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

Transmigrated into the least favored Seventh Prince, Xiao Chen took the initiative in court to request the harshest region in Great Xia: Hanyuan City, a land of endless ice and snow where bandits ran rampant.

On the day he left the capital, he had one rickety carriage and three old servants. The whole city waited to see the prince freeze to death during his first winter in the northern frontier.

They had no idea that Xiao Chen saw endless coal mines underground, frost wheat that was hardy and high-yield, and the finest warhorses from the grassland tribes.

A year later, Hanyuan City had towering walls, well-fed soldiers and civilians, and the beginnings of a crack force.

Three years later, he had unified the northern frontier. His iron cavalry swept all before it, striking fear into neighboring nations.

As a bloody battle for the throne plunged the capital into chaos, an army clad in black armor marched south from the northern frontier. Its banner bore four words:

"Cleanse the Court. Save the Nation."

The old emperor trembled as he looked at his seventh son, whose army had reached the gates. "Y-You... What do you want?"

Xiao Chen sat facing south and said softly:

"Father, it's time for someone else to take the throne."

"And the Nine Provinces... It's time they had a new ruler, too."

Core highlights:

✅ No System: He turns the tables through knowledge and strategy alone

✅ Hardcore farming: From mining coal and smelting iron to improving farm tools

✅ Political maneuvering: Court, frontier, and foreign powers all vie for advantage

✅ Thrilling warfare: Tactical innovations in the age of cold weapons

✅ Grassland princess × exiled prince, a powerful alliance of equals

✅ A solid, believable journey from ruling one city to conquering the realm

While others fight for the throne, I fight for the realm. Starting in a bitterly cold land, I'll build an iron-blooded empire.