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

The disheveled departure of Imperial Envoy Chen Wenyuan completely shattered the last veil of warmth between the imperial court and Han Yuan.

Xiao Chen knew that the Great Xia Dynasty, a dilapidated ship riddled with holes, was no longer capable of posing a real threat to Han Yuan. The bloody infighting that was about to erupt within it would only hasten its demise.

Now is the perfect time for Han Yuan to completely break free from the shackles of the old dynasty, establish its own legal system, and build a brand-new state apparatus.

Therefore, the day after seeing off the imperial envoy, Xiao Chen disregarded the potential upheavals in the capital and instead focused all his energy on the top-level design within Han Yuan. He intended to personally build an efficient and...

A streamlined, pragmatic, and completely subservient political structure laid a solid institutional foundation for future global dominance.

I. The "Edict on Establishing a Government and Establishing a System" was promulgated, thus establishing the foundation of the state.

On this day, the town of Zhenbei was deserted as civil and military officials, officers, and representatives of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans gathered in front of the Jingbei Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Chen, dressed in a black robe with twelve imperial symbols and a nine-tassel crown, ascended the high platform and solemnly read out the "Edict on Establishing a Government" under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

The edict begins by stating: "I received the mandate of Heaven to guard the northern frontier. Thanks to the bravery of my soldiers and the loyalty of the people, we have achieved the foundation we have today."

"For the sake of the people's well-being, for the prosperity of the nation, and for the stability of the world, I have decided that, from this very day forward, I shall establish my own government and military headquarters, establish the foundation and authority, and adopt the reign title 'Jing'an'. I shall grant a general amnesty throughout the realm, reward meritorious officials, and establish the fundamental principles of governance to reassure the hearts of the people and lay the foundation for an everlasting dynasty!"

The imperial edict announced that the "Jingbei Prince's Mansion" was officially upgraded to the "Northern Border Grand General's Mansion," overseeing all military and political affairs in the northern border. Simultaneously, the era name was changed to "Jing'an," meaning "to pacify the northern border and bring peace and prosperity to the people." This marked a complete break between Hanyuan and the Great Xia Dynasty in terms of legal lineage, timeline, and calendar system, taking the first step towards establishing an independent kingdom.

Second, the "Six Ministries and One Office" were established to reform the official system.

Xiao Chen did not completely copy the cumbersome and bloated Three Departments and Six Ministries system of the Great Xia Dynasty. Instead, he combined it with the actual situation in Hanyuan and created a "flat, efficient, and highly effective" "Six Ministries and One Office" system.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the selection, assessment, appointment, removal, promotion, and demotion of civil and military officials. The cumbersome system of hereditary privilege and recommendation was abolished, and only talent and performance were valued.

The Household Registration Office (户曹) was in charge of household registration, land, taxes, finance, warehousing, and trade. It had subordinate offices such as the Department of Finance (度支司), the Department of Maritime Trade (市舶司), and the Department of Salt and Iron (盐铁司), and was in charge of the nation's economic lifeline.

The Ministry of Rites was in charge of etiquette, education, the imperial examinations, diplomacy, and sacrifices. It had subordinate departments such as the Ministry of Education, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Its main functions were education and propaganda.

The Military Affairs Officer (兵曹) was in charge of military affairs, national defense, weaponry, border defense, and military settlements. He was responsible for the Military Command Office, the Military Supplies Office, and the Military Academy. He implemented a separation of military administration and military command to ensure a high degree of centralization of military power.

The Ministry of Justice is in charge of law, justice, supervision, and arrest. It has subordinate departments such as the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Arrest Bureau. It promotes the rule of law and severely punishes corruption.

The Ministry of Works was in charge of engineering, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and water conservancy. It had subordinate departments including the Construction Department, the Engineering Department, the Mining and Metallurgy Department, and the Institute of Natural Resources, and promoted technological innovation and infrastructure construction.

The First Academy, also known as the "Academy of Scientific Research," holds a superior position and is directly under Xiao Chen. It is responsible for scientific research, technological invention, and talent cultivation, and is the core competitiveness of Han Yuan.

The chief officials of the six departments were called "Ministers" and their deputies were called "Vice Ministers." All of them were personally appointed by Xiao Chen and were directly responsible to him.

This system eliminated the redundancy, shirking of responsibility, and internal friction of the old official system. It clearly defined responsibilities and was extremely efficient, like a finely operating machine.

Third, bestow titles and honors upon meritorious officials to establish a core leadership team.

Establishing a government and system requires rewarding merit and punishing demerit to unite the people. Xiao Chen bestowed grand rewards upon the civil and military officials who had followed him through thick and thin and made outstanding contributions.

Wang Dashan was granted the titles of "General Who Guards the North, Minister of War, and Marquis of Wu'an," and commanded the entire Hanyuan Army, overseeing all military affairs.

Zhang Meng was granted the title of "General Who Conquers the North, Commander-in-Chief of Cavalry, and Marquis of Dingyuan," and was in charge of cavalry development and combat.

Zhao Tie was granted the title of "Marquis of Jing'an," and was appointed as the Chief of the Night Owls and concurrently as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, in charge of intelligence and surveillance.

Han Lie was granted the titles of "Grand Academician of Wenyuan Pavilion, Minister of Personnel, and Duke of Anguo," making him the head of the civil officials and in charge of all government affairs.

Ou the blacksmith was granted the title of "Marquis of Heavenly Craftsmanship, Minister of Works, and Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences," in charge of manufacturing and technology.

Murong Xue was granted the title of "Princess Huimin," and was appointed to lead the Huimin Pharmacy and serve as the Director of the Imperial Medical Academy, thus taking charge of medicine and health.

In addition, hundreds of civil and military officials, artisans, and soldiers, including Shi Jian, Zhou Heng, Lu Fang, and Chen Bo, were rewarded according to their merits, and were granted titles, official positions, and land and houses.

The list of honors was unprecedented in its length and the richness of the rewards. This was not only a reward for meritorious officials, but also a way to establish a new ruling class and build the core pillar of the Hanyuan regime.

Fourth, the Jing'an Code was promulgated, establishing the rule of law in the country.

Xiao Chen knew that rule by men was unsustainable, and only rule of law could ensure lasting peace and stability. Upon establishing his own government, he promulgated the "Jing'an Code." This code was not a simple copy of the "Great Xia Law," but rather a significant reform based on the realities of Hanyuan.

Many harsh punishments were abolished, such as slow slicing, waist-cutting, and collective punishment, and replaced with beheading, hanging, exile, imprisonment, and fines.

The principle of "equality before the law" was established, and it was clearly stipulated that princes who broke the law were subject to the same punishment as commoners. Nobles and officials who committed crimes could not use their official positions to offset their crimes, nor could they redeem themselves with money.

Protect private property and strictly prohibit the government from arbitrarily requisitioning or confiscating private property.

Protect the rights and interests of industrialists and businessmen, and clarify the legal status and contractual validity of merchants.

The principle of "presumption of innocence" is established, torture to extract confessions is strictly prohibited, and emphasis is placed on evidence and procedures.

The promulgation of the Jing'an Code marked the transformation of Hanyuan from a military government that "subdued people by force" to a nascent modern regime that "ruled the country by law".

It is not only a tool to restrain the people, but also a cage to restrain power, laying a solid legal foundation for the long-term stability of Hanyuan.

V. All people celebrate, and a prosperous era begins.

After the grand ceremony of establishing his government, Xiao Chen ordered a general amnesty, a one-year tax reduction, and the distribution of money and grain to the people to share in their joy.

In Zhenbei City and Hanyuan, lanterns and decorations were hung, drums and gongs resounded, and people celebrated with joy.

The people wholeheartedly supported this young, promising, and hardworking prince.

They knew that from this day forward, they were no longer helpless drifters in a chaotic world, but citizens of a new, powerful, and hopeful nation.

Standing at the highest point of the Jingbei Prince's Mansion, Xiao Chen looked down at the magnificent city he had built with his own hands, and gazed at the vast territory in the distance, his heart filled with boundless pride.

"Establishing a government office is just the beginning."

He addressed his assembled civil and military officials, "We have set the stage, established the rules, and assembled our team. Now, it is time to take the stage, compete for supremacy, and reign supreme. Gentlemen, follow me... no, follow me, let us embark on this unprecedented era of change and create this glorious age of Hanyuan!"

"We are willing to follow Your Highness and together conquer the world! May Han Yuan be victorious! May Han Yuan be victorious! May Han Yuan be victorious!" The ministers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

The establishment of the government marked Han Yuan's complete political independence, comprehensive institutional maturity, and full readiness for military action.

This giant ship, carrying the hopes and dreams of countless people, finally raised its sails after completing all the preparations, sailed out of the harbor, and headed at full speed toward the turbulent yet infinitely possible ocean.