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

The training was arduous, even brutal.

Most men from the north are not used to swimming, and seasickness and vomiting are common occurrences. It is also not uncommon for them to fall into the icy sea.

But the strict military discipline, generous benefits, clear promotion channels, and the sense of mission to "create a great cause and build something from nothing" inspired everyone.

More importantly, the naval motto of "sharing the same boat and making the sea our home," personally established by the prince, gradually took root in people's hearts.

When the flag of the Jinghai Navy flies over Zhenhai City, and when the well-trained fleet begins to frequently appear in the Bohai Bay for formation drills and amphibious exercises, its impact extends far beyond the northern region.

The first to feel the pressure were the pirates and bandits of all sizes along the Bohai Sea coast, as well as some powerful coastal figures who were both merchants and thieves.

In the past, this sea area lacked strong regulatory power, making it a paradise for them to plunder and collect "protection money" at will.

But now, wherever that ferocious wolf-head flag goes, pirates flee in terror, and powerful figures fall silent in fear.

Several pirate gangs that dared to provoke the enemy were swiftly and decisively wiped out by the navy under the guise of a training exercise, and their heads were displayed in the harbor.

Soon, the news that "the Black Wolf Flag is not to be trifled with" spread throughout the entire northern sea area.

The deeper and more intense shocks, however, stirred up a storm in the south, in the capital, and in the hearts of the feudal lords who were still fighting or watching coldly.

The news spread gradually, but the shock it brought was stronger with each passing moment.

"Prince Jingbei, Xiao Chen, has taken Youzhou entirely!"

"Gao Wang, the governor of Youzhou, has been captured, and his army has either surrendered or scattered!"

"Han Yuan has built 'Zhenhai City' in the east of Youzhou, undertaking large-scale construction and expanding the port!"

"Xiao Chen has assembled the 'Jinghai Navy,' with dozens of ships, which are training day and night on the Bohai Sea!"

Messages, whether through merchants, spies, or the fleeing remnants of Youzhou's army, reached the capital, the ears of the King of Qin, the King of Jin, and the Crown Prince, as well as the regional military governors and feudal lords who controlled their own territories.

If Xiao Chen's unification of the northern border and destruction of the Northern Barbarians only made the southern factions feel that "a formidable figure has emerged in the north, and we need to be wary," then his capture of Youzhou was a naked display of his ambition to expand southward.

The formation of a navy and its relocation to the Bohai Sea carries even deeper and more terrifying implications.

A navy! Xiao Chen actually assembled a fairly large navy in such a short time! And even moved it to Youzhou!

Shenjing, Zichen Palace.

The young emperor, Xiao Jie, was still fast asleep on the dragon throne, drooling.

Below the imperial steps, Zhao Chong, Crown Prince Xiao Jue, Prince Qin Xiao Rui, and Prince Jin Xiao Ming, who were gathered together for the first time, all had increasingly grim expressions.

The arguments of the past seemed to have temporarily ceased, replaced by a more oppressive, almost suffocating silence.

A huge, but severely outdated, map of the world hangs in the hall.

At this moment, the location representing Youzhou has been marked with a ferocious wolf head in bright cinnabar.

East of Youzhou, on the sea area representing the Bohai Sea, several small but unmistakable black ship-shaped symbols were marked.

"A navy...he actually has a navy..."

King Xiao Rui of Qin stared at the map, his voice hoarse, as if he were realizing for the first time the threat posed by his northern cousin.

He commanded the Shence Army and was an expert in land warfare, but he was unfamiliar with the navy and instinctively felt a chill of threat towards it.

Although Shenjing is not directly on the sea, it is connected to the Bohai Sea through a canal system.

If Xiao Chen's navy sails downstream...

Prince Xiao Ming of Jin then thought of a more practical problem: "Bohai... Dengzhou, Laizhou, and even Tianjin... these important coastal places are now in the hands of those opportunists, or in a state of chaos."

If Xiao Chen's navy were to sail south along the coastline, plunder the coast, or even launch a landing attack... the consequences would be unimaginable!

Part of his revenue came from salt and commercial taxes from the Shandong coast.

Crown Prince Xiao Jue's face was pale. He was thinking about a more "orthodox" question: "What...what does Xiao Chen want to do? Youzhou is an important town of the court. He has taken it without authorization, which is already a great treason! Now he even dares to build a private navy and station troops at sea. Does he still have any respect for the court and his sovereign?" His voice was sharp, but it could not hide his fierce but weak-willed nature.

Zhao Chong sat in the regent's seat, looking as if he had aged ten years.

He closed his eyes, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest of the chair.

The fall of Youzhou was already a heavy blow to him, meaning that the fragile balance he was trying to maintain, centered on Shenjing, had been torn open from the north. The appearance of the navy was even more unexpected than he had anticipated.

"He's not just heading south..."

Zhao Chong spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and weary, "He's... laying out a plan. By land, he has the Northern Iron Cavalry. By sea, he now has a navy. He can advance by both land and sea, threatening the capital and sweeping through Hebei and Shandong. He can retreat by sea, ensuring uninterrupted supplies and allowing him to move freely. What a brilliant scheme, truly a brilliant scheme..."

He opened his eyes and stared at the glaring wolf head symbol on the map, his eyes filled with a deep sense of powerlessness and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Suddenly, I realized that all my previous calculations, balancing acts, and power plays were so pale and laughable in the face of absolute strength and a far-sighted strategic plan.

Xiao Chen was like a patient and cunning wolf, silently sharpening his claws and teeth before suddenly pouncing and biting down on a vital spot.

"The most urgent task," Zhao Chong took a deep breath and forced himself to stay alert, "is to immediately strengthen the defenses of the river estuaries, such as Tianjin and Dagukou! We absolutely cannot allow Xiao Chen's navy to threaten the grain transport and the capital!"

The King of Qin scoffed, "Strengthen defenses? Where's the money? Where's the food? Where are the soldiers? With the south engulfed in war, who has time to spare for this side? Do you expect those opportunistic coastal prefectures and counties to contribute their own money and manpower?"

The Prince of Jin frowned as well: "Even if we manage to spare some troops for defense, we have no navy. How can we possibly withstand Xiao Chen's warships? Are we supposed to drive wooden stakes into the river mouth and sink our ships?"

The Crown Prince then urgently asked, "Could we issue an edict reprimanding Xiao Chen, ordering him to immediately withdraw from Youzhou and disband his navy?"

Upon hearing this, even Zhao Chong couldn't help but glance at him as if he were an idiot.

An imperial edict? Would Xiao Chen listen to a mere empty document now? That would only bring him humiliation.

Silence fell once again in the hall.

A silence more desperate than any previous argument enveloped everyone's hearts.

They suddenly realized that their cousin/nephew in the north, whom they had always intentionally or unintentionally ignored and considered to be in a remote and low-threat location, had quietly grown into a behemoth with both land and sea attack capabilities, capable of overturning the entire game.

At this moment, in the port of Zhenhai City, Zheng Cang was standing on the stern deck of the "Zhenhai" ship, facing the biting sea wind, gazing at the southern horizon where the sea and sky met through a monocular telescope.

"Commander, the wind has shifted to the northeast, and the tides are favorable. Shall we proceed with the second round of southward patrol drills as planned?" the adjutant inquired.

Zheng Cang lowered his binoculars, a cold smile appearing on his dark face: "Practice! Why not practice? The Prince said we should treat the Bohai Sea as our navy's bathtub! Not only should we familiarize ourselves with it, but we should also let those people in the south become familiar with our flag!"

He suddenly waved his hand, his voice booming:

"Order! All ships, weigh anchor and hoist sails! Target: Port Arthur, patrol and drill! Men, get your spirits up! Let those turtles cowering in their shells to the south see the might of the Jinghai Navy!"

"Woo—" The horn sounded again, higher and more powerful than before.

The black fleet, like a giant dragon awakening, once again cuts through the azure sea, heading proudly towards a wider ocean.

The dark wolf flag fluttered in the sea breeze, as if announcing to the whole world the arrival of a new era—an era in which land power and sea power are equally important, and cavalry and warships go hand in hand.

The blade of the Cold Abyss is no longer just pointed at the grasslands and land, but also at the boundless deep blue, full of opportunities and challenges.

The high-ranking officials and nobles of the capital may still be preoccupied with the struggles on land, but the cold, sharp blades from the sea have already silently approached their backs. The whale-like waves are in sight; the smoke of war has already risen.