季玖判斷的沒有錯誤，一開始的匈奴軍，是急於求成的，所以頭一個月裡大大小小的攻堅戰，隔兩天就有一場。季玖樂於看到這種局面，如不是知道不可能，他巴不得這些敵軍都傻呵呵的往城牆上撞個頭破血流才好。他的將士，這些年僅長弓手，就練出八千。雖不能個個百步穿楊，但在守城戰中，是長弓手們最大發揮的戰場。更不論長槍兵，特製加長的槍柄，對付攻城的敵人，以一挑十。
所以匈奴一旦停下，季玖就會讓人去騷擾騷擾，希望能引得他們來打。
說到底，這場戰看似他被動守城，事實上最想要打的，還是他。
但隨著仗時拉長，匈奴人也敏銳的嗅到了圈套的味道。硬拼是不划算的，況且，城裡的統帥，不打算與他們硬拼，只想消耗他們。一旦察覺到這點，匈奴軍隊退至五十裡，築營紮寨，再謀戰局。
季玖看著他們撤退，又聽探子們的回報，只皺了皺眉頭，卻什麼也沒說。
軍馬休整著，季玖也暫時無事可做，每天四處晃蕩，一會去馬廄，一會又去了草料場。更過分的，他居然鑽進了草垛，睡了一天。
將領們四處尋覓，都找不見他的身影，只有沈玨嗅著味道，一路找到草料場，又在摞的高高的草垛裡，扒出了睡得死成死沉的大將軍。
沈玨知道他累得很，看著沒事，只是看起來如此而已，眼下的青紫騙不了人。也就持著劍，坐到另一垛草料上，守著他。
季玖睡醒了，就知道沈玨在身邊。眼也沒睜開，扒了扒周圍的草料蓋在自己身上，權當一床被子，而後一動不動。似乎是在發怔，但因為他是閉著眼，所以沈玨也不知道他在想什麼。
良久，才聽季玖問：“申海是什麼來歷？”
沈玨沒想到他會問申海，支支吾吾的，不知道當說不當說。季玖卻眼皮都沒動一下，直接拋出了一個自己推測的答案，“沈家後人？”
沈玨覺得自己腦門上都出了冷汗。抹了一下額頭，沈玨道：“是。”
季玖說：“說來聽聽。”
沈玨就說了。
申海曾祖母，原是伺候沈清軒的丫頭，自從沈清軒與伊墨的事傳出去，另外兩個丫頭就不願意留下來伺候了，覺得醃臢，又怕伊墨是妖，吃她們。原本沈清軒院裡就只留了三個丫頭，照顧他們的飲食起居，這一走，就只剩一個小丫頭，那年才十三歲。丫頭叫清屏，沈清軒說要是害怕她也可以走，去帳房拿十兩銀子回家。清屏卻不願意走，就留了下來。忠心耿耿的伺候著沈清軒，和當時還幼小的沈玨。
後來沈清軒沒了，沈玨被伊墨帶走，丫頭就一個人守著空院子，每天照常打掃收拾。沈玨的叔叔，沈禎回家了，見她忠貞又溫善，長的也算不差，也不在意她年紀大了，將她收了房。清屏成了妾室，生了兩個孩子，都是男孩。
後來沈家遭難，伊墨救了他們，沈家改姓了申。
這申海，就是清屏的曾孫。因為清屏從小伺候沈清軒，所以這裡面許多事，她都是知曉的。雖然沈家沒了，她也常常將這些事當故事，說給自己的兒孫聽，兒孫娶了媳婦，她又說給兒孫媳婦聽。直到七十三歲老死，才不再念叨她曾經伺候過這樣兩個人，一個人，一個妖，都是男子，卻那麼好。
申海自幼就知自己該姓沈，祖上也有風光，所以立誓要為沈家洗冤，光耀門楣。這才萬般施展手段，成了皇帝的心腹謀士。
季玖不言，許久方道：“皇上知道嗎？”
沈玨說：“知道。”
“以後離申海遠點。”季玖說。
“為什麼？”
季玖這才睜開眼，帶著一頭雜草坐起身，一邊收拾著自己，一邊道：“此人心思太重，皇帝用他，卻不會信他，更不會成全他。所以這輩子，他是沒有替沈家沉冤昭雪的可能了。你要有心，就提醒他，讓他後人也入仕，他這輩子完不成的心願，或許皇帝會讓他的後人完成。”
沈玨不答。
季玖見狀就笑了一聲：“你想說什麼？問我為何不幫是不是？實話說，我幫不上他。皇上若是不知道他的底細，我尚且能添些助力，皇上已經知道他接近自己是為洗冤的，我就幫不上了。”
說著季玖站起身，系好斗篷，往軍營方向去了。還有一些話季玖沒說，也不打算說。
要知沈家之所以會滿門抄斬，無外乎，是宮中皇子們爭奪帝位下的犧牲品。而當今聖上，也同樣誕生與皇權的爭奪戰裡。
這是皇帝的心病。皇帝不會為了區區一個申海，就將自己心中癥結擺出來，再一次亮給天下人看。
所以，申海的目的很難達到。但只要他堅持不懈，也許，下一位皇帝，能替沈家平反。
要知當今聖上，只有一位皇子，即太子。
這些事，或許將來皇帝會自己和沈玨說，但那個時候，一定是，帝王動心，肯信賴他了的時候。現在，還不會。
季玖不再操心沈玨的事，沈玨與皇帝的風流韻事，與他有何相干呢？既然兩廂情願，將來如何，聽天由命吧。
冬天還沒過去，城下與城上，攻防雙方大軍對峙。
城下有兵卒叫陣，伴隨著號角助威，破口大駡，罵守城官兵縮頭烏龜，只會躲在城裡，不敢出來殺一場。
城上有兵卒回應，伴隨著擂鼓助威，亦大罵還擊，罵他們言而無信，說過年時進城，到現在還縮在城外不敢進來。
口水仗也是戰，雙方將領都知道兵士需要鼓舞，罵戰也不可小覷。許是知道這是一場惡戰，雙方統帥，都表現的非常心平氣和。
就這麼著，要過年了。
於是城上罵戰的有了新詞，說渴不渴，餓不餓，想不想吃我們漢人的餃子，雞蛋的皮，金燦燦，豬肉大蔥的餡，香噴噴。還有陳年佳釀，喝得那個美啊，一閉眼看到的都是俏娘們。
詞一說完，守城官兵全部笑噴了，有性子活潑的，頓時扯起嗓子來，唱起了葷曲。曲子裡都是哥啊姐啊，俏妹妹，軟姑娘。
年還沒過，他們先歡騰起來了。原先罵戰的只一個人，扯著嗓子上下對罵，後來一個人就壓不住了，城樓上的人都在罵。匈奴人也壓不住脾氣，沖上去十幾個，幫著罵，卻因為不通漢語，罵的都聽不懂，一時間城上城下，都是活蹦亂跳，手舞足蹈。
季玖聽他們罵的熱鬧，走到城樓上去觀“戰”，卻因為在匈奴兩年，聽得懂一些匈奴話，在對方一句咒及先人的話裡，季玖取了自己的鐵弓來，玄黑烏鐵打制，重三十斤。季玖拉開弓，羽箭上弦，眯起眼，飛矢流星般破開氣流，呼嘯一般，穿透那人聒噪不休的咽喉。
旁邊守城將士先是一愣，繼而高聲歡呼起來，先時歡呼聲還亂著，慢慢的整齊劃一，迭聲喊著：威武！
成千上萬的將士一起呼喊，那一瞬，地動山搖！
匈奴軍中罵陣的數十人，匆匆抬著同伴的屍體離去。
匈奴依舊沒有再攻城。
大年三十晚上，季玖運了十幾車酒來，平分給了這幾萬兵士，一人一盞剛剛好，再多就沒有了。
營中的軍士們排著隊，挨個飲了自己的一盞熱酒，季玖又將酒送到了城上，還是每人一盞。從頭到尾，也只有一句話：仗打完了，讓皇帝賞酒，大家喝個夠。但今夜，只能飲一盞。
季玖自己回到屋中，伴著遠處飄來的爆竹聲，取出一支酒葫蘆，裡面是那人送的春酒，四十年的陳釀，以他的酒量，也會醉。
他飲了一口，含在口中，卻沒有急於吞咽，只是含著，將涼酒含到溫熱，才緩緩咽下去。是甘甜的，卻又泛著苦。
他捨不得喝，只飲了兩口，就停下了。
他要留著，直到自己該做的事做完，再痛痛快快醉一場，就可以長醉不醒。
一個冬天的對峙，變成了一場僵局。年後開春，依然如故。
季玖坐在城樓的臺階上，明顯心事重重，沈玨過去詢問，季玖卻沒頭沒腦的說了一句：“不太對。”卻又不說哪裡不太對。
太安靜了。
這樣的安靜不是季玖想要的，也不該是匈奴軍的作風。自古以來，歷朝歷代都有將軍出兵試圖剿伐，卻大多無功而返。因為那是一個遊牧民族，打得過便打，打不過就走。不需要種田養桑，沒有任何拖累。只需有水草肥美之地，就可以闔家遷徙。
季玖一動不動的坐著，不知在想些什麼。
沈玨站了一會，也坐在他的身邊，望著城上將士，等了會道：“將軍想到什麼了？”
季玖說道：“這些年，我們在厲兵秣馬，匈奴人在整頓部族。此次右賢王親征，卻為什麼只有區區六萬兵馬？”說著季玖看向沈玨，認真問他：“不到十萬大軍前來攻城，擺出要入主中原的樣子，你信嗎？”
沈玨很快也想到了，問：“有援軍？”
季玖點點頭：“一定還有兵力，但我們不知道在哪裡。”
沈玨湊到他耳畔問：“我去查？”
季玖搖搖頭：“不用。”
“為何不用？”
“就是知道在哪裡，我們前面有六萬軍馬擋著，如何殺得過去？”季玖淡淡道：“我若是他，就將大量軍馬，埋伏在首軍背後，只等我們大意出擊，他們就可合圍而上。”
季玖說著，自己突然笑了，喃喃道：“我原只是想消耗他們，現在看來，沒有貿然出擊倒是做對了。”
回到營裡，季玖擺開地圖，又改了主意，指著圖對沈玨道：“你沿著這條山脈去查，來回五日足夠……”略頓，季玖道：“若不安全，就立刻返回。”
沈玨笑了一下，沉聲道：“我雖沒什麼本事，這點事卻也難不住我。”說著就匆匆離去了。
五日後沈玨返回，面色凝重，一路沖進季玖營裡，湊到他耳邊道：“埋伏了大約八萬鐵騎，加上城外六萬，共十四萬。”
季玖聞言反而踏實了。匈奴人整頓好了部族，磨刀霍霍就等著這一戰，這一戰勝了，鐵騎入關，關中的富饒便是戰利品，而新即位的大單于的威望就更加如日中天，那些表面降服內裡不服的部落也就踏踏實實跟著單于生死效忠了。所以這一戰，並不是簡單意義上的遊獵。而是真正的關乎到匈奴王廷的興盛榮辱。
“將軍。”沈玨在他身後問：“打還是不打？”
季玖答：“打！”
打是一定要打的，怎麼打卻是個問題。十四萬鐵騎，靈活機動，匈奴兵各個擅馬背騎射，真要迎面對上，季玖怎麼算結果都是自己損兵折將超過對方。
虧本的事，生意人不做，沙場上的將軍更不能做。因為他們手中握的是人命。
又是一個月，春暖花開。
緊閉了數月的城關突然門戶大開，大片黑壓壓的人馬湧出，領頭者一身玄黑鎧甲，端坐在馬上，身後旌旗飄揚，一個大大的“季”字。
元帥親自出城了。匈奴探子連忙返回營地報信。
季玖領精兵三萬，直沖匈奴營地，廝殺一日後大軍往西邊撤退，西屬有一山崗，崗上亂石疊生，樹木稀少，遠觀如鳳凰引頸高歌，又叫鳳鳴崗。季玖帶兵撤退至崗上，夜裡燃起烽火，漫山遍野的火把，燃起來在孤崗上，將夜幕都輝映成了紅色，連繡著“季”字的旌旗都變成了血紅，如魔似幻的景象，仿佛鳳凰涅槃。
季玖站在最高處，俯望著隨自己而來的這些兵士，問：“怕不怕？”
“不怕！”
“糧草可維持一月，此處沒有水源，”季玖挽起唇角：“怕不怕！”
“不怕！”
“他們敢攻上來，就將他們殺回去！”季玖說：“沒有肉，就殺了他們的馬匹充饑，沒有水，就飲他們的血，好不好？！”
“好！”
季玖笑了。
孤軍奮戰是每個將領都不願意面對的局面，因為它通常代表死亡。而季玖就這麼泰然的將自己放進了絕境。
崗下被匈奴軍包圍，他們不斷往上沖，又一次次被弓弩手逼退回去，本來碎石遍佈的山崗就不適宜馬匹奔騰，他們還要面對石縫裡埋設的絆馬索。常常從馬背上掉下來，被弓弩手射成鮮血淋漓的刺蝟。
半個月過去了，崗下屍體成山，被鬆動石塊蹩斷腿的馬匹也日漸增多。
這晚季玖清點人數，出城的三萬人馬，還剩一半。但崗下匈奴軍，卻是他們的兩倍。
兵士們都沉得住氣，只是目光越來越兇狠，泛著嗜血的光。戰爭就是這樣，將人打成了狼。
季玖在等右賢王耶律德厄出兵。那埋伏的八萬鐵騎原先是要來包餃子的，現在，季玖相信耶律德厄在猶豫。
倚著巨石啃著乾糧，將領中有人問他：“要是那個右賢王不出兵怎麼辦？”
季玖答道：“他會出的。”
“為什麼？”
“他丟不起這個人。”季玖笑笑：“耶律德厄是他們的勇士。現在對方統帥就在他百里之外的山崗上，身邊只有一萬多的兵力，而他卻不敢出兵斬殺……這種事傳出去，他會一輩子抬不起頭來。”
“即使明知道是陷阱？”
“即使明知道是陷阱。”季玖說。放下手中硬餅，撥著火堆淡淡道：“戰局進行到這天，已經沒有什麼陰謀詭計了。我們到了鳳鳴崗，陰謀就是陽謀。你擔心他不出兵，其實也是有道理，但是……”
“但是什麼？”
“但是他出兵的可能性太大了，我想不出有什麼更好的理由讓我放棄這次機會。”季玖說。
況且他在這裡，敵方統帥就在百里之外的孤崗上，這個誘惑太大。大到連季玖都深覺，若是換個位置，自己也會冒險的。
戰場上從來沒有穩操勝券的將軍，不論是誰。只要勝敗五五開，就值得一賭，甚至有時候，還要賭那千分之一的機會。每一個將軍都是賭徒。
季玖是，耶律德厄也是。
十天后，耶律德厄出兵了。
八萬鐵騎聯合剩下的四萬多軍隊牢牢地圍住了鳳鳴孤崗，將山崗圍了個水泄不通，所謂十面埋伏，也不過如此。
真正的大戰拉開了血腥的帷幕。
季玖並不需要如何指揮，因為鳳鳴崗上的將士都知道這是生死一戰，任何鬆懈都是致命的，只有以死相搏，讓每一根箭矢都能精准的射入敵人的心臟，每一顆拋下的滾石都能砸到敵人的頭顱，每一柄長槍都要刺透敵人的胸膛。
他們當中絕大多數都是最普通不過的士兵，沒有軍銜，沒有官職，但是這場慘烈的戰鬥中沒有一個人退縮。沒有誰的個人力量能夠對戰局起到傾斜的程度，連季玖都不能，他們都是普通人，護衛國家，如此而已，但全都捨生忘死的將生命的輝煌燃燒到了極致。
因為他們不能退，城中百姓需要他們，家中妻兒需要他們，還有含辛茹苦養育他們長大的爹娘，一切都要他們去保護。
人的生命最大的意義，或許就是，心中有了守護的信念。
修我戈矛，與子同仇！
天微微亮的時候，不遠處傳來了鼓聲。鼓點激烈而昂揚，伴隨著成千上萬的兵士們整齊劃一的腳步聲，仿佛連大地都產生了震動。
正在廝殺的雙方都不約而同的停了下來，他們在這個時候產生了某種默契，轉過身，看向遠處。
四面八方湧來了黑色的軍馬，奔騰著卻又有秩序的朝鳳鳴崗逼近。從東南到西北，將他們圍攏起來的黑色的軍馬如漫天遮蔽的黑羽，在匈奴人眼裡籠罩了一層夢魘。
擂鼓聲依然在繼續，每一個鼓點都仿佛砸在了人們的心尖上，季玖站在高處一塊突出的怪石上，沖著已經攻到山崗中腰的耶律德厄不無嘲諷的一笑，聲音如同鬼魅，宣告著道：
“你輸了！”
伴隨著他的話音落地，戰鼓砸出最後一個尾音，合圍過來的將領中沈玨抽出佩劍，劍鋒指向被他們圍住的匈奴大軍，振臂高呼：殺！
不死不休。
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Ji Jiu’s judgment was correct. The Xiongnu army was eager to achieve success at the beginning, so there was a battle every two days in the first month. Ji Jiu was happy to see this situation. If he didn’t know it was impossible, he would have hoped that these enemy soldiers would stupidly hit their heads against the city walls and bleed. His soldiers have trained 8,000 longbowmen in these years. Although not all of them can shoot through the air, the battle to defend the city is the battlefield where longbowmen can play the most. Not to mention the long spearmen, with specially made extended spear handles, they can fight against ten enemies attacking the city.
So once the Huns stopped, Ji Jiu would send people to harass them , hoping to lure them to attack.
After all, although it seemed that he was passively defending the city in this battle, he was actually the one who wanted to fight the most.
But as the battle dragged on, the Huns also keenly smelled the scent of a trap. It was not worthwhile to fight hard, and the commander in the city did not intend to fight them hard, but only wanted to consume them. Once the Hun army realized this, they retreated 50 miles, set up camp , and then planned the battle.
Ji Jiu watched them retreat and listened to the spies’ report. He just frowned but said nothing.
The horses were resting , and Ji Jiu had nothing to do for the time being. He wandered around every day, sometimes going to the stables, sometimes to the hayfield . What’s more, he even went into the haystack and slept for a whole day.
The generals searched everywhere but couldn’t find him. Only Shen Jue followed the scent and found the hayfield. He dug out the general who was sleeping soundly from a tall haystack.
Shen Jue knew that he was very tired, and he looked fine, but that was just his appearance. The bruises under his eyes could not deceive anyone. So he held his sword, sat on another pile of hay, and watched over him.
When Ji Jiu woke up, he knew Shen Jue was beside him. Without opening his eyes, he gathered the grass around him and covered himself with it, using it as a blanket, and then remained motionless. He seemed to be in a daze, but because he had his eyes closed, Shen Jue didn’t know what he was thinking.
After a long while, Ji Jiu asked, “What is Shen Hai’s origin?"
Shen Jue didn’t expect him to ask Shen Hai, and hesitated, not knowing whether to say it or not. But Ji Jiu didn’t even blink, and directly threw out an answer that he had guessed, “Descendants of the Shen family?"
Shen Jue felt a cold sweat on his forehead. After wiping his forehead, Shen Jue said, “Yes."
Ji Jiu said: “Tell me about it."
Shen Jue said it.
Shen Hai’s great-grandmother was originally a maid who served Shen Qingxuan. Ever since the news of Shen Qingxuan and Yi Mo spread, the other two maids were unwilling to stay and serve. They felt it was dirty and they were afraid that Yi Mo was a demon and would eat them. Originally, there were only three maids left in Shen Qingxuan’s courtyard to take care of their food and daily life. After he left, only one little maid was left. She was only thirteen years old that year. The maid’s name was Qingping. Shen Qingxuan said that if she was afraid, she could leave and go to the accounting office to get ten taels of silver to go home. But Qingping was unwilling to leave and stayed. She served Shen Qingxuan and the young Shen Jue loyally.
Later, Shen Qingxuan died, and Shen Jue was taken away by Yi Mo. The maid was left alone to guard the empty yard, cleaning and tidying up as usual every day. Shen Jue’s uncle, Shen Zhen, came home, and seeing that she was loyal and kind , and not bad looking, he did not care that she was old, and took her in. Qingping became a concubine and gave birth to two children, both boys.
Later, the Shen family encountered difficulties and Yi Mo saved them. The Shen family changed their surname to Shen.
Shen Hai is Qingping’s great-grandson. Because Qingping served Shen Qingxuan since she was a child, she knew many things. Although the Shen family is gone, she often tells these things to her children and grandchildren. When her children and grandchildren get married, she tells them to their wives. Until she died at the age of 73, she stopped talking about the fact that she had served two people like this, one man and one demon, both men, but so good.
Shen Hai knew from a young age that his surname was Shen, and his ancestors were also glorious, so he vowed to clear the Shen family’s name and bring honor to the family. That’s why he used all means to become the emperor’s trusted adviser.
Ji Jiu said nothing for a long time before asking, “Does the emperor know?"
Shen Jue said, “I know.”
“Stay away from Shenhai in the future." Ji Jiu said.
“Why?"
Ji Jiu finally opened his eyes , sat up with a head of weeds, and while tidying himself up, he said, “This man is too thoughtful . The emperor uses him, but he won’t trust him, let alone fulfill his wish. So in this life, he has no chance of redressing the injustice of the Shen family. If you have the heart, remind him and let his descendants also enter the government . The wish that he couldn’t fulfill in this life, perhaps the emperor will let his descendants fulfill it."
Shen Jue didn’t answer.
Seeing this, Ji Jiu laughed and said, “What do you want to say? Are you asking me why I don’t help? To be honest, I can’t help him. If the emperor didn’t know his background, I could still help him. But the emperor already knows that he approached him to clear his name, so I can’t help him."
Ji Jiu stood up, tied his cloak, and headed towards the military camp. There were still some things that Ji Jiu didn’t say, and he didn’t intend to say.
You should know that the reason why the entire Shen family was executed was nothing more than that they were the victims of the struggle for the throne among the princes in the palace. And the current emperor was also born in the struggle for the imperial power.
This is the emperor’s concern. The emperor will not expose the problem in his heart and show it to the world again just for Shen Hai.
Therefore, Shen Hai’s goal is difficult to achieve. But as long as he persists, perhaps the next emperor can vindicate the Shen family.
You should know that the current emperor has only one prince, the crown prince.
Perhaps the emperor will tell Shen Jue about these things in the future, but that will be when the emperor is moved and willing to trust him. Not yet.
Ji Jiu no longer worried about Shen Jue’s affairs. What did Shen Jue’s affair with the emperor have to do with him? Since both parties were willing, what would happen in the future was up to fate.
Winter was not over yet, and the attacking and defending armies were facing each other both below and above the city.
There were soldiers at the foot of the city challenging them, cheering with the sound of trumpets and cursing, calling the officers and soldiers defending the city cowards who would only hide in the city and not dare to come out to fight.
The soldiers on the city responded, beating drums to cheer them on, and also cursed back, saying that they were not trustworthy and that they said they would enter the city during the New Year, but now they were still hiding outside the city and dared not come in.
War of words is also war, and the generals on both sides know that soldiers need encouragement, and war of words should not be underestimated. Perhaps knowing that this is a fierce battle, the commanders of both sides behaved very calmly.
Just like that, the New Year is coming.
So the quarrels on the city walls had new words, asking if they were thirsty, hungry, or wanted to eat our Han Chinese dumplings, with golden egg skins and fragrant pork and green onion fillings. And there were also aged fine wines, which were so delicious to drink that all you could see when you closed your eyes were pretty girls.
As soon as the lyrics were finished, all the soldiers guarding the city burst into laughter . The lively ones immediately raised their voices and sang obscene songs. The songs were full of brothers and sisters , pretty girls, and soft girls.
Before the New Year was over, they were already celebrating. At first, there was only one person who was cursing at the top of his voice, but later he could no longer suppress his temper, and everyone on the tower started cursing. The Huns could no longer suppress their temper, and more than a dozen of them rushed up to help curse, but because they did not speak Chinese, they could not understand the curses. For a while, everyone on and off the city was jumping up and down, dancing with joy.
Ji Jiu listened to their loud cursing and went to the tower to watch the “battle". However, because he had been in the Xiongnu for two years, he could understand some Xiongnu language. When the other party cursed and said something about their ancestors, Ji Jiu took out his own iron bow, which was made of black iron and weighed thirty pounds. Ji Jiu pulled the bow, strung the arrow, squinted his eyes, and the arrow broke through the airflow like a meteor, whistling, and pierced the noisy throat of the man.
The soldiers defending the city nearby were stunned at first, and then cheered loudly. At first the cheers were chaotic , but gradually they became uniform and they shouted repeatedly: Mighty!
Thousands of soldiers shouted together, and at that moment, the earth shook!
Dozens of Xiongnu soldiers who were cursing in the battle line hurriedly carried away the bodies of their companions.
The Huns still did not attack the city again.
On the night of New Year’s Eve, Ji Jiu transported more than a dozen carts of wine and divided it equally among the tens of thousands of soldiers. One cup for each person was just right, and there would be no more.
The soldiers in the camp lined up and drank their own cups of hot wine. Ji Jiu then sent the wine to the city wall, again one cup for each person. From beginning to end, there was only one sentence: After the battle, let the emperor reward you with wine, and everyone can drink as much as they want. But tonight, you can only drink one cup.
Ji Jiu returned to the house by himself, and accompanied by the sound of firecrackers coming from afar, he took out a wine gourd, which contained the spring wine that the man had given him. It was forty years old, and with his alcohol tolerance, he would get drunk.
He took a sip and held it in his mouth, but he didn’t rush to swallow it. He just held it in his mouth until the cold wine was warm, and then slowly swallowed it. It was sweet, but also bitter.
He was reluctant to drink it, so he only took two sips and then stopped.
He wanted to keep it until he had done what he was supposed to do, and then get drunk to his heart’s content and never wake up .
A winter of confrontation turned into a stalemate. After the New Year and the beginning of spring, the situation remained the same.
Ji Jiu was sitting on the steps of the city wall, obviously worried. Shen Jue went over to ask him, but Ji Jiu said something out of the blue: “Something is not right." But he didn’t say what was wrong.
It’s too quiet.
Such silence was not what Ji Jiu wanted, nor was it the style of the Xiongnu army. Since ancient times, generals in every dynasty had sent troops to try to suppress the Xiongnu, but most of them returned empty-handed. Because they were a nomadic people, they would fight if they could win, and leave if they couldn’t. They didn’t need to farm or raise mulberry trees, and there was no burden. As long as there was a place with lush grass and water, they could migrate with their family.
Ji Jiu sat motionless, not knowing what he was thinking about.
Shen Jue stood for a while, then sat beside him, looking at the soldiers on the city wall, and waited for a while before saying, “General, what have you thought of?"
Ji Jiu said, “Over the years, we have been preparing for war, and the Xiongnu have been reorganizing their tribes. Why did the Right Wise King lead the expedition this time with only 60,000 troops?" Ji Jiu looked at Shen Jue and asked him seriously, “With less than 100,000 troops coming to attack the city, they are pretending to take over the Central Plains. Do you believe it?"
Shen Jue soon thought of it and asked, “Are there reinforcements?"
Ji Jiu nodded: “There must be more troops, but we don’t know where they are."
Shen Jue leaned close to his ear and asked, “Shall I go check?"
Ji Jiu shook his head: “No need."
“Why not?"
“Even if we know where it is, there are 60,000 soldiers and horses blocking us in front, how can we kill them?" Ji Jiu said calmly: “If I were him, I would ambush a large number of soldiers and horses behind the main army, and just wait for us to attack carelessly, and then they can surround us."
As Ji Jiu was talking, he suddenly laughed and murmured, “I originally just wanted to consume them. Now it seems that I made the right decision not to attack rashly ."
Back in the camp, Ji Jiu spread out the map and changed his mind. He pointed at the map and said to Shen Jue, “You can check along this mountain range. Five days is enough for a round trip…" After a pause, Ji Jiu said, “If it is not safe, return immediately."
Shen Jue smiled and said in a deep voice: “Although I don’t have any special skills, this matter is not difficult for me." Then he left in a hurry.
Five days later, Shen Jue returned with a serious look on his face. He rushed into Ji Jiu’s camp and whispered in his ear, “There are about 80,000 cavalrymen in ambush, plus the 60,000 outside the city, a total of 140,000."
Ji Jiu felt relieved after hearing this. The Xiongnu people had reorganized their tribes and were waiting for this battle with their swords sharpened. If they won this battle, the cavalry would enter the pass and the riches of Guanzhong would be the spoils of war. The prestige of the newly ascended Great Chanyu would be even higher. Those tribes that surrendered on the surface but were not convinced on the inside would follow the Chanyu and pledge their loyalty to him. Therefore, this battle was not just a simple hunting trip. It was truly related to the prosperity and honor of the Xiongnu royal court.
“General." Shen Jue asked behind him, “Fight or not?"
Ji Jiu replied: “Hit!"
They had to fight, but how to fight was a problem. The 140,000 cavalry were flexible and mobile, and the Xiongnu soldiers were good at horseback riding and shooting. If they really had to face each other head-on, no matter how Ji Jiu calculated, the result would be that he would lose more soldiers and generals than the enemy.
Businessmen don’t do things that will lose money, and generals on the battlefield can’t do it either, because they hold human lives in their hands.
Another month has passed, and spring is here and flowers are blooming.
The city gates that had been tightly closed for months suddenly opened wide, and a large number of soldiers and horses poured out. The leader was dressed in black armor , sitting upright on his horse, with flags fluttering behind him, with a big “Ji" character on it.
The marshal left the city in person. The Hun spies hurried back to the camp to report the news.
Ji Jiu led 30,000 elite soldiers and charged directly into the Xiongnu camp. After a day of fighting, the army retreated to the west. To the west, there was a hill with rocks and few trees. From a distance, it looked like a phoenix singing, so it was also called Fengming Hill. Ji Jiu led his troops to retreat to the hill and lit beacons at night. Torches all over the mountains and fields were lit on the lonely hill, turning the night sky red. Even the flag embroidered with the word “Ji" turned blood red. It was a magical scene, like a phoenix nirvana.
Ji Jiu stood at the highest point, looking down at the soldiers who followed him, and asked, “Are you afraid?"
“Don’t be afraid!”
“The food and grass can last for a month. There is no water here," Ji Jiu raised the corners of his lips: “Are you afraid?"
“Don’t be afraid!”
“If they dare to attack us, we will kill them back!" Ji Jiu said, “If we don’t have meat, we will kill their horses to satisfy our hunger. If we don’t have water, we will drink their blood. Okay?"
“good!"
Ji Jiu smiled.
Fighting alone is a situation that no general wants to face, because it usually means death. But Ji Jiu calmly put himself in a desperate situation.
Surrounded by the Xiongnu army, they kept charging up, but were forced back by archers again and again. The gravel-covered hill was not suitable for horses to gallop, and they had to face the tripwires buried in the cracks of the rocks. They often fell off their horses and were shot by archers into bloody hedgehogs.
Half a month passed, and there was a mountain of corpses at the foot of the hill, and the number of horses whose legs were broken by loose rocks was increasing day by day.
That night, Ji Jiu counted the number of people and found that only half of the 30,000 troops who had left the city were left. However, the Xiongnu army at Gangxia was twice their number.
The soldiers were calm, but their eyes became more and more ferocious, with a bloodthirsty look. War is like this, it turns people into wolves.
Ji Jiu was waiting for the Right Wise King Yelu De’e to send out his troops. The 80,000 cavalrymen who were in ambush were originally here to make trouble, but now, Ji Jiu believed that Yelu De’e was hesitating.
While he was leaning against a huge rock and chewing on his dry food, one of the generals asked him, “What if the Right Wise King doesn’t send out troops?"
Ji Jiu replied: “He will."
“Why?"
“He can’t afford to lose this man." Ji Jiu smiled: “Yelü De’e is their warrior. Now the enemy commander is on a hill a hundred miles away from him, with only more than 10,000 soldiers around him, and he dare not send troops to kill him… If this matter gets out, he will never be able to hold his head up for the rest of his life."
“Even though you knew it was a trap?"
“Even though we know it’s a trap." Ji Jiu said. He put down the biscuit in his hand, poked the fire and said calmly: “The battle has progressed to this day, and there are no more conspiracies. We have arrived at Fengminggang, and the conspiracy is an open conspiracy. You are worried that he will not send troops, which is actually reasonable, but…"
“But what?"
“But the possibility of him sending troops is too high. I can’t think of any better reason for me to give up this opportunity." Ji Jiu said.
Moreover, he was here, and the enemy commander was on a lonely hill a hundred miles away. The temptation was too great. So great that even Ji Jiu felt that if he were in another position, he would also take the risk.
There is no general who is sure of victory on the battlefield, no matter who he is. As long as the odds of winning or losing are 50-50 , it is worth a gamble, and sometimes even a gamble of that one in a thousand chance. Every general is a gambler.
Ji Jiu is, and so is Yelu De’er.
Ten days later, Yelu De’er sent out troops.
The 80,000 cavalrymen joined forces with the remaining 40,000-plus troops to tightly surround Fengming Hill , making it impossible for anyone to escape from the hill. This was what was meant by an ambush from all sides.
The real war began with a bloody curtain.
Ji Jiu did not need to give any commands, because the soldiers on Fengminggang all knew that this was a life-and-death battle. Any slackness would be fatal. Only by fighting to the death could every arrow accurately hit the enemy’s heart, every boulder thrown down could hit the enemy’s head, and every spear could pierce the enemy’s chest.
Most of them were ordinary soldiers, without military ranks or official positions, but no one backed down in this tragic battle. No one’s personal strength could tip the scales in the battle, not even Ji Jiu. They were all ordinary people, protecting the country, nothing more, but they all risked their lives and burned the glory of their lives to the extreme.
Because they cannot retreat, the people in the city need them, their wives and children at home need them, and their parents who have worked hard to raise them need them, and they have to protect everything.
Perhaps the greatest meaning of human life is to have the belief of protection in one’s heart.
I sharpen my spear and sword, to share the same hatred with you!
At daybreak, the sound of drums could be heard not far away. The drum beats were fierce and uplifting, accompanied by the orderly footsteps of thousands of soldiers, and it seemed as if even the earth was shaking.
The two fighting parties stopped at the same time. They had some kind of tacit understanding at this time, turned around and looked into the distance.
Black horses came from all directions, galloping but in an orderly manner towards Fengminggang . From southeast to northwest, the black horses surrounding them were like black feathers covering the sky, casting a nightmare in the eyes of the Huns.
The drumbeats continued, and every beat seemed to hit people’s hearts. Ji Jiu stood on a protruding rock high up, and smiled mockingly at Yelu De’er, who had already attacked the middle of the hill. His voice was like a ghost, and he announced:
“You lose!”
As his words fell, the war drum sounded its last beat. Among the generals who had surrounded the Huns, Shen Jue drew his sword, pointed the tip of the sword at the Hun army they had surrounded, and raised his arms and shouted: Kill!
The fight continues until death.
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