Righteous armies (Niunkuet)

Righteous armies were irregular military forces formed during the Wars of Zhenian Transition following the fall of the Zhu dynasty and the subsequent anarchy. Anti-Shindanese in nature, they were mostly formed by deserters from the fallen Zhu armies, but complemented by peasant rebels, monks, and even foreign mercenaries. They were formed by both Wei and Dan people, although as the wars progressed and the cause of Wei nationalism started to rise, their composition reflected it. Some righteous armies acted like groups of brigands, while others supported the various dynasties that tried to fill the void left behind by the Zhu, but they were united by the common cause of trying to stop the Shindanese invasion.