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

The cold winds of the twelfth lunar month seemed to have a special fondness for the capital city of the Great Xia Dynasty.

It was no longer the biting north wind, but a damp, bone-chilling cold that seeped into the cracks of the bricks on Zhuque Avenue, climbed along the towering walls of the palace, and silently seeped into the marrow of everyone, and into the heart of this ancient empire.

The Zichen Palace, the center of imperial power, was now shrouded in a suffocating silence and a heavy smell of medicine.

Heavy curtains hung low, blocking out the outside light and all prying eyes.

Only before the dragon bed were several white-bearded and solemn-faced imperial physicians, the chief eunuch Cao Jin standing by like a clay puppet, and the crown prince Xiao Jue kneeling before the bed with red and swollen eyes.

On the dragon bed, Emperor Xiao Qi of the Great Xia Dynasty, whose reign title was Jinglong, lay quietly.

His once handsome face is now ashen, his eyes sunken, and his lips tinged with an ominous bluish-purple.

The rise and fall of his chest was so faint as to be almost invisible; were it not for the occasional, ghostly breath, he would have been indistinguishable from a dead man.

He has not woken up since he fainted from vomiting blood after being enraged by several urgent reports from the south requesting relief funds during a court assembly three days ago.

The Imperial Physician privately shook his head at Cao Jin, implying that His Majesty had been taking "elixirs" for many years in pursuit of immortality, and the poison had already penetrated deep into his internal organs. This sudden outbreak of anger was like the last gust of wind before a lamp runs out of oil; he was likely in grave danger.

The news was tightly covered up by Cao Jin and the Crown Prince, and was known only to a handful of people inside the Zichen Palace.

The official statement was that His Majesty had caught a cold and needed to rest, and that court sessions would be temporarily suspended.

However, the emperor's absence for several days, and the fact that the grand court session on New Year's Eve was presided over by the crown prince, was enough to stir up a storm in the turbulent capital city.

"Father..." Crown Prince Xiao Jue held the emperor's withered and cold hand, his voice choked with sobs, tears streaming down his face.

He was nearly thirty years old, with a face resembling that of an emperor, but with a more refined and gentle demeanor, and a lingering sense of melancholy and fear always etched between his brows.

He was the eldest son of the legitimate wife and the rightful heir apparent. Logically speaking, he was closest to the dragon throne at this moment.

But only he himself knows how hot and dangerous the word "recently" is now.

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the outside of the curtain.

There, it seemed as if countless eyes were peering into the darkness, and countless swords were being honed in the shadows.

His second brother, Prince Qin Xiao Rui, was backed by a group of upright civil officials led by the Minister of Personnel, as well as some aristocratic families in Jiangnan; his third brother, Prince Jin Xiao Ming, had close ties with a group of meritorious military generals represented by Marquis Weiwu, as well as several border towns in the north.

These two younger brothers have never been well-behaved.

In the past, with their father, the emperor, above them, they could only compete in secret. Now that their father has fallen, his fate unknown...

Xiao Jue shivered, not daring to think any further. He gripped his father's hand tightly, as if it were his only lifeline, but felt only icy coldness.

"Your Highness," Cao Jin's high-pitched, effeminate voice, like a viper's hiss, whispered in his ear, "You should go to the side hall to rest for a while. Your health is of utmost importance. Your Majesty has old servants and imperial physicians watching over you here."

Cao Jin lowered his head and looked meek, but an unfathomable light flickered in his cloudy old eyes.

He was a veteran from the time the emperor was a prince, and had been in charge of the inner court for decades. He was a deeply entrenched figure, someone that all factions wanted to win over yet feared. At this moment, his attitude was ambiguous.

Xiao Jue loosened his grip like a startled rabbit, glanced at Cao Jin, then at his unresponsive father, and finally nodded before walking out of the Zichen Palace in a daze.

The cold air outside the hall brought him to his senses slightly, but he was immediately gripped by a deeper fear.

He saw several officials of different ranks passing by under the corridor outside the palace. Their eyes swept over him seemingly casually before they quickly lowered their heads and hurried away.

The probing, calculating, and even a hint of disdain in those eyes made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He knew that the Zichen Palace, no, the entire capital city, had become a giant powder keg, and he was sitting on top of it.

The news of the Emperor's coma could not possibly be kept secret.

Those forces that have cultivated their influence in the imperial court and palace for decades each have their own channels.

The only difference is who makes the first move and how they make the move.

……

The study of the Prince of Qin's residence.

The roaring charcoal fire warmed the study, making it feel like a springtime haven, a stark contrast to the chill outside the window.

King Xiao Rui of Qin, dressed in a purple robe with a coiled dragon design, stood with his hands behind his back in front of a huge map of the Great Xia Dynasty.

He was about the same age as the crown prince, but his face was more rugged, his eyes were sharp, and his jawline was well-defined, exuding a strong ambition and ruthlessness.

He was born to the Imperial Concubine and was favored from a young age. His literary and martial talents were indeed among the best of the princes, and he had long coveted the position of Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, news has just come from the palace," a trusted aide said in a low voice, speaking very quickly, "that old eunuch Cao Jin is very tight-lipped, but we have people in the Imperial Hospital. His Majesty... will probably be gone in the next few days. Even if he wakes up, he will be unable to speak or move."

Xiao Rui's finger slowly traced the location of "Shenjing" on the map, a cold smile curving his lips: "Good, very good. My elder brother, so indecisive and soft-hearted, how can he possibly hold onto this empire? This world belongs to Father Emperor, and it belongs to the capable!"

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is rightfully in charge and has the moral high ground of the Eastern Palace..." another advisor said with some concern.

"The greater good?"

Xiao Rui scoffed, a cold glint in his eyes. "Righteousness is for the living, for the winners! Once Father Emperor breathes his last, no, even if he never wakes up again, who will hold onto this righteousness? It'll all depend on their own methods."

He whirled around, staring at his trusted men. "Are all our men ready? The Shence Army, the Golden Guard, and the Nine Gates Commander's Office—the key positions must be filled by our people! Also, send a letter to Jiangnan, telling my good uncle to hurry up and provide as much food and silver as he needs! Send a letter to Governor Chen in the north as well, telling him to keep a close eye on his troops!"

"yes!"

"And another thing," Xiao Rui walked to his desk, picked up a secret report—a detailed account of the extravagant wedding in Zhenbei City—his eyes flashed with deep apprehension and a hint of jealousy. "My good seventh brother is quite the big shot in the north. The scale of his wedding was almost as grand as Father Emperor's ascension to the throne! He has troops, territory, and now he's got that former Yan princess—his ambitions are far from small. What's he up to?"

"Your Highness, everything at the Jingbei Prince's Mansion is as usual, busy with internal affairs and training the new army, with no unusual activity. However, our scouts report that on the wedding day, various tribes in the North, the East Sea Merchant Alliance, and even small countries in the Western Regions all sent envoys to offer their congratulations, making quite a spectacle. The official from the Ministry of Rites sent by the imperial court is said to have not even been allowed a decent cup of wine."

"Unmoved?"

Xiao Rui crumpled the secret report into a ball and threw it into the charcoal brazier, watching it quickly turn to ashes. "The more indifferent he is, the more terrifying he is. He is an extremely patient and cunning individual. Tell our people in the north to spare no effort to find out his background: how many troops he has, what his finances are like, and what his true attitude is towards the capital! If necessary, offer him substantial rewards!"

Almost simultaneously with Qin King Xiao Rui's secret plot, a similar tense scene unfolded within the Jin King's residence.

Prince Xiao Ming of Jin was a burly man with a violent temper. He loved martial arts and spent many years mingling with generals from the capital garrison and border towns, exuding a wild and powerful aura.

His mother's family was of noble birth and had deep roots in the military.

"Damn it! The old man isn't even dead yet, and that hypocrite Xiao Rui can't sit still anymore?"

Xiao Ming downed a glass of strong liquor, slammed the glass down on the table, and said with a fierce expression, "And that good-for-nothing Xiao Jue, what can he do besides cry? If this country falls into their hands, it'll be finished sooner or later!"

"Your Highness, please calm down," a general in soft armor with a sharp face whispered beside him. "The key issue right now is military power. Of the three major battalions of the Capital Garrison, the Shenji Battalion's attitude is ambiguous. How many of the Five Armies Battalion and the Three Thousand Battalion do we have? Also, the Xishan Ruijian Battalion outside the city is an elite force. Its commander, Liu Fang, is an old subordinate of the Marquis of Weiwu. If we could win them over..."

"That old scoundrel Liu Fang is slippery and cunning. He'll take money if you offer him silver, and he'll even take a beautiful woman! But he'll never give you a straight answer!"

Xiao Ming irritably loosened his collar. "And what about Seventh Brother in the north? If he suddenly leads his troops south, we're all doomed!"

"The Prince of Jingbei is far away on the frontier, beyond our reach. Moreover, he has just married and his position is not yet secure, so he may not intervene immediately. However, Your Highness, we must send someone to make contact, at least... we cannot let him side with the Crown Prince or the Prince of Qin. I heard that he has no goodwill towards the court." Another advisor dressed as a scholar stroked his beard and said.

"Yes! Go, immediately send someone, no, send someone of importance, with generous gifts, to Zhenbei City! Say it's to congratulate him on his wedding, and by the way... sound him out. Tell him that as long as he supports me, in the future... when I ascend the throne, I will grant him the right to guard the northern border forever, and even grant him land and the title of king!" Xiao Ming's eyes gleamed with the light of a gambler.

Inside the capital city, several princes and their backers were working intensively, conspiring, mobilizing troops, and making promises.

As the imperial capital was transformed into a vast and dangerous spiderweb, countless encrypted messages were transmitted through various clandestine channels.

Just like birds returning to their nests, they travel across mountains and rivers, overcoming heavily guarded checkpoints, flying north to the majestic city of Zhenbei, which stands tall in the cold wind and has just completed a grand wedding.

These secret reports came from the Night Owl's spies lurking throughout the capital, from certain fence-sitters who were waiting for a better price, and even from messengers sent by the princes who thought they were being discreet.

They meticulously recorded the emperor's illness, the crown prince's panic, the Qin king's mobilization, the Jin king's restlessness, the unusual movements of the capital garrison, the collusion of various forces, and the suffocating unease and murderous intent that permeated the entire city.

A deluge of secret reports piled up on the desk in the White Tiger Hall of the Jingbei Prince's Mansion.

Han Lie, Zhou Tong, Wang Dashan, and other core confidants solemnly flipped through the documents, filtering them, and then presented the most important information to Xiao Chen, who had just finished his wedding but had already resumed his daily military and political affairs.

Xiao Chen picked up a secret report, which recorded that Prince Qin, Xiao Rui, had secretly contacted a small tribal leader in the northern border who had recently submitted to the Qin Kingdom, offering him great benefits in an attempt to create unrest behind Han Yuan.

He picked up another document; it was from an envoy sent by Prince Xiao Ming of Jin, who had quietly left the capital and was heading north with priceless gifts.

He put down the secret report, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

Outside, the lights of Zhenbei City stretched out in the night, and from the direction of the military camp in the distance, the sounds of drill chants could be faintly heard.

A cold wind swept in, carrying the unique chill and vitality of the North.

"Let it be chaotic, let it be a mess."

Xiao Chen gazed in the direction of the Southern Capital, his deep eyes devoid of any ripples, only a cold calm and a hint of hunter-like sharpness.

"The muddier the water in this pool, the better."

He gently closed the window, separating the turbulent waves of the capital from the calm and steadfastness of the northern border.

But everyone knows that the isolation is only temporary.

The storm from the south will eventually sweep in.

Will the lion in the North, which has already bared its fangs, choose to remain in its den and observe the situation, or will it seize the opportunity to pounce and take its biggest prey?

The answer may lie deep within Xiao Chen's calm and unwavering gaze, amidst the mountain of secret reports, and silently brewing on this increasingly scorching land in the north.