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

The city walls of Dingbei Pass were finally adorned with the "Xiao" King's Banner with a black background and gold trim, and the Sun, Moon and Stars Banner of the Hanyuan Army, which fluttered in the chilly spring breeze.

Inside and outside the pass, the devastation of the great battle is being rapidly cleared, collapsed city walls are being rebuilt and reinforced, and damaged houses are being repaired under the direction of craftsmen.

The thick smell of blood and gunpowder in the air gradually faded, replaced by the mixed scents of freshly turned soil, wood processing, and wisps of cooking smoke—a scent of weariness and hope, belonging to a new order.

The war in the northern border that had lasted for months and captivated countless hearts temporarily came to an end with Murong Chui's escape and the surrender of the Helian tribe.

Hanyuan, which was just an insignificant border town on the map a year ago, defeated the 60,000-strong army of Northern Yan in one fell swoop with its overwhelming force and terrifying "heavenly thunder" weapon, expanded its territory by 200 li, recovered and renamed it a strategic pass, and its military might shook the northern frontier.

However, the battle was over, but the test was not.

How to digest such a huge victory, how to settle the sudden increase in prisoners, and how to consolidate the newly acquired territory are the truly arduous tasks that will determine whether this victory can be transformed into long-term benefits.

Inside Dingbei Pass, the former residence of the garrison commander, which had been temporarily requisitioned, is now the headquarters of the Prince of Jingbei. The atmosphere inside the main hall is solemn.

Xiao Chen sat at the head of the table, with Wang Dashan, Zhao Tie, Liu Yidao, and Han Lie, who had been temporarily assigned to be in charge of civil affairs and records, sitting below him.

These four men were core members of the newly established Reorganization Division, specifically responsible for handling the nearly five thousand prisoners of war captured in this battle.

"Tell me, what should we do with these surrendered soldiers?"

Xiao Chen got straight to the point, his gaze sweeping over everyone. On the table lay a preliminary list and rough classification of prisoners, compiled by Night Owl.

Wang Dashan spoke first, his brows furrowed: "Your Highness, there are nearly five thousand surrendered soldiers, and their backgrounds are too diverse."

There were regular troops from the Northern Yan border army under Murong Chui, tribal soldiers conscripted from various tribes, private soldiers and retainers handed over by the Helian tribe, and even a hundred or so bandits who couldn't make a living on the grasslands and were temporarily hired by Murong Chui. It was a mixed bag, with all sorts of thoughts and intentions.

If simply guarded, the daily consumption of food and fodder would be enormous, and it would pose a significant hidden danger. If released…”

He shook his head and didn't say anything more. Everyone understands the principle that releasing a tiger back into the mountains will only increase future troubles.

Zhao Tie, with his impatient nature, snorted and said, "If you ask me, these Northern Yan barbarians, who followed Murong Chui south, probably all have the blood of our border people on their hands! Why don't we just pick the disobedient ones, the ones who were officers, and..."

He made a downward chopping gesture, a fierce glint in his eyes. He had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, showing no mercy to his enemies.

Liu Yidao, being more composed, pondered for a moment and said, "What Commandant Zhao said makes some sense, but it cannot be generalized. Killing them all would be against the natural order and would easily anger Northern Yan, further instilling fear in those tribes that intend to submit, which would be detrimental to Your Highness's future management of the northern border. Keeping them all is also not a good strategy. We need to carefully distinguish and treat them differently."

Han Lie, however, considered the matter from a civil administration perspective: "Your Highness, our army has recently acquired Dingbei Pass and the grasslands ceded by the Helian tribe. The land is vast and sparsely populated, and we urgently need manpower to cultivate the land, build roads, and repair fortresses. If we can make good use of these surrendered soldiers, it can solve our immediate problem. However, the key is how to ensure that they do not harbor any disloyalty and work diligently."

Xiao Chen listened quietly, and only after everyone had finished speaking did he slowly nod: "What you all said makes sense. The treatment of surrendered soldiers is related to the morale of the army and the people, as well as the long-term stability of the northern border. My principle can be summarized in eight words: eliminate the weak and retain the strong, divide and assimilate."

He stood up, walked to the hanging map of the northern border, and pointed to Dingbei Pass and the newly acquired surrounding areas: "Killing those who surrender is inauspicious and should not be done. However, nurturing a boil will inevitably lead to future troubles, which should also be avoided. Therefore, four strategies are needed."

Everyone perked up and listened intently.

"First, severely punish the ringleaders to deter others."

Xiao Chen's voice turned cold, "With the help of Night Owl, nearly five thousand surrendered soldiers were interrogated one by one and cross-checked."

Anyone whose hands are stained with the blood of the soldiers and civilians of Hanyuan, anyone who has committed heinous acts such as rape, plunder, or murder of the innocent, will be dealt with without leniency once verified.

Those whose crimes are extremely serious and whose evidence is irrefutable shall be tried publicly and punished according to the law, to console the fallen soldiers and civilians. (The rest of the text is missing.)

Depending on the severity of the offense, those who violated the law were punished with hard labor, sent to the most arduous places such as mines and road construction sites, as a substitute for criminal punishment.

These men should not be lightly pardoned, nor should they be treated like ordinary surrendered soldiers.

Wang Dashan nodded: "This plan is very appropriate. It can uphold justice, appease the hearts of soldiers and civilians, and also eliminate the most vicious and unruly among the surrendered soldiers."

"Secondly, we should eliminate the dross and retain the essence, and streamline the burden."

Xiao Chen continued, "Among the surrendered soldiers, those who are too old, too young, or have disabilities, illnesses, or are too weak to perform labor or military service, shall be given three days' rations and a small amount of copper coins, released on the spot, and expelled from the country to return north. These people are useless if kept, only wasting food and fodder. Sending them back will also show my leniency and sow discord among the people of Northern Yan."

These people, upon returning to Northern Yan, will become living examples of Han Yuan's benevolent army and the cruel reality of Northern Yan, and their propaganda effect should not be underestimated.

Thirdly, select the best for use to supplement urgent needs.

Xiao Chen's tone softened slightly, "There are also talented people in the Northern Yan army. All blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers and other craftsmen, veterinarians, doctors, as well as experienced veterans, scouts, horse trainers and other people with a special skill, will be personally screened and tested by Zhao Tie and Liu Yidao."

Those who possess genuine talent and have a relatively clean background with no major offenses will be selectively recruited and assigned to appropriate artisan battalions, scout teams, or horse farms within our Cold Abyss Army, with preferential treatment. If they have families in Northern Yan, efforts will be made to bring them here and settle them, thus easing their anxieties. This is the best strategy to turn enemies into friends and strengthen our power.”

Zhao Tie and Liu Yidao exchanged a glance, both seeing the glint in each other's eyes.

The Han Yuan Army is expanding rapidly, and there is indeed a shortage of various technical personnel. If this strategy can be implemented, it will greatly benefit the improvement of the army's combat effectiveness.

"Fourth, and most importantly, is to transform soldiers into civilians and establish roots in the frontier."

Xiao Chen's finger traced across the map the grassland north of Dingbei Pass, which originally belonged to the Helian tribe, and some land south of the pass that had been abandoned due to war. "After the screening by the first three strategies, the remaining able-bodied surrendered soldiers number about two thousand. We will completely break up their original organization and, in units of shi and dui, mix them with our newly recruited soldiers from Hanyuan or reliable garrison troops to form several garrison camps."

He turned around, his eyes gleaming: "Each battalion will have a battalion commander and an instructor, both of whom will be loyal officers from my Hanyuan."

The reclamation camps implemented a military-agricultural system, where soldiers were also farmers.

On ordinary days, they would cultivate wasteland in designated areas and build fortresses, roads, and water conservancy projects. The government would provide seeds and farming tools, and the grain produced, after meeting their own needs, would be handed over to the government granary.

At the same time, they must undergo rigorous military training, doubled during the off-season, to familiarize themselves with commands, understand formations, and be equipped with basic weapons, responsible for guarding and defending their respective settlements against bandits.

"More importantly," Xiao Chen emphasized, "each camp has an instructor position, who is responsible for explaining the laws and policies of my Hanyuan, contrasting them with the corruption of the Northern Yan nobles and the infighting among the tribes, and proclaiming that under the rule of my Hanyuan, as long as you are law-abiding and work hard in farming and training, you can obtain land, dignity and even military merit."

Those who perform well will be rewarded; those who harbor resentment and incite trouble will be severely punished.

The term is three years. During this period, those who diligently cultivate the land, obey discipline, and demonstrate excellent performance in training and labor, without committing any offenses, may, upon assessment, gradually be released from their status as surrendered soldiers and become official border residents of Hanyuan, granted land, and enjoying the same rights as Hanyuan citizens. They may also be selected for inclusion in the regular army. Their families, if residing in Beiyan, may also apply to relocate there for family reunion.