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

"Purge the court of corrupt officials and execute the traitor Zhao!"

The banner of justice that Xiao Chen raised high in the North has thrown a huge stone into the hearts of all the feudal lords, stirring up a thousand waves.

However, after the initial shock, fear, and hesitation, as people recovered slightly from the nightmare of the massacre at Juma Plain and began to carefully examine the "Prince Jingbei" under this banner and the olive branch he extended, which was tinged with bloodshed and intimidation, the situation began to change subtly and profoundly.

Xiao Chen is not just the "God of Slaughter of the North" who crushed an army of 200,000 with his iron hooves at Juma Plain.

The northern lands under his rule were described as a "paradise" where, although life was hard, the laws were strict, the administration was relatively clean, and the people were able to make a living.

The "heartache" expressed in that "letter of peace" for the "misery of the people" and the "dismissal and return to their hometowns" of ordinary surrendered soldiers after the war were intentionally or unintentionally exaggerated and amplified, creating a complex image of a person who was both powerful and invincible, yet also benevolent and righteous, who held a large army, yet cared for his relatives and showed compassion for the people.

Today, this image is further imbued with a tragic and noble quality: "righteous and awe-inspiring, stepping forward to turn the tide."

"Purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the traitor Zhao"—this slogan is too tempting.

Zhao Chong's control of the government and his disastrous rule over the country and its people have long been known to both the people and the heavens.

By punishing him, we will be morally invincible.

Xiao Chen's identity, strength, and clear slogan of "purging the court of corrupt officials" rather than "usurping the throne" provided an excellent, relatively low-risk opportunity for those warlords who were dissatisfied with Zhao Chong and the chaotic court, but also concerned about their own strength and ambitions, to "choose sides."

Those who respond first are often not the strongest, but those in the most awkward situation and most eager to find a way out.

Jingxiang, Xiangyang City.

This place was not directly under the jurisdiction of a powerful feudal lord, but was divided among several groups of refugee armies, local strongmen, and defeated soldiers, resulting in chaos.

The leader of the largest force was named Zhang Kui. He was originally a mid-level general in the imperial court. He was persecuted for offending his superiors, so he took advantage of the chaos to raise an army and occupy several counties around Xiangyang. He called himself the "General Who Pacifies the Rebellion". However, he lacked a clear political goal and appeal, and his life was not easy under the pressure of the surrounding forces.

When Xiao Chen's proclamation reached Xiangyang, Zhang Kui almost slapped his thigh in realization! He immediately summoned his men and read the proclamation aloud.

"Brothers! Do you see that? The Prince of Jingbei! A true descendant of the dragon and phoenix! He's utterly routed the barbarians in the north! Now the court is controlled by that old traitor Zhao Chong, and the emperor is practically a figurehead! The Prince of Jingbei is going to raise an army to purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the traitors! This is a matter of righteousness!"

Zhang Kui brandished the proclamation, spitting as he spoke, "Before, we had no official status, and were called bandits and rebels! Now our chance has come! Follow the Prince of Jingbei, and we will be a righteous army! We will be meritorious subjects who have followed the emperor! It's much better than being stuck in Jingxiang, being hunted down as bandits by the Prince of Chu and other scoundrels!"

Most of his men were either desperate men forced into this situation or defeated soldiers who had grudges against the court. They had no goodwill towards Zhao Chong and the chaotic court. Although they didn't understand the righteous cause of "purging the court of corrupt officials," they had heard of the Prince of Jingbei's illustrious reputation and powerful strength.

Following such a powerful ruler is better than living in constant uncertainty! Moreover, the proclamation states, "Any soldier or official of my Great Xia who can distinguish between loyalty and treachery and abandon darkness for light will be offered a position by me, and I will not hold past transgressions accountable!"

"The general is right! Let's do it!"

"That damned Zhao Chong! He's betrayed us and joined forces with the Prince of Jingbei!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials! Execute the traitor Zhao!"

Without much hesitation, Zhang Kui immediately announced that he would lead his more than 8,000 men to respond to the order of the Prince of Jingbei and join the "righteous army to punish Zhao"!

He quickly dispatched men, carrying generous gifts and a blood-written pledge of loyalty, to travel day and night north to Youzhou to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Jingbei.

At the same time, he immediately raised the banner of "Jingxiang Righteous Army under the Command of Prince Jingbei" and began to reorganize his troops and eliminate the small forces in the surrounding area that were not convinced. Ostensibly, this was to pave the way for the "righteous army", but in reality, it was also to take the opportunity to expand his own territory and show Xiao Chen the value of "pledge of allegiance".

Huaixi, Shouchun.

The ruler of this place was Zhou Wang, the head of the Zhou clan, a powerful local family.

The Zhou family had been entrenched in Huaixi for generations, with deep roots and a powerful clan. However, they also faced pressure from both the King of Wu and the King of Chu, as well as harassment from bandits and outlaws. They struggled to survive in the cracks, enduring immense hardship.

The news of Xiao Chen's proclamation and the great victory at Juma Plain gave Zhou Wang a glimpse of new possibilities.

"Zhao Chong's perverse actions have angered both Heaven and the people, and his downfall is only a matter of time. The Prince of Jingbei is a powerful force in the north, and his military might is at its peak. What's more, he has raised the banner of 'purging the emperor's inner circle,' thus gaining a moral high ground."

During a private family meeting, Zhou Wang stroked his beard and slowly analyzed, "Neither the King of Wu nor the King of Chu are wise rulers, and they are constantly fighting each other. Huaixi is caught in the middle, and sooner or later it will become their prey. Rather than waiting to be killed, it is better to... make plans as soon as possible."

"Does the patriarch mean... that he is responding to the Prince of Jingbei?"

One of the clan elders hesitated, "But the Prince of Jingbei is far away in the north, and his influence is out of reach. What if the King of Wu or the King of Chu takes the opportunity to attack..."

"It is precisely because our assistance is so far away that it is all the more valuable to show the Zhou family's timely help!"

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Wang's eyes. "Responding now is the icing on the cake. When the Jingbei King's army marches south, my Zhou family will be the heroes who first raised the banner of righteousness! As for Wu and Chu... Hmph, they are too busy to take care of themselves right now. They have to guard against each other and are also wary of the northern army. How dare they easily attack us? We can take this opportunity to reorganize our military and expand our strength."

If the Prince of Jingbei truly succeeds in unifying the world, my Zhou family will undoubtedly become a regional lord; if things fail, I can still protect myself by holding the lands of Huaixi. This is a well-thought-out strategy!

The Zhou clan quickly reached a consensus. Zhou Wang publicly announced that the Zhou clan of Huaixi, moved by the righteousness of the Prince of Jingbei, was willing to dedicate the entire clan's strength to responding to the call to "purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the traitor Zhao," and was willing to obey the Prince of Jingbei's orders to jointly punish the national traitor!

At the same time, the Zhou family began to reorganize the defenses of Shouchun under the pretext of "following the orders of the Prince of Jingbei to suppress the rebellion," and to eliminate the small forces within the territory that were not obedient. They also secretly made contact with the envoys sent from the north.

In the days that followed, responders like Zhang Kui and Zhou Wang sprang up like mushrooms after rain in the Jianghuai region, the Central Plains, and even the surrounding areas near the capital.

Some of them were local strongmen forced into rebellion by the imperial court, some were generals who had lost out in the war among the feudal lords, some were small warlords who occupied a city or a region, and some were gentry who deeply resented Zhao Chong's rule... They came from different backgrounds and had varying strengths, but they all had one thing in common: in the original world order, they were either oppressed, marginalized, or had no way out.

Xiao Chen's rise, the banner of "purging the court of corrupt officials," and the terrifying strength displayed by Juma Plain provided them with an excellent opportunity and a "just" reason to change their fate and reshuffle the cards.

They may not have many troops, ranging from tens of thousands to several thousand, or even a few hundred.

They may have had their own agendas: some genuinely hated Zhao Chong, some wanted to take the opportunity to side with the powerful, some wanted to protect themselves, and some were simply following the crowd for opportunism.

But in any case, their "response," like a trickle, began to flow from all directions toward the banner of "Prince Jingbei."

These messages, through various channels, continuously flowed into Zhenbei City and onto Xiao Chen's desk.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Kui of Jingzhou and Xiangyang has led 8,000 troops to surrender. He has arrived in Nanyang and requests to submit. He has also presented a letter written in blood and a certain amount of gold and pearls as a gift for our audience."

"Report! Zhou Wang, the head of the Zhou family in Huaixi, has sent his eldest son as an envoy. The envoy has arrived outside the city and says that the entire clan is responding to the king's righteous cause and is willing to provide provisions and await orders."

"Li Gan, a righteous man from Jizhou, gathered three thousand men, attacked and captured the county seat, beheaded the magistrate appointed by the rebel Zhao, and sent out proclamations to all directions, declaring that he obeyed the orders of the Prince of Jingbei!"

"Within Henan, several groups of refugee armies joined together, raising the banner of 'Welcome to Jingbei, Cleanse the Emperor's Poisonous Path,' and harassed official roads. Many officials in the prefectures and counties established by Zhao the rebel fled..."

Inside the study, the charcoal fire crackled.

Xiao Chen listened to Han Lie and the others' report with a calm expression, showing little surprise or delight.

All of this was within his expectations, or rather, it was one of the results he hoped to see when he raised the banner of "purging the emperor's inner circle".

"Your Majesty, the number of followers is gradually increasing, though their quality varies, their influence is already established. Should we formally reorganize them, grant them titles, and incorporate them into my Cold Abyss Army system?" Chen Dao inquired. He preferred to integrate these scattered forces into a more powerful collective.

Xiao Chen shook his head, his gaze calm: "No rush. Reorganizing them now would be premature and could easily lead to chaos. Most of them came to join us out of fear of our military might, or to use our name to protect themselves or seek personal gain. If we suddenly reorganize this rabble, it will only alienate them."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "Issue the order: treat all those who come to surrender and respond with courtesy and kind words, regardless of their background or the size of their troops."

They may be granted empty titles such as "Anti-Rebellion Righteous Army" or "Pacifying the Rebellion Righteous Army," and allowed to temporarily reside in their current location or operate within a designated area. A small amount of money, grain, and cloth may be given as a reward, but weapons and armor shall be strictly controlled and not easily granted.

"At the same time, in the name of this king, I issue the 'Letter to Righteous Men of the World,' commending their loyalty and righteousness, reiterating the great righteousness of 'purging the court of corrupt officials and punishing the traitor Zhao,' and calling on all people of insight in the world to raise the banner of righteousness together."

However, it must be clearly stated that the righteous armies in all regions must prioritize protecting their territories and ensuring the safety of their people, as well as eliminating Zhao's traitorous followers. They must not launch unauthorized attacks or harass the populace; those who violate this rule will be condemned by the entire realm. Once my royal army marches south, I will reward those who have rendered meritorious service and bestow titles and honors upon them accordingly.

Han Lie's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood Xiao Chen's profound meaning: "Your Majesty is brilliant! This is a strategy of using name to control reality and borrowing strength to fight back! By giving them an empty title, we can appease their hearts, make them cheer for us, increase our momentum, and restrain the Zhao rebels and disloyal lords. At the same time, we can restrain their actions with righteousness to prevent them from killing innocent people and ruining our reputation."

By not incorporating them into our army for the time being, we can avoid the problems of their uneven quality and difficulty in management, and at the same time maintain the purity and combat effectiveness of our Hanyuan Army.

Once my army marches south with overwhelming force, these 'righteous armies' can either be incorporated and reorganized for our own use, or they can be treated differently based on their performance. The initiative is entirely in my hands!

"That's exactly right."

Xiao Chen nodded. "Those who respond now are mostly opportunists who seek personal gain and avoid harm. What we need is the momentum they create right now, and their role in stirring up the muddy waters of the South. As for their own strength... it's fine to add flowers to brocade, but not necessarily to provide charcoal in the snow. The real hard battle still needs to be fought by our own Hanyuan lads."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the southern sky shrouded in winter clouds. He said slowly, "Let them make a scene. The bigger the scene, the harder Zhao Chong's life will be, the more chaotic the capital will become, and the more troubled the other lords will be. As for us..."

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes: "Continue with land reclamation, continue with troop training, continue with weapon manufacturing, and continue with familiarizing the navy with the southern seas. Wait until they've caused enough trouble, until the waters of the capital are completely muddied, until the patience and expectations of the people are at their peak..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Han Lie, Chen Dao, and the others behind him already understood their lord's unspoken meaning.

The banner of "removing the emperor's inner circle" was like a giant magnet, attracting forces from all over the world who were dissatisfied with the status quo and longed for change.

Followers gathered in large numbers, and their influence grew. However, this force was currently just a loose, disorganized "rabble."

What Xiao Chen needs to do is not to rush to recruit them, but to cleverly use them, making them pawns to disrupt the situation in the south, and turning them into "momentum" that he can use when he goes south in the future.

He himself remained firmly seated in the North, observing coldly, continuing to hone the sword that could truly determine the fate of the world, a sword named "Frost Abyss".

When this sword was finally drawn, he wanted not only to eliminate Zhao Chong, but to use this banner of righteousness to sweep across the world and cleanse the universe.

These "followers" will only know in due time what kind of lord they are welcoming, and what kind of new era they are ushering in.