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

On the third day after returning to Hanyuan from the grasslands, Xiao Chen convened a ceremony at the city lord's mansion to award land to those who had rendered meritorious service.

On the training ground, five thousand soldiers stood in neat rows, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation.

They knew that the prince was about to reward those who had contributed to the cause.

In the battle on the grasslands, the Hanyuan army achieved a great victory over Temujin, beheading 20,000, capturing 10,000, seizing 30,000 warhorses, 100,000 cattle and sheep, and countless gold and silver treasures.

Such a feat of military merit would certainly be rewarded handsomely.

Standing on the reviewing stand, Xiao Chen looked at the soldiers fighting valiantly below and felt a surge of emotion.

Three months ago, they were just a group of refugees, bandits, and border soldiers.

Three months later, they had become a highly capable and elite force.

All of this was achieved through a series of hard-fought battles.

"Soldiers!"

Xiao Chen's voice boomed, echoing across the training ground, "You fought brilliantly in the battle on the grasslands! You fought bravely! You routed Temujin, and you instilled fear in all the tribes of the grasslands! This battle has demonstrated the might and spirit of the Hanyuan Army! I am proud of you!"

"Your Highness is mighty! The Han Yuan Army is mighty!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

"Merit must be rewarded, and wrongdoing must be punished. This is the rule of the Hanyuan Army."

Xiao Chen continued, "Today, I will reward those who have rendered meritorious service. But this reward is different from the past. I will not reward gold or silver, nor cloth or official titles. What I will reward is land."

land?

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Land is the most precious asset in this era.

With land, one has roots, a home, and a foundation to pass down to one's children and grandchildren.

But the land was all in the hands of landlords and powerful families, so how could ordinary people have any land? Soldiers, on the other hand, could forget about it.

"From today onwards, Hanyuan will implement a system of granting land based on military merit."

Xiao Chen said, word by word, "All soldiers of the Hanyuan Army who have made meritorious contributions will be granted land according to their merits."

Kill one enemy soldier, and you will be granted one mu of land. Kill three enemy soldiers, and you will be granted five mu of land.

He was rewarded with twenty mu of land for killing ten enemies.

Those who are wounded shall be granted land according to the severity of their injuries.

Those who die in battle will have their families granted fifty mu of land, and will be exempt from taxes for life.

For every enemy soldier killed, one mu of land will be awarded.

He was rewarded with five mu of land for killing three enemy soldiers.

He was rewarded with twenty mu of land for killing ten enemies.

Those who die in battle will have their families granted fifty mu of land and will be exempt from taxes for life.

This reward is too generous.

The soldiers were breathing rapidly, their eyes red.

One mu of land is worth twenty taels of silver in Jiangnan and ten taels in the north.

You get ten taels of silver for each enemy you kill.

Killing ten would yield two hundred taels of silver. This is more substantial and lasting than any reward of gold or silver.

"Your Highness, is this true?" an old soldier asked in a trembling voice.

"really."

Xiao Chen said, "I have already had the land measured out. It is located south of Hanyuan City, by the Baishui River."

There are 10,000 mu of high-quality paddy fields, 20,000 mu of medium-quality dry land, and 30,000 mu of low-quality mountain land.

A total of 60,000 mu were allocated for land distribution.

The land deed is ready, stamped with the seal of the Prince of Jingbei; no one can deny it.

wow——

The drill ground erupted in cheers.

"Long live the Prince!"

"I'll die for the Prince!"

The shouts were thunderous and continued for a long time.

"Now, let's begin to discuss merits."

Xiao Chen picked up a thick record book of achievements. "Wang Dashan!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"In the battle on the steppe, you led your troops in a feigned frontal attack, drawing away Temujin's main force. You personally led the charge, beheading thirty-seven enemies. According to regulations, you are granted seventy-four mu of land. In addition, for your meritorious command, you are granted an additional fifty mu of land. The total is one hundred and twenty-four mu. Step forward to receive the deed!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Wang Dashan stepped forward and accepted the land deed with both hands. The deed was written in black ink on red paper, listing his name, the acreage, and the location, and was stamped with a bright red seal. His hands trembled as he held the deed.

One hundred and twenty-four mu of land—that's considered a large landowner in Jiangnan. With this land, future generations will never have to worry about food and clothing.

"Zhang Meng!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You led your troops to intercept Temujin's detachment, with 3,000 against 20,000, killing 5,000 and capturing 3,000. According to regulations, you are entitled to 1,000 mu of land. In addition, for your meritorious command, you will be granted an additional 500 mu of land. The total is 1,500 mu. Step forward to receive the deed!"

1,500 mu!

A gasp of surprise rippled through the drill ground.

Zhang Meng was also stunned. He knew he had made a great contribution, but he hadn't expected it to be this great.

"Your Highness, this...this is too much..."

"not much."

Xiao Chen said, "This is what you deserve. Take it, get married, have children, build a manor, and become a landlord, wouldn't that be great?"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Zhang Meng knelt on one knee, his voice choked with emotion.

"Zhao Tie!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You led the Night Owls to gather intelligence and deliver messages; your service is invaluable. According to regulations, you are granted 300 mu of land. Furthermore, for capturing Black Whirlwind and annihilating Black Wind Stronghold, you are granted an additional 200 mu of land. A total of 500 mu. Step forward to receive the deed!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

One after another, meritorious soldiers stepped forward to receive their contracts.

Those who kill five enemy soldiers will receive ten mu of land. Those who kill ten enemy soldiers will receive twenty mu of land. Those who are wounded will receive between five and fifty mu of land. Those who die in battle will have their family members receive fifty mu of land on their behalf, and will be exempt from taxes for life.

In the end, of the 60,000 mu of land, 48,000 mu were distributed. 12,000 mu remained, which Xiao Chen had registered and recorded as "military merit land" reserves, to be rewarded in the future for meritorious service.

After the land distribution was completed, Xiao Chen said, "The land has been given to you, but I must make it clear how you will cultivate it. The land is for you to cultivate, not for you to leave barren."

Within three years, the land must be cultivated and planted with crops. After three years, taxes will be levied per mu (unit of land area), at one-tenth of the total area. However, for land acquired through military merit, the tax will be halved, at one-fifth of the total area.

The land of those who died in battle will be exempt from taxes for eternity, but their families must cultivate it; it cannot be sold or left uncultivated. Those who violate this rule will have their land confiscated.

"Yes!" the soldiers responded in unison.

With land available, who would want to leave it barren? They would definitely farm it with all their might.

"In addition," Xiao Chen added, "I will build a 'military settlement' in the south of the city, and send experienced farmers to guide you in farming, providing seeds, farming tools, and oxen."

You should keep enough grain for your own consumption. The rest can be sold to the public granary or sold on your own.

However, one thing is certain: grain prices in Hanyuan must be stabilized. Anyone who dares to hoard grain or drive up prices will be dealt with according to military law.

"yes!"

"Alright, everyone go and collect your plots. Remember where they are, so you don't go to the wrong one."

The soldiers cheered and surged toward the south of the city.

Along the Baishui River, the boundless fields have been marked with wooden stakes.

Each plot of land had a wooden sign indicating the name and acreage.

The soldiers followed the map and found their own land. Touching the black soil, they were too excited to speak.

This is my land.

mine.

"Father, Mother, we have land now!"

A young soldier knelt on the ground, scooped up a handful of dirt, and burst into tears.

He fled from the Central Plains during a famine; his parents starved to death on the way.

He joined the Cold Abyss Army simply to have food to eat.

I never imagined I'd have land now—twenty acres of top-quality paddy fields. If only my parents were still here.

"Brother, don't cry."

The old soldier next to him patted him on the shoulder, "Farm well, get married, have children, and make a good life for yourself. Your parents in heaven will be happy to see you like this."

"Um!"

The young soldier wiped away his tears, kowtowed three times, and said, "Your Highness, I will definitely farm well and serve the army well. If anyone dares to invade Hanyuan, I will fight them to the death!"

Such scenes can be seen everywhere in the fields.

With land, the soldiers felt at ease and took root.

From this day forward, they are not only soldiers of Hanyuan, but also its people. To protect their homes is to defend their country. To defend their country is to protect their homes.

Standing on the high slope, Xiao Chen looked at the joyous scene in the fields and felt gratified.

Granting land to those who have rendered meritorious service was the right move.

With land, the soldiers felt a sense of belonging and had a direction to fight for. The fighting power of the Hanyuan Army would reach a new level.

"Your Highness, this method is brilliant!"

Han Lie sighed, "In the past, when you were rewarded with gold and silver, they were gone once they were spent. But when you are rewarded with land, the land is there forever, and future generations will always remember the prince's kindness. Moreover, the land grows grain, and we collect taxes, so it's a sure-fire way to make a profit. It's a win-win situation; the prince is truly wise."

"This is nothing."

Xiao Chen said, "The real show is yet to come. Once Jiangnan is pacified and the court is stable, we will have even more land to divide."

"A larger plot of land?"

"right."

Xiao Chen gazed southward, "Jiangnan, the land of abundance, with fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles. The land there is ten times more fertile than in the north. When the time comes, every soldier of the Cold Abyss will be able to get land in Jiangnan and become a wealthy man."

Han Lie gasped.

It seems the prince is... eyeing Jiangnan.

"Your Highness, what about the imperial court..."

"The imperial court?"

Xiao Chen sneered, "The court is currently in dire straits. The emperor is seriously ill, the crown prince is overseeing the country, and the Yong Prince's faction is stirring up trouble. Yu Qian is training troops in Jiangnan, but his supplies are insufficient, so he can hardly pose a threat. When they are both exhausted from fighting, that will be our time to make our move."

"Your Highness is wise."

"However, before that, we need to deal with the situation in the north first."

Xiao Chen said, "Although Murong Han joined forces with us to defeat Temujin, he is no pushover. With the unification of the grasslands, the pressure on Northern Yan will increase. He might take action against us."

"Then let's..."

"Strengthen vigilance and continue military training."

Xiao Chen said, "In addition, send an envoy to Northern Yan to tell Murong Han that Han Yuan is willing to form a brotherhood with him forever and not invade each other's territory. But if he dares to have any wicked thoughts, the grasslands will be his example."

"yes!"

After making these arrangements, Xiao Chen returned to the City Lord's Mansion.

As soon as he entered, Uncle Fu handed him a letter.

"Your Highness, this is from the capital, delivered by urgent messenger."

Xiao Chen opened the letter; it was a secret report sent back from the capital by Night Owl.

"The emperor is seriously ill, and the crown prince is in charge of the state affairs."

Xiao Chen put down the letter, walked to the map, and looked at the densely packed cities, mountains, and rivers on it.

Chaos has finally arrived.

And he was ready.

"Pass on the order!"

He told Zhao Tie, "The entire army is prepared for war, ready to deploy at any time. This time, what we want is not just a city or a piece of land, but the whole country."

"yes!"

The Cold Abyss, this war machine, is starting up again.

This time, its goal is the stars and the sea.