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

The Canglang tribe's retaliation came faster than expected.

On the third day after Zhang Meng returned the head, Night Owl sent an urgent report from the grasslands: the Canglang tribe was launching a major southward offensive, with 20,000 cavalrymen, claiming to be 50,000, personally led by the eldest prince Arutai, heading straight for Hanyuan.

"Your Highness, Arughtai is serious this time."

Zhao Tie's expression was grave. "He not only brought 20,000 cavalry, but also siege equipment—ladders, battering rams, and catapults. It seems he intends to take Hanyuan in one fell swoop."

Xiao Chen stood on the newly built city wall, gazing calmly at the billowing dust on the northern horizon.

How many people came?

"The forwards, numbering three thousand, have already reached the north bank of the Baishui River. The main force is behind them and will arrive tomorrow."

"Give the order," Xiao Chen turned around, "all troops on alert, prepare to defend the city. Wang Dashan, you guard the east gate. Zhang Meng, you guard the north gate. Zhao Tie, you guard the west gate. The south gate will be guarded by Old Man Han and the militia. Tell the soldiers that this is the first major battle since the founding of Hanyuan City; victory is the only option, defeat is not an option."

"yes!"

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

Defensive equipment was brought up the city walls: logs, stones, molten gold, and kerosene.

The archers took their positions, and the arrows piled up like a small mountain.

The new crossbows were also brought up, a total of thirty, placed in four locations.

The gunpowder factory delivered the first batch of "bombs," which were crude, but better than nothing.

The people were mobilized as well.

Young and strong men went to the city to help defend it, while the elderly and women boiled water and cooked, and children helped transport supplies. Although the situation was tense, everything was orderly.

The plague three months ago has brought the people of Hanyuan closer together.

They knew that as long as the city stood, their homes stood; if the city fell, their homes would perish.

As evening approached, the vanguard of the Canglang tribe arrived.

Three thousand cavalrymen lined up on the north bank of the Baishui River.

They were all mounted on grassland warhorses, clad in leather armor and wielding curved swords, exuding a menacing aura.

The commander of the army was named Batel, Arughtai's cousin, and was known for his bravery.

Batel spurred his horse forward and arrived at the riverbank, shouting in broken Chinese, "Listen up, people of Hanyuan! Hand over the murderer who killed my tribe, pay ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand warhorses in compensation, and my Canglang tribe will withdraw its troops. Otherwise, on the day the city falls, not a single chicken or dog will be spared!"

On the city wall, Xiao Chen sneered.

"Tell him, if you're going to fight, then fight, stop talking nonsense."

Wang Dashan leaned out and roared, "Listen up, you barbarians of the Canglang tribe! If you want to fight, then fight! We're waiting! If you want the golden warhorse, come into the city and take it yourselves!"

Enraged, Batel drew his scimitar: "Attack the city!"

Three thousand cavalrymen dismounted, carrying makeshift wooden ladders, and charged toward the frozen White Water River with shouts.

"Release the arrows!"

At a command given from the city wall, arrows rained down.

The men of the Canglang tribe, holding wooden shields, charged forward with all their might.

Although people kept falling from arrows, more people rushed across the river and built wooden ladders over the city wall.

"Rolling logs! Boulders!"

Logs and rocks rained down, and screams filled the air. But the brave steppe people climbed up, stepping over the corpses of their companions.

"Golden juice!"

Boiling excrement was poured down, scalding people until their skin tore open. Their screams echoed through the night sky.

"Ket oil!"

The oil was poured on, igniting the rockets, and the area below the city instantly became a sea of ​​fire.

The men of the Canglang tribe were engulfed in flames, screaming and rolling on the ground.

The first wave of attacks was repelled.

Batel watched from the opposite bank of the river, his eyes wide with rage, but he was utterly helpless.

The walls of Hanyuan are too high and the defenses too strong; a direct assault would result in too many losses.

"Retreat!" he ordered through gritted teeth.

The Canglang tribe retreated like a tide, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

Han Yuan has won its first battle.

But Xiao Chen knew that this was just the beginning.

The next day, Arughtai's main force arrived.

Twenty thousand cavalrymen, overwhelming the city of Hanyuan, completely surrounded it.

The camps stretched for miles, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys and warhorses neighing, creating an impressive sight.

Arughtai personally went to the city walls to observe the battle.

He was in his thirties, burly, with a fleshy face and fierce eyes.

He frowned when he saw the guards standing ready on the city wall.

"When was this city built?" he asked the strategist beside him.

"Your Highness, it was built three months ago. I heard that Xiao Chen mobilized the entire city's population to work day and night, and it was completed in three months."

"Three months?"

Arutai gasped, "Such a fortified city was built in just three months? This Xiao Chen is no ordinary man."

"Yes. Moreover, their defensive equipment is very powerful. They have plenty of arrows, countless rolling logs and boulders, and... explosive devices with great power."

"Something that can explode?"

Arutai's eyes narrowed. "Is this some kind of sorcery from the Central Plains?"

"I don't know. But yesterday, Battulga's attack was repelled by that thing."

Arutai pondered for a moment.

"Give the order to set up camp and besiege the city. Their city is well-fortified; we'll starve them out. Han Yuan has over 20,000 men; how much food will they consume in a day? Let's see how long they can hold out."

siege.

This is the dumbest method, but it's also the most effective.

Although Hanyuan has stored grain, its more than 20,000 people consume 300 shi (a unit of dry measure) per day.

With 50,000 shi of grain stored, they could last at most six months. The steppe cavalry, on the other hand, could take turns grazing their livestock, sustaining themselves through warfare, and thus could afford the prolonged conflict.

"Your Highness, they are going to besiege the city."

Wang Dashan said worriedly, "Our food supply won't last much longer."

"I know."

Xiao Chen said, "But the siege has also given us time. Issue an order that the rations of all the city's residents be halved. The soldiers' rations remain unchanged. Starting today, they will have two meals a day, consisting of thin porridge and pickled vegetables. The saved rations will be reserved for the soldiers defending the city."

"Yes……"

"Furthermore," Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light, "if they besiege the city, we'll break out. Zhang Meng!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Your Cangyun cavalry has been training for three months. Tonight at midnight, open the south gate and launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp. Don't linger; burn their supplies and run. Remember, your mission is harassment, not a decisive battle. Making Arughtai unable to sleep is victory."

"yes!"

That night, at midnight.

The south gate quietly opened, and Zhang Meng led a thousand Cangyun cavalrymen, their mouths gagged and their horses' hooves wrapped in cloth, out of the city without a sound.

Arutai's main camp was located five li outside the south gate, stretching for several li, with sparse lights. The nomads of the grasslands were good at attacking but not at defending, so they set up camp casually and were quite lax in their vigilance.

Zhang Meng led his men to the outside of the camp and saw several huge grain storages, with the guards all dozing off.

"ignition!"

Rockets were fired at the grain storage, and the grain instantly burst into flames. The soldiers on night watch awoke with a start, shouting, "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

But it was too late.

Zhang Meng led his men into the camp, hacking down anyone they saw and burning any tents they encountered. The grassland people were awakened from their sleep, thrown into chaos, and trampled each other.

Arughtai rushed out of the main tent and saw the sky ablaze with fire, which enraged him.

"What's going on?!"

"Your Highness, the cavalry from Han Yuan have raided our camp and burned our supplies!"

"Useless!" Arutai kicked the messenger soldier to the ground. "Chase him! Chase him!"

But by the time the steppe cavalry had assembled, Zhang Meng and his men had already disappeared into the night.

That night, Arughtai's camp burned down three grain stores, killing and wounding hundreds of people and severely damaging morale.

The next day, Arughtai sent men to the city walls to provoke Han Yuan's army, demanding they come out for a decisive battle.

Xiao Chen ignored him completely.

Why would he abandon a fortified city to go out and fight in the open? He's not that stupid.

Arughtai was furious, but helpless. A direct assault would result in too many losses. A siege would risk a night raid. He couldn't take the city by fighting, and he was unwilling to leave.

After ten days of stalemate, Arughtai could no longer stand it.

The steppe cavalry excelled in open field battles but were ill-suited for sieges, let alone city raids. After ten days, morale was low, supplies were running low, and their horses were weak. If this dragged on any longer, they would collapse without even needing Han Yuan's intervention.

"Withdraw the troops," Arughtai ordered through gritted teeth.

On the morning of the eleventh day, the Canglang tribe broke camp and retreated.

On the walls of Hanyuan City, the people cheered thunderously.

"We won! We won!"

"Long live the Prince!"

"Long live Han Yuan!"

Xiao Chen stood on the city wall, watching the smoke and dust recede into the distance, but felt little joy.

Although we won this battle, it was a very close call.

If the city walls hadn't been repaired in time, if it hadn't been for the new crossbows and gunpowder, and if Zhang Meng hadn't succeeded in his night raid, Han Yuan might not have been able to hold out.

Moreover, this battle exposed Han Yuan's weaknesses—a lack of cavalry and a lack of field combat capabilities.

Defending a city is possible, but to expand territory, a powerful cavalry force is essential.

"Zhang Meng."

"Your subordinate is here."

"From today onwards, the Cangyun Cavalry will be expanded to three thousand men. You must train an elite cavalry force capable of field battles, raids, and sieges within three months. Money, provisions, horses, men—whatever you need, I will provide. I only care about results."

"Yes! This humble general will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust!"

"Furthermore," Xiao Chen said to Wang Dashan, "the infantry also need to strengthen their training. They must not only know how to defend the city, but also how to fight in the field. Starting today, the infantry will march thirty li every day to practice formations, tactics, and coordination. I want the Hanyuan Army to be able to not only defend, but also attack."

"yes!"

"Zhao Tie, Night Owl needs to expand. It should not only operate in the northern border and Jiangnan, but also infiltrate the grasslands, Northern Yan, and even the capital. I need to know the overall situation of the world and the enemy's every move."

"yes!"

"Old Master Han, the Ministry of Works must continue to improve weaponry. Crossbows need to be lighter, more accurate, and faster. Gunpowder needs to be more stable and more powerful. We also need to research new things—catapults, siege engines, and even… artillery."

"Artillery?" Han Lie was taken aback.

"Yes, artillery." Xiao Chen's eyes gleamed. "A weapon that can fire iron projectiles, with immense power, capable of blasting down city walls. Although we can't make it now, we need to start researching it. This is the direction for the future."

"Yes... I understand."

With orders issued one after another, Han Yuan entered a state of full combat readiness.

This battle made Xiao Chen see Han Yuan's shortcomings, but it also showed him the direction to take.

Defending the city is merely self-preservation.

To truly establish oneself, one must be able to attack and defend, and to fight and make peace.

Cavalry, on the other hand, is the sharpest weapon for offense.

"Your Highness," Murong Xue's voice came from behind.

Xiao Chen turned around and saw that she was travel-worn, but her eyes were bright.

"You're back? How's Jiangnan?"

"It's been investigated." Murong Xue's voice was low. "The plague was indeed set by Liu Jin. He used patients with smallpox to infiltrate cities belonging to opposing forces and deliberately spread the plague. Jinling, Suzhou, and Hangzhou were all affected. At least 100,000 people died."

One hundred thousand people.

Xiao Chen clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"Where's the evidence?"

"Yes." Murong Xue handed over a stack of papers. "This is the confession of Liu Jin's military doctor, as well as his account book for purchasing medicinal herbs. He bought dozens of cartloads of herbs to treat smallpox, but he didn't use them on the people. Instead, he hoarded them for his own army."

brute.

Xiao Chen's eyes burned with murderous intent.

"Furthermore," Murong Xue continued, "Liu Jin and the spies of Northern Yan are indeed in contact. They are discussing... joining forces to divide up Great Xia. Northern Yan will take Hebei, and Liu Jin will take Jiangnan. After the matter is accomplished, they will rule separately along the river."

Divide the country along the river to govern it.

Liu Jin is trying to split the country.

"Very well, very well indeed." Xiao Chen laughed angrily. "Keep these pieces of evidence safe. When the time is right, I will let the whole world see Liu Jin's true colors."

"Yes."

"Go and rest first, you must be tired from the journey."

"Your Highness," Murong Xue didn't leave, "I...I've found out something else."

"What is it?"

"When Liu Jin was in Jiangnan, he plundered the people and amassed a huge fortune. He had millions of taels of gold, tens of millions of taels of silver, and countless jewels, antiques, and paintings. All of this wealth was hidden in a secret place, known only to him and a few trusted confidants."

Huge wealth.

Xiao Chen's heart stirred.

Han Yuan needs money to develop, expand its army, and manufacture weapons. If it could acquire this wealth…

"Do you know where it's hidden?"

"I don't know, but Night Owl is investigating. We should have news soon."

"Okay, continue the investigation. We'll take this money."

"Yes."

Murong Xue withdrew, and Xiao Chen stood alone on the city wall, gazing south.

Liu Jin, your death is imminent.

I want your wealth, your territory, and your life.

And the cavalry of Hanyuan will become the sharp blade that takes your life.

just wait.