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

That year, in early winter.

The wind north of Yuguan Pass has already carried a chilling, desolate chill, sweeping across the vast wilderness and withered forests beyond the pass.

Han Lie's army, like a long-awaited black torrent, finally unleashed its power after receiving an "invitation" from the Tuhe direction and the final decision of Shenjing.

The war progressed more smoothly than expected, almost to the point of being an overwhelming takeover.

The first step is to coordinate the defense of the Tu River.

After Murong Han brought back Han Lie's terms, Murong Ying, who was trapped in an isolated city and beset by internal and external troubles, accepted them almost without hesitation.

In the face of absolute despair, any condition is better than annihilation.

He opened the gates of Tuhe City as promised, leading the remaining civil and military officials and remnants of his army ten miles outside the city, bringing them food and drink to welcome the royal army—even though the "drink" might have been tears and the "food" was full of bitterness.

Han Lie did not enter the city. Instead, he sent his deputy general with 10,000 elite troops to quickly take over the four gates, the treasury, and the armory. He dispersed and reorganized the thousands of soldiers under Murong Ying who were still capable of fighting, and dismissed the old and weak on the spot.

Murong Ying, along with his family and confidants, were "politely escorted" to the rear camp for "protection," but in reality, they were placed under house arrest. The entire process was swift and quiet, without bloodshed or conflict.

Tuhe, a major town in western Liaoning, quietly changed hands overnight.

The "Yan" character flag that had been flying over the city wall was taken down and replaced with a black "Qin" character flag and a "Han" character commander's flag.

After taking control of the Tu River, Han Lie immediately issued a proclamation against the traitors Duan Kan, Murong Ke, and others, in the name of "Special Envoy of the Regent of the Great Jin, General Who Pacifies the North, and concurrently the Pacification Commissioner of the Northern Yan," based on Murong Ying's "earnest request."

The proclamation listed ten major crimes committed by Duan Kan, Murong Ke, Gongsun Yuan, and others, including "betraying their lord and establishing themselves as independent rulers, creating separatist empires, poisoning the people, and using bandits to enhance their own power." It declared that "the royal army has come not to invade and seize, but at the request of the ruler of Northern Yan, to mourn the people and punish the guilty, to quell the rebellion, to restore peace to Northern Yan, and to give the common people a way to survive."

The proclamation spread rapidly throughout Northern Yan via fast horses, messengers, and even captured and released Yan soldiers.

Meanwhile, spies and persuaders dispatched by Han Yuan Army, carrying large sums of money and promises, penetrated deep into Longcheng, Liaodong and various tribes, beginning a silent psychological warfare.

The second step was a swift and decisive sweep through western Liaoning.

Duan Kan is the first target.

This man was originally an important minister of the Northern Yan. After Murong Ying's great defeat in the south, he was the quickest to seize the opportunity, established himself in Liaoxi, and annexed many defeated soldiers and cities. His arrogance was at its peak.

However, although many of his troops were veterans of Northern Yan, their morale was low, and they lacked the courage and strength to confront the main force of Han Yuan Army head-on.

Han Lie, under the pretext of "being ordered to suppress the rebellion," led his main force out of Tuhe and headed straight for Duan Kan's stronghold, Yangle.

At the same time, Wang Dashan's detachment marched out of the pass from Gubeikou, like a sharp knife, and penetrated to the side and rear of Duankan, cutting off its connection with the Xianbei tribes outside the pass, and making the appearance of raiding its heartland.

Below Yangle City.

The Han Yuan army did not immediately launch a fierce attack.

Han Lie ordered countless copies of the proclamation to be copied and shot into the city with arrows. He also had the captured Duan soldiers shout from below the city walls, informing them that Tuhe had surrendered, Murong Ying was under protection, the royal army would only punish the ringleaders and not those who were coerced, and promised that those who surrendered would be forgiven and those who had rendered meritorious service would be rewarded.

The morale of the troops within the city wavered instantly.

Duan Kan's position was illegitimate, and most of his subordinates were forced into it by circumstances.

Now that the "real master" Murong Ying has surrendered, the royal army is pressing in, another surprise force has cut off their retreat, and the threat of "those who follow the rebels will be executed along with their entire clan" on the proclamation is even more shocking.

Before Han Yuan's army could officially attack the city, infighting broke out among Duan Kan's generals.

Yuwen Sheng, one of his trusted generals, took the lead in launching an attack, opening the city gates at night and letting Han Yuan's army into the city.

Duan Kan attempted to break through the siege under the protection of his personal guards, but was shot to death by a hail of arrows in the city gate.

The rebellion of the Duan family in western Liaoning was quelled in just half a month.

Han Lie kept his promise, only executing Duan Kan and a few of his cronies, while incorporating or disbanding the rest. He generously rewarded Yuwen Sheng and others who had contributed to the capture of the city, and appointed them to honorary positions. The cities of Liaoxi surrendered without resistance.

The third step was to bring the army to Longcheng.

After pacifying western Liaoning, Han Lie pressed on eastward, advancing directly towards Longcheng, the capital of Northern Yan.

At this time, Longcheng was already in a state of panic.

Murong Ke seized power through a coup, which was inherently illegitimate and his rule was based on a weak foundation.

Outside the city, Han Lie's main force, riding high on their great victory and having captured Tuhe and Yangle in succession, stood in the shadows. Inside the city, panic gripped the people, and undercurrents surged.

Murong Ke tried to hold on.

He fortified the city's defenses, plundered grain and fodder, and executed several officials who had suggested surrendering in order to establish his authority.

However, after Han Lie's army arrived, they did not rush to attack the city. Instead, they surrounded the city on three sides and left one side open, setting up camps and digging trenches around Longcheng, making it seem like a long-term siege.

Meanwhile, every day, soldiers with loud voices were sent to shout from below the city walls, read out proclamations, and proclaim that Tuhe and Liaoxi had been pacified, that Murong Ying was "safely residing" in the camp, and that Duan Kan had been beheaded. They also continuously shot letters from the families of captured Murong Ke's generals and officials into the city, urging them to surrender.

Even more fatally, the divisive tactics employed by Han Yuan Army's spies were taking hold within Dragon City.

Rumors continued to circulate: Murong Ke was preparing to slaughter all the officials and burn down the treasury before the city fell; Murong Ke had secretly colluded with Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong and wanted to surrender the city to him; so-and-so among the defending generals had secretly communicated with the royal army... Suspicion grew wildly like poisonous weeds in the desperate atmosphere of the siege.

On the tenth day of the siege, the Longcheng granary "accidentally" caught fire. Although it was extinguished, the damage was considerable and exacerbated the panic.

On the fifteenth day, Murong Ping, the garrison commander of the south gate of Longcheng and Murong Ke's cousin, opened the city gate late at night after receiving a personal letter from Han Lie promising to protect his family's wealth and status.

The elite troops of the Hanyuan Army entered the city silently and headed straight for the royal palace.

When the Xuanjia soldiers appeared outside Murong Ke's bedchamber, the new "King of Yan," who had only usurped the throne a few months earlier, was attempting to hang himself but was saved by the soldiers.

Dragon City has fallen.

Almost without bloodshed.

After entering the city, Han Lie quickly took over the city's defenses, issued a proclamation to reassure the people, executed Murong Ke and a few of his cronies, and pardoned most of the remaining officials.

Murong Ke's family was escorted to the Tuhe River, where he was "reunited" with his brother Murong Ying. The ruling center of Northern Yan thus changed hands.

The fourth step was to subdue Liaodong.

After Liaoxi and Longcheng were pacified, only Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong remained in the former territory of Northern Yan, stubbornly resisting.

The Gongsun clan ruled Liaodong for three generations, their power deeply entrenched. Liaodong was strategically located, protected by the Liaoze and mountain ranges, and its navy was also quite strong.

Upon learning of the fall of Liaoxi and Longcheng, Gongsun Yuan not only refused to surrender but also executed the envoy sent by Han Lie to persuade them to surrender, declaring, "Liaodong has received the Han's favor for generations; how can we follow the rebels? We shall live and die with the city!"

They also intensified their efforts to contact the Goguryeo and Samhan tribes, attempting to protect themselves with the help of external forces.

However, at this time, Gongsun Yuan was truly all alone.

Seeing the collapse of Northern Yan and the growing power of Han Yuan's army, most of the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall dared not ally with them anymore, and some even turned around and tried to curry favor with Han Lie.

Goguryeo was internally unstable, and with a new king having just ascended the throne, it dared not intervene easily.

However, Liaodong was not a monolithic entity. Many Han gentry and local powerful families had long been tired of the Gongsun clan's separatist rule and the potential for war, and secretly hoped for the "royal army" to come to their aid.

After pacifying Longcheng, Han Lie did not rest but left some troops to guard it. He personally led the main force and some newly surrendered Yan troops who were familiar with the terrain of Liaodong, advancing by land and water, and rushed straight to Liaodong.

They left Chongqing by land and headed east along the coast.

By water, they would use captured and newly built warships, carrying elite troops, to land at the mouth of the Liao River and the Bohai Bay.

Faced with the overwhelming military might of the Hanyuan Army and the righteous cause of "being ordered to suppress the rebellion and pacify the Northern Yan", Gongsun Yuan's resistance appeared pale and futile.

In the Battle of Anshi, Gongsun Yuan's main force was completely defeated by Han Lie's tactics of frontal assault and flanking maneuver. Gongsun Yuan retreated to Xiangping.

Han Liebing besieged Xiangping and once again launched a psychological warfare tactic.

They shot surrender letters and proclamations into the city and deliberately allowed captured Gongsun soldiers to return to the city, spreading the message that the Hanyuan army was disciplined and did not kill surrendered soldiers, as well as the tragic fate of those who resisted after the city fell.

At the same time, they secretly recruited generals and officials in the city with high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

After a siege of more than a month, food supplies in Xiangping City were running out, and morale was low.

Gongsun Yuan was tyrannical and killed many generals who suggested surrendering, which only provoked stronger resistance.

Finally, his trusted generals Liu Yi, Jia Fan, and others launched a mutiny at night, opened the city gates, and welcomed Han Yuan's army into the city.

Seeing that all was lost, Gongsun Yuan set himself on fire in the palace.

The Gongsun clan of Liaodong was destroyed.

Thus, from Murong Ying's crushing defeat in the south to Gongsun Yuan's demise, in just a few months, the Northern Yan, which had once dominated the northeast and repeatedly caused border troubles, and its related separatist forces vanished into thin air.

Throughout the entire process, the Han Yuan Army did not experience many truly tough battles. Most of the time, they achieved conquest with minimal cost and maximum speed by overwhelming military might, legitimate righteousness, and precise and sharp sowing discord.

Year-end, Shenjing (Beijing).

Reports and detailed memorials of victory, including the initial pacification of the former territory of Northern Yan and the establishment of officials and garrisons, flooded into the Regent's Palace.

Along with the news of victory, the brothers Murong Ying and Murong Ke, along with their families, arrived under tight "escort," along with the Imperial Seal, maps, and household registers of Northern Yan.

Xiao Chen accepted the ceremony of presenting captives and submitting to the Han dynasty in the main hall.

The ceremony was solemn and austere.

Murong Ying and Murong Ke, dressed in plain clothes, prostrated themselves on the ground, their faces ashen, offering up the imperial seal and maps, pleading for death and begging for forgiveness.

The civil and military officials in the hall stood solemnly, while the black-armored guards held halberds with imposing airs.

Xiao Chen looked down at the defeated Yan lord below, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"Murong Ying's aggressive military campaigns have led to the devastation of the people, internal strife among brothers, and the collapse of the country. He should be severely punished. However, considering that he eventually repented and voluntarily surrendered, thus preventing the people of Yan from suffering further ravages of war, his crime can be mitigated. Murong Ke, on the other hand, murdered his brother and usurped the throne, committing heinous crimes that are unforgivable."

"Now, the internal strife in Northern Yan has been quelled, and the rebels have been executed. From this day forward, the name of the Northern Yan state shall be abolished, and its territory shall be used to establish prefectures and counties."

The former Yan territories of Liaoxi, Liaodong, Xuantu, and Daifang were divided into Pingzhou, Youzhou East Commandery, and Liaodong East Protectorate, with officials appointed to govern them and troops stationed there for farming.

Murong Ying was stripped of his title of king, granted the title of Marquis of Guiming, and relocated to the capital. He was forbidden from issuing imperial edicts or leaving the capital.

Murong Ke, whose crimes were beyond redemption, was sentenced to death, and his family members were confiscated as government slaves. Although the ringleaders Duan Kan, Gongsun Yuan, and others had already been executed, their heads were still sent to the border prefectures as a warning to others.

The remaining members of the Northern Yan royal family and former officials who wish to surrender will be employed according to their abilities, while those who wish to leave will be given travel expenses and sent back to their places of origin.

"Han Lie pacified the Northern Yan and made outstanding contributions. He was granted the title of Duke of Liao, and appointed as the military governor of Pingzhou and Dongjun of Youzhou. He was responsible for guarding Liaodong, pacifying the various Hu tribes, and building a navy to prepare for the eastern frontier."

After the verdict was pronounced, Murong Ying kowtowed in gratitude, while Murong Ke, his face ashen, was dragged away. A deafening roar of "Long live the Prince of Qin! Long live the Regent!" echoed through the hall.

The Northern Yan regime, which once dominated the Northeast and caused frequent border troubles, has officially become history.

Its territory was incorporated into the territory of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Its people became registered citizens under Xiao Chen's rule.

Its army was either reorganized or disbanded. Its nobles either surrendered or died, their glory fading away.

Xiao Chen's sphere of influence thus expanded significantly northward and eastward, directly controlling the Liaodong Peninsula, gaining a strategic springboard to the Korean Peninsula, as well as Liaodong's warhorses, furs, mineral resources, and long coastline.

More importantly, with the troubles on the northeastern border now largely eliminated, the military pressure from that direction has been greatly reduced, allowing more resources to be concentrated on internal development and dealing with the south.

After the court session ended, Xiao Chen once again stood alone before the enormous map of the world.

The black color representing his rule has covered the entire north, from Liangzhou to Liaodong, from the edge of the grasslands to the banks of the Huai River, forming a vast and boundless dark expanse.

His fingers slowly moved south from Liaodong, which had just been painted black, across the Yangtze River, and touched Jiankang, Chengdu, and Panyu.

"The North is now secure."

He muttered to himself, his eyes sharpening like a sword about to be drawn, pointing towards the last, misty south.

"Now, it's time to drink from the Yangtze River and reclaim our lost territories."

The pacification of Northern Yan was not the end, but the prelude to a grander chapter.

The north is now firmly in control of the game; the next step is to take control of the other half of the board.

After a brief period of rest and recuperation, the Han Yuan Army's sharp edge will inevitably be directed towards the last, most prosperous, and most complex region—the South.