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

The lingering toll of the emperor's death bell, which had been echoing over the capital for less than twelve hours, was completely drowned out by an even sharper and more unsettling clamor.

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day!" This was the first cry of Crown Prince Xiao Jue before the mourning hall of the Eastern Palace, as he faced a group of court officials who had rushed to the scene. It was also a declaration.

Dressed in coarse hemp mourning clothes and with a white cloth wrapped around his forehead, he tried to project the grief and responsibility expected of a crown prince amidst the flickering candlelight and incense smoke.

He clutched tightly in his hand the edict that Cao Jin had presented with trembling hands. It was said to be the emperor's last words, recorded by Cao Jin and stamped with the Imperial Seal of the State. It was a messy and vague edict, but its core meaning clearly pointed to Crown Prince Jue as a benevolent, filial, and intelligent man who was suitable to inherit the throne.

However, in the eyes of the King of Qin and the King of Jin, the legitimacy of this edict was no different from that of a piece of waste paper.

The Qin Prince's Mansion reacted more directly.

Just as the Crown Prince was reading the will, Qin King Xiao Rui's most elite Xuanjia cavalry had taken control of Yanxi Gate on the west side of the imperial city and confronted the Crown Prince's personal guards, the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, who were guarding Qinglong Gate on the east side. The two sides were on the verge of bloodshed.

Xiao Rui himself did not appear in person, but his chief secretary issued a proclamation on his behalf, denouncing the crown prince for colluding with eunuchs, forging an imperial edict to usurp the throne, and claiming that he had the late emperor's "true secret edict" and should "purge the court of corrupt officials and rectify the court."

Prince Xiao Ming of Jin was even more brutal.

He directly mobilized some of the Beijing garrison troops under his influence and brazenly blocked six city gates on the east, south, and north sides of the capital, claiming that there were rebels who wanted to take advantage of the national mourning to cause chaos, and that the blockade of the capital was to ensure the safety of the emperor's coffin.

He himself, fully armored, led several hundred personal guards and retainers straight to the main gate of the palace, Chengtian Gate, demanding an audience with the crown prince who had forged the imperial edict and disrupted the country, and the eunuch Cao Jin who had deceived the emperor. His voice was like thunder, resounding throughout the palace, and he shouted the slogan of "cleansing the emperor's inner circle" loudly. In reality, his military force was aimed directly at the empty dragon throne.

Chaos reigned in the capital city.

A fierce conflict erupted between the civil officials and some nobles who supported the Crown Prince, the military forces and some court officials who supported the King of Qin, and the former members of the capital garrison and some military generals who supported the King of Jin, along with their vassals, both inside and outside the imperial city and in various markets.

What started as verbal altercations and shoving quickly escalated into brawls, arson, and even small-scale military clashes.

The once bustling streets have become a battlefield. Shops have been looted and houses have been burned. The cries of innocent people are mixed with the sounds of clashing weapons and shouts of killing. The former capital city has become a hellish scene in a single day.

Inside the Zichen Palace, the late emperor's coffin was still lying in state, the incense and candles were still burning, yet his sons had already begun to draw their swords against each other before his remains, vying for the power he had left behind.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, with the three sides locked in a stalemate and none able to completely suppress the other, and it seemed that Shenjing was about to collapse completely in the infighting, a force that was unexpected yet somehow reasonable stepped into the spotlight.

Duke of Zhao, Zhao Chong.

This elderly man, over sixty years old, with gray hair and a slightly plump figure, was known for his prudence and ability to compromise during the reign of the late emperor. He served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works, and was later promoted to Grand Master of the Palace, a position with no real power, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Zhao.

He came from the prominent Zhao family in Jiangnan, a family that had lasted for hundreds of years. His students and former officials were spread throughout the government and the country, and he was especially respected among the literati in Jiangnan and some neutral and conservative officials.

He never participated in the power struggles among the princes, always presenting himself as a loyal and devoted minister who followed the emperor's lead. In the eyes of the three factions of the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Jin, he was a good-natured man who posed little threat and could sometimes be used to decorate the court and show unity.

However, this seemingly harmless Duke of Zhao, on the fourth day after the emperor's death and the three kings' civil war, at this delicate and crucial moment, joined forces with a group of upright civil officials led by Grand Secretary Zhou Wenzheng, some generals who held a neutral stance in the garrison in Shenjing, and several highly respected members of the imperial family to suddenly launch an attack.

Instead of supporting any of the princes, they played a card that no one had expected.

In a side hall of the Zichen Palace, at a hastily convened meeting of the funeral ministers, facing the arguing and nearly physical altercation between the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the representatives of Jin, the Duke of Zhao trembled as he stood up, tears streaming down his face. He collapsed before the late emperor's memorial tablet, banging his head on the ground and wailing in anguish.

"Your Majesty! Your body is barely cold, and your sons are already fighting amongst themselves, with bloodshed raging in the capital. We, your subjects, are heartbroken and have no face to meet our ancestors in the afterlife!"

After weeping, he turned to face the crowd, wiped away the tears streaming down his face, and said in a hoarse but unusually clear voice, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, but the struggle for the throne has already caused turmoil in the capital and the country is in jeopardy! If the struggle continues, it will not be a blessing for the country, nor will it be what the late emperor wished for! The best course of action now is to make stability the top priority!"

"Although His Highness the Crown Prince has the title of regent, there are many doubts about the matter of the imperial edict, making it difficult to convince the public." He blocked the Crown Prince's path.

"Your Highnesses, the King of Qin and the King of Jin, are loyal and brave for the country, but leading troops to besiege the palace and block the city gates is not the way of a subject and could easily provoke war throughout the land." He then gave them both equal censure.

Then, amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, the Duke of Zhao presented his "solution":

"In my humble opinion, the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Jin are all blood relatives of the late Emperor and are all outstanding in talent. However, at this time of national mourning and crisis, no matter who succeeds to the throne, it will be difficult to win the hearts of his brothers and maintain stability in the court and the country."

To avoid internal strife and the collapse of the nation, it would be better to... temporarily avoid controversy and allow succession by brother or son, prioritizing the closest bloodline and the least controversial successor!

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, and slowly uttered a name:

"The nineteenth prince, Xiao Jie, is only six years old. He is the youngest son of the late emperor. His birth mother died early, and he was raised by the late Consort Xian. He is known for his kindness, filial piety, and intelligence.

His young age makes it possible for his three elder brothers, the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Jin, to serve as his imperial uncles and assist him in governing the country together to overcome the difficulties of the times!

"Wait until the young emperor grows up before returning power to him. This will ensure harmony among the brothers, stability in the court, and peace throughout the land! This is the most foolproof plan, and the best way to preserve the bonds of kinship within the imperial family!"

The moment the words were spoken, the entire room was stunned, followed by a deathly silence.

The nineteenth prince, Xiao Jie? His birth mother was just an inconspicuous beauty, a child raised in the deep palace since childhood, with almost no presence? Only six years old?

But soon, many people immediately discerned the ingenious calculation behind this seemingly foolproof plan:

First, it blocked the path for any of the three princes—the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, or the King of Jin—to directly ascend to the throne.

Whoever comes to power will inevitably face fierce opposition from the other two sides, and a full-scale civil war will immediately break out.

While all three parties were unwilling to put a six-year-old child with no connections in power, it became a compromise that could be temporarily accepted, given that none of them could immediately eliminate the others—at least it was better than letting their arch-rival take the throne.

Secondly, it gave all three parties a way out.

As the emperor's elder brothers, they can jointly assist in governing the country. This means that although the crown prince, the prince of Qin, and the prince of Jin cannot become emperors, they can become regents and continue to hold power. They may even be able to intervene in the government more legitimately than they do now.

This barely saved them face and some of their core interests.

Third, the Duke of Zhao himself became the biggest winner.

When a young ruler assumes the throne, he will inevitably need a regent or even a minister to assist him.

Who proposed this plan, and who was by the young ruler's side? It was none other than the Duke of Zhao!

He appeared as a loyal minister who protected the country and harmonized the balance of power, winning the support of a large number of neutrals, reformers, and even some ordinary people who abhorred war and longed for stability.

He became the fisherman who profited from the conflict between the snipe and the clam.

After a brief silence, Grand Secretary Zhou Wenzheng stepped forward first, tears streaming down his face, and echoed, "The Duke of Zhao is a wise and experienced strategist; this plan is excellent! There is nothing better than this to preserve the state and uphold the imperial family!"

Several members of the royal family nodded in agreement. They were old and only wanted peace and quiet, not wanting to be drawn into the bloody struggle between their nephews.

Seeing this, some neutral generals also felt that this method might temporarily quell the fighting and prevent the capital from being completely destroyed by war, so they remained silent.

The representatives of the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and the King of Jin had ashen faces, yet they could not immediately refute them.

Their masters are currently locked in a stalemate, neither able to eliminate the other immediately.

If one strongly opposes it, it would be tantamount to placing oneself in a position of disregarding the safety of the nation and being solely focused on vying for power, thus losing the moral high ground from the outset.

Moreover, the idea of ​​assisting the ruler proposed by the Duke of Zhao was not entirely unattractive to them.

In a strange and fragile balance, amidst the mutual glare and the atmosphere where various forces were forced to compromise temporarily, this seemingly absurd yet reasonable solution under specific circumstances was forcibly passed.

A few days later, a hastily arranged enthronement ceremony was held before the spirit tablet of the late emperor.

The six-year-old prince Xiao Jie, trembling with fear and not even understanding what was happening, was dressed in a dragon robe that was too big and heavy for him, and carried to a dragon throne that was too high and cold for him. The reign title was set as Yongning—a reign title born in blood and fire, full of irony and extravagance.

As for Zhao Chong, the Duke of Zhao, he was widely favored and was granted the titles of Grand Tutor, Regent, and Chief of the Court. At the request of the officials, he was allowed to temporarily hold the imperial seal and exercise the power of imperial approval before the young emperor came of age and assumed personal rule.

The imperial edict was issued and announced to the entire world.

The chaos in Shenjing was temporarily halted by the sudden "ascension of the young emperor and the regency of the powerful minister".

Although the three forces were unwilling, they managed to achieve a temporary and fragile balance through Zhao Chong's mediation: the Crown Prince retained his position as the emperor's elder brother and some of the officials in the Eastern Palace; the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin gained more control over the military and local appointments; and Zhao Chong, sitting in the central government, used the young emperor's "righteous cause" and his own political skills to maintain the operation of the court with difficulty.

However, everyone knows how fragile this balance is.

How can a six-year-old child sit firmly on this precarious empire? How can an old man who rose to power through speculation subdue three menacing wolves?

Zhenbei City, Jingbei Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Chen looked at the detailed secret report sent by Night Owl at top speed regarding Emperor Yongning's accession to the throne and Duke Zhao's regency. His face was expressionless, and he simply tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"A six-year-old prince... Zhao Chong becomes regent..."

Han Lie frowned. "Your Highness, this is merely a stopgap measure, and the balance is extremely fragile. Zhao Chong is a cunning and shrewd man, skilled in political maneuvering, but his power base is mostly among the civil officials in Jiangnan. He has no troops under his command, and I'm afraid..."

"I'm afraid it won't be able to subdue those three hungry wolves."

Wang Dashan snorted coldly, "It's just that the fuse of the powder keg was twisted a little too long. It's bound to explode sooner or later."

Murong Xue's cold voice rang out: "Zhao Chong's actions, while seemingly relieving the immediate crisis in the capital, have actually delayed the conflict and introduced new variables. He himself will likely become the target of public criticism. Moreover, the young emperor... hehe, has given the world an even better 'excuse'."

Xiao Chen finally spoke, his voice calm and unwavering: "Succession from brother to brother, from father to son? Bloodline is the closest and least controversial?"

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Zhao Chong has come up with a good excuse. It's just a pity that using this excuse on a six-year-old child is too ironic."

He stood up and walked to the huge sand table.

At the point representing the capital, next to the removed bright yellow dragon flag, Night Owl had just planted a small apricot-yellow flag representing the young emperor, and next to the small flag was a dark purple flag representing powerful ministers.

Xiao Chen stared intently at the apricot-yellow flag and the deep purple flag of the powerful minister, his gaze unfathomable.

"Alright."

He spoke slowly, his voice low but carrying a resolute force, "Isn't a court where the ruler is young and the country is in turmoil, with powerful ministers in power, more... inspiring than a court where brothers are kind and respectful, working together to resist foreign aggression?

"Send a message to our people in Shenjing," he instructed. "Don't deliberately cause trouble, but make sure that the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, and that Grand Tutor Zhao all remember at all times—there is a sword hanging over their heads. And that sword could fall at any moment."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, in my name, I will present a congratulatory memorial to the new dynasty in the capital. Congratulations on the new emperor's ascension to the throne, and may the Great Xia Dynasty enjoy eternal peace. The wording should be respectful, but also distant. As long as the formalities are observed, that will suffice."

Han Lie instantly understood: "Does Your Highness intend to... solidify this situation of 'a young ruler, a suspicious state, and powerful ministers seizing power,' while continuing to remain uninvolved and observe the situation?"

"It's not entirely about staying out of it."

Xiao Chen's gaze slowly shifted from the capital city on the sand table to the broader map of mountains and rivers marked with the various forces. "We need to make this change more advantageous to us."

"Let our congratulatory message serve as a reminder to the world that the new ruler of Great Xia is a six-year-old child who cries when he sits on the dragon throne. And the loyal minister standing next to him is surnamed Zhao, not Xiao."

The young emperor's cries, the powerful ministers' snickers, and the silent sharpening of knives in the north, strangely intertwined at the beginning of the Yongning era, foreshadowing that this era was destined to be devoid of peace.

After losing its alpha wolf, the Great Xia dynasty did not usher in a new leader, but instead fell into an even more bizarre and dangerous drama—a child playing with a string and a powerful minister manipulating shadows.

The true hunter, however, remains in the shadows, sharpening its claws and waiting for the moment when the most vulnerable string snaps.