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

Zhao Chong slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, his beard and hair standing on end. This was the first time he had displayed such a tough attitude at a court assembly. "The princes are in rebellion, and the affairs of the state are in dire straits. We need to work together to overcome this difficulty! What good will it do to attack each other here?"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood, and glanced at the three princes who were arguing incessantly. He said in a deep voice, "The most urgent task is to come up with a solution! Prince Jin's suggestion to send troops is indeed necessary, but we must be cautious."

His Highness the Crown Prince's suggestion of granting amnesty should not be abandoned. This old minister believes that a two-pronged approach should be taken.

On one hand, in the name of the emperor, an edict was issued to the kings of Shu and Chu, stripping them of their titles, denouncing them as traitors, and ordering the whole world to join in their punitive expedition!

On the other hand, His Highness the Prince of Qin could be ordered to take command of the troops in the capital region and surrounding areas, prepare for war, and, depending on the circumstances, select a heinous criminal to be swiftly punished as a warning to others!

At the same time, we can appease the kings of Wu, Dai, and Gui by offering them high-ranking positions and generous rewards, thus dividing and weakening them and slowing their military advance!

This is the safest, yet most desperate, solution he can think of right now.

Acknowledge a portion of the rebellion, concentrate efforts on cracking down on the ringleaders, and win over and divide the others.

The prerequisite is that the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and the King of Jin are willing to temporarily set aside their internal strife and cooperate with him.

However, looking into the three kings' shifty, scheming eyes, he felt a chill in his heart.

He knew that this fragile alliance, under the enormous impact of "universal rebellion," would probably be unable to even maintain a semblance of civility.

Everyone wants to preserve their strength, and everyone wants to seize the opportunity to gain more benefits. Who is truly willing to risk their life for this "young emperor's court"?

As expected, the court meeting ended in discord.

The three kings each turned away and returned to their residences, where they intensified their plans.

The King of Qin was thinking about how to use the pretext of "suppressing the rebellion" to expand his power beyond the capital; the King of Jin was thinking about how to take advantage of the chaos to seize more control of the capital's garrison and territory; and the Crown Prince was thinking about how to use the "court's" righteousness to win over some vassal kings and oppose Qin and Jin.

Zhao Chong sat alone in the empty hall, looking at the drooling, sleepy-eyed child on the throne, and for the first time felt a deep-seated powerlessness and chill.

The political maneuvering he possessed was utterly insignificant in the face of absolute power and boundless ambition.

He seemed to see the "gold leaf" he had carefully applied being rapidly burned through and peeled off by flames rising from all directions.

The spark that ignites a prairie fire has been lit.

This fire will not be content to burn only a corner of the capital; it will engulf the entire Great Xia Dynasty, burning the foundation of the three-hundred-year-old dynasty, along with all the lingering order, to ashes.

Zhenbei City, Jingbei Prince's Mansion.

Secret reports about "the rise of various kings and the chaos of the world" came in like snowflakes.

On the sand table, what was originally just a touch of crimson in the capital has now been transformed into a vast array of small flags representing "rebellion" or "separatism," planted from Sichuan to Hubei, from the Yangtze River and Huai River basins to Hedong, and even Lingnan.

The entire map of the Great Xia Dynasty was like a spilled palette of paint, becoming colorful and chaotic.

Wang Dashan grinned at the sand table, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Hey, this is really going to be interesting! The King of Shu, the King of Chu, the King of Wu, the King of Dai, the King of Gui... they've all jumped out! 'Purge the court of corrupt officials'? Purge my ass! They all want to be emperor themselves!"

Han Lie stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, but his eyes showed little worry, instead a sense of relief and a glint of shrewdness: "Your Highness is astute as a divine judge. Zhao Chong hastily installed the young emperor, thinking he had outsmarted the situation, but in reality, he was putting himself in the fire. Now that the fire has broken out, he is the first to suffer. This banner of 'purging the emperor's inner circle' has been played in various creative ways by the regional princes."

Murong Xue's gaze was cold as she swept over the newly planted flags on the sand table, finally settling on the black wolf flag representing Han Yuan. She said slowly, "The more they jump around, the more this 'ruler's side' needs to be 'purged.' But I wonder, in the end, who will be the one to be 'purged'?"

Xiao Chen stood with his back to them, hands clasped behind his back, in front of the huge map of the northern border. Upon hearing this, he slowly turned around.

His face remained calm, but in his deep eyes, it seemed as if a storm was gathering, or as if frozen flames were burning.

He didn't look at the chaotic flags on the sand table, but instead turned his gaze further south, to the heart of the Central Plains, a region now in ruins.

"The fire has already started."

His voice was calm, yet carried a strange penetrating power. "Moreover, it will only burn brighter and brighter. Let them fight, scramble, and tear each other apart. The land of Shu is naturally fortified, the people of Chu are skilled at boating, Wu and Yue are wealthy, and the people of Daibei are fierce and brave... Each has their own agenda and their own weaknesses. They cannot unite, and in the end, they will only consume each other, tearing this already riddled land even more to shreds."

He walked to the edge of the sand table, stretched out his finger, and gently brushed over the small flags representing the rebellious forces. The movement was gentle, yet carried a cold scrutiny.

"What we need to do is not rush to put out the fire, nor join this melee."

Xiao Chen's finger finally stopped on the black wolf flag representing Han Yuan, and he gently pressed it. "Instead, let this fire burn even brighter, burning away all the decay and obstacles to new life. At the same time, ensure that our own furnace fire burns the brightest, and the blades forged are sharpest."

"Pass down the order," he raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, "to closely monitor the movements of the princes, especially their troop deployments, food supplies, and internal conflicts. If necessary, Night Owl can secretly add fuel to the fire, making their infighting even fiercer."

"Furthermore," he paused, a cold smile returning to his lips, "issue a proclamation to the world in the name of the Prince of Jingbei and the Northern Protectorate."

Han Lie's spirits lifted: "Your Highness, how should the content be drafted?"

Xiao Chen spoke clearly, word by word: "I am heartbroken by the state of the nation. I am indignant that the treacherous Zhao Chong has deceived the young emperor, causing the princes to have doubts and the world to be in turmoil."

I reiterate my loyalty to the monarch and the country, and my commitment to guarding the northern border.

He urged all parties to prioritize the well-being of the nation and refrain from violence. He argued that if Zhao Chong could repent and return power to the court, the country could be at peace.

If they remain obstinate and allow the war to continue, causing immense suffering and loss of life... then our soldiers in the north, though far away on the frontier, cannot bear to see our ancestral legacy destroyed by treacherous officials. We must uphold righteousness and, for the sake of the Emperor and the people, eliminate the wicked and corrupt!"

Wang Dashan's eyes lit up: "Your Highness, what is this...?"

"First, firmly establish a legitimate and just cause."

Xiao Chen's voice was resolute: "They can 'purge the court of corrupt officials,' and I, Xiao Chen, am naturally even more capable of doing so!"

Moreover, the one I'm purging is Zhao Chong, who "held the young emperor hostage and wreaked havoc on the court"!

As for what happens after the cleansing... who should sit on the throne of this Great Xia dynasty should naturally be decided by the people of the world, by this clear and bright heaven and earth.

He gazed at the scene of battle raging on the sand table, like a master chess player watching his opponents fight fiercely on the board, while he remained calm and collected, slowly placing the piece he had prepared long ago to decide the outcome.

"The princes are raising an army?" Xiao Chen chuckled softly, his laughter echoing in the empty secret room, cold and disdainful.

"They are nothing more than vanguards for the king, sweeping away the dust on the road..."

A prairie fire may burn away the old withered grass, but in the end, only the true hunter, who has already prepared the firewood and sharpened the axe, can control the flames and rebuild the land.

The gray wolves of the North, on the edge of storms and flames, quietly bared their stark white fangs.