Three days after the battle, a rider arrived from the east.
He did not wear the colors of Shen City.
He wore imperial insignia.
The golden emblem of the QinShan Empire.
The guards stiffened immediately.
A summons from the capital rarely meant peace.
The rider dismounted and knelt.
"For His Highness, Prince Qin Wang Shan."
A sealed scroll was presented.
The wax bore the crest of Wushen.
Qin Wang Shan accepted it calmly.
But his fingers tightened slightly.
He already understood.
Victory had traveled faster than expected.
Inside the council hall, Commander Han and Lu Zheng stood nearby as the seal was broken.
The letter was brief.
Cold.
Formal.
"By decree of His Majesty of Qin Shan Empire, The Seventh Prince is to return to WuShen immediately To report on the recent military activity in Shen City."
Silence filled the room.
Lu Zheng's expression darkened.
"So it begins," he murmured.
Commander Han spoke first.
"Your Highness, this is not merely a report request."
"No," Qin Wang Shan replied evenly.
"It is an inspection."
And perhaps—
A warning.
Lu Zheng stepped forward.
"The capital would not ignore such rapid growth. Especially not in a territory once considered useless."
Qin Wang Shan nodded.
"They expected Shen City to struggle."
He folded the letter slowly.
"Now they wish to measure it."
Or contain it.
Han's jaw tightened.
"If you go, Your Highness, the city—"
"Will remain standing," Qin Wang Shan interrupted calmly.
He turned to Lu Zheng.
"You will oversee civil governance."
Then to Han.
"You will command all military forces."
Both men bowed without hesitation.
That evening, Qin Wang Shan stood alone on the city wall once more.
The lanterns of Shen City burned brighter than before.
Stronger.
Alive.
This was no longer a forgotten place.
It was becoming something else.
Something dangerous.
In Wushen, the imperial capital, whispers had already begun.
The Seventh Prince had won a border battle.
He had reorganized a dying city.
He had trained soldiers quietly.
Too quietly.
Within the palace halls, factions shifted.
Eyes turned westward.
Back in Shen City, Qin Wang Shan looked toward the eastern horizon.
"Very well," he murmured softly.
"If the capital wishes to see me…"
His eyes hardened.
"Then I will let them see."
Not a discarded prince.
But a rising one.