Xianxia version of Water Margin

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After a catastrophe that almost engulfed every inch of Shangjing City except the imperial palace in a sea of ​​blood, Jin Shangjing, the once dazzling international city, is now only desolate and dilapidated.

On both sides of the street, among the ruins, the flames and ashes that have not yet been completely extinguished are intertwined to form a heart-pounding picture.

The charred beams and pillars stand like a silent accusation, and the air is filled with a pungent smell of burning and deep sorrow.

The crying of Jurchen women and children, like the cold wind in the cold night, penetrates people's hearts and makes people unable to escape this cruel reality.

In this dead silence, the once bustling streets have become empty and deserted, with only the patrols of the Jin army that have surrendered to the Yuan Empire shuttling between them. Their figures move quickly between the ruined buildings, carrying out the tasks of maintaining order and rescue.

The Shahe River, the source of life that once nourished the city, is now flowing with bright red blood. The trees along the river have not been spared either, leaving only the charred trunks and dead branches swaying in the wind, telling of the past disasters.

Standing on the city gate, Yuwen Xuzhong witnessed all this, and couldn't help but feel endless emotion in his heart:

"In troubled times, human life is as light as a feather. The words of the ancients are true."

At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the national population dropped by nearly 60%, from 60 million to 25 million.

During the Five Dynasties, the population also dropped by 50%.

The rise of the Mongol Empire in history was an unprecedented catastrophe, with only 20% of the population remaining and 80% of people dying in troubled times.

Every change of dynasty is accompanied by the baptism of war, the sharp decline of population and the regression of civilization.

Yuwen Xuzhong knows that if Jiang Hongfei had not turned the tide in this dispute, not only would Shangjing City never have peace, but more lives would also be involved in this endless killing.

While Yuwen Xuzhong was thinking, a scout came to report that Jin Wushu's cavalry had arrived at the city and the army would soon be at the city.

Yuwen Xuzhong urgently ordered the soldiers and civilians in the city to quickly build a defense line and wait for reinforcements.

The news of Jin Wushu's army's return was like wildfire, sweeping Shangjing City in an instant, and the people in the city were in a state of panic.

However, there was no need for Yuwen Xuzhong to say much, the soldiers and civilians in the city had already taken spontaneous action, and under the leadership of civil and military officials, monks and Taoist priests and respected predecessors, they were engaged in intensive defense preparations.

They built barriers, hung felt tents, installed artillery, arranged crossbows, carried bricks and stones, lit beacons, hung rolling logs and stones, and stored kerosene. Every link was carefully arranged to ensure that nothing could go wrong.

This unity came from a common goal - survival.

This was the biggest gain for Yuwen Xuzhong and his men from killing all the Jurchens, that is, they had invisibly pushed all the residents of Shangjing to the same front.

Everyone knew that if the city fell, Jin Wushu would return and would definitely fight back with blood, and the fate of them and their families would hang in the balance.

Therefore, this was not just a fight for others, but also a fight to protect their own homes and to continue the family bloodline.

At this moment, every corner of Shangjing City was filled with an unyielding will. This was a battle for survival, and everyone was struggling to survive.

In a very short period of time, Yuwen Xuzhong, with his outstanding leadership and strategic vision, quickly mobilized hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Shangjing City to build an indestructible line of defense.

—— He knew the importance of this battle, and did not dare to slack off at all. He made careful arrangements and strived to be foolproof.

Yuwen Xuzhong adopted the innovative "Hundred-step Division Method", dividing the Shangjing City Wall into four major defense zones: east, west, south, and north. Each zone was equipped with more than 12,000 elite troops as the main force, supplemented by well-trained militia teams to form a multi-level defense system.

In order to ensure the command was safe, Yuwen Xuzhong specially ordered a civil and a military general to jointly take charge of the defense zone, and sent trusted military supervisors to ensure that military orders were unimpeded.

As the key node of defense, the city gate was guarded by steady and reliable generals to ensure that every inch of land was guarded.

At the same time, Yuwen Xuzhong quickly integrated the cavalry and infantry in the city, totaling more than 40,000 people, and organized them into five armies, front, back, left, right, and center, with 8,000 elite soldiers in each army, and established a strict command system from command to generals and team leaders.

Yuwen Xuzhong also had a long-term vision and stationed the front army outside Tongjin Gate to closely guard the granary in the city - the more than 400,000 stones of beans and millet were an important target coveted by the Jin army and the cornerstone of the battle to defend the city.

The left, right, and center armies were stationed in the city as strategic reserves, ready to respond to emergencies at any time.

Shangjing City, the capital of the Liao and Jin dynasties, is not only the political, economic, and cultural center of the Northeast region, but also a military stronghold.

The city defense fortifications were already very strong, and Yuwen Xuzhong took them to the extreme.

On the city wall, there was a horse face every sixty or seventy steps. These buildings protruding outside the city wall were like guarding swords, which could cross fire and effectively resist the enemy's attack.

And the warehouses set up every two hundred meters stored various weapons and military supplies, providing a solid material guarantee for the battle to defend the city.

What's more clever is that Yuwen Xuzhong also used the natural barrier of the moat to strengthen the city defense.

—— Elm and willow trees were planted on both sides of the moat, which not only beautified the environment, but also set up many obstacles for the enemy troops attacking the city.

Yuwen Xuzhong also ordered people to set up wooden fences in the river and arrange obstacles such as rolling logs and thunder stones to make it difficult for the enemy to approach the city wall.

As night fell, Jin Wushu led the Jin cavalry to the outside of Shangjing City.

They beat drums to cheer them on, and they seemed to be ready to take down the ancient city in one fell swoop.

However, Yuwen Xuzhong had already anticipated the actions of the Jin army. He personally inspected the defense areas, boosted morale, and prepared for battle.

The Jin army indeed chose to attack at night, and their target was Xuanze Gate.

Dozens of large ships loaded with Jin soldiers were seen approaching the city gate along the moat.

However, Yuwen Xuzhong had already laid a net. He personally commanded two thousand death-defying soldiers to ambush under Guaizi City. When the enemy ships approached, they hooked the ships with long hooks and pulled them to the shore. The soldiers and civilians who had been prepared for a long time immediately threw large stones and sank the enemy ships one by one. At the same time, the wooden fences and rolling logs and thunder stones in the river also played a huge role, hindering the offensive of the Jin army.

After a fierce battle, Jin Wushu finally realized that the defense of Shangjing City was much tighter than he had imagined. He had to give up the idea of ​​forcibly attacking the city, and after sighing to the sky, he called back the troops.

In this battle, the defenders won a great victory, and captured more than 100 Jin soldiers from the boats in the water, which greatly boosted morale.

At this time, a group of black cavalry appeared on the horizon, carrying battle flags fluttering in the wind. They were the reinforcements of the Yuan Empire.

The soldiers and civilians in Shangjing City cheered and were very excited when they saw this, because they knew they were finally saved.

The Yuan army quickly gathered its forces, formed a confrontation with the Jin army, and set up camp in the northeast of Shangjing City.

Seeing this, Yuwen Xuzhong immediately sent people out of the city to report the situation in the city to Zhang Jun, the general of the Yuan army.

Zhang Jun actually knew about the changes in Shangjing City a long time ago and knew the situation well. He immediately assured the soldiers and civilians in the city that he would send troops to defeat the Jin army and liberate Shangjing City tomorrow.

In order to appease the people, Zhang Jun also revealed the news that the army was coming, and said that there were millions of troops behind him led by Yue Fei and others rushing here, and Jin Wushu was in a desperate situation.

After receiving this news, the morale of the army in Shangjing City was greatly stabilized.

The next morning, Jin Wushu was unwilling to give up. He took advantage of the fact that Zhang Jun's troops had just arrived and their foundation was not stable, and the heavy equipment had not yet arrived, and launched a surprise attack, intending to make a quick decision, defeat Zhang Jun's troops, intimidate the soldiers and civilians in Shangjing City, and then demand ransom and family members from the Jin royal family and nobles.

However, Zhang Jun had already seen through Jin Wushu's tricks. When the Jin army came like a tide, he quickly deployed and ordered his troops to line up to meet the enemy.

Generals such as Yang Yizhong, Zhao Mi, and Zhang Zigai led their elite troops and launched a fierce battle with the Jin army.

In order to rescue their captured relatives, the Jin army bravely took the lead and launched a fierce offensive. At one point, they forced the Yuan army to the foot of Gushan, and the situation was precarious.

The fierce general Zhang Zigai was seriously injured in the fierce battle and almost fell off his horse.

At this critical moment, Zhang Jun personally led the reinforcements to arrive in time and turned the tide of the battle.

The two sides fought fiercely from nightfall to dawn, but it was still difficult to tell who was better.

Just as the two sides were in a stalemate, Yuwen Xuzhong sent Gao Hailong and Han Chang to lead the elite Bohai Army and Liaodong Haner Army to quietly leave the city and attack the Jin Army from the flank, giving it a fatal blow.

The Jin Army was immediately in chaos and collapsed.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and there was no hope of rescue, Jin Wushu had to reluctantly order the entire army to retreat westward.

Zhang Jun did not pursue the victory. In his opinion, these defeated soldiers who had lost their fighting spirit were no longer a concern. The top priority was to stabilize the situation in Shangjing City and consolidate the fruits of victory.

Afterwards, Yuwen Xuzhong and others opened the city gates to welcome Zhang Jun's Yuan Army to Shangjing City.

Zhang Jun showed extraordinary courage and wisdom. He led only 3,000 guards into the city, and the rest of the army was stationed outside the city to avoid causing panic among the soldiers and civilians in the city.

This move really worked. Seeing this, the soldiers and civilians in Shangjing City felt relieved and expressed their welcome and gratitude to the Yuan army.

Under the mediation of Yuwen Xuzhong, the Jin army in the city took the initiative to withdraw, handed over the defense of Shangjing City to Zhang Jun's guards, and accepted Zhang Jun's reorganization.

The two sides completed the handover of Shangjing City in a relatively peaceful way, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed.

After the handover ceremony, Zhang Jun discussed the follow-up matters with Yuwen Xuzhong, Han Qixian and others.

They all agreed that all the royal family and nobles of the Jin Kingdom should be escorted to Helan Road, and then sent to Yuan Dadu by sea, and handed over to Jiang Hongfei for disposal.

This move was not only a great achievement, but also eliminated a potential threat-as long as these people were in the hands of the Yuan Empire, Jin Wushu would not dare to attack easily.

This proposal was quickly supported by Yue Fei and other generals in the rear.

So, under Zhang Jun's careful arrangement, Tian Shizhong led 30,000 elite soldiers, escorting Wanyan Zonggan, Wanyan Tan and his son, as well as members of the royal family and nobles of the Jin Dynasty, and embarked on the journey to Helan Road.

At the same time, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue who arrived with the second batch of the Yuan army were also busy counting the gold and silver treasures of the Jin Dynasty, preparing to transport them to Yuan Dadu.

Half a month later, Wanyan Tan and more than 15,000 members of the royal family and nobles of the Jin Dynasty were successfully escorted to Yanjing City.

Looking back at history, when the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Northern Song Dynasty, it had carried out inhumane humiliation and persecution against the royal family and clan members of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Those innocent women, whether they were imperial concubines or princesses, failed to escape the humiliation and slaughter of the Jin soldiers.

As the last emperor of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Yanxi's fate was even more outrageous - he was chased by the Jin soldiers and fled into the desert like a stray dog, and was eventually killed, with no trace of his body left.

The daughters of the Liao royal family and clan were also not spared, and most of them suffered the same fate.

Knowing all this, Jiang Hongfei felt no guilt or uneasiness about the tragedy of the fall of the Jin Dynasty.

In Jiang Hongfei's view, this was the retribution that the Jurchens deserved.

The key point is that as a wise ruler, Jiang Hongfei should not only consider the revenge and victory in front of him, but also the future and stability of the country.

Therefore, Jiang Hongfei did not humiliate the royal family and nobles of the Jin Dynasty as the Jin people did to the Zhao Song royal family.

On the contrary, he ordered all male members of the royal family and nobles of the Jin Dynasty, including Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Tan, to be imprisoned in Wanguo City for life; and the female members were taken into his harem.

So far, the once glorious Jin Dynasty - a huge empire that lasted for 22 years and three generations of emperors, finally came to its end.

Jiang Hongfei immediately ordered the adjustment of the administrative divisions of Shangjingcheng: the former Shangjingcheng Road of the Jin Dynasty was renamed Beining Road; Shangjingcheng was renamed Beining City and set as the capital of Beining Road; Yuwen Xuzhong was appointed as the prefect of Beining, Han Qixian was appointed as the judge of Beining, and Gao Qingyi was appointed as the deputy prefect of Beining; and the three were ordered to restore the stability and order of Beining Road as soon as possible; at the same time, they cooperated with the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Households and other departments to establish a railway network fully connected with the Yuan Empire; and jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Households to carry out large-scale farming and reclamation activities on the black soil...

However, all this was just a temporary layout.

Jiang Hongfei was well aware of the vastness and important strategic position of Beining Road - it covered most of Heilongjiang and part of Jilin in later generations and even the entire Far East; its vast area and rich resources were astonishing.

Therefore, Jiang Hongfei had already secretly planned how to further divide and govern this land to ensure the long-term interests and stability of the Yuan Empire.

At the same time, Jiang Hongfei also sent Zhao Li to the northeast region to be responsible for the reorganization and teaching of all surrendered troops - whether it was the Khitan army that surrendered previously or the Jin army that surrendered later, they were all included in the scope of reorganization.

Zhao Li successfully dispersed these surrendered troops into various military regions of the Yuan Empire with his outstanding military talents and rich combat experience; he not only weakened their strength but also strengthened the overall strength and defense capabilities of the empire...

Li Yanxian was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Beining Military Region, and Yao Youzhong was appointed as the supervisor. The two of them, along with another general, took on the mission and vowed to quickly quell the rebellion in Beining Road and end the situation of war in the northeast.

Jiang Hongfei issued strict instructions to Yue Fei, Li Yanxian, and Zhao Li, and they must hunt down Jin Wushu, Wanyan Chang and other remnants of the Jin Kingdom, and strive to eradicate future troubles.

At the same time, the Yuan Empire sent a group of experienced envoys, including Ma Zhi and Ma Kuo, to travel across thousands of mountains and rivers to visit Xixia, Tubo, Mengwu, Kumo Xi and many tribes, including more than 50 tribes such as Tieli, Wuer, and Wugu, as well as six tribes separated from Zubu, including the Wulanggai, Xiajiasi, Menggu, Meiliji, and Nianbagge, and the Sukunna tribe in the east of Wugu Mountain, telling them: Those who follow me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish!

Undoubtedly, Jiang Hongfei, who is about to unify the Northeast, began to show his domineering side...

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