[{"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-354":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},2364623,4623,"Chapter 354: The Great Battle Begins","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-354",354,"\u003Cp>Arrogance is his problem; we only need to follow the Viceroy’s orders and launch a joint assault on Anqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days ahead, send out more scouts to closely monitor the rebel forces’ movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have a feeling this battle for Anqing won’t go smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui is a scion of the noble class; someone’s got his back, so he can ignore the rebels—but we can’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising this force wasn’t easy; if we suffer heavy losses, it’ll be hard to replenish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng spoke with bitter resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re all troops of the Great Ming, yet we’re treated as third-class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Marquis of Zhenyuan took office, the pay and rations for the noble elite units have been fully disbursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other imperial troops get at least sixty percent of their pay, but we’ve never even seen what Qian Liang looks like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked, they say: Imperial decree—militia rations must be self-raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from me, the Commander of the Militia, everyone else is temporary labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t even have official designations, let alone pay and rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Huguang, even the lowest-ranking garrison troops looked down on us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To suffer such unequal treatment without a single complaint is impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To gain official status, the militia must be disbanded and absorbed into other regular units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeking help from former classmates and mentors achieved nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the civil official bloc, there’s a stronger preference to disband and reorganize the militia—or simply dissolve it on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To most officials in the court, armed forces like ours, uncontrollable and independent, are considered unstable elements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from our odd group, most other regional militias across the realm strictly limit their numbers to under a thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid policy risks, local aristocratic clans would rather create multiple aliases just to keep their numbers within imperial limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Huguang militia is essentially a coalition of local militias, held together only by Bai Yifeng’s iron-fisted methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once broken up, the force will quickly slip out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ve angered too many people in raising funds; if we don’t hold onto a large army, not only will I be ruined, but the entire Bai clan will suffer with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With negotiations deadlocked, reorganization was shelved, and no one would pay for the militia’s rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Huguang was reclaimed by the court, recruiting became increasingly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We could still sneak in a few recruits, but as soon as we raised recruitment banners, local officials immediately came to block us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their justification was solid: to recruit locally, produce an imperial edict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, as the specially appointed Commander of the Militia, have no authority to recruit independently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Great Ming, expanding troops follows strict standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, apply to the Viceroy’s office for approval; then, the Viceroy submits the request to the Ministry of War and the Grand Military Command for endorsement; finally, it must be approved by the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any step in this chain is blocked, it’s illegal recruitment—and if caught, you lose your head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu was able to expand his forces smoothly because he operated within the existing imperial structure, merely replacing battle losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequent training and recruitment followed formal channels, with the Marquis of Wuyang petitioning the court for official quotas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recruitment in other provinces also only proceeded after the court granted official designations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to court regulations, the Huguang militia is legally allowed only one thousand armed militiamen; all excess personnel are illegal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were fooled by the lies of the two previous Viceroys, underestimating how hard it is to gain official status in the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wrongly believed that after a few battles, we’d earn formal imperial recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they only dangled empty promises—granted all sorts of privileges, yet never gave us the paperwork to apply for official status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep, eternal regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We didn’t act quickly enough earlier; the new Viceroy hasn’t kicked us while we’re down only because he’s preserving the bigger picture—he won’t take risks to clean up his predecessor’s mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former local officials who supported us have either died in battle or been disgraced; new appointees avoid us like the plague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, you’re too soft-hearted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learn from those military officers—be more arrogant. They’d never dare treat you like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the Marquis of Hanshui openly defied orders yet still rose in rank and title.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yihao’s complaints were ignored by everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrogance requires capital—and we have none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu could defy orders not only because his backer was powerful, but because he was far enough from the Imperial Envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebel forces blocked communication; sending a single message took nearly a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remote command was impossible; as long as he won battles, Xu Wenyue could turn a blind eye to everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The later Zhu Viceroy was even worse—recklessly giving orders that collapsed the entire front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even have time to settle scores with Li Mu before he destroyed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When generals are in the field, they may disregard imperial orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the commander doesn’t complain, the court won’t pursue it—especially when the most capable general is on the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we dared imitate him, we’d have been crushed as rebels long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Bai Yifeng commands high prestige within the militia, if he truly chose to defy the court, few beneath him would support him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he showed even a hint of disloyalty, someone would rush to the authorities to betray him, trading his head for an official post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fundamentally, this militia is a landlord’s armed force; they joined the campaign against rebels to enter the bureaucracy, not to rebel against the Great Ming Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You fool, stop talking nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng immediately rebuked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t enter officialdom through the proper path, you can still buy your way in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historical precedent shows that once the court opens the door to purchasing offices, it’s nearly impossible to shut it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It usually begins with honorary titles, then moves to remote, insignificant posts, then to ordinary official positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step by step, eventually they’ll sell off the most lucrative posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Emperor Yongning’s opening of the office-buying system drew widespread public criticism, many quietly saved silver, preparing to secure a good post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gentry sons within the militia were sharpening their knives, hoping to profit from the rebellion-suppressing campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With military merit and money in hand, securing an official post becomes far easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing his men’s ambitions, Bai Yifeng constantly reinforced his image as a loyal minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when privately complaining, he directed his anger only at individual officials—not at the court or the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roar of artillery shattered the silence of Anqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui, who had arrived first at Anqing, wasted no time and launched a probing assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the rebels had reinforced their defenses; the assault met heavy resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How far is the militia from us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held no hope for the militia’s combat effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to retake a military stronghold like Anqing, you need bodies to fill the gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Army of Jiangxi was painstakingly built by him; no matter how much he craved glory, he couldn’t sacrifice it as cannon fodder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, the militia is less than forty li away. At their current pace, they’ll arrive by tomorrow afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should we send someone to urge them on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young officer beside him asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we agreed to march together, the militia was closer to Anqing than we were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after we reached the front, set up camp, and rested for a day before attacking the rebels, the militia was still dawdling on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were three full days late compared to our agreed schedule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much we urge them, they’ll still arrive tomorrow—those few hours don’t matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never expected much from the Huguang militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If your expectations are low enough, you won’t be disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his official rank was higher than Bai Yifeng’s, they were not in a command relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In joint operations, he had no authority over the militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’re uncooperative, disputes must be settled between the two Viceroys’ offices—it’s not his place to demand accountability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t handle such a minor issue himself and had to escalate it, everyone would see him as incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we exposed tensions before the two armies even met, future cooperation would become even harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a strategic standpoint, he must now forget the original schedule to avoid mutual embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Army camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, the enemy has taken the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiangxi troops, who arrived first, have already launched an assault on Anqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Butcher’s forces are still marching and are expected to reach the front tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No unusual movements have been detected among the other imperial troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your Excellency, should we begin the netting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Commander Zeng Haochuan said with excited expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan has progressed too smoothly; the enemy is walking exactly as we anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid further complications, it is time to close the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the enemy has split into two waves, we shall defeat them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Issue orders: select one thousand elite troops; the breakthrough comes tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notify the main force: they must arrive at the battlefield within three days to encircle and annihilate the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan said with commanding authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To deliver a crushing blow to the enemy, he personally led ten thousand elite soldiers to replace the garrison troops in several counties south of Anqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total number of troops stationed remained unchanged; each rotation involved no more than a thousand men—completely normal troop adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hidden position remained on the southern bank of the Yangtze, directly across from Anqing Prefecture—making it even less noticeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing a night raid was entirely learned from Li Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The righteous army had suffered many defeats from such tactics; Fang Yuxuan wanted to return the favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis, which enemy group should we strike first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zeng Haochuan asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night raids on enemy camps have always been high-risk, high-reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historical examples of night attacks are countless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet only a few resulted in decisive victories; most ended in failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, you pick the softest persimmons to squeeze!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I’ve never faced Qin Tianrui, he was trained by that scoundrel Li Mu and once led a night raid against the Northern Barbarians—he must be prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending a thousand troops to attack his camp would be like delivering heads to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That butcher, despite his fearsome reputation, commands troops with mediocre combat effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He may have forty thousand men, but once chaos breaks out, even another forty thousand would be useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The probability of success is at least eighty percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eliminating these bastards, we’ll regroup and turn back to deal with Qin Tianrui’s forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan explained irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing the Tuan Army as the target isn’t just about picking the softest target—it’s because they have the most troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more enemy troops you kill, the more impressive the victory report becomes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if we fail to hold onto Jiangxi’s First Regiment, I can still manipulate the battle records to create the illusion of crippling the enemy’s main force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they all look nearly identical; it’s hard to distinguish between the two armies by severed heads alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such morale-shattering remarks could never be spoken outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At midnight, Zeng Haochuan led his troops, slipping silently to the edge of the Tuan Army’s encampment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reconnaissance confirmed no trap, Zeng Haochuan immediately gave the order to assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows took the lives of the patrol soldiers; their dying screams alerted the garrison troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enemy attack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing the dire situation, the night-duty Tuan Army officer urgently ordered the alarm sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sound the gongs and drums!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method is archaic, but effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, flag signals and beacon fires are useless; only the sound of gongs and drums can transmit the message fastest through the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many enemy troops are out there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng, jolted awake from sleep, demanded urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different drum rhythms conveyed different messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current rhythm meant an enemy night raid had struck the southern edge of the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lord, the outside is in chaos; no specific information has reached us yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps you should wait a moment—our men will report soon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the personal guard captain could finish, Bai Yifeng cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No more nonsense—send men out immediately to investigate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the personal guards moved, the camp erupted into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuan Army soldiers awakened from sleep did not reach for weapons to fight—they were overcome with terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frontline troops, stunned by the sudden enemy assault, had already begun to break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In panic, fleeing soldiers ran wildly through the camp, pushing the already fragile military order to collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t run!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get back here, all of you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his troops retreating, the Tuan Army officer shouted furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once chaos takes hold, no human effort can reverse it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lacking night-fighting experience, the Tuan Army faced this for the first time and had no idea how to counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother, things are bad—localized mutiny has broken out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaos is spreading rapidly; order a retreat immediately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yihao rushed over, pleading urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the cries of battle grew louder, the chaos within the camp expanded rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few soldiers died by enemy hands; most casualties came from trampling caused by panicked comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To maintain internal power balance, Bai Yifeng had long planted hidden conflicts among his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many disputes that could have been resolved were deliberately suppressed by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xiangxiang troops were known for clear grudges; prolonged suppression didn’t resolve issues—it only deepened internal tensions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with chaos erupting in camp, it became the perfect moment for settling old scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once someone started, nothing could stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation outside is unclear; ordering a retreat now will cause total collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s night-attack force can’t be large—send men immediately to organize the troops and launch a counterattack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng spoke with firm resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a commander who had repeatedly suffered defeat yet never surrendered, he was known within Dayu as the “endurance champion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could flee, he would have ordered retreat long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was pitch black; once the army left the camp, reassembling it would be impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2369,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","dd50e7d514fff1f50024b80ccef24f2a4d411d27c24205ae2161bb0fb0572ae8","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-355","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-353",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]