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

As soon as it was light, a notice was posted at the entrance of the city lord's mansion.

The notice was written by Uncle Fu at Xiao Chen's request—Uncle Fu had attended a private school for a few years, and his handwriting was fairly neat. The content was very simple:

"Starting today, we are recruiting able-bodied men to repair the city wall. All participants will be provided with two full meals a day, plus a liter of millet. The elderly, the weak, women, and children are also welcome to come. Those who can carry bricks and haul soil will also receive the same treatment."

The announcement shook the entire city of Hanyuan.

A full meal?

Millet?

In this harsh winter when even bran is scarce, these two words hold a fatal allure.

But no one dared to come.

The people gathered at a distance, looking at the notice from afar, their eyes filled with a mixture of longing and fear.

They whispered to each other, their voices very low:

"Really?"

"Free meals? They even give out rice? What kind of good deal is that..."

"Could it be a scam? They lure people in to work, then don't give them food?"

"I don't think so. I heard the new prince killed several of Lord Liu's men; he's a ruthless character."

"No matter how ruthless you are, can you be as ruthless as Master Liu? You think you can survive in Hanyuan after offending Master Liu?"

There was much discussion, but no one stepped forward.

Xiao Chen stood inside the mansion gate, looking at the scene outside through the crack in the door, his expression calm.

"Your Highness, this won't do."

Zhao Tie walked over, leaning on his wooden cane. "The people are terrified of Scarface Liu and dare not come."

"Then let's increase the stakes," Xiao Chen said.

"Add what?"

"Tell them that in addition to providing meals and rice, they will also receive a fur coat after working for ten days."

Zhao Tie was startled: "Fur coats? Where would we get so many fur coats?"

"Didn't we get twenty more from the herders?"

Xiao Chen said, "Take it out first, as bait."

"But those were for the wounded and the elderly to keep warm..."

"Therefore, we must repair the city wall as soon as possible."

Xiao Chen interrupted him, "Now that the city walls are repaired, everyone will have houses to live in and charcoal to roast, so we won't need so many fur coats anymore. This is an investment, understand?"

Zhao Tie seemed to understand, but he still did as instructed.

The new notice was posted.

This time, the crowd became even more agitated.

Fur coat!

In winter when temperatures drop to minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius, a fur coat can be a lifesaver.

Finally, someone stepped forward.

He was a man in his forties, so thin he was practically skin and bones, but his eyes were still quite clear.

He walked up to the notice and asked timidly, "Sir...do you really...do you have fur coats?"

Uncle Fu nodded: "It's absolutely true. His Highness the Prince personally promised that after ten days of work, he would be given a sheepskin coat."

The man hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'll do it!"

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

One by one, more than a dozen more arrived.

These are people who are truly struggling to survive; either their families have run out of food, or their elderly relatives and children have fallen ill from the cold, and they urgently need a fur coat to keep warm.

By noon, a total of eighty-seven people had arrived.

Of them, fewer than thirty were actually able-bodied young men.

The rest were mostly teenagers, the elderly, and even a few women—whose husbands had either died or fled, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Xiao Chen stood on the steps, looking at the eighty-odd emaciated people.

"My name is Xiao Chen. I am the Prince of Jingbei, appointed by the imperial court, and also your city lord."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly: "From today onwards, I'm the one who calls the shots in Hanyuan City."

The crowd was silent.

"I know you're afraid of Scarface Liu."

Xiao Chen continued, "I'm afraid of his thugs, afraid of his retaliation. But I want to ask you something—after being bullied for three years, starving to death for three years, do you want to continue being bullied and starving to death?"

No one answered.

But some people's eyes have changed.

"I don't want to."

Xiao Chen said, "That's why I came. But I alone can't save Han Yuan. Only you yourselves can save Han Yuan."

He pointed to the dilapidated city walls behind him: "If the walls collapse, we'll repair them. If the houses fall, we'll rebuild them. If the food runs out, we'll plant more. As long as people are alive, as long as their hearts aren't dead, this Cold Abyss City can come back to life!"

The sound echoed in the cold wind.

Some of the elderly people began to wipe away tears.

"From today onwards, I'll lead you all."

Xiao Chen took off his sheepskin coat and handed it to a shivering child next to him. "Put this on. Adults can work, and children can watch. As long as the workers are doing the work, I guarantee your children won't get cold or hungry."

The child took the fur coat with a bewildered look, wrapped it around his body, and smiled on his little face.

That smile was like a pebble thrown into an icy lake.

"I'll do it!"

The first man to step forward suddenly roared, "The worst that can happen is death! Rather than freeze or starve to death, we might as well take a gamble!"

"I'll do it too!"

Count me in!

The crowd finally came back to life.

That afternoon, the construction of the city wall began.

Xiao Chen divided the three hundred veterans into three teams.

A team of guards—Scarface Liu certainly wouldn't stand idly by.

One team was responsible for teaching – instructing the people on how to ram the soil and how to lay bricks.

One team was responsible for logistics—boiling water, cooking, and taking care of the elderly and infirm.

He rolled up his sleeves and joined in the work.

Zhao Tie had a leg injury and couldn't do heavy work, so he sat on the side and directed the work.

Uncle Fu, along with several women, cooked porridge in a makeshift shed.

The porridge was made from the moldy grains that had been dried in the sun for ten days. Although it still had a musty smell, at least it was hot.

The first day was slow.

More than 80 civilians, plus more than 30 able-bodied veterans, totaling more than 100 people.

The only tools available were a few old shovels and hoes dug out of the cellar; most people had to move soil and stones by hand.

The progress was as slow as a snail's pace; in a day, only three zhang (approximately 1.3 meters) of the city wall had been repaired.

But everyone was happy.

Because everyone got enough to eat—even though it was just thin porridge, there was plenty.

Because everyone knows that the work they do is to protect their home.

As he finished work in the evening, Xiao Chen stood in front of the newly built city wall.

The earthen wall, three zhang long and one zhang high, was still very rough, but its basic shape was already visible.

The wall was made of rammed earth with straw reinforcement in the middle. Although it was not as sturdy as blue bricks, it was enough to keep out a person or a horse.

"Tomorrow, we'll repair five zhang," Xiao Chen said.

"Will it work?" Wang Dashan asked.

"able."

Looking at the people who had received their millet after work and whose faces were beaming with smiles, Xiao Chen thought, "When people are united, anything is possible."

Xiao Chen didn't sleep at night.

He instructed Wang Dashan to strengthen security, especially at the construction site.

He knew that Scarface Liu wouldn't let the city wall be built so smoothly.

Sure enough, something happened in the middle of the night.

"Fire! Fire!"

A sharp shout pierced the night sky.

Xiao Chen rushed out of the courtroom and saw flames shooting into the sky from the direction of the construction site.

The newly built city wall was set on fire—the rammed earth had straw fibers added to it, making it highly flammable.

"Fire!" he shouted hoarsely.

The veterans and civilians all rushed over.

But the fire was too big, and by the time it was extinguished, the three-zhang-long city wall had already collapsed.

The place was a mess.

Blackened clods of earth were scattered all over the ground, and the smell of burnt earth was pungent.

Several firefighters were burned and lay on the ground groaning.

"Who did this?" Wang Dashan's eyes turned red.

No one answered.

But everyone knows who it is.

"Your Highness..."

Uncle Fu said in a trembling voice, "How about... how about we stop for now? Let's wait and see what happens with Scarface Liu..."

"Keep going," Xiao Chen interrupted him.

He walked to the collapsed city wall, grabbed a clod of earth that was still hot to the touch, and slammed it hard onto the ground.

The soil clods broke apart.

"Keep fixing it," he said.

"But……"

"Not only do we need to repair it, but we also need to repair it faster and more robustly."

Xiao Chen turned to the crowd that had gathered around him. "Scarface Liu burns down buildings every time, we repair them once. He burns them down ten times, we repair them ten times. I want to see if he burns them down faster, or we repair them faster!"

The people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Some people started to back down—offending Scarface Liu could really kill someone.

But the first man to step forward suddenly roared, "Shut up! Damn it, I'm going all in! It's just one life, right? Rather than starve to death like a coward, I'd rather fight it out!"

"Yes! Let's give it our all!"

"build!"

The crowd's fighting spirit was rekindled.

Xiao Chen looked at them and suddenly said, "From today onwards, all those who participated in building the wall can stay in the empty houses next to the City Lord's Mansion at night. I will send people to protect your safety."

This binds the people and the army together.

If Scarface Liu wants to make another move, he'll have to think twice.

The next day, even more people came to repair the wall.

Yesterday, I saw that people could receive millet, and today dozens more people joined in.

The number of people reached more than 150.

The progress has also accelerated considerably.

By evening, not only had the burned-down three-zhang (approximately 10 meters) city wall been rebuilt, but an additional two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) had been added.

Xiao Chen kept his word.

He had the veterans vacate several empty rooms for the homeless people to live in.

They also sent twenty veterans to guard the area day and night in shifts.

At night, he personally led patrols.

The wind was biting cold, and the snow was knee-deep.

Xiao Chen, wrapped in a fur coat and holding a knife, walked around the city wall construction site in circles.

Zhao Tie advised him to go back and rest, but he shook his head.

"I want them to know that their prince is with them."

The night passed peacefully.

The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day...

The city wall grew longer day by day.

The people's complexions grew rosier day by day—although they were still thin, at least they had more vitality.

Laughter became more frequent at the construction site, and occasionally someone could be heard humming a tune.

There was no movement from Scarface Liu's side.

Xiao Chen dared not let his guard down.

He knew that the other side was either plotting a bigger conspiracy or waiting for outside help—Black Wind Stronghold or the grassland tribes.

By the evening of the sixth day, the city wall had been extended by thirty zhang.

The section from the South Gate to the West Gate is basically finished.

Although it was still an earthen wall, it was 1.5 feet high and 3 feet thick, which could at least withstand ordinary impacts.

Xiao Chen stood on the newly built city wall, gazing out of the city.

As the sun sets, its afterglow bathes the snow-covered plain in a golden hue.

The Baishui River, like a silver ribbon, meanders northward. In the distance, the mountains stretch into the distance, shrouded in mist.

"Your Highness, at this rate, the city walls will be closed in ten days," Wang Dashan said.

Xiao Chen nodded, but his brows remained furrowed.

"What are you worried about?" Zhao Tie asked.

"It's going too smoothly."

Xiao Chen said, "Scarface Liu isn't the type to sit idly by and wait for his fate. The more he remains silent, the more uneasy I become."

Just then, Amu rushed over and made a famous hand gesture.

Uncle Fu translated: "He said that a few people came from the west of the city, acting suspiciously, and headed towards the brick kiln."

Brick kiln.

Scarface Liu's granary.

Xiao Chen's eyes sharpened: "Wang Dashan, gather twenty people and come with me."

"Your Highness, could this be a diversionary tactic?"

Even so, we have to go.

Xiao Chen said, "The granary is Scarface Liu's lifeline. His targeting of the granary means he's serious."

Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Chen led twenty veterans and quietly left the city.

In the darkness of night, the twenty-one men, like a group of ghosts, stealthily made their way to the brick kiln.

The first tough battle for Hanyuan is about to begin.