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

Chen Qi was tied up like a rice dumpling and hung on the city gate tower.

Fifty bushels of grain and one hundred weapons were piled up in the open space in front of the city lord's mansion, like a small mountain.

The crowd gathered in circles, pointing and whispering.

"Look, that's Scarface Liu's third-in-command!"

"Serves them right! These bastards finally got what they deserved!"

"His Highness is truly remarkable; he even dared to arrest Scarface Liu's men..."

Xiao Chen stood on the steps, looking down at the dense crowd below.

His shoulder wound had been bandaged, but his face was pale—half from blood loss, and half from feigning it.

"Fellow villagers."

He spoke, his voice not loud, but everyone could hear him clearly, "Last night, I caught this man at the brick kiln outside the city."

He pointed to Chen Qi, who was hanging there: "Chen Qi is the third-in-command under Scarface Liu. I got some information out of him."

The crowd quieted down.

"First, Scarface Liu colluded with the bandits of Black Wind Village to rob passing merchants and travelers, killing and plundering them."

"Secondly, Scarface Liu colluded with the Grassland Wolf Tribe to traffic people, smuggled salt, and ironware. Most of the women and children who have gone missing in Hanyuan over the years were sold to the grasslands by him."

"Third, of the 300 shi of disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court last year, not a single grain reached the hands of the people; it was all embezzled by Scarface Liu."

With each statement made, the crowd stirred a little more.

When the third point was mentioned, someone burst into tears—the cries of a loved one who had starved to death.

"Any one of these three crimes is punishable by death."

Xiao Chen paused, then raised his voice, "Therefore, I hereby declare today—Scarface Liu is a sinner of Hanyuan City! From this day forward, anyone who dares to collude with him will be guilty of the same crime!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

But amidst the cheers, there were also concerns.

"Your Highness... Scarface Liu has over a hundred men under his command, and he also has the Black Wind Stronghold backing him... Can your small force handle this?"

"Yes, I heard the barbarians from the grasslands are coming too..."

After the murmurs subsided slightly, Xiao Chen continued, "I know you're afraid. I'm afraid too. But what good is fear? For the past three years, you've been afraid, and what's the result? Your loved ones starved to death, your children were sold, and you yourselves are living worse than dogs!"

He pointed to the pile of grain on the ground: "This is the grain that Scarface Liu embezzled. Today, I'm returning it to you!"

The crowd fell silent again, then erupted in even louder cheers.

"From today onwards, everyone involved in repairing and protecting the city walls will receive two full meals a day, and one jin (500 grams) of grain! The elderly and children will receive half a jin (250 grams) each day!"

Xiao Chen's voice echoed in the cold wind, "This is what I, Xiao Chen, said. If you can't do it, you can throw me off this city wall!"

"Long live the Prince!" someone shouted.

"Long live!" More people joined in the shouting.

Xiao Chen raised his hand, suppressing the cheers: "But this food isn't free. Scarface Liu will be here in three days, bringing Black Wind Stronghold bandits and grassland cavalry. We must defend this city, defend our home!"

"How do we defend it?" someone asked.

"Build city walls! Manufacture weapons! Train militia!"

Xiao Chen said, word by word, "From today onwards, all men aged sixteen to fifty must participate in training. Those who don't know how to use a knife, I'll teach you! Those who don't know how to shoot an arrow, I'll teach you! But there's one condition—"

He scanned the crowd: "Those who desert in the face of battle, behead! Those who betray the enemy, behead! Those who disrupt morale, behead!"

The three "斩" characters convey a sense of resolute determination.

The crowd fell silent.

But soon, the first man to step forward and repair the city wall roared, "I'll do it! Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well fight the prince!"

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

"Let's fight Scarface Liu!"

The calls grew louder and louder.

Looking at these people, these sallow-faced, emaciated, and ragged people whose eyes were beginning to light up, Xiao Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

This is the Cold Abyss he wanted.

It is not a dead city, but a city that can fight, dares to fight, and will fight.

That afternoon, the area in front of the city lord's mansion was transformed into a training ground.

Wang Dashan led the veterans to teach the people basic swordsmanship and formations.

Zhao Tietui, whose leg injury had not yet healed, sat down to teach people how to shoot arrows—although there weren't enough arrows, they could practice with wooden sticks.

Amu, along with several skillful women, used the captured leather armor to make simple protective gear. Although crude, it was better than nothing.

Xiao Chen wasn't idle either.

He personally demonstrated how to make defensive equipment using the simplest tools—sharpening wood to make barricades, using hemp rope and stones to make slings, and even teaching people how to boil water and simmer molten gold.

Yes, "golden juice"—boiled excrement.

Although it's dirty, this thing is more useful than swords when defending a city.

The entire city of Hanyuan was agitated.

But Xiao Chen knew that this was just the beginning.

Scarface Liu will not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

His informants in the city will surely report all of this.

Therefore, he needs to give Scarface Liu a chance.

He believed it was an opportunity to strike and kill.

The next day, Xiao Chen "fell ill".

The news was "unintentionally" leaked by Uncle Fu—His Highness the Prince had been overworked, and with the infection of the knife wound on his shoulder, he had a persistent high fever and was now bedridden.

The city lord's mansion has strengthened its security, with strict checks on all those entering and leaving. But some news still manages to leak out.

On the third night, at midnight.

The city lord's mansion was completely silent, with only a few veterans patrolling, all yawning and looking exhausted.

From the shadows outside the mansion walls, dozens of dark figures crept silently over.

The leader was a one-eyed man, Scarface Liu's confidant, ranked second in the family, and known as "One-Eyed Dragon".

He crouched down by the wall and listened intently; the mansion was quiet.

"The news was right," he said in a low voice, "the kid really is sick. The guards have also let their guard down."

"Brother, should we just charge in?" a man next to him asked.

"No," the one-eyed man grinned maliciously, "Master Liu said he wants him alive. Capture this brat and force him to order the city gates to open. Once the steppe cavalry arrives, Hanyuan will be ours."

He waved his hand: "Go!"

Dozens of dark figures scaled the wall and entered, their movements practiced and skillful, clearly indicating they were all veterans.

The courtyard was deserted, except for the main hall, which was lit up.

The one-eyed man licked his lips and led his men to the window of the main hall.

Through the gap in the window paper, you can see a person lying on the bed, covered with a quilt, motionless.

An old servant was sitting by the bed, dozing off.

"Let's do it!"

One-Eyed Dragon kicked the door open and led his men inside.

The person on the bed "woke up" and threw off the covers—it wasn't Xiao Chen, but a straw man dressed in Xiao Chen's clothes!

"We've fallen for their trap!" The one-eyed man's expression changed drastically, and he turned to run away.

late.

The door slammed shut. The windows were also blocked from the outside.

Suddenly, dozens of veterans armed with crossbows appeared on the rooftops and in the corners of walls, their arrows aimed at them.

"Put down your weapons, and I'll spare your lives," Xiao Chen's voice came from outside the door.

The one-eyed man gritted his teeth: "Charge out!"

He led the way and rushed outside, but just as he reached the door, his foot slipped—there was a hole in the ground!

The pit was filled with sharpened wooden stakes!

"Ah—" Amidst screams, three or four men fell into the pit and were impaled by wooden stakes.

The remaining people panicked and tried to escape through the windows.

But the windows had already been nailed shut from the outside, and they couldn't be broken open at all.

On the rooftop, Wang Dashan said coldly, "Fire the arrows!"

Arrows rained down.

Screams, pleas for mercy, and angry curses filled the air.

Half an hour later, everything returned to calm.

The door opened, and Xiao Chen walked in.

He looked at the corpses and prisoners scattered on the ground, his face expressionless.

"Your Highness, twenty-three have been captured alive, and fifteen have died," Wang Dashan reported.

Xiao Chen nodded and walked up to the one-eyed dragon.

The one-eyed man fell into the pit and his leg was pierced by a wooden stake. He is now lying on the ground, bleeding profusely.

"How many of you came?" Xiao Chen asked.

The one-eyed man spat out a mouthful of blood: "If you're going to kill me, then kill me! Stop talking nonsense!"

Xiao Chen wasn't angry. He said to Wang Dashan, "Drag him out and hang him on the city wall. Let all the people of the city see what happens when you try to ambush the Prince."

"yes!"

The one-eyed man was dragged away, cursing incessantly the whole way.

The remaining prisoners were all ashen-faced.

Xiao Chen scanned them: "Among you, who is willing to atone for their crimes through meritorious service?"

The prisoners looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I want to talk! I want to talk!"

A young man suddenly knelt down. "My name is Li Gou'er. I was captured by Scarface Liu. It wasn't my choice! Master Liu... Scarface Liu has thirty-seven henchmen in the city, distributed in gambling dens, brothels, and warehouses. The list... I know the list!"

"I know that too!"

"I'll say it!"

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

Soon, all the prisoners confessed.

Xiao Chen had Uncle Fu write them down one by one, then said, "I'll give you a chance. After dawn, lead the way to arrest them. If you catch one, you'll be spared the death penalty. If you catch three, you'll be released."

The prisoners were overjoyed at being granted a pardon and kowtowed repeatedly.

At daybreak, a massive purge began in Hanyuan City.

Led by the prisoners, Wang Dashan led his men in a raid on the gambling den, brothel, warehouse, and several hidden agents.

All thirty-seven of Scarface Liu's men were captured.

Those who resisted were killed on the spot, and those who surrendered were tied up.

A large, dark mass of people knelt on the open ground in front of the city lord's mansion.

The crowd gathered in layers, pointing and whispering among themselves.

Xiao Chen stood on the steps, looking at these bullies who had once swaggered around Hanyuan City, now trembling like lambs to the slaughter.

"Bring it up," he said.

One-Eyed Dragon, Chen Qi, and several other leaders were dragged up and forced to kneel on the ground.

Xiao Chen unfolded a list and began to read:

"Zhang Laosan, in March of the eighteenth year of Yanxi, murdered Wang Laohan and his family of three in order to seize their property."

"Li Si, in the seventh month of the nineteenth year of Yanxi, forcibly abducted a woman and drove her father to his death."

"Zhao Wu, in the first month of the twentieth year of Yanxi, embezzled fifty shi of grain allocated by the imperial court for disaster relief, resulting in the starvation deaths of twenty-three people."

With each recitation, a chorus of curses erupted from the crowd. Some picked up stones to throw at the crowd, while others spat.

The person whose name was called looked ashen-faced.

After reading the list, Xiao Chen put it away and looked at the people kneeling on the ground: "These people have committed heinous crimes and deserve to die. According to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, they should be executed."

He paused, then looked at the people: "But how to execute them is up to you."

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then a deafening roar erupted:

"kill!"

"Kill them!"

"To be torn to pieces!"

Xiao Chen raised his hand, suppressing his shouts: "Alright, then kill them."

He walked up to the one-eyed man.

The one-eyed man looked up, his single eye filled with venom: "You surnamed Xiao, Master Liu will not let you go! Once the steppe cavalry arrives, you will all die!"

"Then you can go first," Xiao Chen said calmly, "Waiting for your Master Liu on the road to the underworld."

He drew the "Frost Abyss" sword.

A flash of light.

Heads fell to the ground.

Blood spurted three feet high, spreading a crimson stain on the snow.

The crowd erupted in cheers; some cried, some laughed, and some knelt down to kowtow.

Xiao Chen didn't stop.

He walked up to Chen Qi, then to each of the leaders, and with a swift motion, brought down his knife.

One by one, heads rolled off.

The snow was stained red.

When the last head hit the ground, the entire arena fell silent.

Only the cold wind howls.

Xiao Chen sheathed his sword, and blood dripped from the blade along the blood groove, creating small craters in the snow.

He turned to the thugs still kneeling, those whose crimes were less serious: "Are you willing to atone for your crimes through good deeds?"

"Yes! Yes!" The people kowtowed repeatedly.

"it is good."

Xiao Chen said, "From today onwards, you will be incorporated into the militia to defend the city and kill the enemy. Kill one enemy, and you will be pardoned for one crime. Kill three enemies, and you will be freed."

"Thank you, Prince, for sparing my life!"

After dealing with these people, Xiao Chen ordered their heads to be hung on the city gate tower.

Twenty-seven heads, like a string of wind chimes, swayed in the cold wind.

This is a warning.

A warning to Scarface Liu.

This is a warning to all those who still wish to commit evil in the Cold Abyss.

It is also a declaration.

A declaration to the people of Hanyuan: From this day forward, in Hanyuan City, I, Xiao Chen, will be in charge.

After doing all this, Xiao Chen returned to the courtroom.

Uncle Fu brought him hot water and told him to wash his hands. The water quickly turned red with blood.

"Your Highness," Uncle Fu said softly, "just now... you killed twenty-seven people."

"Um."

"You...you've never even killed a chicken before."

Xiao Chen dried his hands and looked out the window.

Outside the window, the crowd hadn't dispersed yet, still gathered around the heads, pointing and whispering.

Some people wept bitterly, for they were avenging their loved ones.

Some people laughed loudly, saying that it was to bring evil people to justice.

"Uncle Fu," he suddenly said, "do you know what I dreamed about last night?"

What did you dream about?

"I dreamt that I was still in the capital, still in that cold palace."

Xiao Chen's voice was very soft, "My mother is sewing clothes for me, and I'm reading a book. The sun is shining brightly, and sparrows are chirping in the yard."

He paused for a moment: "Then I woke up and saw this dilapidated house, the emaciated people outside, and the heads hanging on the city wall."

Uncle Fu remained silent.

"I can't go back, Uncle Fu."

Xiao Chen turned around and looked at the old man who had taken care of him since he was a child. "From the day I left the capital, I could never go back. To live, I have to kill. To keep these people alive, I have to kill even more."

He picked up the "Frost Abyss" sword, its blade reflecting his young yet resolute face.

"So, these twenty-seven people are just the beginning."

Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening.

One day has already passed the three-day deadline.

Two days left.

Two days later, Scarface Liu and the grassland cavalry will arrive.

Meanwhile, Hanyuan City is ready to fight.