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

Just as the northern city wall of Hanyuan was being built higher and the cement road was being extended, a change that would affect the hearts of the people of the whole country was quietly taking place in the capital city thousands of miles away.

Emperor Xiao Yan of the Great Xia Dynasty, who had been bedridden for months and whose condition had been reported as critical several times, miraculously opened his eyes on a chilly spring morning after being treated by several top doctors in the Imperial Hospital with the best of their ability and the use of rare medicinal herbs. His mind had also become mostly clear.

The news sent shockwaves through both the government and the public.

The first thing the emperor did after waking up was to summon several important ministers, headed by the crown prince, and inquire in detail about the major affairs of the court over the past few months.

Officials from the Crown Prince's faction naturally seized the opportunity to denounce Prince Yong, Xiao Jing, for numerous crimes, including "using the emperor's will to act arbitrarily, framing princes, causing chaos in the border towns, and leading to the devastation of Jiangnan." They also reported on Prince Yong's defeat at Hanyuan and his fabrication of evidence.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Yong's trusted confidants in the capital vehemently defended themselves, claiming that everything was for the purpose of stabilizing the court and quelling the rebellion, shifting the blame to "incompetent subordinates" and Xiao Chen's "arrogance and disobedience."

Xiao Yan leaned back on the dragon bed, listening quietly. His face was sallow and his eyes were sunken, but his once sharp eyes, now even more unfathomable, slowly swept over the kneeling ministers before him. He remained silent for a long time.

The heavy silence was suffocating for everyone.

In the end, Xiao Yan simply waved his hand wearily, his voice hoarse and slow: "I... am tired. As the Crown Prince is overseeing the affairs of the court, let us continue as before."

Prince Yong…acted rashly and hastily; he is hereby ordered to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors and is not permitted to leave his residence without imperial decree. His associates…anyone with misdeeds shall be handed over to the relevant officials for deliberation and punishment.

Prince Jingbei of the Northern Border, Xiao Chen… has rendered meritorious service in defending the territory and is commendable for his loyalty. I am already aware of the matters you reported, and there is no need to mention the matter of false evidence again.

In Jiangnan… Yu Qian is dead. The remaining remnants must be eliminated, but not excessively; the priority should be ensuring the well-being of the people.”

These few words, seemingly a scathing critique of each other, actually contain profound meaning.

Prince Yong was punished with "reflection behind closed doors." Although he was not stripped of his title or removed from his post, his power was undoubtedly severely weakened, and his cronies were to be purged.

Xiao Chen, on the contrary, was not only blameless, but also received the evaluation of "meritorious defense of the territory and commendable loyalty", and the previous accusations against Prince Yong were lightly dismissed.

As for Jiangnan, it also implies that the Yongwang faction's "suppression was excessive" and that it needs to be restrained.

This was clearly a warning to Prince Yong, an attempt to appease the Crown Prince's faction, and a way to stabilize Xiao Chen in the northern border, with the intention of restoring balance to the court and preventing a complete split in the court before he recovered from his illness, which could lead to greater turmoil.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The officials of the Crown Prince's faction felt a great weight lifted from their hearts and quickly kowtowed.

Although Prince Yong's confidants were unwilling, the emperor had already spoken, and it was clear that he was ill and unwilling to make a big fuss, so they could only grit their teeth and accept the decree.

Soon, an imperial edict was issued and promulgated throughout the land. The news of Prince Yong's seclusion for self-reflection, along with the praise for Xiao Chen, quickly spread far and wide.

The tense atmosphere in the imperial court, which had been on the verge of war, suddenly cooled down as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.

With the Yongwang faction lying low and the Crown Prince's faction also backing down, both sides, at least on the surface, restored the illusion of "harmony between the emperor and his ministers, discussing state affairs together."

However, everyone knew that this was just a brief and fragile calm before the storm.

Although the emperor has regained consciousness, his health is severely depleted, and no one knows how long he can hold on or when he will fall into a coma again.

Prince Yong would never accept losing power, and the Crown Prince's faction would not let their guard down.

The struggle between the two sides shifted from the open to a deeper, more covert operation, with a more intense and covert contest taking place in all aspects, including personnel arrangements, the allocation of funds and supplies, and the struggle for military power.

As for Xiao Chen in the northern border, his prestige increased even more after this incident, and he became an important pawn in the emperor's hands to check and balance the Prince of Yong, while also making the Crown Prince's faction wary of him.

This delicate balance is like dancing on a knife's edge; it could collapse completely at any moment.

The news reached Han Yuan more than ten days later.

Xiao Chen carefully read the official gazette and secret report copied by Night Owl, and pondered for a long time.

"Your Highness, it seems that His Majesty wants to stabilize the situation for the time being."

"Han Lie analyzed, "The setback suffered by Prince Yong is beneficial to us. The Emperor's praise of the Prince is also an attempt to bring him into the balance of power in the court, at least to prevent the Prince from becoming an excuse for Prince Yong to attack the Crown Prince."

"That's how it appears on the surface."

Xiao Chen put down the documents, walked to the window, and looked at the trees in the courtyard that were sprouting new buds. "But whether Father's illness is better or worse is still unknown."

Was his move a genuine attempt to maintain balance, or... to buy time for a more important strategic move?

Prince Yong would never let this go. Confining himself to his quarters to reflect on his mistakes would be a perfect opportunity for him to hide away, lick his wounds, and secretly plot.

As for the Crown Prince... after this battle, he probably realized his own inadequacy. Will he have other ideas now?

He turned around, his gaze sharp: "For us, this temporary calm is both an opportunity and a test."

The opportunity lies in the fact that Prince Yong is unable to look north in the short term, and the court has no time to attend to other matters, giving us more valuable time to develop.

The test is that we must become stronger during this period, so strong that no matter how the political landscape changes in the future, and no matter who ultimately wins, they will have to take us seriously, and even... depend on us!

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

Wang Dashan nodded, "We should take this opportunity to focus all our efforts on building fortifications, repairing roads, training troops, and stockpiling grain!"

"Furthermore," Zhao Tie added, "Night Owl's people in the capital reported that although Prince Yong has closed his doors, his residence is heavily guarded, with frequent comings and goings, indicating undercurrents. The Crown Prince is also maintaining close ties with several powerful senior officials. Beneath this calm, there are likely turbulent undercurrents."

Let them fight it out.

Xiao Chen's tone was calm, "As long as they don't directly provoke us, we can't just keep our eyes on the capital. Has Murong Han of Northern Yan made any unusual moves lately? What about Batu on the grasslands? And... that Liu Biao who disappeared?"

"There are no signs of a large-scale troop mobilization in Northern Yan, but their demand for ironware, especially high-quality steel, has increased significantly due to border trade."

The steppe Khan Batu was as usual, only inquiring of the prince when it would be convenient for him to personally visit Zhenbei City. As for Liu Biao…”

Zhao Tie paused for a moment, then said, "There is still no definite news, but several owl sentries in the northwestern mountains have discovered unusual traces, as if someone is secretly gathering a small group of people, acting mysteriously. We are intensifying our investigation."

"Is Batu coming?"

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment, "Alright, we'll send a formal invitation once Zhenbei City has taken shape. As for Liu Biao... we need to see him alive or dead. Increase the reward and mobilize the mountain people and hunters to find him."

The "ease" in the court caused by the old emperor's recovery was like a gentle breeze blowing across a cold abyss, bringing a brief respite, but it also made Xiao Chen realize more clearly that the real storm often brews in calm.

The future of Hanyuan cannot be entrusted to anyone's "balance" or "benevolence," but can only rely on its own absolute strength.

He looked south, his gaze seemingly piercing through mountains and rivers, and saw the majestic yet decaying imperial city.

An old man on his sickbed, brothers fighting in the court, and countless ambitious hearts stirring in the world... This game of chess is getting bigger and bigger.

Han Yuan must seize this hard-won, possibly final, period of peaceful development, and temper himself into a crucial piece on this chessboard that no one can ignore, one that could even overturn the game...