Xianxia version of Water Margin

…

At the beginning, Xiao Gan was driven out of the Yanyun area by Jiang Hongfei. Xiao Gan went northeast and stopped at Gubeikou.

Gubeikou, the throat of the border between the Great Wall and the North China Plain, showed its unique steep scenery at dawn.

Surrounded by mountains and steep cliffs, a winding path runs through it. On the west side is a torrent that flows southward, foreshadowing the difficulties ahead.

Beyond Gubeikou is the place where the Xi people live.

The Xi people, an ancient ethnic group originating from the Donghu system, have a long history. They were called Kumo Xi during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. They reached their peak in the Tang Dynasty and were divided into five major tribes, scattered in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia and southern Liaoning today.

When Emperor Taizong of Tang went on an expedition to Goryeo, the Xi chieftain Su Zhi bravely followed the expedition and made great military achievements.

However, with the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Xi people sometimes attached themselves to the Central Plains, and sometimes associated with the Turks, becoming one of the "two tribes".

In order to stabilize the border, the Tang Dynasty adopted a policy of appeasement towards the Xi people, but it did not last long.

After more than ten years of conquest, Liao Taizu Yelu Abaoji finally conquered the Xi people and incorporated them into the territory of Khitan.

At this time, Xiao Gan stood on Gubeikou, looking at two very different roads - one leading to Liaodong, and the other pointing to the distant northwest.

After careful consideration, Xiao Gan chose to return to the homeland of the Xi people - Jianshan Mountain, vowing to regroup on this land and create his own empire.

Some people dissuaded him, saying that Jianshan Mountain was narrow and sparsely populated, and it was controlled by the Jin army on all sides, like a pocket that was difficult to escape.

But Xiao Gan smiled and said nothing, waved goodbye to those Liao people who were unwilling to follow, and resolutely embarked on the journey to Jianshan Mountain.

There, Xiao Gan found the roots of the Xi people, renamed the original Xi Palace Hall to "Tiewa Wulong Hall", announced the birth of the Great Xi Empire, proclaimed himself "the Holy Emperor of the Xi Kingdom", changed the era name to "Tianfu", and opened a new era.

Politically, Xiao Gan established three Privy Councils for Xi, Han, and Bohai to manage the affairs of the three tribes, and established a two-king system to strengthen local governance.

Economically, he minted "Tianfu Tongbao" to promote currency circulation and prosper the economy.

However, in terms of ethnic policy, he chose the path of hatred for the original country Liao, constantly invaded the Khitan tribes and robbed resources.

This move aroused strong dissatisfaction among people of all ethnic groups, and the people gradually lost their hearts.

Despite this, Xiao Gan's army still grew rapidly in the early stage, reaching 70,000 to 80,000 people.

This attracted the attention of Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda.

Wanyan Aguda sent envoys to surrender many times, with sincere words, and promised that if he surrendered, he would retain his status and power.

However, Xiao Gan was determined not to side with the Jin Kingdom and ignored all requests for surrender.

That spring, the Xi ethnic group suffered an unprecedented famine, and the people were living in poverty and fleeing.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Gan knew that the situation was urgent and decided to lead his army south to find food.

His first target was Jingzhou of the Yuan Empire, a county town that had just been incorporated into the Yuan Empire and was later renamed Luanchuan County.

Wang Lun, Chen Ke and others were shocked to learn that Xiao Gan was coming and immediately asked Jiang Hongfei for help.

Jiang Hongfei was busy with the southern expedition against Wang Qing at the time and had no time to take care of other things, so he handed the matter over to the veteran general Wang Bing to handle.

After receiving the order, Wang Bing quickly dispatched troops and sent two generals, Shi Jin and Zhang Qing, to lead 5,000 elite soldiers each to set up an ambush in Shimen Town, intending to cut off Xiao Gan's retreat.

However, Xiao Gan was not an ordinary person. He had already known Wang Bing's deployment, and deliberately showed weakness to lure him, but in fact he secretly returned to his army and set up a trap in the southwest of Shimen Town.

When night fell, Shi Jin and Zhang Qing's army mistakenly fell into an ambush, and were defeated by Xiao Gan and fled in panic.

Xiao Gan took advantage of the victory to pursue and approached Songting Pass, looting everywhere, and his momentum was overwhelming.

He threatened to attack Yuan Dadu directly, which made the people of the Yuan court panic, and even some ministers proposed to abandon the capital to avoid his attack.

Although Jiang Hongfei was far away in the south, he knew the situation in the north very well. He knew that he could not lose his composure at this time, so he ordered Chen Ke to lead 30,000 Yanjing defenders to rush to Songting Pass, and ordered Wang Bing to lead the army to attack personally.

After receiving the order, Wang Bing immediately prepared for battle.

Wang Bing knew that Xiao Gan was cunning and changeable, and if he wanted to subdue him, he had to win by surprise.

Xiao Gan had a capable general under his command, Yelu Aguzhe, who was greedy for money.

So Wang Bing secretly ordered his confidant to sneak into Lulongling with a large sum of money, secretly contact Aguzhe, and promised him a large profit, so that he could be an insider and always report Xiao Gan's every move, in order to attack from both inside and outside and eliminate Xiao Gan in one fell swoop.

Half a month later, Wang Bing learned that Xiao Gan led the army again and quietly appeared in Yaopu Town on the side of Lulongling.

Wang Bing made a prompt decision and personally led the elite division, vowing to fight Xiao Gan here. He cleverly arranged and divided the army into two. One was led by the brave and combative Shi Jin and Zhang Qing, and rushed along the road to Shimen Town, intending to cut off Xiao Gan's retreat; while Wang Bing personally led another surprise force, passing through Hongzhuang and Xiaogang, quietly outflanking from west to east, and directly attacking the heart of Yaopu Town.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. Wang Bing's surprise attack was like thunder that broke through the night sky, and Yaopu Town was immediately in chaos.

Xiao Gan was caught off guard and fought hastily, but he could not stop the fierce offensive of Wang Bing's army.

Seeing that the defeat was inevitable, Xiao Gan had to abandon Yaopu Town and fled to Lulong Ridge in a panic.

However, fate did not seem to favor him. When he fled to Shimen Town, he was ambushed by Shi Jin and Zhang Qing. After a fierce battle, Xiao Gan lost his armor and suffered heavy losses. He fled to Fengshan with only the remaining soldiers.

Seeing this, Wang Bing decisively ordered the whole army to pursue. The morale of the Yuan army was high, and they pursued all the way, crossed Lulongling, and finally fought a decisive battle with Xiao Gan's remnants in Fengshan. In this battle, Xiao Gan's army suffered countless casualties, and his family members and property fell into the hands of the Yuan army. More than 5,000 Xi, Bohai, and Han troops surrendered one after another when they saw that the situation was over.

In addition, Wang Bing's troops also captured Alu Taishi alive, and seized precious treasures such as the title of Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang and the Khitan gold-coated seal. The Yuan army won a great victory in this battle and boosted the morale of the army.

However, Wang Bing could not hide his regret in his heart, because Xiao Gan finally escaped from his palm.

However, Wang Bing was secretly glad that Aguzhe did not show up. He speculated that Aguzhe might have escaped with Xiao Gan.

As long as Aguzhe was still with Xiao Gan, it was like burying a time bomb, and one day he would be caught in one fell swoop.

Xiao Gan was just his Chinese name, and his Xi name was Huilibao (or Huilibu, Kuilibu).

He was a descendant of Xi King Telin, and his life was full of ups and downs.

In his early years, he was the guard of Liao Daozong, and later he took charge of the Iron Harrier Army and became an important general in the Khitan Dynasty Army.

The Iron Harrier Army was an elite division of the Khitan, known for its swift action and strong combat power. Whether it was plains or wilderness, it could gallop unhindered and invincible.

Xiao Gan's career was bumpy but brilliant. He served as the King of the Six Tribes of Xi, the General of the Khitan Palace, and the Detailed and Stable Officer of the Northern Jurchens. He made many outstanding achievements during the Tianqing period. He was promoted to the King of the Six Tribes of Xi for his meritorious service in defeating various tribes, and was also in charge of the military affairs of the Northeast Road.

However, things are unpredictable. After Yelu Yanxi ascended the throne, the court was turbulent. Although Xiao Gan made many meritorious deeds, he could not escape the vortex of political struggle. He led the army to resist foreign invasion and defend the country during the Tianqing period, but later he was involved in the court dispute because of the Yelu Yudu incident.

In the spring of the first year of Baoda, a political turmoil provoked by the uncle Xiao Fengxian swept the court. Xiao Yu, Concubine Wen and others were innocently killed, and Yelu Yudu led his troops to the Jurchens. Yelu Yanxi was furious and sent Xiao Gan and other generals to pursue Yudu but failed.

After this incident, Xiao Gan and others felt deeply that Yelu Yanxi was stupid and treacherous, and they were unwilling but helpless.

Later, Xiao Gan went through twists and turns, and finally established Yelu Chun as emperor in Yanjing with Yelu Dashi and others, and established Northern Liao. Later, he assisted Empress Xiao, Xiao Puxian's daughter.

Until Northern Liao was defeated by the Yuan Empire, and Xiao Puxian's daughter was taken into the harem by Jiang Hongfei, Xiao Gan left the Liao Dynasty and went it alone.

Xiao Gan was ambitious and full of dreams.

Unexpectedly, the Great Xi Kingdom he established only lasted for a few months before it was severely hit by the Yuan Empire.

Wang Bing led the Yuan army to sweep in with its thunderous momentum, and the Xi army seemed so fragile in front of the powerful opponent.

Under this devastating blow, the Great Xi Kingdom quickly collapsed.

Xiao Gan saw that the defeat was like a mountain, and the general situation was gone, so he had to flee with a few confidants.

After Xiao Gan and his general Yelu Aguzhe, nephew Yishi Bajin, and family slave Baidige broke through the siege, and hid in the homes of Xi people.

Xiao Gan was very sad about the defeat of the Xi army, but he still did not give up. He planned to sleep on straw and taste gall, keep a low profile, and try to make a comeback.

However, what Xiao Gan did not know was that his confidants had already despaired of the future.

Soon, Yelu Aguzhe, Yishi Bajin and Baidige conspired and captured Xiao Gan when he was not prepared, and then escorted him to Songting Pass to hand him over to the Yuan Empire.

Everyone thought that Xiao Gan would definitely die.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Hongfei let Xiao Gan go and let him go back to continue to be the King of Xi. Not only that, Jiang Hongfei also traded with his Great Xi Kingdom and even lent him grain.

Jiang Hongfei was certainly not merciful, but wanted Xiao Gan to lead the Xi people to harass the Jin Kingdom.

Xiao Gan was stunned and felt mixed emotions. He had never expected that the enemy who had vowed to put him to death would give him such an unexpected "life".

The moonlight shone through the window lattice, scattering on his face, reflecting an indescribable complex emotion - gratitude? Doubt? Or a rekindled fighting spirit?

In Xiao Gan's view, Jiang Hongfei's move was undoubtedly a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it allowed Xiao Gan to save his life, regain the power of the King of Xi, and retain a glimmer of hope for the revival of the Great Xi Kingdom;

On the other hand, this hope came at the cost of becoming a pawn of another country, forcing him to turn the flame of revenge to another powerful enemy - the Kingdom of Jin.

In the dead of night, Xiao Gan stood alone in front of the simple house, looking at the starry sky, with a thousand thoughts in his mind. He knew that this return was no longer a simple revenge or expansion of territory, but to survive in the cracks, using all available resources to allow the Xi people to regain a foothold in this land.

"Since God will not kill me, Xiao Gan, I will work ten times harder and a hundred times harder to make the Xi tribe glorious again!"

Xiao Gan clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with determination and unyielding light.

In the following days, Xiao Gan secretly reorganized the remnants, resumed production, and secretly trained soldiers to improve military strength. He knew that it was difficult to shake the Jin Kingdom alone, so he began to form alliances with small tribes around him to discuss the counterattack.

In this process, Xiao Gan demonstrated outstanding leadership and diplomatic skills, and gradually won the respect and trust of the leaders of various tribes.

On the other hand, although Jiang Hongfei was far away in the Yuan Empire, he knew Xiao Gan's movements very well. The reason why he let Xiao Gan go was not out of kindness, but because he saw the unique status and combat effectiveness of the Xi people in the northern grasslands.

He knew that using the Xi people as outposts could effectively contain the Jin Kingdom and create favorable conditions for the further expansion of the Yuan Empire.

As time went on, the Xi people, led by Xiao Gan, gradually regained their vitality and vigor. They not only made achievements in military affairs, but also made great progress in economy and culture.

Xiao Gan personally went to the border of the Jin Kingdom and planned a series of sophisticated harassment and ambush operations, which made the border of the Jin Kingdom restless and the troops had to be dispersed to deal with it, thus providing the Yuan Empire with valuable strategic opportunities.

Now that the Yuan Empire was attacking the Jin Kingdom, Xiao Gan, the hero, saw the opportunity. He immediately raised his army to attack the Bei'anzhou area of ​​the Jin Kingdom, trying to fish in troubled waters and get a piece of territory.

Not only the Great Xi Kingdom, but also many grassland tribes, took advantage of the fire to rob.

The Jin Kingdom is now in a situation where everyone is pushing down the wall, and the situation is becoming more and more critical.

The north wind is fierce, carrying yellow sand and fighting spirit. Xiao Gan stands in front of the Xi warriors, his eyes are like torches, penetrating the haze of winter and shooting directly at the distant and turbulent territory of the Jin Kingdom. His words, like a fire in winter, ignited the long-lost blood and glory in the hearts of the Xi people: "Today, we are not for revenge, not for plunder, but only to win a place for the Xi people in this vast world, so that our descendants can gallop freely on this land and no longer be oppressed by other tribes!"

With Xiao Gan's order, the Xi people's iron cavalry surged out like a tide, the sound of horse hooves shook the earth, and raised dust all over the sky, covering the sky. They are like a black storm, sweeping towards Bei'anzhou of the Jin Kingdom, vowing to carve the mark of the Xi people on this land.

And Jiang Hongfei, in the distant capital of the Yuan Dynasty, raised a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew that although Xiao Gan's actions seemed reckless, he was actually cautious and cleverly used the delicate balance between the Yuan Empire and the Jin Kingdom to gain the greatest benefits for himself. He ordered people to pay close attention to the war situation, and secretly mobilized troops to prepare to give Xiao Gan "unexpected" "help" at the critical moment to ensure that the Jin Kingdom was defeated in one fell swoop, and then deal with Xiao Gan and others who wanted to swallow the elephant.

Under the city of Bei'anzhou, the drums of war were thundering, and the two armies were facing each other, with swords drawn.

Xiao Gan personally went to the battlefield, leading the way, and inspired every Xi warrior with his extraordinary combat power and extraordinary wisdom.

Although the Jin Kingdom had a large number of defenders, their defense line gradually collapsed under the fierce offensive of the Xi people.

On the city wall, the Jin generals were furious, but they were powerless to save the situation and could only watch the Xi people's flags flying high on the top of the city.

However, the joy of victory did not make Xiao Gan lost. He knew that the real challenge had just begun. Although the Jin Dynasty was in decline, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and its foundation and counterattack power should not be underestimated.

Therefore, Xiao Gan quickly adjusted his strategy. On the one hand, he consolidated the newly acquired territory and strengthened defense; on the other hand, he actively formed alliances with surrounding tribes to jointly resist possible counterattacks from the Jin Dynasty and potential threats from the Yuan Empire...

...