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

In the winter of Zhenbei City, the north wind was biting cold. But in the northern part of the city center, where the Jingbei Prince's Mansion was originally located, a scene of bustling activity unfolded. The enormous noise even drowned out the howling north wind.

What is underway here is a massive project that affects almost the entire city—the expansion of the Jingbei Prince's Mansion.

The old palace was built on the site of a former border general's residence, which was hastily renovated by the court when Xiao Chen was enfeoffed.

Its scale was no more than that of an ordinary prince, its land area was only a little over thirty acres, and its palaces had only a few courtyards. In the increasingly prosperous Zhenbei City, with a population of over 50,000, it already appeared cramped and shabby.

Not only is it difficult to match Xiao Chen's current imposing power as "the Lord of the Northern Border, who forced the Northern Yan to make peace," but it is also struggling to handle daily government affairs, receive officials, and hold celebrations, not to mention the ever-growing number of officials, guards, servants, and the ever-increasing amount of documents, archives, and supplies in the royal palace.

Expanding the Prince's Palace was imperative. This was not only a practical necessity, but also a political declaration—a silent statement that was more powerful than any written manifesto.

However, when Zheng Qu, the head of the Ministry of Works, brought the final draft of the expansion plan, which had undergone numerous revisions, to the Prince's study for Xiao Chen's final approval, even this capable official, known for his composure and efficiency, felt a chill run down his spine. The reason was simple: the regulations on the drawings were simply... far too presumptuous.

"Your Highness," Zheng Qu carefully spread a thick stack of blueprints on the desk in front of Xiao Chen, pointing to the overview map at the top, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension, "This is the overall plan for the expansion. With the old Prince's Mansion as the central core, it expands to the north, east, and west, integrating the surrounding residences, government offices, and granaries, covering a total area of... 120 acres."

One hundred and twenty acres! Almost four times the size of the old prince's mansion! This far exceeds the explicit rule of the Great Xia Dynasty that a prince's mansion "shall not exceed eighty acres", and is approaching the limit of a county prince's mansion, and even... vaguely touches the scale of some imperial palaces.

Xiao Chen remained calm, his gaze fixed on the blueprints, signaling him to continue.

Zheng Qu's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers trembled slightly as he pointed to the core building complex along the central axis: "Along the central axis, from south to north, are: Chengyun Gate, the outer court palace area—including Fengtian Hall, Huagai Hall, and Jinshen Hall; behind that is the rear living area, centered on Qianyuan Palace and Kunning Palace, with side halls and a rear garden on the east and west sides; further back is the Imperial Garden; to the east is the Wenhua Hall area, which houses the library, council hall, and offices of subordinate officials; to the west is the Wuying Hall area, which houses the Military Affairs Hall, drill hall, guard barracks, and armory; in addition, there are bell towers and drum towers on the east and west sides, and the divine kitchen, divine storehouse, slaughterhouse, and so on are all complete..."

With each word Zheng Qu spoke, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead increased.

This is hardly a prince's residence! It's a miniature version of the imperial palace! The main hall has nine bays, a double-eaved hip roof, red steps, bronze tortoises and cranes, golden dragon pillars, and a caisson ceiling... all of these are features that only the emperor or at least the crown prince could use!

Not to mention the layout of the central axis, the division of the front court and the rear palace, and the setting of the east and west palace areas, which almost completely imitated the layout of the imperial palace, only on a slightly smaller scale.

The study was silent, save for the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire. Han Lie stood to one side, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in meditation. Zhou Tong, on the other hand, was looking down, carefully examining the toes of his shoes.

Xiao Chen's fingers gently brushed over the majestic building marked "Fengtian Hall" on the blueprint, his gaze calm and revealing no emotion.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice calm and even: "Steward Zheng, in your opinion, how long would it take to construct this according to these specifications? How much would it cost? Are the craftsmen and materials all ready?"

Zheng Qu quickly composed himself and replied respectfully, "Your Highness, this project is massive. If we go all out, recruit skilled craftsmen from the northern border, hire laborers, and work day and night, it is estimated that it will take two years to complete the main structure. The detailed carvings may take even longer."

The cost... is initially estimated to be over 500,000 taels of silver, and countless supplies such as grain, timber, stone, bricks, tiles, paint, and metal.

Fortunately, His Highness has managed the government well in recent years, resulting in a full treasury, pacification of the northern border, and easier procurement of materials than before. As for craftsmen, my workshop and the Directorate of Works can serve as the core, and by recruiting skilled builders from among the displaced people, the manpower problem can be solved with generous rewards.

However…some specialized crafts, such as gold lacquer painting, large-scale stone carving, and glassmaking, require master craftsmen to be hired from the south or the central plains at high salaries.

Five hundred thousand taels! Two years to complete!

When the number was announced, even Han Lie and Zhou Tong couldn't help but slightly raise their eyelids.

This is almost half of Han Yuan's current annual tax revenue! But thinking about the deeper meaning behind the expansion of the Prince's Mansion, and Xiao Chen's determination, the two fell silent again.

"Five hundred thousand taels...two years..." Xiao Chen repeated, his fingers tapping lightly on the drawing, as if weighing the options.

He raised his eyes to look at Zheng Qu, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Steward Zheng, tell me honestly, how will this system be viewed in the court and in the eyes of the people?"

Zheng Qu's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. He knelt down with a thud, his head touching the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty dares not speak recklessly! However... However, this regulation has indeed... indeed far exceeded the regulations for princes, and is approaching... approaching the Crown Prince's Palace and even... Your Majesty deserves to die!"

He finally uttered the most presumptuous words, prostrating himself on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

The air in the study seemed to freeze. Han Lie and Zhou Tong also held their breath.

Xiao Chen suddenly smiled, a faint smile that carried an indescribable meaning. He stood up, walked around the desk, and went to Zheng Qu, personally helping him up.

"What crime has Zheng committed? You drew the diagrams as ordered, fulfilling your duties diligently, which is excellent."

Xiao Chen's tone was even somewhat gentle. "I ask you, if we were to expand the palace according to the court's regulations, what would be the proper course of action for a prince?"

Zheng Qu was helped up by Xiao Chen, feeling flattered and confused. He subconsciously replied, "According to regulations, a prince's mansion cannot exceed eighty acres, with five rooms for the main gate, seven rooms for the main hall, five rooms for the rear building, and the remaining rooms are all of a fixed number. It is forbidden to overstep the bounds of double-eaved halls, vermilion steps, coiled dragons, caisson ceilings, etc..."

"Such grandeur," Xiao Chen interrupted him, his voice turning cold. His gaze drifted to the bustling construction site outside the window, as if piercing through time to see the magnificent palace of the capital, "is it worthy of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the northern border who now follow me? Is it worthy of the sons and daughters under my command who fought valiantly and defeated Northern Yan? Is it worthy of the new heaven and earth that will soon be created in this vast northern frontier?"

The three "worthy of" statements, each one heavier than the last, struck Zheng Qu's heart like a heavy hammer, and also struck Han Lie and Zhou Tong's hearts.

Xiao Chen turned around, his gaze returning to its deep and calm tone: "Rules are made by people. Since the old rules have already bound our hands and feet and blocked our path, what's wrong with changing them, breaking them? What I want to build is not just a residence, a royal palace. What I want to build is the heart of the Northern Territory, a symbol of the Cold Abyss, a declaration to the world—from this day forward, this vast northern land has its own rules, its own laws, its own…atmosphere!"

He walked back to his desk, picked up his vermilion pen, and heavily circled the "unbridled" master plan of the expansion.

"Buil the structure according to this plan. Funds and provisions will be allocated from the treasury, and I will personally oversee the project. You, the Chief of the Works Department, will be fully responsible for the craftsmen; spare no expense in recruiting skilled artisans from across the land. Materials will be supplied at the discretion of all cities. Two years is too long; I will give you a year and a half. At the latest, by the end of next year, I want to see the last glazed tile on the roof of the Fengtian Hall!"

Zheng Qu was filled with fervor and a profound sense of responsibility. He knelt down again with a thud, saying excitedly, "Your subject... Your subject obeys! I will do my utmost to live up to Your Highness's trust!"

"Remember," Xiao Chen's voice softened, yet carried an undeniable authority, "this project must be fast, high-quality, and... upright. The palaces may be magnificent, but not excessively extravagant or ostentatious; the emphasis should be on grandeur, sturdiness, and practicality. The materials may be of high quality, but the labor of the people must not be excessive. Laborers must be adequately paid and provided with food and lodging. This is not merely one person's palace; it is the culmination of the hard work and dedication of the people and soldiers of our Northern Frontier, the very foundation of our prestige. Is this achievable?"

"Your subject understands!" Zheng Qu kowtowed heavily, his voice filled with determination and a sense of mission this time.

"Go ahead." Xiao Chen waved his hand.

Holding the blueprint that had been marked out—a blueprint signifying breaking with the old system and creating a new one—Zheng Qu bowed and stepped back. Though his steps were somewhat unsteady, his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Inside the study, Han Lie and Zhou Tong exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and a hint of understanding in each other's eyes. The Prince was about to reveal his hand.

No longer hiding or concealing, no longer caring about the court's long-dead set of etiquette and regulations.

Expanding the Prince's Mansion beyond that of a Prince and directly challenging the Imperial Palace—this is the most direct and shocking political declaration: I, Xiao Chen, and I, Han Yuan, no longer acknowledge your old rules.

We must establish our own order, our own center, our own... "mini-court".

"Your Highness, this project is extremely costly, perhaps..." Zhou Tong couldn't help but remind him of the financial burden.

"Money is only money when it's spent. Money piled up in the treasury is nothing but dead stuff."

Xiao Chen said calmly, "If 500,000 taels can win the hearts of the people and soldiers of the Northern Border, attract the attention of heroes from all directions, and make the world aware of the power of Han Yuan, it is worth it."

Moreover, such a large-scale project itself can stimulate all industries, support countless artisans and laborers, and boost the construction, carpentry, stone carving, metallurgy, and transportation sectors in the North. The money doesn't flow out of the North; it simply moves from one pocket to another, yet it sustains people, builds cities, and improves morale. This is a win-win situation.

Han Lie sighed in admiration: "Your Highness's foresight is profound. However, given the regulations of the Prince's residence... once the court finds out, I'm afraid..."

"them?"

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "The floods in the south have not yet subsided, hundreds of thousands of refugees are starving, the Grand Canal has been cut off, and the southwestern barbarian tribes are stirring... The imperial court is barely able to take care of itself, how can it possibly have the resources to care whether my palace has seven or nine rooms, or whether it has a hip roof or a gable roof?"

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and a biting cold wind rushed in, carrying with it the lively sounds of a construction site in the distance.

"Let them talk. Let them impeach, let them be terrified, let them speculate and curse from their warm chambers in the capital, looking at maps. What I want is this Zhenbei City, this northern border, to become stronger, more prosperous, and more powerful day by day, according to my will. When this new Jingbei Prince's Mansion rises from the ground, the people of the world will naturally understand—"

Xiao Chen's voice, carried on the wind, was clear and firm:

"It's time to turn the page on the old era."