[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers":3,"chapter-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Restoring the Mountains and Rivers",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":12,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},2364270,4623,"Chapter 1: Journey to the Capital","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>“Master, the capital is truly… truly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After struggling for a long time without finding a suitable word, he exposed his rustic nature outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Majestic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the strange glances around him, Li Mu quickly added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t even read a single character, yet insisted on pretending to be cultured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for his exceptional combat skills and his record of single-handedly killing thirteen bandits, Li Mu would never have brought him along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop standing around—get into the city!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Li Mu slapped Wu Dagè on the back of the head and dismounted at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the capital, big shots are the most plentiful—better to keep a low profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp-eyed Zhou manager had already rushed ahead to the city gate and presented their credentials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without any surprise, after verifying their identities, the city guard officer immediately granted passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mocking glances around instantly turned to envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without incident, Li Mu’s party bypassed the queue for toll payment and entered the city directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A year ago, he was a laid-off victim of corporate optimization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The market was poor, and he couldn’t find a desirable job in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no “three loans” dragging him down, this nuclear-powered ox decided to take a long break and see his homeland’s magnificent landscapes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he took his first step, he was struck by the transmigration gift package and arrived in the Great Yu Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dynasty absent from history books, its political system and social backdrop resembled the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original body was a filial son, strictly observing mourning rites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He personally built a humble thatched hut near his father’s grave and lived daily on straw mats and coarse food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither scorching heat nor bitter cold ever shook him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After holding out for two years, his body finally broke down, crushed by a sudden storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reincarnated Li Mu was not so foolish—he willingly accepted his family’s advice and moved back under the pretext of recovering from illness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a full six months of rest at home, his health returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the Great Yu Dynasty’s favorable policy—the hereditary military garrison system—he inherited from his ancestors the foundation of his livelihood: Commander of the Hanzhong Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month after the mourning period ended, Li Mu submitted his official appointment petition and set out for the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Zhenyuan Marquis’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Mu, please come in quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servants didn’t know better—they blocked you at the gate; they deserve punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since we received word of your arrival, the Marquis has taken special notice and specifically ordered the Yuzhu Garden prepared for you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis is at court and won’t return until evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young masters are all studying at the academy, busy with their quarterly assessments—they won’t be back for a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please forgive any neglect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would you like me to show you to the Yuzhu Garden first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the old steward warmly greeted him, he explained why no master had come out to meet him, fully demonstrating the professionalism of a noble household’s steward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accompanying servants, quick to read the situation, took the reins and led the horses through the gate into the stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Uncle, for your thoughtfulness!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I came in such haste I had no time to prepare gifts—these are local specialties from Hanzhong. Uncle Liu, please accept them on behalf of my uncle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu replied with neither subservience nor arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not refuse the Zhenyuan Marquis’s kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a clan society, two Lis cannot be written on separate sheets of paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Hanzhong Li branch had separated from the Zhenyuan Marquis’s household nearly a century ago, and their bloodline was nearly beyond the fifth degree of kinship, as long as the two families hadn’t formally split clans, they remained one family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this blood tie, the two families had always been political allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying at the Marquis’s residence was both visiting kin and a political statement to the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Mu, you’re too modest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you all standing there for? Get people over to carry the belongings!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Mu, please follow me to the Yuzhu Garden!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Uncle Liu led Li Mu’s party into the Marquis’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They passed through more than a dozen gates, taking the time of a single cup of tea to reach their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yuzhu Garden covered a large area, with over twenty rooms, and featured bamboo groves, ponds, and pavilions, arranged with great elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maids and servants had already waited at the gate, and the table was laden with various pastries and fruits—clearly prearranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Mu, this is the Yuzhu Garden. All daily necessities have been prepared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you need anything else, just instruct the servants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis said that here, you are as much at home as in your own house—no need for formality!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It perfectly highlighted the Marquis’s regard while attributing all credit to the Zhenyuan Marquis himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a considerate subordinate was loved by every superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this steward of the Marquis’s household was no ordinary man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not been limited by his birth, his high emotional intelligence alone would have earned him a place in officialdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’m grateful for your efforts, Uncle Liu—I’ll call if I need anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve traveled far and need to wash up. Please, take your leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the dismissal, Uncle Liu promptly took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou manager, arrange for everyone to settle in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis’s household has many rules—stay within the courtyard unless necessary, and avoid disturbing noble guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try not to clash with the Marquis’s people—come to me if anything arises.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu gave his final warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great households never lack dark corners—if someone arranged for him to be used as a pawn, it would be embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner quarters of the Zhenyuan Marquis’s residence were turbulent; in noble circles, this was nearly an open secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in distant Hanzhong, he had heard whispers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main wife had no sons; all the young masters were born of concubines, and theoretically, the eldest bastard held succession rights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But noble families prized face above all—directly inheriting as a bastard would bring shame to the Marquis’s household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such circumstances, bastards were usually registered under the main wife’s name and treated as legitimate heirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that point, birth order among bastards became irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever gained the legitimate son’s status became the first in line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the matter of succession, the Marquis’s wife remained indifferent, and the Zhenyuan Marquis showed no clear preference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To fight for succession, the concubines within the household had been fiercely competing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu had no wish to join this farce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His uncle was under forty; the Marquis’s wife was even younger, and they still had two daughters—no one could guarantee they wouldn’t bear a son later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the evening, the returning Zhenyuan Marquis, Li Yuan, asked wearily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Quan, what do you think of my nephew?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though uncle and nephew, they had last met five years ago—at the funeral of the previous Zhenyuan Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, Young Master Mu has changed greatly these past years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He rode here himself; among his attendants, aside from one manager, all others are fierce retainers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In matters of social grace, he’s far more mature than before—there’s a touch of your own youthful bearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the steward’s reply, Li Yuan smiled faintly, then ordered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prepare the evening banquet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1243,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z","Qwen3.5 397B","c54329425d5188d824a691a57d3d847bb13f4ec6a4ebd17e969f5118de274555","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-2",null,391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]