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

The capital city, Zhuque Avenue.

It was mid-spring, and the rain had just stopped in the capital. Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a warm glow on the freshly washed bluestone pavement. However, the heat of the entire capital at that moment far surpassed that of the blazing sun.

The ten-mile-long street, stretching from the South Gate all the way to the Imperial Palace Gate, was already submerged by crowds.

"They're back! They're back!"

Someone shouted first, and the previously noisy street fell silent for a moment, followed by a thunderous roar of cheers.

The vermilion palace gates slowly opened, and a large banner with a black background and a golden dragon immediately came into view. The banner fluttered fiercely in the spring breeze, and the menacing golden dragon seemed to still be stained with the snow and wind of the north and the blood of the barbarians.

Xiao Chen, dressed in military attire with a scarlet cloak draped with gold dragons, rode his returning "Snow-Treading Black Steed" slowly into the city gate.

His brows bore a hint of weariness from the trials of life, but his spine remained ramrod straight, and his deep eyes held the vastness of the grasslands and the tranquility that followed battle.

Behind them stood the 30,000 iron cavalry that had created a legend. Although their numbers were small, the murderous aura they exuded, as if they had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and the overwhelming arrogance of those who had trampled through the royal court and captured the Chanyu alive, caused the hundreds of thousands of people lining both sides of the road to hold their breath involuntarily, and then erupt into even more fervent shouts.

"Long live! Long live! Long live the Emperor!"

The shouts were deafening, almost lifting the eaves on both sides of Zhuque Avenue.

Xiao Chen nodded slightly, accepting the worship of the people with an expressionless face.

His gaze swept over the familiar faces on both sides of the street—Prime Minister Han Yu, Privy Councilor Gao Su, Minister of Revenue Zheng Huaijin, Minister of War Wei Xiao… Each of them was dressed in purple robes and jade belts, their faces glowing, standing with their hands clasped in a gesture of utmost respect.

Especially Zheng Huaijin, the Minister of Revenue, whose usually calculating and gloomy old face was now filled with a heartfelt smile, and even had a few tears of excitement, whether real or not, hanging in the corners of his eyes. He shouted in a trembling voice: "Welcome back to the court, Your Majesty! Driving out the barbarians in the north and sealing the wolf's lair, this is the first great achievement since the founding of our Great Xia!"

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, which could be considered a response.

Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, the emperor's carriage slowly made its way to the palace.

However, just as he entered the palace gate, Xiao Chen slightly turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, and coldly glanced at Su Jingyi, the Prefect of Jingzhao, who was busy directing the Imperial Guards to maintain order.

Su Jingyi froze, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat. He understood that look—don't let those prisoners and livestock clog the streets and dirty my eyes.

"Lord Su, what are you waiting for? The offering is to be presented to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, so hurry up and make the arrangements!" The Imperial Censor next to him whispered a reminder.

Su Jingyi then came to his senses and hurriedly directed his men to lead the iron cage cart imprisoning Ashina Duoji, along with the tens of thousands of prisoners and hundreds of thousands of livestock following behind, to the side gate leading to the main camp in the outskirts of the capital.

These "spoils of war" should not overshadow the main theme of the emperor's triumphant return.

Night falls in the Daqing Hall of the Imperial Palace.

Officials gathered, and the grand banquet began. The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, dancers with long sleeves swayed gracefully, and fine wines and delicacies were served to the emperor's table in a continuous stream.

Xiao Chen sat high on the dragon throne, with Prime Minister Han Yu on his left and Privy Councilor Gao Su on his right.

Below, civil and military officials stood in rows, toasting and exchanging drinks, their faces beaming with the joy of victory.

"Your Majesty," Minister of War Wei Xiao drank a full cup, rose, and spoke eloquently, "This great victory over the Northern Di royal court is entirely due to Your Majesty's divine prowess! I have already drafted a memorial, and I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to commend the fallen soldiers, posthumously grant them noble titles, and provide them with a grand burial at the Martyrs' Shrine in Jiuyuan County, to comfort their heroic spirits!"

These words made the atmosphere in the hall even more lively.

Xiao Chen picked up his wine glass but didn't drink it immediately. He looked at Wei Xiao and asked calmly, "What about the compensation money? Have the families of the fallen soldiers received it?"

Wei Xiao was taken aback, clearly not expecting the emperor to ask this at this critical juncture. He subconsciously glanced at Zheng Huaijin, the Minister of Revenue, beside him.

Zheng Huaijin inwardly cursed Wei Xiao for being insensible, but his face wore a professional expression of worry as he sighed and stood up: "Your Majesty's considerations are most sagacious. However... however, regarding this matter of the pension, I must apologize to Your Majesty."

He bowed deeply, his voice booming with helplessness and grievance: "This Northern Expedition has used countless provisions and supplies, emptying the national treasury. In addition, the resettlement of prisoners of war, the rewarding of meritorious soldiers, and the reconstruction of Jiuyuan County all require silver. Yesterday, I checked the accounts and found that the Ministry of Revenue's silver reserves were depleted. It is truly... impossible to come up with the full amount of 320,000 taels of silver for the relief efforts."

"Oh?" Xiao Chen put down his wine cup, the bottom of which made a crisp, light sound as it touched the table, which seemed particularly abrupt in the noisy hall.

"Then, according to Minister Zheng's opinion, how should this be handled?" Xiao Chen's gaze fell on Zheng Huaijin's wrinkled old face, as calm as if he were asking about the weather today.

Zheng Huaijin's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile and said, "I believe that the fallen soldiers are the pillars of the nation, and their compensation should not be neglected. However, the national treasury is empty, which is also a fact. I dare to suggest that we allocate half of the funds first, that is, 160,000 taels. As for the remaining amount, I will discuss it further, either by having the local treasury advance the payment or by making up the difference from next year's commercial taxes..."

"Your Majesty!" Wei Xiao couldn't help but interject, "The fallen soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country; how can their compensation be discounted? This is a matter of the court's credibility!"

"Minister Wei, please don't be anxious," Zheng Huaijin said with a bitter face, his voice almost choked with tears. "If the full amount is disbursed, everyone in the Ministry of Revenue, including myself, will have to commit seppuku in court to atone for our sins. This money... there's simply nowhere to generate it!"

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became somewhat awkward.

Many civil officials began to whisper among themselves, expressing their understanding of Minister Zheng's predicament. After all, wars cost money like water, and now that the war was over, the court needed a breather.

Xiao Chen listened quietly, then suddenly turned to the Privy Councilor Gao Su beside him and asked, "Minister Gao, what is the temperature in the Northern Frontier right now?"

Although Gao Su was a military general, he was meticulous and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, although it is warm in the south of the Gobi Desert at this time, the nights north of Jiuyuan are still bitterly cold and often snowy. The winter uniforms for the garrison should have been distributed long ago."

"Has it already been issued?"

Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then why did I receive an urgent report from the border troops on my way back, saying that the cotton armor issued by the Ministry of War's Armory was filled with cattail fluff? And why are 30% of the cotton-padded jackets that should have been issued to the soldiers still missing?"

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, silencing all the officials and scholars in the hall.

Wei Xiao's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver color, and he abruptly stood up: "Your Majesty! This...this is absolutely impossible! The Ministry of War keeps records and checks all the military supplies it distributes. How could such a mistake occur? It must be embezzlement by the officials in charge. I will investigate immediately!"

"No need to investigate further."

Xiao Chen coldly interrupted, "That urgent report is right on my desk right now. It bears the seal of the Ministry of War and your approval, Minister Wei—'Received, urge immediate action.' What, Minister Wei, have you forgotten?"

Wei Xiao stood frozen in place, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Seeing this, Zheng Huaijin quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, please calm down! This must be due to the incompetence of your subordinates, which delayed the military operation! As for the Ministry of Revenue, as long as the Ministry of War provides the list, I will immediately allocate funds to purchase the supplies, even if it means selling everything I own!"

"Sell everything you own?"

Xiao Chen suddenly laughed, a cold laugh that echoed through the hall. "Zheng Huaijin, tell me, where did the transaction tax from those ten thousand warhorses at the Northern Frontier Horse Market last year go? Also, the batch of gold and silver treasures I seized should have been deposited into the Imperial Treasury according to the law, but why is only half recorded in the Ministry of Revenue's accounts?"

He slowly stood up and looked down at the assembled officials below.

The celebratory banquet, which was originally full of joy, now felt as if the air had frozen, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"I was out there, braving wind and snow, marching four hundred miles, watching my comrades fall one by one before my eyes. What was the point?"

Xiao Chen's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart: "Is it so that you can sit in the capital's grand hall, drinking victory wine while scheming to embezzle the martyrs' pensions? Is it so that my soldiers shed blood on the front lines, while the cotton-padded coats they receive from the rear are stuffed with cattail fluff?!"

"Your Majesty! I am innocent!" Zheng Huaijin's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

"Injustice?" Xiao Chen picked up the wine glass beside him and smashed it on the ground!

"Snap—"

The glass cup shattered, spilling wine and fragments everywhere.

"The celebration wine tasted rusty and bloody!"

Xiao Chen's gaze was like a knife, sweeping across the faces of every high-ranking official present. "It seems that my northern expedition was a mistake. The mistake was that I only beheaded the barbarians, but forgot to sweep away the cobwebs and dust from this court!"

The hall was deathly silent.

Gao Su abruptly drew his sword, slammed it heavily on the ground, and roared, "Your Majesty! I request a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War! Root out the corrupt officials and uphold the law!"

Han Yu could no longer remain seated. He stood up, his face grave, and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, this is a national disgrace. As Prime Minister, I have failed in my duty of supervision, and I beg Your Majesty's punishment. However, this matter concerns the dignity of the nation, so I implore Your Majesty to calm your anger and allow us to thoroughly investigate. We will surely give Your Majesty, the people of the land, and the heroes in the afterlife an explanation!"

Xiao Chen glanced at Han Yu, then at Zheng Huaijin and Wei Xiao, who were both terrified and pale.

He knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Although the external enemies have been quelled, the internal troubles are already deep.

This court full of high-ranking officials, seemingly respectful, were actually rotten to the core.

"it is good."

Xiao Chen sat down again, his tone terribly calm, "Then I'll give Prime Minister Han three days. Within three days, I want to see the full amount of compensation paid to the families of every fallen soldier, and I want to see every soldier in Jiuyuan County wearing the winter uniforms without missing a single piece."

"If you can't do that..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Zheng Huaijin's trembling fingers.

"Then you don't need to do it."

"Court adjourned!"

The emperor turned and left, leaving behind a hall filled with silent officials and a floor littered with shattered glass and remnants of glory.

The clamor of that victory banquet now sounds like nothing more than a cruel, ironic silence.