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

The Cold Palace is not called the Cold Palace.

It has a beautiful name – Jingsi Garden.

The former dynasty was a place for disgraced concubines to find peace and worship Buddha, while the current dynasty has become a place to settle criminal slaves and abandoned concubines.

Due to years of neglect, the red paint has peeled off, and the courtyard walls are covered with withered vines.

In winter, even birds are unwilling to stay here.

When Xiao Chen stepped into the courtyard, it was already close to dusk.

The setting sun cast its last rays slanting across the snow, giving it a pale, golden hue.

Several maids were drawing water from the well. When they saw him, they hurriedly bowed and avoided eye contact.

"Your Highness has come to see Granny Lin again?" an older palace maid asked in a low voice.

"Um."

Xiao Chen nodded and took out a few copper coins from his sleeve. "It's cold, add more charcoal to Granny's room."

The palace maid took the copper coin, her eyes suddenly reddening: "Your Highness, please keep it for yourself. This journey..."

"Take it." Xiao Chen left no room for refusal and turned to walk towards the westernmost room.

The door was ajar, letting in a dim candlelight.

He pushed open the door and went in; the smell of medicine hit him.

It wasn't much warmer inside than outside, and there were only a few pieces of cheap charcoal in the brazier, emitting choking blue smoke.

"Chen'er?"

A weak sound came from the bed.

A woman struggled to sit up, her withered hands supporting her on the edge of the bed, her knuckles white.

She was only thirty-five or thirty-six years old, but most of her hair had turned gray, and her face was sickly. Only her eyes still faintly showed traces of her youthful beauty.

"Mother." Xiao Chen quickly stepped forward, supported her, and placed a worn-out cotton pillow behind her back.

Lin, formerly a palace maid in the laundry department, is now Granny Lin.

Sixteen years ago, on that snowy night, the emperor, drunk, took liberties with her.

Just once, just once.

Afterwards, she became pregnant with the emperor's child and moved from the laundry department to this Jingsi Garden, where she gave birth to the seventh prince.

There was no title, no official status.

She didn't even manage to become a proper "Empress".

Everyone in the palace called her Granny Lin, or more politely, "Master Lin".

I've heard about what happened at court today.

Madam Lin grasped her son's hand; it was icy cold and trembling. "Han Yuancheng... Chen'er, how could you..."

"Mother," Xiao Chen grasped her hand in return, his voice soft, "that was what I asked for myself."

"Are you crazy?"

Tears welled up in Lin's eyes. "That's a place where people die! I heard that more than three hundred people froze to death last year, along with bandits and barbarians... If you go there, do you think you'll survive?"

She coughed, coughing so hard it was heart-wrenching.

Xiao Chen patted her back until she caught her breath before slowly saying, "If you stay in the capital, will you have a way to survive?"

Lin's family was delayed.

"Last month, my fourth brother took the illegitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of War as his concubine."

Sixth Brother is engaged to the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Even the eighth brother, whose mother was a palace maid, has been promoted to the rank of "Talented Lady" because his maternal grandfather was a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan who donated 100,000 taels of silver to repair the river embankment.

Xiao Chen's voice was calm, yet every word was like a knife.

"Mother, what do we have?"

Lin opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"We have no maternal clan, no money, and no support."

Xiao Chen looked at her and said, "Father has thirteen sons, seven of whom are adults."

The struggle for the throne has begun. If I stay in the capital, I'll either become someone else's pawn, or... become someone else's stepping stone.

"But Han Yuan..." Lin's tears fell incessantly.

"Though the cold abyss is bitter, the heavens are high and the emperor is far away."

Xiao Chen lowered his voice, "I can survive there."

"But……"

"No buts."

Xiao Chen interrupted her, took out a small cloth bag from his bosom, opened it layer by layer, and inside was a warm and smooth jade pendant. "Mother, please keep this safe."

The jade pendant is made of ordinary green jade, carved with simple ruyi patterns, and its quality is average.

But when Lin saw it, her expression changed.

"This, this is..."

"The only thing you brought with you when you were moved here from the laundry department on the night I was born."

Xiao Chen placed the jade pendant in her hand, saying, "You said this was a keepsake left by your mother."

Lin gripped the jade pendant tightly, her fingertips turning white.

"I've checked."

Xiao Chen's voice was even lower, "The carving of this jade is in the style of the Lin family of Jiangnan."

Lin suddenly looked up.

"I asked an old jade craftsman in Jiangnan, and he said that this kind of ruyi pattern was only produced by the Lin family shop in Suzhou more than 20 years ago. And the Lin family..."

Xiao Chen paused for a moment, "Eighteen years ago, because of his involvement in the grain transport case, his entire family was executed, and only his youngest daughter, who was studying abroad, escaped."

The room was deathly silent.

The only sound was the crackling of the burning charcoal.

Lin's face was ashen in the candlelight, her lips trembled, but she could not utter a sound.

"Mother," Xiao Chen grasped her cold hand, "Your real name is Lin Wan, the eldest daughter of the Lin family of Suzhou, isn't that right?"

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lin finally burst into tears, a cry she had suppressed for sixteen years, like a wounded beast.

She gripped her son's hand tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

"Yes...I am..."

She choked back tears, "The Lin family is gone, everyone is dead... I fled to the capital, dared not use my real name, and entered the laundry department... I never expected, never expected to meet His Majesty, and even more never expected..."

She never expected that she would become pregnant after receiving such favor overnight.

Unexpectedly, this pregnancy did not save her, but instead trapped her to death in the deep palace.

"Chen'er, how...how do you know all this?"

She suddenly realized what was happening and grabbed her son's arm. "Why are you investigating these things? It's too dangerous! What if someone finds out..."

No one will know.

Xiao Chen's voice was calm and steady, "Mother, the Lin family's case back then was a miscarriage of justice."

Lin's pupils suddenly contracted.

"I searched through all the old files of the Ministry of Justice. Although the key files were destroyed, I still found some clues."

That batch of grain transported back then wasn't embezzled by the Lin family at all, but rather...

Xiao Chen leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Lin was startled.

"So," Xiao Chen looked at her, "Mother, you are not the daughter of a slave. You are the legitimate daughter of the Lin family of Suzhou, a scholarly and noble family. The blood of the Lin family flows in my veins."

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Lin's sixteen years of inferiority and fear.

She stared blankly at her son, at this child she had never truly understood.

"Please keep this jade pendant safe."

Xiao Chen wrapped the cloth bag and placed it under her pillow. "If one day... someone comes to you with the same jade pendant, go with him."

"Who? Who will come?"

You'll find out then.

Xiao Chen didn't say much. He knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times to Madam Lin.

My forehead touched the ground; it was icy cold.

"Mother, I am leaving now, and I do not know when I will be able to return."

Take care of yourself, take your medicine on time, and if you don't have enough charcoal, ask them to ask for more.

If anyone makes things difficult for you...

Xiao Chen raised his head, a fierce glint in his eyes, "You said that although the Seventh Prince is in Hanyuan, he writes letters back to the capital every month."

If anything were to happen to his mother, he would risk his life to seek justice.

Mrs. Lin wept uncontrollably.

She knew that her son was paving the way for her future.

He used himself as a bargaining chip to exchange for her chance of survival in this deep palace.

"Chen'er... my Chen'er..." She reached out, wanting to touch her son's face, but her hand trembled violently.

Xiao Chen took her hand and pressed it against his cheek.

My mother's palms were rough and calloused.

Those are the traces left by sixteen years of washing clothes.

"wait for me."

He whispered, "Once I've established myself in Hanyuan, I'll bring you out."

"Then we'll leave the capital and go to Jiangnan, to Suzhou, to see the Lin family's old house, and to see those osmanthus trees you talked about when you were little."

Lin nodded frantically, tears blurring her vision.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Uncle Fu's voice rang out: "Your Highness, it's getting late, the palace gates will be locked soon."

Xiao Chen glanced at his mother one last time, stood up, and took out a small cloth bag from his pocket: "There are fifty taels of silver in here. Keep it safe and use it for bribes."

The medicine is in the cabinet; enough for three months.

I'll have someone deliver it again in three months.

"You'll need the money a lot on the road, so keep it for yourself..."

"I know what I'm doing." Xiao Chen tucked the blanket around her, turned and walked to the door, then stopped.

"Mother," he said without turning around, "I will investigate the wrongful case against the Lin family back then. I will find those who harmed the entire Lin family, one by one."

The voice was very soft, yet it carried a chilling coldness.

Mrs. Lin stared blankly at her son's retreating figure.

The candlelight cast his long shadow on the mottled wall, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

She suddenly realized that she had never truly known this son.

He has changed in these three months.

No longer the quiet, taciturn child who always walked with his head down.

His eyes held a light, a knife, and something she couldn't understand.

"Chen'er," she said in a hoarse voice, "Mother doesn't want you to seek revenge, Mother just wants you... to live well."

Xiao Chen tightened his grip on the doorknob.

"I will live."

He said, "I will live a good life."

The door opened, then closed again.

A cold wind blew in, making the candlelight flicker and almost go out.

Lin leaned against the headboard, clutching the jade pendant, staring at the closed door for a long, long time. Suddenly, she murmured to herself:

"Father, Mother, Brother... it seems our Lin family has an heir."

Outside the Jing Si Garden, Xiao Chen stood in the snow and took a deep breath.

The icy air stung his lungs, but it also brought him to his senses.

"Your Highness," Uncle Fu handed over a cloak, "It's cold, put this on."

Xiao Chen took it, but didn't put it on; he just draped it over his arm.

"Uncle Fu," he said, gazing at the silhouette of the palace walls in the distance, "what does this palace remind you of?"

The old steward was silent for a moment: "This old servant does not know."

"Like a grave."

Xiao Chen said, "Too many people and too many things have been buried."

My mother has been buried here for sixteen years, and so have I.

Today, we will all crawl out of this grave.

Uncle Fu's eyes welled up with tears.

He watched Xiao Chen grow up.

From that frail little baby in swaddling clothes to the tall and straight young man he is today.

These past sixteen years have been incredibly difficult.

"Let's go." Xiao Chen turned around and didn't look back.

The master and servant walked out of the Jing Si Garden, one after the other, stepping through the snow.

As I passed by the Imperial Garden, I happened to see a group of palace servants escorting several young men in fine clothes.

Leading the group was the Eighth Prince, Xiao Yu, who was fifteen years old this year. His birth mother was Consort Liu, who had just been promoted in rank.

"Seventh Brother?"

Xiao Yu stopped and looked Xiao Chen up and down, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "Did you just come from Jing Si Garden?"

I heard that Seventh Brother is going to Hanyuan, so I came to see him off.

"What a pity, my brother doesn't have anything good. Seventh Brother, use this silver ingot to buy yourself a cup of hot tea on the way."

He took out a ten-tael silver ingot from his sleeve and tossed it over casually.

The silver fell onto the snow, creating a small crater.

Several of the accompanying eunuchs covered their mouths and chuckled.

Xiao Chen looked at the silver ingot, then at Xiao Yu's still-childish yet arrogant face.

He bent down, picked up the silver, and brushed the snow off it.

"Eighth brother is very thoughtful."

He walked up to Xiao Yu and put the silver back into the other's hand, saying, "But I don't need it."

Eighth Brother, I heard that Consort Liu is currently arranging your marriage?

"The marriage proposal from the Duke of Zhenguo's family fell through, so they turned to the illegitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites?"

Xiao Yu's expression changed: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, Eighth Brother knows perfectly well."

Xiao Chen smiled slightly, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, "By the way, please pass on a message to Consort Liu: she embezzled three hundred bolts of the brocade from Jiangnan, and the Imperial Household Department keeps a record of it. If she doesn't want anyone to know..."

He stopped, took a step back, and smiled gently: "It's cold, Eighth Brother, you should go back to the palace early, don't catch a cold."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Xiao Yu stood there, his face pale and ashen, his hand holding the silver ingot trembling slightly.

After walking quite a distance, Uncle Fu whispered, "Your Highness shouldn't have offended the Eighth Prince; his mother is currently in favor..."

"If I don't offend him, will he let me go?"

Xiao Chen said calmly, "In this palace, if you don't offend anyone, you're just waiting to die."

Now that I'm leaving, I need to let them know that I'm not someone to be trifled with.

That way, they'll think twice before they hurt my mother.

Uncle Fu suddenly realized, and a pang of sorrow gripped his heart again.

Your Highness is... using your last bit of value to pave the way for Granny.

By the time they returned to that secluded palace, it was already completely dark.

Zhao Tie and Amu had already packed their luggage, which consisted of only three boxes—one box of books, one box of medicinal herbs and tools, and one box of clothes.

"That's all?" Xiao Chen asked.

"Your Highness, according to regulations, when a prince takes up his fief, he should have ceremonial guards, escorts, carriages, horses, and utensils..." Uncle Fu hesitated.

"I don't want any of those."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, "Tomorrow morning, go to the Imperial Household Department and tell them that I am considerate of the court's difficulties and want to keep everything simple."

All you need is a carriage, three horses, and some dry rations and water.

"This... is too shabby."

"That's exactly what I want—a shabby look."

Xiao Chen walked to the window and looked at the deep night outside. "The more shabby the place, the more at ease those people will feel."

By the time they realized what was happening...

He didn't finish speaking.

But Uncle Fu understood.

The four of them, master and servants, had a simple dinner—two hard steamed buns, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a pot of thin porridge.

After dinner, Xiao Chen sat alone at his desk, taking one last look at the map by the dim candlelight.

He circled the location of Hanyuan City with a vermilion brush.

The surrounding terrain, resources, and tribal distribution are covered with annotations.

Coal, iron, frost-covered wheat, warhorses...

And then there are those hidden opportunities, unknown to anyone, beneath the ice and snow.

"Your Highness," Zhao Tie knocked and entered. The lame old soldier stood ramrod straight. "The road is not safe, so this old servant has prepared some things."

He pulled out a dagger, a small crossbow, and several packets of medicine from his pocket.

"The dagger is poisoned; it will kill upon drawing blood."

The crossbow is the standard issue in the army; I modified it to be smaller so it would be easier to conceal.

The powder is a sleeping potion; if scattered, it can incapacitate three to five people.

Xiao Chen took it and examined it carefully.

The dagger was jet black with a bluish-green blade, clearly coated with a potent poison.

The crossbow is small, only the size of a palm, but the spring is taut and its power is not weak.

"Uncle Zhao, you're very kind." He solemnly put it away.

Zhao Tie was once a border scout, but later he injured his leg and was sent to the palace as a guard.

Over the past three months, Xiao Chen had been secretly observing this man and found him to be highly skilled and loyal.

"Your Highness," Zhao Tie suddenly knelt on one knee, "this old servant's life was saved by Your Highness."

When I was humiliated in the palace, it was Your Highness who spoke up for this old servant.

"This journey will take me through icy abyss, through mountains of knives and seas of fire. My life belongs to Your Highness."

In the candlelight, the old soldier's eyes gleamed.

Xiao Chen helped him up: "It's not just my fate, it's the fate of all of us."

Uncle Zhao, although the cold abyss is bitter, it is not as bitter as being trampled underfoot and never being able to lift your head for the rest of your life.

"On this journey, we must survive, and we must live better than anyone else."

Zhao Tie nodded emphatically.

Late at night.

Xiao Chen blew out the candles and lay down on the bed fully clothed.

The dagger lay under my pillow, cold to the touch.

He opened his eyes and stared at the roof beams in the darkness.

In his past life, he buried himself in old books, studying the rise and fall of dynasties that had long since passed away.

In this life, he will fight, seize, and carve out a bloody path in this chaotic world with his own hands.

Cold Abyss.

He silently repeated the name in his heart.

wait for me.

Outside the window, the wind howled, like the howl of a wolf.

It also sounds like the beating of war drums.