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

The first year of Xuanji, Xia.

As the dust from the three armies gradually obscured the distant horizon, a heavily guarded, high-walled courtyard in the northwest corner of the imperial city was immersed in a completely different kind of frenzy and roar.

This is the Institute of Gewu, an institution personally designed by Xiao Chen after his ascension to the throne, bringing together the empire's most skilled craftsmen and ingenious thinkers.

Within the courtyard walls, there were no pavilions or towers, only huge sheds, towering chimneys, piles of materials, and the incessant sounds of forging, sawing, and the excited or anxious shouts of the craftsmen.

The air was filled with a unique smell of iron, charcoal, tung oil, and sweat.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the specially cleared open space in the center of the workshop area.

On the open ground stood a colossal object.

It was a giant catapult unlike any seen before.

Unlike the usual "short cannons" or "whirlwind cannons" that are pulled by dozens or even hundreds of people, this behemoth has an incredibly heavy counterweight box suspended at the end of its lever arm, made of thick iron chains and a thick wooden box.

The box was already filled with heavy stones and lead blocks.

At the other end of the lever arm was a huge leather bullet pouch reinforced with iron hoops and animal sinews.

The entire structure was erected on an incredibly sturdy base made of huge logs and iron pieces riveted together. It was fitted with wooden wheels at the bottom so that it could be moved by oxen or horses, but at this point it was firmly fixed to the ground by thick wooden stakes.

"Reporting to the Chief Administrator, all departments have been inspected. Mechanisms are functioning normally. The counterweight box is fully loaded according to the 'Number Three' plan. The ammunition magazine is in place, and the towing hooks are securely attached!"

A master craftsman, covered in sawdust and dust but with shining eyes, reported to the crowd watching from a high platform not far away, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

On the high platform, surrounded by a crowd in the center, was not an official from the Academy of Natural Sciences, but Emperor Xiao Chen, who should have been sitting in the central government.

He was not wearing a dragon robe today, but only a black casual dress, his gaze calmly fixed on the monster made of steel and giant wood.

Beside him was Mo Heng, the first director of the Institute of Gewu, who was over fifty years old and came from the Directorate of Works but was marginalized by the previous dynasty for his "strange skills and frivolous crafts," as well as several officers who were skilled in mechanics and were transferred from the army.

"Your Majesty, this item was created by your old minister and colleagues in the academy after consulting ancient books and incorporating the projection techniques described by artisans from the Western Regions regarding the 'Hui' region. It took a year of repeated trials and improvements."

Its power doesn't rely on human strength, but entirely on the conversion of gravity during descent, thus its force is great and sustained, and its accuracy can be adjusted. This old minister dares to name it—'The Huihui Cannon.'"

Mo Heng's beard and hair were already turning gray, but at this moment his face was flushed with excitement as he pointed at the counterweight box, his tone full of pride.

Xiao Chen nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the complex lever structure, the thick pivot, and the taut animal sinew rope.

"Master Mo, in your previous report, you stated that this cannon could fire two hundred catties of stone projectiles, reaching a range of three hundred paces, making it easy to breach city walls and destroy buildings. Knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial."

He paused, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power, "Today, I want to see it with my own eyes."

"My lord, I obey your order!"

Mo Heng bowed deeply, turned around, took a deep breath, and shouted sternly to the audience below: "His Majesty has decreed that the cannons be tested!"

"Test fire—!" The order was passed down through the ranks.

Further away from the site, about 350 paces away, a section of simulated city wall has been temporarily built using loess and wood. It is about 20 feet high and nearly 10 feet thick. Some wooden watchtowers and fences have also been set up in front of the wall.

The "returning cannon" was not operated by soldiers, but by a team of craftsmen specially trained by the Institute of Natural History.

With practiced skill, they used a winch and pulley system to slowly raise the heavy counterweight box at the end of the lever arm to a near-vertical height, and then locked it with a huge iron latch.

Another group used a simple hoist to carefully place a large, blue boulder, polished into an irregular sphere and weighing about 180 pounds, into a leather bullet bag.

The entire process, accompanied by the heavy creaking of the winch, the clanging of the iron chains, and the short, powerful shouts of the craftsmen, was filled with an almost ritualistic, powerful sense of oppression.

On the high platform, everyone held their breath, and even the sound of the wind seemed to stand still.

Everything is ready.

Mo Heng personally carried a small red flag, walked to the edge of the platform, and looked at the emperor.

Xiao Chen gently raised his hand and made a "yes" gesture.

Mo Heng no longer hesitated and waved the red flag downwards with all his might!

"put--!"

With a loud "crack!", the latch was smashed open and disengaged by the hammer!

"Whoosh—buzz—!!!"

The counterweight box, carrying immense force, crashed down!

The enormous potential energy is instantly converted into terrifying kinetic energy through the sturdy lever arm and pivot, and then transferred to the bullet pocket at the other end.

The boulder in the leather pouch seemed to be violently thrown by the invisible arm of a giant god, drawing a low, oppressive, and heart-pounding arc in the air, spinning at high speed, tearing through the air, and flying rapidly toward the simulated city wall in the distance!

Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, following the gray-black trail.

"boom--!!!"

It didn't hit the city wall as expected. The boulder missed the top of the wall by an extremely small margin and crashed heavily onto an open area behind it.

In an instant, the earth shook!

Even from more than 300 steps away, the people on the high platform could clearly feel the violent tremors beneath their feet.

Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, filling half of it, mixed with mud, gravel, and fragments of shattered wood.

As the smoke and dust dissipated, a huge crater was revealed at the point of impact, with the surrounding ground cracked like a spider web and the flying soil and rocks covering an area of ​​more than ten feet in radius.

The attack missed its target, but the sheer power of it sent a chill down everyone's spine!

That destructive power was far beyond what a human-powered catapult could achieve!

Mo Heng's face turned pale, and he was eager to apologize.

Xiao Chen raised his hand to stop them, his gaze remaining calm as he looked at an old military officer transferred from the Western Expeditionary Army beside him: "What do you think?"

The old military academy officer, surnamed Qin, had participated in many siege battles and was very knowledgeable about all kinds of equipment.

His face was filled with shock as he murmured, "Your Majesty... this cannon... this cannon's power far exceeds that of ordinary cannons by several times! It missed the city wall because it was the first test; the mechanism adjustments and force estimations may have been slightly off. But its power... if it had hit the city wall squarely, even the rammed earth and bricks would likely have been unable to withstand it! If... if it had used a hundred-pound stone projectile, the range would likely have been even greater, and the accuracy would have been even higher!"

Xiao Chen nodded and looked at Mo Heng: "Dean Mo, did you hear what Captain Qin said?"

"Understood! I will adjust the weights and calibrate the angle immediately!"

Mo Heng immediately understood that this was His Majesty giving him an opportunity to continue demonstrating and improving, rather than blaming him.

He turned around and, speaking rapidly, ordered the craftsmen to resume their work.

This time, the craftsmen were even more careful.

The amount of stone inside the counterweight box was slightly reduced, the launch angle was recalculated and adjusted, and the lever arm latch was fixed in a slightly lower position.

He replaced the bullet in his ammunition pouch with a stone bullet weighing about 120 pounds.

"Ready—fire!"

The red flag is waved again!

"Bang!" A crisper sound of the latch coming loose.

"Whoosh—BOOM!!!"

The sound of the stone bullets piercing the air became even sharper.

This time, the trajectory was even straighter, and the speed seemed even faster! Under everyone's tense gaze, the gray shadow, like a meteor, accurately and with the momentum of destruction, slammed into the middle of the simulated city wall!

"Crack—Boom!!!"

The terrifying impact and the subsequent collapse sounded almost simultaneously! The section of the "wall" that was hit was like a cake being smashed by a giant hammer; the wooden frame instantly shattered, rammed earth flew everywhere, and the entire section of the wall caved in and collapsed, raising even more dust than the first time!

Debris and debris rained down, smashing the surrounding bunkers and fences into a mess.

The smoke and dust slowly settled.

The scene was deathly silent.

Only the "city wall" in the distance, nearly half collapsed and revealing a huge gap, silently testifies to the terrifying power of the attack just now.

A few breaths of silence fell over the high platform.

Immediately, heavy breathing, suppressed gasps, and incredulous whispers filled the air.

The old military officer Qin's lips trembled as he stared intently at the ruins, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying light: "Your Majesty! A divine weapon! This is a divine weapon for conquering cities and capturing fortresses! With this, what fortified city could not be breached? Bianliang, Xiangyang... all the fortified cities in the world are like paper dolls and clay sculptures before this cannon!"

Mo Heng and the other officials and craftsmen from the Institute of Natural History finally dared to straighten their backs slightly, their faces glowing with a mixture of lingering fear and extreme excitement.

Xiao Chen gazed at the ruins, then at the silent yet ferocious steel behemoth under the sunlight, and finally a faint, yet chilling, smile appeared on his face.

He slowly walked down the platform and came to the "Huihui Cannon," reaching out to stroke the cold, rough, wood-textured main arm.

"Three hundred and fifty paces... no, if a lighter bullet is used and improved, the range can reach four hundred paces, or even further."

He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also to Mo Heng and the officers behind him, "The force is fierce and far surpasses human strength. Although the movement is slow, it can be disassembled, transported by oxen and horses, and reassembled at the foot of the city."

He turned to Mo Heng, his gaze intense. "Director Mo, the Academy of Physics has rendered such a great service. I ask you, how many cannons does this produce per month?"

Mo Heng's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly calculated, replying, "Your Majesty, this is the first production run, and it consumes a great deal of time and materials. However, now that the blueprints and techniques are finalized, if materials are plentiful and the craftsmen are competent, we should be able to produce five to eight units within a month! If we set up more workshops and work simultaneously, the quantity can be doubled!"

"it is good."

Xiao Chen nodded. "From this moment forward, this cannon shall be classified as a top-secret project. The blueprints and technical specifications shall be strictly prohibited from being leaked. The Imperial Academy shall establish a dedicated department to oversee its construction. As for materials, craftsmen, and funding, I will order the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to provide full support and prioritize their allocation."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his voice suddenly turning cold, carrying the majesty of an iron-fisted emperor: "Everyone present today will be remembered for their great service and richly rewarded. However, anyone who dares to leak secrets will have their entire family exterminated. Anyone who dares to slack off or use inferior materials will be executed on the spot. This item will be a powerful weapon for our Great Xia to conquer cities and expand its territory; it cannot be lost!"

"Your Majesty, we obey! We will not fail Your Majesty's trust!" Mo Heng and the others were extremely excited and knelt down in unison.

Xiao Chen looked at the "return gun" again. It stood quietly in the sunlight, its huge counterweight box casting a sinister shadow, like a lurking steel beast.

With this item, the central army will suffer greatly fewer casualties and spend significantly less time attacking fortified cities like Bianliang, which are fortified with high walls and deep moats.

The Western Route Army will have another unparalleled means of deterring the powerful mountain strongholds in the Guanzhong Plain.

"Huihuipao..." he repeated the name in a low voice, a sharp glint in his eyes.

The form of warfare is quietly changing.

And this was just one of the many "gifts" he prepared for this newborn empire.

He raised his head and looked south and west, towards Bianliang and Guanzhong.

Nature has created amazing tools.

The next step is to let this weapon drink blood on the battlefield, forge the mighty military might of the Great Xia, and crush all those who dare to resist.