Chapter 322: On par with gods

This will be the most difficult winter.

The Northern Expedition suffered a great defeat, the Eastern Palace disappeared, and the central part fell.

Only the Lion Army in the southeast was left, which was attacked by the rebels in the center and the Black Scale Cavalry in the southeast, and was surrounded in Guying City.

They had run out of food and supplies and had lost all contact with the outside world. They were like a small piece of driftwood in the endless cold sea, trapped alone and making their last desperate resistance.

The enemy surrounded the Lion Army tightly, determined to trap them to death in this desolate and silent place, as if waiting to see the last light of the Southern Kingdom go out.

However, cold, disease, hunger... took the lives of soldiers faster than war.

It is almost the coldest time of the twelfth lunar month, and supplies, food, medicine... are all cut off.

The people of Guying City have done their best, and every household has donated food and winter clothes.

But when thrown into a crowd of tens of thousands of people, it was so weak that not even a sound could be heard.

All the edible tree bark, grass roots, and loess blocks around the city were eaten, and all the trees were cut down for heating.

Most of the soldiers of the Lion Army were still wearing their summer combat uniforms. Their thin armor was frozen to a brittle state, as thin as cardboard.

The cold wind kept blowing in through the collar and sleeves, making his limbs stiff and tingling. His fingers lost sensation and could hardly bend, making it difficult for him to hold the sword.

At night, the hungry soldiers gnawed on snow, huddled together in groups of two or three, their armor shivering from the cold, making rustling noises.

At dawn, three or two large pieces of "corpse" frozen together were carried away and buried deep in the frozen soil silently and numbly.

Every dark night is a silent battle that takes away many young lives.

As for the sick and wounded, they had already died in despair as there was no cure.

No one knows how much longer it can last.

All we know is that when the coldest storm passes, the Black Scale Cavalry will come to collect the "human rations".

This time, nothing could give courage to the hungry and cold soldiers.

Everyone placed their last hope on divine power. They prayed day and night, asking God to save them this time.

Amidst countless choked prayers, the storm finally came in the dark night.

Huo Gannian, carrying a large but light package, held Yun Chen's hand and climbed up the hillside in the south of the city.

The wind was howling, making the two of them sway like grass, and every step forward was difficult.

There was a sharp whistling sound in my ears, and white snowflakes were blown up and hit my face, stinging it painfully.

Yun Chen tripped over a stone in the snow and hit his knee hard on the ground.

She subconsciously wanted to scream in pain, but when she opened her mouth, a cold wind blew in, and she almost couldn't breathe.

Huo Gannian bent down his tall but skinny body, patted her shoulders and motioned her to lie down.

The strong wind made it impossible for the two people to speak.

Rarely, Yun Chen did not force himself, but obediently lay on his back, and wrapped his arms, as thin as vines, around his neck.

Maybe it was because the wind was too strong, but when he stood up, he didn't feel her weight at all.

He knew that his Chen'er was almost reaching his limit.

Gritting his teeth, he tried his best to control his legs from shaking and slowly walked towards the top of the mountain.

With each step, the two cold and skinny bodies pressed tightly together. They were blown back by the storm again and again, but they passed through the fierce wind again and again and climbed to the top of the mountain with determination.

She slowly got off his back and hung a dim lantern in front of Hua Jue's grave.

The two first stood in front of Hua Jue's tomb for a while, and then went around to the back of the grave where the wind was less.

He held her in his arms, untied his armor, opened it as wide as possible, and blocked the wind for her.

She was afraid that he would be cold, so she quickly reached out to grab his armor, but her hand missed and she fell straight into his arms, where he grabbed her hands.

In the dim light of the lantern, she saw that his face was pale and his cheeks were deeply sunken. Only his phoenix eyes still shone with stars, and he looked into her eyes with a gentle smile.

"Are you starving?" He mouthed this sentence, then carefully took out a handful of fried rice from his arms and placed it in her palm.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

It's called a small handful, but it's just a dozen or so grains that can be counted at a glance.

But for now, it is extremely precious.

She quickly picked up four or five grains and put them in her mouth, wanting to savor the flavor, but her cheeks and lips were numbed by the winter wind and she couldn't taste anything.

She picked up a few more grains of rice and put them into his mouth.

He ate it, kissed her hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled deeply. He looked extremely tired, as if only in this way could he gain some strength to continue holding on.

As the chief general of the Lion Army and the last hope for victory for the Nan Kingdom, he was more anxious and distressed than anyone else.

But he must never show it.

Standing in front of the soldiers who were thinly dressed and so hungry that they could hardly stand up straight, and looking at the dwindling number of people, he remained calm and steady as a rock, firmly supporting the last belief of the entire army.

Turning his back, he burst into tears several times, choking with sobs and unable to speak.

He stayed in his study day after day, not knowing what he was writing.

Now, Yun Chen finally knew.

Huo Gannian moved his swollen and sore wrist and opened the large and light package. It was filled with his own handwritten letters.

One of them looked like it had water stains on it and was wrinkled.

She looked through the envelopes in surprise and found that all of them had the four big characters "Fuqi Cansheng" written on them.

In the letter, he lamented the situation of the Lion Army, which was now surrounded by enemies, out of ammunition and food, and on the verge of destruction.

Every word was filled with sorrow and tears. He asked whoever found this letter to come to his aid. Even if they brought only a steamed bun or a branch, the Lion Army would be filled with gratitude.

Even though Huo Gannian was standing right in front of him, Yun Chen still felt heartbroken when he saw the sad and desperate prayer.

For the first time, she realized that light words could be so powerful.

"I believe this more than I believe in God." He said this into her ear, then raised his arm and threw a handful of letters into the air.

The storm quickly picked up the letters and rushed them into the dark distance.

Huo Gannian bent down deeply again and again to take the letter from the package, and then stood up again and again to raise his arms high.

His expression was calm and solemn, just like a high priest worshiping heaven.

He placed his hopes on the storm, making his final desperate gamble in this cruel yet romantic way.

Can this almost fantastical method work?

Can we really get in touch with the outside world and get rescued?

Unless there was help from the gods, Yun Chen couldn't imagine that throwing thousands of letters into a storm was like throwing a handful of ants into the sea.

It is estimated that most of the letters would be blown into the hands of the surrounding enemy troops and torn into pieces as a joke.

How lucky would one have to be to have one or two letters successfully pass through the enemy's blockade, without falling into the river, getting caught on a tree, or falling into the mud, but just happen to land intact in the hands of an ordinary citizen of the Nan Country?

Moreover, that person must be literate, not afraid of getting into trouble, and be passionate and willing to lend a helping hand.

Even if that person is willing, how can he deliver a steamed bun or a branch?

What role can a steamed bun, a branch, or an ordinary citizen play in saving the Lion Army?

This hope is so slim that Yun Chen feels extremely discouraged just thinking about it.

But Huo Gannian was extremely determined. He stood tall, as firm as a stone.

The strong wind made his armor tremble, but he stood still, staring into the distance.

"At any time, you can trust the people and rely on the people. This country has never been named 'South', it's named 'the people'."

Yun Chen was shocked.

She seemed to see a bigger storm emerging from Huo Gannian's bones, stirring through her heart and sweeping across the entire world.