Ruan Xiaoqi, who was demoted to a common people after the Fangla conquest, refused to be compensated by the imperial court and offered peace. After returning to Shijie Village, he saw the government's exorbitant taxes and the displacement of the people. He rekindled the fire of chivalry and rebuilt the water village. He gathered the remaining members of Liangshan and local heroes to form the Taihu Alliance, with the purpose of "rob the rich and help the poor, eliminate violence and bring peace to the good".
After the rise of the alliance, Ruan Xiaoqi led his troops to rob officials of food to provide relief to the victims, kill fishing tyrants and eliminate corrupt officials, and went to sea to defeat Japanese pirates. His reputation spread far and wide, but he was repeatedly suppressed by the imperial court. During this period, he experienced dangerous situations such as traitors leaking secrets, night attack crises, and being poisoned and on the verge of death. Fortunately, private inventors improved weapons, Zhuang rebels came to help detoxify, and the remnants of Liangshan gathered to help, and the dangers were often averted.
In the face of the imperial court's forceful suppression and inducements of peace, Ruan Xiaoqi always adhered to his true intention, tore up the peace edict, and led the land and water coalition to annihilate the main force of the Forbidden Army and kill the treacherous party members and Japanese pirate leaders in the decisive battle on the Yangtze River. After the army came to Jiankang, he forced the court to kill Cai Jing and other traitorous officials, abolished exorbitant taxes, pardoned the crimes of the rebels, signed the "Jiankang Covenant", and reorganized the alliance into the Jianghuai Navy, specializing in fighting Japanese pirates. . . .
