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

ferry

It was early morning, just as dawn was breaking.

The Qinglan Ferry was shrouded in a thin mist, and the river water was bluish-gray, swirling eastward.

This is the first major river that must be crossed after leaving the capital. The river is over a hundred feet wide, and the official road leading north is on the opposite bank.

The ferry crossing was very simple, consisting of a few dilapidated wooden houses and a crooked dock.

Two ferries were moored on the shore, their hulls worn and their canopies letting in the wind.

Xiao Chen's carriage stopped outside the ferry.

"Your Highness, the boatman said that only twenty people can be carried at a time, and horses and carriages must be carried in batches."

Wang Dashan came over to report, "We have a lot of people, so we need to make three trips. Let His Highness's carriages and horses pass first, and I will lead men to escort them."

Xiao Chen lifted the carriage curtain and took a look.

A misty haze hung over the river, obscuring the view from the opposite bank.

Besides them, there were a few merchants and porters waiting for the boat at the ferry crossing. They were all huddled up, warming their hands and stamping their feet because of the cold.

"Uncle Zhao, do you see anything wrong with this ferry crossing?" Xiao Chen suddenly asked.

Zhao Tie, who had been observing his surroundings, said in a low voice, "The ferry crossing is too quiet. Qinglan Ferry is a major route northward; it should be bustling with carriages and pedestrians on ordinary days, but today..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was clear.

It's too quiet, abnormally quiet.

"Let the brothers be on their toes."

Xiao Chen said, "When crossing the river, I never let go of the knife."

"Yes."

The first ship is ready.

Xiao Chen's carriage was pushed onto the ramp, with Zhao Tie, Uncle Fu, and Amu following beside it.

Wang Dashan selected eighteen veterans to board the ship, all of whom were relatively skilled.

The boat was an old wooden boat, with a cabin that could hold about twenty people.

The boatman was a man in his fifties, his face weathered and worn. He kept his head down, poling the boat, and didn't say much.

"Let's set sail!" the boatman shouted, and with a push of his bamboo pole, the boat slowly moved away from the shore.

The river is not rushing, but it is very deep.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, the fog became even thicker, and the banks were almost invisible.

The only sounds were the rushing water and the splashing of bamboo poles entering the water.

Xiao Chen sat in the car, his hand constantly pressed against the dagger at his waist.

Suddenly, the ship lurched violently.

"Ouch!" Uncle Fu lost his balance and almost fell.

Zhao Tie grabbed him and steadied him, his sharp eyes sweeping over the boatman.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

The boatman quickly smiled apologetically, "There were hidden stakes underwater, I bumped into one."

The ship continued its journey.

With about twenty paces to go before reaching the opposite bank, the boatman suddenly said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the current is swift ahead, we need to dock. Please disembark first, and I will steady the boat."

Wang Dashan frowned: "We're not there yet!"

"Almost there, almost there," the boatman said with a smile. "Look at this gangplank, we need to get on first, don't we?"

As he spoke, he pushed a gangplank off the boat and placed it on the wooden piles of the dock.

The springboard wobbled precariously and looked unstable.

"Your Highness, please."

The boatman bowed.

Xiao Chen got out of the car and walked to the bow of the boat.

He glanced at the gangplank, then at the boatman. The boatman's head was down, so his expression was unreadable.

"Uncle Zhao, help Uncle Fu across first," Xiao Chen said.

Zhao Tie understood, and helped Uncle Fu carefully onto the plank.

The gangplank creaked, but it was still relatively stable. The two reached the other side safely.

"Your Highness, please," said Wang Dashan.

Xiao Chen nodded and stepped onto the springboard.

Just as he reached the middle of the diving board—

"Snap!"

A crisp sound.

The springboard broke in the middle!

Xiao Chen plunged into the river.

The icy river water instantly submerged my head, and the biting cold felt like thousands of needles piercing my body.

He instinctively held his breath, trying to float to the surface, but felt a tightness in his ankle—

Someone was pulling him from underwater!

It wasn't an accident.

It was murder.

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. He drew the dagger from his waist and stabbed downwards based on his instincts.

The dagger pierced a mass of soft flesh, and the hand gripping his ankle loosened for a moment.

He seized the opportunity to break free and struggled upstream.

"His Highness has fallen into the water!"

"Help! Save them!"

On the shore and on the boat, there were gasps of surprise.

Without a second thought, Zhao Tie jumped into the river.

He was from the north and not a very good swimmer, but he couldn't care less at the moment.

He swam desperately toward Xiao Chen, only to see another dark shadow approaching underwater.

"There's someone underwater!" Zhao Tie roared, drawing his sword and plunging it into the water.

Wang Dashan also jumped in, and the other veterans who could swim followed suit.

For a moment, water splashed everywhere on the river surface.

Xiao Chen had surfaced, panting heavily.

He saw Zhao Tiezheng fighting with a man in black in the water. The man in black was an excellent swimmer, as agile as a fish.

Zhao Tie was stabbed in the leg, and the blood stained the river red.

"Your Highness, get ashore quickly!" Wang Dashan swam over and stood protectively in front of Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen did not move.

He looked at the dark figures underwater; there were at least three or four of them.

These people are skilled swimmers; they are clearly water ghosts who were prepared in advance.

A ferry crossing, a broken plank, a water ghost—this was a meticulously planned assassination, disguised as an accidental drowning.

Are you that afraid of me going to the Cold Abyss?

He sneered inwardly, then suddenly took a deep breath and submerged back into the water.

"Your Highness!" Wang Dashan exclaimed.

The underwater water is murky, and visibility is very low.

Xiao Chen opened his eyes and saw Zhao Tie being attacked by two men in black, struggling to defend himself.

He swam over silently and approached a man in black from behind.

The man in black was completely focused on dealing with Zhao Tie and didn't notice anything amiss.

Xiao Chen's dagger pierced his back, twisted, and then pulled out.

The man in black froze and slowly sank.

Another man in black sensed something was wrong, turned around and saw Xiao Chen, his eyes flashing with horror.

He opened his mouth to shout, but river water poured into his mouth instead.

Xiao Chen didn't give him a chance, and the dagger slashed across his throat.

Blood mist spread through the water.

Zhao Tie took a break and surfaced for air.

Xiao Chen also surfaced, and the two exchanged a glance, both seeing the killing intent in each other's eyes.

"There are two more," Xiao Chen said.

"It's at the bottom of the boat." Zhao Tie wiped the water from his face.

At this moment, the veteran on the other side had already rowed over in another boat.

The veteran on the ship drew his bow and fired a barrage of arrows at the water.

Although their aim was off, their momentum was intimidating.

The man in black underwater, sensing danger, tried to escape.

"Trying to run?" Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold as he dived back into the water.

He saw the two men in black crawling into a clump of water plants at the bottom of the river, where there was a vaguely visible opening.

Yes, these people must have already figured out the riverbed terrain and even prepared an escape route.

But Xiao Chen didn't intend to let them leave.

He swam over and grabbed the foot of the man in black who was lagging behind.

The man turned around, saw it was Xiao Chen, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he stabbed at him with a backhand.

Underwater movements are slow, and Xiao Chen dodged to the side, the dagger piercing his ribs.

The man in black winced in pain, spitting out a string of bubbles. Xiao Chen didn't let go, dragging him towards the surface.

As they approached the water's surface, the man in black suddenly struggled and pulled something from his pocket—a poisoned caltrop that gleamed eerily in the dim water.

He wanted to die together with his captives.

Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with anger. He released his grip and kicked him in the chest.

The man in black fell backward, but the iron caltrop in his hand flew out and grazed Xiao Chen's arm.

My sleeve was torn, and blood was seeping out.

Xiao Chen didn't care and surfaced.

Zhao Tie and Wang Dashan had already subdued the man in black and pinned him to the side of the boat.

"One of them escaped," Zhao Tie said, panting.

Xiao Chen glanced at the clump of water plants; the water surface had returned to calm.

One ran away, but that's enough.

"Let's get ashore first," he said.

The crowd quickly pulled Xiao Chen onto the boat.

Uncle Fu rushed over, tears streaming down his face: "Your Highness, are you alright? You scared this old servant to death..."

"fine."

Xiao Chen waved his hand and glanced at the injury on his arm.

The wound wasn't deep, but the blood was black.

poison.

"Uncle Zhao, the dagger." He held out his hand.

Zhao Tie understood, pulled out his dagger, heated it over the fire, and then cut open the wound.

Black blood gushed out, dripping onto the ship's deck with a sizzling sound.

Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he didn't utter a sound.

Only when the blood turned red did Zhao Tie tear off a piece of his shirt to bandage him.

"Your Highness, this poison..." Wang Dashan said worriedly.

"It's not fatal; it's an anesthetic."

Xiao Chen's face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were clear. "They didn't intend to kill me underwater; they wanted to drug me and fake my drowning."

Well thought out.

If it was truly a drowning, there would be no way to find out the cause.

Even if someone has doubts, they can't find any evidence.

The boat docked.

The man in black who had been captured was dragged up and pressed to the ground.

The boatman tried to run away, but the old soldier kicked him to the ground and tied him up tightly.

Xiao Chen walked up to the man in black and squatted down.

The man in black had his jaw dislocated and couldn't speak; he could only stare blankly.

"I know you want to die," Xiao Chen looked at him, "and I know you won't say it. But I don't need you to say it."

He reached out and groped inside the man in black's clothes.

Soon, he pulled out a few items: a dagger, some broken silver pieces, and a wooden plaque.

The wooden plaque was the same as the one worn by the group from Black Pine Ridge; it was dark and somber, engraved with an eagle, and had the number nine on the back.

"Scouts from the Ninth Battalion."

Xiao Chen stroked the wooden plaque. "The commander of the Ninth Battalion is surnamed Zhou, Zhou Tong's cousin. Zhou Tong is the garrison commander of Zhenbei Pass, and a man of the Fourth Prince."

The man in black's pupils contracted.

"See, I know everything."

Xiao Chen stood up and said to Zhao Tie, "Reattach his jaw; I have questions for you."

Zhao Tie stepped forward and, with a snap, put the man in black's chin back in place.

"I'll give you a chance to live," Xiao Chen said. "Tell me how many of you came, and if you have any backup plans. Tell me, and I'll let you go."

The man in black spat out a mouthful of blood: "Kill me if you want, stop talking nonsense."

"He has backbone."

Xiao Chen nodded and said to Wang Dashan, "Tie him up tightly and throw him back into the river. Remember, tie his hands and feet, but don't gag him."

Wang Dashan was taken aback, then understood, and grinned maliciously, "Yes!"

Several veterans stepped forward, tied the man in black up like a dumpling with hemp rope, lifted him up, and walked towards the river.

"What are you going to do? Kill me! Kill me!" the man in black shouted as he struggled.

"I won't kill you," Xiao Chen said calmly, "I'll just let you experience what it's like to wait to die in the water. The river is cold; at most, an incense stick's time will pass before you freeze. Then you'll slowly sink, water will rush in through your nose and mouth, your lungs will feel like they're on fire, you'll want to scream but can't, you'll want to move but can't..."

He spoke calmly, but every word was like an icicle, piercing the man in black's heart.

The man in black was carried to the riverbank, one foot already submerged in the water.

The icy river water sent a chill down his spine.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

He finally broke down. "There were eight of us—four underwater and four on the shore, mixed in with the merchants! The original plan was to wait for His Highness to fall into the water, then take advantage of the chaos to create confusion and have His Highness... to have His Highness die in the chaos!"

"Where are the four on the shore?" Xiao Chen asked.

"In that teahouse at the east end, disguised as a cloth merchant!"

Xiao Chen glanced at Wang Dashan.

Wang Dashan understood and led twenty veterans to the teahouse quietly.

Soon, the sounds of fighting came from the teahouse, but they quickly subsided.

Wang Dashan brought back four men, all dressed as ordinary merchants, but their waists were bulging, clearly concealing weapons.

"Your Highness, we've captured them all," Wang Dashan reported.

Xiao Chen nodded and looked at the man in black: "You can leave now."

The man in black was taken aback: "Really...really letting me go?"

"I keep my word."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, "Untie him, give him a horse, and let him return to the capital to report the news."

The veterans untied the man in black and actually brought over a horse.

The man in black hesitated for a moment, then mounted his horse and rode away without looking back.

"Your Highness, are you really letting him go?" Zhao Tie asked, puzzled.

"Someone has to go back and report," Xiao Chen said, watching the man in black walk away. "Tell Fourth Brother that I've seen his methods. Next time, find someone more skillful."

He turned and looked at the boatman who was tied up.

The boatman was already paralyzed with fear, his trousers soaked with sweat, and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! I didn't know anything! They forced me to do it! They said if I didn't do as they said, they would kill my whole family..."

"How much did they pay you?" Xiao Chen asked.

"One hundred taels..."

"One hundred taels of silver, and I'll pay for your unscrupulous act of harming people."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "I won't kill you, but I'm requisitioning your boat. Uncle Fu, give him ten taels of silver as payment for the boat."

Uncle Fu took out a silver ingot and threw it in front of the boatman.

The boatman was stunned: "Your Highness..."

"Get out." Xiao Chen said only one word.

The boatman grabbed the silver and ran away as fast as he could.

The ferry crossing returned to calm, but the air still reeked of blood.

On the river, the bodies of two men in black floated up and down, and were soon swept away by the river.

Xiao Chen walked to the riverbank and looked at the murky water.

"This is the second time," he said in a low voice.

"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince is determined to take your life."

Zhao Tie was deeply worried. "We've only been out of Beijing for three days, and two groups have already come. What will happen on the road ahead..."

"The road ahead will be even more difficult."

Xiao Chen turned around and looked at everyone, "But I'm afraid it won't help."

From this day forward, let's consider ourselves dead. What is there to fear after dying once?

The veterans were all looking at him.

This sixteen-year-old boy had just escaped death; his face was still pale, but his eyes were firm and his back was straight.

"Wang Dashan".

"Your humble servant is here!"

"Write down the names of the fallen brothers, and double their compensation. Treat the wounded well. Distribute all the captured weapons and horses."

"yes!"

"Uncle Zhao, rearrange the itinerary. From today onwards, we will not take the main roads, but the side roads. We will not stay overnight at the post stations, but camp in the wild. The daily route will be decided on the spot and must not be revealed in advance."

"yes!"

"Also," Xiao Chen looked at the opposite bank, "this ferry crossing is no longer usable. Let's find a shallow area nearby and wade across the river."

"Your Highness, this is too dangerous, the river water is icy cold..."

"It's better than being plotted against and killed." Xiao Chen interrupted him. "Go and prepare."

The group split up and took action separately.

Xiao Chen walked to the carriage, took out the map from his luggage, and drew an X on the location of "Qinglan Ferry".

Then he drew a new route, winding and twisting, avoiding all possible dangers.

"Fourth Brother," he said softly, looking at the map, "the more anxious you are, the less anxious I am. Let's take our time."

A river breeze blew by, lifting a corner of the map.

On the map, the new route, like a winding snake, extends silently northward.