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

In early spring in Zhenbei City, the chill of winter had not yet completely faded, but the square in front of the "Hanyuan Academy" was already bustling with activity and excitement.

Today is the final day of Hanyuan's first "Academy Grand Competition".

This grand event, personally initiated by Xiao Chen and aimed at "selecting talents, enlightening the people, and rectifying the academic atmosphere," attracted the participation of thousands of students from twenty schools across the region, and drew countless onlookers.

In the center of the square, a "Wen Kui Terrace" was erected, which was three zhang high and ten zhang wide.

Hanging in front of the stage is a huge couplet personally inscribed by Xiao Chen: "A poor but noble son, through diligent study, can ascend to the top of the list; talented people from all over the world, aspire to become pillars of society."

The horizontal scroll reads: "Only the talented are promoted."

Xiao Chen, dressed in an elegant blue robe but not in royal attire, sat upright in the main seat on the high platform.

On the left and right sides, Han Lie, Murong Xue, Ou Tiejian, Zhao Tie and other important civil and military officials, as well as the headmasters and teachers of various schools, took their seats in turn.

Below the stage, hundreds of "children" and "students" who had been selected through multiple rounds of screening stood in neat rows, their expressions ranging from nervous to excited to eager to try.

"Your Highness, the time has come," the master of ceremonies announced loudly.

Xiao Chen nodded slightly, rose, and walked to the front of the stage. His gaze swept over the youthful yet vibrant faces below, and he proclaimed in a clear voice: "Fellow students! Today's competition is not for fame or fortune, but for 'understanding principles, seeking truth, striving for excellence, and serving the country.' Regardless of background or wealth, only talent will determine the winner. The victor will be bestowed with the plaque of 'Literary Champion,' rewarded with gold, silver, land, and a house, and granted the opportunity to further their studies at the 'Academy of Natural Sciences' or the 'Military Academy.' The loser should not be discouraged and should try again next year. I hope you will all display your knowledge and uphold the literary spirit of Hanyuan!"

"We are willing to serve the Prince and bring glory to Hanyuan!" the students shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

The first subject of the imperial examination was "arithmetic." Xiao Chen knew that "arithmetic is the foundation of investigating things and the basis of governing the country," so he listed it as the "first subject to be examined."

The exam questions were not dry "scriptural interpretations," but rather "application problems."

For example: "An army needs 100,000 shi of grain, which is consumed 1,000 shi per day. If it rains, the daily consumption is halved. How many days can the grain supply last?"

"A city has a circumference of three li. Ten watchtowers are to be built, evenly spaced. What is the distance between the watchtowers?"

"A workshop produces 100 catties of iron per day. If the process is improved, the daily output can increase by 30%. How much can it produce in a month?"

These questions are closely related to reality, highly practical, and quite challenging.

Many scions of wealthy families who could only memorize the multiplication table were scratching their heads, at a loss.

Those students from impoverished families who came from "refugee schools" and often helped their families with accounting and land surveying were quite adept at it, their abacuses clicking away with practiced ease.

The most eye-catching was a ten-year-old boy named "Stone" from the "Rock Castle Elementary School".

His clothes were old, but clean; he had a handsome face and bright, lively eyes.

There was no abacus in front of him, only a charcoal pencil and a few sheets of scrap paper.

"Stone, why aren't you using an abacus?" the proctor asked.

Stone looked up and smiled shyly: "Sir, the abacus is too slow. I can use mental arithmetic and formulas."

As he spoke, he wrote a string of strange symbols on the scrap paper, tapped his fingers in the air a few times, and then wrote the answer on the answer sheet.

In less than half an hour, Shi Tou had finished answering all ten questions, his handwriting neat and his steps clear. He raised his hand to hand in his paper, while most of the other candidates were still racking their brains.

"What...what kind of monster is this?" a scion of a prominent family murmured, staring at the stone's retreating figure.

The second subject was "Investigating Things." The exam questions were even more novel.

Why does the kettle lid bounce when the water boils?

Why did the heavy object and the light object land at the same time?

How can you lift a 100-pound object with minimal effort?

"Design a tool that can automatically lift water."

Many students were dumbfounded by these "strange questions".

Stone's eyes lit up, and he took out a small wooden box from his pocket, which contained small pieces of wood, thin rope, and iron nails.

In no time, he assembled a pulley system model, and with a gentle pull, he lifted a "heavy stone".

He then drew a sketch of a steam engine on his answer sheet and wrote: "Water vapor expands and can move objects. If it can be made into a large machine, it can replace oxen and horses."

The instructor from the Imperial Academy, who was proctoring the exam, was so astonished upon seeing the drawing that he nearly jumped up. He immediately presented the answer sheet to the blacksmith Ou on the platform. After examining it, the blacksmith Ou was utterly astonished. "Your Highness," he exclaimed, "this child...this child is a prodigy!"

The final subject was "Policy Essay." The topic was personally drafted by Xiao Chen: "On 'The Road to the Cold Abyss'."

This is an open-ended question; you can discuss governance, strengthening the military, or improving people's lives.

After a moment's thought, Shi Tou picked up his pen and began to write quickly. Although his handwriting was immature, it was powerful and vigorous, with a strong structure.

"...The path to the Cold Abyss lies in 'innovation.' It means not adhering to old systems or following old laws. It lies in 'practicality.' It means not in empty talk, but in practical matters. It lies in 'the people.' The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace."

"...I am the son of a refugee, my family destroyed, and I left homeless. Fortunately, I met the Prince, who provided me with food and clothing, taught me poetry and books, and imparted skills to me. Today, I do not seek official position or wealth, but only so that one day I can use what I have learned to repay the Prince and Han Yuan, so that no one in the world will suffer the hunger and cold I once endured!"

The essay, spanning over a thousand words, is full of wisdom and heartfelt sentiments, displaying both a grand vision and profound emotions.

After the three exams were completed, the examiners worked through the night to grade them. The results were released the following day.

"First Place in Class A—Rock Fort Elementary School, Stone!"

"Second Place in First Class – Li Wen, from the Zhenbei City Confucian Academy, a Poor Scholar!"

"Third place in Class A—Qinghe Town School, Zhao Wu, son of a military household!"

The top three were all from poor families or military households! Those arrogant scions of wealthy families, at best, only achieved a mid-tier second-class ranking.

"Unfair! This is cheating!"

A scion of a prominent family, indignant, jumped out and shouted, "How can a lowly scoundrel like you be superior to us, a family of scholars?"

"Insolence!" Xiao Chen's face darkened. "Bring this person's exam paper!"

The attendant presented the young nobleman's exam paper. Xiao Chen glanced at it and sneered, "'Classical Chinese phrases,' utterly empty. Seven out of ten arithmetic questions are wrong, and you know nothing about physics. What right do you have to bark like this?"

"But..." the young man continued to argue.

Xiao Chen abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the entire room: "Listen up, gentlemen! In Hanyuan, we don't care about background, only talent! We don't care about social standing, only ability! Today, Shi Tou beats you because he is smarter, more diligent, and more pragmatic than you!"

"Guards! Expel this madman from the academy and never employ him again! His father has failed in his duty to educate his son; strip him of his academic honors!"

"Yes!" The guards, fierce as wolves, dragged the wailing young nobleman away. The entire hall fell silent; no one dared to question it further.

Xiao Chen stepped down from the platform and approached the stone. The stone lowered its head nervously.

"Stone, raise your head," Xiao Chen said gently.

Stone looked up at the powerful prince who commanded respect throughout the northern border, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"I've read your answer sheet. It's very good," Xiao Chen said. "Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"Huh?" Shi Tou was stunned, and everyone around him was also dumbfounded. The prince... wants to take on a disciple?

"What, you don't want to?" Xiao Chen asked with a smile.

"Yes! I'm willing!" Stone knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times, "Disciple Stone greets Master!"

"Good!" Xiao Chen laughed, helping Shi Tou up. "From this day forward, you will be my 'closed-door disciple,' and I bestow upon you the name 'Xiao Shi,' meaning 'as firm as a rock, capable of suppressing mountains and rivers.'"

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this name upon me!" Xiao Shi was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

Xiao Chen then looked at the other students: "You are all the future hope of Hanyuan. In today's competition, the victors should not be arrogant, and the losers should not be discouraged. I will be waiting for you in the 'Academy of Physics' and the 'Martial Arts Hall.' As long as you have talent, Hanyuan will not let you down!"

"Long live the Prince! Long live Han Yuan!"

Below the stage, countless students from impoverished families cheered excitedly. They saw hope, they saw the future.

In the Cold Abyss, as long as you have the ability, you really can change your fate!