Today is the seventh day. The soldiers are starving, yet they still have to face a fierce attack from the Western barbarian troops.
Based on the distance traveled, reinforcements should arrive within the next two days.
However, the information he received indicated that the Western Barbarians' attack on the eastern side had slowed down and their forces had decreased. It was very likely that the Western Barbarians had transferred some of their eastern army to ambush and wait for reinforcements to fall into the pit.
This would slow down the arrival of reinforcements.
If Shacheng can hold out for another two or three days, it will run out of ammunition and food.
If reinforcements don't arrive by then, Sand City will fall.
He was a city garrison commander, and dying on the battlefield was a worthy death, but... You Ran and His Highness the Crown Prince are still alive!
If something happens to them, the Yun family will also suffer!
Don't ask why You Ran ranks ahead of His Highness the Crown Prince in his heart.
He walked up to the city wall and looked down at the surrounding area.
Surprisingly, they saw Yun Tiankuang hiding in a corner, feasting on his meal.
He strode over angrily, shouting, "Third brother!"
Yun Tiankuang swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and laughed, "Second Uncle!"
Yun Zhao was furious, "What kind of time is this to dare to eat and drink so lavishly?!"
Yun Tiankuang was not afraid. "Second Uncle, with Sixth Sister here, there's nothing to fear!"
Yun Zhao was baffled. "You know that Shacheng is out of food, so what does this have to do with You Ran?!"
Yun Tiankuang approached Yun Zhao and whispered, "Second Uncle, you don't know this, but we almost starved to death in Taizhou that year. We were able to eat and stay warm entirely thanks to Sixth Sister."
"What do you mean by that?!" Yun Zhao laughed angrily. "That year was a different year. As long as you had money, you could buy food. How can that be compared to the current situation? Besides, if you can take care of your own family, how can you take care of the entire city's residents and the soldiers defending the city?!"
Yun Tiankuang lowered his voice, "Second Uncle, if you want to get rid of the siege of Shacheng, you can't go wrong by listening to me. Go and ask Sixth Sister for help!"
Yun Zhao expressed disbelief, "Your sixth sister isn't a fairy descended from heaven, how could she conjure up food?"
Yun Tiankuang said mysteriously, "Second Uncle, you really shouldn't disbelieve me, Sixth Sister... carries a granary with her!"
Yun Zhao glared at him, "That's utter nonsense!"
"Really! Otherwise, how could I have dared to eat all the last of my rations?!" Yun Tiankuang patted his belly. "The feeling of being hungry is truly awful!"
He looked down from the city wall and said, "Second Uncle, we rough men can go hungry for days, but those children down below the city wall can't stand being hungry! The clinic has been full these past two days, all because of hunger! The clinic is helpless! If this continues, people will die!"
Yun Zhao sighed, "Tian Kuang, you've been hungry for two days and want a full meal, your second uncle understands. Never mind, go back and rest, your second uncle will go for another walk and take a look."
Yun Tiankuang panicked, "Second Uncle!"
He watched Yun Zhao's departing figure, stomped his foot, and hurriedly returned to the General's Mansion, intending to pull You Ran out. However, the guard at the gate said that she and His Highness the Crown Prince had gone out.
Unbeknownst to him, at that moment, You Ran was standing at the entrance of a clinic.
Chu Heng pulled her out, saying that she had been recuperating for several days and wanted to go out for a walk.
As the two left the general's mansion in their carriage, they could see through the gaps in the curtains that there were more beggars on the street, several of whom were accompanied by children.
The children were crying loudly from hunger.
Passing by a clinic, the sound of weeping was deafening.
The elderly doctor with gray hair sighed as he brought out one adult and three children, saying, "Their illnesses all stem from hunger..."
The mother, holding her youngest child, suddenly squatted down by the roadside and burst into tears, crying, "My son..."
This crying prompted several other children nearby, who were also starving and seeing stars, to burst into tears as well.
The carriage traveled through many places, and the once bustling markets were now reduced to tattered baskets and withered leaves, with even more beggars gathering than before.
You Ran glanced sideways at Chu Heng.
Chu Heng remained expressionless and silent.
Outside the carriage, cries for help, groans, and shouts of beating and cursing filled the air.
After an unknown amount of time, the outside gradually quieted down, and the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Leisurely lifting a corner of the carriage curtain, he discovered that outside was... a temple?
She didn't understand.
Chu Heng suddenly spoke up, "You Ran, save Shacheng, save them. I know you have a way."
You Ran: ? ? ?
Chu Heng continued, "Yuan Bai has told me everything that happened in Taizhou back then. On the other side is an abandoned City God Temple. I'll be waiting for you in the carriage. As long as you produce the grain, I'll have my own explanation. No third person will ever know about your supernatural powers."
You Ran: !!!
She said indignantly, "What's wrong with my senior brother? Why does he tell you everything?!"
Chu Heng wanted to reach out and touch the soft hair standing on end on her head, but he restrained himself and smiled, "You can trust me as much as you trust Yuan Bai. I will never do anything to harm you."
You Ran's gaze instantly settled on his heart.
Chu Heng choked, then said helplessly, "On the cliff, I genuinely wanted to shield you from the arrows, but unfortunately, my luck was just..."
He didn't want to push her off the cliff with him...
You Ran thought of the hot air balloon. Oh well, it wasn't the first time she'd been exposed in front of him. Instead of hiding it, she might as well exchange it for some food; every life saved counted.
She had secretly exchanged some grain a few days earlier and placed it in the general's mansion kitchen, but fearing discovery, she didn't dare take more. She knew a little about the situation of the people outside the city and planned to quietly do good deeds when everyone was truly unable to survive in a few days.
To her surprise, the situation was much more serious than she had imagined.
Thinking of this, she lifted the curtain and prepared to get off the car.
Chu Heng stopped her again, "Wait."
He stared into her eyes. "You Ran, what negative impact will doing such a thing have on you?"
You Ran sat back down and nodded frantically, "Yeah, of course it has an impact!"
Chu Heng's expression turned serious. "What impact will it have?"
You Ran also said seriously, "There's never a free lunch in this world. Everything I offer comes at the cost of my luck points. You said it yourself, my luck is so good, but I lose a little bit for every item I exchange. Oh no, sometimes it's a lot, a lot less luck points!"
Chu Heng was shocked.
With a quick glance and a grin, You Ran asked, "Your Highness, you're so unlucky, it must be because you have too little luck value! If what you said today is true, and I were to take out enough food, my luck value might be deducted and I'd become just as unlucky as you!"
Chu Heng gasped, his heart in turmoil. On one side was his beloved, and on the other were the people and soldiers of the entire city. What should he choose?
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