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

The snow in Shenjing is gray.

It wasn't dust falling from the sky, but dust seeping from the silent eaves of the Zichen Palace, from the cold stone slabs of Zhuque Street, and from the gaps in the heavy armor of the Jinwu Guards.

It carried the rusty smell of old bloodstains, the choking smoke of fading incense and paper money, and a suffocating, deathly aura, like something rotting deep within the mire of power.

Emperor Jinglong, Xiao Qi, the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty who was once considered diligent and hardworking but ultimately became addicted to the illusion of immortality through elixirs, has been in a coma for a full month.

He lay on the dragon bed like a piece of rotten wood, clinging to his last breath only with ginseng soup and precious medicinal herbs.

This breath became the sharpest guillotine hanging over the entire Great Xia court, drawn but not yet unleashed, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Crown Prince Xiao Jue sat on the throne as regent, feeling extremely uneasy.

The large, nanmu throne, carved with nine five-clawed golden dragons, now seemed to have grown invisible thorns, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep.

The bright yellow prince's robe he wore, under the bleak winter light, did not add to his majesty; instead, it made his face appear even paler, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed unyielding. Every court assembly was, for him, a long, agonizing ordeal.

"Your Highness!"

The Imperial Censor, an elderly official renowned for his integrity and past sixty, now had his beard and hair bristling, his voice sharp with excitement. He pointed directly at Prince Qin, Xiao Rui, who stood at the head of the military officers, "Without an imperial edict, Prince Qin has arbitrarily relocated the Right Battalion of the Shence Army to Cuiwei Mountain in the western suburbs. Their camp now overlooks most of the capital! What is the purpose of this move? Is he perhaps trying to emulate the actions of the former Crown Prince Li?"

"You old scoundrel! How dare you spout such slander!"

Qin King Xiao Rui suddenly turned around, his python robe and jade belt rustling. His face was handsome, but at this moment it was so gloomy that it could drip water. His eyes were sharp as knives, sweeping over the old censor and then glancing at Xiao Jue, who was pale as death on the throne.

"The Shence Army guards the capital region; daily drills and troop rotations are its duties!"

The defenses of the western suburbs have been weak for a long time. I have mobilized troops to strengthen them, precisely for the sake of my father, the country, and the safety of this capital!

"But you lot are just sitting idly by, holding positions without contributing anything to the country. All you do is bark and howl, trying to sow discord among the imperial family. Your intentions are despicable!"

"You..." The old censor trembled with anger, pointing at Xiao Rui, but could not utter a complete sentence.

"Enough!" A thunderous shout rang out.

Prince Jin, Xiao Ming, strode forward. He was a burly man, almost a head taller than the others. His princely robes were stretched taut by his muscles. His face was full of scars, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Father is still ill, and you are making a ruckus here. What kind of behavior is this!"

As the Crown Prince overseeing the country, he should naturally prioritize state affairs! Currently, in several areas of the south, famine victims are desperately seeking food, and the tragedy of people exchanging their own children to eat is commonplace!

His Highness the Crown Prince does not think of opening granaries to provide relief and comfort to the refugees, but instead spends his days fighting with his brothers for military power. Is this the behavior of a benevolent ruler?

"Your Majesty, knowing the importance of the capital's defenses, why didn't you first inform the Ministry of War and report to the Crown Prince? Unauthorized troop deployment is unbecoming of a subject!"

Xiao Ming may seem rough and boisterous, but his words were a mix of criticism and attack. He accused the Crown Prince of being unrighteous, confirmed the Prince of Qin's abuse of power, and even earned himself the reputation of being "concerned about the people."

A group of nobles and military officers behind him immediately cheered, "His Highness Prince Jin is absolutely right!"

"Disaster relief should be the top priority!" "Unauthorized troop deployment is tantamount to treason!"

The imperial court was thrown into chaos once again.

The civil officials, the Qin King's faction, and the Jin King's forces accused each other, their words flying, and some even started pushing and shoving.

Xiao Jue, sitting on the throne, turned from white to green, his lips trembling as he tried to say something, but found his voice so weak that he couldn't even hear himself.

He looked pleadingly at the chief eunuch Cao Jin, who stood to the side, seemingly oblivious to the chaos before him, but Cao Jin remained as if in deep meditation.

Scenes like this play out every day.

Memorials piled up like mountains in the Office of Transmission, while imperial edicts sent to the Six Ministries often disappeared without a trace or were met with insincere compliance.

Government orders cannot leave the capital city, or rather, once they leave the capital city, no one really takes them seriously.

The entire empire's central command has been completely paralyzed; all its intelligence and energy have been devoted to internal strife.

Beneath the imperial court, the capital city was rife with undercurrents and lurking dangers.

During the day, the city can still maintain a semblance of order, but the streets are much quieter than usual, pedestrians are in a hurry, and shops close early.

But once night falls, the curfew gong sounds, and Shenjing becomes a huge, silent military camp, or rather, a hunting ground.

Soldiers from the Shence Army, Jinwu Guard, and Five City Garrison, dressed in different styles of uniforms and carrying torches, stood guard and patrolled vigilantly at the edge of the vaguely defined defense zone.

The rustling of armor and the heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the empty streets, carrying undisguised hostility.

Every now and then, in a dark alleyway, you might hear short, sharp metallic clanging, muffled groans, or the sound of something heavy falling to the ground, but these sounds are quickly swept away by the cold wind as if they never happened.

The next morning, the auxiliary soldiers patrolling the streets might find one or two unrecognizable corpses dressed in night clothes, and then routinely drag them away, recording them as "banditry" or "displaced people causing trouble".

The mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles were all fortified with high walls and thick gates, with private soldiers and generals patrolling day and night, and figures constantly appearing on the watchtowers.

The once bustling brothels and pleasure houses are now deserted, with only a few of the most exclusive establishments hosting more intense and expensive private talks and transactions than ever before.

Amidst this suffocating atmosphere of desolation and chaos, in the distant north, Xiao Chen, the Prince of Jingbei, who had just shocked the world with his extravagant wedding that defied all norms and commanded tens of thousands of elite troops from the Frost Abyss, became a heavy and undeniable factor in the minds of all forces.

Whoever gains his support, even just a verbal promise of neutrality, will instantly tip the scales in his favor.

Thus, beneath the surface of the capital, even more secretive undercurrents, carrying all sorts of promises, threats, and tests, surged toward Zhenbei City in the north.

The messenger of King Xiao Rui of Qin arrived first.

The man who arrived was his chief strategist, a lean and vigorous old man with three long strands of beard, surnamed Jia. He was eloquent and skilled in diplomacy.

The gifts he brought were exquisite and luxurious, typical of Jiangnan, but more importantly, they contained a promise: a blank official document bearing the seal of the King of Qin, which could be filled with the prestigious title of "Deputy Marshal of the Army and General of the Six Northern Circuits," and implied that if he were to obtain the imperial treasure in the future, he could "divide the country along the river and share the world" with Xiao Chen.

Mr. Jia spoke eloquently, going on about the Crown Prince's weakness and the Prince of Jin's tyranny, from the noble cause to practical interests, with only one central idea: only the Prince of Qin is wise enough to inherit the throne, and the Prince of Jingbei is a smart man who knows that a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on.

The envoy from Prince Xiao Ming of Jin arrived two days later. He was a military general with a full beard and a booming voice, surnamed Lei, and was one of Xiao Ming's fierce generals.

The gifts he brought were even more direct: ten heavy chests, five filled with gleaming gold ingots, five with shimmering silver coins, and a letter personally written by the Prince of Jin, the handwriting bold and the meaning straightforward: the Crown Prince is useless, the King of Qin is a hypocrite, follow me, Old Xiao, and when I become emperor, that land in the north will be yours to rule, you will be a king of equal rank! We brothers will share the good fortune! Gold and beautiful women, as many as you want!

Crown Prince Xiao Jue's messenger arrived the latest and was the most particular about "propriety".

He was a highly respected scholar from the Hanlin Academy, surnamed Fang, who carried the official edict conferring the title of Princess Consort of the Prince of Jingbei upon Murong Xue, as well as an imperial edict from the Crown Prince to oversee the country and encourage the border generals.

Scholar Fang did not discuss high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, but only the great principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, the human relationship between father and son, and the laws and regulations of ancestors. He earnestly requested that Prince Jingbei prioritize the country and its people, uphold the orthodox lineage, and prevent villains from gaining power and causing chaos in the court.

Even some astute local governors and powerful families secretly sent their trusted stewards to express "greetings" and "respect" with ambiguous words, implying that they were trying to curry favor with the underdog and place their bets in advance.

Faced with these persuasive appeals from all directions, some refined and some rude, some direct and some subtle, Zhenbei City's reaction was as calm as the frozen North Sea.

Xiao Chen received the envoys in turn in a side hall of the Prince's Mansion.

The hospitality was impeccable, with exquisite delicacies and fine wines from the north served at the banquet.

During the gathering, Xiao Chen either discussed literary matters in Jiangnan with Mr. Jia, chatted with General Lei about the scenery of the frontier, or inquired about the disaster situation in the south with concern, lamenting with deep sorrow the hardships faced by the people.

However, as soon as the topic touched on the chaos in Shenjing, or the need to take sides and express an opinion, Xiao Chen immediately became "concerned about the country and its people" and "adherent in his duties as a subject."

He said to the eloquent Mr. Jia, "Mr. Jia is highly talented, and his words are insightful about the current situation."

However, I am far away in the northern frontier, and I only know that the Rong and Di tribes are fierce and unruly. Protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people is my top priority.

The Emperor will make his own decisions on matters of state, and it is the Crown Prince's responsibility to oversee the country.

My second brother is a man of great talent, as I, the king, have long known. However, brothers fighting amongst themselves is not a blessing for the country.

The floods in the south have been devastating, leaving many people displaced. I urge my second brother to devote himself to providing relief; this would be a great act of merit.

With these words, he subtly deflected all of Mr. Jia's hints about "sharing the world together," and instead passed the buck on "disaster relief" back to the King of Qin, implying that he was indifferent to the people's plight and only concerned with vying for power.

He raised his glass to the generous General Lei: "General Lei's heroic spirit is truly pleasing to me."

Third Brother is brave and valiant, a fact known throughout the border regions.

However, I have been ordered by my father, the Emperor, to guard the northern lands. It is my duty, and I dare not leave for even a moment.

I appreciate the generous gift from Third Brother, but the words about "splitting the land" must never be mentioned again.

Under heaven, all land belongs to the king; this is the duty of a subject.

The borderlands are bitterly cold, and only through the valiant efforts of our soldiers can we enjoy peace. We dare not slacken our efforts in the slightest, lest the barbarian cavalry sweep south.

He politely declined the offer of territory from the Prince of Jin, while emphasizing his duty to defend the border, implying that he had no time to look south, but he did not completely close the channels of communication with the Prince of Jin.

He was most polite to the righteous and stern scholar Fang, and even stood up to accept the imperial edict, sighing, "My father is seriously ill, and my heart is burning with grief. I regret that I cannot serve him at his bedside."

Your Highness the Crown Prince has been working tirelessly overseeing the country, while I am far away on the frontier and unable to share your burdens. I am filled with shame and remorse.

What Elder Fang said was profound and I will remember it forever.

I am deeply grateful for the country's favor, and I can only do my duty to defend our borders and protect the people.

Anyone who harbors rebellious intentions, disrupts the court, or endangers the state, I, though far away on the frontier, will never share the same sky with!

"I only wish for the court to stabilize soon, for my father to recover, and for His Highness the Crown Prince to be able to understand the will of Heaven and care for the people. Then the world will be blessed."

These words sounded exactly like those of a loyal and filial son, supporting the crown prince, upholding orthodoxy, condemning "disloyalty," and placing himself on the moral and legal high ground.

But upon closer examination, who is being referred to as "a disloyal heart that will bring chaos to the court"? Is it the King of Qin? The King of Jin? Or someone else? Xiao Chen didn't say.

He was merely expressing his loyalty to the "court" and the "state." As for who represented the court, that was left for the crown prince to figure out, leaving ample room for maneuver in the future.

In short, Xiao Chen gave all the envoys the impression of a border vassal king who was loyal to the emperor and loved his country, kept to his duty, cared about the people's livelihood, was unwilling to get involved in the brothers' disputes, but held a large army and had a strong desire for "stability".

He was mild-mannered and sincere, but his stance was ambiguous and his bottom line unclear. He was like a ball of cotton, leaving one with nowhere to hold on, or like a deep pool of water, where one could not see what was hidden at the bottom.

This ambiguity is precisely what drives the three forces in Shenjing crazy, and it's also what compels them to continue betting on winning them over.

Because they were both worried about gains and losses, they were afraid that the other party would gain Xiao Chen's explicit support, but they were also afraid that if they pushed too hard, they would push this fierce tiger from the north towards the opponent, or provoke him to go south to "purge the court of corrupt officials" ahead of schedule.

While Xiao Chen was dealing with the various envoys with a smile and careful words, the massive intelligence machine that was Night Owl was operating with unprecedented efficiency.

The envoys' entourage, their route, the people they contacted in Zhenbei City, and even the copies of the secret letters they carried all became important sources of intelligence for Night Owl to analyze the strength, intentions, and weaknesses of the various factions in Shenjing.

Even more remarkably, Xiao Chen, through extremely secretive channels, conveyed very limited but meaningful "goodwill" to several officials in the Crown Prince's camp who were not the highest-ranking, but who were dissatisfied with both the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin, and whose families were mostly based in the south and had potential commercial interests with the north.

For example, a piece of intelligence about the King of Qin secretly contacting a small tribe in the north who had submitted to him, intending to create trouble behind Hanyuan, was "unintentionally" leaked to an official in charge of border affairs in the Crown Prince's faction.

Alternatively, the Prince of Jin's envoy might "accidentally" learn that the Crown Prince is secretly investigating the Prince of Jin's old case of massive embezzlement in the procurement of military equipment, and that the evidence seems to be quite unfavorable to the Prince of Jin.

This information, a mixture of truth and falsehood, is like cold water thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly triggering an even more violent explosion.

The already fragile trust between the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and the King of Jin completely collapsed, the chain of suspicion grew longer and longer, and the struggle quickly escalated from verbal battles in the court and power struggles in private to a more dangerous level.

In the nights of Shenjing, the sounds of real, small-scale fighting began to frequently rise up.

Several retainers of the Prince of Qin died suddenly on their way home; a messenger sent by the Prince of Jin to the Ruijian Camp in Xishan, along with dozens of his entourage, was attacked by bandits on the official road and his body was never recovered; a trusted eunuch in charge of documents at the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace was found drowned in the koi pond in the Imperial Garden, and it appeared that he had been severely tortured before his death...

The undercurrent finally began to froth with scarlet blood.

Zhenbei City, Baihu Hall.

Xiao Chen gently placed the latest secret report from Night Owl, concerning yet another "accidental" death in Shenjing, on the candle and lit it.

The flickering flames reflected in his calm, watery eyes.

"It's not chaotic enough."

He muttered to himself, as if speaking to an unseen audience in the air, "Let them be more suspicious, more fearful, and shed more blood... until they exhaust all their strength on each other, until the capital city sheds its last drop of loyal blood, until the world is utterly disillusioned with the Xiao imperial family..."

He walked to the huge map of the northern border, his gaze slowly shifting from Zhenbei City to the dot in the south marked "Shenjing" (Divine Capital). A cold, indifferent smile, yet also a strange anticipation, swept across his lips.

"That will be our time to shine."

The cold wind of the north still howled, swirling snowflakes and pounding against the tightly closed windows of the hall.