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

The urgent report of the upheaval in the northern desert was like a thunderclap, shattering the meticulously functioning war machine of Hanyuan.

Xiao Chen's strategy was not a rash, all-out attack, but a combination of tactics: using materials as weapons, employing technology to aid in the battle, implementing a scorched-earth policy, and dividing and weakening the enemy.

After the order was issued, several important passes and border towns in the northern border of Hanyuan were instantly transformed into huge military outposts and refugee camps.

I. A flood of supplies, providing vital aid to the grasslands.

The large armories in Zhenbeicheng, Panshibao, and Qinghe Town operated day and night. The heavy armory doors were pushed open, and the mountains of equipment were quickly inventoried and loaded onto trucks.

Two thousand brand-new iron-inlaid leather armors, five thousand gleaming steel knives, one thousand powerful crossbows, one hundred thousand three-edged armor-piercing arrows, and five hundred loads of urgently needed medicines such as hemostatic powder, wound medicine, and strong liquor were loaded onto thousands of four-wheeled heavy horse-drawn carriages.

Zhang Meng personally led a thousand elite cavalry and three thousand auxiliary soldiers to escort this massive convoy northward along the newly built "Goods and Trade Avenue".

Along the way, the Hanyuan government mobilized the local people to provide drinking water and fodder, ensuring that the caravan could travel at a speed of 100 li per day towards the Canglang tribe's royal court.

This route, which was once a golden passage for merchants and travelers, has now become the lifeline of the Canglang tribe.

Second, implement a scorched-earth policy and accept refugees.

At the same time, the "Merchant Protection Office" and garrison on the border of Hanyuan received strict orders to be on full alert, and sent a large number of scouts into the depths of the grassland to guide and escort the herdsmen and livestock of the Canglang tribe to migrate inland.

Several large military garrisons and newly built border markets were temporarily requisitioned as resettlement sites.

In just a few days, tens of thousands of panicked Canglang tribe herders drove hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and horses into the territory of Hanyuan.

They had expected to be driven away or even slaughtered, but instead they were greeted by orderly guidance from Han Yuan officials, ample fodder, clean drinking water, and even steaming hot rice porridge and makeshift shelter tents.

The physicians of Hanyuan moved among the refugees, treating the wounded and distributing medicinal soup to prevent the spread of disease.

"It was King Hanyuan who saved us!"

"The prince said that once you enter the Cold Abyss, you're one of our own brothers; we'll have food to eat and a place to stay!"

"That damned Ögedei Khan, he's a thousand cuts! Once we've recovered, we'll fight them to the death!"

The herders' gratitude quickly turned into deep hatred for Ögedei Khan and profound identification with Hanyuan.

Many young and middle-aged herders, after settling their families, even took the initiative to find Han Yuan's officers, asking to join the army and return to the grasslands to take revenge.

Third, military advisors, venturing deep into the lion's den.

Accompanying the supply convoy was a "military advisory group" of about 100 people.

They were not ordinary soldiers, but were carefully selected from among the instructors of the military academy, veteran scouts of the Night Owl, and elite soldiers of the army.

Instead of wearing the standard uniforms of the Cold Abyss, they donned grassland fur robes lined with soft armor, and carried crossbows, binoculars, maps, codebooks, and even several "translators" fluent in the languages ​​and customs of various grassland tribes.

Their mission was to infiltrate the Canglang tribe's army, assist Batu Khan in formulating battle plans, training soldiers to use new equipment, scout out Ögedei's military situation, and even... directly command key battles when necessary.

They are Xiao Chen's "brain" and "eyes" extending into the grassland battlefield.

IV. Batu's ecstasy and shock.

When Zhang Meng's caravan arrived at the Canglang tribe's royal court after a five-day journey, Batu Khan could hardly believe his eyes.

Seeing the cartloads of armor and steel swords being unloaded—armor superior to that of his generals—the incredibly powerful crossbows, and the mountains of arrows and medicine, Batu, the steppe warlord, was moved to tears. He bowed deeply to the south, saying, "Father Khan... your kindness is like a second life! I, Batu, will repay you with my life!"

He originally thought that Han Yuan would at most send a few thousand reinforcements or provide some food.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen directly sent him enough equipment to arm half of his elite 10,000 cavalry!

With this equipment, his warriors will be even more powerful!

What surprised him even more was the "advisory group".

The head of the advisory group, Zhou Heng, an instructor at the military academy, spent only half a day deducing Ögedei's possible attack routes and weaknesses on the sand table based on the intelligence provided by Night Owl and Batu's description, and proposed a set of targeted tactics: "luring the enemy deep, flanking maneuver, and crossbow fire."

Batu and his generals were dumbfounded, and were deeply impressed by Han Yuan's military wisdom.

"Great Khan," Zhou Heng pointed to a valley on the sand table, "While Ögedei's army is numerous, it is mostly a rabble, and new victories inevitably lead to arrogance. Our army can ambush them here, using a weak force to lure them into the valley. Once they enter, our crossbows will fire simultaneously from both sides, followed by a heavy cavalry charge. We are sure to win in one battle!"

"Alright! We'll do as General Zhou plans!" Batu slammed his hand on the table, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge.

Fifth, use war to sustain war and deplete the enemy's strength.

With Han Yuan's assistance, the morale of the Canglang tribe quickly recovered, even surpassing pre-battle levels.

Batu accepted the advice of his advisors and decided to stop directly confronting Ögedei Khan. Instead, he would use the mobility of his cavalry to harass Ögedei Khan's supply lines and intercept small groups of troops.

Equipped with Frost Abyss Steel Blades and Powerful Crossbows, the Canglang cavalry held an absolute advantage in the skirmishes, winning repeatedly and reaping a rich harvest.

Ögedei Khan had initially thought he could easily crush the Canglang tribe, but the enemy suddenly became "cunning" and "well-equipped," causing his offensive to falter. He was forced to halt his advance, reorganize his army, and seek new opportunities. The initiative in the war had quietly shifted.

Although the border of Hanyuan has taken in tens of thousands of refugees, it has not descended into chaos thanks to its tight organization and ample supplies. On the contrary, the influx of cheap labor has accelerated the progress of various construction projects.

Meanwhile, the Ögedei forces in Taiwan gradually lost momentum due to attacks on their supply lines and instability in their rear.

Xiao Chen sat in his study in Zhenbei City, looking at the daily battlefield reports sent back by Night Owl, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

"Ögedei...you've miscalculated. You want to annex the Canglang tribe and strengthen yourself, but you don't realize that the more fiercely you attack, the more dependent the Canglang tribe will be on Hanyuan, and the more Batu will be unable to leave me. And you are just doing all the work for me, wasting your already limited strength. When you are exhausted, that will be your death day."

The Allied forces rushed to the aid, bringing not only supplies and tactics, but also the restoration of Cold Abyss's dominance in the North.

Regardless of who wins or loses in this war, there will only be one ultimate winner—Xiao Chen, who sits in Zhenbei City, observing coldly from the sidelines, yet controlling everything.