[{"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-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Restoring the Mountains and Rivers",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2364280,4623,"Chapter 11: Each Has Their Own Calculations","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>“Godfather, strike first and gain the upper hand; strike later and suffer the consequences!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Pure Stream faction wants to move against us, let’s not hold back either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grab them and take them to the Eastern Depot—subject them to brutal interrogation, and they’ll confess without fail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had Zuo Tianjun finished speaking than the atmosphere in the room turned strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked at him as if he were a mentally impaired child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True, few officials in court are clean, and the Eastern Depot does have the authority to arrest people—but that doesn’t mean power can be abused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all previous major operations, there was always imperial indication behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we act on our own initiative and instigate a major case, we must consider the fate of our heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the emperor’s hounds and claws, the most important thing is to understand your place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re just a brat—how dare you speak of state affairs? You have no idea what you’re talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone, continue. Ignore this brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zuo Guang’en immediately rebuked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, for the first time, he began to doubt his decision to take this boy as his adopted son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply couldn’t understand how a boy who once seemed so sharp could suddenly become clueless at critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Factory Director, the great defeat in Liaodong is only the beginning—the real crisis lies ahead in the Nine Borders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Pure Stream faction launches an attack, their best entry point will be to condemn the military reforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total annihilation of the Divine Engine Camp and the Three Thousand Camp has become their sharpest spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they can magnify the problem, they can completely discredit all achievements of the military reforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they succeed, they’ll surely press their advantage and attack the entire reformist faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the issue of military reform, we’ve deeply offended the noble families—they’re likely to join in kicking us while we’re down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Ministry of War may be in trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Minister of Personnel Shi Yuanhu finished speaking, several officials from the Ministry of War instantly turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone else can find excuses to dodge blame—but they cannot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the military campaign was ordered by the Emperor, they were the ones who drafted the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the front suffered a crushing defeat, it’s not the Emperor’s fault—it’s theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Pure Stream faction uncovers even a shred of wrongdoing, this blame will be pinned on them for good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Shi is right—our current situation is extremely unfavorable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure Stream faction alone is already troublesome; we absolutely cannot let the noble families get involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director, while we still have time, we must act swiftly to stabilize the noble families.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the shadow of the front’s crushing defeat, their influence will inevitably grow in the coming period!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister of War Yi Chuanliang said solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When one’s life and fortune are at stake, no one can remain calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—the noble families have already been negotiated with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of War will cede some authority to the Five Military Commissions, allow military officers to serve in the Ministry of War, and give them one-third of the directorships in its bureaus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the early days of the dynasty, the concessions Zuo Guang’en offered now seem trivial—but suppressing military officers has always been the consensus among civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the eunuch faction, which is inherently constrained, the military faction led by the noble families genuinely threatens the core interests of the civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From general to chancellor” is not merely an idiom—it has actually occurred in many dynasties throughout history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In certain special periods, there was even a rule that only marquises could become chancellors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our ancestors expended countless efforts to lock military power inside a cage—no one wants to let them out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Factory Director, this cannot be done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If military men rise to power, the state will collapse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The civil officials all protested in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collective opposition from his subordinates startled Zuo Guang’en.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just giving up a few posts in the Ministry of War—could it really be that serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in the early days of the dynasty, noble families directly held ministerial posts in the Six Ministries—and no chaos ensued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not understanding matters is secondary; what matters is that his subordinates’ opinions must be taken seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His power comes from two sources: one is the Emperor’s trust, the other is the support of his subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that these two are in conflict, the situation has become complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The agreement with the noble families was reached under the Emperor Tianyuan’s leadership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we now renege, where does that leave the Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, everyone, rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I failed to consider this properly—thank you, loyal ministers, for your candid advice, which prevented a great disaster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given the current situation, we must first stabilize the noble families.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So we must still fulfill part of these conditions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suggest this: under the pretext of cultivating talent for the court, we first admit some noble sons into the Ministry of War—but without granting them actual posts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Privately, we promise the noble families that once these men become familiar with Ministry affairs and can fulfill their duties, we will assign them proper positions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Train them for one or two years, then gradually find suitable reasons to remove them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, we shouldn’t remove them all—keep one or two who are useful, to spare the noble families’ face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zuo Guang’en’s flexible moral standards made the previously opposing civil officials breathe a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceiving the noble families was, in everyone’s eyes, a minor issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Political struggle has always been a game of deceit—being fooled only proves you’re foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar maneuvers have occurred countless times in history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhenyuan Marquis’s Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaotic situation in the capital rendered Li Mu’s invitations useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two largest factions in court had gone to war, dragging countless officials into the conflict involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The details of the high-level struggle remained unclear, but rumors of officials being toppled kept emerging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many were high-ranking court officials in the morning and prisoners by night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such a climate of fear, who had time to catch up with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although provincial officials rarely get entangled in court struggles, exceptions always exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one were dragged into the factional fight simply because of close ties, wouldn’t that be unjust?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, everyone was too tactful to refuse outright—they all, without saying a word, postponed the meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu paid no attention to this change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Connections matter only when you’re strong; if you’re in absolute weakness, you get at most one chance to ask for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news of his assignment to remain in the capital was still confidential—in the outside world, he was merely the pending Commander of the Hanzhong Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His rank was not low, but his position carried little authority and offered extremely limited prospects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the countless garrison officers in the Da Yu dynasty, fewer than one in ten had any chance of advancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless one was precisely posted to Hanzhong—or came from Hanzhong—this connection would never be useful in a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their polite responses were largely due to the Marquis Mansion’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Delaying the meetings suited Li Mu perfectly—others feared he’d attract trouble, but he feared they’d be dragged into factional strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1229,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","f636ce349c19e088570e150b9ae47bf08deb0da39d7f801c1f250c22f1f35171","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-12","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-10",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]