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

Han Lie, Wang Dashan, and Murong Xue stood in front of the sand table, their expressions solemn.

Even though we had anticipated that the situation would worsen, seeing the world in such a state of decay was still shocking and...a little worrying.

"It was faster and more chaotic than expected."

Han Lie sighed and pointed to several areas on the sand table where the smoke of war was most intense, "The Chu and Wu armies fought, and the Jianghuai region was devastated."

The Prince of Dai led his barbarian cavalry to invade, causing widespread devastation in Hebei.

The King of Shu's attempt to leave Sichuan failed, and he was blocked at Jiange.

Prince Gui watched the outcome from the sidelines, while Lingnan remained seemingly independent.

The remaining forces, large and small, numbered in the dozens, constantly fighting each other.

The people... are suffering terribly.

Wang Dashan slammed his fist heavily on the edge of the sand table, making the wooden frame tremble. "Damn it! These bastards! All this fighting only makes the common people suffer! That old man Zhao Chong, and those princes in the capital, they all deserve to be torn to pieces!"

Murong Xue's gaze swept over the symbols representing chaos, finally settling on the calm, dark area representing the Cold Abyss. Her clear, cold voice rang out: "Your Highness, the situation in the south is completely out of control. All sides are engaged in fierce fighting, and their strength is rapidly dwindling. Is our chance...?"

Xiao Chen stood in front of the sand table, his back to the three people, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

He gazed silently at the chaotic scene on the sand table, a scene symbolizing endless bloodshed and suffering, remaining silent for a long time. In the secret room, only the occasional crackling of the candlelight could be heard.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly turned around.

His face still showed little emotion, but his deep eyes seemed to bear a tremendous weight, containing coldness, scrutiny, decisiveness, and a hint of barely perceptible compassion befitting a person in a superior position.

"Let them fight their own battle."

Xiao Chen's voice was deep and steady, echoing in the silent chamber, "We will continue to build up our strength as planned. What stage has the Xuanjia Guard's training reached?"

Wang Dashan immediately suppressed his anger and solemnly replied, "Your Highness, of the first batch of 107 people, 81 were ultimately selected after undergoing elimination in hell."

They have now become key members and are currently at the Black Wind Gorge secret base, training the second and third batches of reserve members through mentorship.

Currently, there are a total of 183 qualified Xuanjia Guards and 320 reserve members.

Equipment, tactics, and coordination have all been systematized and are ready for deployment in actual combat at any time!

"Not enough."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "What I need is a sharp knife that can pierce the heart of any enemy formation at the most critical moment, not a slightly sharper dagger."

Keep practicing; the standard can only be raised, not lowered.

In addition, the new "gadgets" produced by the Institute of Natural History will be prioritized for distribution to the Xuanjia Guards so that they can quickly become familiar with and master them.

"Yes!" Wang Dashan answered the order sternly.

Xiao Chen then looked at Han Lie: "We cannot slack off in domestic affairs in the slightest."

The more chaotic the south became, the more refugees poured into the north.

This is a great opportunity for us to increase our population and attract talent.

Reception, screening, placement, and education are all carried out in one integrated process.

Grain reserves must meet my minimum requirements; more is not allowed, not less.

The production capacity of workshops, especially military workshops, needs to be expanded.

Tell those below that anyone who slacks off at this crucial time and jeopardizes the mission will be court-martialed!

"I understand!"

Han Lie nodded emphatically, "All matters are being accelerated according to the 'Swift Wind Plan.' The resettlement of displaced people has been systematically established, the expansion plan for the workshops has been issued, and the autumn crops are growing well. If there are no major disasters, a bumper harvest is expected."

Finally, Xiao Chen's gaze fell on Murong Xue, softening slightly: "Night Owl's work will be twice as heavy."

Not only must we monitor the movements of all parties in the Central Plains, but we must also be careful to identify spies who have infiltrated the refugees and collect various intelligence in the South, especially the strength and weakness of the forces, the stockpiling of provisions, internal conflicts, and the personalities of the generals.

Additionally, we could add fuel to the fire, making their conflict even more intense, but we must be careful in our approach and never reveal that it was our doing.

Murong Xue met his gaze, her clear eyes flashing with a calm yet sharp light: "I am aware. We have already dispatched more elite personnel to various regions."

Spreading rumors, sowing discord, and funding the weak to counterbalance the powerful... numerous tactics are already being employed quietly. The aim is to ensure that the boiling waters of the Central Plains never cease to churn.

Xiao Chen nodded, turning his gaze back to the sand table that symbolized chaos and devastation. His eyes once again became deep and cold.

"The world is in turmoil, and the people are suffering terribly."

He spoke slowly, each word seemingly carrying the weight of blood, "This is the culmination of three hundred years of accumulated problems in the Great Xia Dynasty, the bitter fruit of the Xiao royal family's own actions, and also... the growing pains and blood sacrifices that must be endured before the end of the old era."

"We are not saviors, nor can we save everyone."

His voice suddenly turned sharp, carrying an undeniable resolve, "What we can do is accumulate the strongest power as quickly as possible, and then..."

He stretched out his hand and made a loose grasp, as if he wanted to hold the chaotic landscape on the sand table in his palm.

"With the force of thunder, sweep across the world and end this chaotic era! With the fastest blade and the least bloodshed, establish a new order where people can live, and live like human beings!"

"In this process,"

His gaze swept over Han Lie, Wang Dashan, and Murong Xue, and it seemed as if through them he saw the millions of soldiers and civilians in the Northern Territory who were fighting for that goal. "Inevitably, there will be sacrifices, misunderstandings, and even infamy. But this is our path, the path of Hanyuan, the path of the Northern Lands, and... the only path to survival."

"Let the Central Plains remain in chaos for a while longer. Let it be chaotic until people yearn for stability, until heroes emerge, and until... it's time for us to step in and restore order to the land."

He turned away from the oppressive sand table and looked at the huge, dark banner embroidered with a ferocious wolf's head hanging on the wall of the secret room.

"Issue an order to the entire army to maintain a state of first-level combat readiness. No commander-in-chief or soldier may leave their assigned area without my written order."

"Tell every citizen of the North,"

Xiao Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute force: "Keep their heads down, focus on production, and intensify training. I will shield them from the storms of the outside world. And when I need them to take up arms and follow this banner south..."

He paused, then spoke clearly, word by word:

"I want them to remember that they are not here to plunder, not to kill, but to end plunder and end killing. For themselves, and for their parents, wives and children, to have a land free from war and famine, a land where they can earn a peaceful life through their sweat."

"This is the order and vitality that we, Han Yuan, will bring to this world."

Inside the secret room, a solemn atmosphere prevailed. Han Lie, Wang Dashan, and Murong Xue all stood tall, their eyes burning with unwavering determination.

The world was in uproar, and bloodshed and fire raged.

But deep in the frigid winter of this northern land, a seed named after order and new life is silently accumulating power in the harshest soil, enough to break through the earth and change the world.

A storm is coming, and only the helmsman who has already built the ark can ride it and rebuild homes.