[{"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-360":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},2364629,4623,"Chapter 360: Political Influence","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-360",360,"\u003Cp>“Fifth Brother, stop hesitating!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qin Tianrui has retaken Yangzhou City; the merit aristocracy has mobilized all at once, aiming to seize Nanjing in one bold push.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the great war began, they’ve advanced steadily while we’ve been dawdling here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this drags on, the court officials will think our Liaodong Army is all show and no substance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jingzhong spoke with bitter indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though we are also military families, our Nine Borders generals still pale beside the merit aristocracy’s sons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fight on the frontier, yet their promotions can’t even match those earned suppressing rebellions inland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because we’ve failed to take Xuzhou Prefecture, outsiders now doubt Liaodong Garrison’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many civil officials, lacking basic military knowledge, judge strength solely by battlefield results, believing our troops are inferior to the Two Guangs’ Six Garrisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we don’t act soon, within the court, even Jiangxi’s troops will be seen as more formidable than ours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The excuse is ready: Jiangxi’s First Garrison took Yangzhou alone, while we can’t even crush the rebels in Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explanations are meaningless—only those who understand warfare know how hard it is to take Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor and his ministers only care about victory; they don’t care how it was won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this perception becomes consensus, all the privileges Liaodong Garrison now enjoys will vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, negotiating with the court will become exponentially harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Nine, you’re past your prime—how can you still be so reckless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must join the effort to retake Nanjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Liaodong Garrison is weak in naval warfare; all southern provincial navies are under merit aristocracy control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To cross the river, we must secure their support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rebels are on their last legs; the court’s victory is merely a matter of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All the hard fighting so far has been done by the merit aristocracy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now it’s time to reap the rewards—why should they let us join in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, to participate in retaking Nanjing, we must first capture Xuzhou, so the main army can advance south with confidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jinglin immediately rebuked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military merit—except for Li Mu, no one ever has too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merit aristocracy’s big shots aren’t short on merit, but their subordinates are desperate for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many merit aristocracy sons are counting on the glory of retaking Nanjing to secure titles and fortunes for their families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we join, we’re just here to split the cake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liaodong Garrison’s combat strength is formidable—only in the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the southern waterlands, our ten points of combat power drop to five or six at best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuzhou Prefecture itself is another obstacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, we planned to seize Huaiyang after capturing Xuzhou, turning it into our base and extracting heavy wealth from the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the rebels knew Xuzhou’s importance and deployed massive forces to defend the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To take Xuzhou quickly, we’ve even dragged in Shandong and Henan’s imperial troops to storm the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ve paid a terrible price—and still haven’t taken the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifth Brother, you’re too cautious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xuzhou was hard to take before—doesn’t mean it’s hard now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After losing Yangzhou, southern provincial troops have landed directly on Huai and Yang via sea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All prefectures north of the Yangtze and south of the Huai River are lost to the rebels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With those prefectures gone, Xuzhou is an isolated city—holding it is pointless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the merit aristocracy provides supplies, we can bypass Xuzhou entirely and join the battle to retake Nanjing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all about conditions on their end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re all military men—they need our support to resist the civil officials.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I don’t believe the merit aristocracy can overpower the civil officials in court, that doesn’t stop me from supporting them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The merit aristocracy taking the lead against the civil officials benefits us too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If military officers can unite—even just on a few issues—they can play a vital role.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jingzhong spoke with bitter indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Great Yu Dynasty, military officers must learn to play politics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Shi Jingzhong often played the brute—but that was just for show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shi family dominates Liaodong; if all its members were both scholarly and martial, the court and the Emperor wouldn’t sleep a wink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of troop control, Liaodong is far tighter than the Two Guangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu’s Two Guangs, by contrast, are nothing but a grand alliance of merit aristocrats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They grew rapidly only because of merit aristocracy backing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer number of senior generals they produced came from behind-the-scenes maneuvering by their patrons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu’s role was more like a teacher guiding students—once graduated, they scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Externally, they appear united; internally, they’re split into multiple factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost every old merit family has its own little fiefdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These small and large fiefdoms can all speak directly to the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merit aristocracy’s top leaders rotate among families; if one grows too dominant, the Emperor arranges political marriages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He marries a royal princess to them, then uses the excuse that imperial clans must not interfere in politics to cut off the heir’s career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a family has many talented sons, he marries more princesses to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Emperor’s daughters aren’t enough, he uses daughters of regional princes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the marriage, the family voluntarily surrenders military power—this is the unspoken understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this ready-made method from the ancestors, the Emperor’s fear of the merit aristocracy is relatively less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most major merit families trace their lineage back to marriages with the imperial house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liaodong Garrison is different: all key military appointments are handled entirely by the Shi family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The upper echelons of the army are almost entirely monopolized by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a system makes it impossible for the court not to fear them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Shi family’s level of power, stepping back means a precipice—only forward is possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want to try, send someone to contact the merit aristocrats and see if they’re sincere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before that, we must capture Xuzhou Prefecture and prove our strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: at all costs, take Xuzhou City within five days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jinglin said with a sigh of resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merit aristocrats won’t cooperate with us—if they’re not fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they did cooperate, it would be through tacit understanding, not direct contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot may have weakened, but they’re not dead—they still gather intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Emperor learns the two largest armed factions in the realm have merged, it will be a catastrophe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew there was no real chance—but he couldn’t refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jingzhong’s words reflected the views of a large portion of the clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a very few saw the true nature of the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qin Tianrui is truly a pillar of the state!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue an edict: promote Qin Tianrui to General Who Stabilizes the Nation; reward: one top-grade warhorse, one hundred taels of gold, fifty bolts of silk…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the victory report, Emperor Yongning beamed and immediately granted the rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had reason not prevailed, he nearly ordered Qin Tianrui to inherit the title of Duke of Xingguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By convention, with Qin Tianrui’s achievements, he was fully qualified to inherit the hereditary title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But qualification doesn’t mean entitlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dukedom at this level, given to a powerful general, means another top-tier merit aristocrat is born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, the merit aristocracy has grown rapidly—he, as Emperor, must consider power balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supporting the merit aristocracy to counter civil officials may have been sincere under the former Emperor, but for Yongning, it’s merely a tool to intimidate the civil bureaucracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly lifted up the merit aristocracy, his own suspicious nature would keep him from sleeping soundly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If possible, he’d rather create a new title for Qin Tianrui than let him inherit the Duke of Xingguo title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, that’s impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Great Yu’s strict peerage system, with Qin Tianrui’s current merits, he can only receive a lifetime title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to a hereditary founding-duke title, the difference is countless tiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doing so won’t win loyalty—it will push him into opposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor’s wrath and grace are both benevolent”—that’s only for fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years as emperor, he knew very well that those beneath him were not saints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Qin Tianrui’s chance of inheriting the Marquisate of Xingguo were truly cut off, this general loyal to Great Danyu would become a destabilizing element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Danyu faces internal strife and external threats; now is the time to use capable men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To destroy one’s own defenses at this moment is not the act of a wise ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations, Your Majesty, on gaining a fine general!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Yangzhou Prefecture recovered, the rebels’ good days are over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It won’t be long before news of Nanjing’s recapture arrives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief Minister Wan Junhui led the applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, when such things happened, the censors would have already launched into furious denunciations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s situation is special; everyone’s mood is exceptionally good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebel forces have been struck a heavy blow; the once perilous Great Danyu regime has suddenly turned from crisis to safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For everyone, this meant they no longer needed to consider switching allegiances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In theory, civil officials and gentry could still serve under a new ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everyone knew that dynastic change came at a terrible cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout human history, over ninety percent of officials from the old regime never lived to see the new dynasty established.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than merely misjudging the winning side, many officials were killed before they even had a chance to re-bet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dynastic revolution does not merely overthrow the former emperor—it also dismantles the entrenched interest groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who risked execution of their entire clans to join the rebellion did not do so for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without eliminating the entrenched interest groups, what would you use to reward those who served with merit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Private complaints aside, serving in Great Danyu’s bureaucracy was still very comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chief Minister speaks truly: while submitting the victory report, Marquis Wuyang also submitted his next campaign plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his plan, the army will concentrate its forces to fully recapture Nanjingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I find it excellent and will support it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only issue is that prolonged warfare has placed enormous financial strain on all provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ministry of Revenue, how much grain and funds can you spare to support the recapture of Nanjing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning asked with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Danyu’s greatest problem was its finances; all current issues revolved around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the court had sufficient grain and funds, there would never have been so many rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has always been strapped for cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The autumn taxes just collected have been used immediately to plug the holes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial treasury is now empty…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie instinctively chose to plead poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Ministry of Revenue was genuinely broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court owed countless debts; creditors were all watching the Ministry, leaving no money in the treasury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even collecting taxes for another ten years would not repay the old debts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To balance the books, the Ministry had no choice but to use paper money—worthless as scrap paper—as filler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these worthless notes could pay officials, imperial clan members, and nobles their stipends, but could not pay soldiers’ wages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Great Danyu’s founding, inflation had multiplied many times over, yet soldiers’ pay had never increased and was often withheld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even this final lifeline of wages were paid in paper money,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the notes would be issued in the morning and mutiny would break out by afternoon; by the next day, banners reading “Clear the Court of Corrupt Ministers” would fly from the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had nothing to do with loyalty or righteousness—it was simply that soldiers needed to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you leave them no way to live, then everyone goes to hell together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want to hear these old excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you have no grain or funds, find a way to raise them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should everything fall to me? What good is a Minister of Revenue if not to act?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Secretariat must also get involved—ensure a sum of military pay is raised.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning said irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time his mood improved, something would inevitably spoil it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In suppressing the Bai Lian rebellion, Great Danyu had only provided funds, grain, and troops in the early stages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the imperial treasury was drained and the late emperor’s private vault emptied, the suppression forces had to rely on local administrations to raise their own supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though southern provinces were wealthy, they had all been ravaged by rebels and suffered heavy losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly recovered prefectures and counties had not yet had time to restore production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, the suppression army demanding funds from the court should at least receive some token support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, please calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that Minister Pang is evading responsibility—the Ministry of Revenue truly faces hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s debts are too great; creditors are all watching the Ministry, leaving no money in the treasury…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaxi hurried to speak in defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Grand Secretary, he had little personal connection with Pang Chengjie; his plea was purely for the public good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Replacing the Minister of Revenue was easy; the hard part was the mess left behind—no one wanted to clean it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang Chengjie, though stingy, had managed to keep things going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a new Minister were appointed without this frugal, prudent ability, the situation would only worsen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Gu speaks wisely—this cannot be blamed entirely on Minister Pang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Revenue truly struggles; to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Junhui joined in to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past year, he had endured immense pressure, and his health had deteriorated sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already submitted his resignation; he only awaited the emperor’s approval to leave the storm and retire to his hometown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this critical moment, if the Ministry of Revenue collapsed, he as Chief Minister would not escape unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t whine here. The Ministry of Revenue manages the empire’s grain and funds—it must fulfill its duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can wait, but the frontline troops cannot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I give you three more days—show me results.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning ordered coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle for Nanjingcheng was about to begin—the very moment when morale must be lifted; the court must demonstrate its support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2362,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","0e9144368e1da0bcbce5724a37e98bd913065f086e5a4fb24177034e31c0611d","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-361","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-359",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]