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

The arrival of 700 shi of grain into the warehouse caused an uproar in Hanyuan City.

The old man, leaning on his cane, walked shakily toward the granary. When he saw the mountain of sacks, he knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

The woman, holding her child, kept repeating, "There's food to eat, there's food to eat..."

The man slapped his companion's shoulder hard and burst into laughter—but as he laughed, tears welled up in his eyes.

These are tears of survivors.

For more than a month, everyone has been living in fear of running out of food.

I dream of empty bowls at night, and when I wake up, my stomach is rumbling.

Now, I finally have confidence—I won't go hungry for at least two months.

"Open the granaries! Distribute the grain!"

Xiao Chen stood at the entrance of the granary, personally holding a measuring cup and distributing grain to the people who were queuing up.

Five catties of millet per person, though not much, was a real life-saving food.

"Thank you, Prince!"

"Long live the Prince!"

When the people received the grain, they all knelt down and kowtowed.

Some people kowtowed until their foreheads were bleeding, but they still refused to get up.

Xiao Chen helped them up one by one: "Get up, all of you. This is not my achievement alone. It was earned by the hunting team at the risk of their lives, by the grain-borrowing team traveling thousands of miles to obtain it, and by the coal-transporting team braving wind and rain to earn it. If you want to thank someone, thank them."

He pointed into the distance—Wang Dashan, Zhao Tie, Chen Bo, and those triumphant men.

They stood in the crowd, exhausted, but their backs were ramrod straight.

The people rushed over again, surrounding the heroes and expressing their gratitude in a cacophony of voices.

"General Wang, thank you so much!"

"General Zhao, your leg..."

"Uncle Chen, you've worked so hard!"

Amidst the commotion, Xiao Chen quietly retreated to the side.

He was also very tired.

For more than a month, he hasn't had a good night's sleep. Every day, all he thinks about is food, food, food.

Now that the food problem has been temporarily solved, he feels like his whole body has fallen apart.

"Your Highness,"

Uncle Fu walked over and lowered his voice, "Zhang Meng is here."

Xiao Chen looked up and saw Zhang Meng standing not far away, watching the lively scene with a complicated expression on his face.

"Please ask him to come over."

Zhang Meng walked over, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your Highness."

"Captain Zhang,"

Xiao Chen smiled, "You've had a hard time these past few days. I feel bad that the brothers you brought have been going hungry along with you."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Zhang Meng hurriedly replied, "It's my duty to defend this territory, so going hungry is to be expected. But..."

He hesitated.

"Lieutenant Zhang, please speak frankly."

Zhang Meng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, this humble general... this humble general always thought that you were just a prince who had been exiled, and that your visit to Hanyuan was merely a formality. But in the past month or so, this humble general has personally witnessed how you led these people to fight your way out of a desperate situation."

He looked at the people who were overjoyed as they received their grain: "In the capital, I have seen too many princes and nobles. They live in luxury, but they never treat the common people as human beings. You are different. You truly... treat them as human beings."

Xiao Chen listened quietly.

"The five hundred brothers I brought with me,"

Zhang Meng continued, "For more than a month, we've also been starving. But no one complained, because Your Highness is starving, and so are those around you. We share joys and sorrows; that's what brothers are all about."

He paused, then suddenly knelt on one knee: "Your Highness, I was acting under orders before, but now I truly submit to you. From now on, I and these five hundred brothers will be at Your Highness's command!"

Xiao Chen helped him up.

He could tell that Zhang Meng's words were sincere.

The hardships we shared over the past month are more valuable than any gold, silver, treasures, high-ranking positions, or generous salaries.

"Captain Zhang,"

He solemnly said, "With your words, I am relieved. From now on, we are family."

"yes!"

As the two were talking, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

A fast horse charged into the city gate, and the rider, covered in blood, fell to the ground.

The soldiers guarding the city went forward to check on him, and the man struggled to his feet, shouting hoarsely:

"Urgent military intelligence! Urgent military intelligence! Where is the Prince?!"

Xiao Chen walked over quickly.

Upon seeing Xiao Chen, the man rushed over and hugged his leg, crying out, "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The imperial grain convoy... has been hijacked!"

boom--

Like a bolt from the blue.

Everyone around was stunned.

"What did you say?"

Xiao Chen crouched down and helped the person up. "Speak slowly and clearly!"

"The imperial court's relief grain of 5,000 shi... departed from the capital... and reached Black Wind Valley, 30 li outside Dingbei Pass... where it was robbed by a group of bandits!"

The man cried his heart out, "The hundred soldiers who were escorting us... are all dead... the food... is all gone!"

A deathly silence.

Then, a deafening cry erupted.

"Gone? Five thousand bushels of grain gone?"

"God! Are you trying to kill us all?!"

"What do we do? What do we do?!"

The people, who were just moments before overjoyed, were instantly plunged into despair.

Xiao Chen's face turned ashen.

He helped the man to his feet: "Who are you? How did you know?"

"The junior officer is... a garrison soldier at Dingbei Pass."

The man gasped, "I was ordered to meet the relief convoy, but when I arrived at Black Wind Valley, all I saw were corpses everywhere... not a single bag of grain was left..."

"Did you see clearly who did it?"

"I...I didn't see it clearly. But they left this behind..."

The man took a piece of cloth out of his pocket.

On the cloth, a wolf's head was drawn in blood.

The totem of the grassland wolf tribe.

"The Azure Wolf Tribe?"

Zhang Meng exclaimed, "They dare to rob the imperial court's relief grain?"

"Not the Canglang tribe."

Xiao Chen took the cloth and examined it closely. "The wolf's head is drawn too deliberately. And—"

He raised his head, his eyes icy: "Black Wind Valley is only thirty miles from Dingbei Pass. No matter how arrogant the Canglang Tribe is, they wouldn't dare to rob such a place so close to the border. This is a frame-up."

"frame?"

Zhang Meng was taken aback. "Who would frame the grassland people?"

Xiao Chen did not answer.

He already had the answer in his heart.

Fourth Brother.

Only the fourth brother would use such methods.

They robbed the relief grain and framed the grassland people, killing two birds with one stone—cutting off Hanyuan's lifeline and giving the court a pretext to wage war against the grasslands.

The fourth brother's father-in-law was the Vice Minister of War, so once war broke out, military power would naturally fall into his hands.

What a ruthless scheme.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?"

Wang Dashan walked over, his face grave. "The news will spread soon, and then..."

At that time, the people's hearts in Hanyuan City, which had just begun to stabilize, will collapse again.

Moreover, the theft of the imperial relief grain was a major case.

The imperial court will definitely send someone to investigate.

The investigation will likely eventually lead back to him—an unfavored prince who has established himself in the northern border, and the very grain the court sent was intercepted—it's too much of a coincidence.

The coincidence is so striking that one can't help but suspect that he orchestrated this whole thing to expand his influence.

"Block the news."

Xiao Chen immediately gave the order, "No one present today is allowed to speak of the looting of the relief supplies. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"yes!"

"Zhang Meng."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Take two hundred men and go to Black Wind Valley immediately. Investigate the scene and gather evidence. Remember, be quick and keep it secret. Don't let anyone know."

"yes!"

"Zhao Tie".

"I'm here!"

"Take a few men and go find Old Man Han. Ask him what's been going on on the grasslands lately. What are the Canglang tribe, the Bailu tribe, and those other small tribes up to?"

"yes!"

"Wang Dashan".

"Your humble servant is here!"

"You are in charge of the city's defenses. From today onwards, the entire city will be under martial law. Strict checks will be conducted on anyone entering or leaving, especially unfamiliar faces."

"yes!"

As orders were issued one by one, the initially panicked crowd gradually quieted down.

The people looked at Xiao Chen—this young prince, whose face was pale but whose eyes were firm and whose voice was steady.

With him around, it's like even if the sky were to fall, we could hold it up.

"Fellow villagers," Xiao Chen raised his voice, "I know you're all scared right now. I'm scared too. But being scared is useless. If the grain has been stolen, we'll just look for more. There's always a way out. If Hanyuan City can survive one desperate situation, it can survive a second!"

He paused, then said, word by word, "I, Xiao Chen, hereby swear—I will retrieve the grain. I will bring back those who robbed it. I will not let Hanyuan City fall!"

The sound was powerful and resonant, echoing in the cold wind.

As the people looked at him, at this sixteen-year-old boy, hope gradually rekindled in their eyes.

"We believe in the Prince!"

"Yes! Trust the Prince!"

"Let's fight the prince to the death!"

The shouts grew louder and louder.

Xiao Chen nodded and turned to return to his residence.

Upon entering the courtroom, his legs went weak and he nearly fell over.

Uncle Fu quickly helped him up.

"Your Highness, you..."

"I'm fine."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, leaned on the table and sat down. "Uncle Fu, how much grain do we have left?"

"Seven hundred shi, plus what was given today, there are still... about six hundred and fifty shi."

"How long will this last?"

"Be careful, it'll take two months."

two months.

Within two months, he must find a new source of food, or... retrieve the five thousand bushels of relief grain.

Otherwise, Hanyuan City will still run out of food.

Moreover, this food shortage will be even more terrible than the last one—because the despair after hope is shattered is deadly.

"Your Highness,"

Uncle Fu whispered, "Should we...send a message to the capital? Request His Majesty to allocate another batch of grain?"

Xiao Chen shook his head: "It's too late. Besides, Fourth Brother won't let the grain be delivered smoothly."

"Then... what should we do?"

Xiao Chen closed his eyes.

Images flashed through his mind—the terrain of Black Wind Valley, the distribution of grassland tribes, Fourth Brother's possible plans, and... the whereabouts of those five thousand shi of grain.

Food cannot simply disappear into thin air.

Such a large convoy, carrying 5,000 shi of grain, would require a large number of people and vehicles to transport.

There will definitely be traces left along the way.

As long as you can find clues, you can follow the trail to find the whole thing.

"Wait for Zhang Meng to come back."

Xiao Chen opened his eyes. "Now, all we can do is wait."

This wait lasted for three days.

For three days, Cold Abyss City appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging.

Although the people did not know about the looting of the relief grain, they could sense that something was wrong—the city gates were under martial law, people were checked when entering and leaving, and even the markets were much quieter.

Someone whispered that the Prince was going to start another war.

Some say that the grassland people are coming again.

Some people said that the imperial court was going to send someone to investigate the Prince.

Rumors spread like a plague.

Xiao Chen offered no explanation.

He knew that explaining would be useless.

Only by providing real food supplies can we stabilize public sentiment.

On the evening of the third day, Zhang Meng returned.

He was travel-worn and tired, but his eyes were bright.

"Your Highness, the investigation is complete."

"explain."

"There are indeed over a hundred corpses at the Black Wind Valley site, all soldiers who escorted the relief supplies. Most of the fatal wounds were knife wounds, but a few corpses also had arrow wounds." Zhang Meng took out several arrows from his pocket. "These are the arrows I found, Your Highness."

Xiao Chen took the arrow.

The arrow was an ordinary feathered arrow, but a character was engraved on the shaft: Swallow.

The arrow of Northern Yan.

"People from Northern Yan?" Xiao Chen frowned.

"It doesn't look like it."

Zhang Meng shook his head. "The arrow was from Northern Yan, but the person who used it wasn't necessarily from Northern Yan. I examined the wound carefully; the arrow entered from very close range, and all the vital points were targeted—the throat, the eyes, and the heart. This is the method of a professional assassin, not an army."

"Anything else?"

"The tracks of the grain convoy went ten miles north after leaving Black Wind Valley, and then..." Zhang Meng paused, "...disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes. It's like it vanished into thin air."

Zhang Meng said, "This humble general led his men to search an area of ​​twenty li, but there wasn't a single trace. Five thousand shi of grain, dozens of cartloads—it's impossible for them to leave no trace at all. Unless…"

"Unless they didn't go north at all."

Xiao Chen continued, "To the north is grassland, but to the east are mountains, and to the west is desert. They deliberately left tire tracks pointing north to mislead those investigating."

"Your Highness is wise."

Zhang Meng nodded, "That's what I thought too. So I led my men eastward to search, and sure enough, we found traces in a valley fifty miles away."

He pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket: "This is what I found in the valley. It must have been torn from a grain sack. There are words on it."

On the rag, there was a blurry mark: official.

The mark of official grain.

"There are still signs of human activity in the valley, which should be a temporary place to store grain."

Zhang Meng said, "But the grain had already been transported away. I followed the tracks all the way to... all the way to Dingbei Pass."

Xiao Chen's pupils contracted.

Dingbeiguan.

The imperial court's border posts.

"Your Highness,"

Zhang Meng lowered his voice, "This humble general suspects that the people who robbed the grain were not grassland people, nor bandits, but... government soldiers."

The soldiers robbed the government's grain.

If this gets out, it will be a huge scandal.

But Xiao Chenxin believed it.

Because he knew that his fourth brother was capable of such a thing.

"Where is the food now?" he asked.

"This humble general dares not investigate further."

Zhang Meng smiled wryly, "Zhou Yong, the garrison commander of Dingbei Pass, is a man of the Fourth Prince. If we investigate further, I'm afraid..."

This might alert the enemy, or even lead to my death.

Xiao Chen fell silent.

He looked at the tattered cloth and the word "official," and felt a chill run through him.

Five thousand shi of grain were stored at Dingbei Pass.

But that's Fourth Brother's territory, heavily guarded.

His three hundred-plus men going to rob it would be tantamount to suicide.

If we don't seize it, what will happen to Hanyuan City?

Two months later, food supplies ran out.

At that time, without Fourth Brother lifting a finger, Cold Abyss City will collapse on its own.

"Your Highness," Zhang Meng suddenly said, "this humble general... has an idea."

"explain."

"The grain is at Dingbei Pass; we definitely can't just seize it by force. But we can...steal it."

"steal?"

"right."

A sly glint flashed in Zhang Meng's eyes. "I've been to the granary at Dingbei Pass. The defenses are tight, but not without loopholes. Besides, Zhou Yong is greedy and lecherous. We can find a way to lure him out of the pass, and then..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Xiao Chen understood.

Luring the tiger away from the mountain.

"Are you confident?" Xiao Chen asked.

"Fifty percent."

Zhang Meng spoke frankly, "But it's better than waiting to die."

50%.

Half alive, half dead.

Xiao Chen looked out the window.

Outside the window, the setting sun casts its blood-red glow.

The people of Hanyuan City are preparing dinner.

Smoke curled from the chimneys, and the faint sound of children's laughter could be heard.

How long can this laughter last?

"Damn it," he said.

In short, decisive.

Zhang Meng trembled: "Your Highness..."

"But this can't be forced."

Xiao Chen turned to Zhang Meng and said, "We need to plan this carefully. And we need to find someone to help us."

"Who should I look for?"

Xiao Chen walked to the map and stopped his finger on a certain spot.

"White Deer Tribe".

Zhao Tiegang returned from the Bailu tribe with 500 shi of grain.

Now, it's time to repay this favor.

"Does Your Highness wish to request assistance from the White Deer Tribe?"

Zhang Meng was a little worried, "But they are people from the grasslands..."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Xiao Chen said, "The White Deer Tribe and the Azure Wolf Tribe are enemies, and they have no connections with the imperial court. But they now have a relationship with Han Yuan. Moreover—"

He paused, then continued, "Chief Batel is a smart man. He knows that if Han Yuan falls, the White Deer tribe will be next. The Azure Wolf tribe has absorbed Han Yuan, greatly increasing its strength, and will definitely target the White Deer tribe. Therefore, helping us is helping himself."

Zhang Meng suddenly realized.

"This humble general will go and prepare immediately."

"etc."

Xiao Chen stopped him, "The fewer people who know about this, the better. Besides you, me, Zhao Tie, and Old Man Han, no one else is allowed to be told."

"yes!"

Zhang Meng accepted the order and left.

Xiao Chen stood alone in front of the map, looking at the location of Dingbei Pass.

Five thousand shi of grain.

That was Han Yuan's fate.

That was his fate.

He has to win this gamble.

Outside the window, night was deepening.

The lights of Hanyuan City lit up one by one.

Like stars, stubbornly shining in the darkness.