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

Qiao County.

This once prosperous city in Yuzhou has been reduced to ruins and devastation after months of war.

The city walls were covered with layers of bloodstains and soot, the city gates were damaged, and the moat was filled with debris and suspicious filth.

The scene inside the city was even more appalling. The once bustling streets were deserted, most of the houses on both sides had collapsed, and the remaining doors and windows were wide open, like the corpse of a giant beast whose internal organs had been ripped out.

The air was thick with the stench of corpses, burnt remains, and despair.

The surviving people, like frightened birds, hid deep in the ruins, their eyes empty and numb, awaiting the final judgment, whether by the executioner's blade or by starvation.

Chen Guan, the governor of Yuzhou and one of the instigators of the war, is now like a stray dog, hiding in the dilapidated governor's mansion with his few thousand remaining soldiers.

With supplies dwindling, morale crumbling, and the remnants of Peng Chao's forces in Xuzhou looming outside the city, Chen Guan knew he had reached a dead end.

At this moment of despair, a dark wave appeared on the southern horizon.

"It's...it's soldiers! They're here again! So many soldiers!" The sentry on the city wall screamed in a hoarse voice, filled with fear.

Chen Guan stumbled and climbed to the top of the city wall. Looking into the distance, he saw a forest of black-armored soldiers and banners that blotted out the sun. A huge banner with the character "Chen" and the banners that read "Mourning the People and Punishing the Wrong" and "General Who Pacifies the East" fluttered in the autumn wind.

The ranks were orderly and solemn, with only the dull, unified sound of footsteps and the rustling of armor plates as they moved, exuding a chilling aura of authority.

"It's...it's Han Yuan Army! Chen Dao! Xiao Chen's men!" Chen Guan's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed.

He knew that Xiao Chen had issued a proclamation denouncing the rebellion and that the imperial army would come, but he did not expect them to arrive so quickly and with such power!

Compared to Peng Chao's chaotic and bandit-like troops outside the city, this army was a true force of tigers and wolves!

However, something even more surprising and unsettling happened to Chen Guan and the soldiers and civilians of Qiao County.

This massive army, which seemed capable of easily crushing everything, did not immediately attack the city, nor did it engage in battle with Peng Chao's remaining forces outside the city. Instead, it set up camp several miles away from the city, nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

The camp was set up very quickly, with trenches, fences, and watchtowers arranged in an orderly manner.

Even more unbelievable is that they actually sent out several small teams to build simple but neat shacks in an open area outside the city, with wisps of smoke rising from them.

Soon, a troop of cavalry escorted several people who looked like civil officials to the dilapidated city gate of Qiao County.

A middle-aged scholar, holding a scroll bearing the regent's seal, addressed the bewildered guards on the city walls and the civilians peeking out from the ruins, and read aloud:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Regent decrees: Chen Guan, the traitor of Yuzhou, colluded with Peng Chao, Lü Qian and others to arbitrarily provoke border conflicts, causing chaos and suffering in the Central Plains. His crimes deserve to be punished!"

However, Your Highness, mindful of Heaven's benevolence, knows that most of you soldiers and civilians were coerced into following him, and the common people are even more innocent!

Now, the royal army has arrived to mourn the people and punish the guilty!

Only the ringleader Chen Guan and his cronies will be executed; the rest will be spared! Any soldier or civilian in the city who captures Chen Guan and surrenders the city will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and promoted to the rank of captain! Ordinary soldiers who lay down their weapons and surrender will be given travel expenses and allowed to return home as civilians!

After the city was opened, the granaries were immediately opened and food was distributed to the people, rations were distributed per person, medical tents were set up to treat the wounded, corpses were buried, and the streets were cleaned!

The Regent decrees: The royal army enters the city, but shall not harm a single hair! Anyone who dares to rob the people of even a needle or thread, or bully women and children, shall be executed without mercy! Do not doubt, do not fear, quickly open the city gates, welcome the royal army, and see the light of day again!

The sound was loud and clear, reaching deep into the city.

The soldiers guarding the city wall looked at each other, their eyes darting around.

The people in the city gradually went from initial fear to skepticism, and finally, a faint glimmer of hope began to flicker like a spark in the darkness.

"Open the granaries and distribute grain... distribute rations... treat the wounded..." someone murmured repeatedly.

"If we only kill Chen Guan... we'll be fine..." More people whispered among themselves.

Hearing this from the city wall, Chen Guan turned ashen-faced and shouted angrily, "Fire arrows! Fire arrows! They're spreading rumors and misleading the public! They're deceiving us..."

Before he could finish speaking, several of his trusted generals exchanged glances, then suddenly sprang into action, their blades flashing! Chen Guan let out a scream and collapsed into a pool of blood.

"Open the city gates! Welcome the royal army! Welcome the royal army!" The general who took action raised his blood-dripping sword and shouted hoarsely.

The defenders, whose last fighting spirit had been eroded by hunger, fear, and the promise of "only punishing the ringleaders and opening the granaries to distribute grain," opened the dilapidated city gates with almost no hesitation.

Outside the city, Chen Dao watched all this expressionlessly, then waved his hand: "Enter the city! Strictly observe military discipline! Proceed as planned, ensuring the safety of the people is paramount!"

The Han Yuan army did not rush in.

First, squads of infantrymen carrying shields and spears marched into the city in orderly steps, quickly taking control of key locations such as city gates, treasuries, and military camps. They did not enter houses or disturb the people along the way, and ignored the people kneeling or cowering by the roadside, only scanning their surroundings warily.

Immediately following, a large number of laborers pushed carts loaded with sacks of grain, and a team of medical officers carrying medicine chests entered the city.

They headed straight for several relatively open squares in the city and the well-preserved granaries.

"Fellow villagers! Come out! The royal army has distributed grain!" The officer shouted loudly.

"Those who are injured or sick, come this way! Imperial physicians will provide free treatment!"

"Young and strong men, come and register! We'll help bury the bodies and clean the streets. Food will be provided, and we'll even pay you!"

At first, the people dared not move.

But when the first brave old man, who was so hungry he could hardly bear it, walked shakily to the soup kitchen and actually received a bowl of thick millet porridge without being scolded or having it snatched, the crowd began to stir.

The second, the third... More and more emaciated and ragged people emerged from the ruins, from the cellars, and from various hiding places, gathering in front of the soup kitchen, their eyes fixed on the life-saving porridge.

The order was somewhat chaotic at first, but the Han Yuan soldiers maintaining order, though their faces were stern, did not resort to beatings or scolding. They simply used their bodies and spears to separate the crowd, and under the command of their officers, they allowed women, children, the elderly, and the infirm to go first, queuing up to register and distributing the supplies according to headcount. Although slow, it was orderly and efficient.

On the other side, the medical officers had begun treating the wounded, doing their best to save everyone, whether soldiers or civilians, as long as they had a breath left.

More people, organized by the soldiers, began to use rudimentary tools to bury the corpses that had begun to rot and stink, which had piled up throughout the city.

They sprinkled lime and dug deep pits to bury the animals. Although the conditions were rudimentary, this simple measure began to slowly dissipate the atmosphere of death and plague in the city.

The prefectural governor's office was sealed off, Chen Guan's cronies were exposed and executed, and their property was confiscated.

Ordinary officials, as long as they did not commit serious crimes and were willing to submit, were selected and many were retained to assist in maintaining order, registering households, and distributing supplies.

Just three days.

In just three days, the scene in Qiao County City underwent earth-shattering changes.

The bodies on the street were cleaned up and covered with lime.

The collapsed houses were simply cleared, at least the roads were cleared.

Long queues still formed in front of the porridge stall, but the faces of the people were no longer utterly numb and desperate; there was a hint of life, and some were even talking in hushed tones.

Inside the medical ward, the groans of the wounded lessened.

Some of the bolder children even chased each other in the cleared open space.

Most importantly, the pervasive fear of war was greatly reduced.

The soldiers of Hanyuan Army, apart from patrolling and maintaining order, truly lived up to the principle of "not entering civilian homes and not taking civilian property," a stark contrast to the bandit-like warlord troops they had encountered before.

"The royal army...it really is the royal army..." An old man who had just received three days' worth of rations for his entire family knelt beside the still-uncleaned street, kowtowing heavily towards the direction of the "Chen" banner, tears streaming down his face.

"Mother, we have food now, and the soldier has taken care of Father's wounds..." A boy, barely a teenager, said to his mother, who was lying on a tattered mat, while tightly clutching the coarse grains in his arms.

"If... if they had come sooner... my son, my husband, wouldn't they have been safe...?" A woman sobbed softly, but her tone seemed to be more directed at the various parties involved in the previous battle, while she felt a complex, sorrowful gratitude towards these "late" Xuanjia soldiers.

Similar scenes occurred not only in Qiao County.

Along the route of Chen Dao's army heading north, in the villages destroyed by war, and in the wilderness where refugees gathered, as soon as Han Yuan's army arrived, measures such as setting up soup kitchens, distributing food, treating the wounded, burying the dead, and restoring the most basic order would inevitably follow.

The supplies Xiao Chen allocated from the rear, along with the enemy granaries he captured, while not enough to immediately feed and clothe everyone, were sufficient to save countless people on the verge of death.

"Only the ringleaders will be punished; those who were coerced will not be questioned."

These eight words acted as the most effective disintegrating agent, causing many soldiers who had been forced into war and were already weary of fighting to lay down their weapons.

They received a meager amount of travel expenses, enabling them to return home or at least leave the battlefield.

"Abolish exorbitant taxes and levies, and redistribute land for reclamation."

Although it was still just a slogan, the clerks sent by the Hanyuan Army had already begun registering households, verifying unclaimed wasteland, and promising to "allocate it as soon as the overall situation stabilizes," which gave the farmers who had lost their land great hope.

When the people of Qiao County recalled the looting, burning, killing, and forced conscription that occurred when the armies of Peng Chao, Lü Qian, Chen Guan, Shen Fang, and Han Nian passed through their territory, and then looked at the black-armored soldiers before them, who, though serious, were disciplined and even provided them with food, their hearts were undoubtedly tipped in favor of the soldiers.

"We prepared food and drink to welcome the king's army."

This ancient saying first came to life in southern Yuzhou, in the area where the Hanyuan Army passed through and controlled.

It was no longer forced, but a heartfelt and humble gratitude.

At first, a few bold old men, holding the last of their coarse grains, which they had perhaps hidden away for a long time, knelt by the roadside and offered them to the marching troops.

The Han Yuan Army has a strict order not to accept food from the people.

The officer in charge would dismount, gently but firmly refuse, and tell the old man, "Old man, please take it. His Highness has ordered that the royal army bring its own provisions and will not take a single grain or piece of cloth from the people. Keep this food for yourself and take care of your health."

The officer's refusal did not cause dissatisfaction; instead, it moved the people even more and made them more convinced that this army was truly different!

Therefore, when the army camped near a village, more people would watch from afar, their eyes no longer filled with fear, but with curiosity, and even a hint of goodwill.

They would spontaneously bring clean drinking water or help the soldiers repair damaged palisades.

The will of the people, this seemingly ethereal yet incredibly powerful force, began to flow like a gentle stream across the ravaged Central Plains, quietly converging towards the black banner bearing the character "Xiao".

The news, as if it had grown wings, flew to all parts of the Central Plains, to those cities and villages still suffering from the flames of war or being exploited by various warlords.

"Have you heard? The imperial army has arrived in Qiao County. They're not looting or killing anyone; they're even opening granaries to distribute food and provide medical treatment!"

"Really? Are there really soldiers like this in the world?"

"Absolutely true! My cousin fled from the south and saw it with his own eyes! Those soldiers, their armor was all black, and their flags had the characters 'Chen' and 'Xiao' on them. They were fierce, but they were respectful to the common people!"

"They only kill the officials; we common soldiers will be fine if we surrender, and they'll even give us travel expenses to go home..."

"If only they could reach us here..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! But... if it's really true..."

Hope, like wildfire, begins to spread quietly once the first spark ignites it on the desolate wasteland of despair.

Although the road ahead is still long and the war has not yet completely subsided, for countless ordinary people struggling to survive in the chaotic battlefield of the Central Plains, the disciplined Xuanjia army, which seems to truly carry the air of a "royal army" and can bring the most basic "survival" and "order," has become the only visible light in their dark world.

Chen Dao proceeded steadily, pacifying the people while advancing his forces, and the southern part of Yuzhou was quickly pacified. Meanwhile, even more encouraging news came from the northern front.

At the edge of Juye Marsh, Wang Dashan successfully captured Lü Qian's main force, which was rushing back to reinforce and whose formation was scattered. In a fierce battle, Lü Qian was defeated and escaped with only a few thousand cavalrymen, while his main force was wiped out!

When the news spread, the Central Plains were shaken!

Upon hearing the news, Peng Chao knew that the situation was hopeless, so he committed suicide in Xiapi City, and his subordinates opened the city gates and surrendered.

The allied forces of Shen Fang and Han Nian collapsed instantly. The two almost fought each other over a way out, and in the end, they each led their remaining troops to their hometowns in Huainan and Qingzhou, respectively, looking like stray dogs.

In the eastern part of the Central Plains, the situation of the two largest forces became clear instantly after Lü Qian's main force was annihilated and Peng Chao was killed!

After annihilating Lü Qian's main force, Wang Dashan's iron cavalry did not stop. Like a whirlwind, they swept through Yanzhou and northern Xuzhou. Wherever they went, they either subdued the enemy with a single proclamation or surrendered after a small battle.

Xiao Chen's banner of "mourning the people and punishing the guilty" has already been flying high over the Central Plains.

It represents not only destruction, but also a promise to rebuild order and bring hope for survival.

And this promise is being silently responded to by more and more people in the Central Plains with their simplest actions—no longer fearing to flee, and even beginning to offer insignificant help and heartfelt expectations.

He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.

The blades of the Hanyuan Army not only slashed at the heads of their enemies, but also, invisibly, reaped the most precious thing on this land of suffering—the hearts of the people.

The chessboard in the Central Plains, amidst the impact of the Xuanjia torrent and the subtle shift in public sentiment, is tilting at an astonishing speed in the direction Xiao Chen desires.