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

The first hoot of the owl in the capital city was quickly answered.

That evening, Zhao Tie brought back important news.

"Your Highness, Night Owl has intercepted a letter while keeping watch outside the Yong Prince's residence." Zhao Tie took out a leather envelope from his pocket, sealed with wax and stamped with the Yong Prince's private seal.

Xiao Chen took the letter, carefully used his dagger to pry open the sealing wax, and pulled out the letter inside. The letter was written in cipher, but someone in Night Owl's crew who understood cipher had already deciphered it.

"Your Majesty, Prince Yong: Cao Bin's affair has been exposed, and Han Yuan must have made preparations. I believe that the most urgent task is to eliminate Xiao Chen. Tomorrow at the banquet in the Taihe Hall, I have already poisoned the wine with a poison called 'Three-Day Intoxication.' It is colorless and odorless, and its effects will only appear three days after drinking, resembling a sudden death from an acute illness. The imperial physicians will be unable to detect it, and the people of the world will have nothing to say. At that time, Your Highness can submit a memorial stating that Xiao Chen has died suddenly from an illness, leaving the Northern Border without a ruler, and Your Highness can take over accordingly. If this plan succeeds, the Northern Border can be secured. If it fails, I will commit suicide and will never implicate Your Highness. Your Majesty, I, Li An, bow my head."

Ang Lee?

Xiao Chen remembered this person; he was the chief secretary of the Yong Prince's residence and a trusted advisor to the Yong Prince. He never expected that the Yong Prince would send him personally to carry out the deed.

"Poisoning..." Xiao Chen sneered, "Prince Yong can't wait any longer and wants to make his move at the banquet."

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Zhao Tie asked gravely. "How about... we feign illness and not go tomorrow?"

"If we don't go, it will be disobeying the imperial decree, giving Prince Yong even more reason to take action." Xiao Chen shook his head. "Besides, we can't hide forever. If Prince Yong is going to make a move, he won't just prepare one move."

"That……"

"Let's play along." A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "He wants to poison us, right? Let's let him. But the one who gets poisoned has to be someone else."

"other people?"

"Yes," Xiao Chen said. "There will be envoys from Northern Yan and the grasslands at the banquet tomorrow. If either the Northern Yan or the grassland envoys are poisoned, what do you think will happen to Prince Yong?"

Zhao Tie gasped.

If the envoys from Northern Yan or the grasslands are poisoned, the matter will escalate significantly. Northern Yan and the grasslands will be furious, and the imperial court will have to provide an explanation. At that point, Prince Yong will be the prime suspect. Forget about harming Xiao Chen; he himself will be in grave danger.

"But...but how can we poison the envoys from Northern Yan or the grasslands?"

"We don't need to lift a finger," Xiao Chen said. "Prince Yong will help us. Since he poisoned the wine, all the guests' wine will be poisoned. We just need to make sure that the envoys from Northern Yan or the grasslands drink that cup of wine."

"Then let's..."

"We won't drink it," Xiao Chen said calmly. "I have a way to render the poison ineffective."

"What method?"

Xiao Chen didn't answer, but took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, poured out two pills, swallowed one himself, and handed the other to Zhao Tie.

"This is an antidote pill given by Murong Xue; it can cure all poisons. Before the banquet tomorrow, have everyone take one. The Prince of Yong's poison cannot harm us."

Zhao Tie was relieved and swallowed the pill.

"That envoy from Northern Yan, from the grasslands..."

"Them?" Xiao Chen laughed. "They'll be careful. The envoys from Northern Yan and the grasslands aren't pushovers either. How could they not be wary of poison when attending a banquet in an enemy country? I bet they brought their own people to test for poison, or they simply won't drink the palace wine at all."

"Then...then our plan has fallen through?"

"No," Xiao Chen shook his head. "If they don't drink, we can 'help' them drink. We'll see how things go tomorrow."

"Yes."

The next day, at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The banquet was held in the evening, but guests began to enter the palace in the afternoon.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest palace in the Forbidden City, usually used for grand court assemblies and important celebrations. Today, it is being used for a banquet of extremely high caliber. The hall is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, musicians play elegant music, and palace maids and eunuchs move about busily.

Xiao Chen arrived on time, accompanied by Zhao Tie and ten Hanyuan Guards. The Northern Yan envoy, Tuoba Hong, and the grassland envoy, Aguda, also arrived, each with five guards. The three were seated near the throne, demonstrating the emperor's high regard for them.

Prince Yong, Xiao Jing, sat opposite him, his face grim, but he forced a smile. Several trusted ministers sat beside him, including Li An.

At the start of the banquet, Emperor Xiao Yan uttered a few polite words, nothing more than platitudes like "brothers in harmony" and "national peace and prosperity." Then he announced the start of the banquet.

The wine and dishes were served in a continuous stream. The wine was imperial wine, and the dishes were imperial cuisine, exquisite and abundant. But the guests had different thoughts, and few of them were actually eating and drinking.

Xiao Chen picked up the wine glass and smelled it. The wine had a pleasant aroma, with no unpleasant odor. But he knew the poison was in the wine.

"Your Highness," Zhao Tie whispered a reminder, "don't drink."

Xiao Chen nodded, pretending to take a sip, but actually didn't drink it. He glanced around at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

Tuoba Hong and Aguda were also very cautious. Among the guards they brought, some were specifically tasked with testing for poison. Every dish and every cup of wine had to be tasted first to confirm it was free of poison before they dared to eat it.

But the person who tests the poison only tests it on their own master's portion. They won't test it on others.

This gave Xiao Chen an opportunity.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. The ministers began to toast each other and exchange compliments. Prince Yong also stood up, holding his wine cup, and walked to Xiao Chen.

"Seventh Brother, it's been a long time since we brothers have had a drink together." Xiao Jing smiled, but his eyes were cold. "Come, let me toast you, wishing you peace and prosperity in guarding the northern border."

Xiao Chen stood up and raised his wine glass: "Thank you, Fourth Brother. I also wish you good health and all your wishes come true."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Of course, Xiao Chen was faking it. He'd bring the wine to his lips, then cover it with his sleeve and pour it all into it. The robe he was wearing today had oilcloth sewn into the sleeves to hold the wine.

Xiao Jing drank real wine, but he had taken the antidote beforehand, so he wasn't afraid.

After finishing his drink, Xiao Jing didn't leave. Instead, he turned to Tuoba Hong and Aguda beside him.

"You two envoys have come a long way and have had a hard time. I would also like to offer you a toast."

Tuoba Hong and Aguda quickly stood up and raised their wine glasses.

"Thank you, Prince Yong."

The three clinked glasses, and just as Tuoba Hong and Aguda were about to drink, Xiao Chen suddenly spoke up.

"Wait a minute."

Everyone looked at him.

Xiao Chen smiled and said, "My envoys, this wine is the imperial wine of our Great Xia, with a mellow flavor. But you two come from Northern Yan and the grasslands, and are used to strong liquor. I'm afraid you won't be used to this mild taste. How about we switch to something stronger?"

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Tie brought over two cups of wine, which were clear yellow in color and had a strong aroma.

"This is 'Hanyuan Shao' that I brought from the North. It's brewed from sorghum and has an alcohol content of 60 degrees. Please try it and see if it suits your taste."

Tuoba Hong and Aguda exchanged a glance, both hesitant.

Bringing your own drinks to a palace banquet is against the rules. But Xiao Chen is a prince and one of the hosts, so it's not easy to refuse his toast.

Moreover, they genuinely couldn't get used to the mellow taste of the imperial wine. Han Yuan Shao, just by smelling it, was clearly a strong liquor, which suited their taste perfectly.

"Since Your Highness is so kind, then I shall respectfully accept your offer." Tuoba Hong accepted the wine cup.

Aguda accepted it too.

The two drank it all in one gulp and exclaimed, "Great wine! Strong enough!"

Xiao Chen smiled and looked at Prince Yong.

Prince Yong's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He had originally intended to offer a toast, tricking Tuoba Hong and Aguda into drinking poisoned wine, and then frame Xiao Chen for it. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen intervened halfway and intercepted the poisoned wine with his own.

Moreover, Xiao Chen's wine was poured by Zhao Tie on the spot, so it couldn't possibly be poisoned. The poisoned wine is still on the table, and no one has drunk it.

The plan fell through.

But Prince Yong remained calm; he had a backup plan.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere became tense. Members of Prince Yong's faction began taking turns toasting Xiao Chen, trying to get him drunk or force him to drink poison.

But Xiao Chen was prepared. Each time a toast was offered, he pretended to drink, or had Zhao Tie drink it for him. Zhao Tie had a high alcohol tolerance and accepted all offers; after drinking around the room, his face didn't even turn red.

Halfway through the banquet, an accident occurred.

A palace maid was pouring wine for Prince Yong when her hand slipped, and the wine pot fell to the ground and shattered. The wine splashed all over Prince Yong.

"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!" The palace maid was so frightened that she knelt down and kowtowed.

Prince Yong's face turned ashen, but in front of the emperor and all the officials, he could not lash out, so he could only wave her away.

Xiao Chen watched coldly, a sneer in his heart.

This palace maid is one of Night Owl's people.

The broken wine pot belonged to Prince Yong's table. Inside was poisoned wine.

Now that the poisoned wine has been spilled, Prince Yong no longer has the opportunity to poison the wine.

The banquet continued, but Prince Yong was clearly restless. He frequently glanced at Li An, whose face was also pale.

The plans are all messed up.

When the banquet ended, Xiao Chen was unharmed. The envoys from Northern Yan and the grasslands were also unharmed.

Only Prince Yong, having drunk a bellyful of wine in frustration, looked pale and unwell.

"Your Highness, we succeeded." Zhao Tie said in a low voice on the way back to the inn.

"It's not over yet." Xiao Chen shook his head. "Prince Yong won't give up. Since he failed to poison him, he must have other plans. Have Night Owl keep a close eye on him and see what he does next."

"Yes."

That same evening, the Night Owl delivered new information.

"Your Highness, after Prince Yong returned to his residence, he flew into a rage and berated Li An mercilessly. Then, he sent someone to the 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' in the west of the city to bring someone into his residence."

"Who is it?"

"He's a Taoist priest named Qingyunzi. It's said he's skilled in alchemy and also knows how to use poison. Prince Yong brought him into the mansion, probably intending to harm you in some other way."

Taoist priest? Alchemist? Poisoner?

Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold.

"Have Night Owl keep a close eye on Qingyunzi, see what he does, who he meets, and what pills he refines. Report to me immediately if there's any movement."

"yes!"

On the third day, the owl sent another message.

"Qingyunzi built an alchemy room in the backyard of the Yongwang Mansion, where he refined elixirs day and night. What he refined is unknown. However, he bought a lot of medicinal herbs from outside, some of which were highly poisonous."

Highly poisonous.

Prince Yong is trying a different method of poisoning.

Xiao Chen pondered for a moment.

"Zhao Tie, take a few men and sneak into Prince Yong's mansion tonight to see what Qingyunzi is practicing. Be careful and don't alert him."

"yes!"

That night, Zhao Tie, along with three skilled Night Owls, changed into night clothes and sneaked into the Yong Prince's residence.

The Prince Yong's mansion was heavily guarded, but the Night Owls were all experts in stealth and easily evaded the patrolling guards, sneaking into the alchemy room in the backyard.

The alchemy room was brightly lit, and an old Taoist priest in a robe was busy at the alchemy furnace. The fire roared, and the smell of medicine was pungent.

Zhao Tie hid outside the window and peered inside through the crack.

Qingyunzi took out a small porcelain bottle from his robes, poured out some black powder, and sprinkled it into the alchemy furnace. The powder hissed and emitted faint green smoke when it came into contact with the fire.

That's... arsenic?

Zhao Tie was startled.

Qingyunzi wasn't refining elixirs, he was concocting poison!

And it was highly poisonous arsenic!

Zhao Tie dared not linger and quietly retreated back to the post station to report to Xiao Chen.

"Arsenic..." Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with cold light. "Prince Yong is going to kill us. Arsenic mixed with wine is colorless and odorless, but its poison is extremely potent. Once poisoned, even a god cannot save you."

"Your Highness, what should we do?"

"Now that we know, we can't let him succeed," Xiao Chen said. "Zhao Tie, take some men to Qing Yunzi's residence and replace all the poison he's concocted with flour. Then, add some 'ingredients' to his medicinal herbs."

"Add what?"

"Croton tiglium." Xiao Chen sneered, "Doesn't he like alchemy? Let him try, and what he'll produce is a laxative."

Zhao Tie's eyes lit up: "Understood!"

That night, Qingyunzi's alchemy room was robbed. The thieves didn't steal gold or silver, but replaced all the refined "poison" with flour and added a large amount of croton powder to the medicinal materials.

When Qingyunzi was refining the elixir the next day, he didn't notice anything unusual. The "poison" he produced, however, was not only not poisonous, but also had a strange taste. He tasted a little himself and immediately became so weak from diarrhea that he couldn't get out of bed.

When Prince Yong found out, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood, but he dared not make a sound and could only swallow his anger.

Xiao Chen, on the other hand, safely weathered the three most dangerous days in the capital.

When his three-day term is up, he should return to the North.

But before he left, there was one more thing he wanted to do.

"Zhao Tie, give Night Owl a message. Spread the word in the capital that Prince Yong is privately concocting poison and intends to murder Prince Zhenbei. As for evidence... there should still be some 'good stuff' left in Qingyunzi's alchemy room. Let Night Owl 'accidentally' leak it to the Censorate."

"yes!"

Prince Yong, are you planning to play dirty tricks?

I'll play with you.

Let's see who can outmaneuver whom.