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

On the third day after leaving Qinglan Ferry, the group completely deviated from the official road.

Xiao Chen chose an ancient path that was almost completely overgrown with weeds.

This road was recorded on the maps of the previous dynasty, but it has long been abandoned and is only occasionally traveled by hunters and herbalists.

The road is difficult to travel, but it is well hidden.

As dusk fell, the team entered a hilly area.

At the foot of the distant mountain, wisps of smoke can be faintly seen.

"Your Highness, there is a village ahead."

The scout returned and reported, "There are about twenty or thirty households. They look poor, but we should be able to find lodging for the night."

Xiao Chen glanced at the sky.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, and it looked like it was going to snow again.

Those wounded veterans probably wouldn't be able to hold on if they camped in the wild.

"Enter the village," he ordered. "Remember the rules: do not disturb the villagers. Pay the money as required, but do not flaunt your wealth."

"Yes."

The village was more dilapidated than I had imagined.

The mud-brick houses were leaning precariously, with thatched roofs, many of which had collapsed halfway down.

Several strings of dried chili peppers hung from a withered tree at the village entrance, swaying in the cold wind.

Several sallow-faced, thin children peeked out from behind the door, their eyes frighteningly large.

Upon seeing carriages and horses entering the village, the villagers all closed their doors.

Only an old man, trembling, came out to greet us; he was the village head.

"Gentlemen... are you... just passing by?"

The old man spoke with a heavy northern accent, his back was bent low, and he dared not raise his head.

Wang Dashan stepped forward: "Old man, don't be afraid. We are guards of the Prince of Jingbei, on our way to Hanyuan to assume our fiefdom. We are passing through this precious land and would like to ask for lodging for the night. We will pay you as requested."

"The Prince?"

The old man was stunned for a moment before he noticed the dilapidated carriage in the middle of the procession and the boy in a worn-out cotton robe next to it.

He knelt down with a thud: "This humble subject was unaware of the Prince's arrival and has failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

Xiao Chen got out of the car and helped the old man up: "Please get up, sir. We have troubled you. Are there any spare rooms in the village? Any place to stay where we can escape the cold will do."

Yes, yes!

The old man said repeatedly, "There's an old ancestral hall at the east end of the village. Although it's a bit dilapidated, it can still provide shelter from the wind and rain. I'll have someone clean it up right away!"

Soon, the group moved into the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was indeed dilapidated, but at least it had a roof and the four walls were still relatively intact.

The villagers brought some dry grass to spread on the ground, and also brought several bundles of firewood.

Xiao Chen had Uncle Fu pay the market price, and even gave him a little extra, so that the villagers could exchange it for some grain.

A fire was lit, and the ancestral hall became warm.

As Xiao Chen was examining the wounded, Zhao Tie suddenly approached and whispered, "Your Highness, there's a master in this village..."

"A master?"

"An old man came by to deliver firewood and saw me bandaging Old Wu's wound. He stared at me for a long time."

Zhao Tie said, "He recognized the bandaging technique I used, which was the 'triangular hemostasis method' unique to the border scout battalion. He asked me if I had served in the army in Longxi."

Xiao Chen's eyes flickered: "Where is he?"

"He left after delivering the firewood and lived in a detached house at the west end of the village. I heard from the village head that the old man's surname was Han, and he moved here ten years ago. He made a living by hunting and didn't interact with many people."

"Take me to see him."

Sure enough, there was a solitary mud house at the west end of the village, more dilapidated than the other houses, but it was tidy.

Several animal hides were drying in the yard, and chopped firewood was piled up neatly in the corner.

Zhao Tie stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and an elderly man in his sixties appeared.

He was thin but stood straight, with sharp, eagle-like eyes that gleamed in the twilight.

He saw Zhao Tie, and then saw Xiao Chen behind Zhao Tie, and his eyes flickered slightly.

"Sir, I apologize for disturbing you." Xiao Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

The old man sized him up a few times, then stepped aside and said, "Come in, it's cold outside."

The room was simply furnished with a table, a chair, and a kang (a heated brick bed). A bow and quiver hung on the wall, and a long knife stood in the corner. Although old, it was polished to a shine.

The kang (heated brick bed) was burning hot, making the room cozy and warm.

"Sit down." The old man pointed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and sat down in the only chair.

Xiao Chen sat down, with Zhao Tie standing behind him.

"What is your surname, sir?" Xiao Chen asked.

"His surname is Han, and his given name is Han Lie."

The old man's voice was hoarse, but strong. "Are you the Prince of Jingbei?"

"Yes."

Han Lie nodded and looked at Zhao Tie: "You came from the Longxi Army's scout battalion. Looking at your leg, it's an arrow wound, in the bend of your leg. It wasn't treated properly at the time, and the tendon has contracted, so you're lame. Is that right?"

Zhao Tie was shocked: "You...how did you know?"

"Your bandaging technique was created by 'One-Eyed Old Zhou,' the instructor of the scout battalion. He's my junior brother."

Han Lie said calmly, "You can't bend your right leg when you walk; it's a sequela of your arrow wound."

The only thing that could leave you with this kind of disability is the Northern Yan's "armor-piercing arrow," which has barbs on its arrowhead and will always pull out a piece of flesh when it is pulled out.

After the eleventh year of Yanxi, the Northern Yan stopped using this type of arrow because it was too inhumane.

So this injury of yours is at least fifteen years old.

Zhao Tie opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

all hit.

Xiao Chen was also filled with respect.

This old man has a keen eye and extensive experience; he is no ordinary person.

"Did you serve in the military, sir?" he asked.

Han Lie glanced at him, but instead of answering directly, he asked, "Is the Prince going to Hanyuan?"

"Yes."

"Han Yuan..."

Han Lie repeated those two words, then shook his head. "That place is not safe to go."

Why?

"Does Your Highness know what state Han Yuan is in now?"

Han Lie stood up, took out a yellowed leather roll from under the kang mat, and spread it on the table.

It was a hand-drawn map, ten times more detailed than Xiao Chen's.

Mountains and rivers, tribal distribution, and even the locations of water sources and dangerous areas are all clearly marked.

Xiao Chen's eyes lit up.

"This is..." He leaned closer to take a look.

"I spent forty years in the North, from when I joined the army at seventeen until I retired at fifty-seven, and I never left."

Han Lie's finger moved across the map. "I've been to Hanyuan three times. The first time was in the eighth year of Yanxi, when I was stationed there with the army. At that time, Hanyuan had 50,000 soldiers and civilians, two zhang high city walls, and 3,000 garrison troops. It was considered an important border town."

His finger stopped at the location of "Cold Abyss City".

"The second time was in the fifteenth year of Yanxi, when the Northern Yan invaded the border, and I went with the reinforcements to rescue it. By then, half of the city had fallen, and half of the people inside had died. The third time was five years ago, when I retired and was traveling, passing through Hanyuan. At that time..."

He paused, his voice lowering.

"Seven sections of the city wall have collapsed, with the largest gap wide enough for a horse to run through. The garrison is less than two hundred, mostly old, weak, sick, and disabled. The city's population is less than three thousand; people freeze to death in winter, starve to death in summer, and in autumn they have to guard against raids by nomadic tribes from the grasslands. Calling it a city is an understatement; it's more like a large graveyard."

Xiao Chen listened quietly.

"That's not the worst part."

Han Lie's finger moved north of Hanyuan. "Three hundred miles to the north is the Hulun Grassland. There are three major tribes on the grassland: the Canglang Tribe, the Bailu Tribe, and the Heixiong Tribe. Among them, the Canglang Tribe is the strongest, with 20,000 archers. They raid every autumn, and Hanyuan is a route they must take."

"Four hundred li to the west is Northern Yan. Although the two countries have been at peace for years, minor skirmishes continue. Northern Yan's cavalry often cross the border, killing and robbing people. They kill people and push them onto the grasslands, leaving no evidence."

"To the east lies the sea, and the sea is not peaceful. There are Japanese pirates and other pirates who occasionally come ashore to plunder."

"To the south lies the Central Plains. But the grain and supplies of the Central Plains must pass through three passes, being exploited at each level. By the time they reach the Cold Abyss, less than one in ten remains."

Han Lie looked at Xiao Chen: "Your Highness, do you still think Han Yuan is a way out?"

The ancestral hall was completely silent.

Only the fire crackled and popped.

After a long silence, Xiao Chen spoke: "Old man, do you know that there is coal underground in Hanyuan?"

Han Lie was taken aback: "Coal?"

"A type of black stone that can be burned, and it burns longer than firewood."

Xiao Chen said, "There are iron mines in the mountains and gold dust in the rivers. There are horses on the grasslands to the north and salt in the sea to the east. Hanyuan is not a dead end, but a treasure trove, but no one knows it."

Han Lie stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

There was admiration in his smile, but also bitterness.

"The prince understands this. But understanding and being able to do it are two different things."

He said, "Mining coal requires people, iron smelting requires people, land reclamation requires people, and military training requires people. What Hanyuan lacks most is people. And..."

He lowered his voice: "Your Highness, your journey here has been anything but peaceful, hasn't it?"

Xiao Chen nodded: "Two assassination attempts, one on land and one on water."

"This is just the beginning."

Han Lie sighed. "From here to Hanyuan, we still have to cross three passes: Zhenbei Pass, Juyong Pass, and Yanmen Pass. Each pass's commander has powerful backers. Do you think they'll let you pass through so easily, Your Highness?"

Xiao Chen remained silent.

Even if you pass this stage and reach the Cold Abyss, something even more difficult awaits.

Han Lie tapped his finger on the map. "In Hanyuan City, does the Prince know who's in charge now?"

"Please enlighten me, sir."

"On the surface, he is the city lord, named Liu Hong. He is a purchased official position, a coward who only knows how to exploit the people."

Han Lie said, "But in reality, the one who calls the shots in the city is a black market boss called 'Scarface Liu.' This man has hundreds of desperados under his command and controls the city's grain, salt, iron, and even women. The former city lord tried to take action against him, but the next day he was found drowned in a well, supposedly because he 'fell in a drunken stupor.'"

"Thirty miles outside the city, there is a Black Wind Stronghold, which gathers five or six hundred bandits who specialize in robbing passing merchants. They have colluded with Scarface Liu, and they sell the stolen goods in the city."

"Furthermore, the Grassland Wolf Tribe has spies in Cold Abyss. They control the fur and horse trade in the city. If the Prince were to touch their interests..."

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

The Cold Abyss is not a blank sheet of paper to be painted on at will.

It was a rotten swamp, teeming with venomous snakes, wolves, and hyenas, all waiting to devour any prey that strayed into it.

Xiao Chen stared at the map for a long time.

Then he raised his head and looked at Han Lie: "Old man, if I insist on going to the Cold Abyss, would you be willing to show me the way?"

Han Lie remained silent.

He got up, poured two bowls of water from the earthenware pot in the corner, handed one to Xiao Chen, and kept the other for himself.

"How old is the Prince this year?" he suddenly asked.

"sixteen."

"sixteen……

"Han Lie murmured, "When I was sixteen, I had just joined the army. My first battle was to defend Yumen Pass. Three thousand men held out for three days, and two thousand seven hundred of them died. I was lucky and survived."

He took a sip of water and slowly said, "From then on, I understood a principle: there are no dead ends in this world, only roads that people give up on themselves. We defended the Jade Gate Pass, such a formidable place. No matter how difficult the Cold Abyss is, can it be more difficult than the Jade Gate Pass?"

Xiao Chen's eyes lit up.

"But Your Highness must remember," Han Lie looked at him sharply, "that going to Hanyuan is not for enjoyment, but for war. War against heaven, war against earth, war against man. And in this war, there is no turning back. If you lose, you die."

"I see."

"Do you really understand?"

Han Lie pressed further, "The Prince is still a prince in the capital. Even if he's out of favor, he won't starve or freeze to death. Going to Hanyuan, he might not even survive the first winter. Is it worth it?"

Xiao Chen did not answer immediately.

He looked out the window.

The night was deep, and the cold wind howled.

From the ancestral hall came the coughs of an old soldier and the groans of a wounded soldier.

Those who followed him entrusted their lives to him.

Then he turned back and looked at Han Lie.

"Old man, you mentioned the battle at Yumen Pass. Three thousand men defended for three days, and two thousand seven hundred died. What happened to the remaining three hundred?"

Han Lie was taken aback.

"They survived."

Xiao Chen said, word by word, "Moreover, because they held out for those three days, reinforcements arrived, the Northern Yan army retreated, and millions of people in the three prefectures of Longxi were spared from devastation. Was it worth it?"

Han Lie fell silent.

After a long while, he put down the bowl, stood up, walked to the wall, and took down the bow.

The bow was made of iron, heavy, and its limbs were covered with fine scratches, the marks of time and war.

"This bow has been with me for forty years."

Han Lie stroked the bow arm, "I've shot and killed generals of Northern Yan, chieftains of the grasslands, and... corrupt officials of the imperial court."

He turned around and handed the bow to Xiao Chen.

"If the Prince truly intends to go to the Cold Abyss, this bow is for you."

Xiao Chen accepted it solemnly.

The bow is very heavy, with a force of at least three stones.

It's not something someone his age can easily surpass.

"I can't pull it open yet," he said honestly.

"If we can't pull it apart now, we can pull it apart later."

Han Lie drew three more arrows from his quiver. The shafts were jet black, and the arrowheads gleamed with a ghostly blue light. "These three arrows are poisoned. They will kill instantly upon contact with blood. Keep them safe, Your Highness. They could save your life in a critical moment."

Xiao Chen took the arrow and bowed deeply: "Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me yet."

Han Lie waved his hand and sat back down in his chair. "I'm too old to fight anymore, so I can't go to the Cold Abyss with you. But I can point you to a few people."

"Speaking."

"A hundred miles north of here, there's a place called 'Eagle's Beak.' There's a group of about fifty or sixty people gathered there. They're all veterans of the border army who were forced to live by the imperial court. The leader is called Lei Hu. He was my former subordinate. He's brave, resourceful, and trustworthy."

"Eighty miles east of Hanyuan, there is a fishing village by the sea. In the village lives a blacksmith named Ou, whose ancestors were master craftsmen in the Armory. Because he refused to bribe his superiors, he was exiled there. His craftsmanship is unparalleled in the entire Northern Territory."

"Also, the White Deer tribe of the grasslands has a long-standing feud with the Azure Wolf tribe. Their leader is named Zhuoligetu, and they are having a tough winter this year, lacking food and iron. If the Prince wishes to restrain the Azure Wolf tribe, he can seek out him."

Han Lie explained each point in detail, and Xiao Chen listened attentively.

By the time they finished speaking, it was already late at night.

The fire was almost out, so Han Lie added some more firewood.

"Your Highness," he said finally, "the path to Hanyuan is fraught with peril, with nine out of ten chances of death. But if one manages to traverse it..."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"That would be like a dragon returning to the sea, or a tiger entering the deep mountains. This vast land in the north might very well belong to the Xiao family."

Xiao Chen was startled.

These words are utterly outrageous.

But Han Lie spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something perfectly natural.

"Father-in-law..." Xiao Chen wanted to say something.

Han Lie waved his hand: "These words I spoke tonight, you hear them. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. Prince, take care of yourself."

He got up to see the guest off.

Xiao Chen walked to the door, then turned around and bowed deeply to Han Lie.

This bow is the gesture of respect from a disciple to his teacher.

Han Lie accepted it, nodded, and closed the door.

Outside the door, the cold wind was biting.

Zhao Tie asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, this old man Han..."

"He is a highly skilled person."

Xiao Chen gripped the bow tightly in his hand. "He was also...a heartbroken person."

He looked up and gazed northward.

In the darkness of night, the mountains are as black as ink, layer upon layer, stretching towards the horizon.

Beyond those mountains lies the Cold Abyss.

It is a place of death, but also a place of life.

It is an end, and also a beginning.

"Let's go."

Xiao Chen said, "The road ahead is still long."

The two walked back to the ancestral hall under the cover of night.

Behind him, a hunched figure was reflected on the paper window of the earthen house, standing there for a long time, gazing northward.