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

Shenjing, Chengtianmen Square.

Banners fluttered, armor gleamed, and spears and halberds stood like a forest.

Tens of thousands of elite troops from the Cold Abyss stood in neat and imposing formations, their black armor gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the cool early autumn sunlight.

The soldiers' faces were resolute, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit and unconditional trust in their commander.

At the very front of the line, Xiao Chen was dressed in a black armor with a coiled dragon pattern, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the wind like an inextinguishable flame.

He didn't say much, but simply rode his horse slowly past the front of the formation, his gaze sweeping over every resolute face.

No need for further words, wherever the army's might points, that is where glory lies!

The ten-day deadline had arrived. After issuing the strongly worded and righteously just "Proclamation to Punish the Rebellion and Pacify the People," which enumerated the heinous crimes of Peng Chao, Lü Qian, Chen Guan, Shen Fang, Han Nian, and others for "holding up their own armies, attacking each other, abusing the people, and causing chaos in the Central Plains," and declared the court's determination to "have no choice but to send troops to "punish the rebellious, quell the chaos, stabilize the Central Plains, and relieve the people from their suffering," Xiao Chen personally took command in the capital, remotely directing the strategy. Meanwhile, two elite armies, like tigers released from their cages, pounced on the war-torn and desolate Central Plains.

The first route was led by General Chen Dao, who commanded 50,000 elite troops. He swore an oath in Jiangling and Xiangyang and marched north.

Outside Jiangling City, on the banks of the Yangtze River, Chen Dao took to the platform to review his troops.

Holding the "Pingdong" imperial axe bestowed upon him by Emperor Xiao Chen, his voice booming throughout the army: "Soldiers! Since the rebellion of Zhao, the Central Plains have been ravaged! Yet Peng Chao, Lü Qian, Chen Guan, Shen Fang, Han Nian, and their ilk, instead of serving the court and pacifying the people, have seized power and fought amongst themselves! This has left the Central Plains desolate, silent for miles, with bones exposed in the fields, and people resorting to cannibalism! Such traitors who bring disaster to the country and its people are intolerable to Heaven and the wrath of both gods and men!"

"Since we, the soldiers of Hanyuan, followed the Regent in raising our army, we have swept away treacherous officials, pacified Xiliang, and subdued Jingchu. We have been invincible. What is the purpose of all this? It is to restore peace to the world and give the people a way to live! Today, by the Regent's command and the Emperor's decree, we are here to mourn the people, punish the guilty, and relieve their suffering. We are the royal army that obeys Heaven and the people!"

He drew his sword and pointed it northward: "Target: Yuzhou! Those who abandon darkness for light and welcome the royal army with food and drink are my brothers, and I will not harm them in the slightest! Those who remain obstinate, aid the wicked, and resist the heavenly army are my enemies, and I will kill them without mercy! Use your swords to carve out a peaceful land for the people of the Central Plains!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Tens of thousands of soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and even causing the waves of the Yangtze River to seem to pause.

Under the watchful, expectant, and curious gazes of countless Jiangling people, this well-equipped and highly motivated army, divided into several routes by land and water, sailed north along the Han River and its tributaries, heading straight for the heart of Yuzhou.

Chen Dao's strategy was clear: to lift the siege of Qiao County with swift and decisive action, then sweep away the unruly forces within Yuzhou, while simultaneously sending troops to intimidate Shen Fang of Huainan, preventing him from making any rash moves.

The second route was led by General Wang Dashan, who commanded 40,000 elite cavalrymen and marched eastward from Luoyang.

Outside Luoyang, beside the ruins of the former capital, on a newly erected command platform, Wang Dashan, a towering figure, spoke with a voice like a booming bell: "Brothers! Have you heard of the horrific state of the Central Plains? People are exchanging children to eat, breaking bones to cook! Our elders and fellow countrymen are suffering in dire straits! And those who perpetrated this tragedy are the heartless warlords Peng Chao and Lü Qian!"

He swung his longsword sharply, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "The Regent has ordered! We're not going to seize territory, nor to claim credit! We're going to rescue people! To kill the traitors! Lu Qian, the Governor of Yanzhou, is the most ambitious and the most ruthless, one of the main culprits in the Central Plains' chaos! His Highness commands: strike at the heart of the enemy, destroy Lu Qian's main force! Let him never again harm the people!"

"Remember the Prince's military orders: only punish the ringleaders, those coerced will be spared! Those who surrender will be given travel expenses to go home and farm! Those who resist will be killed without mercy! After each city is captured, immediately open the granaries to distribute grain, provide relief to the victims, and bury the dead! Let the people of the Central Plains see what a true royal army is!"

"For the sake of our people in the Central Plains, for the sake of peace throughout the land, follow me and fight!"

Wang Dashan led the way, with 40,000 cavalrymen behind him rushing eastward like a surging torrent, raising clouds of dust as they headed straight for the heart of Yanzhou.

Their objective was clear and ruthless: disregarding the gains or losses of a single city or territory, they would use the mobility advantage of their cavalry to locate Lü Qian's main force and launch a devastating attack.

At the same time, they spread proclamations along the way to divide and weaken the enemy army.

The two armies, like two giant iron pincers, one in the south and one in the north, fiercely clamped down on the heart of the Central Plains war.

Meanwhile, the Regent's Palace in Shenjing, a highly efficient war machine, maximized its logistical and public sentiment offensive.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works urgently allocated grain, medicine, clothing, and tents, which were continuously transported to the front lines via land and water routes.

The army was accompanied not only by quartermasters, but also by a large number of capable officials, doctors, and craftsmen who were drawn from or recruited from various prefectures and counties.

Their mission was not to fight, but to bring peace and stability to the people.

Xiao Chen's orders were carried out without fail: Wherever the royal army went, it was imperative to do the following—

1. Immediate relief: Open granaries and distribute grain.

Priority should be given to using captured enemy granaries or local government granaries; if insufficient, the imperial court should supplement the supply, and soup kitchens should be set up to relieve famine.

2. Rapid epidemic prevention: Organize manpower to bury unclaimed corpses, clean up water sources, distribute plague prevention drugs, and isolate patients.

3. Restoring order: Post notices to reassure the people and announce the abolition of all the exorbitant taxes levied by the former feudal lords, with the newly promulgated laws of the court taking precedence; punish soldiers and bandits who took advantage of the chaos to plunder, regardless of their original affiliation; recruit refugees to participate in city repair, road dredging, and farmland reclamation through work-for-relief programs.

4. Divide and weaken: Print large quantities of easy-to-understand notices and leaflets, and even send small elite teams to infiltrate behind enemy lines to distribute them.

The content was nothing more than that the court would only punish the ringleaders, and would not question the coerced accomplices or the common people; those who surrendered the city, captured or beheaded the ringleaders would be richly rewarded; and the royal army would not commit any offenses, but would come solely to rescue the people.

"The royal army is here! They're really here!"

When Chen Dao's vanguard troops appeared on the war-torn land of Yuzhou, carrying the banner with the character "Chen" and the slogans of "Mourning the People and Punishing the Wrong" and "Pacifying the People and Suppressing the Rebellion," they saw only ruins, groups of emaciated refugees with numb eyes, and piles of bones that could not be collected in time.

At first, the people were terrified and hid in fear.

But when they discovered that this well-disciplined army did not burn, kill, and loot like the previous rioters, but instead set up camp outside the city, sent out small groups of troops to maintain order, and then actually began to set up soup kitchens and distribute thin porridge, their doubts and fears began to dissipate.

"Sir...really...really give us food?" a gaunt old man asked tremblingly.

"Old man, come on, drink it while it's hot. The Regent has ordered that wherever the royal army goes, the first priority is to pacify the people. After you've eaten your fill, there are doctors over there, it's free, you can get treatment if you're sick." The soldier in charge of distributing the porridge spoke in a harsh tone, but his actions were not rude.

When the steaming, thin but enough-to-live rice porridge entered his throat, when his wounded relatives received simple first aid, and when he saw the desert soldiers and bandits who usually bullied the villagers being captured or even killed on the spot by the Han Yuan Army without mercy, a glimmer of light gradually appeared in his despairing eyes.

"It's true...they're different...they really came to save us..." someone sobbed softly.

"Look at that proclamation! The imperial court said they'll only kill corrupt officials like Peng Chao and Lü Qian! As long as we common people don't help them, we'll have a way to survive!"

"They even said they would exempt us from taxes for three years and distribute wasteland..."

The news spread like wildfire across the devastated border region between Yuzhou and Yanzhou.

Many soldiers, who had been forcibly conscripted by the feudal lords and already harbored resentment, began to break up in organized groups, surrender, or even defect.

Some small town commanders, whose lives were threatened by the war and whose livelihoods were uncertain, were also swayed after seeing the powerful military might of the Hanyuan Army and their measures to pacify the people, such as "only punishing the ringleaders and opening granaries to distribute food."

Chen Dao's advance was swift.

He did not forcibly attack cities. Instead, he accepted all cities that surrendered voluntarily or after offering only slight resistance, punished the ringleaders, appeased the soldiers and civilians, and restored order.

For cities held by a few die-hard elements, the strategy is to besiege them without attacking, or to concentrate elite troops for a swift and decisive strike. After breaching the city, strict military discipline is enforced, with only the defending general and his cronies executed, while ordinary soldiers and civilians are properly resettled.

Soon, the fighting subsided in southern Yuzhou and around Qiao County, and order began to be restored.

Countless refugees emerged from their hiding places and, under the organization of the Hanyuan Army, received life-saving food supplies. They began clearing the ruins and rebuilding their homes.

Although life remains difficult, the hope for survival has been rekindled in the hearts of many.

Wang Dashan's side was even more unstoppable.

He made full use of the cavalry's mobility, not getting bogged down in city defense and attack, but instead, like a cheetah, galloping across the Central Plains in search of Lü Qian's main force.

Lu Qian was entangled with the allied forces of Peng Chao, Shen Fang, and Han Nian in northern Xuzhou, leaving his rear relatively undefended.

Wang Dashan seized the opportunity and led his elite cavalry on a long-distance raid, destroying several important granaries and garrison strongholds on the outskirts of Changyi, Lü Qian's stronghold in Yanzhou, burning a large amount of grain and military equipment, and capturing or killing thousands of soldiers left behind.

When the news reached the front lines, Lü Qian was shocked. With trouble brewing in his own backyard, morale among the troops immediately wavered.

The pressure on the allied forces of Peng Chao, Shen Fang, and Han Nian was greatly reduced, but before they could even rejoice, they discovered that Chen Dao's army had already approached the southern part of Xuzhou. After the successful attack, Wang Dashan did not linger in battle, but instead wandered like a ghost in the border area between Yanzhou and Xuzhou, clearly intending to find Lü Qian's main force for a decisive battle.

"Report! General, thirty miles ahead, we have spotted Lü Qian's main force moving towards Juye, seemingly intending to return to reinforce Changyi!"

"Good!" Wang Dashan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Order the entire army to accelerate their advance and engage him! We must defeat Lü Qian in open battle!"

On the banks of the Juye Marsh, a decisive battle that would determine the fate of eastern Central China was about to erupt.

At this moment, outside Xiapi City in Xuzhou, Peng Chao stood on the ruined city wall, looking at the densely packed allied army camps outside the city. He also received news that Chen Dao was approaching from the south and that Lü Qianyou from the north had been captured by Wang Dashan. His face had long lost its former arrogance, leaving only a deathly ashen expression.

"Chen Dao... Wang Dashan... Xiao Chen... He really came..."

Peng Chao muttered to himself, and the battle sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

He knew that his end was probably near.

It wasn't just him; Lü Qian, Shen Fang, Han Nian… the doomsday of everyone fighting in this chaotic battle seemed to be shrouded in that ever-approaching black banner with the character "Xiao".

The sky over the Central Plains remained overcast.

But wherever the dark Frost Abyss battle banner went, chaos and slaughter were quickly replaced by a stronger order.

For the first time, countless people struggling on the brink of death truly felt that besides the endless war and despair, there seemed to be another path—a path opened up by powerful force, which also brought food, medicine, and a glimmer of order.

Although this road is still full of thorns and bloodshed.

Xiao Chen finally intervened forcefully in the Central Plains war under the pretext of "commending the people and punishing the guilty".

He used a combination of military strikes, political disintegration, economic appeasement, and winning over the hearts and minds of the people, aiming not only to conquer the land but also to win their hearts.

The game of chess in the Central Plains became clearer and more cruel with the entry of his most powerful player—this was true for the stubborn lords, but for the people who longed for peace, it might be the first faint ray of dawn after a long darkness.