Chongqing Mansion is the ancient Ba County, because the big river and the Jialing River from the Chaotianmen confluence three folds and the word "Ba" is named. Xiao Ji, the king of Liang Wuling in the Southern Dynasty, placed Chuzhou here, and later changed to Yuzhou in the Sui Dynasty. During the Chongning period of the Northern Song Dynasty, because Zhao Ji was accused of rebellion here, Zhao Ji of Song Huizong changed his name to Yuzhou as Gongzhou to obey the police. In the sixteenth year of Chunxi of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Tuan of Song Xiaozong died, and Zhao Dan, the king of Gong, who was divided here, succeeded to the unification, and then changed its name to Chongqing and has been used to this day.

The city is built on the stone mountain at the intersection of the two rivers, the left and right cliffs are sandwiched, and the east, south and north sides are surrounded by rivers, becoming a natural moat. During the Three Kingdoms, Li Yan, the protector of Shu and Hanzhong, also planned to cut off the ridge below Fotu Pass from the waist to let the river and the Jialing River flow through, so that the city of Chongqing could completely become an island city surrounded by rivers on all sides, but was finally stopped by Yizhou Mu Zhuge Liang on the grounds of moving the leylines. From here, it can also be seen that Chongqing Fucheng has a natural geographical advantage.

Twelve miles and six minutes around the city, the shape resembles the tail of a turtle, the city wall is as high as ten zhang, there are seventeen large and small city gates, nine open and eight closed, take the symbolic meaning of "nine palace gossip". During the Hongwu period of this dynasty, the stone city was rebuilt and built on the ruins of the old city, which was more solid.

In addition to the city itself, the surrounding shape is also precipitous. There is Mao'er Gorge in 80 miles from Fucheng to the big river, the stone wall is towering and pierces the clouds, and the steepness is comparable to Kuimen. There is the Causeway Gorge along the river for twenty miles, and the wall is no less than the Mao'er Gorge. This two gorges are the upper and lower gateways of the Chongqing Fu waterway. There is also the Buddha Tuguan in the west of the city, only the first-line path dug out between the ridges and cliffs communicates with the city, which is the throat of the road. Fotu Pass to the west has more Erlang Pass, ten thousand deep ravines, a door wall opens, and it is the lock and key of Fotu Pass.

Looking at the surroundings of the city, it can be said that there is a pass on top of each other, a gorge after a gorge, which is high and deep, and the city is dangerous.

Zhang Xianzhong had entered Sichuan several times before, but he avoided the city of Chongqing, because he was worried that once he fought, he would be restrained by the Guanxia and it would be difficult to get out. But at the same time, he also collected a lot of relevant information and intelligence, and it can be said that he is well aware of the defense of Chongqing Fucheng and its surroundings. The Western Army was unusual, stationed in Fuzhou for a long time, and it was obvious that it was accumulating strength to capture the capital of Chongqing.

Chen Shiqi, the governor of Sichuan, knew very well in his heart that the strength of troops in central Sichuan was not as good as in the past, and Zhang Xianzhong's current attack would never be as simple as Xiang Nian's wandering in eastern Sichuan to attack and plunder, and his plans would be big. However, in order to open the passage to the hinterland of Sichuan, Chongqing Mansion is an obstacle that Zhang Xianzhong has to face. In other words, for Chen Shiqi, as long as the Chongqing Mansion is kept, the worst result will be that the east of Sichuan will be beaten to pieces. But if the Chongqing Prefecture is lost, it will be difficult to grasp the situation in the entire Sichuan.

As the two main commanders of Zhao Ying's strategy in Sichuan, Wang Laixing and Qin Qigong's general policy was Zhao Dangshi's habitual "driving the tiger and devouring the wolf". The situation in Sichuan is chaotic, and their first task is to add another fire and boil the porridge in Sichuan as much as possible. When the water is clear, there is no fish, and it is good to fish for profit in the mixed water.

In mid-September, the Western Army, which had defeated the Sichuan field troops, continued its march along the river, and soon after captured Changshou County and reached the east of the Causeway Gorge. At the same time, the Zhao battalion arrived in Chungju. According to the original plan, the army will follow the western army to Xudu County after a short rest, so Wang Laixing took advantage of the short rest time in Zhongzhou, on the one hand, asked Zheng Shiqi, the deputy envoy of the commander-in-command of the army, to rush to the nearby Shiqi Xuanfu Division to ask for troops, and on the other hand, gathered a few core members to temporarily hold a secret meeting. In addition to Wang Laixing and Qin Qigong, the only people who participated in the temporary meeting were Deng Longye, Sun Weizheng, and Wang Guangying.

"The strength of the Sichuan Fu Yamen is stretched, Chen Shiqi is very important to defend the land, and with the help of our army, he will definitely not refuse." A few days ago, Zhao Ronggui had asked Qin Qigong to write a letter and send it to Chongqing Fucheng in the starry night, Qin Qigong guessed that Chen Shiqi's attitude was full of confidence, "With our army to help him destroy the thief, his black gauze hat may still be able to keep it." ”

"He was originally an empty shelf in Sichuan, so why not have one more of our army." Wang Laixing smiled, "I guess when the thief is destroyed, he will take the initiative to ask us to help him clean up other thorns." ”

Qin Qigong smiled: "It's possible." "Turn to the right color," but this is all later, the river is erosive, so that the thief can run rampant. As soon as the thief is destroyed, we will support Chen Shiqi and be self-assured, and the matter of Sichuan can be decided. This was the main strategy he had laid down early on, and now it seems that it is just around the corner.

"Although there are a lot of Sichuan soldiers, most of them have low combat effectiveness, and secondly, they are scattered and disorderly, and there are 15,000 people in our army headquarters plus the Tan family brothers and Zhao Ronggui, and no one in Langchuan can be an opponent." Wang Laixing said.

"Suppressing people with power is a common method since ancient times. We have controlled Chen Shiqi, and it is even more justifiable to integrate Sichuan in his name. Qin Qigong stroked his beard, "Speaking of which, the top priority is to destroy the thief as soon as possible." ”

The weakness of the Sichuan army was surprising, and the speed of growth of the Western army was equally unexpected. Qin Qigong continued: "Offering thieves into Sichuan is like a fish in water, almost as if the army was resurrected in Henan, and if it is not stifled as soon as possible, it will become a big disaster." ”

Wang Laixing nodded and said: "Exactly, now the thief is not self-sufficient, and he attacks the city of Chongqing and throws himself into the net, this is the best opportunity to annihilate it." If Lao Zheng can persuade some stone soldiers and horses to help him on this trip, our army will have a better chance of winning. ”

"I wonder what's going on right now?" Wang Guangying suddenly interjected, he remembered that Zhao Dangshi said that when the dust settled, he might send troops to reinforce Sichuan.

"The Shaanxi soldiers and the Chuang army are still holding each other." Qin Qigong has always maintained close correspondence with Huguang, "It is difficult to say whether the winner will be defeated or lost. The lord wants me to wait for everyone to work together to handle the Sichuan affairs, and when the affairs have a result, we will have our own plans. ”

Everyone nodded yes, Wang Laixing suddenly grinned, and deliberately quipped: "Didn't the lord repeatedly remind us to be prepared for danger in times of peace?" You say, if Zhang Xianzhong really takes Chongqing Mansion with divine help, how will our army respond? After saying that, he laughed first.

Qin Qigong shook his head and said: "The topography and repair of Chongqing Fucheng are all the best in the world, which is not comparable to ordinary states and counties. Although the thieves are developing rapidly, they are still far from being able to compete with the intruding army. With the strength of the army, the city of Kaifeng can be trapped for so long, and the thief wants to take the Chongqing Mansion, which is more dangerous and stronger than Kaifeng, perhaps it is really like what the king said, and the gods must help him. ”

"I hope God will bless our army, not help it." Deng Longye, Sun Weizheng and Wang Guangying are all provincial.

Who knew that a few days later, Wang Laixing's unintentional joke turned out to be a prophecy.

First, there was good news. Qin Liangyu, the actual head of the Shi Yan Propaganda Division, was deeply loyal and patriotic, and Zheng Shiqi, who went to the Shi Yan Propaganda Division, seized this point and knew the righteousness. Qin Liangyu discussed with the backbone of the clan, and decided to draw 2,000 soldiers and horses to help in the battle. But there is a premise, that is, to return when the matter is over, that is, to return to Shili after Zhang Xianzhong is pacified.

This Shi Yan soldier is led by Ma Wannian, the eldest grandson of Qin Liangyu and the current Xuan Wei of the Shi Yan Propaganda Division. Ma Wannian was just in his early twenties, he had never fought any battles, and the eastern Sichuan toast was everywhere, fighting against each other, Qin Liangyu had high hopes for him, and he had the intention of giving him the opportunity to sharpen and exercise. In addition, Qin Liangyu's two nephews, Qin Gongming and Qin Zuoming, were also accompanied by the army. Qin Gongming's father Qin Bangping died in the first year of Taichang in the battle of Liaodong Hunhe, Qin Zuoming's father Qin Minping also died in the rebellion of luxury in the fourth year of the Apocalypse.

After meeting with the Shi Yan soldiers, the headquarters of the Zhao camp was a vassal of 17,000 soldiers and horses, and then advanced into Yudu County. Unexpectedly, in late September, when Wang Laixing returned to the city from inspecting the defense inside and outside the county, Qin Qigong was already waiting there, and from Qin Qigong's cloudy face, Wang Laixing knew that something was wrong.

"The city has fallen into the hands of thieves." After Qin Qigong finished speaking, it was as if he had finished a thousand words, and he let out a long breath.

"How could it be ......" Wang Laixing was like being struck by lightning and stood still.

It turned out that six days ago, the Western Army that arrived at Tongluo Gorge took Ma Yuanli as the front and attacked first, but the Sichuan soldiers stationed in it blocked back. After discussing with the generals, Zhang Xianzhong believed that it was not feasible to storm the fortress, even if the storm took the Causeway Gorge, the cost would be great, and after the Causeway Gorge, there were countless strongholds on the periphery of Chongqing, and a large number of troops were consumed in these places, and in the end they might not be able to have the spare strength to conquer Chongqing. In addition, the Western Army had already noticed the soldiers and horses of the Zhao Battalion following behind, so the main generals were unanimous in their opinion, feeling that they must fight quickly and not give the officers and troops a chance to attack in front and rear.

Zhang Xianzhong was always decisive, he ordered Ma Yuanli's army to continue to feint at the Causeway Gorge to attract the attention of the Sichuan soldiers, and he himself led the elite cavalry battalion to force the crossing to the south bank of the Dajiang River in the rear of the narrow bay, and then used the best attack again, galloping 150 miles in a day and night from Daxingchang on the south bank, and went around Jiangjin County in the upper reaches of Chongqing Prefecture, where he quickly defeated a small number of unprepared Sichuan soldiers and captured the fleet. Then non-stop, the troops were divided into two routes, one way Wang Shangli commanded the horse army to cross to Jiangbei again, and along the Degan Dam into the west of Chongqing Mansion Guanxiu Avenue, to the vicinity of Fotu Pass to standby. On the other hand, Zhang Xianzhong personally commanded, took a boat from Jiangjin and went straight down the river to sneak across Mao'er Gorge, and after only half a day, he landed at the Caiyuankou between Chongqing Fucheng and Fotu Pass, and then copied to the two road intersections, cutting off the connection between the officials and troops on both sides.

Fotu Guanchuan soldiers were attacked by the enemy, panicked, and retreated to the city of Chongqing, Zhang Xianzhong took the opportunity to work with Wang Shangli to take Fotu Pass. Fotu Pass is located in the upper reaches of the Causeway Gorge, once it changes hands, the Causeway Gorge will not be able to avoid the retreat. Ma Yuanli took advantage of the situation to attack again and quickly broke through. Zhang Xianzhong, Wang Shangli, and Ma Yuanli met on three roads, and the army gathered smoothly under the city of Chongqing.

Although the city of Chongqing was unusually strong, the carefully arranged outer defense line collapsed in a short period of time, which greatly shocked the Sichuan soldiers in the city. Many generals even pretended to propose to go out of the city to fight against the water, secretly considering the opportunity to flee for their lives. Chen Shiqi saw their ghost thoughts, strictly forbade it, and let the deputy general Bian Xianjue be the main one, guarding the far gate, intending to rely on the strength of the city to defeat the western army.

Zhang Xianzhong began to attack the city after several unsuccessful persuasions, and the first attack on Nanjimen was the first to attack. However, the city of Chongqing is difficult to attack, the city wall of Nanjimen is extremely high, and the city foundation is full of rocks, so it is difficult to use the collapse method to dig tunnels and blast, Ma Yuanli and Wang Shangli respectively commanded the cloud ladder ants to attack several rounds. There are a lot of materials in the city, there are all kinds of equipment to defend the city, and the Sichuan soldiers are fighting with all their might, pouring flints, rolling wood, boiling oil, etc., and the western army is difficult to approach for a while.

Zhang Xianzhong is determined to win the city of Chongqing, and even if he is frustrated, he will not be discouraged. At night, he personally rode around the city wall of the city to reconnoitre, and found soil at the root of the Tongyuan Gate City, which could dig tunnels. Early the next morning, the soldiers were ordered to move. The Sichuan soldiers blocked the Western Army as always, but Zhang Xianzhong was very powerful, gave the death order, no one dared to take half a step back, countless soldiers of the Western Army were on top of the planks, and the front and rear were close to the wall near the Tongyuan Gate, and in just one day, the dead bodies were piled up under the city, like a mountain. After digging for two days, it was dark and cloudy, and the tunnel had been completed, but there was a lack of explosives. Zhang Xianzhong was ingenious, and ordered the soldiers to cut down the big logs nearby, hollow out the center, fill in thousands of catties of gunpowder, wrap them tightly with iron sheets, and make up a total of dozens of tunnels to carry into the roots of the city. At night, the explosion was like a landslide, and flames erupted inside and outside the city.

The soldiers of the Western Army attacked with all their strength in the early morning, and Bian Xianjue, who was guarding the Tongyuan Gate, still did not flinch and fought hard, but the top and bottom of the Tongyuan Gate Tower, which had long been loosened, collapsed at this time, and Bian Xianjue was crushed to death in the ruins of the collapsed corner tower, and the Sichuan soldiers collapsed. The Western Army entered the city, and Chen Shiqi, the governor of Sichuan, Wang Xingjian, the prefect of Chongqing, Wang Xi, the magistrate of Ba County, and Gu Jing, the commander of Chongqing Wei, were wiped out by the Western army. Zhang Xianzhong was so proud that he knelt in the government office with these officials, counted their crimes, and died one by one.

Really calculated, Zhang Xianzhong only took six days from the beginning of the attack on Tongluo Gorge to the final capture of Chongqing Fucheng.

It's no wonder that Wang Laixing was dumbfounded when he heard the news.

"The thief is cunning, I'm afraid I heard about the faction of the Chuang army in Henan, and imitated sending people to preach everywhere, 'But you can kill the official eunuch squire, seal the treasury to wait for the heavenly soldiers, and you will not commit any crimes' Yunyun, I really regard myself as a righteous teacher." The corner of Qin Qigong's mouth smiled bitterly, "There are really foolish people and foolish officials who believe their fallacies, and officials in Jiangjin, Bishan and other counties are afraid of them like tigers, and I heard that many of them are looking forward to the wind and sending money, asking for safety." ”

"The world is unpredictable, the world is ......unpredictable," Wang Laixing, who had just dismounted, said two sentences in a row, suddenly stepped on the horse, and hurriedly greeted, "Mr. Qin, time is not waiting for me, we are too late, hurry up and gather the generals to go to the county government for a while!" ”

Unexpectedly, Qin Qigong walked up two steps, stretched out his hand and grabbed his hand and said: "Slow down, I am here not only about Chongqing Mansion, but also have a major matter to report to you." ”

"What's the matter?" Wang Laixing didn't have a reason, and his heart chuckled.

"The battle in Henan is over."