Xianxia version of Water Margin

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The night in Yuan Dadu is more dazzling than the former Tokyo.

The lights are dim, showing prosperity and noise.

Restaurants and teahouses are scattered in an orderly manner, and merchants are competing to extend their business hours. The streets under the night are bustling, as if the day is a continuation.

In Yanjing City, a city with the same history as Bianliang City, taverns are scattered all over the streets and alleys. From Zhuque Gate to Longjin Bridge, the tables and chairs set up along the street outline a vivid market picture. This is the night stall culture originated from Tokyo Bianliang City, which is reborn in Yuan Dadu Yanjing City.

The boundaries between business and residence in Yanjing City become blurred here, and commercial activities are no longer bound by time. The night market and the morning market complement each other, forming the unique economic pulse of this city.

The prosperity of business, like spring rain, nourishes the colorful entertainment life of citizens.

In the brothels, storytelling, singing, dancing, acrobatics, Cuju competition, and martial arts performances were performed in turn, with a huge audience and endless laughter, forming a vivid picture of the city life.

In Yanjing City, Yuemanxilou is the leader among the 108 large-scale restaurants, and its status is unshakable.

This restaurant is not only ingenious in architecture, but also consists of five three-story pavilions in the east, south, west, north, and center, connected by corridors and bridges, which is magnificent and unique in cultural heritage.

According to legend, the four characters "Yuemanxilou" were written by Jiang Hongfei himself.

Whenever night falls, Yuemanxilou is brightly lit, like a fairyland, attracting countless dignitaries, literati and poets to come and taste wine and enjoy music.

Behind Yuemanxilou, there is a little-known secret.

The identity of its behind-the-scenes boss is mysterious. It is only known that his background is profound and cannot be achieved by ordinary people.

It is said that this building was actually built by the family of Wang Lun, the prime minister of the time. Wang Lun was not only the prime minister of Jiang Hongfei, but also had a brotherly relationship with Jiang Hongfei, which added a bit of legendary color to the Moon Full West Building.

The girls in the Moon Full West Building are all outstanding in appearance and talent. They sing and dance or sing softly, adding a bit of tenderness and charm to this restaurant.

As for the name of the Moon Full West Building, it comes from Li Qingzhao, the world's most talented woman.

The red lotus fragrance is gone and the jade mat is cold in autumn. I take off my silk clothes and go up the orchid boat alone. Who sent the brocade letter from the clouds? When the geese return, the moon is full in the West Building.

The flowers fall and the water flows. One kind of lovesickness, two places of idle worries. There is no way to eliminate this feeling, just go down the eyebrows, but it is on the heart.

It is said that Jiang Hongfei quoted this poem by Li Qingzhao when naming the Moon Full West Building.

This move made Li Qingzhao very dissatisfied, and she was even spanked by Jiang Hongfei before she had to accept it.

Although this interesting story is a rumor in the market, it undoubtedly adds some cultural charm and legendary color to Yueman West Tower.

Yueman West Tower is located on Qianmen Street, which is one of the most prosperous areas in Yanjing City, with many shops and busy traffic.

The whole building of Yueman West Tower is east-west oriented, with a deep courtyard, the east building facing the street, elegant decoration, and a grand gatehouse, showing the extraordinary demeanor of the first restaurant in the capital.

When night falls, the lights of Yueman West Tower and the moonlight in the sky complement each other, forming an intoxicating beauty.

And tonight, Yueman West Tower is even more lively.

It turned out that Wanyan Zongxian, a fierce general of the Jin Dynasty who openly provoked Jiang Hongfei and roared in the court a few days ago, was castrated because he angered the emperor, and was made into a human pig and sent to Yueman West Tower for display.

As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused a sensation. Countless dignitaries and wealthy businessmen flocked to the Moon Full West Tower just to see this unprecedented spectacle.

When Wanyan Zongxian was cut off his tongue, his hands were cut off, and thrown into the jar by the executioner, his wailing pierced through the night sky and resounded through the clouds.

It was a kind of pain and despair that could not be described in words, which moved everyone present.

However, Wanyan Zongxian did not die because of this. His tenacious vitality allowed him to survive this torture that was worse than death.

During this long and painful period, Wanyan Zongxian began to reflect on his own and the Jurchens' past actions. He recalled how the Jurchens killed the Khitans, robbed their gold and silver treasures, burned their tombs, and deprived them of their land and property; he recalled how the Jurchens implemented cruel rule over the Khitans, forced them to change their religious beliefs and living habits, exiled them to remote places, and made them live a life worse than death...

All of this made Wanyan Zongxian feel that his miserable fate was completely retribution and he had brought it upon himself.

Facing the expressions of sympathy, contempt, or gnashing of teeth on the faces of the dignitaries and wealthy businessmen of the Yuan Empire, Wanyan Zongxian's heart was filled with pain.

But he was not angry at this twisted and cruel human nature, because he knew that all this was the result of reincarnation and karma.

He could only use the rest of his life to atone for his sins and pay for the sins committed by the Jurchens in the past.

The moon was full in the west building, and the lights were still bright and the singing and dancing were prosperous, but Wanyan Zongxian's experience cast a shadow on this prosperous night scene. He became an object of ridicule and a topic of conversation...

But he was powerless to change it.

He could only silently endure the humiliation and pain, and silently wait for the end of his fate.

Wanyan Zongxian, a once glorious general of the Jin Dynasty, now ended up as a prisoner, imprisoned in the Moon Full West Tower, a place where prosperity and decadence intertwined.

The moment he stepped into the building, a breathtaking scene unfolded before his eyes - hundreds of singing girls and dancers, with delicate makeup and fluttering clothes, gathered in the corridor like elves in a fairyland, waiting for the call of fate.

For Wanyan Zongxian, this was not the first time he had seen a beauty. As a member of the royal family of the Jin Dynasty, he had already seen all the beauty in the world.

But such a large-scale competition of beauties was still rare in his life.

The full moon in the West Building was like a huge whirlpool, interweaving countless colors and temptations together, making people dizzy.

Those singing girls, dressed in light gauze and thin clothes, were as light as feathers. They seemed to carry the rhythm of the wind when they walked, and every swaying of the gauze revealed endless charm. Their skin was as delicate and smooth as porcelain covered with the first snow, and every inch exuded an irresistible graceful beauty. There were thousands of tenderness and mystery flowing between their eyebrows and eyes, and the tails of their eyes were slightly raised, like the rising of a new moon, both charming and gentle. And those eyes as clear as a deep pool seem to be able to see through people's hearts, making people unconsciously intoxicated.

The moonlight is like a silver thread, under the west building, any man who is greedy for beauty will dream of holding a beautiful woman in his arms.

If it were in the past, Wanyan Zongxian would definitely take all these beauties into his arms and pursue that illusory dream at all costs.

However, fate plays tricks on people. These beautiful fantasies that were once in his heart have now become deep pain in the depths of his soul.

This pain is not only due to the fact that he can only watch now, and he can't play even if he is asked to play. The figures of his wives, concubines, daughters, and even women in his clan keep appearing in his mind. They may also be in Jiang Hongfei's harem, bearing a similar fate.

But what can Wanyan Zongxian do now except hate and curse in his heart?

Moreover, Wanyan Zongxian knows very well that this is the cycle of heaven, and retribution is not wrong.

This makes him unable to escape, and he can only feel the heart-wrenching pain in endless regret.

It turns out that Wanyan Zongxian does not regret his past.

In his opinion, all means are reasonable and even necessary for the survival and reproduction of the ethnic group. He firmly believes that even if time goes back, he will still make the same choice.

But at this moment, in the desolation behind the prosperity, he began to reflect on what he had done, and those past glories and sins flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

As time went by, the hustle and bustle of the Moon Full West Tower gradually faded, and Wanyan Zongxian also disappeared from people's sight.

Those Yuan people who were once curious about him and watched him had long been attracted by other new things and forgot about this imprisoned Jin general.

Wanyan Zongxian was unable to speak or move, as if he had become a silent sculpture, forgotten in a corner of the Moon Full West Tower.

Until one day, an unbearable stench spread, and someone noticed the long-forgotten corner.

Wanyan Zongxian, a former hero of the Jurchens and a sinner of his tribe, finally ended his sinful life in a silent way.

During the period when Wanyan Zongxian was atonement for the sins he committed in history, many things happened.

Among them, the diplomatic confrontation between the Yuan Empire and the Jin Kingdom was particularly eye-catching, and even received close attention from surrounding countries.

The Jin Kingdom's envoys, with heavy doubts and anger, traveled thousands of miles and arrived at the capital of the Yuan Empire. They had only one purpose - to question why the Yuan Empire betrayed the peace treaty between the two countries, not only sent troops to assist the Khitans in starting a rebellion in the Jin Kingdom, but also brutally massacred the Jurchen people, and even annihilated tens of thousands of elite troops of the Jin Kingdom in one fell swoop.

However, this full of indignation and questioning, like a stone sinking into the sea, did not stir up the slightest ripple.

Under Jiang Hongfei's suggestion, the Yuan Dynasty court adopted a cold attitude towards the Jin Kingdom's envoys.

Not to mention that Jiang Hongfei did not personally meet with the Jin Kingdom's envoys, the Honglu Temple even ordered them to be placed under house arrest in the post house, isolated from the world, and detained first.

This move was undoubtedly a blatant provocation to the Jin Kingdom and a manifestation of the strong attitude of the Yuan Empire.

When the Jin high-level officials learned of this, they were all furious. How could they tolerate such humiliation?

The dark clouds of war began to gather quietly in their hearts, and calls for war rose and fell in the court.

However, reality was like a cold blade, ruthlessly cutting their fantasies.

The disastrous defeat of the Puyu Road battle not only fundamentally alleviated the predicament of the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition, but also made the Jin high-level officials realize that the once seemingly weak opponent now has enough power to threaten their survival.

In particular, the mystery of the supply of materials for the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition has puzzled Jin generals such as Wanyan Chang.

In the desperate situation of almost running out of ammunition and food, how did they raise such a huge amount of food, fodder, and weapons and equipment in a short period of time?

Is there the secret support of the Yuan Empire behind this? Or do they have amazing organizational skills?

Regardless of the answer, one indisputable fact is that the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition Army is no longer the Wuxia Amon of the past. Its strength is no longer something that Wanyan Chang's army can contend with alone.

What worries the Jin Dynasty's top leaders even more is that the existence of the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition Army not only directly threatens the rear security of the Jin Dynasty, but also creates great panic and chaos in their heartland - the Jurchen settlement area.

However, ironically, the Jin Dynasty's top leaders do not seem to show much concern for the life and death of the Jurchens.

People's cognition of the Jurchens is often misunderstood, mistakenly believing that they are a monolithic people, but in fact it is quite different.

The Jurchens have a vast territory, spanning the winding land from the south bank of the Yalu River and the foothills of Changbai Mountain, the vastness of the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River in the north, and the vast blue waves of the Sea of ​​Japan in the east. Their tribes are widely scattered and each has its own characteristics.

In the vast area from Xianzhou (now Kaiyuan, Liaoning) to the northeast of Shumo River (i.e. Songhua River), the Jurchens centered on the Huifa River basin called themselves "Huiba". They used the river as a bond to form a unique tribal culture. The Jurchens to the east of the Ussuri River, near the East China Sea (Sea of ​​Japan), were given the title of "East China Sea Jurchens". They lived by the sea and lived with the sea.

The Khitans were well versed in the way of divide and rule, and implemented clever strategies against the Jurchens. They lured the powerful Jurchen clans to the Liaodong Peninsula, granted them Khitan nationality, and called them "Hesuguan". These Jurchens who integrated into the Khitan were named "Skilled Jurchens".

However, there are still a large number of Jurchens who hold on to their homeland. To the north of the Sumo River (the northern section of the Songhua River) and to the east of Ningjiang Prefecture (now Fuyu County, Jilin), they call themselves "Sheng Jurchens", descendants of the Heishui Mohe, and maintain their original tenacity and freedom.

The Wanyan Jurchens, as one of the Sheng Jurchens, can trace their origins to the upper reaches of the Yalu River and the Tumen River Basin. They were once nomads along the winding river, and after migration, they finally took root along the Ash River (Acheng District, Heilongjiang).

The Wanyan tribe not only gave birth to the outstanding leader Wanyan Aguda, but also under his leadership, the Jurchen tribes united as one to jointly resist the oppression of the Liao Kingdom and eventually established the Jin Kingdom.

However, the prosperity of the Jin Kingdom also brought internal disputes.

After Wanyan Aguda, his successors, such as Wanyan Wuqimai and Wanyan Tan, did not hesitate to attack their own people in order to consolidate the imperial power, intending to eliminate other Jurchen nobles and establish a highly centralized dynasty.

This move caused many Jurchens to be dissatisfied, and they left the Jin Dynasty and returned to their homeland to seek freedom and independence.

Today, most of the Jurchens active in the Heilongjiang River Basin are tribes that are unwilling to submit to the rule of the Jin Dynasty.

In the eyes of the Jin Dynasty's top leaders, those Jurchens who were unwilling to submit to the rule of the Jin Dynasty and chose to return to their hometowns to live have long been regarded as dissidents and traitors.

What really made the Jin Dynasty's top leaders uneasy was the substantial threat posed by the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition to the security of the Jin Dynasty.

They knew that if this force could not be eliminated in time, the Jin Dynasty would face an unprecedented crisis.

However, facing the powerful Yuan Empire and the growing Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition, the Jin Dynasty's top leaders were caught in a dilemma - they dared not easily declare war on the Yuan Empire, but they could not ignore the threat of the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition.

Therefore, they could only adopt a subtle and complex strategy: on the one hand, they tried their best to remain obedient to the Yuan Empire, but secretly stepped up their defenses against the sudden attack of Yue Fei's Yuan army; on the other hand, they continued to dispatch troops in an attempt to destroy the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition; at the same time, they also actively sought support from the grassland tribes and Xixia forces, hoping to use external forces to balance the power comparison between the Yuan Empire and the Northeast Anti-Jin Coalition...

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