[{"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-29":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},2364298,4623,"Chapter 29: Extortion","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-29",29,"\u003Cp>After finding the right path and mentioning Xiang Shihai’s name to explain his purpose, Chen Jichuan’s treatment changed completely from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the host’s excessive warmth, he fully understood the fickleness of human relationships and the coldness of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young nephew, you just came from the Imperial Prison—did the Eastern Depot harass you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shaofeng asked with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot’s reputation has recently echoed throughout the capital; few civil or military officials dare not fear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning that Chen Jichuan had just walked out of the Imperial Prison and carried a message from Xiang Shihai, his first reaction was disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks to Your Excellency’s favor, my journey has gone smoothly. The Eastern Depot’s men are all greedy; as long as the bribes are sufficient, entering once is not difficult!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan’s reply left Wang Shaofeng deeply embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As fellow jinshi of the same examination cohort, the two had always gotten along well; it was Wang Shaofeng who introduced Xiang Shihai to the Pure Stream Faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a political ally, upon learning Xiang Shihai had been arrested and imprisoned, he did not attempt to help—even at the first opportunity, he severed ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this severance only extended to clearing political boundaries; the illicit deeds they had jointly committed could not simply be erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was once mutual leverage had become a one-sided constraint. Xiang Shihai, inside the Imperial Prison, could afford to ignore additional charges—but Wang Shaofeng, outside, could not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fifth-rank official may seem insignificant in the capital, but as Director of the Zhejiang Revenue Bureau under the Ministry of Revenue, he held the famed title “Grand Treasurer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Responsible for Zhejiang’s tax collection and expenditure audits, it was a core position of real power; every official from the province coming to the capital had to present him with a “book-and-silk gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His financial prospects and career path were both vast—he could not afford to be dragged in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is Brother Xiang faring?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shaofeng asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not care whether Xiang Shihai lived or died. The bureaucracy was the most pragmatic place; even former bosom friends were matters of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If conditions allowed, he would not mind lending a hand. But now, with the struggle between the two factions at its peak, he, a mere Director, could not possibly intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could not save the man, Xiang Shihai became an unstable element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing too many secrets, even a single revelation could drag him down to die alongside Xiang Shihai—that was his greatest fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My master’s condition is dire. Those eunuchs are beasts—they subjected him to brutal torture!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan spoke with indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Status determines stance; in the Great Yu Dynasty, the teacher-student bond ranked second only to that of father and son or brothers, and Confucian culture emphasized familial concealment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of whether Xiang Shihai was guilty, as his disciple, Chen Jichuan must take the correct position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saving Xiang Shihai was saving his own political capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this political capital was about to expire, it still held considerable value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damned eunuchs, how dare they treat Brother Xiang like this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young nephew, rest assured—I cannot stand idly by. I will find a way to restore justice for Brother Xiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once Grand Secretary Pang regains consciousness, I will immediately report this to him. Then, the eunuchs will pay dearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wang Shaofeng’s righteous fury, Chen Jichuan was first moved—then realized something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The promises were grand, but visible only, untouchable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew when Grand Secretary Pang would recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master’s case would be decided in three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the verdict was made public, attempting to rescue him would become ten times harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, my master cannot hold out much longer. The eunuchs keep pressuring him to confess, trying to implicate more people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, as his student, am powerless to overturn his case. I can only try bribing the eunuchs to save my master’s life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But my purse is empty—I’ve spent every last coin, and it’s not enough to feed those hungry wolves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Chen Jichuan looked at Wang Shaofeng with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In prison, Xiang Shihai had personally told him: if he lacked funds for bribes, he should come to this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young nephew, the eunuchs are the most cunning. Are you certain that a bribe will guarantee Brother Xiang’s safety?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shaofeng asked hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reason told him he must pay to avoid disaster—but his body instinctively resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rescue someone from the eunuchs would cost far more than a pittance. Worse, these bastards could take the money and instantly turn on you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot had done sting operations many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, rest assured—I’ve found a reliable intermediary and secured a powerful figure to mediate; even the eunuchs must give them some face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if something goes wrong, it won’t touch you. If you’re still uneasy, pretend I never came to your mansion tonight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Chen Jichuan’s words, Wang Shaofeng broke into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To send him away now might mean he’d be in the Imperial Prison tomorrow, keeping Xiang Shihai company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young nephew, don’t rush. If you need money, I can still find a way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you must tell me who the intermediary is, who the powerful figure is, and exactly how much money is needed for the bribes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shaofeng gritted his teeth, speaking through the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To build his fortune, he had served as Director of the Ministry of Revenue for five full years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had turned down several promotion opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had amassed considerable wealth, yet dared not spend a single tael of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, except among a few insiders, he was seen as a paragon of integrity—a model official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, their identities are sensitive; I promised to keep them secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I was able to arrive here tonight because I was escorted by the Five City Military Command.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The eunuchs demanded one hundred thousand taels. It’s said this was set by the traitor Zuo Guang’en—not a single tael less.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we don’t raise the silver within two days, they’ll torture my master even more, until they extract enough money from elsewhere!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threat was taught to him by Xiang Shihai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred thousand taels of silver was no small sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without applying pressure, mere friendship would not make them pay to save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? One hundred thousand taels?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those eunuchs dare demand that? Who keeps that much cash lying around?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That someone would dare meddle in the struggle between the Pure Stream and the eunuchs had already shocked him; the demand of one hundred thousand taels shattered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three years as a clean magistrate yields one hundred thousand taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just listen—it’s true local officials earn well, but their expenses are enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few major prefectures could afford it; other prefectures and departments sent less than one hundred thousand taels annually to the central government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a powerful Director, he earned several ten thousand taels a year—already among the rarest lucrative posts in his rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, I’ve even understated it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One hundred thousand taels is just what the eunuchs demand—the intermediary’s and the powerful figure’s fees haven’t been counted yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re experienced—tell me how much should be given to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jichuan spoke nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know Li Mu’s quote already included all costs—he assumed it was only the eunuchs’ demand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been handed an extra fee for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All pressure now fell on Wang Shaofeng—he dared not refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten thousand taels for the intermediary, thirty thousand for the powerful figure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s their worth—we cannot break the rules!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shaofeng growled through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred and forty thousand taels gone at once—it was like cutting out his own flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1283,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","9e78b66e1239ee7634208061f63e8a074649ec71c77eca67fcdf547251b2ff83","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-30","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-28",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]