Xianxia version of Water Margin

…

Under the overwhelming force of the Yuan cavalry, the elite troops of the Jin army were all lost and the defeat was inevitable. Liu Huiniang and Zhang Jun led the elite reserve troops and attacked the Jin army like a tiger descending from the mountain.

Jin Wushu was at a loss. He asked himself why he had done so much.

Was it because the opponent was too strong or he underestimated the enemy?

In order to save the collapsing building and turn the tide, in order to avenge the revenge of his wife being taken away and the hatred of his brother being killed and his family being exterminated, Jin Wushu really took everything into consideration and made sufficient countermeasures.

In theory, he, Jin Wushu, should be able to turn the tide and rebuild the Great Jin.

However, fate did not seem to favor him.

On the battlefield, the mountains and rivers were stained with blood. From the scorching sun to the setting sun, the Yuan army exchanged a glorious victory at a painful price, beheading more than 300,000 Jin soldiers, capturing more than 200,000, and 30,000 Goryeo soldiers surrendered voluntarily.

Although the Yuan army won, Yue Fei had no time to indulge in joy. He knew that the opportunity was fleeting, so he immediately sent Zhang Jun, who had suffered less damage, to lead the rear army to pursue the heart of the Jin Dynasty - Shangjing City, vowing to capture the Jin emperor Wanyan Tan alive and offer him to Jiang Hongfei.

Zhang Jun knew that this trip was of great significance. It was not only related to the glory of the Yuan Empire, but also a great opportunity for him to make achievements. He endured the fatigue and quickly assembled an army of 60,000 to 70,000, chasing the remnants of Jin Wushu like a shadow, vowing to completely defeat them.

Jin Wushu and others who were trapped in the mountains had to flee, like dogs that had lost their homes, and fled in panic. They wanted to return to Shangjing City, and then take their families and flee west overnight...

The Yuan army pressed forward step by step, and the sound of war drums resounded through the sky, foreshadowing the approaching end of the Jin Dynasty.

…

The history of Jin Shangjing Huiningfu can be traced back to the capital of Liao Dynasty, Liao Shangjing Linhuangfu, which is also known as Xilou.

However, what is little known is that the original Jin Shangjing was not located here.

When Wanyan Aguda, the founder of Jin Dynasty, swung his sword to establish Jin Dynasty, he chose the vast land on the left bank of Ash River as the foundation of the new dynasty and gave it the glorious name of Shangjing City.

But Shangjing at that time was just an uncarved wilderness, with Jurchen people scattered among it. There was neither the solidity of city walls nor the splendor of palaces. Wanyan Aguda and the important officials of the court all lived on the vast grassland.

In this uncivilized land, the founders of Jin Dynasty were busy consolidating their regime and fighting everywhere, and had no time to take care of the construction of the capital.

At that time, Jin Shangjing was just a series of simple residential areas named "Emperor Village" and "Prime Minister Village", and its scale and prosperity were far from being formed.

As time went by, the political and military strength of the Jin Dynasty gradually grew. In the later years of Wanyan Aguda, the appearance of Jin Shangjing showed a slight change.

After eight years, the Jin people finally planned the former wild land into Huining Prefecture and officially established it as the Shangjing of the Jin Dynasty.

Although this transformation cannot be called earth-shaking, it also marks the progress of Jin Shangjing from a simple residential area to a real capital.

At this time, Jin Shangjing was surrounded by wooden fences, forming a series of closely connected villages, which not only retained the traditional style of the Jurchens, but also took the initial shape of a capital.

If it continued to develop according to history, when Wanyan Wuqimai took over the baton of imperial power, the territory of the Jin Dynasty further expanded, the Liao Dynasty and the Zhao Song Dynasty successively collapsed, and the Jin Dynasty ushered in an unprecedented military and political peak.

The economic prosperity and cultural prosperity provided a solid material foundation for the construction of Jin Shangjing.

The Jin people would build the real Jin Shangjing in what they called Shangjing Huining Prefecture at that time.

However, the trajectory of history was quietly changed by Jiang Hongfei's sudden appearance. His appearance was like a flash of lightning, severing the Jin Dynasty's dream of completely conquering the Liao Dynasty and even the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Although the Jin people annexed most of the territory of the Liao Kingdom, they failed to touch the territory of the Zhao Song Dynasty, which directly affected the economic foundation of the Jin Dynasty to establish its own independent capital.

Faced with reality, Wanyan Wuqimai had to compromise. He led the Jin nobles to move to Liao Shangjing Linhuangfu and gave it a new name - Jin Shangjing Huiningfu, as the new capital of the Jin Dynasty.

In other words, the Jin Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty achieved the sharing of the capital to a certain extent.

Jin Shangjing Huiningfu, a basin city surrounded by mountains, has unique natural conditions.

The Shahe River winds through the city, bringing abundant water sources, nourishing the vast grasslands and dense reeds, making this place affectionately called Weidian by the Khitan people.

As a nomadic people, the Khitans had an inseparable affection for this land, so they chose this place as an ideal place to build their capital.

Yelu Abaoji even shot a golden arrow at this place, foreshadowing the birth of Longmei Palace. This palace was not only his residence, but also the earliest architectural treasure of Shangjing in the Liao Dynasty.

As time went by, a solid wall was gradually built around Longmei Palace, and the Liao people called it the Imperial Capital.

All these planning and construction were inseparable from the wisdom and contribution of Kang Moji, a Han bureaucrat in Jizhou. He was well versed in the customs and culture of the Khitans, and cleverly divided Shangjing City into two major areas: the Imperial City and the Han City. The Imperial City was located in the north, symbolizing the supremacy of imperial power; the Han City was located in the south, where ordinary people lived. The two were separated by a wall, but closely connected.

In the Imperial City, the streets were crisscrossed and the buildings were lined up.

The Forbidden City where the emperor resides is located in the center of the imperial city, majestic and solemn; to the south of the Forbidden City are the gathering places of government offices, workshops and temples, which together constitute the core area of ​​the imperial city.

In addition, the southeast corner of the imperial city also has Linhuang Prefecture and Linhuang County; the southwest corner is where the Imperial Academy, Changtai County, Chongxiao Temple and Confucius Temple are located.

It is worth mentioning that the statue of Confucius here is dressed in Hu people's clothing, that is, left lapel.

Although the city defense is not as strong as the imperial city, it is full of the hustle and bustle of the market.

Common people live and work here, and merchants from Central Asia and West Asia come here one after another, bringing goods from afar to the end of this grassland Silk Road.

Uighur merchants are particularly active. The special products of Central Asia and West Asia they brought and the tea, wine, grain, salt, iron, silk, porcelain and other commodities from the Central Plains are intertwined and integrated here, promoting economic exchanges and prosperity between the Jin Dynasty and surrounding areas.

At the same time, the influx of a large number of Han people also brought new vitality and opportunities to the Jin Dynasty. They not only brought rich goods and technologies, but also promoted the cultural integration and interaction between the Jin Dynasty and the Central Plains.

Therefore, Shangjing City became a shining pearl on the grassland Silk Road.

Its symbol of international prosperity has made it the focus of world attention. Its glory even made Central Asia, West Asia and even Eastern Europe mistakenly believe that Khitan is China.

The Jin people took over Liao Shangjing and renamed it Jin Shangjing, but almost completely inherited its glorious legacy.

However, now the iron hoof of the Yuan Empire has trampled on this tranquility, and Jin Shangjing has gradually lost its former glory in the war and siege. It will no longer be the glorious end of the Silk Road, the dazzling city on the international stage, and the protagonist in the prosperous times.

…

The news that the Jin army was defeated by the Yuan army in the decisive battle and the Yuan cavalry was rushing towards Jin Shangjing spread like wildfire, and the defense line around Jin Shangjing quickly dissipated like morning mist.

Overnight, the once indestructible Jin defenders evacuated one after another, like birds and beasts, fleeing from all directions, leaving only the remnants led by Jin Wushu, fleeing in panic on the vast northeastern plain, and behind them was the lonely Shangjing City.

At this critical moment, Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan, father and son, as the core of the Jin Dynasty, did not stay out of the matter, but closely watched every subtle change in the war situation.

When the scouts reported the defeat of Jin Wushu, the father and son immediately realized that the fate of the Jin Dynasty was hanging by a thread.

They urgently convened a meeting of the prime ministers. The atmosphere was solemn and urgent, and the topic went straight to the core: Jin Wushu had been defeated, Shangjing City was in danger, where would the Great Jin Dynasty go?

In the hall, the Jin ministers looked at each other, fear and helplessness intertwined on their faces. Only the right prime minister Han Qixian stepped forward and put forward his views in a calm tone: "Your Majesty, in the current situation, it is advisable to value peace, judge the situation, and stop fighting."

He made an in-depth analysis and pointed out that years of war had severely damaged the vitality of the Jin Dynasty, with a declining economy and exhausted military strength. In particular, Jin Wushu's defeat exposed the weakness of the Jin Dynasty. Therefore, only by seeking peace can the peace of the Jin Dynasty be temporarily guaranteed.

Han Qixian further suggested that envoys be sent to the Yuan Empire to express the sincerity of the Jin Kingdom in seeking peace, and recommended several loyal ministers who were originally under Wanyan Zongpan, Wanyan Zongjun and Wanyan Chang. With their prestige and experience, they might be able to gain a glimmer of hope in front of the Yuan Empire. At the same time, he also implicitly pointed out that Jin Wushu's radical policy was the root cause of today's predicament. If he had not arbitrarily killed the ministers who advocated peace, the Jin Kingdom might not have had to go to this step.

However, Han Qixian's peace-seeking theory was not recognized by everyone.

Yuwen Xuzhong stood up, and in an impassioned voice, he advocated that the remaining troops and supplies in Shangjing City should be used to defend the city, rather than easily make peace.

He emphasized that the Jin Kingdom still had tens of thousands of elite troops, sufficient food and grass, and excellent weapons and armor, and was fully capable of fighting the Yuan Army.

He also said that if peace was easily sought, it might repeat the mistakes of the Zhao Song Dynasty and the Goryeo Dynasty, and the royal family and clan of the Jin Kingdom would not be able to escape the disaster.

Yuwen Xuzhong also said that if Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan were determined to fight again, he would be willing to lead the army in person and defend Shangjing City to the death.

Faced with the completely different views of the two important ministers, Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan fell into deep thought.

In the end, they made a compromise decision: on the one hand, they sent Han Qixian as a peace ambassador to the Yuan Empire to try to find a peaceful solution; on the other hand, Yuwen Xuzhong and Wanyan Zongqiang jointly organized the army to strengthen the defense of Shangjing City just in case.

However, this was not the real intention of Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan.

The most ideal way out in their hearts was actually to flee westward.

Although the land of Liaoxi was not a paradise, it was the only feasible safe haven under the current situation.

Although the Jin Kingdom had old grievances with the grassland tribes, these grievances seemed to have become insignificant in the face of the threat of the Yuan Empire.

The key is that there is no way to go in the east, north and south, and only to the west can there be a glimmer of hope.

Wanyan Zonggan and his son Wanyan Tan had already secretly prepared for their escape, and they had prepared everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation. They would set off immediately when the time was right.

This top-secret plan was unknown to anyone except a few close confidants and important officials.

The next day, the morning court bells were still melodious. Wanyan Tan pretended to be calm and announced that he would lead the army in person to boost morale.

However, this was just an empty drama, and the people of the Jin Dynasty knew it well, but no one took it seriously. They knew that the troops in Shangjing were not enough to compete with the Yuan army.

At the same time that Wanyan Tan announced his personal expedition, the escape plan of the Jin Dynasty was in full swing.

Yuwen Xuzhong was urgently appointed as the governor of Shangjing and took on the important task of guarding the city.

This seems to be a trust and reuse of him, but it is actually a sacrifice and abandonment.

And Han Qixian will embark on the journey to the Yuan Empire with the mission of seeking peace.

After receiving the order, Yuwen Xuzhong did not hesitate or complain. He firmly stated: "As long as I am here, Shangjing City will be here; if Shangjing City is unfortunately lost, I will never live in vain!"

This loyalty and determination made Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan, father and son, feel deeply relieved and guilty.

But how can a man who has accomplished great things be so soft-hearted? They encouraged Yuwen Xuzhong and promoted him to Taifu to show their appreciation and comfort Yuwen Xuzhong.

However, when Han Qixian learned that Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan were planning to flee with the Jin royal family, his face suddenly changed and he urgently advised: "Your Majesty and the Grand Master, this move may destroy the Jin Dynasty founded by our ancestors with bloody battles. Please think twice!"

Han Qixian's words were very important, echoing in the empty hall, like a cold wind penetrating the window lattice, making people feel cold. He looked at Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan with a sharp gaze, all of which were heartbroken.

When Wanyan Zonggan heard this, a complex look flashed across his brows. He slowly turned around and his eyes met Han Qixian's, as if he was weighing the weight of this loyal advice.

Afterwards, Wanyan Zonggan said: "Han Xianggong's loyalty is admirable, but the current situation is turbulent and our Jin Dynasty is facing an unprecedented crisis. This is a helpless move, intended to preserve strength and wait for a comeback in the future."

Wanyan Tan stood aside, his young face full of worry and unwillingness. He added softly: "What the Grand Master said is very true. This move may damage the national dignity, but if we can endure the humiliation for a while and exchange it for the Jin Dynasty for thousands of years, it is also worth it."

Han Qixian continued to argue: "Your Majesty and the Grand Master are worried, I naturally understand. But escape Escape is not a long-term solution, and it is easy to lose the support of the people. Why not gather wisdom and work together to devise a good strategy, perhaps to turn danger into safety? "

Seeing that Han Qixian was still stubborn, Wanyan Tan scolded: "I have made up my mind, Han Aiqing just obey my orders."

Han Qixian was a little anxious, and then he said without thinking: "If your majesty and the Grand Master take this step, the Great Jin Dynasty that my Jurchen ancestors paid countless prices to establish may end in three generations. I hope your majesty and the Grand Master will think twice before acting!"

As soon as Han Qixian said this, Wanyan father and son were furious and almost wanted to kill Han Qixian immediately.

At the critical moment, Yuwen Xuzhong stepped forward and argued that killing important officials at this time would cause turmoil, which finally calmed the anger of Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan and did not go to extremes.

Afterwards, Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan gave Yuwen Xuzhong the power to mobilize troops and entrusted him to guard Shangjing, while they set out on the road to seek help, vowing to gather a million strong troops and fight back to rescue Shangjing.

Yuwen Xuzhong tightly grasped the tiger talisman, bowed three times to Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan to show his determination, and then left resolutely with Han Qixian, his back was firm and resolute.

Looking at the figures of the two people going away, Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan felt mixed emotions, but they also knew that time was running out and they had to set off immediately to lead the royal family and clan members to escape from Shangjing...

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