balancing point on this battlefield of flashing swords.
The torchlight of Xue Huaide's main force was already faintly visible on the horizon and was rapidly approaching.
The final moment that will determine our fate is approaching.
The air in front of Luoyan Gorge was as tense as a fully drawn bow, and the standoff, with sparks flying, seemed ready to erupt at any moment.
However, just as Ma Chao's infantry line began to slowly and steadily press forward, and the Xiliang cavalry drew their bows but did not fire.
After a brief commotion, a path suddenly opened up in Chu Xuan's camp on the other side.
A group of torches escorted a person as they slowly approached the front of the formation.
It was Chu Xuan.
He had clearly taken the time to tidy his appearance.
Although the bloodstains and dust remained on his armor, and his hair was no longer as neat as it used to be, he tried his best to straighten his back, raise his chin slightly, and try to regain the noble air that belonged to a prince.
However, his pale face, the deep fear and bloodshot eyes, and his slightly trembling fingertips all betrayed his outward strength but inner weakness.
His gaze was fixed on the exceptionally strong black horse in front of the Xiliang army, and the general on its back, who was as tall as an iron tower—Ma Chao.
"Is that General Ma Chao of Xiliang on the other side?"
Chu Xuan deliberately raised his voice, carrying a kind of arrogance that comes with being in a superior position, trying to gain the upper hand in terms of momentum, even though it seemed somewhat abrupt in this grim battlefield.
Ma Chao sat upright on his horse, as still as a mountain, his cold, piercing gaze sweeping over them as he replied in a deep voice:
"It is indeed I, Chu Xuan. You are already at your wit's end. His Majesty's heavenly army will arrive in an instant. Why don't you dismount and surrender immediately? What are you waiting for?"
He got straight to the point, without any formalities, directly pointing out his identity as a traitor to the king and his desperate situation.
Chu Xuan's cheek muscles twitched; the other party's impolite address and tone pierced his dignity like needles.
He suppressed his anger and instead spurred his horse forward a few more steps, closing the distance. The firelight made the expression on his face even clearer.
It was a complex expression that mixed arrogance, anxiety, and desperation.
"General Ma!"
Chu Xuan's voice softened, but carried a hint of accusation: "Although you are a general and are ordered by the emperor, I am of the bloodline of the founding emperor, the eldest son of the late emperor, the elder brother of the current emperor, and the rightful Prince Xuan of Great Chu!"
"To see the king without bowing, and to address him by his given name—is this the etiquette of your Western Liang? Is this your reverence for the royal family of Great Chu?"
He attempted to use the rigid patriarchal system and its associated rituals to disrupt Ma Chao's mind, re-establish their hierarchical relationship, and pave the way for subsequent negotiations.
Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's lips curled into an undisguised mocking sneer.
He had been stationed in Liangzhou for many years. He was upright and brave, and he hated all these empty formalities, especially on the battlefield where life and death were at stake.
He suddenly raised his riding whip, the tip of which sliced through the air with a crisp "snap," as if shattering Chu Xuan's fragile and dignified exterior.
"Etiquette? Respect?"
Ma Chao's voice suddenly rose, like the clanging of metal, resounding and echoing through the canyon.
"Chu Xuan! You colluded with the alien Scorpion Clan, inviting wolves into the house, causing the northern frontier to be engulfed in flames and the Jianghuai region to suffer terribly!"
"You raised an army in rebellion, coveted the imperial artifact, disregarded the fate of the nation, and plunged the common people into the flames of war!"
"Such behavior is treasonous! How can he be worthy of being called a prince? How can he bear to mention the founding emperor again?"
"Your Majesty is benevolent and considers our bloodline, so you may show some leniency. However, in my eyes, and in the eyes of all the loyal and righteous people in the world, you are nothing more than a traitorous minister and son who has violated human ethics and brought disaster to the country and its people!"
"What etiquette is there to speak of with you?"
These words were righteous, forceful, and resounding.
Not only were Chu Xuan's crimes announced to the two armies, but he was also stripped of the royal robes he had tried to wear, leaving him naked and nailed to the pillar of shame for traitors.
Among the remaining Youzhou soldiers behind Chu Xuan, many looked ashamed or wavered upon hearing this, and all lowered their heads.
Chu Xuan's face flushed red instantly, then turned ashen. Ma Chao's blunt words were like a slap in the face, tearing his last shred of pretense of self-respect to shreds.