Chapter 85

In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.

During this half hour, the Xiongnu people launched five consecutive assaults, breaking through two wooden barriers. Although they had not yet achieved a complete victory, the casualties among the Jin army were extremely heavy, with at least a hundred bodies abandoned between the first two barriers.

At this moment, Shi Le let the soldiers rest a little, to conserve their strength for the next battle.

Everyone knew that once they broke through this pass, the land north of Qixian was flat and open, with no terrain that could obstruct the Xiongnu army. With their five thousand troops, they would be like entering a land without people, and advancing straight to the walls of Jinyang would not be difficult.

This army was originally just a secondary force assembled by the Han King Liu Yuan from various subordinate tribes, intended merely to draw the attention of the Jin army. The chieftains leading the troops had never expected any significant results. Moreover, their campaign had started poorly, with the Grand General Qiao Xi being ambushed and killed by the Jin people at night. The next day, the Jin army launched a large-scale attack, causing the entire army to be routed and morale to plummet.

Fortunately, the heavens favored them, and the Jie person Shi Le, who succeeded as the supreme commander, managed to turn the tide. Not only did he advance the front line to Qixian, but now there was even a chance to attack Jinyang! This situation greatly pleased the Xiongnu generals, and at the central command, more than ten chieftains and officers were all beaming with joy.

Liu Bao, the Xiongnu cavalry commander appointed by the Great Chanyu Liu Yuan as the deputy commander of the entire army, led several hundred men from his own tribe, with duties similar to a military supervisor. When the battle situation was unfavorable a few days ago, Liu Bao had no ability to turn the tide, and many of his subordinates were killed by the Jin army. When Shi Le unified the various armies, this group was very uncooperative, considering themselves superior. The various tribal leaders in the army all deeply resented him.

At this moment, Liu Bao looked up to the sky and laughed, extremely pleased: "The Jin army troops stationed at Qishan and Jiefang Mountain must be in a panic now! We will first break through Tuobaigu, then defeat the Jin army at Qishan and Jiefang Mountain, and finally capture Jinyang! Ha ha, Shi Le, what do you think?"

Liu Bao's words clearly had the intention of claiming credit. For days, Shi Le had exhausted his efforts in battle with the Jin people, and only now did he see a chance of victory. Liu Bao, who had shown no performance earlier, was now claiming the future battle results for himself. Shi Le could not help but feel extremely angry. However, he knew that Liu Bao always considered himself a noble Xiongnu, and spoke without restraint. Moreover, since he had joined the Han King Liu Yuan, he had to be somewhat tolerant of these Xiongnu chieftains, so he suppressed his anger.

But Liu Bao continued: "Qiao Xi was brave but lacked strategy, and his military arrangements were often flawed, almost harming all of us. Fortunately, you, Shi Le, reorganized the defeated troops. I will certainly report this achievement to the Great Chanyu and ask him to reward you heavily! Ha ha! Ha ha! I never thought there would be someone like you among the Jie people, ha ha..."

When these words were spoken, Wang Yang, Xie An, Zhi Xiong, Ji Bao, and the others of the "Eighteen Riders" who were with Shi Le immediately changed their expressions. Shi Le was of Jie origin. The Jie people were different from the Xiongnu; they did not engage in nomadism, and most were very poor, with many having to work as laborers to make a living, and some even being sold as slaves to the Han people in Shandong. Therefore, many Xiongnu looked down on the Jie people, calling them "Jie slaves."

When Shi Le was under the command of the Wuhuan chieftain Fulidu, he had several conflicts over this. But at that time, Shi Le was a poor man seeking refuge, living under others' roofs. Now, he personally commanded over a thousand troops and was the supreme commander of the army, his status vastly different from before. This Xiongnu person still dared to be so disrespectful!

Shi Le could no longer hide his displeasure. He pulled the reins and moved forward to look at the Jin army's position.

At this moment, only about two hundred Jin soldiers remained guarding the road, and they looked extremely exhausted. Behind them, a mounted officer was still shouting to boost morale.

From a distance, this person was about seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a very imposing figure. Under his helmet, his forehead was full, his nose high and prominent, and his eyes were bright and spirited. In terms of appearance, he did not look like a general but rather had the air of a handsome young nobleman in a chaotic world.

Shi Le was observing him when the officer suddenly turned his head and looked in this direction. Their eyes met, and Shi Le felt a sharp pain in his eyes, as if he had been struck by a sword. He grunted and pulled his horse back a few steps. The officer ignored him and looked elsewhere. Shi Le then noticed a gray-white scar on the left side of his face, running from his eye to his mouth, giving his handsome face a fierce and strong appearance.

"Brother, what's the matter?" The sound of hooves approached, and Wang Yang, seeing Shi Le suddenly retreat, came to ask.

For some reason, Shi Le suddenly had a sense of danger. He thought for a moment but did not find any obvious flaws, so he shook his head slightly and said to Wang Yang, "I'm fine. This commander of Tuobaigu seems familiar..."

Wang Yang laughed: "How could that be? We were originally fighting in Ji Province and only joined the Great Chanyu this month. When have we seen the soldiers of Bing Province? Brother must be too tired and seeing things."

Shi Le had just mentioned it casually, and since Wang Yang explained it this way, he did not think more about it.

At this moment, Ji Bao came forward from behind and presented a meal: "Brother, we have gathered some food for the soldiers to have a meal. Everyone should eat and drink well before the next battle."

Shi Le and the others had eaten a little when they set out this morning, and they were now extremely hungry. He looked at his own troops, who were all eating heartily, and did not hesitate to eat. He took a coarse earthenware bowl, which was filled with many black lumps. Shi Le thought it was sorghum or mulberries and swallowed a mouthful, but the taste was wrong. After a moment's thought, he almost threw the bowl to the ground: "What... what kind of meat is this?"

This was definitely not animal meat; it was very likely what was called "human jerky"!

Shi Le looked at Ji Bao with shock and suspicion, but saw that Ji Bao remained unperturbed, and he felt disheartened.

For the past two years, there had been continuous disasters in Hebei, and even the Xiongnu Chanyu's court in Lishi had not been spared. The residents resorted to exchanging children for food, and even the cattle and sheep used for grazing were so hungry that they ate each other's hair. The supply of military rations was extremely difficult. This time, with tens of thousands of troops on the offensive, it was certainly unexpected by the Jin army, but to supply the enormous war expenses, every bit of potential of the Xiongnu Han state had been drained. The logistics task of Ji Bao was indeed not easy, and Shi Le knew he could not ask for more.

He sighed deeply and put down the earthenware bowl. Although the Han King Liu Yuan's army was advancing north with great momentum, in reality, he had already put everything on the line, and both human and material resources were at their limit. Therefore, Liu Yuan was even more eager to capture Jinyang, hoping to seize the wealth of northern Bing Province to supply the army. As for Liu Kun, who was defending Jinyang, how much better could he be? The entire Bing Province had been ravaged by war, and the saying "bandits pass like combs, armies pass like sieves" was apt. What could be left besides widespread suffering?

Shi Le frowned deeply, lost in thought, and none of his subordinates dared to disturb him, all waiting quietly.

After a long time, Shi Le leaped up, regaining his confident demeanor. He loudly urged Wang Yang: "Lu Yao, who is stationed at Qishan, is very skilled in warfare. I estimate that reinforcements will arrive by tomorrow at the latest. Wang Yang, you take Huyan Mo, Guo Heilue, Zhang Yue, Kong Tun, and the others to attack personally. You must capture the pass before nightfall! We need to win a decisive victory and show our prowess in front of those Xiongnu people!"

Wang Yang was the leader of the "Eighteen Riders" under Shi Le, having followed him the longest and being the most trusted. He was originally a slave at the Red Dragon Horse Ranch in Ji Province, and in his youth, he learned extraordinary martial arts from a mysterious person. His unique skill with dual long spears was renowned in Hebei. In every major battle, he always led the charge, cutting down generals and capturing flags, making him one of the bravest and most valiant warriors under Shi Le.

In the past, when Shi Le followed the great bandits Gong Shifan and Ji Sang in battles against the imperial general Gou Xi, who was known as the "Butcher," Gou Xi led an army of fifty thousand, with a strict military appearance. The bandits were all terrified, trembling with fear. At that time, only Wang Yang rode out alone, challenging Gou Xi in front of the entire army, and cut down several of Gou Xi's brave generals, reviving the morale of the entire army.

Huyan Mo, Guo Heilue, Zhang Yue, Kong Tun, and the others were also renowned brave warriors in Ji Province. Shi Le, determined to win quickly, ordered them to participate in the attack.

Just as Wang Yang was about to set out, Shi Le suddenly added: "I think this officer has an extraordinary appearance and is not an ordinary person. It would be best to capture him in this battle. If we can persuade him to surrender, he will be a great help in the future."

Wang Yang hesitated: "If Brother has this intention, I will certainly try to capture him with my two spears. However, as a court officer, he is very proud. It might not be easy to make him sincerely submit."

Shi Le smiled: "Why not try? The current court is corrupt and tyrannical, and heroes are rising everywhere. In this chaotic world, who knows if today's bandits will not become tomorrow's rulers and generals? And who knows if today's high officials will not become tomorrow's beggars? If we can persuade him to surrender, it will be like adding wings to a tiger, and we can plan for great things."

Wang Yang nodded, patted the two iron long spears hanging by his saddle, and galloped away with dozens of riders.

******

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