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

Winter of the second year of Xuanji.

Winter in Lingnan lacks the snow-covered landscape of the north; instead, it is filled with damp, cold mountain winds and endless drizzle.

The air near the Xia army camp near the Lingqu Canal still carried a faint scent of herbs and mugwort.

Although the shadow of the miasma had receded somewhat due to the "Miasma-Clearing and Poison-Eliminating Drink" and strict hygiene measures, the soldiers of the Hanyuan Army, who had suffered a previous defeat, still harbored lingering fears about the vast mountains that had swallowed up nearly half of their comrades.

The heavy losses suffered by Liu Chuang's troops proved, in a bloody manner, that in the face of the towering mountains, deep ravines, and dense forests of Minyue, the Han Yuan Army's northern tactics, characterized by their strict formations, heavy armor, powerful crossbows, and cavalry charges, as well as their combat experience in the Central Plains and Jiangnan, appeared clumsy and powerless.

Inside the command tent, Chen Dao frowned, repeatedly looking at the scout report in his hand about the sporadic movements of Zhao Hui's remaining troops.

These reconnaissance reports came from local hunters familiar with the terrain, surrendered Yue chieftains, and a few elite scouts who had miraculously returned alive from the depths of the Baiyue ruins.

The information was fragmented and vague, but the picture pieced together was worrying: Zhao Hui's remnants had not fled far. Like wounded venomous snakes, they lurked in the deeper mountains where Baiyue Market and Minyue meet, evading pursuit while seemingly trying to make contact with some of the larger and fiercer Yue tribes in the area. They were exchanging some of the gold and silver they carried, which they had looted from Jiangnan, for food, guides, or perhaps even protection or an alliance.

"Without Zhao Hui's death, the southern border will never be at peace."

Chen Dao put down the scout's report and addressed the generals in the tent in a deep voice, "However, the previous reckless advance was a painful lesson. The Nanling Mountains are not a suitable place for our army. If the army marches in, the supplies will be difficult to transport, making us vulnerable to ambushes, and we are also afraid of the miasma. General Liu's troops suffered many losses not in battle, which is heartbreaking!"

Silence fell over the tent for a moment.

The generals still felt a chill run down their spines when they recalled the tragic state of Liu Chuang's troops.

A direct confrontation would come at too high a cost, and we might not even be able to capture Zhao Hui, who is familiar with the terrain and is unpredictable; if we don't eliminate him, he will grow stronger and collude with the barbarian tribes, which will surely become a major threat in the future.

In the silence, the military advisor—a young civil official from Jingnan who was familiar with the geography of the south—stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Commander, I have something to say. The Nanling and Minyue regions are characterized by high mountains, dense forests, deep ravines, and treacherous valleys, making it difficult for a large army to deploy. Heavy armor, powerful crossbows, and cavalry are all restricted."

The local barbarians and the remnants of Zhao Hui's forces were all accustomed to traveling through the mountains and forests, moving swiftly like the wind. They were skilled in using bows and crossbows and poisoned arrows, familiar with the routes, and unafraid of the local miasma and soil.

Our army wishes to wipe out these remaining enemy forces; we must use their own methods against them.

Chen Dao's eyes flashed: "Tell me in detail."

The military advisor said, "In my humble opinion, we should select the best soldiers and form a separate army. This army will not emphasize armor, will not carry long weapons, and will not rely on large units."

The army should select strong soldiers from the south, or those who have lived in the Jiangnan region for a long time, who are skilled in climbing, can withstand heat and humidity, are agile, and are accustomed to moving through mountains and forests. They should wear light leather armor, or even no armor at all, to facilitate maneuvering.

Weapons mainly consist of short blades, hand crossbows, short bows, grappling hooks, throwing knives, and shields (rattan shields), and may also include a small number of portable and powerful crossbows.

Each person needed to carry several days' worth of rations, salt, fire starter, medicine, rope, and a machete. They could hunt, gather resources, and fetch water independently, without relying on the main force's supplies.

He paused, then continued, "The organization of this army should not be too large. It should consist of several teams of three to five hundred men each, each fighting independently while also supporting each other."

Specializing in mountain infiltration, long-distance raids, reconnaissance, small-scale sabotage, and decapitation strikes.

Their tactics do not emphasize grand battle formations, but rather surprise attacks, ambushes, night battles, and close-quarters combat.

It can traverse mountains and valleys, wade through water and sneak, climb rocks and cling to cliffs, set up ambushes in the forest, and raid camps at night.

Their goal was not to confront the enemy head-on, but to track down the remnants of Zhao Hui's forces and find their hideout, either to kill their leader, burn their supplies, cut off their water supply, or sow discord between them and the barbarians.

This will keep them constantly on the move, exhausting them until they are trapped and starving in the mountains, or force them out of the mountains and into the battlefields our army has prepared.

Upon hearing this, some of the generals in the tent frowned in thought, while others nodded to themselves.

Isn't this just strengthening and formalizing mountain scouts? But elevating this kind of small-scale elite combat to the level of a dedicated "army" is indeed a new approach.

Chen Dao pondered for a long time, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

This idea coincided with his own.

After the battle of Baiyuexu, he deeply felt the powerlessness of his army in the mountains.

"This is an excellent suggestion. However, where will these soldiers be selected? Who will command them? And how will they be trained?"

The drafter clearly had a plan in mind: "Soldiers can be selected from the entire army, especially from the survivors of General Liu Chuang's troops and soldiers from Jiangnan."

Having experienced the hardships of the Baiyue ruins, they were well aware of the dangers of mountainous terrain and had some experience in dealing with them.

We can also recruit local hunters and mountain dwellers who are familiar with the mountains and forests and are brave and fierce, and even... we can appropriately recruit some smaller-scale warriors from the Yue tribes who are willing to serve us, offer them money and food, and train them.

They are more familiar with the terrain, know the customs of the barbarians, and are not afraid of miasma; they are truly the best guides and sources of soldiers. As for the generals who command the troops…”

The military advisor looked at a young captain who had been silent and reserved under his command: "Captain Zhang Yi, born in Sichuan, grew up in the mountains. He can climb rocks and walk on flat ground as if he were on flat ground. He is especially good at stealth in the mountains and setting up ambushes."

"On the last expedition deep into the Baiyue ruins, it was Captain Zhang who led the team. Although they encountered miasma and suffered several casualties, they successfully brought back important intelligence, and his unit suffered the lightest losses. He has considerable experience in mountain warfare, route identification, and avoiding poisonous insects and miasma. I believe Captain Zhang is capable of this task."

Chen Dao looked at Zhang Yi.

This man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with dark skin, a lean build, and sharp eyes like an eagle. He was not particularly noticeable in the tent, but Chen Dao remembered him. He was indeed one of the few officers in the army who was skilled in mountain warfare.

"Zhang Yi, are you willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

Zhang Yi stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said in a calm voice, "This humble general obeys the order! I am willing to serve as the commander-in-chief and for the court, to train an elite force capable of moving freely in the Nanling Mountains and capturing and killing Zhao Hui!"

"good!"

Chen Dao slammed his hand on the table and said, "From today onwards, you will be in charge of establishing the mountain camp!"

This governor hereby grants you full authority to select suitable soldiers from the entire army and the newly annexed areas of Jiangnan.

The number of participants is tentatively set at two thousand, divided into four teams.

Equipment and provisions should be supplied with priority.

Recruiting hunters, mountain dwellers, and even skilled Yue warriors willing to assimilate is up to you; just report to me.

"A list of all necessary medications, guides, and specialized equipment for mountain warfare can be provided, and we will do our utmost to meet your needs!"

Chen Dao's orders were carried out swiftly.

Zhang Yi acted swiftly and decisively. He first selected more than 800 strong soldiers from Liu Chuang's remnants and other soldiers from Jiangnan or mountainous areas who were agile, hardworking, and unafraid of the mountains and forests.

They also sent people with large sums of money, cloth, salt, and iron to the villages around the Nanling Mountains, recruiting about three hundred experienced hunters and mountain dwellers.

Furthermore, through the connections of some familiar Yue chieftains who had submitted to them, they successfully recruited about two hundred Yue warriors from different small tribes on the condition that they would not interfere in the internal affairs of their tribes, provide them with salt, iron and cloth, and allow them to trade in designated areas.

These Yue warriors, with their dark skin, agile physiques, and ability to walk barefoot through thorny thickets, were skilled in using blowguns, short bows, poisoned darts, and scimitars. They were familiar with various herbs, unafraid of poisonous insects, and were invaluable assets in mountain warfare.

Once everyone was ready, Zhang Yi did not rush into the mountains.

He chose a complex mountainous area near the main camp, similar to the terrain surrounding the Baiyue market, and established a special training camp there.

The training was extremely rigorous, even cruel.

Climbing training: Soldiers must carry dozens of kilograms of equipment and climb steep rock walls and slippery vines. Those who fall will suffer minor injuries or even death.

Jungle Trekking: In a dense forest with no paths, you must use simple tools and the sun and stars to find your way and reach the designated location within a specified time.

Along the way, you will need to deal with pre-set "traps", poisonous insects, and "miasma zones".

Wilderness survival: Identify edible plants and fruits, find water sources, hunt small animals, build simple shelters, and survive for several days without supplies.

Special operations: stealth and concealment, setting up ambushes, creating traps, nighttime identification and assault, close-quarters combat skills, precision shooting with crossbows and shortbows, use of blowguns and poison darts, and application of ropes and grappling hooks.

Miasma Relief and Medical Treatment: Forced learning to identify common poisonous insects and herbs, memorizing the recipe for "Miasma Relief Soup," and mastering several folk remedies for first aid and detoxification. Each squad is equipped with at least one soldier who has some medical knowledge.

During training, people are constantly getting injured, and some even die.

But Zhang Yi remained unmoved. He knew that the more sweat one expends in peacetime, the fewer people will die in wartime.

He led by example, eating, living, and training alongside his soldiers. His skin was scratched and bloodied by thorns, and his feet developed thick calluses.

The recruited hunters, mountain people, and especially the Yue warriors initially complained about the strict military discipline and training, but under the influence of sufficient food, salt and iron supplies, as well as Zhang Yi's exemplary conduct and clear system of rewards and punishments, they gradually integrated into the group.

Three months of arduous training, a whole winter.

As the Jiangnan region welcomes the light rains of early spring, this newly formed "mountain camp" has already undergone a complete transformation.

They no longer wore heavy armor, but instead wore light leather armor or even linen clothes soaked in tung oil, with straw hats to shield them from the sun and rain, and non-slip straw sandals or animal skin shoes on their feet.

They carried specially made packs suitable for mountain carrying, containing several days' worth of rations, salt, flint and steel, rope, grappling hook, machete, medicine, and their respective weapons of choice—short sword, crossbow, short bow, rattan shield, and blowgun.

They had dark skin, sharp eyes, agile movements, and were taciturn, exuding an aura like wild beasts from the mountains and forests.

Chen Dao personally inspected this special force and watched a simulated mountain ambush and counter-ambush exercise.

Watching these soldiers move like monkeys among the steep slopes and treetops, perfectly concealing themselves using the terrain, launching lightning-fast attacks, and then quickly escaping and disappearing into the depths of the dense forest after their success, Chen Dao finally showed the first smile since the defeat at Baiyue Ruins.

"What a magnificent mandrill!"

Chen Dao praised, "From this day forward, you are the 'Mountain Demon Battalion' of our army! Zhang Yi!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"The mountain demon camp is now complete. I hereby order you to, starting immediately, take turns entering Baiyue Market and the surrounding mountainous areas in teams."

The mission has three parts: First, to investigate the exact movements and possible hideouts of Zhao Hui's remaining forces; second, to eliminate their outposts and supply points, and to kill off their remaining troops; and third, to familiarize themselves with the terrain, draw detailed maps, and clear obstacles and pave the way for the army's future actions.

Remember, the goal is not to occupy territory and seize cities, but to harass, exhaust, and hunt down the enemy.

If we encounter a large group of barbarians, we must not provoke them lightly. However, if they collude with Zhao Hui and attack our army, we must resolutely retaliate to set an example for others! Our primary task is to find Zhao Hui, dead or alive!

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhang Yi's eyes flashed, and he clasped his hands and bowed.

Soon after, several elite "mandrill" squads, like true mountain ghosts, silently disappeared into the vast mountains of the Nanling Mountains.

They were no longer the conspicuous targets they were when the army marched; instead, they broke into smaller groups and, taking advantage of the complex terrain and their own training, began a silent but deadly hunt against the remnants of Zhao Hui's forces.

For the first time, the dense forests of the Nanling Mountains welcomed a sharp blade forged specifically to conquer them.

The brief respite that Zhao Hui's remnants had was about to end with the infiltration of the "Mountain Demon Camp".

A brutal hunt ensued in rugged mountains and dense jungles.

The military strategy of the Great Xia Dynasty in managing the southern border was also ushered in a new chapter with the birth of this special force.