Capital City

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Capital City (京城)
Alias(es)	Chang'an — capital of the Great Sui Dynasty 15
Affiliation	Great Sui Dynasty; Great Gan Dynasty
Status	Seat of imperial authority in both documented dream worlds
First Appearance	Great Sui capital: 3; Great Gan capital: 33

Great Sui Dynasty

Succession Crisis

On the night of Emperor Lin Batian's abdication, the capital became the center of a violent contest between the imperial princes. City gates were placed under heightened guard, with soldiers scrutinizing everyone entering or leaving; Lin Hanzhou was admitted only after presenting his dragon-patterned princely medallion. 3

The streets were deserted, with households, brothels, and taverns shuttered in anticipation of bloodshed. The white-jade square outside the Imperial Palace was cleared of its normal Imperial Guard presence, while the Third Prince's Tiger Brave Guard and the Ninth Prince's Green Garment Tower blocked the approach to the palace. 3 4

• The Imperial Plaza became the battlefield where the Third and Ninth Princes' Xiantian retainers fought for control of the succession. 6
• Following Lin Hanzhou's victory, the Shadow Guard cleared the palace battlefield and escorted him through the inner palace to the Council Hall. 8
• The Hall of Supreme Harmony hosted Lin Hanzhou's enthronement and the announcement of his reforms. 10
• Ministers opposing the new decrees were executed within the Hall of Supreme Harmony, establishing fear as the immediate basis of the new regime. 11

Five Great Clans Purge

When the Five Great Clans prepared a coup, Lin Hanzhou ordered the Imperial Guard to seal the city: entry remained possible, but no one could leave. Two hundred thousand troops secured the four gates, with forty thousand guards assigned to each. 13

The Shadow Guard and Lin Hanzhou then attacked the five clan estates overnight. Slaughter and screams were heard from five directions until dawn; the clans' nineteen Xiantian experts were killed, surviving core members were imprisoned, estates were sealed, and their wealth was confiscated. 13

The patriarchs' heads were displayed at Meridian Gate, turning the capital into the public symbol of the emperor's purge and compelling local powers across Great Sui to submit to reform. 14

Chang'an Under Lin Hanzhou

Fifty years later, the Great Sui capital is identified as Chang'an. Its streets had been widened and kept orderly, with shops lining both sides; merchants from the Western Regions and fleets from the East Sea made it a gathering point for wealth from across the world. 15

• The capital's prosperity reflected broader reforms in land, education, agriculture, and military preparedness. 15
• Lin Hanzhou later returned to its bustling streets after abdication, observing crowds shortly before his death in the imperial palace. 17

Great Gan Dynasty

Condition on Lin Hanzhou's Arrival

The Great Gan Capital City was physically grander than Qingzhou City, with walls dozens of feet high built from dark-green boulders, streets broad enough for eight carriages abreast, and imposing buildings. Its appearance concealed deep political decay. 33

Private soldiers of different princes patrolled the streets in distinct armor, openly displaying hostility toward one another. Commoners moved with fear and submission, vulnerable to abuse from noble retainers and powerful officials. 33

• Third Prince's guards beat an elderly farmer to death for appearing in the city. 33
• A powerful eunuch's foster son abducted a young woman in public while patrol officers ignored it. 33
• Scholars at Riverview Pavilion described the capital as being effectively controlled by the princes rather than Emperor Li De. 33

Succession Struggle

After Emperor Li De's death, funeral bells rang throughout the Capital City as the princes and their retainers prepared to challenge the decree naming Li Yuechan as successor. 35

Thousands of private soldiers surrounded Chengtian Gate, trapping the Imperial Guard within the palace precinct. Lin Hanzhou intervened between the opposing forces, killing seven Grandmasters and more than a dozen Martial Masters in a single strike; the princes and officials subsequently submitted to Li Yuechan. 36

Event	Chapter	Outcome
Li Yuechan's accession	35 36	The Ninth Princess took the throne despite opposition from her brothers and their retainers.
Purge of coup participants	37	Li Yuechan ordered the execution of princes and officials involved in the attempted coup.
Appointment of Lin Hanzhou	37	Lin Hanzhou became Grand Protector State Preceptor; to see him was declared equivalent to seeing the Empress.
Restriction of the Three Feudal Lords	42	The lords were summoned to the Capital City, stripped of private troops, and kept under watch, completing Great Gan's centralization.

Siege by the Snow Wolf Iron Cavalry

Only half a month after Li Yuechan's accession, one hundred thousand Snow Wolf Iron Cavalry bypassed the front lines and reached the Capital City's gates. The force was led by two Grandmasters, while the city itself had over one hundred thousand Imperial Guards but lacked nearby Grandmaster-level defenders. 37

The emergency court debated fleeing or surrendering. Li Yuechan rejected both options, declaring that she would defend the capital alongside its people and soldiers; she executed the Prime Minister who advocated surrender. 38

Lin Hanzhou fought the two Qing Grandmasters atop the city wall. Using the Three Reverse Pulse Styles, he burned fifty years of lifespan to kill both commanders and prevent the cavalry from entering the city. 39

• Lin Hanzhou then entered the enemy formation and targeted Qing Grandmaster-level officers, breaking the cavalry's command structure and morale. 40
• Wang Jian led the Imperial Guard's counterattack after the Qing Army routed. 40
• The entire Snow Wolf Iron Cavalry was annihilated outside the Capital City. 40
• The victory made the capital a symbol of Lin Hanzhou's military deterrence and earned him the titles Black-Clad State Protector and White-Haired Sword Saint. 40 41

Political Center After the Siege

Following the defense of the Capital City, Empress Li Yuechan granted Lin Hanzhou the title of Protector Grand Master and status equal to her own. The court thereafter operated around the Empress as political core and Lin Hanzhou as military pillar. 41

The Three Feudal Lords, whose plans had relied on the capital falling to the Qing Army, abandoned open resistance after witnessing Lin Hanzhou's strength. Their eventual confinement in the Capital City removed the last major internal faction capable of challenging the imperial family. 41 42