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

The grand ceremony of "Rewarding Craftsmen" had just come to a close when an unstoppable wave of gratitude and support swept across the entire Cold Abyss.

The people, grateful for the peace, prosperity, justice, and hope that Xiao Chen brought, spontaneously launched a movement to "erect a monument to the prince's virtuous governance."

This movement began in the countryside, flourished in the city, and eventually coalesced into towering stone monuments that stand on the land of Hanyuan, becoming the most powerful testament to Xiao Chen's achievements and the support of the people.

The movement did not originate from the government, but from the lowest level of the Hanyuan people.

In Qinghe Town, an elderly scholar in his seventies, who had personally experienced the oppressive rule of the previous dynasty and the turmoil of war, witnessed the tremendous transformation of Qinghe Town under Han Yuan's rule, from a desolate and dilapidated place to a bustling commercial hub where people lived in peace and prosperity. He was deeply moved.

He joined forces with dozens of elders, merchants, and craftsmen in the town to draft a petition entitled "Request to Erect a Stele of Merit for Prince Jingbei," which listed seven major merits of Xiao Chen since he guarded the northern border: "building strong cities to defend against foreign aggression, reclaiming wasteland to support displaced people, establishing workshops to meet the needs of the people, revising laws to rectify the order, reducing taxes to alleviate the people's suffering, establishing schools to enlighten the people, and emphasizing various crafts to strengthen the foundation of the country."

This petition was quickly copied throughout Qinghe Town, and the people signed it, pressed their fingerprints, and even donated copper coins, grain, and timber to request the government to allow a monument to be erected in the town center to forever commemorate the Prince's kindness.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the Cold Abyss.

People in Panshibao, Heishan Town, Zhenbei New City, and even military garrisons on the edge of the grassland followed suit, jointly petitioning for the erection of a monument.

The common people, who came from humble backgrounds, wrote in the inscription: "The prince saved my life and gave me land and houses. His kindness is like giving me a second life."

The craftsmen wrote: "His Highness values ​​craftsmen and has bestowed titles upon them, allowing our humble profession to see the light of day."

The soldiers wrote: "The prince trains a strong army to protect our country, so that we, his wife, children and the elderly, can enjoy peace."

The merchants wrote: "The prince opened up trade routes and established new regulations, enabling us merchants to travel to all corners of the world."

Faced with this overwhelming public opinion, Xiao Chen did not stop it, but instead went with the flow and guided it.

He ordered that local governments could accept petitions from the people, but they must not forcibly levy taxes on the people, nor cause hardship or waste of resources. The inscriptions on the monuments should be simple and truthful, recording the facts and not embellishing them with empty words.

Under the coordination and organization of the government, an unprecedented "monumentation and praise" project was launched throughout Hanyuan.

In the central square of Zhenbei New Town, a giant stone monument, 36 feet tall, rises from the ground.

The stele is carved from a single piece of bluestone. The front is engraved with eight gilded characters: "Merit Stele of Prince Xiao Chen of Jingbei". The back is densely covered with the joint signatures of tens of thousands of people.

The inscription was personally written by Han Lie, and in the simplest language, it records the practical things that Xiao Chen did for the country and the people since he took up his post in Hanyuan, such as "taking in refugees, building strong cities, developing water conservancy, suppressing bandits, opening border markets, emphasizing the study of things, implementing the imperial examination system, and rewarding artisans".

The base of the monument is decorated with lifelike reliefs depicting scenes such as "building a city", "cultivating land", "opening a market", and "training troops".

At Panshi Fort, the people erected a "Peaceful People Stele" outside the fort gate. The inscription records how Xiao Chen quelled the bandits in Panshi Fort, resettled refugees, and built roads, making Panshi Fort a prosperous commercial port leading to the Central Plains.

In Heishan Town, miners erected a "Prosperity Monument" to commemorate Xiao Chen's improvement of mining techniques and treatment of miners, which transformed Heishan Town from a barren mountain into a rich mine.

At Baishui Market, merchants erected a "Trade Monument" to praise Xiao Chen for opening up trade routes, regulating trade, and ensuring safety, which made Baishui Market a golden place.

At each military garrison, the soldiers erected "border defense monuments" and swore to guard Hanyuan for generations to repay the prince's kindness.

Even the herders of the Canglang tribe on the grasslands erected a "Monument to the Kind Father Khan" on the banks of the Baishui River, inscribing in both Chinese and grassland script the kindness of Xiao Chen in rescuing the Canglang tribe, providing salt and iron, imparting technology, and fighting against foreign enemies.

The thousands of steles standing tall are not only stone monuments, but also monuments to the hearts of the people.

Incense burns continuously before the merit monuments in various places, as people spontaneously come to worship and pay their respects.

Parents with their children recounted the story of the prince; the elderly stroked the inscription on the monument, tears streaming down their faces, marveling at the prosperous era they were born in; the young people, looking at the achievements on the monument, were filled with patriotic fervor and vowed to serve Hanyuan.

"The Monument to Ten Thousand People" became the most impactful political propaganda in Hanyuan.

It proclaimed to everyone that Xiao Chen's rule was not based on conquest by force, but on a strong foundation of popular support.

He not only won the loyalty of the army, but also the support of the people.

This kind of support comes from the heart, is based on real benefits and gratitude, and cannot be shaken by any enemy.

With Xiao Chen's tacit approval or even his covert promotion, the "Monument to the People" gradually evolved into a powerful political symbol.

Within the territory of Hanyuan, erecting a monument is considered the highest honor.

Only those meritorious officials, virtuous ministers, master craftsmen, and righteous men who made outstanding contributions to Hanyuan were qualified to have monuments erected in their memory by the people or the government after their deaths.

Xiao Chen's merit stele is the ancestor of all steles, a symbol for all ages.

For the outside world, especially for the Great Xia Dynasty, the Prince of Yong, the Northern Yan, and even more distant forces, Han Yuan's "Tombstone of Ten Thousand People" conveyed an extremely dangerous and clear signal: the Northern Border was no longer the bulwark of the court, but Xiao Chen's private property; the people here were no longer the subjects of the court, but Xiao Chen's loyal followers.

Xiao Chen's prestige has surpassed that of ordinary vassal kings, reaching a level akin to that of a "holy ruler" or "heavenly Khan." This has laid a solid legal and popular foundation for Xiao Chen's future political actions, whether it be "establishing his own government and military headquarters" or going further.

Standing before the merit monument in the central square of Zhenbei City, Xiao Chen looked at the densely packed signatures of the people on the monument and at the heartfelt respect in the eyes of the people around him, and his heart was filled with emotion.

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

He said to the civil and military officials beside him, "This monument is not erected for me personally, but for the fate of Hanyuan, for the rare peace and hope in this chaotic world. It serves as a constant reminder that power comes from the people and must be used for the people. If one day we forget our original aspirations and fail the people, this monument will become our pillar of shame."

The ministers stood in solemn silence, deeply remembering the event.

The monument erected by the people is a testament to their achievements, a symbol of their support, and a foundation that will remain unshaken for generations to come.