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

Late spring of the second year of Xuanji.

Just as the peach blossoms in the capital had faded, an urgent report from the south, like a dark cloud carrying damp, cold air, pressed heavily on the newly stabilized court of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The atmosphere inside the Zichen Palace was somber.

The charcoal fire had died down, the palace doors were wide open, and a cool breeze carrying the chill of late spring swept through the hall, yet it could not dispel the somber atmosphere that permeated the air.

The Minister of War, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, several ministers of the Privy Council who were in charge of military affairs, as well as core strategists such as Jia Wenhe and Zhuge Ming, all held their breath and focused their attention on the young emperor who had just put down the secret report from the south on the imperial steps.

Xiao Chen's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, producing a slow and steady tapping sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.

His face was expressionless, but there seemed to be ice frozen in his deep eyes.

"Nian." A single, understated word, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Shen Zheng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a middle-aged man with a sinister face and sharp eyes like a hawk, immediately stepped forward, unfolded the secret report in his hand, and read out the bad news from the south clearly, word by word, in a steady but deliberately suppressed cold voice.

"...Since their father Xiao Han was defeated and executed last year, and the Chu region was taken over by the court, Xiao Rong, the Crown Prince of Chu, and his younger brother Xiao Min, have outwardly been obedient but inwardly harbored resentment and malice. They have been secretly gathering their father's former subordinates and contacting powerful and treacherous figures in Chu. Their rebellious intentions have long been present. Recently, their actions have suddenly intensified..."

"In mid-March, Xiao Rong and Xiao Min, under the pretext of avenging their father, purging the court of corrupt officials, and punishing disloyal subjects, secretly set up an altar outside Ying, the old capital of Chu, and swore an oath, colluding with the southern lords who did not submit to the king's rule..."

"The Crown Prince of Wu led 30,000 naval troops and 50,000 infantrymen northward from Kuaiji, crossed the river, and met with the two Xiaos at Yingcheng."

"Seven powerful families, including the Marquis of Xiang, the Earl of Guiyang, and the Prefect of Yuzhang, responded to Xiao Rong's call and joined his forces. Their allied army was said to number 200,000, but in reality, it consisted of about 120,000 to 130,000 soldiers. They advanced by land and water, and their momentum was enormous."

"Even worse..."

Shen Zheng paused, glanced quickly at the emperor on the throne, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, continued reading, his tone even more somber, "Urgent report from the Southern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard: It has been confirmed that Zhao Ben, the nephew of Zhao Chong, a remnant of the former regime, has gathered about 20,000 defeated soldiers and death squads from his uncle's old troops and is lurking in the mountains of Jingxiang. He was already at his wit's end."

However, Xiao Rong secretly sent envoys to make contact, promising high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, and granting him autonomy over the designated territory.

Last month, Zhao Ben led his remaining 8,000 elite troops south, crossed the river, and fled to Yingcheng. He has now been accepted by Xiao Rong and organized into the Revenge Camp, entrusted with important responsibilities. The camp has raised banners to avenge Zhao Chong and kill the traitor to the country…”

"Snapped!"

A soft sound was heard as Xiao Chen gently pressed his finger on the armrest.

The voice wasn't loud, but it sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall.

King Xiao Han of Chu, the third brother who once held sway over the south and was once a powerful force, was ultimately defeated by Xiao Chen in Jiangling with the help of trebuchets and surprise attacks, and died in battle.

His two sons, Crown Prince Xiao Rong and second son Xiao Min, managed to escape at the time, but were listed as wanted criminals by Xiao Chen and wanted throughout the country.

Unexpectedly, in just one year, these two were able to gather the remnants of their forces and successfully incite and unite so many southern forces, even colluding with the remnants of Zhao Chong, the mortal enemy of the imperial court!

This is not a simple act of revenge for one's father; it is a premeditated political and military alliance that unites remnants of the previous dynasty, disillusioned old nobles, and local powerful figures dissatisfied with the new policies of the court!

Their goal was not to cede territory for self-preservation, but to openly exonerate Xiao Han, deny the legitimacy of Xiao Chen's throne, and to use the hatred of Zhao Chong's remaining forces to stir up trouble and overthrow the new dynasty!

"Xiao Rong, Xiao Min..."

Xiao Chen slowly uttered the two names, his voice devoid of emotion, "They are more patient and more capable of causing trouble than their ambitious but incompetent father. It seems that they escaped too easily after the Battle of Jiangling."

You could hear a pin drop inside the main hall.

Everyone knows that the calmer His Majesty appears, the more ferocious his killing intent is.

Xiao Rong and Xiao Min's actions were not merely a rebellion, but the ultimate challenge to Xiao Chen's authority. They were attempting to combine the remaining embers of the already extinguished Chu King's forces and the pseudo-Zhao rebels into a raging inferno.

Zhuge Ming coughed lightly, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Xiao Rong and Xiao Min are like stray dogs, harboring personal grudges and inciting the masses; the group they have gathered is nothing but a rabble.

The Crown Prince of Wu and others, whether lured by profit or coerced by power, may not have been of one mind.

The remnants of Zhao Ben's forces, in a state of panic like stray dogs, colluded with the Chu rebels, merely out of mutual sympathy and with their own ulterior motives.

This alliance appears powerful, but it is actually a desperate struggle of a group of defeated generals and disillusioned people. It seems to be sticking together for warmth, but in reality, it is full of contradictions and can be broken with a single blow.

The imperial court only needs to send a top general with tens of thousands of elite troops across the Yangtze River to deliver a swift and decisive blow, coupled with a strategy of division and disintegration, and the alliance will crumble in an instant.

Jia Wenhe smiled sinisterly and replied, "What Mr. Zhuge said is common sense."

However, this rebellion is different from the one during Xiao Han's time.

Xiao Rong and Xiao Min were using the banner of avenging their father and restoring the orthodoxy of the Xiao clan. Furthermore, they colluded with the remnants of Zhao Chong, forcibly linking the old grudges in Chu with the case of the treacherous regime, making their intentions even more malicious.

They don't want to establish a separatist regime; they want to overturn the verdict and deny the legitimacy of His Majesty's ascension to the throne!

This banner could easily mislead those gentry and powerful figures in the south who still harbored blind loyalty to Xiao Han, had doubts about the court, or were already dissatisfied with His Majesty's new policies.

If handled improperly, or if the war drags on, it could cause a major disaster in the south, causing further chaos and division in territories that have already submitted.

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Therefore, I believe that we must not show the slightest leniency toward such stubborn and rebellious traitors who intend to overthrow the foundation of the nation."

We must send a large army south with lightning speed, not only to annihilate their army, but also to capture and kill the ringleaders Xiao Rong, Xiao Min, and Zhao Ben, uproot their henchmen, expose their corpses in the marketplace, and spread their heads far and wide!

This serves as a warning to the world: anyone who dares to collude with false rebels and plot treason will meet this fate!

If we delay, they may grow too powerful, or even collude with the barbarians further south, which would lead to endless troubles.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Privy Council also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Chu region has a dense network of waterways, and the Wu region has a powerful navy."

Xiao Rong and his forces occupied Yingcheng, which was backed by the Yangtze River and had strong defenses.

Moreover, their combined forces, which are said to number 200,000, even if it is just a bluff, actually number more than 100,000 in actual combat. Furthermore, they have Zhao Ben's desperate men as their vanguard, making their fighting strength not to be underestimated.

If the war is prolonged and drags into the rainy season, it will be greatly disadvantageous to our army.

"We need to quickly deploy elite troops, especially strengthen the navy, or transfer warships from the Jianghuai and Bashu regions..."

"Navy? Warships?" Xiao Chen suddenly interrupted the Vice Privy Councilor, a faint, cold smile seemingly curving his lips.

He slowly rose from his throne, walked to the huge map, and his gaze fell on the winding Yangtze River, and even more so on the conspicuous red dot on the south bank of the Yangtze marked "Yingcheng".

"Xiao Rong and Xiao Min, do they really think that by using the banner of avenging their father, taking in a few of Zhao Chong's stray dogs, and uniting with a bunch of opportunists, they can use the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to bargain with me and even shake the foundations of the country?"

Xiao Chen's voice wasn't loud, yet it resonated like the clang of metal on metal, echoing throughout the hall. "They've forgotten how their father, Xiao Han, suffered a crushing defeat at the gates of Jiangling, his head severed from his body. They've forgotten that my Han Yuan Army excels at conquering natural barriers and crushing fortified cities. They've also forgotten..."

Xiao Chen turned around, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall: "Since I was able to execute Xiao Han and pacify the Chu region, am I not capable of dealing with his two immature, rebellious sons and a bunch of wretched remnants?"

"Issue the decree." Xiao Chen's voice suddenly turned stern, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Order that Han Lie, Duke of Zhenguo and Privy Councilor, shall be in charge of the military affairs of the south, wield the Emperor's sword, control the troops north of the Yangtze River, and prepare for the southward advance."

"Order: Zhou Meng, General of Pingbei and Commander of Hanyuan, immediately dispatch the elite troops of the Tieshan, Jifeng, and Shesheng battalions of the Hanyuan Army, along with a portion of the Shenji Battalion, totaling 60,000 men, to secretly march south to the Xiangfan area within one month and assemble under the command of Han Lie."

"Order, Naval Commander Chen Dao, to integrate the Yangtze River Navy and the warships that have surrendered in the East China Sea, intensify their training, and ensure that they reach combat readiness within two months. Blockade the river and support the main force's crossing. Any naval forces from Chu and Wu that dare to obstruct us, sink them all, leaving not a single plank!"

"Order the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works to do their utmost to procure provisions and weapons, especially powerful weapons such as the Thunderclap Bomb and the Huihui Cannon, and to prioritize their supply to the Pingnan Army. Instruct the Imperial Academy to expedite the transport of newly manufactured firearms such as the Divine Arrow to the southern front for trial use."

"Draft another imperial edict and send it to Yingcheng."

Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light. "I rebuke Xiao Rong and Xiao Min for their disloyalty and unfilial piety, their lack of remorse, their collusion with the traitor Zhao Ben, their unauthorized instigation of war, and their devastation of the nation. Order them to bring Zhao Ben and the other traitors to the capital to plead guilty. If they themselves bind themselves and enter the court, perhaps out of consideration for their shared Xiao bloodline, they may be spared a proper burial. If they remain obstinate and stubbornly resist..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone in the hall felt a chilling killing intent wash over them.

"Your Majesty, what if the two rebels refuse to obey the imperial edict?" Zhuge Ming asked.

"That would be to cut oneself off from one's ancestral temple and from the world."

Xiao Chen's voice was icy cold, each word clear and distinct: "I have no choice but to return to Jiangling, repeat the old story, raze Yingcheng to the ground, and exterminate Xiao Rong, Xiao Min, Zhao Ben, and their cronies."

His gaze swept across the location of Yingcheng on the map, as if he could already see the city collapsing amidst flames and thunder. "Exterminate them all, hang their heads at the national gate to comfort the fallen soldiers, and uphold the laws and order of the country!"

Let those in the South who still harbor illusions and waver between two sides see what the consequences will be for colluding with traitors and opposing the Heavenly Army!

"Your Majesty, we obey!" The ministers were startled and responded in unison.

They knew that His Majesty had made up his mind to extinguish this rebellion, started by the remnants of the King of Chu, along with the last sparks of the false Zhao rebels, with even more ruthless and thorough measures than when he quelled his father Xiao Han's rebellion, thus eliminating any future troubles.

Xiao Rong's alliance might cause some ripples in the south, but in the face of the Great Xia cavalry, which has integrated the elite of the north, possesses even more terrifying new weapons, and carries the momentum of sweeping across the world and killing his father, this so-called "revenge" alliance is more like a desperate, doomed, and frantic counterattack.

However, this time, His Majesty clearly has no intention of giving any more chances.

The sky over Chu will once again be stained red with iron and blood. And this time, there will be no one who escapes.