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

Although the plague was brought under control, Han Yuan suffered a severe blow.

Although most of the more than two thousand patients have recovered, they are still weak and need recuperation.

More than 500 people died and need compensation; their families need to be settled.

More than half of the grain reserves have been used up, the medicinal herbs are almost exhausted, and the silver treasury is nearly empty.

To make matters worse, the autumn harvest is imminent, but there is a shortage of labor.

People who have recovered from illness cannot do heavy work, and healthy people have to take care of the sick and also prevent the recurrence of the plague.

Although the wheat was growing well, there weren't enough people to harvest it, and it was about to rot in the ground.

"Your Highness, this cannot continue."

Han Lie held the account book, his brows furrowed. "The autumn harvest can only last for ten more days at most."

The frost-covered wheat must be harvested within ten days, otherwise a single autumn rain will ruin it all.

But we only have less than five thousand people who can work in the fields right now.

Fifty acres of wheat would require at least a thousand people working for three days. We don't have enough manpower, and we don't have enough time.

Xiao Chen stood on the edge of the field, looking at the golden waves of wheat, feeling anxious.

The crops we've worked so hard to grow can't just be wasted like this.

"Give the order," he said, "that the entire army go to the fields and harvest the grain."

"The entire army?" Wang Dashan was taken aback. "Your Highness, what about the city defenses...?"

"The city's defenses were put under the control of the militia."

Xiao Chen said, "The Hanyuan Guards, the Cangyun Cavalry, and all soldiers, except those on necessary guard duty, should all go to the fields to harvest the wheat. I will go as well."

"Your Highness, this..."

"Execute the command."

"yes!"

Once the order was given, the entire Cold Abyss sprang into action.

The soldiers took off their armor, put on coarse cloth clothes, picked up sickles, and went to the fields.

Xiao Chen also changed into short clothes, and with his personal guards, got off the ground.

The fields are bustling with activity.

Although the soldiers were not good at farm work, they were strong and willing to endure hardship.

Under the guidance of Chen Bo and other experienced farmers, they quickly got the hang of it. The sickles flew, and the wheat straw fell to the ground.

Bundling, transporting, threshing, and drying—a streamlined, orderly process.

Xiao Chen cut for half an hour, and blisters appeared on his hands.

But he didn't stop; he kept cutting. The blisters burst, bleeding, so he wrapped a cloth around his neck and continued cutting.

If even the prince is like this, what else can the soldiers say?

Dry!

In three days, all fifty acres of frost-covered wheat were harvested.

The threshed wheat was piled up into a small mountain. When it was weighed, it weighed 130 shi (a unit of dry measure), 5 shi more than expected.

"Your Highness, the harvest is plentiful!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Uncle Chen burst into tears. "One hundred and thirty shi (a unit of dry measure), enough to feed five thousand people for a month! Our Hanyuan is saved!"

Xiao Chen also breathed a sigh of relief.

With this grain, we can last until the autumn harvest.

By then, the merchant caravans from Jiangnan should be back, bringing back another batch of grain. Han Yuan won't go hungry for the time being.

But once the food problem was solved, another problem arose.

Although the plague has been brought under control, the panic it caused continues to spread.

People dared not go out, dared not gather, and dared not speak to strangers.

The streets were deserted, workshops were shut down, and caravans had ceased operations. The economy of Hanyuan had almost come to a standstill.

"Your Highness, we must think of a way to get the people out."

Han Lie said, "Otherwise, Hanyuan would truly become a dead city."

Xiao Chen thought for a moment.

"Let's hold a temple fair."

"temple fair?"

"right."

Xiao Chen said, "We'll hold a seven-day temple fair in the center of the new district."

They do everything: opera, acrobatics, snacks, markets.

All goods are half price. All entertainment is free to watch.

Tell the people that the plague is over and Hanyuan is safe.

Let them come out to play, go out to shop, and go out to buy things.

"This...this will cost a lot of money."

"flower."

Xiao Chen said, "Money can be earned back once it's spent. But once people's hearts are scattered, they can never be brought back together."

"Make it a big event, make it lively and festive, make everyone happy."

"yes!"

Three days later, the temple fair began.

In the center of the new district, a stage was set up, and an opera troupe was hired to perform "The Dragon and the Phoenix" and "Havoc in Heaven".

The acrobatic troupe performs sword swallowing, fire breathing, and tightrope walking.

The streets were lined with food stalls selling lamb skewers, candied hawthorns, and fried rice cakes, their aromas filling the air.

At the market, cloth, ironware, salt, and coal were sold at half price.

At first, the people were afraid to come out.

But seeing that others had gone there and everything was alright, I slowly came out.

More and more people came, and eventually the entire new district was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.

Laughter, hawking, and cheers filled the air.

Han Yuan has come back to life.

Xiao Chen also changed into casual clothes and strolled around the temple fair with Zhao Tie.

Seeing a vendor selling candied hawthorns, he bought two skewers and handed one to Zhao Tie.

If you see a street performance, stop and watch for a while, then toss in a few coins. If you see a snack, try it out.

At this moment, he was not a prince, but just an ordinary boy.

"Your Highness, look." Zhao Tie pointed ahead.

A crowd had gathered in front of him, and in the middle was a storyteller reciting "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

The people were captivated by the story of Guan Yu passing five passes and slaying six generals.

Xiao Chen also stopped listening.

At the most exciting part of the story, the storyteller slammed his gavel: "To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment!"

The people were not satisfied and demanded that the story be told again.

The storyteller chuckled, "Ladies and gentlemen, it's not that I'm unwilling to tell the story, it's just that the time has come. How about I tell you another tale, 'King Hanyuan Rescues Ten Thousand Armies Alone'?"

"good!"

The people applauded.

The storyteller cleared his throat and began his tale.

"Then came the King of Hanyuan, who was only sixteen years old, and possessed both wisdom and courage. Back then, the King of Yong sent 30,000 troops to besiege Hanyuan. Hanyuan had no more than a thousand soldiers, and the city was only a few feet high. Seeing that the city was about to fall, the King of Hanyuan rode out of the city alone to meet the enemy. He held the Hanyuan Blade in his hand, rode the Snow Steed, and shouted: 'Who dares to fight me?' His voice was like thunder, and the enemy generals were all terrified..."

The story was exaggerated, but the people listened with great enthusiasm.

Xiao Chen smiled, turned and left.

"Your Highness, this storyteller was arranged by Night Owl," Zhao Tie whispered.

"I know."

Xiao Chen said, "The story is well-written, continue. We need to let everyone know that King Hanyuan is a hero, and Hanyuan is invincible."

"Yes."

After wandering around, Xiao Chen returned to the city lord's mansion.

Murong Xue was waiting for him.

"Your Highness, the statistics on smallpox vaccination have been completed."

She handed over a report: "Of the city's 25,000 people, excluding the 500 who died, the remaining 24,500 have all been vaccinated. Among them, more than 200 had severe reactions, but all have recovered. Now, Han Yuan is immune to smallpox."

"it is good."

Xiao Chen nodded. "You've done a great service in this plague. What reward would you like?"

"I don't want any reward."

Murong Xue shook her head, "I just want to... stay in Hanyuan forever."

"Can."

Xiao Chen said, "Hanyuan will always be your home."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Murong Xue withdrew, and Xiao Chen sat alone in the courtroom.

The plague has passed, the temple fair has resumed, and people's hearts have settled down.

But the crisis is not over yet.

Liu Jin rebelled in Jiangnan, and the imperial court failed to suppress him effectively.

The former subordinates of Prince Yong deliberately delayed, hoping to allow Liu Jin to gain more power before they could act and claim credit.

Meanwhile, Murong Han, the Left Wise King of Northern Yan, was still observing the situation.

The wolf tribe of the grasslands was also stirring with restlessness.

The Cold Abyss remains at the eye of the storm.

"Your Highness," Zhao Tie rushed in, "Night Owl has sent word from the capital that Prince Yong... has come out."

"Are you out?"

Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed. "Father, release him?"

"No. It was an imperial edict issued by the Empress Dowager, saying that Prince Yong was framed and was released without charge. He was reinstated to his original position and given the title of 'Grand Tutor' to participate in the deliberation of state affairs."

The Empress Dowager was Prince Yong's maternal grandmother and had always doted on him. Even the Emperor couldn't refuse her presence.

The return of Prince Yong to power was bad news for Xiao Chen.

"Furthermore," Zhao Tie continued, "after the Prince of Yong returned to power, the first thing he did was impeach the Prince, saying that the Prince was 'holding up troops and plotting rebellion' in the northern border. He even produced 'evidence'—account books of our trade with Northern Yan and the grasslands, and... a list of plague victims, saying that the Prince 'disregarded human life and ignored the people's livelihood'."

It's the same old routine again.

This time, however, Prince Yong was wiser and no longer took action himself, but instead let the Censorate handle it.

What was the imperial court's reaction?

"Your Majesty...His Majesty has instructed the Prince to submit a memorial defending himself. The memorial has been drafted and is expected to arrive in ten days."

Self-defense.

Xiao Chen sneered.

This time, he doesn't intend to defend himself.

"Zhao Tie, have Night Owl spread the word in the capital. Say that Prince Yong is colluding with Liu Jin and plotting a rebellion. As for the evidence... Night Owl should be able to get it."

"yes!"

"Furthermore," Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light, "send a letter to Liu Jin. Say that I am willing to cooperate with him and share the world. Jiangnan will belong to him, and Jiangbei will belong to me. Let's see if he dares to accept."

"Your Highness, isn't this... isn't this treason?"

"It's a test."

Xiao Chen said, "If Liu Jin accepts, it means he's feeling guilty and wants to find allies. If he doesn't accept, it means he's ambitious and wants to monopolize the world. Regardless of whether he accepts or not, we have a plan to deal with it."

"Understood."

"Furthermore," Xiao Chen added, "have Wang Dashan intensify his military training. In three months, I want to see a highly capable and battle-hardened elite force. By then, whether we march south to Jiangnan or west to the grasslands, we must be absolutely confident."

"yes!"

Zhao Tie accepted the order and left.

Xiao Chen walked to the map and looked at the mountains and rivers on it.

Cold Abyss, the Northern Border, Jiangnan, the Capital.

This game is getting bigger and bigger.

But he wasn't afraid.

Because Hanyuan is no longer the weak border town it once was.

It has cities, soldiers, civilians, and grain.

More importantly, it has heart.

Twenty-five thousand hearts, tightly bound together, are indestructible.

"Your Highness," Uncle Fu said, bringing in dinner, "it's time to eat."

Xiao Chen sat down, looked at the simple two dishes and soup, and suddenly asked, "Uncle Fu, do you think we can win?"

Uncle Fu smiled: "Your Highness, this old servant doesn't understand any grand principles. But this old servant knows that since Your Highness came to Hanyuan, the people have food to eat, clothes to wear, houses to live in, children can go to school, and the sick can see a doctor. Such a life was unimaginable before. As long as Your Highness is here, Hanyuan is here. As long as Hanyuan is here, we can win."

Xiao Chen smiled too.

Yes, as long as people are alive and their hearts are in it, there is hope.

He will definitely win this battle.

Outside the window, night has fallen.

But the lights in the cold abyss remained bright.

This city, reborn from the plague, is recovering at an astonishing pace.

Its owner is already prepared.

Prepare for an even bigger storm.