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

Transmigrated into the least favored of the Seventh Prince's body, Xiao Chen publicly asks the court to grant him the harshest, coldest land in Great Xia: Hanyuan City, a place of endless ice and snow, rife with bandits.

On the day he leaves the capital, he has one shabby carriage and three elderly servants. The whole city waits to see the prince freeze to death during his first winter in the north.

They don't know that Xiao Chen sees endless coal deposits underground, frost wheat that is hardy and high-yielding, and the finest warhorses from the steppe tribes.

A year later, Hanyuan City's walls stand tall, its soldiers and citizens are well-fed and warmly clothed, and its elite troops are taking shape.

Three years later, the north is united, its cavalry unstoppable, and its neighbors struck with terror.

As the capital descends into a bloody succession struggle and chaos engulfs the land, an army clad in black armor marches south from the northern frontier. Four great characters are emblazoned on its banners:

“Cleanse the court. Save the nation.”

The old emperor gazes at his seventh son, whose troops are at the gates, and asks with a trembling voice, “Y-what do you want?”

Xiao Chen sits facing south and says softly:

“Father, it's time to give up the Dragon Throne.”

“And it's time for someone new to rule these Nine Provinces.”

Highlights:

[Emoji] No System: he rises through knowledge and strategy alone

[Emoji] Serious nation-building: from coal mining and iron smelting to improving farm tools

[Emoji] Political maneuvering: the court, the frontier, and foreign tribes all vie for power

[Emoji] Thrilling warfare: tactical innovations in an era of cold weapons

[Emoji] A steppe princess and an exiled prince join forces as equals

[Emoji] A solid progression from ruling one city to conquering the realm

While others fight for the throne, I fight for the world. Starting in a frozen wasteland, I will build an iron-blooded empire.