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

The defeat at Juma Plain was like a chilling cold wave, instantly freezing the remaining fighting spirit of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

With astonishing speed, carrying boundless fear and despair, it swept southwards and crashed heavily into the already crumbling city walls of Shenjing.

The impact silenced the entire court, caused Zhao Chong to vomit blood, and left Xiao Jue pale-faced. It also caused Qin King Xiao Rui and Jin King Xiao Ming, who had escaped by sheer luck but were now like frightened birds, to completely abandon their ambitions for power, leaving them only with endless fear and deep trembling after surviving the ordeal.

Two hundred thousand soldiers were wiped out.

The captured banners and seals were returned by Xiao Chen as a mocking gift, mercilessly trampling the last shred of dignity of the "court" into the mud and crushing it several times.

Rumors spread throughout the capital city, causing widespread panic.

Officials and nobles began to quietly transfer their assets, wealthy merchants stayed at home, and ordinary people numbly awaited their unknown fate.

A suffocating sense of impending doom and impending doom enveloped this ancient capital.

However, for Han Yuan and Xiao Chen, the victory at Juma Plain was merely the removal of a buzzing, annoying fly, clearing away the first and biggest stumbling block on their southward journey.

The foundation in the north needs to be consolidated, the newly acquired Youzhou needs to be stabilized, the navy in Bohai needs to be strengthened, and the chaos in the south... all require him to cast a more profound and calmer gaze upon it.

Xiao Chen did not press his advantage and head south to seize the capital.

That was not out of fear, but rather a more sophisticated strategic consideration.

The capital city is now a powder keg riddled with internal conflicts and could explode at any moment. Moreover, it is a fortified city with high walls and deep moats. Even if it is captured by force, it will come at a heavy price and would prematurely put the capital city in opposition to the other warlords, making it a target of everyone's hatred.

He needed time to let Shenjing continue to rot in fear and suspicion; he needed time to let the newly annexed Youzhou truly integrate into the northern system; and he needed even more time to observe the situation of the southern civil war and find the most suitable time to intervene.

Thus, the Jingbei King's military force, after drinking from the Juma River and overlooking the Central Plains, unexpectedly and slowly withdrew.

The main force of the army withdrew to Youzhou and the northern border in batches to rest and replenish their supplies, leaving only necessary guard troops and cavalry to control the key passes in the southern border of Youzhou. Like a silent giant beast that had withdrawn its claws, it still watched the chaos in the south with its cold gaze.

However, this does not mean that Xiao Chen will give up and rest easy.

On the contrary, like the most patient hunter, he began to weave a larger and denser net while recuperating.

His gaze turned south, to that battlefield that was also engulfed in flames, but which was temporarily silenced by the crushing defeat of the "Northern Expedition"—the Wu-Chu conflict.

King Wu and King Xiao Zhen of Chu have been fighting for half a year over the rich lands of Jianghuai. Both sides have won and lost, and the battle lines are intertwined. Neither side can gain the upper hand, but the destruction and resentment caused by the war are accumulating rapidly.

Neither of the two kings had a stable rear. The powerful families in Wu were already dissatisfied with Xiao Rui's exorbitant taxes and levies, and there were also powerful vassal states in Chu that were eager to make a move.

More importantly, both the King of Wu and the King of Chu were filled with apprehension and suspicion towards the newly rising power in the north.

The news of the annihilation of the 200,000-strong army at Juma Plain sent chills down the spines of the two kings, making them unable to eat or sleep.

At this delicate moment, envoys from the north quietly crossed the Huai River and appeared in the palaces of King Xiao Rui of Wu and King Xiao Zhen of Chu.

The messenger brought not a declaration of war, nor a proclamation, but a letter written in the personal name of Prince Jingbei, Xiao Chen, with calm and even slightly earnest wording.

In the letter, Xiao Chen expressed his "heartache" at the devastation of the Central Plains and the suffering of the people, and his "lament" at the infighting within the imperial clan, where family members turned against each other. He stated that although he was living in the remote northern frontier, he was still a member of the Liang imperial clan and could not bear to see the country shattered and the people displaced.

Therefore, I "presumptuously" suggest that, in my capacity as a "relative," I should mediate between the Kings of Wu and Chu, proposing that both sides cease hostilities, take the Huai River as the boundary, and each guard their own territory, so that the people can breathe again and the Jianghuai region can regain peace.

At the end of the letter, Xiao Chen even stated that if the two princes were willing, he would like to host a small banquet in Xuzhou to invite them to "discuss national affairs" and explore the possibility of "stopping the war and jointly supporting the country."

This letter, like a block of ice thrown into boiling oil, instantly stirred up a violent and complex reaction in the courts of the Kings of Wu and Chu.

A ceasefire? With the Huai River as the boundary?

Is Xiao Chen here to act as a peacemaker?

Are they really going to "discuss national affairs" in Xuzhou?

What a joke! Who doesn't know that you, Xiao Chen, are a wolf in sheep's clothing? You just swallowed Youzhou and annihilated 200,000 imperial troops, and now you're extending your reach to Jianghuai? You call yourself "jointly supporting the nation"? The nation has long been torn to shreds by you traitors!

This was the first reaction of the King of Wu and the King of Chu. They were shocked and furious, feeling that Xiao Chen's actions were like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—he had no good intentions.

What gives him the right to mediate? What qualifications does he have? This is clearly a pretext for meddling in the Jianghuai region, with the intention of profiting from the chaos!

However, after the initial shock and anger came a deeper sense of suspicion and scheming.

Refuse? Of course you can.

But what happens after refusing? Should the fighting continue? Both sides are already exhausted and their national strength is severely depleted. Continuing the fight would only result in mutual destruction and could even give internal opposition forces or third parties an opportunity to take advantage.

More importantly, if we refuse outright, will it provoke the tiger to the north that has just shown its fangs?

If Xiao Chen were to use this as an excuse to march south and intervene in the Jianghuai war, with his newly victorious power and the sharpness of the northern cavalry, who among them could resist him?

At that time, it will probably not be a matter of the Huai River as the boundary, but the entire Jianghuai region, and even one's life and property, will have to change hands!

Accepting it? That would be even more unsatisfying, and fraught with hidden dangers. A ceasefire would mean acknowledging the status quo, meaning the previous six months of fighting had been in vain, and countless resources and troops had been wasted.

Can stability truly be maintained by using the Huai River as a boundary? What conditions are hidden behind Xiao Chen's "mediation"? Is his trip to Xuzhou to "discuss national affairs" a trap?

Even if it wasn't a trap, if he, as a third party, were to forcefully intervene in Jianghuai, wouldn't all matters concerning Wu and Chu be subject to his whims in the future?

A dilemma. A real dilemma.

King Wu flew into a rage in his palace, smashing his beloved jade paperweight and cursing Xiao Chen for "going too far" and "hypocritical." But after his outburst, he dismissed his attendants and spent the entire night alone, staring at the map with a mixture of anger and uncertainty in his expression.

King Xiao Zhen of Chu, on the other hand, was relatively somber. He summoned his trusted advisors and held a private meeting behind closed doors.

Some advocated a firm refusal and uniting with other forces in the south to resist the northern frontier; others thought it would be better to feign agreement, buy time, and reorganize internal affairs; still others felt that perhaps this opportunity could be used to test Xiao Chen's true intentions, or even... divert the trouble eastward?

Outside the palaces of the two kings, on the war-torn land of Jianghuai, the contents of Xiao Chen's "letter of persuasion for peace" were leaked intentionally or unintentionally by someone and spread rapidly.

For ordinary people struggling on the brink of death, for soldiers weary of endless wars, and for merchants whose businesses are in ruins, this letter is nothing less than a glimmer of light in the darkness.

"A ceasefire? The Huai River as the boundary?"

"Is the Prince of Jingbei willing to mediate?"

"If only we could stop fighting..."

"I've heard that in the north, under the rule of the Prince of Jingbei, the people have enough to eat and don't have to live in fear..."

"If only the Prince of Jingbei could come and take charge of things here..."

Similar whispers circulated quietly in the streets, in the countryside, and in the camps of defeated soldiers.

Although the sound was faint, and although it was quickly drowned out by the government's suppression and the clamor of war, it was like a seed that had been quietly planted.

In the despair of yearning for peace and tranquility, public sentiment began to shift in an extremely subtle yet far-reaching way.

Xiao Chen did not send out a large army, nor did he send out a single soldier.

He simply wrote a letter, a seemingly peaceful, even somewhat "meddlesome" letter.

But this letter, like a precise, subtle knife to sow discord, or a pebble thrown into a murky pond, stirred up layers upon layers of ripples that were difficult to quell between Wu and Chu, and across the Jianghuai region.

It forced the two kings of Wu and Chu into a difficult choice between war and peace, exacerbating their suspicions and conflicts; it shook the morale of the troops at the front; and it planted a seed in the hearts of the people of Jianghuai that "the northern frontier may be the only hope."

The power of this letter, in some ways, even surpassed that of a major victory at Juma Plain.

Because swords can only destroy the body, but words and strategies can sow discord, divide the enemy, and subdue them without fighting.

In Zhenbei City, after listening to Ye Xiao's secret report on the reactions of Wu and Chu, Xiao Chen showed little pride on his face, only a deep calm.

"Your Majesty, the King of Wu and the King of Chu seem to be hesitant, but they haven't refused outright either. The people of Jianghuai have high expectations for your letter." Han Lie carefully chose his words.

"It's okay to hesitate."

Xiao Chen walked to the huge map, his gaze falling on the winding blue line of the Huai River. "What they want is not my letter, but a way out, an excuse to end this pointless war of attrition in a dignified manner, and also... an opportunity to observe me, test me, and even take advantage of me."

"What about the agreement in Xuzhou?" Wang Dashan asked in a deep voice, "Are we really going? Could it be a trap?"

Xiao Chen lightly tapped the location of "Xuzhou" on the map and shook his head: "Go, why not go? But not now. If we go now, they are afraid of me and each other, and we won't be able to reach an agreement. It's not too late to bring up the Xuzhou agreement when they are more exhausted from fighting, more chaotic internally, and the people are suffering more."

He turned around, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "This letter is a seed. What we need to do now is water it, fertilize it, and let it slowly take root and sprout in the hearts of the King of Wu and the King of Chu, and in the hearts of the people of Jianghuai. When it grows into a towering tree, enough to shelter a region, then it will be time for us to head south and reap the rewards."

"What about the capital city?" Murong Xue's cold voice rang out.

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile: "After this defeat, Zhao Chong is but a candle in the wind. The King of Qin and the King of Jin are deposed. The Crown Prince... is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb. Let them rot away in fear and suspicion. Our blades must be sharpened even more, but they must be used to strike where they are most needed."

He stopped looking at the chaotic map of the south and turned his gaze eastward to the vast Bohai Sea.

"Naval commander, how is it?"

"Your Majesty," Han Lie's spirits lifted, "Commander Zheng has written that the two newly launched 'Raging Wave'-class gunboats have achieved combat readiness, and the sailors are highly trained. On the Bohai Sea, no one dares to challenge our might. However, Commander Zheng inquires whether it is permissible to sail south at an opportune time to patrol the Yellow Sea, and perhaps even... the East China Sea?"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, as deep and unfathomable as the waters of a frozen abyss, yet containing unparalleled power.

"Tell Zheng Cang that if we remain silent, we will do so with great force. The Bohai Sea is our bathtub. But the ocean is far more vast than a bathtub. Let him continue training and await orders. The east wind is coming soon."

The soft blade of sowing discord has been drawn; though unstained by blood, it has already unsettled the enemy and sown seeds of internal strife.

Meanwhile, an even sharper, more real blade is resounding in its sheath, awaiting the perfect moment—a moment that will reshape the entire world.

The wolves of the North lick their claws, their eyes calmly surveying their territory, and gazing towards the distant hunting grounds, teeming with bloodshed and opportunity.

Meanwhile, in the south, on a land torn apart by war and suspicion, new variables are silently brewing.