Xiang-Yong was a type of regional army that emerged in the 1800s in the Qing dynasty army, which fought in most of China's wars after the Opium War and numerous rebellions exposed the ineffectiveness of the Manchu Eight Banners and Green Standard Army. The Xiang-Yong were created from the earlier tuanlian militias.

In the game Xiang-Yong, players play cards from their hands, trying to figure out which opponent might be able to help — but the one willing to help might not be without personal purposes for doing so. Choose your friends wisely, or you might not have the cards to join the game — and sometimes keeping yourself out of the other players' business is a better way to win this game...