Huangming

Chapter 503 Chongqing Warfare, Diaoyutai

The city gate of Tongyuan Gate slowly opened in the cold wind. There was no questioning as expected, and even the Ming soldiers guarding the city were pitifully few in number.

Only a few old and weak soldiers wrapped in tattered cotton armor huddled under the city gate. When they saw the iron-armored torrent of Yongning soldiers surging in, they were so frightened that they quickly lowered their heads.

As She Chongming rode his tall warhorse, watching his 20,000 cavalry and infantry surge into the city like a tidal wave, the joy that had been suppressed in his heart for more than a decade finally erupted completely.

"Hahaha! That incompetent official Xu Keqiu actually believed my nonsense!"

She Chongming reined in his horse, threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice full of mockery.

In the past, in order to lull Ming Dynasty officials into a false sense of security, he had to dismount and walk on this street every time he came to the Chongqing government office to deliver gifts, and he was not even allowed to look up at the plaque of the government office.

Now, he wears heavy armor, rides a fine steed bought from Mongolia, and is followed by a roaring army. The whole of Chongqing trembles at his feet.

"Fan Long!"

She Chongming suddenly turned his head to look at his son-in-law beside him, his tone suddenly becoming sharp.

"Take three thousand men and immediately take control of the four gates of Chongqing, guarding key locations such as granaries, post stations, and armories, and do not allow a single Ming soldier to leave the city!"

"Zhang Tong!"

He then pointed to another of his subordinates.

"Take five thousand men and take Fotu Pass. That's the gateway to Chongqing. Hold it, and the Ming reinforcements won't be able to get in!"

"The general will obey the order!"

Fan Long and Zhang Tong echoed in unison, their eyes gleaming with the excitement of plunder.

These local soldiers had little military discipline to begin with, and once they entered the city, they began to plunder wantonly.

She Chongming had no time to care about any of that. He spurred his horse toward the government office, followed by his two thousand most elite guards.

He couldn't wait to rush into the government office and personally behead Xu Keqiu.

All the gold and silver jewelry given away and the obsequious words spoken over the years will be taken back today with interest!

But as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the government office, She Chongming's smile froze.

The vermilion gate of the government office was ajar, and when pushed open it made a creaking, decaying sound, as if it had been neglected for a long time.

The bluestone ground inside the courtyard was spotless, and there wasn't even a guard in sight.

"What about people?"

She Chongming dismounted and strode into the main hall.

The desk in the main hall was still there, with several documents spread out on it, and the ink in the inkstone was still wet. But the chairs were empty, and the door to the back hall was also open. The hall was empty, without even a decent piece of furniture left.

They clearly didn't leave in a hurry.

Why did Xu Keqiu leave so quickly?

She Chongming gripped the curved sword at his waist tightly, his brows furrowed.

"Did he already know?"

An ominous premonition crept into his heart like vines. He recalled the smooth entry into the city and the sparse garrison, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

This is not because Xu Keqiu is incompetent; it's more like a deliberately set trap!

"Father-in-law! Something terrible has happened!"

Just then, Fan Long burst in, panting heavily.

"We've captured the four gates of Chongqing, but the garrison is pitifully small, as if they deliberately let us win!"
But the armory was surrounded by Ming troops. We charged three times, but were driven back each time, suffering over a hundred casualties!

"arsenal?"

She Chongming's face instantly darkened, turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

He turned around abruptly, looking at Fan Long with a fierce, clenched voice.

"You're saying Xu Keqiu is in the armory?"

"Nine times out of ten!"

Fan Long nodded.

"The Ming troops over there at the armory are fighting extremely fiercely, using muskets and bows and arrows like they're free. They don't seem like ordinary defenders; it's as if they were prepared all along!"

She Chongming's fingernails dug deeply into his palm, causing him to shudder in pain, but also bringing him completely back to his senses.

Xu Keqiu was not a corrupt official at all; he had been luring him in from the very beginning!

Xu Keqiu's schemes were all part of forcing Qin Liangyu to leave and allowing the Yongning troops to enter the city!

But now, he has no way out.

The news of his rebellion will soon spread throughout the southwest; retreating will mean certain death!
"Even if it's a trap, we have to fight it!"

She Chongming suddenly drew his scimitar.

"Fan Long! Take another ten thousand men and launch a full-scale attack on the armory!"

Even if we have to dismantle the armory, we must find Xu Keqiu!
"If we take Chongqing, Chengdu will be within our grasp. Then the entire Sichuan region will be ours. Why would we be afraid of Xu Keqiu?"

Looking at She Chongming's ferocious face, Fan Long felt a surge of ruthless determination, like a man burning his bridges. He clasped his hands and bowed.

"I'll go right away! This time I'll definitely take down the armory!"

After Fan Long left.

She Chongming stood in the empty main hall of the government office, listening to the shouts of the soldiers, the cries of the people, and the faint sound of muskets coming from the direction of the armory in the distance. He took a deep breath.

From the moment he stepped into Chongqing, he could never go back.

This battle is a fight where either you win and control the southwest, or you lose and are beheaded.

He walked to the desk, swept the documents off the table, and his eyes showed only determination:
"Pass down the order: the entire army is on high alert! Anyone who dares to retreat a single step will be executed!"

the other side.

The area surrounding the Chongqing arsenal had long been transformed into a temporary fortress.

The doors and windows of the houses that originally faced the street were removed, and layers of rammed earth bags were piled up at the base of the walls, with sharpened bamboo splinters stuck in the gaps between the bags.

Several barricades stood across the street, their iron spikes tangled in the wooden frame, gleaming coldly in the lingering snow.

The armory's main brick wall had dozens of firing holes carved into it, behind which the gleaming gun barrels could be vaguely seen. Observation posts were set up on the corner towers, with the sentries staring intently at the streets and alleys in the distance.

A cold wind, carrying the smell of gunpowder, drifted from the alley entrance, and every guard gripped their weapon tightly.

Xu Keqiu stood on the top floor of the corner tower, his hand resting on the cold brickwork, his gaze sweeping across the direction of the prefectural city.

The shouts of battle there were like the rising tide, each wave closer than the last. Thick smoke could be seen rising from the end of the streets and alleys, from the houses that Yongning soldiers had set on fire during their looting.

"Your Majesty was indeed a prophet; that scoundrel She Chongming has finally rebelled."

This attempt to lure the enemy was a scheme orchestrated by the imperial court.

The deliberate act of having Qin Liangyu "show weakness and withdraw" and Xu Keqiu "indulge" She Chongming's entry into the city was all to lure the snake out of its hole and obtain irrefutable evidence of She Chongming's treason.

Once this largest Tusi (chieftain) in southern Sichuan is eliminated, the conversion of Yongning Xuanfu Si (a military administrative division) from Tusi to Liuzhou (another military administrative division) will be a natural progression. At that time, only Anjia in Guizhou will be left isolated and unable to fight, and the situation of Tusi separatism in the southwest can be completely reversed.

But the situation is now more dangerous than he had anticipated.

She Chongming's troops arrived too quickly and fought too fiercely.

"Xiong Tingbi's troops are at Diaoyutai in Hezhou, the General Headquarters of Huguang is in Peizhou, and Qin Liangyu is at Nanping Pass... You'd better hurry over."

Xu Keqiu muttered to himself as a dark mass of figures suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

It was Fan Long's Yongning soldiers who had come to attack.

Fan Long led his rattan shield soldiers at the front, each carrying an old rattan shield soaked in tung oil, with iron plates around the edges to block arrows and withstand sword cuts.

The soldiers wore rattan armor, their trousers tucked into their leggings, and their faces were smeared with dark blue paint, looking like a pack of hungry wolves coming down from the mountain.

Carrying rattan shields, they advanced cautiously, while crossbowmen behind them seized the opportunity to fire their crossbows. Arrows whistled and pierced the brick walls of the armory, scattering fine brick dust.

"Kill! Charge in and seize the weapons!"

Fan Long's roar pierced through the shouts of battle, and the Yongning soldiers rushed forward like madmen, quickly reaching the fortified village converted from civilian houses.

The garrison soldiers guarding the stockade were poorly trained, and the swords and spears they carried were mostly old and rusty. Their armor consisted of only a thin piece of iron on the front. How could they withstand such a fierce attack?
In less than half an incense stick's time, the two outermost fortresses were breached. The garrison soldiers lost their weapons; some fled towards the armory, while others simply knelt down and begged for mercy. Screams and pleas for mercy mingled with the clash of weapons, echoing through the streets and alleys.

"waste!"

Huang Shou-kui stood in front of the armory gate, watching the fleeing soldiers. Enraged, he kicked the armory box next to him, scattering the arrows inside all over the ground.

Although he knew that the garrison troops were weak, he did not expect them to be defeated so quickly.

In less than two hours, the Yongning soldiers arrived at the foot of the armory, and the rattan shield soldiers had already begun to storm the armory gate.

Xu Keqiu panicked. He leaned out and roared at Huang Shoukui:
"Deputy Commander Huang! Hold this position! If we can hold out for three days, reinforcements will arrive! Then, the position of General of Sichuan will be yours!"

These words were like a shot of adrenaline; Huang Shou-kui clenched his fists and turned to roar at the artillery battalion behind him:

"Artillery Battalion! Stand at attention! Flintlock muskets, form ranks! Brembo cannons, aim! Anyone who backs down will be court-martialed!"

The soldiers of the firearms battalion had already formed ranks. The flintlock muskets in their hands were newly made by the Academy of Sciences, with gleaming barrels and a longer range and faster rate of fire than the old-fashioned muskets.

Ten breech-loading cannons were mounted on earthen platforms on both sides of the armory, their muzzles aimed at the surging Yongning soldiers.

At Huang Shou-kui's command, gunfire erupted instantly, and lead bullets rained down on the rattan shield soldiers.

Even though the rattan shield was sturdy, it could not stop flintlock bullets at close range. Some bullets penetrated the rattan shield and hit the soldiers directly in the chest.

Some of the blows grazed the edge of the shields and struck nearby soldiers, instantly felling many of them.

Immediately afterwards, the breech-loading cannons roared, and shells whistled as they crashed into the Yongning troops, filling the air with smoke and dust, and sending flesh and blood flying everywhere.

The once fierce rattan shield soldiers were thrown into chaos. Some dropped their shields and fled, while others were maimed by cannonballs and lost their former ferocity.

Fan Long watched as his soldiers fell in droves, his eyes red with rage, but all he could do was wave his hand and shout:

"Retreat! Retreat first!"

The Yongning soldiers retreated like a tide, leaving behind corpses and broken rattan shields scattered in front of the armory. The smoke of battle gradually dissipated in the cold wind.

Xu Keqiu leaned against the brickwork of the corner tower and let out a long sigh of relief, but the cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his official robes.

That scene just now almost allowed the Yongning soldiers to break through the defense line.

He looked at Huang Shou-kui, his voice tinged with lingering fear: "Fortunately, His Majesty had prepared the firearms battalion in advance... but I wonder how long the ammunition will last." Huang Shou-kui also breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said with a wry smile:

"Rest assured, Governor, the ammunition of the artillery battalion is enough to last for a long time... But if the enemy is fearless, the ammunition may not last long. If reinforcements do not arrive soon, I'm afraid we really won't be able to hold on."

The two looked at each other and saw worry in each other's eyes.

now.

In the direction of the government office.

She Chongming sat behind the sandalwood desk that originally belonged to Xu Keqiu. His face showed no joy at taking over the enemy's territory, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

Outside the window came the clamor of soldiers carrying looted goods; some were carrying silk from ordinary people's homes, while others were carrying silver ingots from the government treasury. But the noise did nothing to alleviate She Chongming's sorrow.

He looked up and glanced at She Yan, who was standing below the hall. He saw that his son's face was pale and his eyes were darting around. Finally, he could not hold back and slammed his hand on the table.

"Why are you panicking?"

Startled by his father's anger, She Yan trembled and quickly bowed, saying:
“Father, it’s not that I’m panicking, but we’ve attacked the armory three times without success. Zhang Tong sent word from Fotu Pass that the Ming army is holding it very well. Our brothers charged twice, but we couldn’t even touch the walls before we had to retreat…”

Xu Keqiu clearly set a trap for us to fall into!

He became more and more anxious as he spoke, and his voice trembled.

"We may appear to have occupied Chongqing, but in reality, we are trapped inside the city."

The armory has firearms, and Fotu Pass is our escape route. Once reinforcements arrive, we'll be sitting ducks!

Our escape route is blocked.

"A way out?"

She Chongming sneered.

"Fotuguan is the throat of Chongqing. If we can't take it, we'll be fighting a desperate battle."

"Xu Keqiu is in the arsenal; without killing him, we cannot claim to have taken Chongqing!"

He turned to look at She Yan, his eyes filled with a ruthless determination.

"Tell Fan Long to send another three thousand rattan shield soldiers to attack the armory. Even if it means filling it up, we must fill it up!"
Tell Zhang Tong to send out all his best crossbowmen; they must take Fotu Pass tonight.

Even if half of them are killed or wounded, we must not retreat!

She Yan was stunned: "Father, this... the price is too high! We have 20,000 troops, and if we attack two places, we will lose half of them. How will we fight against the Ming reinforcements afterwards?"

"Loss?"

She Chongming snorted coldly.

"From the moment we stepped into Chongqing, there was no turning back."

So what if Xu Keqiu sets a trap? So what if the Ming reinforcements arrive?
Right now, we can only rely on ourselves.

However, as if he had thought of something, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly walked up to She Yan, speaking very rapidly:
"Perhaps we also have reinforcements! Quickly! Send an urgent messenger to contact all the chieftains of Wusa, Dongchuan, and Mangbu!"
I, She Chongming, have already taken over Chongqing Prefecture and am going to raise an army to rebel against the Ming Dynasty and restore the power of the Tusi (chieftain) of yesteryear.

The Ming Dynasty now wants to change the native chieftain system to a system of direct imperial administration, to seize their land and strip them of their power. Once we take over the southwest, we'll make them return to the state they were in during the Yuan Dynasty.

Hereditary succession, absolute power over life and death, no more suffering under the whims of officials or paying exorbitant taxes!

He can rely not only on himself, but also on the chieftains who are being suffocated by the Ming Dynasty!
Even the lavish performance's eyes lit up.

How could he have forgotten this?
Which of those chieftains in the southwest wasn't controlled by the Ming Dynasty?
Their resentment towards the Ming Dynasty was no less than theirs.

They simply dared not rebel due to their limited strength.

"Father is wise!"

The performer instantly forgot her panic and bowed in response:
“Those chieftains have been holding back their anger for a long time. As long as we raise the banner of ‘opposing the Ming and restoring the chieftains,’ they will definitely rise up in response!”

"With the combined forces of the southwestern chieftains, even if Ming reinforcements arrive, we can still put up a fight!"

Seeing his son's excited expression, She Chongming finally smiled.

"Send messengers to tell those chieftains that I, She Chongming, keep my word. As long as they come to help us in the war, we will distribute the territory in the southwest according to their merits!"

The messenger quickly prepared horses, and carrying the seal and silk scroll, he slipped out of the west gate of Chongqing under the cover of night and galloped towards the residences of the various chieftains in the southwest.

She Chongming stood at the entrance of the government office, gazing in the direction the messenger had gone, his eyes gleaming.

"Xu Keqiu, Qin Liangyu... do you think you can trap me by setting a trap?"

She Chongming murmured softly.

"Just wait and see. Before long, the entire Southwest will be in chaos. Then we'll see who has the last laugh!"

The battle for Chongqing Fucheng is raging.

The cold wind at Diaoyutai in Hezhou was even stronger than that in Chongqing.

Wearing a black brocade cloak, Xiong Tingbi stood on the highest tower of Diaoyutai, his hand stroking the cold city bricks, his gaze sweeping over the surging Fu River below.

Three days ago, when he led his troops to this place, he was stunned by the magnificent terrain that "controls Jiading to the west, guards Kuifu to the east, rests on Jiange to the north, and overlooks Chongqing to the south." For days, he left only a portion of his soldiers to set up camp, while he himself often came to the city to pay homage to history.

"Yu Jie, with 50,000 exhausted soldiers, resisted the Mongol cavalry at the city gates and managed to maintain peace for 36 years."

In the first year of the Kaiqing era, Möngke Khan personally led an expedition, but failed to conquer it in four months and instead perished here…

Xiong Tingbi murmured softly, his fingertips tracing a broken stele with blurred inscriptions, an old stele recording the war between the Song and Yuan dynasties.

"This Diaoyutai is truly a strategic location that military strategists must contend for!"

Upon hearing this, the strategist Zhou Wenhuan beside him echoed:
“What you say is absolutely right. This city is built against the mountain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is also located near the Fu River. We can advance downstream to take Chongqing, or retreat to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements. If the Mongols had broken through here earlier, the situation of the world would probably be very different.”

Möngke's death brought the Mongol westward expansion to a standstill.

Didn't it also save those Western barbarians in Europe and change the course of world history?

"Let's go see those Heavenly Lakes."

The two were walking along the city wall towards Tianchi Lake, the stone steps under their feet slippery from the accumulated snow.

Tianchi Lake is located on the top of Diaoyutai Mountain. The lake never dries up and is said to have been a reservoir for the Song army. Today, you can still see the stone troughs remaining on the edge of the lake, which are the old traces of water being transported to the city.

Xiong Tingbi bent down and scooped up a handful of pool water. The icy touch traveled from his fingertips to his heart. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense for days because he had not heard any news from She Chongming, suddenly felt a sense of ease.

He had already followed the imperial court's secret order and led 30,000 border troops south, originally to guard against any unrest by the Yongning chieftain. However, due to the lack of news from Chongqing, he could only temporarily stay at Diaoyutai.

"Lord General! Lord General!"

A series of hurried footsteps came from below the stone steps. Zhou Wenhuan looked up sharply and saw a Jinyiwei captain covered in snow, clutching a military report tightly in his arms, stumbling up the steps.

Xiong Tingbi's heart tightened; his previous ease vanished instantly. He straightened up and strode forward to greet the captain.

"But is there news from Chongqing?"

The captain ran up to him, knelt down with a thud, and raised the military newspaper high with both hands.

"My lord! Urgent report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard: She Chongming has rebelled in Chongqing!"

She Chongming had occupied the prefectural city two days prior. The Sichuan governor, Xu Keqiu, and deputy commander-in-chief, Huang Shoukui, led their remaining troops to retreat to the city's armory. The Fotu Pass outside the city was still in Ming hands and was currently under fierce attack by She's troops!

Xiong Tingbi snatched the military report and quickly spread his fingers.

The military report was stamped with the vermilion seal of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The handwriting was messy but each character was clear. It detailed how She Chongming entered the city, how he rebelled, and how Xu Keqiu retreated to the armory.

The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed, and his once relaxed expression was now filled with a chilling murderous aura.

"That She Chongming! He actually dares to openly plot rebellion!"

"I thought he would lie low for a while longer, but I didn't expect him to be so impatient!"

Zhou Wenhuan also came over to read the military report, and his expression changed drastically:

"My lord, Chongqing is a hundred miles from here. If we travel by land, it will probably take five days to get there."

However, if we go down the Fu River, the boats will be fast and we can arrive within ten days!

But... are our ships ready?

"It's all ready!"

Xiong Tingbi turned and walked down the city wall, his cloak fluttering in the cold wind.

"We had already anticipated that She Chongming would rebel. When we arrived in Hezhou three days ago, we ordered our men to moor our warships at the Fushui Wharf, and our provisions and weapons had already been loaded onto the ships!"

He strode down the stone steps and roared at his personal guards who had rushed to the scene: "Pass on my order! The entire army shall immediately break camp, and the warships shall sail south along the Fu River, heading straight for Chongqing Prefecture! Tell all battalion commanders that any delay will be punished according to military law!"

"As ordered!"

The guards responded in unison and turned to run towards the military camp at the foot of the mountain.

In an instant, the sounds of bugles, drums, and soldiers' shouts mingled together at the foot of Diaoyutai, turning the once quiet camp into a frenzy.

Xiong Tingbi stood on the dock, watching the warships slowly sail away from the shore.

Zhou Wenhuan walked to his side and whispered:

"My lord, She Chongming has 20,000 troops and has occupied Chongqing. Although our army has 30,000, we are on a long-distance raid. We must be cautious."

"cautious?"

Xiong Tingbi sneered, his gaze fixed on Chongqing downstream of the Fu River, his eyes full of confidence.

"The chieftains rebelled simply because they thought they could defend their cities because the mountains were high and the emperor was far away!"
"Marching down the Fu River, our army can arrive in ten days. Then, together with Xu Keqiu, General Ma Jiong of Huguang, and Qin Liangyu, we will launch a pincer attack from both sides. Let's see where She Chongming can escape to!"

Xiong Tingbi's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Did He Chongming ask me, Xiong Tingbi, before he wanted to seize the southwest?"

"On this trip to Chongqing, I'll make sure he knows the consequences of treason!"

Before he could even properly govern the nine border regions, His Majesty dragged him to the southwest.

Not only were the soldiers very resentful, but he was also very resentful.

Let's use you, She Chongming, as a punching bag and vent our resentment!
PS:

There are two routes from Xuyong to Chongqing.

The east side is easier to traverse and suitable for military marches; the circled area is a strategically vital location.

(End of this chapter)