Xuan Zan - Becoming An Outlaw

Becoming An Outlaw

Lu Junyi is arrested and imprisoned in Daming Prefecture (in present-day Handan), after his housekeeper and adulterous wife betray him. The outlaws from Liangshan Marsh form an army to attack Daming Prefecture to rescue Lu. Grand Secretary Liang Shijie, the official in charge of Daming Prefecture, writes a letter to the imperial court, asking for reinforcements to deal with the outlaws, who are besieging the city.

Xuan Zan recommends Guan Sheng to the Imperial Tutor, Cai Jing. Cai Jing orders Guan Sheng to lead reinforcements to Daming Prefecture to lift the siege. Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen serve as Guan Sheng's deputies and leaders of the vanguard army. Guan Sheng is lured into a trap by Huyan Zhuo and he is captured. Xuan Zan is defeated and captured by Liangshan's Qin Ming. Song Jiang treats the captives with respect and succeeds in persuading them to join the Liangshan cause of "delivering justice on Heaven's behalf".

After Guan Sheng's defection, Cai Jing sends Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo to lead another army to attack the outlaws. Guan Sheng volunteers to lead Liangshan's forces to counter the imperial armies, with Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen as his deputies. Xuan Zan is lured by Wei Dingguo into the enemy formation where he is defeated and captured, and escorted as a prisoner-of-war back to Daming Prefecture. Along the way, the bandits from Mount Deadwood led by Bao Xu and Li Kui attack the convoy and rescue Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen.