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

The first year of Xuanji is winter.

The smoke of battle in Bianliang had not yet completely dissipated, and the stench of blood mixed with the smell of burning still lingered over this once-powerful city in the Central Plains, which had suffered so much damage.

However, more urgent and complex matters than eliminating the remaining enemies and extinguishing the last embers had weighed heavily on the Great Xia court, especially on the desk of Emperor Xiao Chen.

Two hundred thousand.

This is a weighty number.

It is the total number of troops that Zhao Yuanlang had occupied the Central Plains for many years, and which finally surrendered to the Great Xia army after the fall of Bianliang and the surrender or dispersal of various reinforcements.

This does not include the scattered soldiers who surrendered or were captured during the conquest of the seventeen cities. If all are added together, the total number of enemy soldiers who surrendered is close to 300,000.

Such a large surrendered army is like a double-edged sword.

If used properly, it is a powerful tool for rapidly replenishing troops and stabilizing the local area; if mishandled, it is a powder keg that could explode at any time and shatter the new dynasty into pieces.

The atmosphere in the side hall of Zichen Palace was solemn.

The charcoal fire in the hall was warm, but it could not dispel the worry on the faces of several senior officials.

The Minister of War stepped forward, holding a thick stack of documents, his voice weary yet solemn: "Your Majesty, after summarizing the reports from all the armies and excluding those who died from their wounds or fled, the number of surrendered soldiers currently gathered in the camps of Bianliang, Luoyang, and Xuchang is a total of more than 213,700."

Every day, the food for the men and horses consumed countless amounts of grain and fodder. Moreover, the surrendered soldiers in each camp came from diverse backgrounds, including Zhao Yuanlang's direct subordinates, local powerful figures' private armies, and forcibly conscripted civilians.

Morale among the troops was low, and rumors were rampant. If they remained gathered for too long, a major upheaval might occur.

The Minister of Revenue then proceeded to plead his case, his face contorted in a grimace: "Your Majesty, the Central Plains have just been pacified, and everything is in need of rebuilding. The granaries in various regions have either been depleted by the Zhao rebels or destroyed by war. This year, the grain and fodder are already stretched thin to supply the army's campaigns and provide relief to disaster victims. With the addition of more than 200,000 more mouths to feed... I fear that the national treasury will be unable to sustain this. If this incites a popular uprising or leads to food shortages and unrest in the army, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Although Han Lie, the Privy Councilor and Duke of Zhenguo, had not returned to the capital, his urgent report from Guanzhong was also on Xiao Chen's desk, with clear and firm opinions: "...Although there are many surrendered soldiers, most of them are a motley crew with divided loyalties. Guanzhong has just been annexed, and its powerful leaders and former subordinates also need to be identified and dealt with."

In my opinion, we should conduct a rigorous screening, weeding out the weak and keeping the strong. The rest should either be sent back to farming or to the border regions for land reclamation. They must not be allowed to remain as organized units, and even less should they be easily incorporated into our battle-hardened elite forces, lest they taint the morale of the army and cause endless trouble.

Even Zhuge Ming, who always advocated appeasement, stroked his beard and pondered, saying, "Your Majesty, what Privy Councilor Han said is a mature and wise way of governing the country. However, if we deal with 200,000 people too hastily or harshly, it may incite a rebellion, which would be counterproductive. We should have a plan and proceed gradually."

Jia Wenhe smiled sinisterly: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, this matter is easy. You can order the surrendered soldiers to report on each other. All officers and soldiers with bad deeds who have resisted the royal army have been dragged out and punished in accordance with the law, so as to serve as a warning to others."

The rest should be disbanded, and one in ten should be executed, their leaders beheaded. The remaining men will naturally be terrified and dare not cause trouble. Then select the strongest and most capable to perform hard labor, repairing the city walls and dredging the canals. Once their fighting spirit has been completely dispelled, they can be dealt with accordingly.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

How to deal with these 200,000 surrendered soldiers is related to whether the Central Plains can truly be stabilized, and even more so to the stability of the new dynasty and Xiao Chen's prestige.

Appeasement? We fear they might rebel and become too powerful to control.

Strict? It's prone to unforeseen changes and could damage one's reputation for benevolence.

Disperse them? That would require money and supplies, and they might become bandits if they were scattered among the people.

Reorganization? How to reorganize? Is it safe to use?

All eyes were on the young emperor on the throne, who had remained silent since entering the city.

Xiao Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the rosewood armrest, his gaze falling on the red dots marking the surrendered army camps on the map, remaining silent for a long time.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, and several senior officials held their breath, awaiting the emperor's decision.

Finally, Xiao Chen raised his head, his gaze calm and unwavering, yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

"Two hundred thousand surrendered soldiers are both a burden and a treasure."

He spoke slowly, his voice echoing clearly in the silent hall, "To abandon them would be a waste of resources, a squandering of money and grain, and a source of trouble for the region. To incorporate them all would be to sow the seeds of disaster. My Hanyuan Army cannot be tainted by impurities."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "What Han Lie said, eliminating the weak and keeping the strong, is the right thing to do. But how to eliminate and how to keep them, there must be a law. We must not only intimidate them, but also give them a way out, and more importantly... make them work for us."

"Draft an imperial edict." Xiao Chen's voice suddenly turned stern.

The eunuch standing to the side immediately stepped forward, spread out a bright yellow silk cloth, picked up his pen, and concentrated.

"First, establish the 'Command for the Pacification of the Army' to be in charge of the reorganization of surrendered troops. The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War will be in charge of the Command, with officials from the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Revenue assisting. They will be given the power to make decisions on an ad hoc basis, carrying my imperial edict."

"Second, classify and distinguish, and strictly enforce rewards and punishments. In the army, all officers and above the rank of captain shall be detained separately and interrogated in detail by the Military Governor's Office in conjunction with the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Those who resist to the bitter end, whose misdeeds are notorious, and who arouse great public indignation will be publicly tried, executed in accordance with the law, and their heads sent to their respective camps!

Those who have made meritorious contributions in the uprising or surrender of cities will be verified, employed according to their talents, and rewarded with land and houses.

The remaining middle and lower-ranking officers and soldiers, organized into squads and platoons, mutually vouched for each other and were registered.

"Third, weed out the weak and keep the strong, and divide and transform them."

The entire army was screened, and anyone over forty years old or under eighteen years old, physically weak, or with hidden illnesses or disabilities was given a small amount of money, food, and travel permits, sent back to their hometowns, registered as civilians, given unclaimed wasteland to cultivate, and exempted from taxes for three years.

This action will demonstrate my benevolence, bring peace to the region, and increase the population.

Fourth, select the strongest and most capable individuals, conduct assessments, and reorganize them.

The remaining soldiers underwent a month-long intensive training program led by instructors drawn from the military command and the army.

During the training camp, only basic food and drink will be provided; there will be no pay.

The training consisted of three parts: first, a lecture on military discipline to make them aware of the military laws of the Great Xia Dynasty and the Emperor's grace; second, basic drills to observe their behavior, physical strength, and obedience; and third, covert observation to examine their character, speech, and any unusual behavior.

Only those who excel in the assessment, demonstrate physical strength and good mental fortitude after the training camp conclude will advance to the next round.

Xiao Chen's tone softened, but the content was even more alarming: "Fifth, dismantle and reorganize, and use Xia to assimilate Zhao."

Those who pass the assessment must not be retained under their original organizational structure.

They were divided into teams of one hundred men. After the teams were broken up, no more than 30% of the original surrendered soldiers could be in each team, and they could not be from the same hometown or comrades.

The remaining 70% will be filled by loyal and reliable veterans from my Hanyuan Army and Shence Army, who will serve as captains and firemen and be mixed into the ranks.

From then on, they became soldiers of the Great Xia, governed by Great Xia military law, receiving Great Xia military pay and provisions, rewarded for meritorious service, punished for crimes, and had no further connection with their former master.

"Sixth, use work as training and combat as practice."

After initial reorganization, the troops were not in a hurry to be deployed to the border or to elite field battles.

They can be dispatched in batches to various places to repair city walls, roads, and bridges damaged by war, and to dredge silted-up canals and waterways.

During this period, on-the-job training was conducted, and observation continued. A second round of selection and rewards/penalties were carried out based on the diligence, quality, and performance in completing the work.

If small groups of bandits or rebels occur, they can be deployed to suppress them, testing their skills in actual combat and tempering them with blood.

"Finally," a cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, "Issue an order to all armies, especially the veterans who participated in the reorganization: treat each other as comrades, but be vigilant."

Rewards and punishments are clearly defined, and everyone is treated equally.

Anyone who discriminates against or mistreats surrendered soldiers, or causes trouble, will be severely punished.

Any surrendered soldiers who form cliques or plot rebellion will be punished along with their entire unit. The ringleader will be executed by slow slicing, and the rest will be beheaded!

I have given them a chance to repent and serve the country, but if anyone dares to be disloyal... my sword is still very sharp.

As the imperial edicts were issued one by one, the senior officials in the hall first pondered, then suddenly realized, and finally all showed expressions of admiration.

Your Majesty's method can be described as a combination of firmness and leniency, and a well-thought-out plan.

It demonstrated swift and decisive measures to deter wrongdoing, while also employing a conciliatory approach to offer a way out. Furthermore, it thoroughly absorbed and integrated this force through methods such as dispersing, reorganizing, and providing on-the-job training, turning the enemy into its own.

This not only solved the immediate problem of resettling surrendered troops, but also provided the court with much-needed labor and soldiers who had undergone preliminary screening, further demonstrating the new dynasty's magnanimity and control.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers were sincerely convinced and bowed to accept the order.

Soon, notices from the "Military Pacification Office" were posted throughout the various surrendered army camps.

Bloody public trials were held in several camps in succession. Dozens of Zhao Yuanlang's generals and fierce soldiers, who were deeply resented by the people, were publicly executed and their heads were hung up. The bloody facts silenced all the surrendered soldiers and made them understand the laws and bottom line of the new dynasty.

This was followed by large-scale screening and deportation.

Nearly 50,000 elderly and infirm people were given meager travel expenses, a certificate, and a promise of "three years of tax exemption on barren land." With tears streaming down their faces, they left the military camp and headed towards their hometowns, which may have long been deserted.

This move greatly appeased the remaining surrendered soldiers and also relieved logistical pressure.

The remaining 100,000 or so people were incorporated into temporary "training camps".

The intense drills, strict military discipline training, and constant observation and scrutiny exhausted these former defeated soldiers, but gradually wore down their arrogance and instilled in them a greater respect for order.

During this period, there were naturally those who attempted to cause trouble, incite others, or escape, but they were all ruthlessly suppressed and their heads were displayed at the camp gate.

One month later, the preliminary assessment was completed.

Approximately 80,000 people passed this first screening.

They were completely dispersed and mixed into a newly established system with veterans of the Hanyuan Army and Shence Army as the backbone, at a ratio of "three surrenders and seven summers".

New armor, new weapons, new officers, new comrades... everything was severed from the past.

These newly formed troops did not immediately gain trust.

They were sent to repair the city walls ravaged by trebuchets and thunderclaps, to clear the silted-up river channels, and to pave the roads damaged by warhorses and wheels.

Heavy labor, strict military law, and the silent, sharp-eyed veterans around them constituted their new life.

But while they were working, they were able to eat their fill, receive a small amount of pay on time, and receive basic medical treatment when they were injured or sick.

More importantly, they saw clear rewards and punishments: those who worked hard and followed the rules would be rewarded, and might even occasionally have some food and drink; those who cheated, shirked responsibility, or harbored resentment would be whipped, or even lose their heads.

Gradually, a new order and identity began to slowly and tenaciously sprout in the sweat and soil.

Occasionally, when small groups of bandits composed of former Zhao Yuanlang soldiers who had fled the area, or remnants of local powerful families caused trouble, these "engineering" units would be called up to carry out the suppression under the leadership and supervision of veteran officers. It was a bloody, life-or-death struggle.

After several small-scale battles, with blood on their hands and having witnessed life and death, the last bit of luck and detachment of this unit was gradually tempered away by the flames of war.

Two hundred thousand surrendered soldiers, like a turbulent and muddy river, were diverted and channeled by Xiao Chen with his supreme authority and ingenious methods, who built dikes and dug channels to settle the silt.

Some returned to the fields, becoming the streams of agriculture; some joined the hard labor, becoming the workforce for construction; the most elite and docile were slowly absorbed and assimilated under strict control and a long period of integration, eventually joining the torrent of the Great Xia army and becoming part of the empire's military force. However, many of their sharp edges and memories have been quietly worn away.

This process requires time, patience, and even more so, iron-willed methods and unwavering determination.

Xiao Chen undoubtedly possesses all of these qualities.

On the Central Plains, amidst the ruins of war, a new order and power are being reshaped in a ruthless and efficient manner.