[{"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-14":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},2364283,4623,"Chapter 14: The Drum of Public Grievance","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>\"Newly appointed Battalion Commander Li Mu, pays his respects to the Regional Military Commissioner!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone had left, Li Mu formally submitted the Ministry of War’s appointment document.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, I know you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Marquis of Zhenyuan mentioned to me last time that his distant nephew would be coming to serve as Battalion Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yesterday, when I paid my respects to the Empress Dowager, Prince Fu also mentioned you, implying I should look after you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t say I’m heartless—choose one for yourself: the Battalion Command posts in the North City, South City, or Central City.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Marquis Wuyang Zheng Ruitao finished speaking, Li Mu fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command nominally oversaw the entire city, but in reality, they had no authority over the imperial palace grounds—even peripheral patrol duties had been seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically the highest-ranking, the Central City Battalion Command couldn’t manage the inner city; it could only handle the suburbs just outside the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its jurisdiction had greatly expanded, seeming to grant more power, but in truth it was a grueling, thankless post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining four Battalion Commands appeared equal in status, but the capital had long held the saying: South is lowly, North is poor, East is wealthy, West is noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The easiest place to achieve results was naturally the West City Battalion Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its jurisdiction concentrated over ninety percent of the capital’s nobility; living daily alongside these powerful figures naturally offered more opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the East City, where wealthy merchants gathered, each tied by countless threads to court magnates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether one could gain promotion was uncertain, but every Battalion Commander there returned rich beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a prime position naturally drew many rivals; even if a vacancy opened, it was instantly filled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining South City and North City were, respectively, a chaotic hub of all social classes and a slum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please, my lord, guide me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu bowed respectfully and threw the question back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three Battalion Commands left for him were all mediocre; no matter which he chose, it was much the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop dawdling—it’s all much the same. The truly good positions were taken long ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you're unwilling to accept this, go take them from them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Marquis Wuyang deliberately pointed his finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The naked provocation made Li Mu inwardly groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officialdom’s struggles demanded conflict without rupture; behind closed doors, you could fight to the death, but publicly, faces were rarely torn open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infighting within the Five City Military Command was nearly out in the open; both sides’ animosity had reached a point of no return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobility’s internal hierarchy was merely the trigger; the root lay in interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most lucrative posts were monopolized by the deputies’ lackeys; no matter who the boss was, he’d feel uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unwilling to lose power, Marquis Wuyang naturally took action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, he misstepped—not only did he fail to seize control, he also created a major scandal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vacancies in the Five City Military Command resulted from that previous struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All sides suffered heavy losses and, under pressure, were forced into a compromise, giving rise to the current peculiar landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regional Military Commissioner, I choose the South City Battalion Command.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu made his decision decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave up on East City and West City; even the Empress Dowager’s younger brother couldn’t wrestle those away—he didn’t think he could snatch them from the tiger’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear Marquis Wuyang didn’t particularly favor him. The imperial in-laws and the founding nobility had never been allies; letting him choose was likely due to Prince Fu’s influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was all—it would take no more than that. To gain further favors, he’d have to join their faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was unquestionably impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The founding nobility group was far more promising than the imperial in-laws. No matter how glorious the in-laws became, it lasted at most one or two reigns before rapid decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The founding emperor had long established ancestral law: empresses and imperial consorts must be selected from virtuous commoner families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This policy resulted in imperial in-laws generally holding low status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even titles gained through family ties were not hereditary; to inherit a title, one needed the emperor’s special approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, in the Great Yu dynasty, the more fiercely imperial in-laws schemed, the faster they fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve chosen? Then report for duty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have urgent matters and cannot accompany you. See which official in the government office is free, and have him go with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang’s casualness left Li Mu speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d read the man’s eyes—this fellow was simply trying to shirk work. Knowing he couldn’t win Li Mu over, he’d decided not to bother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the palace, Emperor Tianyuan frowned at the mountain of impeachment memorials piled before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the contents were true, half the court officials needed their heads cut off, and the other half would be exiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who climbed up from below had inevitably broken rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one insisted on strict enforcement, the court would be empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Great Yu had no shortage of people wanting to be officials, wanting to be one and being good at it were two entirely different things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Replacing them with unfamiliar faces would likely make matters worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold all of them back—do not issue them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t handle them, he’d pretend he didn’t see them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having seen such scenes too often, Emperor Tianyuan’s heart had long hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impeaching is your freedom; whether I act or not depends entirely on my mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dong dong dong…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Drum of Public Grievance outside the palace gates suddenly rang, shaking the entire Forbidden City; Emperor Tianyuan’s face darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Drum of Public Grievance was originally established so that commoners with grave injustices and nowhere to appeal could strike it, requesting the emperor’s personal judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In practice, the founding emperor soon realized it was entirely unfeasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many injustices across the land; if restrictions were lifted, the drum would ring nonstop every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor couldn’t possibly handle nothing but trials day after day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid such an embarrassing scene, the Great Yu imposed strict restrictions on striking the Drum of Public Grievance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was the striker severely punished, but the case itself was also strictly regulated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only major false injustices, after multiple levels of government office appeals had failed, were permitted to trigger the drum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To overturn a lower government office's verdict was to accuse an official; by law, the accuser received thirty strokes first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each appeal upward meant another beating—purely a matter of risking one’s life to seek justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those capable of fabricating injustices were never ordinary people; they wouldn’t allow victims to appeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninety-nine percent of those seeking justice died on the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Drum of Public Grievance was struck and the emperor intervened, everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only would the injustice be overturned, but all officials involved would suffer consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the founding of the Great Yu, every time the drum rang, it sparked a massive uproar throughout court and countryside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quickly go see who is striking the drum!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Assign men to guard the striker—under no circumstances allow him to suffer any mishap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Summon the Grand Secretaries immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how displeased he was, Emperor Tianyuan issued his decree without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of event had to be recorded in history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Handle it poorly, and his reputation in life and after death would both suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the Son of Heaven, news always spread fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Drum of Public Grievance—a thing inherently charged with public attention—had sounded, and the entire capital erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors and speculations flew everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu, on his very first day in office, had done nothing yet already swallowed a full belly of gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1291,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","0fb420662e7bb6dd6fad46070045eb60055d17429da013a3bf0e04bfc9e3114c","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-15","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-13",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]