Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

The official road in autumn was covered with fallen leaves like a golden carpet, and the carriage of Chenliu King Liu Xiu was moving slowly under the guard of five hundred elite cavalry.

Tang Yimin rode his horse beside the king, his gray beard fluttering in the autumn wind.

He looked around anxiously at the increasingly dense maple forests on both sides, the maple leaves as red as blood.

"Your Highness," Tang Yimin said, driving his horse closer to the window, "This section of the road is dangerous. Should we send scouts to investigate first?"

Liu Xiu lifted the carriage curtain, and the sunlight shone on his jade-like face. "Lord Tang, you are worrying too much. We are only three days away from Chang'an. I guess..."

Before he could finish his words, a shrill scream suddenly came from the front.

A feather arrow pierced the scout captain's throat, and blood splattered on the golden fallen leaves, which was particularly glaring.

"There's an ambush!" Wang Lei roared, his heavy sword already unsheathed: "Protect the prince!"

In an instant, countless arrows poured out from the maple forest.

The sound of arrows breaking through the air was endless, and the guards were shot and fell off their horses one after another.

The wails of war horses and the screams of soldiers intertwined, breaking the silence of the mountains and forests.

"Form a circle!"

Wang Lei swung his sword to block several arrows, leaving a deep wound on his left arm where the bone was visible.

"Quick! Surround the prince's carriage!"

Liu Xiu was helped off the carriage by his personal guards, and Tang Yimin immediately protected him with his body.

The old minister's official robe had been torn by arrows, but he still stood in front of the prince.

"My lord, be careful!"

Tang Yimin suddenly pushed Liu Xiu away, but was shot in the shoulder by a poisonous arrow.

The black blood instantly soaked the official robe.

"Lord Tang!" Liu Xiu's eyes were bloodshot, and he drew his sword and was about to rush forward.

"No!" Wang Lei grabbed him and said, "The enemy is using poisonous arrows that kill instantly!"

He swung his sword and cut off the arrow shaft on Tang Yimin's shoulder: "Quickly lead the prince to break out to the east!"

At this time, the ambusher finally showed up.

Nearly a hundred black-clad warriors rushed out from the maple forest, each wearing a hideous ghost mask on his face.

They cooperated well with each other, used ruthless swordsmanship, and focused on attacking the vital points of the guards.

"They are trained assassins!" Wang Lei's heart sank, and he danced with his heavy sword tightly. "Who are you?"

His answer was an even more violent attack.

A leader in black suddenly blew a bone flute, and a second wave of ambushes rushed out of the forest.

The people who came this time were archers wearing border army uniforms, and their arrows were also poisoned.

"Impossible!" Wang Lei's eyes widened. "How could the standard bows and arrows of the border troops appear in your hands?"

Just when he was distracted, three poisonous arrows shot at him at the same time.

Wang Lei barely dodged two of them, but the third one pierced deeply into his thigh.

Black poisonous blood immediately gushed out.

"General!" The bodyguards shouted and wanted to rush forward to rescue.

"Leave me alone!" Wang Lei roared and chopped down the two approaching men in black: "Take the prince away!"

Liu Xiu fought and retreated with his remaining guards, but the ambushes were always following him.

The guards around him fell one by one, and their blood dyed the entire maple forest red.

"Your Highness...go quickly..." The last guard used his body to block the poisonous arrow shot at Liu Xiu and slowly fell down.

Liu Xiu leaned against an ancient maple tree, the long sword in his hand was full of gaps.

He looked at the slowly approaching black-clad leader and suddenly sneered, "Did King Qinghe send you here?"

The black-clad leader paused for a moment. Although he was wearing a mask, this slight pause said it all.

"Your Majesty is indeed smart."

The leader's voice was specially processed, making it hoarse and difficult to understand: "It's a pity that smart people usually don't live long."

At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from the east.

A team of cavalry broke through the morning mist, and the leading general in silver armor and white robe was Huo Guang!

"Stop!" Huo Guangda shouted, "I'm here to welcome the Prince of Chenliu on the orders of the Duke of Protectorate!"

The men in black were visibly panicking.

The leader hesitated for a moment and suddenly blew a special whistle.

All the men in black immediately changed their formation and surrounded Huo Guang's team.

"General Huo, be careful!" Liu Xiu cried out urgently, "They have poison arrows!"

But it's too late.

The cavalrymen brought by Huo Guang fell off their horses one after another under the attack of poisonous arrows. Huo Guang himself was hit by several arrows and staggered off his horse.

The leader walked slowly to Liu Xiu and suddenly made a lightning-fast move, chopping him on the back of the neck with a knife.

Before Liu Xiu collapsed, the last thing he heard was the leader's cold voice:

"Take them aside and wait for the prince to come!"

Maple leaves fell silently, covering the corpses on the ground.

The blood gradually seeped into the soil, dyeing the golden fallen leaves dark red.

The wind carried the sound of chains clashing and the footsteps of men in black clearing the battlefield.

On a distant hill, a cloaked figure watched all this quietly.

When Liu Xiu was seen being taken onto the prison car, a satisfied chuckle came from under the cloak.

"The game has just begun!"

On the other side, the autumn wind blew up the dust on the official road, and the carriage of Qinghe King Liu Cheng was galloping under the escort of five hundred elite cavalrymen.

The gilded shaft of the carriage gleamed in the sun, and eight pure white horses snorted heavily, their hooves thundering on the loess road.

"Report——!"

A fast horse came galloping against the group, the rider holding a bamboo tube high up: "Your Highness, there is a letter from the front carrying a flying crane!"

Liu Cheng opened the car curtain, and the jewel-studded finger guard reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.

He took the bamboo tube and couldn't wait to unscrew the seal.

When he saw clearly what was written on the silk cloth, a smile of ecstasy suddenly broke out on his well-maintained face.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liu Cheng said three good words in a row, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement: "Liu Xiu, Liu Xiu, you finally fell into my hands!"

He clenched the silk cloth tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Order to hasten the advance! I will personally interrogate this wise king!"

Inside the carriage, aide Zhou Chen's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this.

He carefully straightened his shirt, which had been messed up by the turbulence, and spoke carefully, "Your Highness, this matter... seems to be going too smoothly."

His voice was filled with hesitation. "Prince Chenliu has always been alert. He must have been heavily guarded on this trip. How could he be captured so easily?"

"What do you know!"

Liu Cheng interrupted impatiently, but the smile on his face remained unchanged: "Liu Xiu was in a hurry to go to Chang'an to ascend the throne, so he naturally traveled light with a small entourage. Little did he know..."

He sneered and rubbed the jade ring on his thumb: "I had already laid a dragnet along all the important roads three days ago."

Zhou Chen's brows furrowed even more tightly. "But, Your Majesty, the Prince of Chenliu must have advisors accompanying him. That old fox, Tang Yimin..."

"Tang Yimin?"

Liu Cheng sneered: "That old loser must have died from the poisoned arrow."

He proudly shook the silk cloth in his hand: "The letter clearly states that the old minister dressed as a military advisor was shot and killed."

The carriage suddenly jolted violently, and Zhou Chen quickly held onto the window frame: "Your Highness, there's something fishy about this matter. If the Duke of Protectorate sends someone to pick us up..."

"Protector of the Kingdom?"

Liu Cheng's face suddenly darkened: "That bastard Huo Quji!"

He slammed the silk cloth onto the table and said, "If he didn't hold military power, why would I have gone to such great lengths?"

Zhou Chen wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Cheng suddenly became furious and said, "Enough!"

He grabbed Zhou Chen by the collar, the jade ring on his finger hurting the old strategist: "Did you accept any favors from Liu Xiu? Huh? You've been speaking for him all the way here!"

"Your Majesty, please understand!" Zhou Chen's face turned pale with fear. "I'm just worried that something strange might be going on."

"Shut up!"

Liu Cheng pushed him away and yelled out of the car, "Hurry up! We must reach the ambush site before sunset!"

The carriage accelerated suddenly, and Zhou Chen stumbled and fell onto the cushion.

He looked at the scenery rapidly receding outside the window, and a trace of deep worry flashed in his eyes.

The autumn wind blew into the carriage, bringing with it the damp smell of impending rain.