When the Western Army broke through Fuzhou, Zeng Ying, a general of the mighty battalion under the command of the governor of Sichuan, and Liu Linchang, a political officer of East Sichuan Province, withdrew to Nanchuan County together. The two then parted ways, Liu Linchang continued south, to Banzhou Xuanwei Division and Guizhou to seek the help of Wang Xiang, the general of Banzhou Town, and Pi Xiong, the general of Guizhou, while Zeng Ying led his troops westward into Luzhou Prefecture.

Zeng Ying, who is only 25 years old this year, is a native of Xinghua Prefecture in Fujian, and his father was transferred to become an official, and he also settled down. When the Western Army invaded Sichuan, Chen Shiqi urgently recruited troops and horses, Zeng Ying was loyal, and then scattered his wealth to recruit villagers to respond. Because he was anxious for justice and righteousness on weekdays, he could win the hearts of the people, and quickly pulled up a team of more than 1,000 people, called the "mighty battalion", Chen Shiqi appointed him as the battalion garrison and incorporated it into the standard. On the way to escort Chen Shiqi to Chongqing Mansion, the Weiwu battalion continued to expand, reaching three or four thousand people. The front line was tight, and Chen Shiqi promoted him to a staff general and put him in charge of garrisoning the front line.

The western army marched westward, and the mighty battalion bore the brunt of it, although the three armies fought bravely, the soldiers were newly recruited in the end, and the ranks were unfamiliar, and they fought several battles in a row, and were defeated repeatedly, and Zeng Ying himself was also in danger several times. However, he was not discouraged, and judged that the western army would inevitably invade Luzhou, and after separating from Liu Linchang, he quickly gathered his army and retreated to Hejiang County in the territory of Luzhou through Qijiang County.

In Luzhou Mansion, there were two troops and horses of Luo Yuxin, the commander of Luzhou Guard, and Wang Wanchun, the commander of Luzhou Guard, and recently Chengdu Mansion sent Xu Mingjiao, a general under the governor standard, to lead troops to help, plus Zeng Ying's mighty battalion, a total of four units are the main force of Sichuan soldiers to defend Luzhou Mansion. Su Qiong, the governor of Luzhou Prefecture, originally planned to defend the city of Luzhou with the four divisions, but he did not expect the Western Army to move quickly, Luo Yuxin, Xu Mingjiao and Wang Wanchun only entered the city, and Ma Yuanli, the head of the Western Army's horse steps, forced from the river by boat to cut off the peripheral traffic. As a result, the deployment of the Sichuan troops in Luzhou Prefecture was divided into two, and Zeng Ying, who could not return to the Luzhou Prefecture, could only be stationed in Hejiang County to wait and see the situation.

The Western Army attacked the capital city of Luzhou by land and water, and the waterway Ma Yuanli traced the river to Hejiang County earlier, and the land Xiao cavalry battalion was still on the way - the Western Army entered Sichuan and developed rapidly, so it expanded a horse military camp on the basis of the original elite cavalry battalion - it was bound to pass through Zeng Ying's station. In order to avoid fighting alone and sitting in the sorrowful city, Zeng Ying withdrew from Hejiang County and moved to Qingshan in the northwest of the county. In addition to the Xiaocai battalion in Hejiang County, the Western Army still has the army of Wang Shangli, the head of the Mabu Army, waiting to move, and the situation of Zeng Yingbu, who is sandwiched between the two armies of Ma Yuanli and Wang Shangli of the Western Army, can be described as critical.

Just when Zeng Ying was frowning and even considering retreating south to Banzhou, a light boat suddenly came to visit on the river. At first sight, I realized that the person who came was Zheng Shiqi, the messenger of Zhao Ying. Zeng Ying had previously paid attention to the movements of Zhao Ying's soldiers and horses, and had intended to contact Zhao Ying when he was still in Nanchuan County, but because Chongqing Mansion had fallen too quickly, he could not retreat, so he gave up. Right now, Zheng Shiqi's arrival is like a drowning man touching driftwood, and he has to hug him tightly.

"The sacrifice thief is powerful, and our army is trapped in the cracks, what can I do?" Zeng Ying has thick eyebrows and big eyes, long hair over his chest, and he has a good appearance, but he was cut on the cheek by a soldier of the Western Army in the previous war, and the scar has not disappeared, and he has been stalked by a series of anxious things in recent days, and he is obviously a lot haggard.

"There must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, and evil will not prevail over good, and the thief will be defeated." Zheng Shiqi said, "The thieves want to attack the capital city of Luzhou, and they are afraid that my Zhao battalion soldiers and horses will attack from behind, so they have set up a formation in the east of Hejiang County, intending to block it." ”

Zhang Xianzhong was in Ma Yuanli's army, and he had already gone to Luzhou Fucheng, and the war in Hejiang County was presided over by Wang Shangli. Wang Shangli did not pursue Zeng Ying after forcing him away from Hejiang County, returned to the east of the county, and began to deal with the pursuing soldiers of Zhao Ying.

"I see." Zeng Ying nodded, "No wonder Liu Jinzhong, Jin Tongwu and other thieves suddenly stopped yesterday. "The cavalry battalion of the Western Army is divided into Liu Jinzhong, Jin Tongwu, Guan Youcai, Di Sanpin and four generals, and Liu Jinzhong is the leader. Zeng Ying knew that they were going to Luzhou Mansion to meet Zhang Xianzhong and Ma Yuanli, and he was ready for a fierce battle, but unexpectedly they suddenly stopped patrolling. is still suspicious, Zheng Shiqi explained his doubts, presumably Liu Jinzhong and others improvised to temporarily cooperate with Wang Shangli, planning to repel Zhao Ying first before leaving.

"It is expected that in two days, the war will begin." Zheng Shiqi continued, "At that time, I will need the help of Lord Zeng." ”

Zeng Ying said: "It is our duty to help each other, but there are less than 2,000 people in my department, how can we help?" "The combat effectiveness of his troops is really not strong, and when encountering the battle-hardened Western Army, even with the same strength, it is still at a disadvantage.

Zheng Shiqi said: "Our army has 3,000 people from the division who have set off from the port of Jiangjin County by boat, and they will arrive here in a few days. Lord Zeng doesn't need to be in a hurry here for the time being, wait for the division of our army to join forces first. ”

Zeng Ying listened, frowned and said: "The fleet of 3,000 people is bound to attract the attention of the thieves, even if it goes around to Huiqing Mountain, the thieves in Hejiang County should be on guard, I am afraid it will be difficult to have a surprise effect." ”

Zheng Shiqi replied: "Don't worry, Lord Zeng, this partial division is not a strange soldier, even if it is noticed by the thief, it will not be in the way." ”

"Mr. means ......"

"This partial division and your department are combined, there are 5,000 people, and Lord Zeng's preface is sandwiched between the two armies of the thieves, and on the other hand, for the thieves, didn't Lord Zeng put a wedge in their henchmen? The thief wants to pull out the wedge, and there are only two moves to choose, one move to give up attacking the city of Luzhou, and return to attack this will clear the mountain; One move to capture Fucheng or win the eastern field battle in Hejiang County, so that idle troops can be withdrawn. In my Zhao Ying's opinion, it is more likely that the thief will choose the latter. ”

Zhang Xianzhong's rash two-front battle flaw was caught by Zhao Ying, as Zheng Shiqi said, one part of the Western Army was trapped in Luzhou Fucheng, and the other was trapped in Hejiang County. Compared with the western army of Hejiang County, which faced the pressure of Zhao Ying's troops, the western army in Luzhou Fucheng was undoubtedly easier to withdraw. However, the attack on the capital city of Luzhou has made progress in a few days, and if the main force is mobilized to attack Huiqingshan overnight, many defenders in the city will definitely rise up to counterattack, and it will inevitably fall short. According to Zhang Xianzhong's violent temperament of never suffering losses, it is basically impossible to give up the results of the battle for a trace of worries.

"There are many soldiers in Luzhou Mansion with thick walls, and the thieves are forced to attack, so they may not be able to go down in a hurry." Zeng Ying thought about it, "Hejiang County Field ......"

Zheng Shiqi smiled and said: "This is our army's business." I dare not assert whether the city of Luzhou can be defended or not, but in the field battle of Hejiang County, our army is bound to win! Then he said, "Take 10,000 steps back, and if there is a change, we can also take the ferry to the north shore to retreat." "Zhao Ying's partial division is about to bring boats, and Zeng Ying can get another way to cross the river to the north in addition to going south.

"It turns out that this move is a wonderful move." Zeng Ying muttered, "It can not only distract the thieves before and after, but also cut off the connection between the two sides, and no matter which side of the thieves loses, ......"

"Yes, then this is the graveyard of the thieves." Zheng Shiqi's face was awe-inspiring.

Zeng Ying was relieved and chatted a few more words, and suddenly someone opened the tent and entered. Zheng Shiqi couldn't help but be stunned, it turned out that the person standing in front of him was actually a female general with light armor and high boots and a heroic posture.

"Ahem, don't be surprised Mr. Zheng, this is Neiko." Zeng Ying introduced first, and then turned to the female general and shouted, "Qiong Ying, why is it rude when you don't see Mr. Zheng here." ”

Zeng Ying is suave and graceful, and there are many admirers, but they are not in his eyes. His wife Dong Qiongying was born in a large family in central Sichuan, and her family was very wealthy. The mob in Sichuan "fought five beetles", once besieged the Dong family, Dong Qiongying was in danger, gathered the people to fight back, commanded Ruoding, and became famous for a while. After Zeng Ying learned about it, she asked to marry her, and there were hundreds of Tusi female soldiers in the army, all of whom were wrapped in chest armor and were better than men.

Zheng Shiqi has also heard a lot of legendary deeds of this couple, and it is okay to connect the Tao at the moment, and after seeing Dong Qiongying, he smiled and said: "The chief of our army also has a partner, and the style of the woman is no less than that of his wife." If he sees each other one day, he will surely see each other at first sight. ”

Dong Qiongying smiled like a silver bell and said: "It's really fateful, but I want to recognize a sister." With a straight face, he replied to Zeng Yingdao, "The sentry came to report that Liu Thief suddenly rushed to the vicinity of Hejiang County in the east, for some reason. ”

When Zheng Shiqi heard this, he took a long breath, looked at Zeng Ying, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that the war in the east is about to begin." ”

The autumn breeze blows across the river, and the Zhaoying base camp in Shijiao Town, on the south bank of the northeast river in Hejiang County, has a tense atmosphere. The cool breeze is cold and dew, and Wang Laixing is sitting in the main hall of Qingyuan Palace, the largest building in the town. On his back sits the Qingyuan Palace, which is mainly dedicated to the statue of Li Bingclay who is called the "Great Bodhisattva" and has a meritorious role in controlling the water during the Warring States Period, and the front of Qin Qigong, Tan Hong, Wang Guangying, Zhao Ronggui and other military generals sit in two columns.

"General Manager Qiqi Wang, the thief troops in the west of Hejiang County have decided to return to Hejiang County, and their front Liu Jinzhong and Jin Tongwu have merged with Wang Shangli's department, and Guan Youcai and Di Sanpin are stationed in the rear for defense." There are Tang soldiers to report.

"What is the situation of Wang Shangli's formation?" Wang Laixing turned the cow bone knife in his hand.

"At the forefront, a Yang Wu Department is stationed in Yangshipan. A Yao Zhizhen department is stationed in Bailu Township. Both bands of thieves were around 2,000. To the chair dam facing the river in the back, Liao Yu marked more than 4,000 thieves and soldiers as the back. Wang Shangli's main array was set up in the Wangchang in the northeast of Hejiang County, and the number of thieves was estimated to be more than 8,000. The whereabouts of Liu Jinzhong's subordinates are unknown for the time being. ”

Yangshipan is in the southwest of Shijiao Town, and Bailu Township is in the southeast, which is relatively sandwiched and controls the road leading to Hejiang County. The chair dam is located in the south of these two places, and the Wangchang is located further south, near the county seat.

"Chief, the deployment of the thieves is similar to our expectations, only Liu Jinzhong has hidden traces, probably because he wants to be a surprise soldier." Qin Qigong said in a loud voice, "I will wait for the right and ignore Liu Jinzhong, and attack Yangshipan and Bailu Township first." These two places are very close to our Shijiao Town, even if Liu Jinzhong suddenly appears, our army can support in time, and he will not be able to take advantage. ”

Tan Hong also said: "What Mr. Qin said is very true, our troops have arrived at the front line, and they are just waiting for the order of the commander-in-chief. "At the forefront this time is Santan's troops, with a total of 5,000 troops, commanded by Tan Wen and Tan Yi. Tan Wen attacked Yangshipan, and Tan Yi attacked Bailu Township. This morning, they led their troops to the predetermined position early and waited for the attack.

Qin Qigong looked outside the hall, muttered for a moment and said, "Don't be in a hurry first, it's close to noon now, and then fight after eating." ”

Tan Hong arched his hand and said: "The soldiers have been waiting all morning, their morale is impetuous, if they don't use their lives as soon as possible, they are afraid of being disappointed and depressed." What he said was the truth, Tan Wen and Tan Yi came to ask for instructions on when to act more than once, but they were all suppressed by him.

Wang Laixing pondered and said: "The total number of thieves and soldiers is nearly 20,000, and our army does not have an advantage, this battle is fought slowly, and there is no hurry." He said to Tan Hong, "Let Tan Wen and Tan Yi be patient, and don't act rashly without military orders." "When he commanded a battlefield of this scale for the first time, he couldn't help but be a little timid, and he was inclined to the conservative Qin Qigong.

Tan Hong was helpless, and agreed to sit back.

"Where are the stone soldiers?" Wang Laixing asked Tang Bing. Shi Yan comforted Ma Wannian and did not sit in the hall like the main generals of other troops, but personally led the troops out of the battle.

"It's still in Luo's yard."

Wang Laixing frowned and said, "Why are you still in Luo's courtyard?" When has this been? "The original plan was that the 2,000 stone soldiers who were already stationed in the courtyard of Luo outside the town were going to rush to Ye Ziyan to respond before Er Tan arrived at the position, but now Er Tan has begun to urge to attack, and the stone soldiers have not even moved half an inch, which is really surprising.

"It is said that Master Ma has diarrhea in the morning and is difficult to walk for a while." The scout replied awkwardly.

Wang Laixing was furious, slapped his thigh, and shouted: "This battle is about the lives of thousands of brothers. Hurry up and go to Master Ma, let him enter the army immediately, and he will have diarrhea, and he will also pour on my horse's back! His initial worries really came true, these vassal armies from all over the world were indeed not as effective as their own soldiers and horses, and they couldn't see the clues when they had nothing to do.

Qin Qigong coughed lightly and said to the Tang soldiers: "You just say that Er Tan is in place, let Master Ma enter the army as soon as possible." ”

Tang Bing glanced at Wang Laixing and went to worship. Wang Laixing was anxious and said: "Mr. Qin, the stone soldiers are not moving, and our army's front-line troops are too thin, how can we launch an offensive." If it drags on any longer, when the sun is dark, we will not be able to fight this day, and we will waste a day with all our strength, and the morale of our army will fall! ”

Qin Qigong's face did not change and said: "Don't be in a hurry, the stone soldiers don't move or not, I can't force it." Everything has a back hand, and our army still has two departments in Shijiao Town, Jing and Houying, and Lord Zhao, but one can be sent to make up for it first. ”

Zhao Ronggui listened, took the initiative to stand up and said: "I am willing to go to Ye Ziyan." ”

Wang Guangying, the commander of Jinghe's rear battalion, also said: "My subordinates are willing to go to Ye Ziyan." ”

Before Wang Laixing could decide, suddenly the Tang soldiers rushed over, prostrate on the ground and said: "Chief, the two front-line Tan Wen and Tan Yi have begun to attack the thief position!" ”

As soon as these words came out, the faces of Wang Laixing, Tan Hong and others changed.