[{"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-28":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},2364297,4623,"Chapter 28: Pulling Others Down","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-28",28,"\u003Cp>After seeing off the Eastern Depot officials, Li Mu immediately ordered his men to spread the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a big deal cannot be accomplished by one person alone; it requires the connections of colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the inside information uncovered, it’s enough for me to know—it’s unnecessary to reveal it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows if this is a eunuch faction’s scheme or the Emperor’s own arrangement?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Yu court is poor; its normal revenue cannot sustain the empire’s operations. Resistance to reform is too great, so we must first secure illicit funds to relieve the emergency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to raising taxes on the people, targeting a few corrupt officials causes far less damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, you mean if we pay off the right people, Master Xiang can be released?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan asked uncertainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not yet taken the imperial examinations and had very limited understanding of officialdom; his mind was still relatively naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xiang is a thorn in the eunuch faction’s eye. They worked hard to bring him down—how could they possibly release him so easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that bunch of eunuchs is the greediest; as long as the money is sufficient, keeping him alive won’t be hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alas, Master Xiang was too kind to his fellow villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acquired tens of thousands of acres of land, far exceeding the court’s tax-exempt limit, which the eunuchs labeled as ill-gotten gains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we try to overturn the case, all the peasants registered under those lands will be implicated, and the crime of concealing land is no less serious than corruption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu gently reminded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been classmates—he didn’t want to see Chen Jichuan head straight into a dead end, stubbornly clinging to the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few officials in the Great Yu court could withstand scrutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Shihai was no exception; after being imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, he quickly confessed to a long list of crimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t outright call him a grand corruptor—that was to spare his classmate’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, you know this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xiang’s entire family has been arrested, and their property seized by the Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we were back in our hometown in Guanzhong, we could gather funds somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this is the capital—we brought little money, and we simply can’t raise this sum!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan said, looking deeply troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was still young and too shy to directly ask for a loan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Chen, you haven’t entered officialdom yet—you don’t understand the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xiang’s imprisonment isn’t just about him—it’s for the sake of the Pure Stream’s grand campaign against the eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He alone took all the charges the eunuchs laid against him and named no one else. Such spirit is truly admirable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re powerless to rescue him, but at least those who benefit should help with the aftermath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here’s what I’ll do: tonight, I’ll arrange for you to impersonate a constable and secretly meet Master Xiang in the Imperial Prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’ll tell you then who can help raise this money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Li Mu didn’t want to spell it out—but his classmate was a complete novice in officialdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Shihai had indeed fallen, but precisely because he had fallen, his words carried more weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might not be able to help anyone rise in rank or wealth, but he could certainly drag others down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to frame anyone; just revealing what he knew would doom a whole crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Official protection often isn’t about upholding class honor—it’s because everyone holds incriminating evidence against each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pulling someone else up is also pulling yourself up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Brother Li, for your guidance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan said, full of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been truly hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had run around for days without finding a single lead, nearly getting himself caught in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, at Li Mu’s side, he finally had a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he couldn’t get his master out, at least he could save his life from the Imperial Prison—that was already lucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when the Eastern Depot officials came looking, Li Mu stood up to them to protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen with his own eyes how furious those eunuch thugs looked when they left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know how Li Mu handled the aftermath, but in Chen Jichuan’s eyes, it must have cost dearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then went around tirelessly, lobbying for Master Xiang’s rescue—truly a loyal classmate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, Brother Chen—what’s there to thank for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My status prevents me from appearing at the Imperial Prison; when you see Master Xiang, give him my regards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also tell him the eunuch faction will close the case within three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you have powerful connections, use them quickly—there’s still a chance he might be cleared!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearance was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone had the influence to suppress the eunuch faction, Xiang Shihai wouldn’t be suffering in the Imperial Prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth often hurts the most; people prefer pretty lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Xiang Shihai wasn’t worth so much effort—what mattered was starting this business well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Civil officials who had been “hosted” by the secret police were like drowning men—any straw drifting near them, they’d grasp desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as you live, there’s hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many famous ministers in history had been demoted or exiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their situations were merely worse—they’d been reduced to complete blanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, if they survived until the eunuch faction fell and the Pure Stream regained power, they might be pardoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had good ties with those in power, they could insist the eunuchs had framed them—and a full reversal wasn’t out of the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Li Mu needed to do now was bring hope to these desperate men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure to raise money was simply too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot’s ransom couldn’t be low—too many people inside were sharing the cut; too little would cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wu Yang, the boss, could shoulder responsibility—but he also demanded money, asking outright for five hundred thousand taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Battalion Command needed to reserve part of the funds as next year’s budget, and the officials involved in execution also deserved a share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without dragging more people down, the performance targets simply couldn’t be met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying solely on friends and relatives—even the closest bonds—had a price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who gave a few taels were old acquaintances; those who spent hundreds were friends; those who spent over a thousand were close confidants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who could spare tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, to rescue someone weren’t his father—they were desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few officials couldn’t afford that much; but if spread across the entire Pure Stream faction, the burden became manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Colleagues should share hardship—no one should be left to charge ahead alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At midnight, Chen Jichuan emerged from the Imperial Prison, dazed and hollow-eyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply too cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Prison was like the eighteen layers of hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongue-pulling, scissors, iron trees, bronze pillars—every hellish torture device imaginable was present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, once-formidable, authoritative officials became meat on the chopping block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw Xiang Shihai again, he didn’t even recognize him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Chen, the Battalion Commander ordered that tonight, no matter where you need to go, we’ll see you there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it’s curfew now—besides our Five City Military Command personnel, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will also patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carriage is too noisy and will attract trouble; please walk with us a bit longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the soldier’s words, Chen Jichuan inwardly groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just been terrified inside—he was in no state to walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please lead the way—I need to go to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1253,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","f4aa502085da707e9f9e4b77336ccece55d3cb9b832ee01427e6be188eeed686","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-29","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-27",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]