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

Inside the banquet hall, candlelight shone brightly, melodious music filled the air, and dancers swayed their long sleeves gracefully, yet the invisible tension permeating the air remained unabated.

Xiao Chen sat high in the main seat, looking calm and composed, as if he were simply hosting an ordinary banquet.

Xiao Jing sat in the lower left seat, with an impeccable royal smile on his face, but his eyes would occasionally sweep over Murong Han, who was sitting opposite him, as well as Wang Dashan, Zhang Meng and other Han Yuan generals who were standing not far behind Xiao Chen.

Murong Han remained calm and composed, occasionally whispering a few words to the deputy envoy of Northern Yan beside him, his gaze deep and unfathomable, as if he were deep in thought.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere seemed to have warmed up a bit, thanks to the deliberate effort put into it.

Xiao Jing put down his wine cup, covered his mouth with his sleeve, and coughed lightly, as if casually mentioning, "Seventh Brother, on my journey here, I have seen numerous waterwheels outside Hanyuan City, operating day and night. The city itself is also densely populated and prosperous, far from the harsh and cold image of the border towns I have heard about. Your ability to govern has truly impressed me."

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Xiao Chen sneered inwardly, but humbly replied, "Your Majesty flatters me. It is all thanks to the Emperor's divine might, the soldiers' bravery, and the people's diligence. A few waterwheels are merely a clumsy way to alleviate the spring drought, not worth mentioning."

"Oh, Seventh Brother, you're too modest."

Xiao Jing waved his hand, then changed the subject, "But I have some questions."

If the purpose is to alleviate the spring drought, why build so many? Moreover, the waterwheels are huge and intricately constructed, requiring a considerable amount of timber and craftsmen.

Furthermore, the sounds of wind and thunder could be heard from within the city. I wonder what kind of formidable weapon my seventh brother is forging? Could it be... that he is repairing military equipment to defend against foreign aggression?

His gaze was intense, pointing straight to the core issue—what are you trying to achieve by undertaking so many projects, especially those suspected of being military projects?

This question was extremely tricky, pointing out Han Yuan's unusual "large-scale construction" and implying that Xiao Chen might be expanding military equipment without authorization and plotting something sinister.

The hall fell silent instantly, and even the rhythm of the music and dance seemed to slow down.

Murong Han's hand, holding the cup, paused in mid-air as he looked at Xiao Chen with interest, awaiting his answer.

Xiao Chen remained calm and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. Although we have formed an alliance with the grasslands, we must still be wary of others in the north."

Many of the border troops' equipment have fallen into disrepair over the years. Now that my brother is stationed here, it is his duty to repair and maintain it.

As for the sound, it was just the daily work of the Bureau of Works in making farm tools, repairing weapons and armor, and finding some work for the displaced people to prevent them from causing trouble.

All of this was for the sake of protecting the land and ensuring the safety of the people; no other actions were permitted.

He attributed "military repairs" to his duties and "the sound of thunder and lightning" to public welfare projects and stability maintenance measures, which is reasonable and justifiable.

"Oh? I see."

Xiao Jing drew out his words, seemingly accepting the explanation, but then casually asked, "By the way, I've heard that the new Khan of the grasslands, Batu, has a close relationship with Seventh Brother? Even... a marriage alliance?" He glanced at Murong Xue, who was sitting below Xiao Chen.

Murong Xue's current identity is the adopted sister of the Prince of Jingbei and the wife of the Khan of the Grasslands, so it is perfectly reasonable for her to attend the banquet.

Xiao Jing's words, seemingly casual, were actually laced with sarcasm and intended to sow discord—what is the purpose of a vassal king's close relationship with the grassland leader, even to the point of marriage? And where does this leave the imperial court?

Xiao Chen understood perfectly and said loudly, "What my royal brother says is correct."

Batu Khan is a man of great wisdom and is willing to form an eternal alliance with our dynasty, to trade and establish mutual commerce, and to jointly safeguard the peace of the northern border.

The marriage alliance is to solidify the covenant and is also a plan that my father promised in the past.

Princess Murong Xue was originally a member of the Northern Yan royal family, but she ended up in our territory. My younger brother adopted her as his sworn sister, which is a beautiful story and further demonstrates the benevolence of our Celestial Dynasty towards those from afar.

He cleverly elevated the marriage alliance to the level of "national policy" and "appeasement," silencing Xiao Jing.

Xiao Jing's eye twitched almost imperceptibly; he hadn't expected Xiao Chen to handle the situation so flawlessly.

He chuckled twice: "Seventh Brother's thinking is thorough; I admire him."

Then, he turned his gaze to Murong Han, who had been silently drinking, and said, "Left Wise King, don't you think so? My seventh brother, though young, is very experienced in handling affairs."

He threw the topic to Murong Han, clearly wanting to drag this Northern Yan warlord into the fray and stir up trouble.

Murong Han put down his wine cup, stroked his beard, and smiled: "Your Highness the Third Prince is right. I also deeply admire His Highness the Prince of Jingbei for his wisdom, decisiveness, and skillful governance."

"Our Northern Yan and Great Xia have been on friendly terms for generations, and now, with a wise king like Prince Jingbei guarding our northern border, it is truly a blessing for both countries."

He deftly deflected the criticism, praising Xiao Chen without responding to Xiao Jing's provocation, and subtly implying that Northern Yan acknowledged Xiao Chen's role in guarding the northern border.

Xiao Jing was rebuffed, inwardly annoyed, but his smile remained unchanged: "The Left Wise King is magnanimous. However..."

He paused, raised his voice slightly, and said with a hint of profound meaning, "Now the Jiangnan region is in turmoil, and the traitor Yu Qian is stubbornly resisting, wasting national funds and causing suffering to the people."

The court is in dire need of capable people. My seventh brother has such great talent, yet he is only assigned to guard this corner of the cold abyss. Isn't that a waste of his talent?

After returning to the capital, I advised Father Emperor to transfer our seventh brother to the south to quell the rebellion, so that he could display his talents. What do you think, seventh brother?

The true intentions were revealed! This was one of Xiao Jing's real killer moves for this trip!

Under the guise of upholding the imperial court's righteousness and suppressing the rebellion, they actually used this as a pretext to lure the tiger away from the mountain and weaken its wings!

Once Xiao Chen leaves the well-established Hanyuan base and heads to the complex battlefield of Jiangnan, where various forces are entrenched, his life and death will no longer be in his own hands.

Upon hearing this, even Murong Han put down his wine cup and listened intently.

Wang Dashan, Zhang Meng, and the others' expressions changed slightly, and their hands unconsciously went to their waists—even though they hadn't brought any weapons to the banquet.

All eyes were on Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen slowly picked up the golden goblet in front of him, looked at the amber-colored wine in the cup, and remained silent for a moment.

The banquet hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; only the occasional crackling of the candlelight could be heard.

After a long pause, he raised his head, a sincere yet slightly helpless smile on his face: "Your Majesty's kindness moves me to tears. To share the nation's burdens and quell the rebellion is naturally a subject's duty. However..."

He then changed the subject, saying, "The northern border has just been pacified. Although the grasslands have submitted, their intentions are hard to fathom. The neighboring Northern Yan is nearby, and we must maintain close ties with them. In addition, tens of thousands of refugees have recently joined us, and all industries are waiting to be developed."

The Cold Abyss is the key to the northern border, and I, your younger brother, am ordered to guard it. I dare not leave it lightly.

Moreover, with the pillars of the court and my elder brother, the Emperor, planning the campaign in Jiangnan, we are sure to achieve victory soon.

Your humble brother is of limited talent and knowledge, and is unclear about the situation in Jiangnan. If he goes there rashly, I fear he will jeopardize the affairs of the state.

It is still the best course of action to firmly defend the northern border and secure the rear for the court.

His words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, containing both flattery and excuses. He demonstrated his loyalty to the emperor, emphasized the reality that the northern border could not do without him, and subtly implied that Xiao Jing was already "strategizing," so why should he go? In the end, he positioned himself as "stabilizing the rear," adopting an extremely humble posture, yet he did not yield an inch.

Xiao Jing's smile finally faltered, and his eyes turned cold.

Before he could speak again, Xiao Chen had already raised his cup and stood up, his clear voice resounding throughout the hall: "Today, my imperial brother and the Left Wise King have gathered in Hanyuan, a truly rare and grand occasion. On this auspicious occasion, let us not discuss state affairs, lest we spoil the refined atmosphere. Come, everyone, please drink this cup to the brim! May our Great Xia be prosperous and peaceful, and may the Northern Border enjoy lasting peace!"

"May the Great Xia Dynasty be prosperous and the people at peace! May the Northern Border enjoy lasting peace!" Wang Dashan, Han Lie, and others were the first to raise their glasses in response, their voices echoing across the rooftops.

Xiao Jing's throat tightened. Looking at the crowd around him raising their glasses, he knew that further pressure was no longer appropriate. He could only suppress his anger, force a smile, and raise his glass, saying, "Seventh Brother is absolutely right, please!"

Murong Han also raised his cup with a smile, his gaze shifting between Xiao Chen and Xiao Jing. His evaluation of this young Prince Jingbei rose even higher.

To be able to calmly resolve such pressure and uphold one's bottom line shows that this person is no ordinary individual.

The glasses clinked again, but this time, the wine seemed to carry a cold, sharp edge.

There are no good banquets, and no good words.

In this first round of confrontation, Xiao Chen held firm against Han Yuan and did not fall behind.

However, everyone knew that Xiao Jing, having arrived in person, would not let the matter rest.

The night is still long, and the real storm may have only just begun to brew.