O Incomparável Nono Príncipe

“Congratulations to the Ninth Prince for being granted the domain of Da Xu!”

“Though Da Xu lies on the frontier, it is still one of the ten vassal states of the Great Qi dynasty. Today, we welcome a new lord—let’s not leave sober!”

“Come! Fresh wine with green bubbles, a small red clay stove. As the night falls and snow threatens, will you share a cup with me?”

…

Da Xu Royal City—Prince's Residence.

To call it a Prince’s Residence is generous; it’s merely a rather spacious courtyard. Compared to the palatial estates of Da Wu, Da Wei, or Da Liang—sprawling for tens of archery ranges, with towers and jade halls everywhere—it falls far short.

Chai Xiao sat at the center seat of the Hall of Diligence, needing a long moment to accept the reality that he had crossed over into this world.

Ten princes in all—how had he ended up as the most mediocre, the Ninth Prince?

Wu, Wei, Liang, Chen, Shu, Han, Yue, Jin, Xu, Min.

Except for the last—reserved for the six-year-old snot-nosed A Man until he comes of age—all had their lords.

The titles were the same—“Your Highness”—but the first three were “Princes,” the next five “County Princes,” and only he was a mere “Duke.”

To add insult to injury, not only was his rank low, but Da Xu lacked even a proper army.

The Wu, Wei, and Liang armies, famed as the tiger, leopard, and bear of Great Qi, were formidable, rivaling the imperial “Dragon Army” and Feathered Guards.

Last year, when the Great Liao dynasty invaded, the imperial capital called upon all vassals to