[{"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-19":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},2364288,4623,"Chapter 19: The Depot and Guard Are Fierce","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-19",19,"\u003Cp>You damned scoundrel!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am a court-appointed official; how dare you……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped hard across the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot proved with action that court-appointed officials held no deterrent power over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How dare you! I am a current Imperial Censor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you fear no punishment from the court for acting so recklessly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged official asked, gritting his teeth against the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard running rampant across the land was a thing of decades past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the civil official bloc grew powerful, imperial authority was curtailed, and the actions of the Depot and Guard became more restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Correspondingly, their deterrent power had also declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha ha…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You will soon no longer be a court-appointed official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After investigation, Assistant Vice Censor Xie Wenyu is guilty of embezzlement, corruption, monopolizing lawsuits, and persecuting loyal ministers…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xie, please come with us!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot clerk’s mocking words instantly jolted the enraged Xie Wenyu back to his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch faction has begun its counterattack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst part? They’ve set their sights on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this is baseless slander! I, Xie Wenyu, am upright and incorruptible—how could I possibly engage in illegal acts!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Wenyu immediately retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not admit to these charges; even if the current Grand Secretary himself intervened, he would be beyond saving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he denied guilt, the Pure Stream faction outside would rally to his aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he withstood the pressure and walked out of the Imperial Prison, he would become a hero in the eyes of scholar-officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If fortune favored him, he might even become one of the spiritual leaders of the Pure Stream faction, and from there, ascend rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh heh, Master Xie, you won’t give up until you’ve reached the Yellow River!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are so many officials in the court—without sufficient evidence, would we have come for you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If your memory is poor, I’ll help you recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xie was a third-class Jinshi of the Tianyuan Year 1 imperial examination; in just six short years, you’ve risen to the high post of Assistant Vice Censor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such imperial grace is immense, yet you show no gratitude—this is truly infuriating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We won’t speak of distant matters; how do you explain the fifteen thousand additional acres of prime farmland added to your family’s holdings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the exact figure, Xie Wenyu instantly realized disaster was imminent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he came from a gentry family, his household was not wealthy; to fund his studies, his family had even sold off much of their paddy fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In court, he had always presented himself as a representative of humble origins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official salaries of the Dayu Dynasty were notoriously low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible to accumulate such vast wealth in just a few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides a portion of land registered under the names of fellow townspeople, the rest of his land had been acquired through illicit means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the “registered land” scheme to evade taxes in Dayu was itself illegal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What nonsense! My family doesn’t own that much land—it’s clearly a frame-up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Wenyu flatly denied it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reason told him he must hold firm at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you feel wronged, explain yourself in the Imperial Prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That place is where they most enjoy entertaining stubborn bones—I hope you can stay stubborn to the end!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Wenyu was not the only one arrested; the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard moved simultaneously, and the most vocal Pure Stream faction members were thrown into prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Cheng Battalion Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, the Eastern Depot has delivered a batch of families of convicted officials and demands we hold them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Mu was not surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past several days, the Depot and Guard had been arresting people; the Imperial Prison was already overflowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from direct relatives of officials, ordinary maids and servants had no qualification to enter the Imperial Prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuntian Prefecture and the Dali Temple were both Pure Stream faction strongholds; the eunuch faction could not send them there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, Xi Cheng Battalion Command received a batch of official families; now it was Nan Cheng’s turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell the messenger we only provide prison cells—nothing else concerns us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch faction’s actions had plunged everyone back into the era dominated by the Depot and Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless officials trembled in fear; some were said to have written their wills before morning court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure Stream faction had not failed to strike back, but the Emperor had not attended court for days, and the impeachment memorials had been suppressed by the Directorate of Ceremonial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memorials were submitted in the morning; the men were arrested by afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside the Imperial Prison, their status became that of convicted officials; the prior impeachment memorials turned to worthless paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, the Eastern Depot is now powerful—refusing them like this isn’t wise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk gently advised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch faction’s sharp counterattack had not only stunned the Pure Stream faction but also terrified countless centrists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you won’t take a stance, are you going to help them guard and interrogate prisoners?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t forget these detained families include many elderly, weak, women, and children—can you guarantee no accidents will occur once they’re locked up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu retorted irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This clerk, Yan, clearly had not properly positioned himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot was terrifying, but he was a clerk of the Five City Military Command—his first loyalty must be to the Five City Military Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once you touch certain matters, you can never shake them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch faction and the Pure Stream were locked in fierce struggle; the aristocratic faction clearly intended to remain neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a force within the aristocratic camp, the Five City Military Command naturally remained neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, cozying up to the Eastern Depot would represent only personal allegiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as no incident occurred, it was fine; but if something went wrong, he might be branded part of the eunuch faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch faction is currently powerful; attaching oneself to them might bring rapid advancement in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But political games have never had a permanent victor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, you jest—how could I possibly shoulder such a massive responsibility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot holds grudges; I merely fear offending them and bringing disaster upon you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the clerk’s explanation, Li Mu’s expression softened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command recruited not only aristocratic descendants but also examination candidates to serve as clerks and handle administrative duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men came from humble backgrounds, lacked understanding of court politics, and were generally less politically astute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this were an aristocratic descendant, he would never have shown such cowardice before Eastern Depot men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the eunuch leadership retained even basic sense, they would not provoke the aristocratic faction while simultaneously waging war against the civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dared strike hard against the Pure Stream faction because these men were scholars with negligible martial strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they drove the martial aristocrats into the Pure Stream camp, the situation would reverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The civil officials provided moral justification; the generals did the killing; even the Emperor could be deposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, coups that executed eunuchs were not rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of past precedents, Emperor Tianyuan had specifically consulted the aristocrats before unleashing the eunuch beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current situation was essentially the result of the Emperor and aristocrats jointly stoking the flames to suppress the civil official bloc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rest easy—I know what I’m doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember my words exactly and deliver them verbatim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Eastern Depot has complaints, let them take it up with Marquis Wuyang—we are merely carrying out orders!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware that Li Mu was passing the buck, the previously anxious clerk instantly revived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang was a mighty patron; with this imperial relative standing in front, even the most arrogant Eastern Depot dare not act rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1308,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","10b6be60b2f8c252cb28247464ae9f7bfb44da1d0da92e6e0193aae26678ee18","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-20","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-18",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]