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

Before the smoke of battle at Dingbei Pass had been dissipated by the spring breeze, the thunderous roar and the deafening crash of the pass walls, like the most violent shockwave, swept across the entire Northern Yan court and the vast northern border at a speed far faster than the fleeing soldiers.

Murong Chui, the once mighty General Zhenbei who was highly regarded by the Northern Yan royal court, suffered a series of misfortunes within a few months. First, he lost his vanguard, then his beloved son, and finally, he lost the strategic pass "Longquan Pass" that he relied on. He fled back to his country with only a few thousand defeated soldiers, like a stray dog.

When the news reached the Northern Yan royal court, the whole country was in an uproar and the entire court was shocked.

The pro-war faction, led by the eldest prince, was devastated and humiliated, and was attacked by their political enemies in court to the point that they could hardly lift their heads.

Meanwhile, the previously suppressed voices of the peace faction suddenly rose. Officials, led by Chancellor Yuwen Hu, submitted memorials one after another, vehemently criticizing the drawbacks of the southern expedition and advocating for "cease hostilities and allow the people to recuperate, temporarily avoiding the sharp edge of Han Yuan." Some even privately suggested that they should contact Han Yuan as soon as possible to discuss peace talks, lest Xiao Chen, emboldened by his great victory, continue to march north, at which point the situation would become uncontrollable.

The quarrels and shifts in the political climate within the royal court spread as quickly as a plague to the border.

Those Northern Yan tribes and their commanders who bordered Hanyuan or were located in areas where the two sides' forces intersected were filled with fear and could not eat or sleep in peace.

Murong Chui's crushing defeat shattered the myth of the invincible Northern Yan cavalry in their hearts, and the fall of Dingbei Pass in a single day instilled in them a deep-seated fear of Han Yuan's unheard-of "heavenly thunder" weapon.

Among all the border forces living in constant fear, the Helian tribe was undoubtedly in the most dangerous and agonizing situation.

The Helian tribe, a prominent clan of the Northern Yan, had lived for generations on the grasslands north of the Yanshan Mountains. They had intermarried with the Murong tribe for generations, forming a complex and intertwined relationship.

During Murong Chui's invasion of the south, the Helian tribe was not only an important source of soldiers and provisions, but its leader, Helian Chang (the younger brother of Murong Chui's wife, whose sister married Murong Chui and whose son married Murong Chui's daughter), was also a staunch supporter and participant in the invasion plan.

They not only dispatched two thousand of their own cavalry to assist in the battle, but some of their local leaders also colluded with the remnants of the previously wiped-out "Forest Swallow" tribe, participating in sporadic raids on the border of Hanyuan, their hands stained with the blood of Hanyuan's border people.

Now, Murong Chui has suffered a crushing defeat, and Dingbei Pass has changed hands.

The advance of the Hanyuan Army is less than 150 li away from the Helian tribe's main summer pasture!

In between are only some hills and scattered small tribes that have long been feared.

Helian Chang could almost see the black "Xiao" character royal flag and those monsters spewing "heavenly thunder" slowly approaching his grassland.

Inside the Helian tribe's main tent, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the deathly silence before a storm.

The flickering light of the tallow torch illuminated Helian Chang's face, which was darkened by anxiety and fear. He was nearly fifty years old and stout, but at this moment he resembled an old wolf trapped in a cage, his eyes bloodshot.

Below the tent, the tribal chiefs were arguing loudly, the noise almost lifting the tent roof off.

"Chief! We cannot surrender! We, the Helian tribe, are the eagles of the grasslands. How can we beg for surrender from the Han people? No matter how powerful the Hanyuan army is, on the grasslands, our cavalry may still be able to put up a fight! Gather all our warriors and fight them to the death!"

The speaker was Helian Bao, Helian Chang's nephew, a hot-headed young man in his early twenties, brave and reckless, and the vanguard of the war faction in the tribe.

He was surrounded by several equally young noblemen, full of youthful vigor, who clamored to "fight to the death and defend the glory of the grasslands."

"Compete? What are we going to use to compete?"

An elderly man with graying hair and beard stood up shakily. He was Helian Chang's uncle, highly respected in the tribe. "General Murong Chui's army of 60,000, even at a strategically important and dangerous pass, suffered a crushing defeat, losing the pass in a single day! Our entire Helian tribe has no more than 5,000 soldiers capable of fighting, plus tens of thousands of the elderly, women, and children. How can our pasture tents withstand that thunderous bomb? Do you intend for the Helian bloodline to be extinguished on the grasslands?!"

"Yes, Chieftain!" another trade chieftain said with a bitter face, "I've heard that those giant cannons from the Cold Abyss that unleash thunder can reach three or four hundred paces away, and the stones are bigger than millstones. When they hit, tents, people, horses, cattle, and sheep are all turned into mincemeat! And there are those fireballs that explode in the sky, with iron shards raining down like rain... This isn't war, this is divine punishment! How can we mortals fight against divine punishment?"

"But if we surrender, will the Han people let us go? We fought alongside General Murong in Hanyuan and even robbed them..." someone worried.

"If you don't surrender, you'll die now! If you surrender, there might be a glimmer of hope!"

The old men of the peace faction were agitated. "That Xiao Chen is the Prince of Jingbei, not a butcher from the grasslands. I've heard that he doesn't indiscriminately kill tribes that submit, as long as they are sincere in their allegiance. Look at the Canglang tribe, aren't they doing quite well now?"

"That was before! This time we're helping Murong Chui fight him, how can it be the same?"

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events and argued fiercely.

Helian Chang closed his eyes in anguish.

He knew his uncle was right; a direct confrontation would only lead to death.

The terror of the "heaven-shattering thunder" has been described, albeit embellished, but with the core message remaining consistent, by the scattered fleeing soldiers who managed to escape.

Those are weapons that no human can withstand.

But surrender... would Xiao Chen accept it? What conditions would he offer? Was the Helian tribe's centuries-old foundation going to be destroyed in his hands?

Just as he was in a state of utter confusion, his trusted aide quietly entered the tent, whispered a few words in his ear, and presented him with a small roll of sheepskin. Helian Chang unfolded it and his expression changed drastically.

This is a message sent back at great risk by a scout who was lying in wait near Dingbei Pass. It details the process of Hanyuan Army breaking through Dingbei Pass, especially emphasizing the terrifying scene of the earth shaking and the gate walls collapsing when the "Thunderclap" was fired in unison, as well as the actions of Hanyuan Army after entering the pass, which did not massacre the surrendered soldiers, but quickly reorganized and appeased them.

The message concluded by mentioning that the Han Yuan army is accelerating the repair of fortifications and stockpiling supplies at Dingbei Pass. Their next move is unclear, but it is certainly related to various units along the Northern Yan border.

This last piece of intelligence became the last straw that broke the camel's back for Helian Chang.

The fact that Han Yuan's army did not carry out a large-scale massacre shows that Xiao Chen was not simply bloodthirsty, but rather had a method and a purpose.

After establishing a foothold at Dingbei Pass, their next objective will most likely be to sweep away the surrounding rebellious Northern Yan forces in order to solidify their new defensive line. And the Helian tribe will be the first to bear the brunt.

We can't hesitate any longer.