Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 153 The Thrilling Turn of Events for Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi

On the winding mountain road leading from Nanzhao Kingdom to Xijing Kingdom, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli, accompanied by Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi, traveled amidst a group of guards. As the group moved forward, the surrounding mountains and forests were quiet, with only the occasional bird call, yet the underlying tension in the air could not be concealed.

At this moment, Gu Liuli sat in the magnificent carriage, occasionally glancing tenderly through the window at Xiao Jingchuan riding a horse outside.

Xiao Jingchuan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, stood tall and straight, his eyes sharp and keen, constantly watching his surroundings. Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi, meanwhile, were playing and laughing inside the carriage, their innocent laughter echoing throughout.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle shattered the silence, and then a group of bandits emerged like ghosts from the woods on both sides of the road. These bandits were all ragged, with fierce looks on their faces, and the weapons in their hands gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Xiao Jingchuan's expression hardened, and he immediately raised his hand to signal the procession to stop. At the same time, he shouted loudly, "Protect the Empress and the children!" The guards reacted quickly, surrounding the carriage and forming a solid defensive line.

Hearing the noise, Gu Liuli's heart tightened, and she instinctively shielded Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi behind her.

Xiao Nanyao's eyes widened as she gripped Gu Liuli's sleeve tightly. Xiao Nanyi, though somewhat frightened, tried to straighten his body, attempting to appear brave.

The bandit leader was a burly man with a face full of scars. He swaggered forward, holding a large knife, and cackled, "Hey, look at this impressive group. Looks like we're going to make a big score today!"

Xiao Jingchuan's eyes were like an eagle's as he coldly stared at the bandit leader and said in a deep voice, "You bandits, how dare you obstruct my army? Don't you want to live?"

The bandit leader, however, showed no fear. Instead, he laughed loudly, "What king or not, in these mountains, I am the king! If you know what's good for you, leave your valuables and those two brats behind, and I'll spare your lives!"

Upon hearing that they were going to take her and her younger brother away, Xiao Nanyao was terrified and shouted, "We won't go with you! Father, they are bad people!"

Xiao Jingchuan was burning with rage. He gripped the sword at his waist and was about to order his guards to attack when he saw the bandits raise their weapons, ready to fight to the death.

Gu Liuli was worried, knowing that the children might be in danger if war broke out. So she whispered to Xiao Jingchuan, "Your Majesty, please don't act rashly. We can't let the children be put in danger."

Xiao Jingchuan suppressed his anger and, after weighing the pros and cons, refrained from making any rash moves for the time being.

Seeing Xiao Jingchuan and his companions hesitate, the bandits assumed they were afraid and became even more arrogant. Seizing the opportunity, several bandits suddenly rushed towards the carriage from the side, attempting to forcibly abduct Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi.

Gu Liuli was shocked and tried her best to stop him, but was pushed aside by a bandit.

Little Nan Yao and Little Nan Yi screamed in terror and struggled desperately. But they were just children, and were quickly captured by the bandits and tied up with thick hemp ropes.

"Let us go! Let us go!" Xiao Nanyi shouted angrily, his face flushed, tears welling in his eyes. Xiao Nanyao also struggled and twisted, trying to break free of her restraints, calling out, "Father, Mother!"

Seeing his children being kidnapped, Xiao Jingchuan's eyes widened in fury, and he roared, "You bunch of villains, if you dare to harm my children even a little, I will tear you to pieces!"

The bandit leader, however, was unconcerned and laughed triumphantly: "If you want the children, bring gold and silver treasures in exchange! Bring the ransom to Black Wind Ridge in three days, or else you can wait to collect their corpses!" With that, he waved his hand, and the bandits quickly disappeared into the forest with Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi.

Gu Liuli looked in the direction the children had been taken away, tears welling up in her eyes. She gripped Xiao Jingchuan's arm tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "Your Majesty, you must save our children."

Xiao Jingchuan gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with determination: "Don't worry, I will definitely not let the children be harmed, and I will definitely wipe out these bandits in one fell swoop!" Then, he quickly made arrangements, ordering his guards to split into several groups, one to track down the bandits and the other to prepare the ransom. A tense rescue operation was launched.

As Xiao Jingchuan led his guards in a fierce battle against the bandits in an attempt to rescue Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi, the situation inside the cave became increasingly tense.

Although the bandits were intimidated by Xiao Jingchuan's imposing manner, they still put up a stubborn resistance, and the guards were unable to subdue them quickly.

The ropes that had freed Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi were only partially untied, leaving them still trapped. Xiao Nanyi held Xiao Nanyao tightly, his eyes filled with anxiety as he watched his father and the guards fight the bandits. He knew they were not truly out of danger yet.

Just then, a deep and majestic tiger roar suddenly came from outside the cave, the sound causing the rocks inside the cave to fall down in a rustling sound.

Everyone was startled by the sudden roar, and the bandits turned pale, a strong sense of fear rising in their hearts.

"What...what is that sound? Could it be a tiger?" a bandit asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with panic.

"What's the panic! Maybe it's just a bluff. Are we afraid of a beast with so many of us?" the bandit leader shouted, trying to appear calm, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner fear.

Immediately afterwards, two agile figures rushed into the cave like black lightning. They were the parents of the tiger cub that Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi had rescued.

They were enormous, with glossy fur and a chillingly fierce look in their eyes. The tiger cub's father stood at the cave entrance, blocking the bandits' retreat, while the tiger cub's mother ran straight towards Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi.

The bandits' fear reached its peak the moment they saw the two ferocious tigers.

One of the bandits was so frightened his legs went weak, and the knife in his hand clattered to the ground. He muttered to himself, "It's over, it's over, I'm doomed. How could a tiger be here..."

The bandit leader panicked, but he still tried to organize his bandits to resist: "Don't panic! Pick up your weapons and let's fight these two beasts!" However, his voice no longer had the ferocity and domineering spirit of before, but was filled with despair and fear.

When Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi saw the two tigers, they were first stunned, then a surge of hope welled up in their hearts. Xiao Nanyao recognized them and excitedly shouted, "It's the tiger cubs' father and mother! They've come to save us!" Xiao Nanyi also jumped up excitedly. Although he was still bound by ropes, the fear in his eyes had been replaced by joy.

The mother tiger cautiously approached Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi, lowering her head and gently sniffing them, as if confirming their identities.

Little Nan Yao mustered her courage, reached out and gently stroked the tiger's head, saying, "Thank you for coming to save us. We are your child's friends."

The tiger seemed to understand her words, gently rubbing against her hand before biting through the ropes binding them with its sharp teeth.

Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi, now free, immediately hid behind their mother tiger cubs.

At this moment, the situation inside the cave reversed. Xiao Jingchuan and his guards were startled to see the tiger appear, but they quickly realized that it had come to help them.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Jingchuan shouted loudly, "Brothers, these tigers are friends, not enemies. Subdue the bandits with all your might!"

The guards were greatly encouraged and, together with the two tigers, launched an even fiercer attack on the bandits.

The tiger cub's father roared and pounced on the bandit leader who was trying to escape, pinning him to the ground with his massive claws.

The bandit leader screamed in terror, his heart filled with despair. He never imagined that his kidnapping operation, which he thought would bring him a fortune, would encounter such a terrifying opponent as a tiger.

"Spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I'll never do it again!" The bandit leader begged desperately for mercy, his face filled with fear and remorse.