[{"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-18":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},2364287,4623,"Chapter 18: The Evil Tiger","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-18",18,"\u003Cp>“Uncle, there’s nothing worth lamenting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent decades, court struggles have grown increasingly fierce; everyone’s bottom lines have been repeatedly shattered in these conflicts. Left unchecked, this will inevitably lead to great chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current actions of the Pure Stream faction have not only enraged the eunuchs but also offended His Majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those high-ranking Pure Stream officials in court are unlikely to meet a good end!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changing a nation is hard enough; changing a declining empire is even harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Da Yu dynasty has endured for over two hundred years, leaving only a few decades before it reaches the three-century cycle typical of feudal dynasties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the civil official bloc has grown stronger, it has not only eroded the power of the noble families but also steadily encroached upon imperial authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Emperor Tianyuan ascended the throne, this trend was interrupted—but the drastic shrinkage of imperial power remains an undeniable fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On appointments within the Grand Secretariat, the emperor can no longer decide unilaterally; he must go through the court nomination process to gain acceptance from the ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor’s edicts are now called “mid-decrees,” and the Six Censorates can outright reject them without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after bearing the Grand Secretariat’s seal do they possess full legal authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To safeguard imperial authority, emperors have refrained from issuing mid-decrees for the past few decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continues, perhaps a Da Yu version of constitutional monarchy will soon step onto the historical stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the probability of this happening is minuscule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constitutional monarchy arises from the rise of capitalist economies; Da Yu currently lacks the conditions to develop capitalism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchants who appear wealthy are in fact dependent on powerful elites, deeply entangled politically with the bureaucratic bloc, relying on the transfer of benefits to achieve their political goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if imperial power is locked away, the civil officials’ innate tendency toward internal strife means that if they govern, the empire will accomplish nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a feudal dynasty’s central government does nothing, it’s actually good for ordinary people; as long as the court doesn’t stir trouble, everyone is happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the central government remains inactive during the transition to capitalism, great chaos will follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching imperial power steadily decline, Emperor Tianyuan, a ruler with ambition, could not sit idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he used political maneuvers to sow discord and dismantle the civil official bloc; then he pitted eunuchs against the Pure Stream faction, promoting reformers onto the political stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These political operations cannot be called entirely correct, but their general direction was sound—only the execution went awry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing reform does not mean Emperor Tianyuan wanted reform; he was forced into it by the empire’s collapsing finances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every dynasty’s middle to late period, the cost of rule surges dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Yu’s situation is worse: besides normal cost increases, it also suffers from inflation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the flourishing of overseas smuggling, vast amounts of silver have flooded into Da Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the money supply increases, goods priced in silver inevitably rise in value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wei-suo soldiers are useless in major campaigns; conscripted troops have become a vital pillar of national defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with rising prices, defense expenditures have skyrocketed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Yu, which once maintained a million soldiers without spending a single coin, now devotes half its fiscal revenue to military costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Central government revenue has not grown, yet the cost of maintaining imperial rule continues to climb. Without reform, the empire will be crushed by its finances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu did not choose to join the reformers and save this great empire—this is the core reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor supports the reformers merely to preserve his rule; he lacks the courage to smash the existing political ecosystem entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hastily assembled reformers are a mixed bag; many have joined, but few genuinely support reform—most are political opportunists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With powerful vested interests blocking reform from outside and a band of incompetent allies dragging them down from within, the reformers’ main force has become the eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They brought it on themselves!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pretend to strike at the eunuchs, but in truth they’re eroding imperial power—how could His Majesty ever let them off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just wait and see; His Majesty’s counterattack is coming soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dog raised for days must be let loose to hunt—or it’ll grow useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep your men under control; if things turn chaotic later, soldiers are the foundation of your survival!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words that followed carried treasonous implications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the current situation is too complex; if Li Yuan didn’t lay the groundwork now, he feared his nephew might be deceived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In routine political struggles, the civil official bloc controls the narrative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the situation escalates into armed conflict, the civil officials’ advantage vanishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the many armed forces in the capital, the Five City Military Command’s combat strength ranks low—but its greatest advantage is its location within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other main capital garrisons are stationed outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To mobilize troops into the city, both the imperial edict and the tiger tally are indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, rest assured—I understand the stakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the capital is still stable. Will it really come to that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked uneasily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Zhenyuan’s expression suggested he was certain the situation would spiral out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current struggle’s protagonists are the eunuch faction and the Pure Stream; how could a neutral nobleman possibly foresee the outcome? It makes no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tearing up the table—this is something the Pure Stream can do, and so can the eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, His Majesty consulted us on appointing Zuo Guangen as Chief Eunuch of the Office of Supervising Eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply couldn’t decide who to assign to lead the Eastern Depot, so the appointment was delayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After such a major upheaval, His Majesty has surely made up his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the reins on the eunuchs are loosened, these mad dogs will surely go out to bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the coming days, the imperial prisons will likely be overflowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Targeting civil officials alone would be one thing—but if these bastards grow bold and develop other ambitions, we must prepare in advance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yuan said with scorn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this confirmed information, Li Mu instantly understood why his uncle had concluded the capital would descend into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot has the power to arrest and interrogate officials; the Inner Court has the power to dismiss and convict them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined, they amount to overwhelming authority over the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the coming factional struggle, the eunuchs will be both referee and player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Releasing such a vicious tiger, no one can feel truly safe. Warning the noble families in advance is Emperor Tianyuan’s preemptive move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One link chains to another; everyone is the emperor’s pawn, merely occupying different positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some pawns are currently the main force; some remain hidden; some have unfortunately become expendable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Mu finally understood what it means to serve a ruler as one serves a tiger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from himself, the emperor trusts no one completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how close one’s relationship, once the emperor perceives even a potential threat, a change of heart is inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know where this is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the steward finished scolding than one of his ears flew off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eastern Depot on official business—anyone who obstructs will be killed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dear readers, please throw your votes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haiyue isn’t picky—any kind of vote will do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1235,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","900324afec1b4e1527a9b7329f6873a2e5d2d809896f08347017b3db9ac439df","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-19","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-17",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]