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

With Han Yu's downfall and the imprisonment of members of the imperial clan, the overt power structure of the court has been largely purged.

But Xiao Chen knew that the underwater reefs were far more dangerous than those on the surface.

The protégés and former associates of the civil service, potential sympathizers of the imperial family, and remnants of the Jiangnan gentry are still lurking in the shadows.

On this night, when all was quiet, the imperial study was brightly lit with candles.

Xiao Chen did not review the memorials, but stared at the two lists in front of him.

One document lists the current organizational structure of the "Internal Guard Division," while the other is a list of former "Night Owl" members presented by Mo Qi.

"Mo Qi".

Without looking up, Xiao Chen asked, "I ordered you to integrate the Imperial Guard and Night Owls. How are the preparations going?"

Mo Qi stood with his hands at his sides, his voice low and steady: "Your Majesty, the Inner Guard currently has a strength of 1,200 men, mostly former retainers from the Prince's residence and carefully selected palace personnel. They are loyal and reliable, but their strengths lie in palace guarding, while their weaknesses are in pursuit in the martial world and overseas reconnaissance. As for Night Owl..."

He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "The 371 former subordinates of Night Owl were all elites secretly established by the late emperor to monitor officials and spy on neighboring countries. Their identities were secretive, their methods ruthless, and they were skilled in infiltration, disguise, and poison. But... they formed their own system, recognizing only Night Owl's orders, not the laws of the court. Although they obeyed my orders before, it was ultimately not a long-term solution."

Xiao Chen put down the roster and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, making a soft tapping sound.

"The Imperial Guards are too 'clean,' lacking the ruthlessness of henchmen; the Night Owls are too 'wild,' lacking the discipline of the imperial court."

He stood up, walked to the map on the wall, and traced his finger across the northern grasslands and the islands of the East China Sea, finally landing on the southern sea frontier that he had not yet fully controlled.

"What I need is not merely a bodyguard, nor an assassin who only knows how to kill. I need an eye that can see what my officials cannot; a hand that can reach into corners where the law cannot reach."

"The Internal Security Division isn't prestigious enough. Night Owl's reputation is too bad."

Xiao Chen turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Mo Qi: "Then let's change the name and give it a new look."

"Imperial decree: Effective immediately, abolish the old names 'Inner Guard Division' and 'Night Owl,' merge them into a new organization, and establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Mo Qi was taken aback. The name sounded grand and somewhat similar to the legends of "flying fish robes" and "embroidered spring knives".

"good."

Xiao Chen's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile. "What I want is this chilling aura beneath the grandeur. The Embroidered Uniform Guard reports directly to me and is not subordinate to any other department. Its duties are twofold: first, to 'manage the guards' and protect the palace; second, to 'apprehend criminals and exonerate criminals,' to monitor officials, gather intelligence on the enemy, and even—reach overseas."

"Remember these selection criteria."

Xiao Chen held up two fingers.

"First, we will not consider background, but only talent. Those from humble backgrounds, as long as they have courage and intelligence, can be selected. Even... outlaws and fugitives, as long as they have a skill and are willing to serve me, can also be recruited."

"Secondly, ability is paramount; break with convention. I don't want lackeys who only know how to kowtow, nor do I want pedantic scholars who only know how to read books. What I want are extraordinary talents who can crawl through dog holes, disguise themselves as merchants, dive into the deep sea, and infiltrate enemy camps!"

A glint of light flashed in Mo Qi's eyes: "Your subject understands! I'll take care of it immediately!"

"slow."

Xiao Chen stopped him and took out a pre-prepared set of regulations from his desk. "This is the 'Regulations for the Administration of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.' Remember, the greater the power, the stricter the constraints must be. If any member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard dares to abuse their power and harm the innocent, I will exterminate their entire family, without any leniency. But if they defy imperial orders and harbor evildoers..."

Xiao Chen's voice was as cold as ice.

"I permit them to use any means necessary."

Three days later, at an abandoned royal hunting ground in western Beijing.

This place was temporarily designated as a selection and training base for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What was once overgrown with weeds is now heavily guarded, with the sounds of armor clashing against weapons ringing out incessantly.

Mo Qi, dressed in a black martial arts outfit with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, scanned the thousands of candidates on the training ground with eyes like a hawk.

These people are a mixed bag.

There were poor scholars wearing patched Confucian robes, muscular martial arts practitioners, sailors speaking with a southern accent, and even a few merchants who clearly looked like they came from the Western Regions.

Listen carefully!

Mo Qi's voice echoed across the training ground, "From this day forward, you are no longer some poor scholar, nor some江湖草寇 (jianghu bandits)! You are the Imperial Guards of the Great Xia! You are His Majesty's sword!"

"Your opponents could be a seemingly virtuous Grand Secretary in the imperial court, an incredibly wealthy merchant from Jiangnan, or even a barbaric king on a remote overseas island!"

"Your mission is to make those who think they are hiding in the shadows feel—I am watching you!"

The selection process was extremely brutal.

Physical fitness, mental fortitude, skill, and loyalty – a rigorous selection process.

Some people broke down because they couldn't endure the torture simulations, while others were eliminated because they couldn't pass the overseas survival test.

Ultimately, five hundred elites were selected from thousands of people to form the first batch of "Tiqi" of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Xiao Chen personally came to the hunting grounds to inspect this special team.

He wasn't wearing a dragon robe, just ordinary clothes, yet he exuded an invisible pressure.

He walked past the neat rows of people, his gaze sweeping over every young, resolute, or fierce face.

"I will give you three paths." Xiao Chen's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"The first option is to stay in the capital, wear the flying fish robe, carry the embroidered spring knife, and become my personal guard. It's a prestigious position, but it comes with the most rules."

"The second path is to delve into the underworld, blend into the common people, monitor officials, and eliminate the wicked. This path is fraught with peril, but the rewards are the greatest."

"The third path is to cross oceans to those overseas countries, to investigate their strengths and weaknesses, to draw their maps, to establish trade, and even... to overthrow their nations. This path is a one-way trip, but it will leave a lasting mark on history."

"Now, choose."

No one hesitated.

Almost everyone chose option two and option three.

For these impoverished youths and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) who were unwilling to settle for mediocrity and yearned to rise above others, power and wealth were far more attractive than the comfortable life of a bodyguard.

Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction.

He knew that he finally had a sharp weapon in his hand, one that was not bound by any vested interest groups.

"Mo Qi".

"Your subject is here."

"You will concurrently serve as the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As for the Southern Garrison, I want you to select a commander from among the merchants returning from overseas and the skilled swimmers of the Jianghu, to be specifically responsible for overseas intelligence."

"As you command!"

As Xiao Chen left the hunting grounds, the setting sun cast a blood-red glow on the Embroidered Spring Blades in the hands of the Imperial Guards.

This is no longer a mere palace guard, but a true eagle that has broken free of its cage, its talons reaching into every corner of the empire, and even to the ends of the earth.

The intelligence era of the Great Xia Dynasty officially began with the establishment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.