The peasant woman didn’t refuse. After pounding them, she applied the medicine for him. Lifting his clothing, she saw the pure white, smooth silk undergarment inside. The peasant woman looked only once before lowering her eyes and applying the medicine.

Seeing her compliance, Tuoba Yilu said he was hungry and wanted food, promising, “Once I find my merchant caravan, I’ll certainly reward you handsomely.”

The peasant woman smiled and agreed, deliberately taking out a small bag of wheat. “The house only has coarse grains like wheat and millet. Please wait, honored guest. I’ll go grind the wheat into flour to serve you.”

Tuoba Yilu considered this her duty, so he nodded.

The peasant woman carried the small bag of wheat out and found soldiers searching at the market. “Officer, a stranger came to my home with external injuries, wearing silk undergarments. He says he’s a merchant who encountered bandits here, but I think he’s the person in your picture.”

Tuoba Liuxiu had gathered everyone who could draw to sketch his father, but their skills varied greatly, resulting in pictures where nine out of ten didn’t look alike.

Recognizing someone from the pictures was basically impossible. However, every picture had two common points: one was tall stature, the other was an imposing beard.

But the peasant woman didn’t rely on the picture to identify him. Even without that picture, based on what he said, the peasant woman could recognize him.

Soon, the peasant woman returned with a small bag of flour. A squad of soldiers quietly circled behind to surround the house, while several people crouched by the wall base, giving her a look, signaling her to go in and call the person out for confirmation.

The peasant woman pushed open the door and entered. The yard was very quiet, the house was very quiet too—it seemed the person had already left.

She thought briefly, then called toward the main room, “Honored guest, I’ve brought the flour back. I’ll make you a flatbread now.”

Saying this, she turned to enter the kitchen. Just as she entered, a kitchen knife suddenly flashed before her eyes. The peasant woman jumped, the flour bag fell to the ground. After seeing clearly who was holding the knife, she became furious. “You’re utterly unreasonable! I kindly sheltered you, yet you want to harm me.”

Tuoba Yilu glanced outside, seeing nothing unusual, quickly put away the knife and said to the peasant woman, “I’m injured and my hearing isn’t good. I didn’t hear your voice. When someone suddenly came, I thought the bandits had caught up. I frightened you—please forgive me.”

The peasant woman’s expression only then softened. She picked up the flour bag, took a basin, looked around and said, “Please help me fetch a ladle of water, honored guest.”

The water vat was outside the kitchen under the eaves. Tuoba Yilu agreed and put down the knife to go out.

The soldiers hiding outside the wall quietly poked their heads up to look. Recognizing him at a glance, with one hand gesture, they immediately vaulted over the wall.

Seeing them suddenly, Tuoba Yilu immediately knew he’d been betrayed. He fiercely threw the water ladle in his hand and turned to hide in the kitchen to take a hostage.

The peasant woman had picked up the knife he’d put down and hid behind the door as he went out. As soon as he entered, she chopped down at his head.

Tuoba Yilu was shocked and dodged sideways, then kicked her away.

The peasant woman flew backward and crashed into the yard, but rolled over and got up again, holding the knife and glaring at him resentfully, shouting loudly, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and grab him! Don’t let him escape!”

The soldiers hiding behind the house also rushed in upon hearing this. However heroic Tuoba Yilu was, two fists couldn’t fight four legs, especially when he didn’t even have a weapon. He was quickly captured. By then, half the peasant woman’s kitchen had been destroyed and was almost unusable.

Only then did she feel pain in her abdomen. Lifting her clothes to look, there was a black bruise on her belly.

She leaned against the wall holding her waist, not minding it, and asked the soldiers restraining Tuoba Yilu, “Now that you’ve caught him, where’s my reward money and cattle and sheep?”

The squad leader said, “Rest assured, once we report this, you certainly won’t be shortchanged.”

The peasant woman said, “I only want cattle and sheep. Give the gold to you all. I have severe stomach pain. Give me some money to see a physician, and the hundred gold is all yours. You can decide how to divide it among yourselves.”

Hearing this, the squad leader thought briefly and agreed, pooling money with his subordinates and giving her a money pouch.

Seeing her severe pain, they simply took her along. There was no physician here. To seek medical treatment, she’d need to go to the market at least.

But the soldiers could also treat some bruises and contusions. After pressing her stomach, they said, “It’s not serious. It’ll just be bruised for a while. But taking medicine would naturally be better.”

She seemed quite old, old enough to be their grandmother. She was poor, her clothes patched upon patches. Combined with her informing on him and striking without hesitation, the soldiers respected her somewhat and didn’t make things difficult.

Tuoba Yilu, his mouth gagged, glared resentfully at the peasant woman.

The peasant woman didn’t care. She climbed onto the horse cart and sat with him.

Their squad, having captured Tuoba Yilu, could not only gain advancement but also received the peasant woman’s promised hundred gold. They were very happy and even shared some of their rations with the peasant woman on the road.

Naturally, they didn’t dare starve Tuoba Yilu either, so they removed the cloth from his mouth and stuffed a flatbread in.

Tuoba Yilu nearly choked to death. With his hands bound, he could only use his tongue to push the flatbread out. After swallowing the piece he’d bitten off, he glared gloomily at the peasant woman and asked, “Why did you betray me?”

The peasant woman said, “You’re not really a merchant. How is it betrayal?”

Tuoba Yilu said furiously, “I am your Great King. You are all my subjects. Knowing my identity yet still reporting me—if this isn’t betrayal, what is?”

The squad leader, fearing he’d spread seditious words, was about to stuff the cloth back in his mouth when he heard the peasant woman say, “My husband was Xianbei. He followed the Great King south from Shengle City to the Dai Kingdom and died fighting for you.”

“I had two sons, both conscripted into the army. The Great King sent them to help Magistrate Liu of Jinyang. They also died in battle. Only one daughter remained in my family, so I married her to a Han man. That Han man couldn’t fight—he was a farmer who only knew how to till the land.”

The peasant woman said, “They had two children. But two years ago, the Great King wanted to send troops to help the Jin people fight the Xiongnu Kingdom and conscripted farmers to transport grain. His family’s grain had all been requisitioned earlier. That year there was a great drought, and the fields didn’t yield much. So I sold all my cattle and sheep at home to help him gather the grain. We were just three days late, and the Great King sentenced their entire family to death.”

“My two grandchildren, one three years old, one only one year old, were both executed for collective guilt.” The peasant woman’s gaze fell on Tuoba Yilu, her voice showing no fluctuation. “Even without those rewards, seeing the Great King, I would have reported you to the Great King’s son.”

After speaking, she even smiled slightly at him, saying very happily, “Being able to help the Great King’s son capture the Great King makes me very happy.”

Looking at the smile on her face, Tuoba Yilu instantly felt a chill throughout his body. “You… you dare… you are my subjects, how dare you…”

The squad leader reacted and immediately stuffed the cloth back in his mouth, blocking his remaining words. Tuoba Yilu could only struggle angrily, making muffled sounds.

The peasant woman, seeing he couldn’t break free, felt somewhat disappointed. She lowered her head to look at the flatbread in her hand and viciously bit into it.

As soon as Tuoba Yilu was delivered to Xinping City, Yuan Li knew. He didn’t dare delay and immediately got up to see Tuoba Liuxiu.

He was truly afraid of Tuoba Liuxiu’s speed and feared being too late again, so he rushed over urgently.

Tuoba Liuxiu also went, carrying a large saber. But before reaching the place, he was caught by Su Hexiong and Tuoba Suzhou, who had rushed over. The two of them seized his saber and surrounded him left and right, persuading, “General, you cannot kill the Great King.”

Tuoba Liuxiu said with red eyes, “Having already reached this point, if I don’t kill him, he will certainly kill me!”

“A son killing his father is a great taboo,” Su Hexiong said. “Yuan Li is here. Why not hand the Great King over to the court for judgment?”

Tuoba Liuxiu struggled internally. “What if the court releases Father?”

If Tuoba Yilu was released back to the Dai Kingdom, he would certainly have no foothold.

Su Hexiong said, “General, don’t you trust the new Emperor?”

Tuoba Liuxiu lowered his eyes. “I naturally trust Aunt, but can Aunt act as she pleases and persuade those court ministers?”

Tuoba Liuxiu pushed away Su Hexiong and Tuoba Suzhou. They wouldn’t give him a saber, and he didn’t try to seize one. Even without a saber, if he wanted to kill Tuoba Yilu, he could.

He went to see Tuoba Yilu.

Tuoba Yilu was bound hand and foot and thrown on the ground. Coincidentally, another person was tied up nearby—one of Tuoba Yilu’s generals, Sun Yan.

Seeing that even Tuoba Yilu had been captured, Sun Yan wept profusely. He immediately crawled over to pull out the cloth from his mouth and tried to untie the ropes on his body.

Tuoba Yilu couldn’t help cursing “unfilial son” twice. Seeing Sun Yan in an even worse state than himself, he asked, “Where are the others?”

Sun Yan wept loudly. “Great King, Kezu Hunsun was killed.”

Tuoba Yilu asked, “What about Weixiong?”

Sun Yan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Tuoba Yilu then laughed heartily and comforted Sun Yan. “Don’t be afraid. Since Weixiong isn’t here, he must have escaped. He will certainly mobilize the great army to rescue us.”

“I still have two hundred thousand troops. How could I fear this unfilial son?”

Sun Yan thought this made sense and wiped away his tears, continuing to untie the ropes for him.

Before he could finish untying them, a shadow covered them. Tuoba Liuxiu said coldly, “Don’t even think about it. Weixiong and Jidan have already defected to the Jin Kingdom—no, it’s the Hua Kingdom now. They won’t come to rescue you.”

Tuoba Yilu looked up at him. Father and son finally met face to face. Less than ten days since they last saw each other, several lives now lay between them. It was a life-or-death situation, and they could never return to how things were.

Tuoba Yilu looked at him resentfully but, considering the current situation, reluctantly suppressed his anger. “You think you can sow discord between us, lord and subject…”

“You’re already my prisoner. What value is there in deceiving you?” Tuoba Liuxiu said coldly. “They are Han people who want Han governance, advocating benevolence and love. You use harsh laws, only employing legalism. How much do you think they love and respect you?”

“You still wanted to replace my aunt. I tell you, you’re far from her level. After meeting her just once, Weixiong and Jidan praised her endlessly. Not only did they leave themselves, they also took thirty thousand households—thirty thousand households! Do you know how many people that is? A full one hundred twenty thousand people!”

Tuoba Yilu’s face flushed red with rage. “Impossible!”

“What’s impossible about it?” Tuoba Liuxiu pressed forward step by step. “You can’t even tolerate your own wives and children. How could you treat the common people well? Do you know how much we’ve suffered these years, how much we hate you?”

Thinking of his mother, Tuoba Liuxiu’s tears fell drop by drop onto the ground. “I hate you to death. Why did you force me like this? If you didn’t want me to be crown prince, you could have just directly established Tuoba Biyan. Why did you use me to establish his authority?”

“You were able to gain this territory in Dai Jun because Pusgen and I led troops to guard Jinyang for Liu Kun. You feared my prestige was too high and Biyan couldn’t secure his position. Why didn’t you divide me out instead of constantly suppressing me?” Tuoba Liuxiu shouted out all his resentment. “Grandfather also had three sons. When he died, he divided the territory into three parts, one for each son. You also have three sons. Why can’t you do the same?”

“Why must you give everything to Tuoba Biyan? Why?”

“You’re trying to kill me now and asking me why?” Tuoba Yilu shouted loudly. “No family’s son treats his father like this. I saw long ago that you have a vicious character and won’t submit to discipline. I knew this day would come. I should have killed you earlier. Then I wouldn’t have fallen to such straits today, and Biyan wouldn’t have been killed by you!”

These words enraged Tuoba Liuxiu. He grabbed his throat with one hand, his face fierce. “Knew long ago? How long ago? You’ve always wanted to kill me, haven’t you? When I hadn’t even done anything, you wanted to kill me. It was clearly you who forced me to this point…”

Su Hexiong and Tuoba Suzhou were alarmed and rushed forward to pull his arm. “General, calm down! You cannot kill him!”

“Great King’s son, calm down, calm down.”

Yuan Li had already reached outside but was blocked, waiting for someone to report his presence. Hearing the shouting from inside, without thinking, he rushed in.

The soldiers tried to stop him, but his personal guards immediately blocked the soldiers, shouting, “Audacious! Do you know who he is?”

Yuan Li had already rushed in. Seeing Tuoba Yilu being strangled, his face already purple, while Su Hexiong and Tuoba Suzhou pulled hard at Tuoba Liuxiu’s arms from left and right but couldn’t make him release his grip.

Yuan Li looked once and quickly stepped forward, his fingers pressing hard on the Chize and Shaohai acupoints at his elbow. Tuoba Liuxiu’s hand went soft. Su Hexiong and Tuoba Suzhou, pulling his arm, fell backward with him, and the three crashed to the ground with a thud.

Yuan Li dodged aside, stepped forward to catch the falling Tuoba Yilu, felt his breath, immediately pressed his tiger’s mouth, and pressed his philtrum. When he suddenly gasped for air, only then did he set him down sitting on the ground.

Tuoba Yilu coughed loudly. Whether from fear or not, his body trembled slightly, tears falling involuntarily.

At this moment, his anger and domineering aura disappeared. He finally realized the unfilial son was truly unfilial and would really kill him.

The fear of death enveloped him. At this moment, Tuoba Yilu finally felt a trace of regret. He shouldn’t have underestimated his enemy so.

Yuan Li stood up, blocking in front of Tuoba Yilu, and said to Tuoba Liuxiu, who had gotten up and still wanted to attack, “Great King’s son, before Her Majesty left, she instructed me that the King of Dai can die at anyone’s hands, but absolutely not at yours. Otherwise, even if she cherishes you, she cannot save you under the criticizing voices throughout the realm.”

Tuoba Liuxiu suppressed his rage. “This is my own business.”

“Great King’s son, Her Majesty cherishes you so, yet you don’t appreciate it. Do you think you killing the King of Dai is a bad thing for her?” Yuan Li said. “If Her Majesty only considered gains and losses, she could easily let you kill the King of Dai. A son killing his father is a great evil. When she sends troops in the name of avenging the King of Dai, who in the world wouldn’t praise her?”

“But she didn’t. Instead, she specially sent this humble servant to Xinping City to stop you, to preserve your life and reputation, to prevent you from becoming unacceptable to the world. This care is no less than the affection for clan nephews.”

Tuoba Liuxiu froze.