[{"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-369":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},2364638,4623,"Chapter 369: Factional Strife Turns Bloodred","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-369",369,"\u003Cp>Your Majesty, the dispute between Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces cannot be resolved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be better to first have the Three Departments investigate, and only act once the full circumstances are clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The immediate priority remains the rebel forces that have fled into Shanxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Mingyu was the first to state his position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, he silently prayed: don’t replace me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Affected by the rebellion, the number of officials dismissed from the Great Yu court is countless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, the Ministry of Personnel’s reserve pool has, for the first time, run short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this round of major reshuffling, officials without influential connections have also advanced further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drawbacks are equally obvious: many officials with limited ability have been placed in key positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many regions have been thrown into chaos, and administrative efficiency has further declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court now awaits the emperor’s reopening of the imperial examinations to replenish fresh blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister Yue speaks wisely; at this moment, large-scale changes are indeed inappropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Secretariat shall urge the Three Departments to investigate the Shanxi-Shaanxi dispute as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for suppressing the rebellion, what strategies do you propose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assigning the Three Departments to investigate is merely muddying the waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With officials from both provinces involved, the court must send an investigation team—and only after both regions are restored to peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the officials in the capital won’t risk their lives to go investigate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If true accountability is desired, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be far more efficient than the Three Departments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as emperor, one must consider the broader picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaanxi has just endured war; it is a time of rebuilding, unsuitable for large-scale personnel changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanxi is currently enduring war; likewise, it is unsuitable for official adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if problems exist, they must be suppressed for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether to settle accounts later depends on how the situation develops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, Emperor Yongning felt a faint pang of regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he known the situation would develop thus, he never should have sent all the pillars of the meritorious nobility to the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The campaign against the White Lotus Sect did achieve breakthrough progress—but when he needed counsel, he had no one to turn to!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These ministers below are loyal enough, but their abilities are limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in military matters, their incompetence becomes glaringly obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guanzhong rebels’ flight into Shanxi was partly due to local officials’ dereliction, but mostly due to the court’s failed strategic deployment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your Majesty, the only course now is to mobilize a large army to encircle and exterminate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zefeng answered nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ascended to the position of Minister of War only because everyone knew the post was a burning seat, and no one dared compete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bearing the reputation of “understanding military affairs,” he was, utterly unprepared, “unanimously chosen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once clung to a sliver of hope that Great Yu’s situation wasn’t that dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After assuming the post of Minister of War, he realized how idealistic he had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Yu’s true condition is ten times worse than he imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empire’s capable armies are few; the two most formidable armed forces both show signs of growing autonomous power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liaozhen’s defiance is public knowledge; the meritorious nobility’s armed forces are no less unruly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These armies remain loyal to the court—but not to the civil official-controlled court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the senior civil officials place great hopes on him, expecting him to bring the entire military under the Ministry of War’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His predecessor, to suppress the rebellion, had to allow the meritorious nobility to grow stronger, and was branded a traitor by the civil faction, forced to depart in disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in his own position, he faces the same dilemma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be more specific?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning asked irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vague answer like “mobilize a large army” is no solution at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To implement it concretely, one must first determine where to draw troops from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many troops?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who will command them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much money and grain is required?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When will the campaign launch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of these concrete questions were addressed—it doesn’t resemble a solution at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to previous Ministers of War, Luo Zefeng’s ability is clearly inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your Majesty, the southern front is gradually improving; perhaps we can withdraw one garrison from the front to reinforce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, draw two battalions from the Capital Garrison, and combine them with Shanxi’s forces to form a suppression army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For commander, I have three candidates to recommend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Qin Tianrui, Regional Commander of the First Garrison of Jiangxi, descendant of the Duke of Xingguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Liu Qifeng, Regional Commander of the First Garrison of Huguang, descendant of the Marquis of Nanyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, Ye Hongchang, Regional Commander of the Second Garrison of Huguang, descendant of the Marquis of Pingyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three possess the talent of a great general and are fit for this great responsibility!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zefeng answered with gritted teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not wish to promote meritorious nobility generals—it was sheer necessity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommending a general carries responsibility; if the appointed commander suffers a major defeat on the front, the Minister of War will suffer along with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reduce risk, he immediately eliminated generals without distinguished battle records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining generals with distinguished records either came from the Nine Borders or the meritorious nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nine Borders’ forces have been drawn upon repeatedly; what remains are assigned critical duties and unsuitable for large-scale withdrawal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only force with surplus troops is Liaozhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liaozhen’s situation is special—the court barely manages to suppress them; it could never promote their generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this series of exclusions, the most suitable commanders were all descendants of the meritorious nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommending these three was because their families were annihilated in the Great Capital Explosion; only collateral branches remain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve already exhausted their ancestral legacy to reach their current positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This favor he bestows is like charcoal in snow to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they rise again to the peak of the meritorious nobility, this political investment will yield immense returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister Luo, the southern war is at a critical juncture; troop movements are inadvisable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If withdrawing troops creates a gap in the front and allows the rebel Fu to break out, all prior efforts will be wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the greater good, the Ministry of War must find another capable candidate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left Censor-in-Chief Lai Yaohua immediately objected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military authority in the capital and southern provinces has largely fallen into the hands of the meritorious nobility; if their man becomes commander, Shanxi’s forces will also be branded as meritorious nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously they scorned meritorious descendants for idling away their lives; now that these men suddenly strive, they are even more troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike commoner-born officials, these men need not pass the imperial examinations to enter court service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unwritten rule restricting meritorious descendants has been broken again and again during the suppression campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are only so many official posts; if the meritorious nobility takes more, they inevitably crowd out opportunities for orthodox examination-bred officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For these civil aristocratic families who control the examinations, the meritorious nobility has become their greatest rival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jingming, Regional Commander of the Second Garrison of Liaozhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jinglin, Regional Commander of the Third Garrison of Liaozhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Yufeng, Regional Commander of the Third Garrison of Huguang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhiyong, Regional Commander of the Fourth Garrison of Huguang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Zhiyuan, Regional Commander of the Second Garrison of Jiangxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zefeng helplessly recited a string of names—all non-meritorious nobility generals or Liaozhen generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Lai Yaohua, who had just objected, was immediately put on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the previous three, these men’s families remain in their prime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevating them would cause even more severe consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from these, does Great Yu have no one else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Yaohua could not help but demand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the setting permitted, he would have cursed Luo Zefeng’s loyalty—just where does his ass sit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the Pure Stream faction sought to suppress both Liaozhen and the meritorious nobility, yet still recommended men from both camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister Lai, if you have a better candidate, please propose one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zefeng replied irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he suddenly understood the anguish of the former Minister of War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him trailed a group of useless allies, obsessed solely with personal gain and utterly disregarding reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he compromised, the situation would inevitably collapse further, ending with the Emperor condemning him and throwing him into prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To uphold his principles, however, would anger the Pure Stream faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the civil official camp, other power groups would carefully weigh consequences—but the Pure Stream faction acted with the most extremism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad precedent set by Yin Zuo and the other had not ended with their deaths; instead, it prolonged unrestricted factional strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though everyone despised such conduct, they could not deny its effectiveness in power struggles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the system of rules, the one with the lower bottom line would have the better chance of gaining the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Selecting generals is your Ministry of War’s duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you cannot find a suitable general, that is dereliction of duty on your part as Minister of War!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Yaohua immediately rebuked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After signaling, the censors swiftly followed suit, impeaching Luo Zefeng for dereliction of duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the court erupted into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just days ago, they were allies; now, over a disagreement in policy, they had become enemies in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, Lai Yaohua knew his actions were morally questionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no choice—factional strife admitted no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommending a general with no battlefield record carried risk, but to curb the growing power of the Meritorious Nobility faction, such risks had to be taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once verbal warfare began, it rarely stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, all major factions had plunged into the fray, turning the grand hall into a brawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew who had started it, but the verbal battle had instantly turned into physical violence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the officials fight one another, Emperor Yongning uncharacteristically did not intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long resented these ministers, but was bound by the rules of the game and could do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, watching the hundred officials brawl below, he felt a flicker of satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Embroidered Uniform Guard, pull these officials apart at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Wan Junhui immediately ordered them to separate the combatants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet tragedy still occurred: many of the officials involved bore black eyes and swollen faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Yaohua, who had sparked the violence, suffered the worst—he collapsed on the ground, unable to rise, spitting blood continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, someone had struck him with a hidden blow during the melee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only Lai Yaohua, but all the Pure Stream officials had been severely injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root cause of their beating was, of course, the civil-military conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though military officers were few in the court, they had trained since childhood in battlefield combat and could easily overpower several scholars in a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for the public setting, where killing was too dangerous to risk, several would likely have died today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon the imperial physicians to treat these officials.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning’s cold voice snapped the ministers back to their senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the beaten Pure Stream officials, who privately regretted their actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentleman uses words, not fists—why had they lost control and struck out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military officers in court were mostly from the Meritorious Nobility faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their earlier open hostility had deeply offended them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparking a full-scale brawl had handed them the perfect opportunity for revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor and the Grand Secretariat’s failure to intervene immediately clearly signaled accumulated resentment—they had deliberately watched them get beaten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, I beg—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish his complaint, Lai Yaohua fainted dead on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their leader down and reason restored, the Pure Stream officials quickly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had never been in the right to begin with; further uproar would only deepen the Emperor’s disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Lai, devoted to the state’s affairs, does not wish us to be delayed by this matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Embroidered Uniform Guard, carry the wounded away for treatment by the imperial physicians. The rest, resume deliberations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Regional Commander, choose one from the generals nominated by the Ministry of War!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning’s words enraged the Pure Stream officials to the brink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had not only taken a beating for nothing—they had also lost the chance to seize the command of the suppression campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Emperor had spoken; they could not refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the advantage of a multi-faction balance: the Emperor stood above as arbiter, free to decide according to his will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, in my view, let General Qin take command.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The First Garrison of Jiangxi is currently stationed in Yangzhou; recalling them to crush the rebels who have infiltrated Shanxi would be convenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Junhui was the first to state his position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this critical moment, he, as Grand Secretary, could not retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though civil-military conflict mattered, crushing the rebellion mattered more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure Stream could rant—they held no real power and bore no responsibility for their words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Grand Secretariat joined the chaos, the empire itself would be in peril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiangbei region had gradually been reclaimed by imperial forces; Fu’s rebels were now confined to a single corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they attempted to break out, they would not choose Yangzhou as their escape route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not a question of whether they could capture it—it was that Jiangbei offered them no foothold whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly wished to flee, they should head toward the Central Plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henan had vast numbers of starving peasants who could rapidly swell their ranks and restore their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To gather a million troops and gamble everything—to unite with the rebel forces in Shanxi and launch a joint assault on the capital—was the only way to break the deadlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At worst, they could retreat west into Sichuan, ally with the Sichuan rebels, and carve out a domain in Ba-Shu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let him be it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also send messengers to urge my several Viceroy’s to swiftly exterminate Fu’s remaining rebels and restore peace to the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Yongning mused aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Lotus Rebellion had dragged on too long—especially since the fall of Nanjing, it had brought him immense political pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now victory was in sight; he could not wait a single moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for the astonishing unity among his Viceroy’s in strategy against Fu, he would have already issued orders to interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not directly command the front lines, but he could still issue edicts urging decisive battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous the situation became for Great Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2455,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","7cace565a7f49328e08d5be322b010bbf6cefc44025deb09bf9350584b818084","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-370","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-368",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]