[{"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-363":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},2364632,4623,"Chapter 363: War Breaks Out","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-363",363,"\u003Cp>Taihe Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the state letter forwarded from below, Emperor Yongning flew into a rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had refrained from confronting the Annamese before, assuming they would quiet down and send envoys to beg for forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never expected that instead of forgiveness, he received an accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dared to threaten with military force, demanding that he, the Emperor, go to them to beg for pardon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My loyal ministers, do you have anything to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning asked coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Yu is not Da Song; if such a vassal state provokes us and we do nothing, he will become a laughingstock among all Da Yu emperors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the weak Da Song once launched a campaign to punish the Annamese for their provocations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annam’s arrogance stems largely from the lingering aftermath of the civil-military rivalry of that era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for certain self-proclaimed virtuous ministers who abandoned Jiaozhi for short-term gains, there would be no Annam today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Problems left unresolved during the empire’s peak became disasters by the dynasty’s twilight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced now with the Annamese king’s threat, Emperor Yongning realized with embarrassment that he could only react passively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Annam’s ambitions are glaringly clear—a great war is inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Multiple officials, including the Guangxi Provincial Governor, Administrator, and Surveillance Commissioner, jointly submitted a memorial urging the court to strengthen Guangxi’s defenses against Annam’s invasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High-ranking figures such as the Duke of Cheng, Marquis of Wuyang, and Marquis of Hanshui offered differing views on the Annam issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They believe Annam’s ambitions are too great; passive defense alone is insufficient. They advocate reclaiming the Hanoi region and rebuilding the Jiaozhi Administrative Commission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief Grand Secretary Wan Junhui replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Da Yu court had argued over the Annam issue more than once, always ending in stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But previously, no one had anticipated that Annam would dare such audacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even during the last state letter incident, everyone assumed Annam was merely testing Da Yu, at most seeking opportunities to annex a few vassal states allied with us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one imagined Annam would dare turn its target directly on Da Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of development, the Two Guangs are certainly more advanced than other regions of the Zhongnan Peninsula, but this is Da Yu’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Yu could abandon Jiaozhi, but it cannot abandon the Two Guangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the Liaodong front deteriorated so badly, no minister dared suggest abandonment—how much less the Two Guangs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do they have a concrete battle plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning asked eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To become a revitalizing monarch of Da Yu, Emperor Yongning’s ambition had not been extinguished by earlier setbacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivating civil virtue internally and strengthening military preparedness externally—these are indispensable steps to becoming a revitalizing monarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to conservative defense, reclaiming lost territory and rebuilding the Jiaozhi Administrative Commission clearly suited his taste better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebel forces in Guanzhong had been severely crippled; the Sichuan rebels were also bogged down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The southern rebels had been crushed into a corner; with a little more time, the southeastern provinces would return to peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the south stabilized, Da Yu’s finances would gradually improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With internal problems resolved, external troubles now came to the fore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally intended to deal with the northern barbarians first, but now that Annam had jumped out to provoke, dealing with the southern enemy first was equally viable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The main forces of the Two Guangs are all concentrated at the front; the garrisons left behind are all Wei-suo troops, with extremely limited combat capability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The initial phase must focus on defense, with localized counterattacks as auxiliary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stabilize the overall situation, Marquis of Wuyang recommended that Marquis of Hanshui return to the Two Guangs to take charge and secure the key prefectures and counties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Junhui admitted frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, he had long wanted to curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aristocratic faction had the direct ability to submit memorials to the Emperor, yet they deliberately followed procedure and first submitted them to the Grand Secretariat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were merely a routine handoff, it wouldn’t matter—but the timing was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could have arrived a day earlier or later—yet it arrived precisely after the Guangxi Provincial Governor’s memorial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memorial was still in the hands of the Grand Secretariat, not yet forwarded to Emperor Yongning; now that the Emperor asked, naturally only he could answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It appeared to be a mere paraphrase, but in truth, it was forcibly co-opting their position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reclaiming lost territory is politically correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-taboo Jiaozhi issue had been brought to the surface; publicly, the Grand Secretariat could not oppose it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers who originally advocated abandoning Jiaozhi—even now—were still cursed as traitors by the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in recent years, with the popularity of novels and storybooks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Public condemnation of them surged higher and higher, equating them directly with Qin Hui and Zhong Xingshuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their descendants suffered the greatest fall: from noble heirs to traitor heirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former students, subordinates, relatives, and friends all severed ties with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, they were forced to relocate, dared not reveal their family names in public, and served in court with extreme caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid that any day someone might expose their identity and draw a mob of scholars to attack them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the Liaodong literati forced to migrate south, who showed particular intensity on this issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked to the court to drive back the enemy and reclaim their ancestral lands from the northern barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Denouncing these families was, in effect, using them as a cautionary tale to eliminate any official’s notion of abandoning Liaodong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effect was striking: to protect their reputations in life and after death, the peace faction officials fell silent; no one in court dared speak of abandoning Liaodong again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It violates protocol for a Provincial Military Commander to hold both military and civil authority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The war has broken out in Guangxi; the Guangxi Provincial Governor should preside over the overall situation…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Chu Linjie spoke half his sentence, he realized the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by concentrating the military strength of both Guang provinces could key prefectures be saved; leaving Guangxi alone would be too difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entrusting authority to the Guangxi Provincial Governor—let alone whether he had the ability to repel Annam—simply coordinating troop movements and supplies across two provinces was a massive problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guangdong Provincial Governor and the Two Guangs Military Commander were not subordinates of the Guangxi Provincial Governor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the court issued an imperial decree appointing Zhang Sihan as Imperial Commissioner, he could not integrate the Two Guangs’ armies in a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rapidly integrate the Wei-suo troops of the Two Guangs, the best choice was naturally to send Marquis of Wuyang back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Two Guangs Viceroy, he was the legitimate military and civil authority, entitled to mobilize manpower, resources, and finances from both provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis of Wuyang, while serving as Two Guangs Viceroy, also concurrently held the post of Jiangnan Viceroy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the critical moment of reclaiming Nanjing, the Jiangnan Viceroy could not be absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Nanjing, Guangxi was far inferior in both strategic value and political status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, Li Mu became the only viable candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Two Guangs Military Commander did not handle civil affairs, he commanded the armies of both provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he returned, he could take command immediately, without wasting time on coordination, and could deploy troop combat effectiveness swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Chu, the Guangxi Provincial Governor is indeed capable, but he is not skilled in military affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In resisting Annam’s invasion, Governor Zhang also favors having Commander Li take charge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaxi immediately interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gifts cannot be received without obligation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sihan was eager to maneuver his departure from Guangxi because he sensed danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the recruited troops of the Two Guangs were at the front; only the Wei-suo troops remained—how could they possibly hold back hundreds of thousands of Annamese soldiers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting Li Mu take charge at least allows mobilization of the Wei-suo troops from both provinces; if Zhang Sihan were put in charge, even commanding troops within his own province would be an overachievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not that the subordinate commanders disobeyed orders—it’s the traditional Da Yu military custom: the mobilization allowance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guangxi Provincial Governor’s office is impoverished and cannot afford to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ironically, the Wei-suo offices are relatively wealthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After driving out the rebels, Li Mu thoroughly reformed the Wei-suo system, eliminating land encroachment—a fact known to all ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the Grand Secretariat, the Two Guangs’ Wei-suo may not be rich, but their treasuries should have accumulated some funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet getting Wei-suo commanders to hand over their money and grain is no easy task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Secretary, Governor Zhang is being modest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the earlier campaigns against the rebels, he also achieved results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guangxi Provincial Governor’s rank is insufficient to command both provinces, but the Two Guangs Viceroy can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis of Wuyang has long held both positions and bears immense pressure—he needs someone to share the burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your Majesty, I recommend Guangxi Provincial Governor Zhang Sihan as Two Guangs Viceroy, to fully oversee resistance against Annam’s invasion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Xueqing’s words reignited the civil-military rivalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Viceroy position was established for suppressing rebellions; now that the war nears its end, the question of power distribution arises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wealthiest provinces of Da Yu are all in the hands of the aristocratic faction—a situation the civil officials cannot tolerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the front-line war continues, it is not yet appropriate to discuss replacing or abolishing the Viceroy position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the opportunity has presented itself—perfect timing to seize the Two Guangs Viceroy post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommending Zhang Sihan appears to be an honor, but in truth, it is a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sihan’s achievements in the policy of replacing hereditary chieftains with imperial officials restored him to prominence, making him a political rising star of the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he returned to the imperial court, he would surely secure a position of real power and become one of the reserve Grand Secretaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As political rivals, they could not allow such a thing to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Direct suppression was too difficult and risked earning the accusation of jealousy toward talent; instead, they opted for flattery to destroy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should Annan invade, the Two Guangs would become a battlefield, bringing no end of troubles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By seizing the nobility faction’s cake, they would surely refuse to cooperate fully during the campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If problems arose on the front lines, dismissal was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this stain on his record, all his prior achievements would be rendered meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, this must not be done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rebellion suppression is at a critical juncture; replacing the Viceroy of the Two Guangs now would only hand the rebels an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside other concerns, control of the Six Garrisons of the Two Guangs—the main force suppressing the rebellion—is a major headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep, and the encirclement of the rebels would be undone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the internal affairs of the Two Guangs are far from easy to sort out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of stability, it would be best to have Marquis of Han River oversee affairs and act on behalf of the Viceroy of the Two Guangs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaxi responded forcefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear he was truly angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To protect his own protégé, he pushed Li Mu forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acting as Viceroy of the Two Guangs may seem merely temporary, but in reality, it effectively secures the next appointment as Viceroy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Marquis of Wuyang steps down, Li Mu’s succession is all but certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it emboldened the nobility faction, he did not believe he was aiding the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The war with Annan will not end anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending a civil official to serve as Viceroy would fail to command authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep, and even he might be drawn in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This hot potato was something even the cleverest avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who dared compete for it were likely mentally unsound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending such fools out would be a disaster for the nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two Grand Secretaries clashed, their subordinates rushed into battle, and the Taihe Hall soon erupted in a storm of spittle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Silence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the imperial court, not a marketplace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All officials who disrupted court decorum shall have half a month’s salary deducted as punishment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Wan Junhui stepped forward decisively to halt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the punishment, it could be safely ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court still owed everyone their salaries; deducting pay was merely offsetting prior arrears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Revenue was bankrupt; no one knew when—or if—the arrears would ever be paid; it was a “lifetime project.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Punishing with something no one could receive naturally had little effect, yet Emperor Yongning was very satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching this grand spectacle, the court’s debt had shrunk by several thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the sum was small, it was a good beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials had prepared themselves for the court to default, but the emperor had no intention of doing so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand the sentiments of all my ministers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue the edict: Marquis of Han River shall act as Viceroy of the Two Guangs and oversee resistance against Annan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Order the Provincial Governors of Guangdong and Guangxi to fully cooperate and strive to defend the nation’s territory!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning spoke without expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers’ bickering was merely a reference for his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What truly prompted him to appoint Li Mu was the vision of reclaiming lost lands and rebuilding the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the court’s finances not been so depleted, he would have appointed Li Mu as Governor of Jiaozhi outright to recover the territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thang Long City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it confirmed that Dayu intends to wage war against us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo asked, his expression grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could joke about it casually, but actually going to war against the colossal Dayu still left him uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though during the reign of the late emperor, the Great Yue Dynasty expanded by hundreds of thousands of square kilometers and conquered over twenty states, it seemed immensely powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was only because the opponents were weak—many were mere tribes with populations of only a few thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had never truly faced a formidable enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most powerful among them, Chenla, had a population of only several hundred thousand and was already in decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with ambition, he merely wished to gradually nibble away at the Three Xuan and Six Wei territories under Dayu’s suzerainty while Dayu was embroiled in internal chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, the news came from the Guangxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said the Dayu Emperor, upon learning of our destruction of their vassal state and our designs on the Dayu Xuanwei Commission, intends to launch an invasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are indeed Dayu troops massing along the border; this is likely true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Weiqi replied immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new emperor brings new ministers; since the new sovereign’s ascension, their days as old ministers had grown difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing they should make way for the new generation, he, as Tongzheng Commissioner, had grown lax in intelligence gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the principle that less trouble was better, he avoided bothering Hu Xinbo unless absolutely necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the matter not been so grave, he wouldn’t have bothered reporting it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dayu is busy suppressing internal unrest; how could it spare attention for us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is surely the Guangxi officials bluffing, using the threat of war to force us to abandon our annexation of the Three Xuan and Six Wei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chancellor Cui Ziyan flatly denied it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six-hundred-li urgent dispatch from the front!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dayu troops have crossed the border, looted Hejiang, Gaoping, and other areas, killed...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2585,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","dc9c7d3a036399bb0b0c2ecccf6566b7906debdf5337c10477918d8e6a56c181","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-364","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-362",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]