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

When Xiao Chen led his army north to the grasslands, the battle situation in Jiangnan took a dramatic turn.

After his great victory in Yangzhou, Liu Jin was overjoyed and thought the imperial army was no match for him. So he personally led an army of 100,000 (claiming to be 200,000) straight to Nanjing, determined to take this important city in the south of the Yangtze River and ascend the throne as emperor.

Prince Yong retreated to Jinling with only 50,000 remaining troops, whose morale was low and whose soldiers were demoralized.

With the city on the verge of falling, he did something no one expected—he surrendered.

They surrendered not to Liu Jin, but to the imperial envoy sent by the court.

The imperial envoy was Yu Qian, the Minister of War, who arrived in Jinling overnight with the emperor's secret decree and five thousand imperial guards.

Yu Qian was a man of principle, known for his uprightness and incorruptibility.

Upon entering the city, his first act was to seize the Prince of Yong's military power and place him under house arrest.

The second thing was to reorganize military affairs, reward soldiers handsomely, and boost morale.

The third thing was to send people to contact powerful families and gentry in various parts of Jiangnan, promising them great benefits in exchange for their military assistance.

When Liu Jin learned that Prince Yong had been stripped of his military power, he was overjoyed, thinking that Nanjing was within his grasp.

But he didn't know that Yu Qian's arrival rekindled the fighting spirit of the defenders in Nanjing.

"Soldiers!"

Standing atop the city wall, Yu Qian addressed the defending troops, "Liu Jin, the traitor, has wreaked havoc in Jiangnan and slaughtered countless people, a crime deserving the wrath of both gods and men! Today, I am here by imperial decree to punish this traitor, and I am willing to live and die with you all!"

To defend Nanjing is to defend Jiangnan! To defend Jiangnan is to defend the Great Xia!

His Majesty has decreed that all those who have rendered meritorious service in defending the city will be promoted three ranks and awarded one hundred taels of silver! Those who die in battle will receive a pension of one thousand taels of silver, and their descendants will be granted hereditary titles!

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

Moreover, most of the garrison troops were locals from Jiangnan, and their families lived there.

Liu Jin's atrocities in Yangzhou had already spread far and wide. He massacred the city for ten days, killing 100,000 people, committing rape, plunder, and all sorts of other evil deeds.

If such a demon were to enter Jinling, Jiangnan would truly be doomed.

"Defend Nanjing to the death! Defend Jiangnan to the death!"

The defenders roared, their voices shaking the heavens.

Liu Jin's army of 100,000 began its attack on the city.

But this time, they encountered fierce resistance.

Logs, boulders, molten gold, and kerosene were thrown down as if they were free.

Arrows flew like locusts, so fiercely that the attacking soldiers couldn't even lift their heads.

Even more terrifying was that the defending troops included many local martial arts masters from Jiangnan, who formed a "suicide squad" to kill enemy generals.

In three days, seven commanders of a thousand men and two commanders of ten thousand men under Liu Jin were assassinated.

Liu Jin was furious and ordered a full-scale attack.

However, the walls of Nanjing were tall and sturdy, and the defending troops were united in their hatred of the enemy. They launched a fierce attack for ten days, suffering 30,000 casualties, but gained no ground.

Meanwhile, reinforcements from all over Jiangnan arrived one after another.

The three thousand household guards in Hangzhou, the five thousand local militia in Suzhou, the two thousand naval troops in Zhenjiang, and the militias organized by local powerful families, totaled more than thirty thousand people.

Although their combat strength was inferior to that of the regular army, they were familiar with the terrain, skilled in guerrilla warfare, and constantly harassed Liu Jin's rear, burning his supplies, cutting off his supply lines, and killing his scouts.

Liu Jin was caught in a dilemma, facing enemies on all sides.

To make matters worse, an epidemic began to spread within the army.

Liu Jin deliberately spread smallpox to weaken his rivals. Now, karma has caught up with him.

Smallpox broke out in the army, and hundreds of people fell ill every day.

There were not enough military doctors and medicines, so patients were gathered together and left to fend for themselves.

The wailing continued day and night, and morale plummeted to rock bottom.

"General, let's retreat."

The strategist advised, "A plague is rampant in the army, morale is low, and reinforcements from various regions are arriving. If we continue fighting, we risk total annihilation."

Liu Jin's face turned ashen.

He was not reconciled.

He was about to capture Nanjing, about to ascend the throne and become emperor, about to rule the world.

How can we retreat?

"Attack for another three days!" he gritted his teeth. "Within three days, we will surely capture Nanjing!"

But three days later, Nanjing still stood firm.

The plague in the army had spiraled out of control. Of the 100,000 troops, fewer than 50,000 were fit to fight. The rest had either fallen ill, died, or deserted.

"General, something terrible has happened!"

A guard rushed in with a panicked report, "Reinforcements from Hangzhou and Suzhou have broken through the defenses and reached the central army!"

Liu Jin was greatly alarmed and went out of the tent to investigate.

In the distance, billowing smoke and dust filled the air, accompanied by deafening battle cries.

Countless soldiers surged in from all directions, carrying various banners such as "Yu," "Wang," and "Li."

Those were reinforcements from all over Jiangnan; they had united.

"Hold on! Hold on for me!" Liu Jin roared hoarsely.

But morale had collapsed and the soldiers had lost their will to fight.

Upon seeing the reinforcements arrive, Liu Jin's soldiers dropped their weapons and knelt down to surrender.

Only Liu Jin's personal guards were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

"General, let's go!" The captain of the personal guards pulled Liu Jin back.

But it was too late.

A cavalry unit broke through the defenses and charged straight at the central army.

The leader was a young general, wielding a long spear, and was incredibly brave.

He was none other than Wang Polu, the young master of the Wang family in Hangzhou.

"Liu Jin, you traitor, prepare to die!"

Wang Polu thrust his spear forward.

Liu Jin swung his sword to parry, but he was no match for Wang Polu. After ten rounds, Wang Polu pierced his shoulder with a spear, causing him to fall from his horse.

"Tie him up!"

The guards rushed forward and tied Liu Jin up like a rice dumpling.

With their commander captured, Liu Jin's army completely collapsed. Some surrendered, others fled, and the 100,000-strong army vanished without a trace.

The siege of Nanjing has been lifted.

Yu Qian ordered Liu Jin to be brought to the city of Jinling for a public trial.

"Liu Jin, do you know your crime?" Yu Qian asked sternly from his seat in the makeshift courtroom.

Liu Jin knelt below, his hair disheveled, yet he remained defiant.

"The victor is king, the loser is villain; what's there to say? Kill me if you must, why waste words!"

"Alright, I'll grant your wish."

Yu Qian slammed his gavel. "Liu Jin, as a member of the imperial family, instead of serving his country, he raised an army in rebellion, slaughtered the people, and spread plague. His crimes are heinous and intolerable to Heaven. According to the law, he should be executed by slow slicing and his entire family should be exterminated. Guards, take him out and behead him!"

"yes!"

Liu Jin was taken out and beheaded in public beneath the walls of Nanjing.

When heads rolled, the people cheered.

Liu Jin, who had wreaked havoc in Jiangnan for months, was finally brought to justice.

When the news reached Han Yuan, Xiao Chen was confronting Temujin on the grassland.

"Liu Jin... is dead?" Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised.

He knew Liu Jin would lose, but he didn't expect him to lose so quickly and so miserably.

"Yes."

Zhao Tie said, "Yu Qian reorganized the military and pacified the people in Nanjing, and the situation in Jiangnan has stabilized. The court issued an edict appointing Yu Qian as the Governor-General of Jiangnan, in charge of all military and political affairs in Jiangnan. Prince Yong was escorted back to the capital and placed under house arrest in his palace, and was not allowed to leave without an imperial decree."

The Prince of Yong fell, Liu Jin died, and Jiangnan was pacified.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing for Han Yuan.

The good thing is that we have one less formidable enemy.

The bad thing is that now that the court has freed up its resources, its next target might be the northern border.

"Your Highness, we..." Zhao Tie hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"Let's deal with the grassland issue first."

Xiao Chen said, "We'll talk about Jiangnan later. Tell Night Owl to keep an eye on the court and Yu Qian. I need to know the court's next move."

"yes!"

Xiao Chen stepped out of the tent and gazed at the distant grassland.

Temujin's 50,000 cavalry were only 30 li away. The two sides had been locked in a stalemate for ten days, with constant small skirmishes but no major battle.

Temujin was waiting, waiting for the allied forces of Hanyuan and Northern Yan to turn against each other.

Xiao Chen was also waiting, waiting for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.

"Your Highness,"

Batu walked over, his face grave. "Scouts report that Temujin has divided his forces. He has sent 20,000 cavalry to circle around to our rear, trying to cut off our supply lines."

"It finally moved."

Xiao Chen smiled. "Send orders to Zhang Meng to lead three thousand cavalry to intercept those twenty thousand men. Tell him not to engage in a direct confrontation, but to harass and stall them. Also, have Murong Han send troops to attack Temujin's camp from the flank. We'll launch a feigned attack from the front to draw his attention."

"yes!"

That night, the combined forces of Hanyuan and Beiyan launched an attack simultaneously.

Zhang Meng led 3,000 cavalrymen and intercepted Temujin's 20,000-strong detachment.

Although outnumbered, they were well-equipped and well-trained, and by utilizing the terrain, they fought and retreated, effectively holding off 20,000 men.

Murong Han led 30,000 Northern Yan cavalry to launch a fierce attack on Temujin's camp from the flank.

Temujin was caught off guard and hastily engaged in battle, suffering heavy losses.

Xiao Chen led the main force in a feint attack from the front, drawing away Temujin's main force.

Caught in a pincer attack, Temujin was thrown into chaos.

The battle raged all night, and ended at dawn.

Temujin suffered a crushing defeat; of his 50,000 cavalry, 20,000 were killed or wounded, 10,000 were captured, and 20,000 fled. Temujin himself, with a few thousand remaining soldiers, escaped back to the northern desert.

The grasslands were pacified once again.

"We won! We won!"

Cheers erupted across the grassland.

Batu was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he bowed deeply to Xiao Chen.

"Your Highness, from this day forward, the grasslands will be Han Yuan's most loyal vassal state. Batu hereby swears that the grasslands' 100,000 iron cavalry will be at Your Highness's command. Wherever Your Highness's sword points, the grasslands' iron cavalry will follow!"

"Alright!" Xiao Chen helped him up. "From today onwards, the grasslands and the cold abyss will be brothers forever. We will share happiness and hardship together."

"Sharing joys and sorrows!"

The alliance is renewed, and the grasslands are at peace.

Xiao Chen stayed on the grassland for ten days, helping Batu to reorganize the tribe, establish a royal court, formulate laws, and train the army. Then, he led the army back to Hanyuan.

On the way, he received a message from Night Owl, sent from the capital.

"The emperor is seriously ill, and the crown prince is overseeing the state affairs. The Yong Prince's faction is stirring up trouble, and the court is unstable. Yu Qian is in Jiangnan reforming the bureaucracy and training a new army, seemingly with the intention of heading north."

The emperor fell seriously ill, the crown prince was placed in charge of the state affairs, the Yong prince's faction was stirring up trouble, and Yu Qian trained troops and headed north.

The capital is about to descend into chaos.

And Han Yuan, are you ready?

Xiao Chen gazed at the southern sky, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Chaotic times are the stage for heroes.

And he has already taken the stage.