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

Seven days after Prince Yong left, an early snow quietly arrived.

It wasn't fine snowflakes, but heavy snowfall, blanketing the city and turning it silvery-white overnight.

The snow was knee-deep, burying the official road outside the city, and the Baishui River was completely frozen solid, with enough ice for horses to run on.

In weather like this, one should be staying indoors by the fire. But Xiao Chen still went out of the city.

He's going to inspect the border—not just for show, but for real.

With heavy snow blocking the roads, life is tough for the grassland tribes, who may resort to desperate measures and plunder southwards.

Hanyuan City now has grain and coal, it's a piece of fat meat, we need to be careful.

The entourage consisted of fifty men, all elite soldiers of the Jingbei Camp, mounted on horseback, clad in armor, and equipped with bows and swords.

Zhang Meng led the team, while Wang Dashan and Zhao Tie stayed behind.

Treading Snow truly lives up to its reputation as a fine steed of the grasslands, still moving swiftly and gracefully even in deep snow.

Xiao Chen rode on his horse, wrapped in a thick wolf-skin cloak, with only his eyes showing.

The cold wind was like a knife, stinging his face, but he didn't complain.

This route goes from Hanyuan City to the upper reaches of the Baishui River, then turns northeast, circles around Black Stone Mountain, and finally returns to the city from the west.

The entire journey is about 80 li (approximately 40 kilometers), which can be completed in a day under normal weather conditions, but in this snowy weather, it will take at least two days.

The first day went smoothly.

The beacon towers along the way were all guarded by veterans of the Cold Abyss Camp. Although they were old, they were very experienced.

They were all incredibly excited to see Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen inspected each item, checking the stored grain, firewood, and weapons, and instructed them to be on guard and to light a beacon fire if anything happened.

We spent the night at the beacon tower.

The station lit a fire, cooked meat soup, and steamed buns.

Xiao Chen ate and slept with the soldiers.

Although it was crowded and cold, no one complained.

We continued our journey the next day.

The snow fell even heavier, reducing visibility to less than ten feet. The horses struggled to walk, and the people's hands and feet were numb with cold.

When they reached a birch forest in the northwest of Black Rock Mountain, the outpost suddenly sounded an alarm.

"Your Highness! Something's happened!"

Xiao Chen reined in his horse and raised his hand to signal the group to stop.

Zhang Meng spurred his horse forward and looked in the direction the sentry pointed—deep in the woods, he could faintly hear the sound of horses' hooves, and... shouts of battle.

"Protect the prince!" Zhang Meng shouted in a low voice.

The fifty cavalrymen immediately dispersed, forming a defensive formation. Bows were strung, swords were drawn, and they stood ready for battle.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer.

Through the swirling snowflakes, you can see a dozen or so riders charging toward this side.

The riders in front were dressed in grassland attire, wearing fur robes and hats, and carrying scimitars.

Seven or eight riders followed behind, also from the grasslands, but better dressed and on faster horses.

It was the grassland people who were hunting down the grassland people.

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Zhang Meng asked.

Xiao Chen squinted at him.

The fleeing riders were clearly at a disadvantage. A figure on a white horse was being protected in the middle; judging by her build, she was a woman. She was an excellent rider, traversing the snowy forest as if it were flat ground, but the pursuers were even more ferocious, raining down arrows.

An arrow struck the white horse's rump, and the horse neighed in pain, its front legs buckling. The woman fell from the horse, rolled several times in the snow, and was helped up by her companions.

The pursuers have arrived and have surrounded the area in a fan shape.

"Should we save her or not?" Zhang Meng asked again.

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment.

He shouldn't have interfered in the fighting within the grasslands. But judging from the situation, the pursuers were determined to kill. Moreover, rescuing the group being chased might be useful.

"To save lives," he said.

"yes!"

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Meng sent fifty riders charging toward the battlefield like arrows released from a bow.

Caught off guard, the pursuers were routed. They were light cavalry, unarmored, and no match for the heavy cavalry of Han Yuan. Three were cut down in a single exchange.

"Retreat!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the leader of the pursuing troops turned around and ran.

Zhang Meng was about to give chase when Xiao Chen stopped him.

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy."

The cavalry halted and surveyed their surroundings.

Xiao Chen rode forward and looked at the group of people who had been rescued.

Five remained, all wounded. The woman in the middle, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wore a white fox fur robe, which, though stained with snow and mud, could not conceal her noble air. Her face was veiled, revealing only her eyes, which were like the clear and deep waters of a grassland lake.

At that moment, those eyes held fear, vigilance, and a hint of curiosity.

"Who are you people?" Xiao Chen asked in the grassland language.

The woman remained silent, but a middle-aged man beside her spoke up, his voice hoarse: "We are herdsmen from the White Deer tribe, being hunted by the Azure Wolf tribe. Thank you for your help, sir."

White Deer Tribe?

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. Chief Batel had said that the White Deer Tribe and the Gray Wolf Tribe were sworn enemies. It seemed that this pursuit was a tribal conflict.

"Why are we hunting you down?" he asked.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before saying, "Our...our young lady is the niece of the chieftain of the White Deer tribe, named Aliya. The young chieftain of the Azure Wolf tribe, Harbala, wanted to forcibly marry our young lady, but the chieftain refused, so they sent people to kidnap her."

A bride kidnapping?

Xiao Chen looked at the woman—Aliya. Her head was down, so his expression was not visible, but her body was trembling slightly.

Where are you going?

"Let's go...to Hanyuan City," the middle-aged man said. "We've heard there's a prince from the Great Xia Dynasty there who's willing to take in grassland people. We want to go and seek refuge there."

Seek refuge in the Cold Abyss?

Xiao Chen smiled.

interesting.

"I am Xiao Chen, the Prince of Hanyuan." He removed his mask.

The five people looked up at the same time, their eyes filled with astonishment.

They never expected to encounter Prince Hanyuan himself in the middle of nowhere. Even more unexpected was that this prince was so young and personally leading troops to patrol the border.

Alia finally spoke, her voice clear and crisp, like ice colliding: "You...are you really the Prince?"

"It's the real deal," Xiao Chen said. "If you want to go to the Cold Abyss, I can take you. But once we're in the city, you must abide by my rules. Can you agree?"

"Yes!" the middle-aged man nodded hurriedly. "As long as it saves our lives, we'll follow any rules!"

Aliya nodded gently.

"Let's mount our horses," Xiao Chen said. "We shouldn't linger here."

Everyone mounted their horses, but Aliya's white horse was injured and could no longer be ridden. Xiao Chen let her ride on his own horse, and they rode together.

The snowflakes were docile and showed no resistance.

Aliya sat in front of Xiao Chen, her body tense like a fully drawn bow. She could feel the man's body temperature behind her and smell the scent of wind, snow, and leather emanating from him. This made her very uncomfortable, but she dared not move.

The procession continued forward.

This little incident slowed down the journey. By nightfall, we had only covered half the distance. We had no choice but to set up camp on a sheltered hillside.

The snow was still falling, but the wind had subsided a bit.

The soldiers set up makeshift tents and lit a fire. Meat broth was cooked, and steamed buns were baked; soon, the air was filled with a delicious aroma.

Alia and her four guards sat to one side, silently eating the food that had been given to them. They were very hungry, but they ate in a relatively refined manner, especially Alia, who ate in small bites and chewed very carefully.

Xiao Chen sat opposite her, observing her.

This "niece of the White Deer tribe leader" is a bit strange.

Women of the grasslands are generally known for their forthrightness and boldness. But this Aliya, though dressed in traditional grassland attire, possessed an innate elegance in her demeanor. Even eating a steamed bun was done with a sense of ritual. Moreover, her fingers were slender and white, unlike those of someone who had done rough work.

"Miss Alia," Xiao Chen suddenly asked, "how old are you?"

Alia looked up, a flicker of panic in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Sixteen."

"A grassland girl is sixteen; it's time for her to marry," Xiao Chen said. "Why would Harbala want to abduct you? Just because you're the niece of the White Deer tribe's chieftain?"

Aliya lowered her head and said softly, "He said... he said that if I marry him, the White Deer Tribe and the Gray Wolf Tribe can reconcile."

"Are you willing?"

"I don't want to." Aliya shook her head, her voice firm. "My uncle said that the Canglang tribe are wolves, they can never be satisfied. Marriage alliances are useless, they will only make them more greedy."

That sounds like something Batel would say.

Xiao Chen nodded and asked no further questions.

As night fell, the wind and snow intensified.

The tent flapped loudly in the wind, and cold air seeped in through the gaps, making everyone shiver. Xiao Chen told the soldiers to huddle together and added more firewood, which made it a little warmer.

Aliya and her guards slept in the corner of the tent, wrapped in blankets, but they were still shivering with cold. Aliya, in particular, was thin, and her lips were purple from the cold.

Xiao Chen saw this and threw his wolf-skin cloak over.

"Cover it up."

Aliya was startled. She hugged the cloak, hesitated for a moment, and then covered herself with it. The cloak still carried Xiao Chen's body heat; it was very warm. She curled up in the blanket, only her eyes showing, secretly watching Xiao Chen.

This young prince was not what she had imagined.

Not fierce, not arrogant, even... a little gentle.

The snow stopped the next day.

The group continued their journey and finally returned to Hanyuan City in the afternoon.

When they entered the city, the people gathered around to watch the spectacle—the prince had brought back several grassland people on his tour, which was quite a novelty.

Aliya covered her face again, lowered her head, and followed closely behind Xiao Chen. Her guards were also nervous, their hands constantly on the hilts of their swords.

Xiao Chen arranged for the five people to stay in an empty room next to the city lord's mansion, and also had Uncle Fu bring them food, firewood, and bedding.

"You can settle in here first," he said. "Once your injuries heal, you can go wherever you want. If you want to stay in Hanyuan, go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register and get your work point card. You only get food if you work, understand?"

"Understood." The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for taking me in, Your Highness!"

After settling the five people in, Xiao Chen returned to the courtroom.

Han Lie was already waiting for him.

"Your Highness, I heard you brought back a few grassland people?" Han Lie asked.

"Yes, she's said to be the niece of the White Deer tribe leader, and she's being hunted down by the Azure Wolf tribe." Xiao Chen recounted the events.

After listening, Han Lie frowned and pondered.

"Your Highness, I feel... there's something fishy about this."

"How so?"

"I know Batel, the chieftain of the White Deer tribe. He's a cautious man. If his niece were being targeted by the Azure Wolf tribe, he would definitely protect her closely. How could he let her run to the border?" Han Lie paused. "Besides, Batel only has one younger brother, who died in battle years ago. Where did he get a niece?"

Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed.

"You mean, she's lying?"

"It's hard to say," Han Lie shook his head. "Perhaps she really is a distant niece; I don't know. But it's always better to be safe than sorry. Your Highness, we need to keep an eye on these people."

"I've already sent Zhao Tie to keep an eye on her," Xiao Chen said. "However, if she really is from the White Deer tribe, she could be useful to us. We can use her to get in touch with Batel."

"That's true." Han Lie nodded. "The White Deer Tribe and the Azure Wolf Tribe are sworn enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If we can form an alliance, it will be beneficial to us."

"Let's wait and see," Xiao Chen said. "A fox will always show its tail eventually."

For the next few days, Aliya and her group of five behaved themselves.

They lived in a small courtyard and rarely went out. Aliya, in particular, never left the house and stayed indoors all day. Her guards would occasionally go out, but only to buy some daily necessities and return quickly.

Zhao Tie sent people to monitor the situation day and night, but found nothing unusual.

But Xiao Chen felt something was off.

This Alia is so quiet. Quiet like someone who has fled a disaster.

That day, he decided to test the waters himself.

In the evening, he brought a jar of wine and a few dishes to the courtyard.

Aliya was embroidering something in the room—a handkerchief, embroidered with the wolf's head flower commonly seen on the grasslands. Seeing Xiao Chen enter, she quickly got up and hurriedly hid the handkerchief behind her back.

"Your Highness..."

"No need for formalities." Xiao Chen sat down at the table and laid out the food and wine. "How have you been these past few days?"

"Alright, thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Aliya stood with her head down, not daring to sit down.

"Sit down," Xiao Chen said. "Have a couple of drinks with me."

Aliya hesitated for a moment, then sat down on the stool opposite her, but only half of her buttocks were on, her body ramrod straight.

Xiao Chen poured her a glass of wine: "You're from the grasslands, you can drink, right?"

"I...I can drink a little." Aliya took the glass, took a small sip, and her face immediately turned red.

"Drink slowly." Xiao Chen smiled and poured himself a glass. "Miss Aliya, what do you usually do in the White Deer Tribe?"

"Herding sheep, milking cows, embroidering," Aliya answered fluently.

"Herding sheep? Your hands don't look like you've ever herded sheep." Xiao Chen looked at her fair and delicate hands.

Alia's hand trembled, spilling some wine: "I... I put in very little, mainly for embroidery."

"Oh." Xiao Chen nodded, then changed the subject, "How is your uncle, Chieftain Batel, in health?"

"Okay, very good."

"I heard his son died in battle last year?"

Alia's eyes reddened: "Yes... it's my cousin, a warrior."

"What a pity," Xiao Chen sighed. "So, who's in charge of the White Deer Tribe now?"

"My uncle is in charge, and there are several elders helping out."

The questions and answers were perfectly coordinated and watertight.

But the more Xiao Chen asked, the more he felt something was wrong.

This Alya is very familiar with the affairs of the White Deer Tribe, but she speaks too "standardly," like reciting a memorized text. Moreover, her accent... although she tries hard to imitate the grassland accent, it occasionally carries a slightly different flavor.

It wasn't the accent of the White Deer tribe, nor that of the Azure Wolf tribe.

It's a more northern, purer accent.

Xiao Chen had a guess in his mind, but he didn't say it out loud.

After a few more drinks, Aliya's face turned even redder, and her eyes became somewhat glazed. The liquor from the grasslands was strong, and she clearly couldn't hold her liquor.

"Your Highness," she suddenly asked, "why...why did you take us in?"

"When you see injustice, you should help others," Xiao Chen said. "Besides, I'm friends with your uncle, Batel."

"A friend?" Aliya's eyes lit up. "You know my uncle?"

"We know each other, and we've even done business together," Xiao Chen said. "I traded salt for his horse."

Aliya fell silent, looking down at her wine glass. After a long while, she whispered, "Your Highness, you are a good person."

"A good person?" Xiao Chen laughed. "Many people don't think so."

"I think so," Alya said earnestly, looking up. "You saved us and gave us food and shelter. No one on the grasslands would treat strangers like that."

"That's because on the grasslands, strangers can be enemies," Xiao Chen said. "But in the Cold Abyss, as long as you follow the rules, you're one of us."

A complex look flashed in Aliya's eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Chen got up to say goodbye.

"Get some rest. If you need anything, just tell Uncle Fu."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Stepping out of the courtyard, Zhao Tie emerged from the shadows.

"Your Highness, we have made a discovery."

"explain."

"This afternoon, one of Aliya's guards secretly went to the market in the south of the city and stood in front of a fur stall for a long time. The stall owner was a grassland man. They exchanged a few words, but they spoke softly and I couldn't hear them clearly. When the guard left, the stall owner handed him a small cloth bag."

"What's in the cloth bag?"

"I don't know, I didn't dare to alert them."

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment: "Keep an eye on it. Keep an eye on that stall owner too."

"Yes."

Back in the courtroom, Han Lie was still there.

Xiao Chen recounted the results of his probing, and Han Lie frowned deeply.

"Your Highness, I'm increasingly convinced that this Alya is no ordinary person. Did you notice anything amiss with her accent?"

"I can tell," Xiao Chen said. "It's not the White Deer Tribe's accent, nor is it a typical grassland accent. It's... the royal court's accent."

"The royal court?" Han Lie exclaimed in surprise. "You mean...?"

"Northern Yan," Xiao Chen uttered.

Han Lie gasped.

The accent of the Northern Yan royal court is subtly different from that of the grassland tribes. Ordinary people might not be able to tell the difference, but Han Lie, having spent decades on the border, could distinguish it. Xiao Chen, having studied linguistics in his previous life, could also tell the difference.

If Aliya is from Northern Yan, what was her purpose in disguising herself as the niece of the White Deer tribe leader and infiltrating the Cold Abyss?

"Your Highness, should we..." Han Lie made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No rush." ​​Xiao Chen shook his head. "Keeping her alive will be useful. If she really is a spy for Northern Yan, then we can use her to send some 'good news' to Northern Yan."

You mean...

"Let's play along." A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "She wants to find out Han Yuan's true strength, so I'll let her find out. However, what she finds out is exactly what I want her to know."

Han Lie understood, but still had concerns: "What if she sabotages things..."

"Keep a close eye on her; she can't cause any damage," Xiao Chen said. "Besides, I have a better idea."

"What are your thoughts?"

Xiao Chen walked to the map and pointed to the location of Northern Yan: "Northern Yan and Great Xia are bound to fight sooner or later. If we can get in touch with some forces in Northern Yan through Aliya, perhaps... we can avoid some bloodshed."

Han Lie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Your Highness is about to go big.

Not only do they have to guard against the fourth prince and the grassland tribes, but now they also have to deal with the Northern Yan.

This game is getting more and more complicated.

"Your Highness, please be careful."

Han Lie solemnly said, "The people of Northern Yan are more cunning and ruthless than the people of the grasslands."

"I know."

Xiao Chen nodded, "But even the most cunning fox can't outsmart a good hunter."

He gazed out the window toward the courtyard, his eyes gleaming with a hunter's light.

Aliya, whoever you are, whatever you're here for.

Since you've entered my territory, you have to follow my rules.

Let's take our time with this performance.