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

October 15th, the night of the full moon.

Just after midnight, a fire suddenly broke out on the beacon tower in the east of the city, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the urgent sound of gongs pierced the night sky—enemy attack!

Xiao Chen sprang up from the bed, grabbed the Frost Moon Blade, and rushed outside.

In the courtyard, Wang Dashan, Zhao Tie, and Zhang Meng had already assembled, and the soldiers of Jingbei Camp were rapidly gathering.

"What happened?" Xiao Chen asked.

"The beacon tower on the east side is warning that the enemy is attacking."

Wang Dashan said in a deep voice, "The number is unknown, but it is at least three hundred people."

Three hundred people?

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Han Yuan currently has at most a thousand men capable of fighting.

However, scattered across the city walls, outposts, and workshops, the only men that could be mobilized from within the city were 500 from the Jingbei Camp and 300 from the Hanyuan Camp.

"Zhang Meng!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Take your men and guard the east gate. Wang Dashan, you lead the Hanyuan Battalion and guard the west and north gates. Zhao Tie, you lead the engineering battalion and guard the south gate to protect the people."

"yes!"

The three men accepted the order and left.

Xiao Chen climbed the East Gate tower and looked out into the distance.

Under the moonlight, a dark mass of people poured out of the woods to the east, like a swarm of locusts, heading towards Cold Abyss City.

These people were dressed in rags, but they all had weapons in their hands—knives, guns, clubs, and even farm tools.

Judging from their attire, they didn't look like regular soldiers; they looked more like bandits and outlaws.

"They're remnants of Black Wind Stronghold!"

An old soldier exclaimed, "Look, the one leading the group, that's Liu San, Liu the Scarface's younger brother!"

Xiao Chen squinted at him.

Sure enough, at the front of the crowd, a one-eyed man on horseback was wielding a ghost-head saber and directing the charge.

It was Liu San, the younger brother of Scarface Liu.

After the destruction of Black Wind Stronghold, he fled into the deep mountains with dozens of remaining bandits. Unexpectedly, he has reappeared and gathered so many bandits.

"Fire the arrows!" Zhang Meng ordered.

Arrows rained down from the city walls.

However, the effect was limited.

The attackers were scattered and took advantage of the cover of night, making it difficult for arrows to hit them.

Moreover, they were clearly prepared, carrying simple wooden shields to protect their vitals.

"Charge! Break through the icy abyss, and seize all the grain and women!" Liu San roared hoarsely.

The bandits, their eyes bloodshot, charged forward with howling cries.

The city wall was made of rammed earth. Although it was heightened and reinforced, it was not made of brick or stone.

The bandits carried makeshift ladders, placed them on the city wall, and began to climb.

"Rolling logs! Boulders!" Zhang Meng roared.

Logs and rocks crashed down, and screams of agony filled the air.

But there were too many bandits, one after another.

Soon, several bandits climbed onto the city wall.

Hand in hand.

Although the Jingbei Battalion was elite, their training time was relatively short, and they were struggling against the desperate fighting style of these ruthless individuals. Several of them fell in a single exchange.

Xiao Chen frowned.

If we continue fighting like this, even if we manage to hold our ground, the casualties will be too great.

"Your Highness," Han Lie rushed over, "I have a solution."

"explain."

"Use coal ash."

Han Lie said, "Coal ash is fine and light, and it can dazzle the eyes when it's thrown up. We can scatter coal ash on the city wall, and when they climb up, we can just toss it in the wind and they won't be able to see it. Then we can cut it down, which will be twice as effective."

good idea!

Xiao Chen's eyes lit up: "Go and get ready!"

Han Lie led his men to transport coal ash—the coal mine produces a large amount of coal ash every day, which is usually piled up outside the city, and now it comes in handy.

Soon, bags of coal ash were carried up the city wall. The soldiers wrapped the coal ash in cloth and stood upwind.

"Wait until they climb up before scattering!" Xiao Chen ordered.

Another wave of bandits climbed up, but as soon as they peeked out, they were greeted not by swords and spears, but by clumps of black coal dust.

When the wind blows, coal ash flies everywhere, getting into our eyes, noses, and mouths.

The bandits screamed in agony and frantically rubbed their eyes.

"kill!"

The soldiers of Jingbei Camp seized the opportunity to rush forward, slashing and stabbing with knives and spears.

Blinded by the deception, the bandits were powerless to fight back and fell like wheat being harvested.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Liu San, watching from below the city, roared hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

But it's too late.

Wang Dashan led the Hanyuan Battalion out of the city through the west gate, circled around to the rear of the bandits, and blocked their retreat.

Zhao Tie's engineering battalion also broke out from the south gate, surrounding them from three sides.

The bandits were surrounded and trapped.

There were city walls in front, pursuers behind, the Hanyuan Camp to the left, and the engineering battalion to the right.

More than 300 people were surrounded on an open space in the east of the city, unable to advance or retreat.

"Surrender and you will not be killed!" Xiao Chen shouted from the city wall.

The bandits looked at each other, some of them wavering.

"Don't listen to his nonsense! Surrendering means certain death!"

Liu San roared, "Come with me and charge out!"

He led several dozen trusted men in an attempt to break through Wang Dashan's encirclement.

But Wang Dashan had anticipated this and fired his crossbows in unison, killing the first few who charged in instantly.

Liu San was hit in the shoulder by an arrow, screamed and fell to the ground.

He struggled to get up, but Wang Dashan slashed him down with a knife.

"Liu San is dead! Surrender and you will not be killed!" Wang Dashan held Liu San's head high.

The bandits were completely devastated.

Clang, clang, clang—weapons were scattered all over the ground.

The remaining hundred-plus people knelt down and surrendered.

The battle is over.

From the start of the enemy attack to its conclusion, it took less than an hour.

On our side, twelve were killed and more than thirty were wounded, most of them with minor injuries.

A resounding victory.

But Xiao Chen showed no joy.

He stood on the city wall, looking down at the prisoners kneeling on the ground below, his eyes cold.

"Your Highness, what should we do with these prisoners?" Wang Dashan asked.

"Interrogate," Xiao Chen said, uttering only one word.

The interrogation took place in the open space in front of the city lord's mansion.

More than a hundred prisoners knelt on the ground, trembling.

Most of them were refugees from the surrounding area, lured there by Liu San with the lie that "if you break through the Cold Abyss, you can eat whatever you want." A few were remnants of Black Wind Stronghold, former subordinates of Scarface Liu.

Xiao Chen interrogated him personally.

"Who ordered you to do this?" he asked.

The prisoners chattered amongst themselves, all saying roughly the same thing—Liu San had found them, saying that Han Yuan had grain and women, and they could break into the city and plunder as they pleased.

They were starving, so they followed.

"Where did Liu San get his weapons? Where did he gather his men?" Xiao Chen asked again.

A remnant of the Black Wind Stronghold confessed: "After Liu San fled into the mountains, he encountered a group of bandits from the north. The bandit leader was called 'A Gust of Wind,' and he had about a hundred men under his command. Liu San joined forces with him and recruited some refugees, making a total of three hundred men. The weapons and horses were given to him by the bandits."

A gust of wind?

Xiao Chen looked at Han Lie.

Han Lie's expression turned grave: "A Gust of Wind is a notorious bandit in the Northern Border, known for his swift movements and ruthless methods. But he operates in the North, so how did he end up in the South?"

"It is Prince Yong." A faint voice rang out.

Everyone looked over and saw that the speaker was a thin prisoner who looked like a scholar.

"What did you say?" Xiao Chen stared at him.

"I...I was originally a clerk at Dingbei Pass."

The prisoner said in a trembling voice, "When Prince Yong came to Dingbei Pass, I was in charge of recording. I heard with my own ears that Prince Yong told Gao Shun that he wanted to 'make some trouble for the seventh prince.' Gao Shun then contacted a gust of wind and asked him to come and attack Hanyuan. The weapons and horses were all provided by Gao Shun."

boom--

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Prince Yong! It was actually Prince Yong who instigated this!

"You're talking nonsense!"

Wang Dashan angrily retorted, "Prince Yong is the Prince's own brother, how could he...?"

"My own brother?"

The prisoner gave a bitter smile. "In royal matters, there's no such thing as brotherhood. Prince Yong is afraid that Han Yuan will grow stronger and threaten his position, so he wants to strike first."

Xiao Chen fell silent.

He believes.

Fourth Brother is capable of doing such a thing.

"What evidence do you have?" he asked.

"I...I overheard it, but I have no proof."

The prisoner shook his head. "But I dare to swear on my life that every word is true. Moreover, the 'One Gust of Wind' group hasn't left yet; they're waiting at Eagle's Beak Cliff, thirty miles to the north. It's agreed that when Liu San breaks through the Cold Abyss and sets fire as a signal, they'll come to meet him."

Eagle Beak Cliff.

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes.

"Zhang Meng."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Send one hundred cavalrymen and follow me to Eagle's Beak Cliff."

"Your Highness, it's too dangerous! 'A Gust of Wind' is a ruthless bandit, and..."

"So we have to go."

Xiao Chen interrupted him, "He'll be waiting for a signal, so he'll definitely be more relaxed. Let's launch a surprise attack at night and catch him off guard. If they wait until they find out Liu San has been defeated, they'll either run away or come to retaliate. It's better to strike first."

"But our cavalry isn't fully trained yet..."

"Whether you've mastered the training or not, we'll only know after the fight." Xiao Chen turned around. "Go and prepare. We'll depart in fifteen minutes."

"yes!"

A quarter of an hour later, a hundred cavalrymen assembled at the city gate.

These one hundred men were the best riders in the Jingbei Camp. Although their training time was short, their morale was high.

Each person was equipped with a saber, a bow, and twenty arrows.

Xiao Chen personally led the team, with Zhang Meng as his deputy.

"Your Highness," Han Lie chased after him, "I will go with you. Eagle Beak Cliff has a complex terrain, but I am familiar with it."

"it is good."

One hundred and two riders, like a sharp arrow, shot into the night.

Eagle Beak Cliff is located thirty miles to the north and is a dangerous mountain pass.

With steep cliffs on both sides and a narrow path in the middle, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It was certainly insightful of them to choose this place as their base.

An hour later, the group approached Eagle's Beak Cliff.

Xiao Chen ordered his men to dismount and proceed on foot, stealthily making their way up.

Sure enough, there was a fire at the mountain pass.

About a hundred people were gathered around several bonfires, drinking and eating meat.

The horses were tied up to one side, and the weapons were carelessly thrown on the ground.

Clearly, they thought victory was assured and were completely unprepared.

"Your Highness, how should we fight?" Zhang Meng asked in a low voice.

"Archers fire first, then charge."

Xiao Chen said, "Old Han, you take twenty men, go around to the back, and block their escape route. Don't let a single one escape."

"yes!"

The group split up and took action separately.

Xiao Chen led eighty men and quietly approached within a hundred paces.

"put!"

Eighty bows were drawn simultaneously, and arrows flew like locusts.

Caught off guard, the bandits by the campfire fell to the ground in an instant.

Screams and curses filled the air.

"Enemy attack!"

"Grab your weapons!"

But it was too late.

The first volley of arrows had barely passed when the second volley began.

Then, Xiao Chen took the lead and led his team to charge forward.

The bandits hastily engaged in battle, but their formation was already in disarray.

Moreover, they did not expect to be attacked at night, and they did not have time to take many weapons.

In a single encounter, it was shattered into pieces.

"Retreat! Retreat!" a one-eyed giant roared, none other than the bandit leader, Guzhenfeng.

He wanted to run, but his escape route had been blocked by Han Lie and his men.

Caught in a pincer movement, with no way to escape.

The battle ended quickly.

Of the more than one hundred bandits, more than sixty died, and the rest were all captured.

A gust of wind was shot in the thigh by Zhang Meng's arrow and captured alive.

A search of the battlefield revealed that over eighty horses, more than two hundred weapons, and a considerable amount of gold, silver, and valuables—all looted by the thieves.

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

Xiao Chen looked at the bandits kneeling on the ground, trembling, and then at Yi Gu Feng, who was tied up like a dumpling. He made a decision.

"Those willing to surrender will be assigned to the engineering battalion and redeem themselves through meritorious service. Those unwilling will be killed. A gust of wind—"

He walked up to a gust of wind. "Are you one of Prince Yong's men?"

A gust of wind spat out, "If you're going to kill, then kill! Stop talking nonsense!"

I won't kill you.

Xiao Chen said, "I need you to deliver a message to Prince Yong."

A gust of wind startled him.

"Tell him," Xiao Chen said, enunciating each word clearly, "that Hanyuan is my territory. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on me will have their hand chopped off. This time it was bandits; next time, it might be the Imperial Guards."

A gust of wind changed his expression.

"You...you dare threaten Prince Yong?"

"It's not a threat, it's a warning."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, "Let him go, give him a horse, and tell him to get lost."

"Your Highness!"

Zhang Meng exclaimed urgently, "This fellow is a ruthless bandit! We've let a tiger return to the mountains..."

"I want him to return to the mountains."

Xiao Chen sneered, "Let him go back and tell Prince Yong his message. Let Prince Yong know that I, Xiao Chen, am not a pushover."

Zhang Meng said no more, loosened his ropes with a gust of wind, and gave him a horse.

With a gust of wind, he mounted his horse, gave Xiao Chen a deep look, turned his horse around, and disappeared into the night.

"Your Highness, what should we do next?" Han Lie asked.

"Back to the city."

Xiao Chen said, "Reorganize the defenses and take stock of the spoils. Also, send someone to Dingbei Pass to deliver a letter to Gao Shun."

"What letter?"

"Thank you letter"

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "Thank you for the horses and weapons he 'sent'. I told you, Han Yuan is in dire need of these things, he really came to our rescue."

Han Lie understood and smiled.

This is a slap in the face, a blatant slap in the face.

Gao Shun would be so angry he'd vomit blood if he saw the letter.

"Furthermore," Xiao Chen added, "starting today, Hanyuan will enter a state of war preparedness. The city walls will be raised higher, and the moats will be dug deeper. Bows, crossbows, logs, and stones will be doubled in preparation. Prince Yong will not let this go easily; we must be prepared."

"yes!"

The group mounted their horses and returned to Hanyuan.

The east was turning white; dawn was approaching.

That night, Hanyuan experienced its first major battle since the city was founded.

Won.

But Xiao Chen knew that this was just the beginning.

Even greater storms are yet to come.

He gazed in the direction of the capital and gripped the Frost Moon Blade tightly.

Fourth Brother, since you want to play this game, I'll play along with you to the very end.

Let's see who laughs last.