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

The coronation ceremony of the "Lord of the North" was like a thunderclap, exploding over the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The message arrived in the capital almost simultaneously via express courier service and secret intelligence reports from the Night Owl.

When the copy of the "Northern Border Alliance," personally signed by Xiao Chen, stamped with the golden seal of "Prince Jingbei," and jointly signed by dozens of forces including the Canglang Tribe and the Left Wise King of Beiyan, was presented to the Great Xia court, the already crumbling court instantly fell into unprecedented chaos and panic.

At the morning court session, Prince Yong, Xiao Jing, abandoned his usual low-key approach of "reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors." Dressed in a four-clawed python robe, he entered the Golden Palace with a menacing aura, surrounded by dozens of his confidants.

He did not bow to the drowsy old emperor on the dragon throne, but turned directly to face the assembled officials, slammed the "Northern Alliance" to the ground, and shouted sternly:

"Gentlemen! Look! This is the 'loyal minister and filial son' you speak of! This is the 'Prince Jingbei' bestowed upon him by the Emperor! Xiao Chen, that brat, is a wolf in sheep's clothing, usurping the throne, forming a secret alliance, and seizing territory to become a king! The northern border is the territory of the Great Xia!"

"The Azure Wolf and Northern Yan are vassals of the Great Xia! Now, he dares to presume to be honored as 'Common Ruler,' treating this vast land as his private property! This is treason! This is betrayal of the country! This is an unforgivable and heinous crime!"

The Prince of Yong's roar echoed through the hall, causing dust to fall from the beams.

His followers stepped forward one after another, echoing his sentiments in unison, their voices rising higher and higher.

"His Highness Prince Yong is absolutely right! Xiao Chen is a traitor, his crimes are irrefutable, and he will not be tolerated by Heaven and Earth!"

"If the court continues to tolerate and nurture evildoers, they will become too powerful to control, and by then it will be too late to regret it!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to immediately issue an edict stripping Xiao Chen of his title of Prince, confiscating his fiefdom, and mobilizing troops from across the land to jointly punish this traitor!"

"I second that request! We request that Xiao Chen's envoys in the capital be executed, and their heads displayed at the nine border regions as a warning to others!"

The Yongwang faction's offensive was like a raging storm, aiming to completely nail Xiao Chen to the pillar of shame as a "traitor" and take this opportunity to completely crush the Crown Prince's faction and control the court.

Faced with the relentless attacks from the Yongwang faction, the Crown Prince's faction found itself in an unprecedentedly passive and awkward position.

Crown Prince Xiao Heng sat beside the throne, his face pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. He dared neither defend Xiao Chen nor echo the Prince of Yong.

The core members of the princeling faction, such as the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Revenue, looked at each other in dismay, cold sweat pouring down their backs.

They tried to argue that Xiao Chen's actions might be a "stopgap measure" or a way to "pacify the barbarians," but in the face of the written "Northern Alliance" and the title of "Lord of the North," any explanation seemed pale, powerless, and even laughable.

"Your Highness!"

Prince Yong's gaze was like a knife, piercing directly at Xiao Heng. "Xiao Chen is your seventh brother. Now he has committed such a treasonous act. As the crown prince, in charge of the country and governing the state, are you going to sit idly by and let the ancestral foundation be destroyed?!"

Cornered, Xiao Heng had no choice but to speak, "Seventh...Seventh Brother may have his reasons...This matter...This matter still needs to be investigated thoroughly..."

"Investigate in detail?"

Prince Yong sneered, "The alliance is here, all nations have paid tribute, the evidence is irrefutable, what further investigation is needed? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince has been colluding with that traitor all along?!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.

This was a blatant political accusation, and if proven true, the Crown Prince's position would be in jeopardy. The Crown Prince's supporters were terrified, kneeling down and shouting "Injustice!" They argued fiercely with the Yong Prince's supporters.

Inside the Golden Palace, it was like a marketplace, with arguments, shouting, and even shoving, with no order whatsoever.

"Enough...all of you...shut up..."

On the dragon throne, the old emperor Xiao Yan was awakened by the earth-shattering argument. He struggled to open his cloudy eyes, his withered fingers trembling as he pointed downwards. His voice was hoarse and weak, yet it carried a trace of the emperor's remaining authority.

The hall fell silent instantly, and the officials knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

"The North... the North..."

The old emperor, panting, glanced at the "Northern Alliance," a complex and unfathomable expression flashing in his eyes—anger, helplessness, sorrow, and even… a hint of barely perceptible admiration.

He knew better than anyone that Xiao Chen's current situation was not only due to his ambition, but also a result of the court's incompetence, the Prince of Yong's coercion, and the Crown Prince's weakness.

"Send...send the imperial decree..."

The old emperor spoke with difficulty, "Summon...summon the envoy of the Prince of Jingbei...to the capital...for questioning...he must not...must not be negligent...the rest...will be discussed later..."

After saying that, he coughed violently, spitting a mouthful of blood onto his dragon robe. His body went limp, and he fainted again.

"Father!"

"His Majesty!"

"Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physician immediately!"

Chaos erupted once again in the imperial court.

The old emperor's sudden fainting made the already tense situation even more unpredictable and fraught with danger.

The court meeting ended in discord, but the turmoil in the court quickly spread outside the palace, causing even greater upheaval.

At the Yong Prince's residence, Xiao Jing summoned his confidants overnight, plotting to use the pretext of "punishing the rebels" to mobilize troops, control the capital, and even... force the emperor to abdicate.

He knew that this was a golden opportunity to get rid of the crown prince, eliminate Xiao Chen, and ascend the throne.

In the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Xiao Heng was terrified. He ordered the palace gates to be closed and security to be strengthened, while secretly contacting the imperial guards generals and some veteran officials who were loyal to the royal family to prepare for the Prince of Yong's attack.

At the same time, he secretly sent people to try to contact Xiao Chen's envoy in the capital to seek... some degree of "understanding" or even "cooperation".

The officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers were filled with anxiety, each seeking a powerful patron or preparing for their own escape.

Many astute officials began secretly selling off their property and sending their families to Jiangnan or... the northern border.

They had a vague feeling that the Great Xia edifice was on the verge of collapse.

The people of the capital were filled with fear and unease. Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the city.

Some say the Prince of Yong is about to rebel, some say the Crown Prince is going to depose the Prince of Yong, some say the northern army will soon march south to "purge the court of corrupt officials," and some even say the old emperor has already passed away and his death is being kept secret.

Grain prices soared, shops closed, and bandits took the opportunity to cause chaos, leaving the capital in a state of desolation and disorder.

Everything that happened in the capital was relayed back to Zhenbei City at top speed through Night Owl's secret agents.

Xiao Chen looked at the secret report in his hand, a cold smile appearing on his lips. The reaction of the Great Xia court was entirely within his expectations. The Prince of Yong's madness, the Crown Prince's cowardice, the old emperor's critical condition, and the court officials' fence-sitting—all of this created an excellent opportunity for him.

"Your Highness, a messenger from the capital reports that Prince Yong's faction is mobilizing troops and may be plotting against our messenger," Zhao Tiebing reported.

"It's alright," Xiao Chen said calmly. "Have our envoy stay indoors and strengthen his guard. Also, order all border troops to increase their vigilance, but... don't provoke them. Let them... fight it out among themselves first."

"Your Highness means..."

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."

Xiao Chen's gaze was profound. "Let them fight. The fiercer they fight, the lower the court's prestige will be, and the greater our chances of winning will be. When they are both severely weakened, or... when Prince Yong really does something 'treasonous,' that will be the best time for us to make our move."

The court and the public were in uproar. The last fig leaf of the Great Xia Dynasty was torn off by Xiao Chen himself.

This massive, riddled-with-holes ship is accelerating toward the abyss of destruction amidst raging waves.

Meanwhile, the newly built steel behemoth, Han Yuan, rested quietly in the harbor, awaiting the perfect moment to set sail and conquer the vast ocean.