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

The "good news" brought by Li Chun did not make life much easier for Hanyuan City.

The imperial decree for 5,000 shi of grain and 3,000 taels of silver had arrived, but the grain and silver were nowhere to be seen.

The journey from the capital to Hanyuan is a thousand miles, involving passing through three passes and more than a dozen cities.

Each time you pass a checkpoint, you'll be stripped of a layer of wealth.

When we finally reach the Cold Abyss, who knows how much will be left?

Xiao Chen dared not place his hopes on that empty check.

Spring plowing has ended, and the frost-covered wheat has just been sown. There are still four months until the autumn harvest.

Over the past four months, more than three thousand people have needed to eat, which is a huge number every day.

The grain in the government granaries was decreasing like water flowing away.

At the beginning of spring, there were still more than 400 shi of grain left – the stolen grain from Scarface Liu, the spoils from Black Wind Village, plus the rations brought by the people themselves, which barely kept them going until now.

But even the richest family fortune can't withstand such depletion if they just sit around and eat their savings.

By early May, the treasury was empty.

"Your Highness, we only have three hundred bushels of grain left."

Uncle Fu held the account book, his hands trembling. "At the current rate of consumption, we can only last for ten more days at most."

Ten days.

Three thousand mouths, ten days.

Xiao Chen stood at the entrance of the granary, looking at the empty granary.

The sacks that used to be piled up full are now just a few piles in a corner.

The air was thick with the musty smell of stale grain and an atmosphere of despair.

"Are you going to eat sparingly?" he asked.

Even if we save to the limit, we still need to consume thirty shi (a unit of dry measure) a day.

Uncle Fu's voice was choked with sobs, "Three hundred bushels of grain, that's really only enough for ten days."

If the food supplies do not arrive in ten days, or if they arrive but are insufficient, then Hanyuan City will run out of food.

Everyone knows what running out of food means.

They exchanged children to eat, and split bones to cook.

The eight characters in the history books are a light touch.

But in reality, it's hell on earth.

"can not wait."

Xiao Chen turned around and said, "Summon everyone for a meeting."

Half an hour later, in the main hall of the city lord's mansion.

Everyone who could come did—Wang Dashan, Zhao Tie, Han Lie, Old Wang with the missing arm, Uncle Chen, and several newly promoted managers.

The room was packed with people, but eerily quiet.

Everyone knows that the food supply is running out.

"Everyone knows the situation."

Xiao Chen cut to the chase, "We only have enough food for ten days. We don't know when the imperial grain will arrive, or how much will be delivered. We can't just wait to die."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "So, I have three things to do."

Everyone perked up their ears.

"First, organize hunting teams to go into the mountains to hunt. It's spring now, and there are many wild animals in the mountains. If we catch any prey, we can eat the meat and sell the hides."

Wang Dashan immediately replied, "This subordinate will lead the team! I know the mountains well!"

"it is good."

Xiao Chen nodded, "I'll give you fifty men and twenty bows. You have three days. Fight as many as you can."

"yes!"

"Second," Xiao Chen continued, "we will borrow grain from the grassland tribes."

These words shocked everyone in the room.

"Borrow grain from the grassland people?"

The one-armed old king was the first to object, "Your Highness, those barbarians want to devour us alive, how could they possibly lend us grain?"

"If you won't lend it, we'll rob you."

Xiao Chen's voice was calm, "But we can't beat them right now. So we have no choice but to borrow."

"But……"

"Let me finish."

Xiao Chen raised his hand. "It's not borrowing from the Canglang tribe, it's borrowing from the Bailu tribe. Old Man Han said that the Bailu and Canglang tribes are sworn enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Moreover—"

He looked at Han Lie: "Old Master Han has acquaintances in the Bailu tribe, right?"

Han Lie nodded: "I saved the life of Batel, the chieftain of the White Deer tribe. Last time, when Your Highness killed Scarface Liu, I sent someone to deliver a letter to him, and he replied that he owed Your Highness a favor."

"You can't put food on the table by relying on favors."

Xiao Chen said, "But it can serve as a stepping stone, Uncle Zhao."

Zhao Tie stepped forward: "Your Highness."

"Your injury has healed, but your legs are still not very agile. The journey across the grasslands is long, you..."

"I am willing to go!"

Zhao Tie interrupted him, kneeling on one knee. "Your Highness, you saved my life. Now that Han Yuan is in trouble, I will crawl to the Bai Lu tribe even if I have to, and borrow the grain back!"

Xiao Chen looked at him.

Although Zhao Tie's leg injury has healed, he has been left with a disability and walks with a limp.

The grasslands are thousands of miles away; this journey is fraught with peril.

But he knew that Zhao Tie was telling the truth.

This veteran entrusted his life to him.

"it is good."

Xiao Chen helped Zhao Tie up. "I'll give you ten men, twenty horses, and... that 'Frost Abyss' sword."

Zhao Tie shuddered: "Your Highness, those are General Yang Ye's belongings, I..."

"A knife is meant to be used, not worshipped."

Xiao Chen unfastened the knife from his waist and handed it to Zhao Tie, saying, "Take this and let the grassland people see that the knife from Hanyuan City hasn't rusted yet."

Zhao Tie took the knife with both hands, his eyes red-rimmed: "I... will certainly not fail you!"

"The third thing," Xiao Chen raised his voice, "is to open mines and exchange them for grain."

Everyone was stunned.

Mining for grain? What does that mean?

"Some coal has already been mined from Black Stone Mountain."

Xiao Chen said, "Although it's not much, it's enough. Starting tomorrow, organize manpower and mine coal with all our might. The coal we mine will be transported to nearby villages and towns to exchange for grain."

"But...but those villages and towns are poor too."

Uncle Chen said, "They can't even feed themselves, how could they have surplus grain to exchange for coal?"

"They have no surplus food, but they have something else."

Xiao Chen walked to the wall, pointed to the map, and said, "One hundred and fifty li to the south is Dingbei Pass."

The 3,000 troops stationed at Dingbeiguan needed coal for heating and cooking.

Two hundred li to the east is Yulin Town, where there are salt fields, and coal is needed to boil salt.

Three hundred li to the west lies the Hexi Corridor, where caravans traveling to and fro also needed coal for fuel.

He turned around and looked at the crowd: "We'll use coal to trade with them for grain, salt, cloth, and everything else we need."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Then, Han Lie was the first to slap his thigh: "Brilliant! Your Highness's idea is brilliant! We have plenty of coal in the north, but the south is short of it. Dingbei Pass, Yulin Town, and the Hexi Corridor all lack coal. If we mine it and transport it there, that's money!"

"But... how do I transport it?"

Wang Dashan asked, "We don't have carts or horses; how much can we carry on our backs?"

"If we don't have cars, we'll build them."

If there are no horses, then use oxen or donkeys.

Xiao Chen said, "There are still a few dozen livestock in Hanyuan City. If we gather them together, we can form a caravan. We can only transport a small amount in one trip, so we can make more trips. It's better than sitting and waiting to die."

The crowd's eyes gradually brightened.

Yes, instead of sitting around waiting to die, we might as well take a gamble.

"Hunting teams, grain-borrowing teams, coal-transporting teams."

Xiao Chen held up three fingers. "With a three-pronged approach, I refuse to believe we can't find a way out!"

"Dry!"

The one-armed old king roared, "I've already sold my life to His Highness! Whatever His Highness says, we'll do!"

"Dry!"

"Let's give it our all!"

The sentiment is exciting.

After everyone quieted down, Xiao Chen slowly said, "But I must make it clear first, none of these three paths are easy to take."

Hunting in the mountains might lead to encounters with bears and wolves. Going to the grasslands to borrow grain might result in being ambushed and killed by the wolves.

Transporting coal for grain meant encountering bandits along the way. Every step was a matter of life and death.

He looked at each of them and said, "It's not too late to quit now. I don't blame you."

No one quit.

Everyone stood up straight.

"it is good."

Xiao Chen took a deep breath. "Then let's take this gamble. For Han Yuan, for our family, and for... to make this life worthwhile."

That afternoon, the three teams were formed.

The hunting team was led by Wang Dashan and consisted of fifty strong men, all of whom were either hunters or veterans who had lived in the mountains.

Each person was equipped with a knife, a bow, and twenty arrows.

They only carried three days' worth of dry rations—if they couldn't catch any prey, they would return hungry.

The grain-borrowing team was led by Zhao Tie, consisting of ten men and twenty horses.

Besides the "Frost Abyss" sword, he also carried ten bows, three hundred arrows, and a letter written by Han Lie—the letter was addressed to Batel, the chieftain of the White Deer tribe, written in the grassland script, and stamped with Xiao Chen's seal of the Prince.

The coal transport team was led by Uncle Chen, consisting of thirty men, ten oxcarts, and twenty donkeys.

The truck was loaded with coal—all the coal stored up over the past two weeks.

If we exchanged the grain, we would have a way to survive.

If we can't find a replacement, then we're truly at our wits' end.

The three teams gathered in front of the city lord's mansion.

The entire city came to see him off.

An old man leaned on a cane, a woman held a child, and the child was biting his finger.

Everyone knew that these three teams carried the hopes of the entire city.

"Set off!"

Xiao Chen gave the order.

Three teams, in three directions, disappeared into the twilight.

Xiao Chen stood on the city wall, watching their departing figures, motionless for a long time.

Uncle Fu came over and draped an overcoat over him: "Your Highness, it's windy tonight, please go back inside."

"Uncle Fu," Xiao Chen suddenly asked, "Do you think they will come back?"

Uncle Fu was silent for a moment: "Yes, they will. His Highness has given them hope, and they will fight tooth and nail to come back."

"Hope..." Xiao Chen murmured.

Yes, I hope so.

What Cold Abyss City lacks most right now is hope.

"Is there really only three hundred bushels of grain left in the treasury?" he asked.

Uncle Fu lowered his head: "Actually... actually it was only two hundred bushels. This old servant was afraid that if I told them, the morale of the army would be unstable, so..."

"Only two hundred shi left?" Xiao Chen's heart sank.

"Yes."

Uncle Fu's voice choked with emotion, "And most of it is old grain, some of it is even moldy. Even if you mix it with bran, it won't last more than a few days."

Xiao Chen closed his eyes.

Two hundred bushels of grain, three thousand people, thirty bushels a day, can only last seven days.

If none of the three teams return in seven days, or if they do not bring back any food, then Hanyuan City will truly be starving.

"Starting tomorrow," he opened his eyes, "my rations will be halved. The rations of all stewards and guards in the palace will also be halved. The savings will be distributed to the elderly and children."

"Your Highness, you..."

Do as instructed.

"Yes……"

A night breeze blew by, carrying a chill.

Xiao Chen wrapped his coat tighter around himself and looked north—the direction Zhao Tie had gone.

Then he looked westward—that was the direction Wang Dashan had gone.

Finally, he looked south—that was the direction Uncle Chen had gone.

All three paths are dead ends.

But a dead end is often also a way out.

He recalled a saying he had read in his previous life: "Put yourself in a desperate situation and you will survive."

The Cold Abyss is now a death trap.

And he wants to turn this dead land into a land of life.

Seven days later.

The hunting party was the first to return.

Of the fifty people, forty-two returned.

Eight remained forever in the mountains—two were killed by bears, three fell off cliffs, and three were attacked by wolves.

But the prey they brought back piled up into a small mountain.

Five wild boars, twelve deer, and countless rabbits and pheasants.

There are also a few complete bear and wolf pelts that can fetch a good price.

"Your Highness," Wang Dashan said, his body covered in wounds, but his eyes shining with an alarming light, "the mountains... there's so much prey in the mountains! If we had enough bows and arrows, we could have hunted even more!"

Xiao Chen looked at the prey, then at the eight empty seats.

"Process the game, marinate the meat, and dry the skin."

He said, "The fallen brothers will be given a proper burial. Those with family members will receive double the amount in compensation."

"yes!"

Although there was plenty of prey, it was only enough to feed three thousand people for a few days.

Hope lies with the other two teams.

On the eighth day, the coal transport team returned.

Of the thirty people, twenty-eight returned.

The two men encountered bandits on the road and were killed while trying to protect the oxcart.

But what they brought back was a full ten cartloads of grain.

"Your Highness!"

Old Chen wept uncontrollably. "The garrison commander of Dingbei Pass, upon hearing that we came from Hanyuan, not only exchanged our grain for provisions but also gave us two extra cartloads! He said... he said he also came from the border army and knew how difficult things were for us!"

Xiao Chen looked at the grain, and his throat tightened.

Ten cartloads of grain, roughly one hundred shi (a unit of dry measure). Adding this to the original two hundred shi, it can last for another three days.

It's been ten days.

Zhao Tie has not returned yet.

On the eleventh day, the food supplies were almost exhausted again.

Xiao Chen cooked the last bit of food into porridge and shared it with the elderly and children. He himself hadn't eaten for two days.

Standing on the city wall, gazing northwards, I yearn for what may be.

Day 12, noon.

Finally, figures appeared on the northern horizon.

One rider, two riders, three riders... a total of twenty riders, galloping towards Hanyuan City.

The man in the lead was holding a flag.

The flag depicts a white deer.

It's the totem of the White Deer tribe!

"He's back! General Zhao is back!" The sentry on the city wall shouted hoarsely.

The whole city was in an uproar.

Xiao Chen rushed down the city wall and headed towards the north gate.

The city gates opened, and Zhao Tie rushed in first.

He had lost weight and his face was weathered, but his eyes shone like stars.

Behind him was a long convoy of cars.

Not ten cars, but thirty!

Each vehicle was piled high with sacks.

"Your Highness!"

Zhao Tie dismounted and knelt on one knee. "I have fortunately fulfilled my mission! Batel, the chieftain of the White Deer tribe, lent us five hundred shi of grain, one hundred sheepskins, and fifty live sheep!"

Five hundred stones!

Xiao Chen helped Zhao Tie up, his hands trembling.

"Chief Batel said,"

Zhao Tie, panting, said, "You avenged his son. This five hundred shi of grain is a token of my gratitude. From now on, Han Yuan and Bai Lu tribes are brothers!"

brother.

Xiao Chen smiled, but as he smiled, tears began to fall.

He hugged Zhao Tie tightly, patting his back forcefully: "It's good you're back! It's good you're back!"

The whole city cheered.

The grain was transported into the government granary and piled up to the brim.

Five hundred shi, plus the original one hundred shi, plus the one hundred shi that the coal transport team exchanged, totaling seven hundred shi.

Seven hundred bushels of grain are enough to feed three thousand people for two months.

Two months later, the frost-covered wheat should be ripe.

Han Yuan has come back to life.

That evening, a bonfire was lit in front of the city lord's mansion.

Every resident of the city received a bowl of meat soup and two steamed buns.

Although it wasn't much, it was the first time in a month that I had a full meal.

Xiao Chen also received a bowl of soup and a steamed bun.

He sat on the steps, holding his bowl, and ate slowly.

Zhao Tie walked over and sat down next to him.

"Your Highness, there is something I need to tell you," Zhao Tie said in a low voice.

"explain."

"I met people from the Canglang tribe while in the Bailu tribe."

Xiao Chen paused.

"They went to propose marriage."

Zhao Tie continued, "The young chieftain of the Canglang tribe, Harbala, wanted to marry the daughter of the chieftain of the Bailu tribe. Chieftain Batel neither agreed nor refused. When I left, they were still talking."

Marriage.

Xiao Chen put down the bowl.

If the Canglang tribe and the Bailu tribe were to form a marriage alliance, the balance on the grasslands would be broken.

At that time, the Canglang tribe will become the dominant force, and Hanyuan will face an even more powerful enemy.

"besides,"

Zhao Tie lowered his voice, "On my way back, I saw a group of about five hundred people on the road. They were well-equipped and heading towards Hanyuan. Judging from their banners, they seemed to be... people from the imperial court."

People from the imperial court?

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Li Chun had only been gone for a little over a month when the imperial court sent people again?

Who came this time? And what are they here for?

He looked south.

The night was deep, and the starlight was dim.

Han Yuan had barely caught his breath when a new crisis struck.