Xianxia version of Water Margin

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In the vast land of western Liaoning, the winding Hetao is dotted with stars. Looking down from the sky, they are like the delicate veins on the skin of the earth, intricate and varied in width, interweaving into a vivid natural picture.

On this land, the exposed gravel on the riverbed, the tough weeds on the shore, the wild flowers dotted in between, the occasional raging floods and the silted soil together constitute the unique ecological landscape of the Hetao in western Liaoning.

The Liaoxi Corridor, a narrow strip of land with its back against the mountains and facing the sea, has become an indispensable throat connecting the inside and outside of Yuguan (i.e. Shanhaiguan) with its undulating hills and steep terrain.

Since ancient times, whether it is the grandeur of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the glory of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, or the vicissitudes of modern times, the Liaoxi Corridor has always been a strategic location that military strategists must fight for. Countless heroes have left legendary stories here. From the first time that the Central Plains forces in the pre-Qin period passed through this place to penetrate into the Northeast and implement effective rule, to King Zhao of Yan sending General Qin Kai to conquer the east and west along the corridor to expand the territory, all of them highlight the important position of the Liaoxi Corridor.

The conquest of the Donghu and Jizi Joseon by the State of Yan not only established counties for the State of Yan in the Northeast, but also marked the first deep integration of the Central Plains civilization and the Northeast culture.

Since then, as the wheel of history rolled forward, the rise of aristocratic families in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the turmoil in the Central Plains in the late Western Jin Dynasty, the Liaoxi Corridor once again became an important channel for the migration of refugees. They brought advanced technology and culture from the Central Plains and promoted the prosperity and development of the Northeast.

And the Murong Xianbei, a nomadic people, gradually formed a unique management model of coexistence of agriculture and animal husbandry under the influx of the Han people. It not only retained its own martial spirit, but also absorbed the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains. This innovative combination laid the groundwork for the subsequent historical process.

The Liaoxi Corridor, a channel of inestimable strategic value, witnessed countless fierce games between the regimes inside and outside the Great Wall.

Whenever the Central Plains regime weakened, the nomadic forces outside the Great Wall would be eager to conquer the Northeast;

When the Central Plains dynasty was strong, it was full of desire to conquer the Northeast.

From Cao Cao's expedition to Wuhuan during the Three Kingdoms period to the conquest of Goguryeo during the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Liaoxi Corridor has always been a necessary route for military operations.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the establishment of the Guanningjin Line of Defense pushed the military significance of the Liaoxi Corridor to its peak.

Since Sun Chengzong created the Guanningjin Line of Defense, this line of defense has become an obstacle that the Qing army cannot cross, and it can be said to be impregnable.

The Ming army launched a protracted tug-of-war with the Later Jin regime here, and both sides paid a huge price to compete for control of this strategic route.

It was not until later that Wu Sangui "fought for his beloved" and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty that the Ming Dynasty completely lost the Liaoxi Corridor. The Qing army's entry into the Great Wall marked the complete collapse of the Ming Dynasty's defense line in the Liaoxi Corridor, and also foreshadowed the demise of the Ming Dynasty.

The Liaoxi Corridor, an ancient road that has witnessed countless honors and disgraces, will now witness history again.

Back then, it was the Yuan Empire in Liangshan that conquered Yanjing. The surrounding area was full of enemies, and the situation was extremely bad. Jiang Hongfei still insisted on sending people to conquer the three states of Pingluanying.

Later, Jiang Hongfei seized the slackness of the Jin people and sent people to open up the Liaoxi Corridor.

After that, Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Zongfu, who succeeded Wanyan Zongwang, always wanted to take back Jinzhou, contain the Yuan army, and prevent the Yuan army from entering the grassland from the Liaoxi Corridor and posing a threat to the Jin Kingdom.

But Jiang Hongfei first sent General Zhao Li and then General Yue Fei to gradually establish the Guanningjin Defense Line on the Liaoxi Corridor.

——It must be said that in terms of defense, Zhao Li paid more than Yue Fei.

This time, Jiang Hongfei also clarified the responsibilities of Yue Fei and Zhao Li.

The former was responsible for attacking the Jin Dynasty;

The latter was responsible for continuing to rely on the Guanningjin Line of Defense to defend the Liaoxi Corridor and not give the Jin people any chance to counterattack.

It is worth mentioning that since the Jin Dynasty had never been able to capture Jinzhou, it could only build a large number of forts above Jinzhou to defend against the Yuan army and prevent it from leaving the pass.

The Jin Dynasty named these forts "Panjin".

The highest military commander of the Jin Dynasty stationed in Panjin was Wanyan Zongfu, the third son of Wanyan Aguda, and the most outstanding general of the Jin Dynasty.

Over the years, Yue Fei has been studying how to break the Panjin Line of Defense and how to attack the Jin Dynasty.

Now, the strategy that Yue Fei has been planning for many years is about to be put into practice.

As for why Yue Fei took action in just three days after returning to the Jinzhou Military Region?

The first is of course to act cunningly and quickly, that is, to act quickly.

Yue Fei knew that the cunning Jin people must have planted many spies in Jinzhou, just as the spies of the Yuan Empire had long been deeply rooted in the Jin army.

After all, Wanyan Zongfu was also a veteran of the Jin Dynasty. He had led the Jin army in battle since Wanyan Aguda rebelled against the Liao Dynasty and had rich combat experience.

Yue Fei returned from the capital this time with more than 10,000 elite troops of various types, including many high-ranking officials of the Yuan Dynasty. This move undoubtedly indicated that the Yuan Dynasty was about to launch an offensive against the Jin Dynasty.

In order to prevent the Jin people from deploying their defenses in advance, Yue Fei decided not to give the enemy any breathing space and to seize Panjin at lightning speed. Even if the Jin people knew the intentions of the Yuan Dynasty, it would be difficult to stop them.

Moreover, Yue Fei had been preparing for the Battle of Panjin for ten years, and it was so detailed and thorough that it could not be improved.

The Jinzhou Military Region did not need to make additional preparations, and could launch an offensive as soon as an order was given.

In addition, before leaving Beijing, Jiang Hongfei had already given Yue Fei a reassurance.

Jiang Hongfei said in front of several prime ministers: "You can go forward boldly. The cause of the war will be handled by the civil officials. You don't need to worry about it."

These words were like spring breeze and rain, strengthening Yue Fei's determination.

So Yue Fei returned to Jinzhou, immediately blocked the news, and worked hard for three days.

Now, everything was ready, and he arranged it cleverly. The whole army seemed to be doing a routine armed training, but in fact, except for the 20,000 elite soldiers left to guard the natural dangers of Jinzhou, the rest were ready to go.

At the same time, the two major military districts, Yunzhong and Songtingguan, under the leadership of Zhu Wu and Wang Zhen, were also ready to go north to attack gold in response to Yue Fei's attack on gold.

In other words, without any preparations in the Jin Kingdom, and even when the top brass of the Jin Kingdom were still busy fighting among themselves, the Dayuan Army had quietly begun to cut down the gold...

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The night falls, and the moonlight shines like a wash.

The Pioneer Battalion quietly crossed the Liaoxi Corridor.

Therefore, the soldiers of the Pioneer Battalion did not light torches to avoid exposing their whereabouts.

Every step on the gravel road seemed extremely heavy. For Jiang Zai, who had never experienced such hardships, it was even more miserable.

Jiang Zai was still panting and complained to Yue Yun: "General Yue, when will this speed stop? Why not ride a horse to reduce the burden?"

Yue Yun had a serious look on his face when he heard this: "The spirit horse is the foundation of the battlefield. If it exhausts its strength at this moment, how can it fight?"

Jiang Zai was about to speak but stopped, looking around, he saw that all the soldiers were holding their horses and moving forward silently, no one was slacking off.

Although Yue Yun had some complaints about Jiang Zai's frailty, Jiang Zai was his partner after all. The two were on the same team. If they were not harmonious, it would affect the combat effectiveness of the first battalion, so he patiently explained to Jiang Zai: "Our army uses horses as wings and is very elite. All soldiers and armor are carried on horses to reduce the load. On the other hand, other armies, such as the artillery battalion, need to drag heavy artillery of thousands of kilograms. Unless you have experienced it, you will not know how difficult it is. However, the whole army is full of people. , We all know the importance of war and dare not slack off. Anyone who violates this will be severely punished by military law."

After Jiang Zai heard this, he felt ashamed and determined not to talk about his suffering.

Time passed, Yin Shi was approaching, and the Pioneer Battalion finally arrived at Xinglin Fort, the outpost of Panjin's defense line.

At this moment, although everyone was exhausted, no one was left behind. Jiang Zai gritted his teeth and followed the team closely.

At this time, Yue Yun suddenly came to Jiang Zai and said to Jiang Zai, who was almost exhausted and collapsed: "The situation is not right. There is Xinglin Fort in front of us. If we are just training and let the golden dogs of Xinglin Fort see us, we should all be punished." They would have ordered the withdrawal of troops, but this time they did not do so. I was afraid that there would be a real fight. "

After all, Yue Yun was an extremely good general. He was keenly aware that his father, Yue Fei, might be serious about it this time.

Jiang Zai was shocked and said in disbelief: "A real fight?!"

Yue Yun said: "You and I must assemble the army quickly and prepare for war. Otherwise, it will easily ruin our army's affairs!"

Jiang Zai was a little panicked. He didn't know how to organize the army or how to mobilize before the war.

Fortunately, Gao Liang had fought many battles with Jiang Hongfei. This time she not only sent Gao Chong, the number one master of the younger generation of the Yuan Empire, to Jiang Zai, but also sent Jiang Zai several junior officers who were familiar with the army.

With the help of these small schools, Jiang Zai cooperated with Yue Yun to quickly organize the army and mobilize before the war.

Suddenly, the sky was torn apart by the "rumbling" sound of artillery, deafening, and then, the roar of the Yuan Army soldiers surged in like a tide.

Yue Yun instantly understood the situation and shouted: "That's the 'Shenwei General Artillery'! Infantry and artillery coordination! This time is really not a drill!"

Yue Yun quickly dispatched the vanguard battalion, marched and began to put on armor, full of fighting spirit.

In a moment, the vanguard battalion was fully armed and stood outside Xinglin Fort.

The artillery fire continued all over the sky, turning half of the sky red. Under the cover of artillery fire, thousands of infantrymen rushed onto the flying bridge. Like wild beasts, they launched a fearless charge towards Xinglin Fort. There were even tens of thousands of infantrymen, under the fierce generals Li Kui, Bao Xu, Under the leadership of Xiang Chong and Li Gun, they were ready to go, just waiting for orders.

Yue Fei and Wang Gui had already led their elite troops and arrived quietly by taking a shortcut by sea. Faced with this scene, the two of them did not need to say anything. Wang Gui directly issued instructions to Yue Yun and Jiang Zai: "Recuperate quickly and wait for the infantry to break through. Your battalion needs to Go straight to Huanglong and annihilate the enemy in the fort!"

After Yue Yun and Jiang Zai heard this, they immediately took orders and made intensive preparations to attack the city.

Although the spring night has arrived, the north wind still carries a biting chill. The long journey has made the soldiers exhausted, and their eyes are shining with the desire for rest.

However, witnessing the magnificent sight of the Dayuan soldiers risking their lives, scaling the walls of Xinglin Castle and fighting to the death with the Jinmen, even Jiang Zai, who was exhausted both physically and mentally, cheered up and followed the example of the soldiers around him, swallowing big gulps of dry food while Don't forget to feed your war horse and strive to restore its fighting strength in the shortest possible time.

Yue Yun took the opportunity to explain the previous situation in detail to Jiang Zai, who had just arrived: "The guard of Xinglin Fort is the son of Wanyan Yanmu, King of Lu of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Zongxu. This person is the nephew of Jin Taizu and Jin Taizong, who once fought under the iron heel of the Great Yuan Dynasty. He survived, and later took the initiative to come here. He has been dealing with our army for many years, and he is cunning and tenacious..."

Just then, someone shouted: "Come up!"

Yue Yun quickly stopped talking and looked at the wall with Jiang Zai.

They saw Li Kui, who had turned into a black bear, and Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun, under the cover of artillery fire, charging towards the top of the city.

Jiang Zai watched in shock. The giant bear Li Kui, holding two axes in both hands, roared, but like a thunderbolt in the middle of the day, he raised the ax and fell down. He had already chopped down two golden men who dared to stand in front of him. people, and then started to kill towards the most crowded place on the city wall.

When the soldiers of the Jin army were eager to grab their guns, they couldn't stop them.

The black bear Li Kui was seen wielding two axes and hacking away blindly. Bao Xu, Xiang Chong and Li Gun beside him were also three killers. They killed anyone who stood in their way and killed anyone who stood in their way, forcing the Jin army to retreat step by step.

Jiang Zai swallowed his saliva and looked at Li Kui, who seemed to be possessed by a killer, and thought: "Is this still the rough man who joked in front of his father all day long?"

The other Yuan army soldiers were all excited to see Li Kui and others so brave.

At this time, a young general also stood out. He was strong, fierce and good at fighting. Under his leadership, these dozen Yuan army soldiers had a large position on the top of the wall.

With the power of this young general, more and more Yuan army soldiers rushed to the top of the city from this position.

In the dim morning light, Jiang Zai recognized at a glance that this young general with strong martial arts and fierce fighting skills was his thirty-third brother Jiang Xian.

Jiang Xian was one of the better ones among Jiang Zai's many brothers. He was good at both civil and military affairs. He entered the army at the age of twelve and made many military achievements in the process of military service. Their father, Emperor Jiang Hongfei, praised Jiang Xian in public.

Moreover, Jiang Xian's mother was Hu Sanniang, a woman Jiang Hongfei loved very much. Jiang Xian's uncle was Hu Cheng, the Flying Tiger, who was in charge of the maritime trade of the Yuan Empire. Jiang Xian's grandfather Hu Rong was the deputy envoy of the Three Departments of the Yuan Empire and one of the people who helped Jiang Hongfei manage the purse.

Jiang Xian was diligent and ambitious since he was a child, and he was also one of Jiang Zai's competitors.

It can be said that Jiang Xian has been actively showing himself over the years. Whether in terms of literature or martial arts, he is unwilling to lag behind.

Not long after, several more young generals rushed to the top of the city.

Jiang Zai saw that many of them were his brothers.

At this time, Jiang Zai's mother's words rang in his mind.

"My son, although I don't know who your father will choose as his successor, I dare to conclude that the person who inherits his throne must have rich military experience, understand the army and soldiers, and dare to fight the enemy on the battlefield. Otherwise, it is impossible to become the emperor of my Great Yuan."

It was precisely because of Gao Liang's words that Jiang Zai chose to join the army, because he wanted to prove that his father had misjudged him, and he was his father's best successor, and only he could lead the Great Yuan Empire to a better future.

And at this moment, seeing his brothers, as soon as the war started, they seized every opportunity to show themselves.

Jiang Zai couldn't sit still.

Jiang Zai said to Gao Chong beside him: "When my vanguard camp goes into battle, the two of us will lead the way!"

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