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

The pacification of Northern Yan was like the collapse of the last fragile dam that held back the flood.

When the brothers Murong Ying and Murong Ke bowed their heads in submission in the main hall of the capital, when the black banners fluttered on the walls of Longcheng and Xiangping, and when news of Han Lie's command in Liaodong and his military preparations spread throughout the land, the invisible pressure that had long been looming over everyone suddenly became clear and deadly.

The world has completely changed.

The once powerful and influential lords, who dominated their territories, were like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, some surrendering willingly, others perishing in an instant. Juqu Mengxun of Western Liang's pragmatism and the sudden collapse of Northern Yan were like two of the loudest death knells, tolling in the ears of the remaining lords.

The last glimmer of hope and hesitation were utterly shattered by the unparalleled might of the Han Yuan Army and Xiao Chen's unwavering will.

Jiankang, the Palace of the King of Wu.

The elderly Xiao Rui, the ruler of Jiangdong, sat alone in the empty and cold palace.

On the table was a strongly worded official letter from the capital, which had just been delivered, along with detailed intelligence reports about the fall of the Northern Yan state and the self-immolation of the Gongsun clan in Liaodong.

Outside the palace, the Qinhuai River was shrouded in mist and rain. The music and instruments continued as before, but they could not conceal the sense of impending collapse.

"Of the three kingdoms, I have already claimed two..."

Xiao Rui murmured, repeating the words Xiao Chen had spoken at the court assembly, as reported by his scouts. His thin fingers traced the northern part of the map, which was almost entirely covered in black, before landing on the six counties of Jiangdong under his control, and finally on Lingnan and Bashu further south.

This "second point" is now truly deserved, and even surpasses it.

His Jiangdong region, along with Bashu and Lingnan, combined, is still less than half the territory controlled by Xiao Chen. In terms of population, military strength, and financial resources, the difference is like heaven and earth.

"The Yangtze River is a natural barrier..." he said with a wry smile.

The Yangtze River is indeed a treacherous place, and its navy is also considered elite.

But what about Xiao Chen? Chen Dao of Jingxiang was training his navy day and night and building new warships.

Han Lie of the Central Plains could march south at any time.

Even more terrifying was the legendary "heavenly thunder"... Xiao Rui closed his eyes, as if he could hear the earth-shattering roar beneath Guandu City. How could flesh and blood withstand it?

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. His trusted advisor, Chancellor Zhang Zhao, almost stumbled in, his face deathly pale: "My lord! Secret envoys from Bashu and Lingnan have arrived! But... but they haven't come to discuss forming an alliance against the enemy!"

"Speak," Xiao Rui said hoarsely.

"Xiao Zhang from Bashu, Liu Tan and Chen Xian from Lingnan... they... they have each sent envoys with surrender documents and maps to the capital in secret! The envoys we sent to make contact were all... politely invited out by them!" Zhang Zhao's voice trembled with despair.

Xiao Rui swayed and almost fell over.

The final alliance, before it could even take shape, had already fallen apart.

The land of abundance in Sichuan and Chongqing is fraught with perilous mountains and passes; Lingnan is a land of pestilence, and the journey is long and arduous.

They were all afraid, and they all wanted to secure a "righteous" status for themselves and their families before the executioner's blade fell on their necks, in order to find a way to survive.

"Hahaha……"

Xiao Rui suddenly chuckled, a desolate and sorrowful laugh. "Good, good 'the inevitable trend'! Good 'the mandate of heaven belongs to Qin'! They've all surrendered, they've all surrendered... Am I to be the sinner who defies the mandate of heaven and brings annihilation upon Jiangdong?"

He thought of the Murong clan of Northern Yan, whose capital was captured by Han Lie and who died and whose country was destroyed, and he thought of the Guandu coalition army, which was turned to dust by "heavenly thunder".

Resistance? Perhaps they can hold out for a year or two with the natural defenses of the Yangtze River, but then what? When the Han Yuan army's iron cavalry breaks through the Yangtze River defense line, when the "heavenly thunder" explodes on the Stone City, what fate awaits the Jiangdong youth and his Xiao clan?

"My lord..." Zhang Zhao wept uncontrollably, prostrating himself on the ground.

After a long silence, Xiao Rui sighed deeply, a sigh that seemed to drain all his energy: "Draft the report... no, call Gu Yong, Lu Xun, and the others... all of them."

Chengdu, the Shu King's Palace.

The young Xiao Zhang had been sitting motionless for three days in the magnificent yet oppressively suffocating palace.

He had only recently ascended the throne, and his power base was not yet secure. Facing the colossal power in the north, he felt only boundless fear.

The legacy of their fathers? The strategic advantages of Shu? How long can they hold out against the Han Yuan Army, which crushed Northern Yan, forced Western Liang to grovel, and made the Central Plains tremble?

He received a letter from Xiao Rui expressing his intention to form an alliance, as well as hints from Liu Tan and Chen Xian of Lingnan.

But he also received overt and covert messages from Jingzhou, Guanzhong, and even the recently pacified Liaodong, regarding the strength of the Hanyuan Army, Xiao Chen's policies, and the fates of those who had submitted to the feudal lords.

"Resistance will result in total destruction, and the ancestral temples will be lost. Surrender will preserve your position as a duke or marquis, and ensure the safety of your territory and people..."

His most trusted favorite, Huang Hao, whispered to himself, describing the "peaceful and happy" scene after his surrender.

While some veteran officials were deeply distressed and advocated for defending the region by relying on its strategic locations, their tone was filled with helplessness and pessimism. Could Shu, no matter how formidable, withstand a million-strong army simultaneously advancing from the north and east? Could Shu, no matter how wealthy, endure a prolonged siege and internal strife?

Looking at the increasingly harsh edict from the capital on his desk, which eventually became almost an ultimatum, Xiao Zhang finally broke down.

He didn't want to be like Murong Ying, wandering aimlessly like a stray dog, nor did he want to burn himself to death like Gongsun Yuan.

"Prepare the gifts...select the envoy...go to the capital." He waved his hand dejectedly, as if he had used up all his strength.

Lingnan, Panyu.

Liu Tan and Chen Xian, the de facto rulers of Lingnan and seemingly allies but actually at odds, had their final argument in a secret room.

The argument was no longer about how to resist, but about who would surrender first and who could offer more "sincerity".

"Both Xiao Zhang and Xiao Rui have sent men! If we hesitate any longer, we won't even get a sip of soup!" Chen Xian roared impatiently.

Liu Tan's face darkened: "What's the rush! Lingnan is mountainous and far away, rife with miasma and disease. Even if he wanted to fight, it would take him a lot of effort! We can negotiate!"

"bargain?"

Chen Xian sneered, "What can we offer? Northern Yan is gone, Bashu has surrendered, and it looks like Jiangdong will be next! With our poor, remote Lingnan region? Once he's finished dealing with Jiangdong and Bashu, and has his hands free, what will become of us? Don't forget, Xiao Chen is relatively lenient towards those who willingly submit! But towards those who resist to the end, he'll exterminate them all!"

Thinking of Gongsun Yuan's fate, the two couldn't help but shudder.

"Enough! Enough! Enough!"

Liu Tan finally slumped onto the couch, "Send someone... bring the household register, maps, seals... I only ask... I only ask to live out my remaining years as a wealthy man..."

In the early spring of the following year.

Driven by the lingering momentum of the Han Yuan Army's pacification of Northern Yan, the torrent of history completed its final closure at an astonishing speed.

The first to formally submit a letter of surrender was Xiao Zhang of Bashu.

His messenger, carrying the household registers of Shu, the keys to the treasury, and his petition to relinquish his title of king and request to be named "Marquis of Guiming," arrived in the capital as quickly as possible.

Xiao Chen gladly granted the request, bestowing upon Xiao Zhang the title of Duke of Anle and ordering him to immediately take his family to the capital for "retirement." At the same time, he dispatched civil and military officials to take over the Shu region and pacify the local people.

Although there were sporadic disturbances in Sichuan, they were quickly quelled by the combined efforts of a large army pressing in and political appeasement.

Next up were Liu Tan and Chen Xian from Lingnan.

The two men almost raced each other to send envoys, offering up land and people.

Xiao Chen was equally "magnanimous," bestowing upon Liu Tan the title of Marquis of Ningyue and upon Chen Xian the title of Marquis of Jinghai, ordering them to leave Lingnan and reside in the capital.

At the same time, the Lingnan Circuit was established, and officials and troops were dispatched to directly govern this uncivilized area.

Finally, there's Xiao Rui from Jiangdong.

This once most powerful ruler of Jiangdong, on whom the "hope of resistance" was placed, completely lost his last support after learning that Bashu and Lingnan had surrendered.

He made no further futile struggles. At his last court assembly, facing the silent civil and military officials, he wept and announced, "I submit to the will of Heaven and return power to the court," relinquishing his title of King of Wu and submitting a petition to surrender.

Xiao Chen gave this nominal "royal uncle" a final act of respect.

Xiao Rui was conferred the title of Prince Guiming, and was allowed to retain some of his ceremonial regalia. He was also granted permission to move to a magnificent mansion specially built for him in the capital, where he could live out his days in luxury.

The takeover of Jiangdong was the most meticulous. Chen Dao led the Jingxiang navy down the river and took over Jiankang and other strategic passes without bloodshed.

Xiao Chen adopted a strategy of winning over, dividing, and gradually assimilating the powerful clans of Jiangdong. He recruited a large number of their sons to serve as officials in the court or in local areas, while relocating some of these powerful families to the north to weaken their local foundations.

There were almost no large-scale battles.

The black banners of the Hanyuan Army, like a silent tide, swept over Jiange, over the Five Ridges, and over the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

Wherever they went, city gates opened wide, officials bowed their heads, and the people offered food and drink to welcome the king's army.

When the last organized army from Lingnan laid down their weapons at the designated location, and when the official seal of the last remote prefecture in Jiangdong was sent to the capital for registration, one fact was already established:

Since the death of the late emperor, the rebellion of Zhao and the subsequent fragmentation of the Great Xia territory by various vassal states over several years have finally been unified.

From the East China Sea to the West Sands, from the Great Wall in the north to the Rising Sea in the south, the vast land once again flies the same flag—although at this moment, the flag does not bear the emblem of the Jin Dynasty, but rather the black royal flag symbolizing the authority of Regent Xiao Chen.

Shenjing, in front of Weiyang Palace.

An unprecedentedly grand ceremony to present prisoners and announce victory is underway.

Representatives of the surrendered rulers from Sichuan, Jiangdong, and Lingnan, dressed in plain clothes and carrying maps, household registers, and official seals, slowly walked towards the towering palace under the solemn music and the watchful eyes of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Above the palace, Xiao Chen, dressed in the regency robes, received this grand gift symbolizing the unification of the world.

Behind him stood the solemn civil and military officials, and the black-armored guards standing like a forest.

Before him lay the prostrate representatives of the former feudal lords, and the vast, boundless land that had already submitted to his rule.

The master of ceremonies loudly chanted magnificent verses praising military achievements and celebrating unification. Bells and drums resounded, their echoes reverberating throughout the world.

Xiao Chen's gaze slowly swept over the faces below, some filled with fear, others with numbness, and still others with hidden resentment. It swept over the towering palace walls in the distance, and over the unseen, magnificent landscape that now belonged to him.

There was no ecstasy, no excitement. Only an almost icy calm, and beneath that calm, a heavy sense of control and satisfaction.

The chaotic era ended in his hands.

At least, it's temporarily over.

Tens of millions of lives were freed from the constant threat of war.

A vast and new empire rose from the ruins.

And he is the sole ruler of this empire.

"All of you, rise."

He spoke, and his voice, amplified, resonated clearly throughout the square, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Thanks to the bravery of our soldiers, the unity of our civil and military officials, and the protection of Heaven, the rebellion has been quelled and the world is now united. This is not the achievement of one person, but the wish of all the people under Heaven, and also the wisdom of you all in abandoning darkness and turning to the light."

"From this day forth, all kingdoms are abolished, and prefectures and counties are established. A general amnesty is granted, and the people are allowed to start anew. Taxes are reduced for three years, and agriculture and weaving are encouraged to allow the people to recuperate. Officials who submit will be appointed according to their abilities; those who wish to retire from the military and return to their fields will be generously rewarded with money and silk."

"Anyone who is restless, plots rebellion, or disrupts the local area, no matter who they are, shall be killed without mercy. Anyone who is corrupt, perverts the law, oppresses the people, or undermines my new policies shall have their entire family exterminated."

A calm tone, yet uttering the bloodiest rules. A blend of kindness and severity, firmness and gentleness.

This reflects the magnanimity of a founding monarch and the instinct of an iron-fisted ruler.

"With the world unified under Heaven and all nations paying tribute, I am greatly pleased."

He paused, and for the first time, in such a formal setting, in front of the world, he used this word.

Although it is only "the Emperor's heart," its meaning is self-evident.

The assembled officials, whether former subordinates or newly recruited, all felt a chill run down their spines, followed by a surge of even deeper awe and obedience.

"However, though the world may be at peace, forgetting war is dangerous. To pacify the people internally and defend against barbarians externally, to expand territory and spread power and virtue throughout the world—this is the ambition of a true man!"

His voice suddenly rose high, like a sword drawn from its sheath, pointing straight to the sky.

Unification is not the end, but the beginning.

A grander, more magnificent blueprint slowly unfolded in his mind, on the foundation of this newly unified empire.

"Your Highness is wise!"

The thunderous chants of praise echoed through the heavens, lingering over the capital, proclaiming the complete end of an old era and the grand beginning of a new one, imbued with supreme authority and unknown ambitions.

Wherever the black banner goes, that becomes territory.

But the flag bearer's gaze had already turned to a more distant place.

Deep in the grasslands, beyond the snow-capped mountains, at the end of the waves... this newly born, behemoth-like empire, its journey may have only just begun.