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

Murong Xue's letter was sent out using a carrier pigeon reserved for the Northern Yan royal family.

A secret letter was tied to the pigeon's leg, along with a tassel from a Frostmoon Blade as a token.

Zhao Tie's men followed the carrier pigeons, heading north until they disappeared into the vast snowfield.

Next, we just wait.

We await Bei Yan's reaction, Batu's reply, and the movements of Dingbei Pass.

But Xiao Chen wasn't idle.

Although the captured weapons were broken, there were still a considerable number of them.

One hundred and twenty knives, eighty spears, and thirty bows.

Refining it again can yield many good items.

"Your Highness,"

Blacksmith Ou held a rusty knife, his brow furrowed. "This iron has too many impurities. Refining it won't produce good steel. But throwing it away is a waste."

Xiao Chen took the knife, looked at it, and then tapped it, the sound dull.

"The reason there are so many impurities is that the temperature during iron smelting is not high enough to remove the impurities."

He said, "We have coal now, so the temperature can go up. But temperature alone is not enough; we also need other methods."

"What method?"

"The steel-frying method," Xiao Chen uttered three words.

The blacksmith was taken aback: "Refurbish steel? How do you do that?"

Xiao Chen didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "What color is the molten iron when you're smelting it?"

"Red, yellowish."

"That's right."

Xiao Chen said, "The molten iron turns yellow because it has a high carbon content; it is pig iron."

To turn it into steel, you have to remove the carbon. How? By stirring.

By continuously stirring the molten iron, the carbon is oxidized and converted into carbon monoxide, which then escapes.

This process is like stir-frying vegetables, hence the name "steel-frying method."

The blacksmith was confused, but he roughly understood.

"Your Highness means, stirring it in molten iron?"

"right."

Xiao Chen nodded, "Use an iron rod to stir it continuously. When the molten iron changes color from yellow to white, it's almost done. Then pour it out, forge it, and it becomes steel."

"Will this method... work?"

"You'll know once you try it."

Just do it.

The Industrial Construction Department built a new iron smelting furnace, which is larger than the original one.

The furnace was made of refractory bricks, and the bellows required four people to operate, providing ample firepower.

The pig iron blocks and coal blocks were laid in layers, then ignited and blasted.

The fire roared in the stove, and the temperature soared.

The blacksmith stood guard in front of the furnace, his eyes fixed on the molten iron inside.

The color changed from dark red to bright red, to orange-yellow, and finally to a dazzling golden-red.

"Your Highness, it's ready!" he shouted.

Xiao Chen stepped forward, picked up an iron rod as thick as an arm, and inserted it into the furnace to begin stirring.

The molten iron was very thick, making it difficult to stir. But Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and persevered, one circle, two circles, three circles…

The molten iron churned and bubbled as it was stirred, emitting plumes of black smoke—that was carbon burning.

The color gradually changed from golden red to bright white, like molten silver.

"Stop!" Xiao Chen pulled back the iron rod, the tip of which was already red-hot.

"Out of the oven!"

The molten iron flows out and is poured into a sand mold.

After cooling, the sand mold was broken open, revealing a silvery-white iron ingot inside.

It makes a clear, crisp sound when struck, like a jade chime.

"It's done!"

The blacksmith picked up a piece, examined it closely, and then filed it with a file. The cross-section was a uniform silvery-white color, without any air bubbles or impurities.

"Your Highness, that's truly steel! Excellent steel!"

Xiao Chen also picked up a piece, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be heavy.

He tapped it with another iron ingot, and it rang out with a pleasant sound.

"Try forging the knife."

The steel ingots were reheated until red-hot and then forged on an anvil.

The blacksmith swung his hammer himself, and sparks flew everywhere with each strike.

The steel ingot deforms and stretches under hammering, but it is not as brittle as pig iron; it is very tough.

After hundreds of hammer blows, the basic shape of a knife emerged.

Quenching, sharpening, and attaching the handle.

"Your Highness, please try it." Blacksmith Ou handed the knife to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen took it, casually swung it, and chopped at a wooden stake about the size of a bowl next to him.

Swish!

The wooden stake broke instantly, leaving a clean cut.

"What a fine knife!" the surrounding craftsmen cheered in unison.

The blacksmith was so excited his hands were trembling: "Your Highness, this method is miraculous! If we use this steel to forge weapons, they will be ten times stronger than the old iron swords!"

"Then let's fight."

Xiao Chen said, "From today onwards, half of the Imperial Works Department will be dedicated to forging weapons. Swords, spears, arrowheads, armor—all will be forged. Also—"

He paused for a moment, then said, "I want you to develop a new weapon."

"What weapon?"

"crossbow."

Xiao Chen said, "Bows have a short range and require great strength. Crossbows have a long range and are easy to learn. A crossbowman who has been trained for three days can kill an archer who has been trained for three years."

Crossbows were not a new thing in the Xia Dynasty.

However, standard crossbows are military equipment, and civilians are not allowed to manufacture them privately.

Moreover, the process is complex and the cost is high, making it unaffordable for ordinary border troops.

"Your Highness, the craftsmanship of the crossbow..." the blacksmith hesitated.

"I'll teach you," Xiao Chen said.

In his previous life, he had studied ancient weapons out of interest.

I've learned about the Shenbi crossbow from the Song Dynasty and the Zhuge crossbow from the Ming Dynasty.

While we can't make the original version, a simplified version is still possible.

He found paper and pen and began to draw.

The crossbow body is made of hardwood, the crossbow arm is made of steel sheet, and the crossbow mechanism is made of fine steel.

Draw the arrow groove, the sight, the trigger, one by one.

The dimensions, proportions, and materials were also specified.

The blacksmith was dumbfounded.

"Your Highness, you...you know about this?"

"I learned it from books."

Xiao Chen brushed it off, asking, "Can you do it?"

"able!"

Blacksmith Ou examined the blueprints carefully. "The process is complex, but it's doable. It's just that the steel sheet needs to be made of good steel; ordinary iron won't do."

"Steel produced using the smelting method."

"yes!"

Over the next few days, the Industrial Development Division focused all its efforts on overcoming the challenges.

The first crossbow was made seven days later.

The crossbow body was made of elm wood, which was hard and heavy.

The crossbow arm was made of steel sheet, and the string was made of rubber bands.

The crossbow was made of high-quality steel and had a sensitive trigger.

The crossbow is about three feet long and weighs about ten pounds; one person can operate it.

"Give it a try," Xiao Chen said.

The shooting range was set outside the city, and the targets were straw figures, a hundred paces away.

The blacksmith personally operated the crossbow, cocking it, nocking the arrow, aiming, and pulling the trigger.

Whoosh!

The crossbow bolt pierced the air, striking the straw man squarely in the chest and exiting through his back.

"Great!" the crowd cheered.

"How far is the range?" Xiao Chen asked.

"One hundred and twenty paces, and you can still wear leather armor."

The blacksmith exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, this crossbow is much better than a bow and arrow! It's just that it's slow to wind up; you have to use your foot to cock it."

"That's enough."

Xiao Chen nodded. "On the battlefield, crossbowmen can take turns firing to maintain firepower. Moreover, crossbow bolts can be pre-made, and their rate of fire is not slow."

"Then...how many should we make?"

"Make a hundred first."

Xiao Chen said, "Five thousand crossbow bolts. In addition, make twenty more powerful crossbows with a range of two hundred paces, capable of penetrating iron armor."

"yes!"

The Armory was officially established and located next to the Manufacturing Bureau.

Master blacksmith Ou was the head craftsman, with thirty craftsmen under his command, working day and night to complete the project.

Knives, guns, crossbows, and arrows were all made one by one.

The armory of Hanyuan was gradually filling up.

That day, Murong Xue came to find Xiao Chen.

"Your Highness, I have some ideas about the bow and arrows you requested."

"explain."

"The bows of the grasslands are made of a combination of cow horn, cow sinew, and bamboo. Although their range is not as long as that of a crossbow, they have a faster rate of fire and are easy to carry."

Murong Xue said, "Moreover, there is a kind of 'armor-piercing arrow' on the grassland. The arrowhead is triangular with barbs and can pierce iron armor. I can teach craftsmen to make it."

"Can you do it?"

"meeting."

Murong Xue nodded, "When I was in Northern Yan, I learned from the masters at the Ordnance Bureau."

Xiao Chen gave her a deep look.

This princess of Northern Yan is skilled in medicine, mathematics, iron smelting, and now she also knows how to make bows.

Just how many more skills does she have up her sleeve?

"Alright, go to the armory and teach them how to make it. Tell Uncle Fu what materials they need."

"Yes."

Murong Xue went to the arms workshop and indeed found out she was truly skilled.

She taught the craftsmen to glue together the bow arms using ox horn pieces, ox sinew, and bamboo strips, then bond them together with fish glue and wrap them with silk thread.

The bow that was made, although not as strong as the bows of the grasslands, was much better than the original bamboo bows of Hanyuan.

The armor-piercing arrows have also been made; they have triangular arrowheads, blood grooves, and are coated with poison.

An arrow shot out can penetrate two layers of leather armor.

With good bows and arrows, the archers of Jingbei Camp were like tigers with wings.

Zhang Meng personally trained one hundred crossbowmen, divided into three teams, to take turns firing.

Arrows rained down, and within a hundred paces, not a blade of grass grew.

Wang Dashan trained three hundred swordsmen and shieldmen to fight in formation, combining offense and defense.

Zhao Tie trained two hundred spearmen, forming a dense forest of spears that made it difficult for cavalry to approach.

The army of Han Yuan gradually took shape.

That day, Xiao Chen was watching the training on the training ground when Zhao Tie rushed over.

"Your Highness, Batu has replied."

"How so?"

"He said he was willing to cooperate with the prince, but on one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"He wants the prince to help him get rid of Harbala."

Zhao Tie lowered his voice, "Harbala has recently been contacting Northern Yan, wanting to exchange warhorses for weapons. If he succeeds, Batu will have no chance."

Get rid of Harbala.

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment.

"Tell him I can help him. But after it's done, he must guarantee that he won't invade the border south for three years. And he must open trade routes so that caravans from Hanyuan can travel freely."

"Yes, I will reply immediately."

Zhao Tie left, and Xiao Chen stood on the training ground, gazing northward.

Harbala, the leader of the pro-war faction of the Canglang tribe, a wolf of the grasslands.

Getting rid of him won't be easy.

But it has to be done.

Because he is not dead, the Cold Abyss will never have a peaceful day.

"Your Highness," Murong Xue approached, holding a bow in her hand, "The first batch of bows is finished, fifty in total. Please try them out."

Xiao Chen took the bow, pulled it, and found the string fully drawn.

Nock an armor-piercing arrow, aim at the target a hundred paces away, and release.

The arrow flew like a shooting star, hitting the bullseye perfectly.

"A fine bow," he praised.

"Your Highness," Murong Xue hesitated for a moment before saying, "there is something I want to tell you."

"explain."

"My father... the Emperor of Northern Yan, has decided to send troops."

Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed: "When? How many people? From where?"

"When the snow melts in spring, the army of 100,000 will split into two routes. One route will take the northern pass, and the other will attack the cold abyss."

Murong Xue's voice was very low, "The commander-in-chief of the route to Hanyuan is my third uncle, the Left Wise Prince Murong Han. He... he will first send someone to persuade you to surrender. If the prince does not surrender, then we will launch a full-scale attack."

Persuade?

Xiao Chen smiled.

"Have your third uncle come over. I'm available; I'll talk to him."

Murong Xue looked at him, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Your Highness, my third uncle... is very capable. He is a brilliant strategist and is known as the 'God of War' in Northern Yan. You must be careful."

"No matter how powerful a military god is, once he arrives at the Cold Abyss, he must follow my rules."

Xiao Chen said, "Please pass on a message to him for me."

"What did you say?"

"Just say, Han Yuan has fine wine, roasted meat, and friends. If he comes as a guest, I welcome him. If he comes to fight—"

Xiao Chen paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "The walls of Hanyuan will be the graveyard of his Northern Yan army."

Murong Xue trembled and lowered her head: "Yes, I will pass on the message."

She left, and Xiao Chen stood alone on the training ground, gazing at the bow in his hand.

The bow is stiff, and the string is tight.

The situation in the North is extremely tense.

But the tighter it is, the more powerful it becomes.

"Issue the order," he said to his personal guards, "all troops on high alert, reinforce the city's defenses. Tell everyone that there will be a tough battle after spring."

"yes!"

A cold wind blew, swirling up snowflakes.

But inside Hanyuan City, it was steaming hot.

The furnace is burning, the hammer is clanging, and the bowstring is taut.

A great battle is about to begin.

Xiao Chen was already prepared.