Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Before the news of the three towns' surrender had cooled, an even more turbulent wave swept towards Hanyuan with overwhelming force.

This time, it wasn't a voluntary surrender from Wubao Town, but a genuine influx of refugees, families, and the elderly and children. Its scale and number far exceeded any previous wave.

The source is still in the south.

Yu Qian's resistance in Yangzhou ultimately could not last long. After receiving reinforcements from the imperial court, Cao Bin, a general under the Prince of Yong, launched a fierce attack.

After the fall of Yangzhou, Yu Qian fought valiantly but was captured and immediately taken to the capital. The last large-scale, organized resistance force of the "Crown Prince-Yu Qian" faction in Jiangnan was thus disintegrated.

Prince Yong completely controlled Jiangnan and began a bloody purge. All officials, gentry, wealthy households, and even ordinary people who had been involved with Yu Qian and the Crown Prince were targeted for elimination.

Houses were ransacked, people were imprisoned, exiled, and beheaded... In an instant, Jiangnan was engulfed in bloodshed, and everyone lived in fear.

At the same time, without Yu Qian's suppression, the local powerful families, defeated soldiers, and even river bandits and mountain thieves in Jiangnan, who were already restless in the midst of the war, completely lost control, attacked each other, and plundered villages and towns, causing untold suffering to the people.

When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? The prosperity and peace of Jiangnan are a thing of the past; survival has become the only luxury.

Large numbers of people began to leave their homes and flee north. They heard that there was a place in the north called "Hanyuan" where there were no taxes, land was distributed, there was work to do and food to eat, and the king was kind and could hold off the army of Yongwang.

Thus, from Jiangnan and from parts of the Central Plains affected by the war, countless refugees, like a flood bursting its banks, surged towards the northern border and the frigid abyss along official roads, small paths, and even over mountains and ridges.

The first to notice the anomaly was Shi Jian of Panshi Camp. He sent a messenger on horseback to report that thousands of refugees were pouring into the mountain pass leading south every day, with their families in tow, pale and emaciated, blocking the road. The three hundred men of Panshi Camp were simply unable to control them and could only guide them as much as possible and provide them with a little drinking water.

Immediately afterward, the Night Owl, who had been sent to scout south, also sent back an urgent report: the refugee caravan was enormous, stretching for dozens of miles, and its composition was complex, including defeated soldiers and bandits. The situation was chaotic, and the estimated total number was likely to exceed 50,000, with more people continuing to arrive from the north.

Fifty thousand! And it's still increasing!

When the news reached Han Yuan, even Xiao Chen, who was prepared, felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

The current registered population of Hanyuan is about 35,000. The sudden influx of several times its own population, along with unstable factors, puts unprecedented pressure on the area.

Food, housing, public security, sanitation, resettlement... each of these issues is enough to overwhelm an ordinary force.

The atmosphere inside the city lord's mansion was heavy.

"Your Highness, we must seal off the border immediately! We can't let so many people flood in!"

Wang Dashan said urgently, "No matter how vast the Cold Abyss is, it can't hold so many mouths! If chaos breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"Lockdown? How?"

Han Lie frowned deeply. "Those are tens of thousands of living people, not enemy soldiers! They have fled from afar, seeking only to survive. If we shut the gates and let them freeze and starve to death outside the city, Your Highness's reputation for benevolence will be ruined, and Han Yuan will lose the hearts of the people! Moreover, there must be able-bodied men among them. If they can be properly resettled, they will be valuable labor."

"But what about food? What about housing?"

Zhang Meng was also deeply worried. "Our grain reserves are barely enough to feed the existing soldiers and civilians. With tens of thousands more suddenly added, we probably won't be able to sustain this for more than two months. It's the dead of winter now, freezing cold. With so many people sleeping outdoors, many will either freeze to death or die from disease."

As the argument continued, all eyes turned to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen stood by the window, gazing at the gloomy, snow-threatening sky outside.

He could almost see the endless, arduous journey of people on the southern roads, and hear the cries of children and the lamentations of the elderly.

Rejection is self-destructive; acceptance carries enormous risk. But within risk, there is not necessarily no opportunity.

"Open the city gates." Xiao Chen turned around, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"Your Highness!" Wang Dashan was about to speak again.

Xiao Chen raised his hand to stop him, and slowly said, "Hanyuan's current position is not due to high walls and deep moats, but to the hearts of the people. If we refuse refugees entry today, half of Hanyuan's foundation will collapse. Moreover, have you all considered whether these tens of thousands of refugees are merely a burden?"

He walked to the map, his finger tracing the vast area surrounding Hanyuan: "Look at our north, the grasslands are already allied; to the west, Black Mountain Town has coal; to the east, Qinghe Town can serve as an outpost. But to our south, large tracts of land are barren, rivers need dredging, and mountains and forests await development. What do we lack? We lack people! We lack people to reclaim wasteland, build roads, mine minerals, and construct water conservancy projects!"

"Among these tens of thousands of people are farmers, craftsmen, literate scholars, and soldiers who have seen blood. They come with a thirst for life, and if given a way to survive and a piece of land to settle down, they will unleash unimaginable power! This is a crisis, but also a golden opportunity for my Hanyuan to soar!"

Everyone was shocked by Xiao Chen's words and fell into deep thought.

"However," Xiao Chen's tone shifted, his expression turning serious, "disorderly acceptance will only bring disaster. A comprehensive resettlement strategy must be formulated immediately."

He quickly issued a series of orders:

"First, immediately designate areas in the south and east of the city to build temporary shelters and resettle people by village and team. Work-for-relief should be implemented, and able-bodied men should be organized to participate in building camps, digging drainage ditches, and leveling roads. The elderly, women, and children should be responsible for boiling water, cooking, and mending. Everyone must work in order to have food."

"Secondly, Elder Han, as the head of the Civil Affairs Department, immediately mobilize all available clerks and recruit literate and respected individuals among the refugees to assist in establishing a 'Refugee Resettlement Office.' All refugees must be registered, recording their names, places of origin, ages, special skills, and family members. Assign work according to their skills and physical strength. At the same time, set up soup kitchens to provide thin porridge to ensure no one starves to death. However, the porridge must be thin and mixed with wild vegetables—just enough to keep them alive. If they want to be full, they must work!"

"Third, Zhao Tie and the Night Owls will be deployed in full force, infiltrating the refugees and secretly screening them. The focus will be on investigating whether there are any spies sent by the Prince of Yong or other forces in Jiangnan, or whether any heinous bandits are among them. Once discovered, they will be secretly apprehended. At the same time, the Cold Abyss policy will be promoted among the refugees to establish rules and guide public opinion."

"Fourth, Wang Dashan, you will draw two thousand men from the army to maintain order in the resettlement area. Divide the area into zones and enforce a curfew. Anyone who loots, fights, or spreads rumors will be severely punished! But be careful with your methods; focus on deterrence and avoid resorting to force unless absolutely necessary. Zhang Meng, your cavalry will patrol the perimeter to prevent attacks by small groups of defeated soldiers and bandits, and also to prevent large-scale disorderly incursions by displaced people to other areas."

"Fifth, Murong Xue, you are in charge of the clinic. Immediately set up temporary medical tents in the resettlement area, focusing on the prevention and treatment of frostbite, colds, and possible epidemics. Prioritize the allocation of necessary medicinal materials. Recruit medical or herbalists from among the refugees to assist you."

"Sixth, notify Guo Kui of Heishan Town to increase coal mining and prioritize charcoal supply for heating in the resettlement area. Notify the salt fields, ironworks, and industrial workshops in the rear to go all out to produce. The required grain will be allocated by the government treasury, but the accounts must be clear."

The instructions were clear and concise, distributing the immense pressure among the various departments. Seeing that the prince's thinking was clear and his plans were meticulous, the panic in everyone's hearts subsided, and they all went to carry out their orders.

Soon, the gates of Hanyuan City opened wide.

Squads of soldiers went out of the city to guide the way, while groups of officials set up checkpoints outside the city with their desks and chairs. The shantytowns began to be built at an astonishing speed, and smoke rose from the soup kitchens.

When the first group of emaciated refugees, their eyes filled with despair and hope, were guided by the soldiers of Hanyuan to drink their first bowl of hot porridge, move into makeshift shelters that barely provided shelter from the wind, and register their names by pressing their fingerprints on the register, many knelt down and wept, shouting "Long live the Prince!"

Order begins to be established amidst chaos. Hope sprouts from despair.

Hanyuan is facing its most severe challenge since its founding, but it is also seizing an excellent opportunity for explosive population growth and a leap in strength.

Whether it's bursting our stomachs, or turning grain into soldiers and people into strength, it all comes down to this one move.

Outside the city, there were endless crowds and snowstorms. Inside the city, machines were running at full capacity.

Standing atop the city wall, gazing upon this epic scene of migration and acceptance, Xiao Chen held only one belief in his heart:

Swallow it! Digest it! Let these people come and become the most solid foundation for the rise of the Cold Abyss!