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

Zhenbei City, the Royal Palace.

The huge map was brightly lit.

Xiao Chen, Han Lie, Chen Dao, Murong Xue, Wang Dashan, and the core civil and military officials, including the naval commander Zheng Cang, all gathered together.

Unlike the "inclusiveness" and "righteousness" shown during the alliance with Youzhou, the atmosphere in the hall at this moment was solemn and heavy, filled with the smell of iron and blood.

"The alliance has been formed, its momentum has been built, and all eyes have been drawn to it."

Xiao Chen's voice echoed in the silent hall, calm and undisturbed, yet carrying an undeniable power: "Now, it is time to let the world see what a true army that quells rebellion is, and what the trend of the times is."

His finger slowly traced the map, starting from Youzhou, heading south, crossing the old territory of Juma Plain, passing through areas that were nominally under the "Anti-Rebel Alliance" but were still in chaos, and finally, firmly pressing down on the location of Shenjing.

"Shenjing is the lair of the traitor Zhao and the central hub of the false dynasty. Only by eliminating this place and capturing and killing Zhao Chong can we restore order and shake the world."

Xiao Chen's gaze swept over the generals, "Han Lie."

"Your subordinate is here!" Han Lie stepped forward, his armor clanging.

"I hereby appoint you as commander-in-chief, with Chen Dao as your deputy, leading an army of 100,000, including 70,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry. You will be the vanguard in the campaign against the rebels, and after swearing an oath in Youzhou, you will march along the official road straight to the capital!"

Xiao Chen's order was resolute: "Along the way, any city that refuses to surrender shall be breached. All Zhao's traitorous followers shall be captured and killed. Anyone who aids the rebels shall be exterminated. However, the innocent must not be killed indiscriminately, nor shall the innocent be disturbed. Any captured supplies, aside from military use, may be distributed among the poor as appropriate. This journey is not for conquering cities and seizing territory, but solely to reach the capital city as quickly as possible!"

"Your subordinates obey!" Han Lie and Chen Dao responded in unison, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

To take the capital city head-on—what an honor, and what a heavy responsibility!

"Murong Xue." Xiao Chen's gaze turned to the silver-armored female general.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I hereby order you to lead your 20,000 elite cavalry to provide roving support. You need not travel the same route as the main force; instead, you should sweep along the flanks of the main force, eliminating any fleeing troops and small groups of enemy soldiers that might harass supply lines, and intimidating the prefectures and counties along the way. If Zhao the rebels mobilize troops to block the main force, you may seize the opportunity to cut off their retreat or attack their flanks. You must ensure the main force's unimpeded advance!"

"This subordinate understands!" Murong Xue clasped her hands in a fist salute, exuding a commanding presence.

"Wang Dashan".

"Your subordinate is here!" Wang Dashan's voice boomed.

"I hereby appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army, overseeing the transportation of provisions and supplies, and supervising the manufacture of siege equipment, especially large siege ladders, battering rams, and catapults. These must be delivered to the front lines before our main force arrives in Shenjing. This battle is fierce, with Shenjing's high walls and deep moats; therefore, the equipment must be of superior quality and sufficient quantity!"

"Your Highness, rest assured! I, Wang Dashan, guarantee that not a single arrow shaft will be missing, and not a single catapult will malfunction!" Wang Dashan patted his chest and assured him.

"Zheng Cang." Xiao Chen looked at the naval commander.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"The navy need not accompany the land force. Your unit will sail south along the coast, patrolling the Bohai and Yellow Seas. This will serve three purposes: first, to protect the flanks and deter coastal prefectures and counties; second, to seek opportunities to harass the eastern coastal areas of Shenjing, or to launch a surprise attack by landing a detachment; and third... to closely monitor the movements of the naval forces in Wu and Chu in the south. Report any unusual activity immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" Zheng Cang solemnly accepted the order.

Although the navy is newly established, it has undergone rigorous training, and the ships have been improved by the northern workshops. It is the time to test its combat capabilities and expand its influence.

With the assignments finalized, Xiao Chen looked at the map one last time and slowly said, "This battle will be a thunderous strike. We are not pursuing the capture of many cities; our primary objective is to reach the capital city with the fastest speed and the strongest force! We must show the world the might of my Han Yuan Army, and make that pseudo-dynasty in the capital, and that old traitor Zhao Chong, tremble with fear!"

"We obey Your Majesty's command! The Frost Abyss Iron Cavalry is invincible!" The generals responded with a thunderous roar, their voices shaking the rooftops.

In the depths of winter, all things wither and die.

A black torrent, under the banner of "Purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the traitor Zhao," roared out of Youzhou.

There were no elaborate ceremonies, no lengthy oaths, only silent marching, orderly steps, the clanging of steel, and a soaring, suffocating atmosphere of impending doom.

The army of 100,000 was divided into two routes.

The main force, led by Han Lie and Chen Dao, was a mix of infantry and cavalry, forming a well-organized formation, and rolled southward along the flat official road.

Black armor and dark banners, under the dim winter light, formed a terrifying torrent of death.

Murong Xue's 20,000 elite cavalry, like two agile black scimitars, roamed dozens of miles away on both flanks of the main force, their hooves breaking the silence of the plains and stirring up clouds of snow dust.

The movements of the Hanyuan Army need not be deliberately concealed, nor can they be concealed.

That earth-shattering momentum, that surging torrent of steel flowing south, was like the loudest war drum, striking the hearts of everyone who was concerned about the current situation.

"The army of the Prince of Jingbei... has marched south!"

"They've really attacked! Heading straight for the capital!"

"My God, so many people, so many flags, it stretches as far as the eye can see..."

"Run! The Prince of Jingbei's troops are attacking!"

Panic, like a plague, spread wildly along the route taken by the Hanyuan Army as they marched south.

Along the way, those prefectures and counties that were nominally still under the jurisdiction of the imperial court but had long since become independent and even secretly flirted with the "Anti-Rebel Alliance" showed almost no will to resist when the Han Yuan army pointed its way.

In some cities, the garrison commanders, upon seeing the dark banners that blotted out the sky and the neatly arranged spears and halberds from afar, were so terrified that they immediately opened the city gates, offering food and drink to welcome the "royal army."

Following Xiao Chen's orders, Han Lie only executed officials who were clearly Zhao Chong's cronies, while appeasing ordinary officials and garrison troops. He issued a public notice declaring, "Only the ringleaders will be executed, and the rest will be spared." He left a small force to maintain order, and the main army continued south without stopping.

In some cities, the defending generals still tried to put up a stubborn resistance and closed the city gates.

However, the resistance quickly crumbled after Han Yuan Army displayed the same siege weapons that had terrified the imperial army at Juma Plain—especially the improved heavy catapults and ballistae with greater range and power—and after one or two rounds of intimidating bombardment, or after Murong Xue's cavalry appeared like ghosts below the city walls and cut off its connection with the outside world.

The stubborn defenders were killed or captured, and the city was breached, but the Hanyuan Army still strictly enforced military discipline, only punishing the ringleaders and not killing the innocent. They also opened granaries to distribute food and provide relief to the poor, and quickly stabilized the situation.

Even worse, some local forces that were already dissatisfied with Zhao Chong or had been secretly contacting the "righteous army" simply took advantage of the situation, killed officials appointed by the court, and took the initiative to welcome Han Yuan's army, transforming themselves into "righteous men who fight against the rebels," providing the army with food and guidance, and even sending troops to join them.

Thus, the world witnessed a strange sight: an army of 100,000 men marched south along the official road, and the cities along the way either surrendered at the mere sight of them or collapsed at the first touch, encountering almost no decent resistance that could hinder their advance.

The Han Yuan Army was like a red-hot blade, cutting into the already rotten butter, and its advance was unstoppable!

The news flew to the capital like snowflakes, each one urgent, each one causing the already turbulent capital to tremble even more violently.

"Report! The Jingbei rebels have captured Zhuozhou!"

"Report! The vanguard of the rebel army has passed Yi County, and the defending general has surrendered!"

"Report! Rebel cavalry have appeared near Gu'an, and our scouts have suffered heavy losses!"

"Report! Bazhou... Bazhou has fallen! The governor has died in battle... No, the city has been surrendered!"

"The rebel army has reached Zhuojun! They are less than two hundred li from the capital!"

One piece of bad news after another, each report chilling the atmosphere in the palace hall.

The young emperor was so frightened that he hid in the inner palace and dared not attend court.

Xiao Jue sat on the throne, his face pale and his hands and feet cold. He listened to the ministers below arguing like headless flies, and felt dizzy.

Zhao Chong remained "seriously ill" and unable to attend to official duties.

All the imperial court could mobilize was a mere 50,000 to 60,000 troops, poorly equipped and demoralized, cobbled together from within and around the capital, along with some hastily conscripted able-bodied men.

How can we rely on these to resist that fierce and ruthless army that buried 200,000 elite troops at Juma Plain and is now advancing south with unstoppable momentum?

Despair, like the deepest night, enveloped the entire capital.

The high-ranking officials and nobles began to try every means to send their families and belongings out of the city, and even secretly contacted the "righteous army" outside the city or directly contacted the northern regions to find a way out.

Ordinary people numbly awaited their unknown fate, prices soared, thieves roamed freely, and order was on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, the central command tent of the Hanyuan Army was set up in Zhuojun, which was only 150 miles away from Shenjing.

Han Lie and Chen Dao stood on the newly built watchtower, gazing at the blurry outline of the vast imperial capital against the southern horizon.

"General, at this rate, our vanguard will arrive at the capital city within five days at the latest," Chen Dao said in a deep voice.

Han Lie nodded, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.

"Pass down the order: rest for a day. Have the craftsmen hurry up and assemble the large machinery. At the same time, send out more scouts to closely monitor the movements in the capital, as well as the reactions in Wu and Chu to the south. What the prince wants is not just for the army to besiege the city, but also to send a warning shot and see how the various evil forces will perform."

"Furthermore," Han Lie added, a cold, hard smile curving his lips, "in the name of the Marshal's Office for the Expedition against the Rebels, send an ultimatum to the capital. Give Zhao Chong and the puppet court... three days. Surrender the city, hand over Zhao Chong and his cronies, and the lives of all the civil and military officials in the city will be spared, and the people of the capital will be spared from war. If they still resist stubbornly after three days... on the day the city falls, we will all perish!"

The contents of the ultimatum were delivered by fast horse to the city of Shenjing, and then shot into the city with an arrow, quickly spreading throughout the entire city.

The already panicked capital, Shenjing, was like a pot of cold water thrown into hot oil, which exploded completely.

The enemy is at the city gates, issuing an ultimatum.

The black torrent of the Hanyuan Army has already approached the heart of the Great Liang Dynasty, and is also approaching the final stage of power and conflict in this era.

A final storm that will decide the fate of the world is about to erupt beneath these ancient city walls.

Although the King of the North was not present at the front lines, his icy gaze seemed to pierce through mountains and rivers, firmly locking onto the imperial capital that was shivering in the cold wind.