[{"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-355":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},2364624,4623,"Chapter 355: Fleeing Is Best","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-355",355,"\u003Cp>Beneath Anqing City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, a scout has just reported that a rebel force launched a night raid on the militia camp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Qin Tianrui frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent days, he had been closely monitoring rebel movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No signs of reinforcements had been detected in nearby prefectures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, second- and third-line garrison troops left behind could not possibly launch a night raid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet reality told him that a elite enemy force had secretly infiltrated and was lurking nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: night patrols must increase vigilance and guard against enemy ambushes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After brief consideration, Qin Tianrui issued the command decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia had been attacked—he could not help them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Venturing out into darkness to reinforce them would only cause chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy chose to strike the militia at night, they might have laid traps along the way, waiting for them to walk into them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia had plenty of troops; even if they suffered losses, it was no major matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, the Jiangxi troops haven’t moved—let’s join the attack on the militia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, Fang Yuxuan, who had been sitting for half the night surrounded by mosquitoes along the road, finally received word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had planned to lure Qin Tianrui’s Jiangxi First Division out with the night raid and ambush them under cover of darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the enemy was more cautious than he expected and refused to take the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Wu, eliminating a single regular Yu Dynasty division was far more valuable than wiping out tens of thousands of militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past battles, Bai Yifeng’s militia had either been defeated or on the verge of defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They occasionally won a battle or two—only when the odds were in their favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had survived this long not because they were strong, but because they ran fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the advantage of irregular forces: they had no obligation to die with the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t receive imperial pay; when things turned bad, they could simply flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing territory meant nothing to Bai Yifeng, a mere militia commander without official standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The false dynasty excels at infighting; ignoring allies in distress is routine, especially at night when the situation is unclear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: join the assault on the militia. Aim to capture the butcher Bai Yifeng alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan gave the order with evident resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they missed this chance, both sides would have to fight head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had over a hundred thousand troops available, for secrecy’s sake, only ten thousand formed the vanguard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only these forces, his chances of victory in open battle were slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, the garrison inside Anqing would coordinate with him—but Fang Yuxuan dared not let them leave the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy had a trap and seized Anqing in the chaos, it would be catastrophic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother… the enemy… enemy reinforcements have arrived!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Bai Yifeng’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had held out this long only because his personal guards had charged out and blocked the rebel advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now enemies surrounded them on all sides—devastating for militia morale already in collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the situation hopeless, the militia’s old habit kicked in: some officers simply led their men away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Withdraw!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng issued the order coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a seasoned runner, he had a sharp instinct for danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared to object—running when you couldn’t win was the militia’s ancient tradition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone, from top to bottom, had years of escape experience; those slow to react had long since become rebel corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dawn gradually broke, and the bloody battle drew to a close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, last night’s results were significant—we killed at least ten thousand enemy troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we couldn’t find Bai the Butcher’s body; not a single high-ranking militia officer was captured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zeng Haochuan spoke bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia were easy to rout, but hard to annihilate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few years, the rebel army had crushed the militia multiple times, once reducing Bai Yifeng’s personal guard to just dozens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how hard they fought, the man always escaped with his life, then regrouped scattered remnants into a new force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That fellow is like an eel—slippery and impossible to grasp. Failing to catch him is normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: clear the battlefield quickly and evacuate this place!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan gave the order with a blank expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he was dissatisfied with last night’s results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they had severely damaged the militia, they had lost over a thousand of their own—elite troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu had only tens of thousands of such troops total; they were nothing like ordinary soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The planned objectives had not been fully achieved, and their forces had been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the enemy knew they existed, they would surely prepare defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advantage of surprise was gone; from now on, they would have to fight the enemy head-on in daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fleeing dozens of miles with his troops, Bai Yifeng finally exhaled when he confirmed no pursuers followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he counted his remaining men, he nearly fainted from rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, he had led forty thousand militia; now, barely a thousand remained by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the militia had merely broken and could be regathered—but only if the enemy gave them the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This operation had plunged them deep into enemy territory, with no allies nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, Wen Yi didn’t make it. I sent men to search the area, but found no trace of him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Bai Yihao could finish, Bai Yifeng waved him silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Search for Wen Yi will have to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immediately regather the stragglers—the enemy has struck; they won’t let us go easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we hesitate, this will be our grave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng made his decision swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was deeply worried about his son—but a commander must never show weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a competent general, he had read countless military texts on this very subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of fighting the rebels, he had long hardened his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, shouldn’t we ask General Qin for help?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yihao couldn’t help but suggest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night’s battle had cost them heavy losses—and now their nephew was missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Survival must come first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep behind enemy lines, over a hundred miles from any friendly force, Qin Tianrui’s troops were their only hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When facing the sole possible ally, one must bow when necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too late!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Had we followed our agreement and arrived on time to meet Qin Tianrui, asking for help would have been nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we were arrogant—we deliberately delayed our march and insulted him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all imperial troops, the Han River Marquis’s men had the strictest discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By military law, those who arrive late are executed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we go to him now for aid, Qin Tianrui might just cut off our heads to enforce discipline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng spoke with helpless resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many people wanted him dead; without an army, he was extremely vulnerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing him would not only enforce discipline but also earn the killer favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his life was at stake, he dared not gamble on Qin Tianrui’s integrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the militia high command fretted, Qin Tianrui, upon receiving the battle report, silently cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with no expectations of the militia, forty thousand troops should have played a vital role in the siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before they even reached the battlefield, they had already collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without their aid, Jiangxi First Division alone could never capture Anqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Has the information been verified?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Bai Butcher really suffer a crushing defeat, or is he pretending to be weakened to avoid battle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui asked skeptically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A night raid requires exceptional execution to succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, your own forces must be strong; second, the enemy must be unprepared—neither can be missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night raids rarely succeed against experienced enemy commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yifeng may not have any outstanding victories, but he’s fought for years—he must have accumulated some experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, based on the number of corpses left on the battlefield, the troop casualties exceed ten thousand—it’s impossible to fake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young commander’s reply extinguished Qin Tianrui’s last hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a self-inflicted wound tactic isn’t carried out this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the troop’s overall quality, suffering ten thousand casualties without collapsing would be miraculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the chaotic battlefield, it’s uncertain whether Bai Yifeng is even still alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: pack all baggage and march toward Luzhou Prefecture!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing the plan to seize Anqing had failed, Qin Tianrui decisively chose to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the rebels ambushed the troops en route, it means the enemy was prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attempting to retreat safely back to Nanchang Prefecture would inevitably trigger layered enemy resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mission was to draw out the enemy, not engage them head-on—he must avoid their sharp edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since retreat was inevitable anyway, detouring through Luzhou Prefecture to reach Huguang was just as viable—and if fortune favored him, he might even seize Luzhou Prefecture along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the army could fully assemble, the enemy had already fled—Fang Yuxuan was furious, with no outlet for his rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pursuit was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu Army had just fought a brutal battle with the troops and suffered heavy losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition to battlefield casualties, there were non-combat losses from the night march.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he moved in now, his few thousand soldiers wouldn’t be enough to withstand the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immediately send word to the Luzhou Garrison Commander to raise his alertness and guard against enemy sneak attacks on the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan issued the order, suppressing his anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Luzhou Prefecture held high strategic value, it was not the main battlefield, and its garrison was small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy stole the city, trouble would be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liao Dong Army’s fierce assault on Xuzhou doesn’t mean they’re limited to attacking only Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they turned their spear toward Jianghuai and linked up, the entire Jianghuai region would spiral out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Luzhou Prefecture as a springboard, Anqing, Yangzhou, and other areas would all lie exposed to the imperial army’s advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, defending the Yangtze requires defending the Huai—lose Jianghuai, and Nanjing becomes perilous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From both political and military perspectives, the Wu State cannot abandon Luzhou Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, you needn’t worry too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luzhou’s city walls are strong; even if the enemy has designs, they won’t capture it easily in a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While we have this opportunity, why not first eliminate Bai Butcher’s remnants and improve our battle record?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we finish here, chasing the enemy won’t be too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Baifeng offered his advice tactfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s sudden retreat completely exceeded their expectations, derailing all follow-up plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they had crippled the troops, salvaging a shred of face—otherwise, they’d have no excuse to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: annihilate the remaining troops with full force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Yuxuan, having regained his composure, issued another order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t catch the big fish, you must eat more small ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You cannot distinguish between troop soldiers and Yu Dynasty regulars by decapitated heads alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When filing battle reports, slightly adjusting the numbers could turn it into a great victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this requires killing more troop soldiers to make the report believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t gather enough heads, you’ll have to kill civilians and pass them off as enemy casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter is a high-risk endeavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu State has so little territory—if you don’t manage it carefully, what will you use to fight the imperial army?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nanchang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no battle report arriving, the command center’s atmosphere grew increasingly tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officials who had previously opposed the campaign now became active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pushed rhetorical art to its extreme, deploying all manner of veiled, sarcastic remarks that gave Li Mu considerable insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Li, have you received any word from the First Army of Jiangxi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang asked with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing contact with an entire army was a major matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Viceroy overseeing military affairs in four provinces, he commanded only eight armies in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the subtle jabs from his subordinate civil officials, as Regional Commander, he felt the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No word yet from the First Army of Jiangxi, but we have news of the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to captured deserters, while en route to Anqing to rendezvous, they were ambushed at night by rebels and completely scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels are now fully engaged in wiping out the troops’ remnants—if true, the troops have suffered devastating losses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu replied calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alive, they must be seen; dead, their bodies must be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew roughly what kind of men he had led out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianrui was competent enough—he could certainly serve as a Regional Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he suffered defeat on the battlefield, he wouldn’t be wiped out so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, no news is the best news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had won a decisive victory, the rebels would have loudly proclaimed it—they wouldn’t help the enemy keep secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should we send reinforcements to assist? In case they encounter the enemy’s main force, they’ll have backup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang probed cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Li Mu’s calm expression, he sensed something unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instinct told him Li Mu was plotting again—otherwise, he wouldn’t be so composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his superior, he had his pride and couldn’t bring himself to ask outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Viceroy, we don’t even know where the First Army is now. Even if we send reinforcements, we wouldn’t know where to find them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to wait a while—perhaps news will arrive in a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my view, the First Army is either continuing downstream along the river seeking an opening, or directly launching a northern campaign against Luzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bearing the pressure of restoring his family’s legacy, Qin Tianrui had greater ambition than most of his fellow commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other commanders, faced with unexpected setbacks, would likely turn back immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qin Tianrui’s first reaction was always to turn the tide, seizing the chance to win great glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the troops failed to take Anqing Prefecture, he’d try seizing another strategic location instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether or not he succeeded, he wouldn’t rest until he’d exhausted every option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reclaim his family’s heritage, Qin Tianrui was willing to take risks—and Li Mu naturally had to create opportunities for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War is unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond strategy and cunning, victory depends on fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2354,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","22268188154348d16896f209df50e4f42af21e77ee6292341a007f3422eb7f01","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-356","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-354",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]