ENCHANTING THE EMPEROR

CHAPTER 1-GOODBYE

                    ~~~~🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️~~~~

The weather at the north border had always been harsh, the wind howled fiercely stirring the falling snow in all directions, snowflakes whipping harshly.

Han Yu's expression seemed colder than the weather, lips pursed tightly, his dark eyes were frightening to look into, cold and empty, they looked like death itself.

"Shame on you, daring to betray the country and breaking your oaths, your crimes are punishable by death". A man dressed in black armor standing beside Han Yu yelled, the bandage wrapped around his forehead did not deter his aura, his gaze cold as he glared at the group of kneeling men, they shivered frightened by the vice  general's cold tone.

"General please have mercy, spare our lives we are but ordinary men, our families will have no support if we die". One of the men cried out as he kowtowed despite the chilly snow.

"Spare us, this is unfair we were forced to join the army and now we are regarded as criminals for caring about our own lives, we have served Great Han with loyalty for years, yet you are so eager to send us to the afterlife". One of the men spoke angrily, his glare filled with anger as he stared at Han Yu.

"How dare you speak so rudely to the general, in time of war when your country needs your sacrifice you choose to betray instead, it is Han's disgrace to bear sons like you". The vice general said angrily.

"We were just ordinary farmers before we got dragged into this war, with barely any training we were sent to the frontier to fight against skilled soldiers, even if we knew the risk of trying to escape, we had to do it for it was our only hope of survival". The man was stubborn, he did not shiver even in front of death.

"Your cowardly words won't save you. I shall behead you myself". He unsheathed his sword, the silver blade glistening with a hunger for blood.

"Su Guo". Han Yu's voice was even colder than his looks. "General, don't stop me let me take the life of this disrespectful dog". Su Guo spat, his sword still clutched tightly. Han Yu remained silent but the warning in his gaze froze Su Guo.

Han Yu turned his gaze to the men, even the man who spoke to Su Guo lowered his eyes and didn't dare to hold his gaze, he stared at their thin forms covered with wounds, their skins pale as they shivered from the cold that their thin clothing could not stop.

The situation had become even worse, with the lack of supplies and medical support, the amount of dead kept increasing, giving the soldiers bleak hope, the might of the Feng army seemed to never diminish, and even experienced soldiers had lost hope, not to think of these men who were not soldiers but had been taking away from their ordinary lives to join the war, he was sure that they were not the first group who tired escaping, they had only been unluckily caught.

"General what are your orders". Su Guo asked. "We can't just free them for their crimes". He added.

"Killing them won't make things better, most of the soldiers have already lost motivation and there has been conflict between the two groups of soldiers, killing these men would only intensify the conflict, we can't afford a divided army". Han Yu said, his voice soft enough for only Su Guo to hear.

Neigh

The sound of an approaching horse took their attention, it galloped fiercely towards them, finally stopping a few steps from them, a middle-aged man dressed in a grey robe and wearing a jinxian guan* alighted from the horse.

"Greetings general Han and Vice general Su". He cupped his hands and bowed. "This one brings news from the emperor". He said as he handed Han Yu a scroll.