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

In the height of summer of the first year of Yongning, the south was already engulfed in flames of war, with rivers of blood flowing like streams.

The north, seemingly separated by an invisible barrier, maintains a fragile and unsettling calm.

But beneath this calm, the undercurrents are just as turbulent as in the south.

Youzhou, one of the most important military strongholds in the northern border of the Great Xia Dynasty, has now become the center of this vortex where undercurrents converge.

Youzhou's geographical location is extremely crucial. It controls several key routes from the Yanshan Mountains to the Central Plains in the south and the vast grasslands beyond the Great Wall in the north. It is an important barrier against the southward incursion of nomadic tribes from the grasslands and one of the hubs connecting the Central Plains and the north.

Its city walls are high and thick, heavily fortified, and well-stocked with provisions and weapons. Since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, it has been the core stronghold for the imperial court's strategy in the northern frontier, and is known as the "key to the northern gate".

The current garrison commander of Youzhou is named Gao Wang. He holds the official titles of Governor of Youzhou and General Zhenbei, making him a high-ranking official of the third rank in the imperial court. He is also a veteran in the army.

Gao Wang was no fool. In his early years, he had fought several battles with the grassland tribes and had some military achievements. He was also quite strict in disciplining his troops.

However, he suffered from the common problems of many border generals of that era: he was indecisive, had too much power over his troops, and valued personal gain above all else.

Before the world fell into chaos, he sat high in Youzhou, enjoying the government's provisions and salary, while secretly making a fortune through some shady dealings with tribes beyond the Great Wall and wealthy merchants in the north.

He was both wary of his northern neighbor, Prince Jingbei Xiao Chen, yet he had to maintain a facade of politeness, given Xiao Chen's fearsome reputation and power.

The two sides generally kept to themselves, maintaining a delicate balance.

But now, the world is in chaos, and the imperial court exists in name only. Gao Wang's mindset has begun to undergo a subtle but dangerous change.

On the one hand, he saw an "opportunity".

The Central Plains are in complete chaos, with princes and military governors all claiming their own power and dominating the country. Gao Wang has tens of thousands of soldiers in Youzhou, with ample food and military supplies. Why can't he have his own ideas?

Even if I don't become emperor, being granted land and becoming a king, living a carefree life as the "King of Youzhou," wouldn't that be better than having to be subservient to others and live at their beck and call?

Especially considering that those warlords from humble backgrounds in the south were able to carve out their own territories, how could he, a high-ranking official governor of the imperial court, be inferior to them?

On the other hand, he felt a deep sense of "threat".

This threat mainly came from the north—from that terrifyingly silent neighbor, Prince Jingbei, Xiao Chen.

Others may have only heard of Han Yuan's strength, but Gao Wang, as the garrison commander of Youzhou, truly felt the pressure.

Xiao Chen unified the various tribes in the northern border, destroyed the Northern Barbarians, and his power shook the grasslands.

The combat effectiveness, discipline, and equipment of his army, as well as the efficient administrative system and thriving industry, commerce, and agriculture in the North, all made Gao Wang feel alarmed.

He had no doubt that if Xiao Chen had ambitions to march south, his Youzhou army, which had not fought a major battle for many years and was riddled with internal factions, would be unable to withstand him.

What made Gao Wang even more uneasy was that after the imperial court completely lost control of the local area, the supply of grain and provisions to Youzhou had been cut off.

With tens of thousands of troops, the daily consumption of food and supplies for both men and horses was enormous.

Although Youzhou had some savings, it couldn't sustain it for long.

Trade routes in the south were almost completely cut off due to the war, and there was nowhere to buy grain.

Buying from grassland tribes? Those barbarians would not only raise prices on the spot, but could also bring trouble.

Buying from Han Yuan? That would be like asking a tiger for its skin, and it would also expose our weakness.

Should one seize the opportunity of chaos to establish oneself as king and gamble on wealth and power? Or should one seek refuge with a powerful force to ensure one's survival? If one chooses refuge, whom should one choose? Those princes in the south who are barely able to protect themselves? Or... Xiao Chen, who is nearby and as ruthless as a wolf?

Gao Wang was plunged into unprecedented anxiety and uncertainty.

He summoned his trusted generals and advisors, and they held secret meetings for days, arguing incessantly.

Some generals advocated immediately raising their banners, establishing their own independent forces, and first occupying the various provinces of Hebei; others believed that they should wait and see who had the best chance of winning in the Central Plains before making any plans; and a few others subtly suggested that they might "secretly communicate" with the prince in the north to gain his support, at least to solve the problem of food and supplies.

The atmosphere within Youzhou City thus became unusually eerie.

The army was frequently mobilized, the city gates were opened and closed intermittently, and the checks were very thorough.

Grain prices on the market are rising three times a day, causing widespread anxiety.

The governor's mansion in Gaowang was heavily guarded, and any slight movement could cause a stir.

All of this was clearly recorded by pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows, and transformed into encrypted messages that traveled across mountains and rivers, eventually appearing on the desk of Murong Xue, the Night Owl Commander, in the Jingbei Prince's Mansion in the Northern Border Town.

"Your Highness, an urgent report from Youzhou."

Wang Dashan handed a secret report to Xiao Chen. Her cool and aloof expression revealed little emotion, but her slightly quickened speech showed how much importance she attached to this intelligence.

Xiao Chen took it and quickly glanced at it.

The secret report was detailed, recording not only Gao Wang's recent frequent secret meetings with his confidants, the unusual mobilization of the Youzhou army, and the soaring grain prices, but also the general proposals of different generals in several secret meetings, as well as details of Gao Wang's own hesitation and frequent sighs to the moon.

Clearly, Night Owl's infiltration of Youzhou has reached a considerable level.

"Gao Wang... wavered."

Xiao Chen put down the secret report, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes gleaming with thought. "He wants to take advantage of the chaos to establish himself, yet he fears becoming a target of public criticism; he is wary of me, Han Yuan, yet he has no choice but to consider asking me for help to alleviate the food shortage. His indecisiveness and fear of loss reveal a glimpse into his character."

Han Lie stroked his beard and pondered, "Your Highness, although Gao Wang is not a great ruler, Youzhou is strategically located with high walls, deep moats, and tens of thousands of troops. If not handled properly, he may hold out in the city or defect to any side in the south, which will hinder our future southward advance. Now that his internal situation is turbulent, it is a golden opportunity. Perhaps we can send an eloquent and persuasive person to secretly enter Youzhou and persuade him to surrender."

Wang Dashan scoffed, "To persuade him to surrender? I doubt it. Gao Wang is a cunning old fox, the most slippery of all. He won't act until he sees a clear benefit. Unless our army is pressing in, or we offer him irresistible rewards, he'll definitely waver, and might even feign allegiance while actually waiting for the best offer."

Murong Xue spoke at this moment, her voice still clear and cold, yet carrying a hint of chill: "What Gao Wang thinks is not important. What is important is that we must take Youzhou, and we must take it with the least cost and the fastest speed. A direct assault would result in too many casualties and is prone to unforeseen changes. Since there are already cracks within it, perhaps we can... make those cracks even wider."

Xiao Chen looked up at her: "What are your thoughts, Xue'er?"

"Gao Wang's forces are not a monolithic entity."

Murong Xue walked to the hanging Youzhou defense map and pointed to several locations with her fingertips. "His deputy general, Zhou Ting, is upright and has long been dissatisfied with Gao Wang's recent practice of withholding military pay and secretly colluding with Hu merchants."

One of his generals, Liu Meng, was brave but lacked strategy. He was also greedy and lustful, and had a long-standing feud with Zhao De, another of Gao Wang's confidants and chief clerk.

As for Qian Fu, the quartermaster in charge of supplies, he was even more greedy and embezzled funds, causing much resentment among the troops.

She turned around and looked at Xiao Chen: "Gao Wang himself is indecisive, and there are also many contradictions among his subordinates."

This is an excellent opportunity for infiltration, division, and disintegration. It can incite the night owls within Youzhou to intensify their activities.

As for Zhou Ting, we can show him the power and prestige of a prince, promise him important responsibilities, and lure him to turn against us; as for Liu Meng, we can cater to his preferences, give him gold, silver and beautiful women, and make him disloyal; as for Qian Fu, we can seize on his corruption and coerce him to work for us, or at a critical moment, cut off Gao Wang's supplies.

As for Gao Wang's trusted confidants who advocated independence or siding with the south...

A cold glint flashed in Murong Xue's eyes: "We could either cause his 'accidental' death, or suddenly expose his 'criminal evidence' to Gao Wang. Gao Wang is already suspicious, and after this turn of events, he will become even more paranoid and indecisive. At that time, we might be able to subdue him without a fight. Even if we need to use force, with the cooperation of an inside agent, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Han Lie clapped his hands: "Divide and conquer, and win hearts and minds! This plan is excellent! If we can cause Gao Wang to turn against his followers or create internal strife, our army may be able to take Youzhou without bloodshed!"

Wang Dashan grinned, "Commander Murong's plan is brilliant! I've long disliked those bastards in Youzhou! If we can get them into chaos first, then we can reap the rewards—that would save us a lot of trouble!"

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Murong Xue's plan coincided with his own thoughts.

A direct assault on Youzhou is not impossible, but it would inevitably result in heavy losses, be time-consuming, and prematurely expose Han Yuan's determination and strength to advance south, potentially provoking vigilance and a united counterattack from the southern forces. A strategic takeover would naturally be the best option.

"Xue'er, this matter is entirely your responsibility." Xiao

Chen said in a deep voice, "Night Owl of Youzhou, you can mobilize all resources at your disposal. You can also use the gold, silver, and manpower you need as you see fit."

The goal is to be safe and discreet.

What I want is not a shattered Youzhou, but a Youzhou that is as intact as possible and can be used by me immediately! Whether Gao Wang is dead or alive is irrelevant.

But the troops, cities, provisions, and the hearts of the people of Youzhou must be brought into our hands as soon as possible!

"yes!"

Murong Xue solemnly accepted the order, a sharp glint flashing in her cold eyes.

She knew that this would be a major test of Night Owl's infiltration, subversion, and subversion capabilities, and also a crucial first step in the Prince's grand plan to march south.

"Chief Secretary Han," Xiao Chen then looked at Han Lie, "draft a few letters in my name."

Send a letter to Gao Wang, using a polite tone, expressing "respect" for his guarding of the northern frontier, "understanding" of his current situation, and incidentally mentioning that our northern border recently acquired a new batch of grain, which can be transferred to him "at a fair price" if needed to alleviate his immediate needs.

Remember, it's a 'fair price,' not a 'gift,' and certainly not a 'loan.' Let him owe it to you first, or exchange it for warhorses or iron."

Han Lie immediately understood: "Your Highness is trying to appease Gao Wang, showing goodwill while keeping a firm grip on his lifeline, and avoiding provoking him too early?"

"good."

Xiao Chen nodded. "The other letter is for that deputy general, Zhou Ting."

The tone should be sincere, praising his upright character and rare talent as a general, lamenting that he is a hidden gem in Youzhou, and implying that Han Yuan is eager to find talent and will not let him down.

There's no need to mention any specific promises; simply expressing appreciation is sufficient.

This letter must be delivered to Zhou Ting himself, and must not be detected by Gao Wang.

"One more letter,"

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "In the name of a wealthy merchant from beyond the Great Wall who admires General Liu Meng's reputation, send him a generous gift and attach an invitation letter, inviting him to 'conspire for a great cause,' promising him boundless wealth and honor after the matter is accomplished."

"This letter and gift must not be accidentally discovered by someone in Gaowang."

Wang Dashan chuckled, "Your Highness, you're really pushing Gao Wang to his death! You're offering him sweet treats while simultaneously stabbing him in the back, and you're even making his men distrust each other!"

Xiao Chen did not laugh, but calmly said, "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. Youzhou is the only way to go south, and it is also the first sharp knife we ​​thrust into the heart of the Central Plains. This knife must be in our own hands, and we must hold it firmly and securely."

He walked to the window and looked south.

That place was the Central Plains, a land engulfed in war and suffering for its people, a land he was destined to set foot on and ultimately rebuild.

"Gao Wang's wavering is both an opportunity and a warning. It shows that the world has become so chaotic that even a border general like Gao Wang has to consider his options."

Xiao Chen's voice was deep and firm, "We need to speed things up."

Taking Youzhou not only opens the gateway to the south, but also sends a message to all forces that are still watching and hesitating—

"Who should end this chaotic world? Who should establish new rules?"

"Night Owl's actions must be swift, precise, and ruthless."

At the same time, inform Commander Wang that the border troops near Youzhou should raise their guard and conduct a "routine" autumn military exercise. The scale can be large, and the commotion can be significant.

Let Gao Wang know that his neighbor not only has money and food, but also a gleaming knife.

"Yes!" Wang Dashan, Han Lie, and Murong Xue responded in unison.

A silent battle has quietly begun in Youzhou, a key town in the northern frontier.

The flames of war in the south illuminated half the sky, while the shadows in the north, like the most patient hunter, slowly revealed their sharp fangs to their first target.