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

Han Lie's caravan has been gone for ten days.

According to the route, from Hanyuan to Yulin Town, it is 300 li one way. The caravan travels slowly, covering a maximum of 30 li a day.

The round trip will take at least twenty days. During these twenty days, Hanyuan City will be busy waiting.

Waiting is agonizing.

Especially since this was their first time doing such a large business. Twenty truckloads of coal represented a month's output from the Hanyuan Coal Mine, the result of three thousand people working for a month.

If we sell them, we can get the salt, cloth, and ironware we desperately need. If we can't sell them, or if something happens on the way, the loss will be huge.

Xiao Chen appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

He would go up the city wall every day and look towards Yulin Town several times.

Even though I know I can't see it, I still can't help it.

On the afternoon of the thirteenth day, news finally came.

A swift horse galloped from the north, its rider shouting from afar, "They're back! The caravan is back!"

The whole city was in an uproar.

Xiao Chen rushed up the city wall and, sure enough, saw a long convoy of cars slowly approaching on the horizon.

It's not twenty cars, it's thirty! In addition to the original twenty, there are ten more.

The truck was packed full, covered with tarpaulin, so you couldn't see what was inside.

"Open the city gates!"

As the convoy entered the city gate, the people surrounded it, bombarding it with questions.

"Old Han, how is it?"

"Have you gotten the salt yet?"

"Was the journey smooth?"

Han Lie jumped out of the car. Although his face was weathered, he was in high spirits and his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Your Highness!" He strode up to Xiao Chen, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I have not failed in my mission!"

"You've worked hard." Xiao Chen helped him up. "Take your time."

Han Lie took a deep breath and began his report.

"We brought twenty cartloads of coal to Yulin Town, where each cartload sold for two taels of silver, for a total of forty taels. With these forty taels, we bought ten cartloads of salt—salt was cheap in Yulin Town, costing only ten coins per jin. Ten cartloads of salt, totaling ten thousand jin."

Ten thousand catties of salt!

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Salt is a hard currency, especially precious in the North. Grassland tribes lack salt; a pound of salt can be exchanged for a sheep. These ten thousand pounds of salt are therefore extremely valuable.

"Not only that," Han Lie continued, "On the way back, we encountered a grassland caravan at Dingbei Pass. They heard that we had salt and were willing to trade it for furs. We used two cartloads of salt to exchange for ten cartloads of furs—three hundred sheepskins, fifty wolf pelts, and twenty fox pelts. We brought back the remaining eight cartloads of salt."

"Did Dingbei Pass give you any trouble?" Xiao Chen asked.

"No," Han Lie laughed. "Captain Zhang went to see Li Mao and gave him fifty taels of silver and two carts of coal. Li Mao was very happy and personally saw us off at the border. He also said that our caravan can pass through anytime in the future."

Xiao Chen nodded.

Li Mao was a shrewd man. Zhou Yong had "disappeared," and he was filled with anxiety. Now that Han Yuan was showing goodwill, he was more than happy to oblige. Fifty taels of silver wasn't much, but it made his stance clear—Han Yuan didn't want trouble; he only wanted to do business.

"Also," Han Lie lowered his voice, "I heard some news in Yulin Town."

"explain."

"The imperial court... is going to wage war against Northern Yan."

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Northern Yan is a neighboring state to the north of Great Xia. There have been constant frictions between them in recent years, but they have generally exercised restraint. Why the sudden declaration of war?

Is the news reliable?

"Reliable," Han Lie said. "The salt merchant in Yulin Town is the brother-in-law of the Vice Minister of War. He said that the Ministry of War has already begun mobilizing troops and supplies are being transported to the northern border. The war will start as early as next month, or at the latest by spring."

Xiao Chen fell silent.

War means opportunity, but it also means danger.

The opportunity lies in the fact that once war breaks out, the imperial court will pay more attention to the northern border, and resources will be allocated to the frontier. As a border city, Hanyuan may receive more support.

The danger lies in the fact that the battlefield has no eyes. If Northern Yan attacks, Han Yuan will be the first to be hit. Moreover, the Fourth Prince is in the Ministry of War; once he takes command of the army, he will definitely be the first to be dealt with.

"Your Highness," Han Lie whispered, "this is an opportunity. Once the war starts, the prices of salt, iron, and coal will all rise. If we can stockpile more goods now and sell them after the war begins, we can make a fortune."

Xiao Chen glanced at him.

This old man not only knows how to fight, but he also knows how to do business.

"You're right," he nodded. "But the problem now is that we don't have enough capital. We've already spent all forty taels of silver. We need money to stockpile goods."

"I have an idea," Han Lie said. "We can use salt to trade with the grassland tribes for horses. One cart of salt can be exchanged for five horses, so ten carts of salt can be exchanged for fifty horses. With horses, we can build a cavalry. With a cavalry, we can protect caravans and travel further, doing bigger business."

Bartering, snowballing.

Xiao Chen quickly made a mental calculation.

Hanyuan is currently short of horses. Although they have some, they are all inferior horses, slow and unable to carry heavy loads. If they could exchange them for better horses from the grasslands, the fighting strength of the Jingbei Camp would be significantly enhanced.

Moreover, with cavalry, the caravans were much safer. They could even travel further, to the Hexi Corridor and the Central Plains, where they could make even greater profits.

"Alright." He made the decision. "That's settled then. Old Han, you'll have to make another trip and take ten cartloads of salt to the grasslands to find Batel of the White Deer tribe. He owes us a favor and won't cheat us. One cartload of salt for five horses, male horses, strong horses."

"Yes!" Han Lie's spirits lifted. "I'll set off tomorrow!"

"No rush," Xiao Chen said. "You should rest for a couple of days. You must be tired from this trip."

"Not tired!" Han Lie waved his hand. "Let's make a few more trips before it gets too cold. The roads will be difficult to travel once it snows."

Seeing his insistence, Xiao Chen stopped trying to persuade him.

That evening, the city lord's mansion hosted a banquet to welcome Han Lie.

It was called a banquet, but it was really just a pot of stewed meat, a few dishes of wild vegetables, and a jar of wine. But the atmosphere was lively.

Han Lie vividly recounted his experiences along the way—the prosperity of Yulin Town, the strategic importance of Dingbei Pass, and the vastness of the grasslands. His words captivated the audience.

The young people, in particular, had their eyes light up. They were born and raised in the Cold Abyss, and the furthest they had ever been was a village ten miles away. The outside world was too far away for them.

"Your Highness," a young man couldn't help but ask, "Will...will we be able to go to Yulin Town, to Dingbei Pass, to the grasslands in the future?"

"Yes," Xiao Chen said confidently. "Not only can we go, but we should go often. Hanyuan cannot be confined to one corner; we must go out and sell our coal, iron, and salt to more distant places. We must also bring back good things from outside."

"Then...can we make a lot of money?"

"Yes, you can." Xiao Chen smiled. "As long as you're willing to work hard and dare to take risks, life in Hanyuan will only get better and better."

The young people cheered.

After the banquet, Xiao Chen kept Han Lie, Wang Dashan, Zhao Tie, and Zhang Meng behind to continue the discussion.

"Old Han's trip has proven two things," Xiao Chen said. "First, the trade route is feasible. Second, there are people who want our goods."

He paused, then looked at everyone: "So, next, we need to expand production. We need to increase coal production, increase iron ore production, and also get the salt trade going."

"But we don't have enough manpower," Wang Dashan said. "The autumn harvest is over, and most people are idle. But mining is heavy physical labor, and not everyone can do it."

"Then let's divide the work," Xiao Chen said. "The young and strong will go mining. The older ones will farm. Women and children can spin thread and weave cloth. Our Hanyuan can't just rely on mining; we also need our own handicrafts."

"Handicrafts?" Zhao Tie asked, puzzled.

"It's about making our own things," Xiao Chen explained. "For example, leather goods. Leather is cheap on the grasslands, so we buy it, process it into fur coats and boots, and then sell it. The profit can be several times higher. Another example is ironware. We have iron and coal, so we can make our own farm tools and weapons without having to buy them from outside."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Yes, just selling raw materials only earns you a meager living. If you can process them into finished products, the profit will be much greater.

"But we don't know how," Zhang Meng said.

"If you don't know how, you can learn," Xiao Chen said. "Old Master Han knows many experienced craftsmen; we can invite them to be our apprentices. We'll provide the money and food, and they'll provide the skills. Once they've taught their apprentices, we'll pay them."

"That's a great idea!" Han Lie slapped his thigh. "I know a few old leatherworkers on the grasslands; their skills are excellent. We can invite them over."

"I know a few blacksmiths in Dingbei Pass," Zhang Meng said. "Although their skills are average, they're enough to teach apprentices."

"Then it's settled." Xiao Chen made the decision. "Old Han will be in charge of hiring craftsmen, Wang Dashan will be in charge of organizing the manpower, and Zhao Tie will be in charge of logistics. Zhang Meng, your Jingbei Battalion must protect the safety of these craftsmen. They are our treasures now, and none of them can be harmed."

"yes!"

"Also," Xiao Chen added, "starting tomorrow, the Civil Affairs Department will be opening a literacy class."

"Literacy class?"

"It's about teaching people to read," Xiao Chen said. "We need to keep accounts, do math, and write letters. Without literacy, we can't get by. We'll start with the young people, having them study for an hour every night. Those who do well will get extra points. Those who do exceptionally well can be promoted to managers."

Everyone looked at each other.

Teaching commoners to read? This was unprecedented in the Great Xia Dynasty. Education was the privilege of the aristocracy; what right did ordinary people have to learn to read?

"Your Highness," Uncle Fu said cautiously, "this...this isn't in accordance with the rules, is it? What if the imperial court finds out..."

"In Hanyuan, I am the rule." Xiao Chen's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "For Hanyuan to develop, it cannot tolerate those who are blind to reason. How can they do business if they can't read, understand account books, or decipher letters? How can they be managers?"

He paused, then looked at everyone: "Think about it, if everyone under you could read, do math, and understand principles, how efficient would you be? If Han Yuan's children could read and write from a young age, what would they be like when they grew up?"

Everyone fell silent.

They hadn't thought that far ahead. But the prince was right; if Hanyuan were to change, it had to change at its root.

"I support this," Han Lie was the first to speak. "I've traveled all over the country and seen the world. Which of those rich and powerful people is illiterate? If Han Yuan wants to get rich, we can't be blind to the world."

"I also support this," Zhao Tie said. "They can't even read, they can't understand military orders, what kind of war can they fight?"

"We have no objections," Wang Dashan and Zhang Meng also stated.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Uncle Fu no longer objected.

"Then it's settled," Xiao Chen said. "Uncle Fu, you'll be in charge of the literacy class. I'll compile the teaching materials, starting with the simplest characters."

"Yes," Uncle Fu replied.

The meeting concluded late at night.

After everyone dispersed, Xiao Chen remained alone in the courtroom.

He spread out the paper and began compiling teaching materials.

What should we teach?

First teach numbers: one, two, three, four, five. Then teach commonly used characters: heaven, earth, man; sun, moon, stars; firewood, rice, oil, salt. Then teach simple arithmetic: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Teaching materials should be simple, practical, and able to be quickly learned and used by the general public.

He hunched over his desk and wrote furiously until the rooster crowed.

As dawn broke, the first draft of a thin book, "Hanyuan Literacy Book," was completed.

Xiao Chen rubbed his sore eyes and walked to the window.

As dawn breaks in the east, a new day begins.

Hanyuan City is still asleep, but it will soon awaken.

When I wake up, this city will be different.

There will be the sounds of reading, calculating with an abacus, craftsmen hammering iron, and the hoofbeats of a caravan setting off.

This once lifeless city is coming back to life.

To come back to life and move towards a future that no one can predict.

And Xiao Chen is the one in charge.

He gazed into the distance, at the newly opened trade route, and at the even more distant, unknown world.

"Not enough," he murmured to himself. "This is just the beginning."

The road ahead is long.

But he has plenty of time.

There is plenty of patience.