The snow had not yet settled.
Ice spears still jutted from the frozen ground like a forest of crystal blades, their tips stained red by the blood of the fallen bandits. Villagers gathered in the square, whispering in awe and fear as they looked at the shattered raiders.
Some looked at me.
Some looked at Xue Ning.
But most of them stared at the banner now rising above the village manor.
Not the black wolf crest of the border command.
Not the golden dragon of the Great Yan Dynasty.
A new banner.
A crimson field with a black phoenix rising from silver flames.
My banner.
The first banner that belonged to Chen Sheng, the Fifth Prince.
The wind snapped it open across the snow.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then the old village elder slowly stepped forward and fell to his knees.
"Your Highness …"
His voice shook.
"You saved our village."
Behind him, more villagers knelt.
One after another.
Farmers.
Hunters.
Women holding children.
Even the wounded men were being treated by the river.
The sight hit harder than any battlefield victory.
This was not fear.
This was faith.
I stepped down from the manor stairs and stood before them.
"Rise."
The old man lifted his head.
"But Your Highness—"
I raised a hand.
"I did not save this village so that you would kneel forever."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Good.
Let them hear it.
Let them understand.
I turned and pointed toward the distant south, where the Great Yan capital lay beyond mountains and frozen plains.
"The empire abandoned you."
Silence.
No one dared deny it.
The border taxes had risen every year.
The food caravans had stopped coming.
Han Luo and the border outpost had treated them like livestock.
They knew the truth.
I looked back at them.
"But I won't."
The wind grew stronger, carrying my words across the square.
"This village, the outpost, and every land under my banner will no longer bow to corrupt officials or the Third Prince's dogs."
I slowly drew my sword and raised it.
The steel reflected the falling snow.
"From this day onward …"
I planted the blade into the frozen earth.
"…the Northern Border belongs to me."
The square went silent.
Then—
a voice.
A young hunter from the back of the crowd stepped forward.
"If Your Highness truly protects us…"
He clenched his fists.
"…then I am willing to fight."
Good.
Very good.
This was exactly how rebellions began.
Not with declarations.
With belief.
The system suddenly flashed before my eyes.
[Territory Event Trigger ed]
The First Banner of Rebellion
Population loyalty +15
Recruitment Hall unlocked
Militia formation is available
Perfect.
I smiled inwardly.
A rebellion needed more than swords.
It needed structure.
I opened the new system panel.
Recruitment Hall
Available Recruits: Village Militia × 30, Hunters × 12, Stable Horses 8
Special Bonus: Followers related to loyal commanders gain +10 loyalty
Excellent.
This was exactly what I needed.
I turned toward Yue Lian.
"Select the strongest villagers and hunters."
She bowed.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Begin training immediately."
"As commanded."
The villagers' faces changed.
Hope.
Excitement.
Some even looked proud.
Perfect.
Beside me, Hu Mei gave a soft laugh.
"My, my."
She circled me slowly.
"Master has quite the talent for making people fall for him."
I raised a brow.
"Are you jealous?"
She smiled lazily.
"I'm only curious how many hearts you plan to steal."
Before I could reply, a calm voice cut through the moment.
"You are moving too fast."
Feng Yuehuang.
I turned.
Her golden eyes rested on the banner above us.
Then on me.
"The Third Prince will hear of this."
Her voice was calm but serious.
"The moment he learns the border has fallen, and a banner has been raised …"
She looked directly into my eyes.
"…he will send an army."
Good.
I wanted him to.
I smiled.
"Then let him come."
Her expression didn't change.
But I saw it.
The slight narrowing of her eyes.
Approval.
Dangerous approval.
Lin Xue stepped beside her, silver hair moving in the wind.
"There is another issue."
I looked at her.
"The villages around Frostwood are starving."
Ah.
Now we have come to the second part of the ruling.
War won territory.
Governance kept it.
This was where my previous life became useful.
I crouched and picked up a handful of frozen soil.
The land wasn't dead.
It was simply being used poorly.
Crop rotation.
Water channels.
Storage management.
I had handled billion-level logistics projects in my previous life.
Managing a frozen border village?
Easy.
I stood up.
"Gather the village elders."
Within the hour, the village leaders were assembled in the manor hall.
Maps were spread across the table.
I pointed at the river.
"We divert part of the river through the lower fields."
The elders frowned.
"Your Highness, in winter?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
I pointed again.
"Use stone channels here and here."
Then I marked another section.
"Store grain in underground insulated cellars instead of wooden barns."
The room fell silent.
The old elder blinked.
"This… would preserve food through the winter."
Exactly.
Yue Lian looked genuinely surprised.
"You understand agriculture?"
I smiled faintly.
"I understand survival."
Good rulers did not only win battles.
They made sure their people lived long enough to fight the next one.
The system flashed again.
[Territory Development initiated]
Food production: +20%
Living conditions: +15
Population loyalty +10
Excellent.
Xue Ning, now dressed in white fur robes, stepped quietly into the hall.
Her newly awakened bloodline made the air around her slightly colder.
Her blue eyes rested on me.
"You truly mean to build this place."
I looked at her.
"Yes."
For a moment, something soft passed through her expression.
Then she bowed slightly.
"Then allow me to help."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The system panel flickered.
[Special Ally Loyalty: 35 → 48]
Perfect.
The banner outside snapped in the wind.
The first territory had been claimed.
The first village had pledged loyalty.
The first militia was being formed.
This was no longer mere survival.
This was rebellion.
And rebellions had only one destination.
The throne.
I looked south.
"Third Prince."
My voice was low.
"You exiled me to die."
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Now watch as your exile becomes your nightmare."