[{"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-373":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},2364642,4623,"Chapter 373: Naval Battle","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-373",373,"\u003Cp>The Bay of Tonkin’s silence was shattered by the roar of cannon fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having received a hefty bribe and responded to a merchant ship’s distress call, the Annan Navy had barely sailed sixty li from home when they were ambushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A three-hundred-ton warship, before it could react, was pierced by a massive hole in its hull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seawater rushed in swiftly; nimble Annan sailors leapt overboard to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the warship was swallowed by the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The devastating firepower stunned Annan naval troops, accustomed to close-quarters combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Order the gunners to return fire immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Send out a small boat to rush back and request reinforcements from the Provincial Military Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will crush this band of pirates and use their heads to show the world that the Annan Navy cannot be trifled with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assistant Regional Commander Nguyen Yu Feng immediately ordered a counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The money wasn’t paid for nothing; if they couldn’t save the merchant ship, they’d at least annihilate this band of pirates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the petty tyrant of Southeast Asia, the Annan Navy was no weak force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these pirates’ firepower was fiercer and their ships taller, that was no reason to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he, an Assistant Regional Commander, lost to a band of pirates while outnumbering them, he’d have no place left in the navy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His faulty judgment cost the detachment its best chance to withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the enemy ships flown the banners of the Yu Navy, Nguyen Yu Feng would have turned and fled at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regular troops and pirates are fundamentally different; aside from a few elite bands that have transformed, most pirates are makeshift gangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, enemy ships are flanking us from the side!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the warning, Nguyen Yu Feng cursed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind blew from the southwest; the sudden enemy force was riding the wind, moving far faster than normal sailing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Western warships?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Signal immediately—tell them this is a misunderstanding!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nguyen Yu Feng ordered urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, pirates had no Western warships, and the Yu Navy didn’t equip such vessels either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Franks from the West favored sailing warships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Annan Empire was already at war with the Yu Empire; crushing ignorant pirates was acceptable, but provoking the Franks would be foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ships drew closer, the Portuguese flag suddenly lowered, replaced instantly by the Yu Navy’s banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At nearly the same moment, the pirate fleet they were fighting also raised the Yu Navy’s banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Retreat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing he’d been tricked, Nguyen Yu Feng ordered a swift withdrawal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the reinforcement boat should be nearing port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting while retreating, they only needed to hold out for two hours before reinforcements arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send the powder ship to ram them—break their formation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the distance close, the Regional Commander of the Two Guangs’ fleet gave the ramming order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before artillery technology improved, ramming was a vital offensive tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Guangs’ fleet stood precisely at this transitional stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had begun equipping large-caliber cannons while still retaining their old close-combat tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Li Mu’s plan, within five years the Two Guangs’ fleet would phase out old tactics and enter the age of gunships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annan Navy’s main camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ambushed by pirates?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jinchuan asked in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pirates ambushing the navy sounded like a fairy tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they could win was secondary—the point was, it made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piracy was for profit; attacking the navy brought no benefit except self-destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though maritime warlords now rose everywhere, none had yet emerged as a behemoth like Zheng’s clan at the end of the Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Annan Empire was no match for the Yu Empire, once it resolved to crush a pirate band, it could still do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my Lord Commander!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our fleet went out on routine patrol, encountered pirates raiding a merchant ship, and moved to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We never imagined these pirates were so ruthless they’d dare attack imperial naval forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assistant Regional Commander Nguyen is engaged in fierce battle and sent me back to beg for reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please, my Lord Commander, send troops to annihilate this band of pirates!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged officer deliberately concealed key information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was standard procedure for the navy to intervene when pirates raided; there was no need to expose the bribery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, they had been doing private business behind their superior’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If discovered, every man in the fleet would face ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Order the Central and Right Division Assistant Regional Commanders to lead their troops to rescue the Left Division!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief hesitation, Huang Jinchuan issued the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of the reason, pirates attacking the navy would not be tolerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, powder-laden warships charged toward the Annan fleet, their hulls like runaway horses slicing through the waves at top speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out of the way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In panic, Nguyen Yu Feng shouted orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too late—the reaction came too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid the fire ships, two Annan vessels collided, then struck a third passing nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle ship was overturned outright; the other two, like arrows, shot into their comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the chain collision unfolded, the powder ships rammed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous blast, fire instantly swallowed the night, casting terror into every heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosion’s shockwave churned monstrous waves, as if the sea itself trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, over a dozen Annan vessels vanished beneath the waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Nguyen Yu Feng’s fleet had suffered over half its strength in losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With formation shattered, the remaining ships scattered like birds and beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the cannon fire, faint shouts from officers could be heard urging faster retreats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle had become a hunt—a race for speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slower ships were quickly overtaken by the Yu forces, reduced to meat on the chopping block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some officers, unable to bear the pressure, raised white flags—only to be met with more cannonballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that the Yu forces refused prisoners; the situation was exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yu Navy had to finish the battle and withdraw before enemy reinforcements arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ships choosing to surrender were all disabled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towing them would severely slow their movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If abandoned, the Annan Navy could recover them, repair them, and reuse them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As dusk fell, the bloody battle ended; the blood-stained sea drew countless underwater predators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cease pursuit. Return to Lianzhougang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing distant ship silhouettes, Li Wenhe issued the retreat order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This operation was for plunder, not to fight the Annan people to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To destroy an enemy detachment with minimal losses was a massive gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to fight another battle over a few stragglers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though we only sank dozens of enemy ships, these were the Annan Navy’s elite core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One detachment’s strength equaled a quarter of the entire Annan Navy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any force losing a quarter of its strength would be crippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we exaggerate the victory, the pirate bands lurking nearby will have their chance to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Annan’s long coastline, if pirates begin landing and raiding everywhere, the weakened Annan Navy will have its hands full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Duan, we just received word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Guangs Navy disguised themselves as pirates and ambushed the Annan Navy near their coast, sinking dozens of large and medium warships.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one-eyed man reported excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To plunder Annan, after the Provincial Military Commander’s meeting ended, all pirate leaders returned and recruited men, forming three major pirate alliances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man before them, called Brother Duan, was the alliance leader elected by one of the pirate coalitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems the Marquis of Han River’s promise still holds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Annan navy has suffered heavy losses—now you can all rest easy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Duan said with a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raiding the Annan people was a considerable challenge for the pirates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of ship numbers alone, the pirates outnumbered the Annan navy by dozens of times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ships are not all the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirates’ vessels were mostly converted merchant ships, far inferior in combat power to warships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single large naval warship could take on a dozen pirate merchant ships as if playing a game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the strongest pirate captains possessed few warships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest dream of countless pirate chieftains was to own their own shipyard, where they could freely build all kinds of vessels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most powerful pirate king had achieved only half his goal: owning his own shipyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Building all kinds of vessels was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, the court imposed technological blockades; on the other, constructing large warships required not only countless craftsmen but also a full industrial supply chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only craftsmen and timber, you could at best build ordinary ships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some pirates sought amnesty precisely to gain access to warship-building technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most typical example was Zheng Zhilong of the late Ming: before accepting imperial amnesty, though a major sea bandit, he still had many rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving amnesty, he obtained the Ming dynasty’s state-run shipyards, cannon technology, and vast numbers of craftsmen—his group achieved a qualitative leap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Duan, you’re being too formal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With you leading us, how could we not trust you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bearded giant immediately replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for everyone being a witness, no one would have guessed he had been the fiercest opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No other reason—he simply didn’t trust the court, believing the imperial troops wanted them to bleed the Annan navy dry and then swoop in to claim the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Guangdong-Guangxi navy had led the charge and severely damaged the Annan navy, all their fears vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything else can be faked, but battle cannot be lied about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their capabilities, they could verify the truth at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Annan people could never have coordinated their own navy to stage this deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since everyone has no objections, let’s pick a good day to land and strike a major blow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how exactly we fight still requires strategy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the Annan navy has gathered in the north, we’ll begin raiding from the south.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they rush south to reinforce, we’ll circle back and raid the north.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, if conditions allow, uniting with the other two groups to destroy the Annan navy isn’t out of the question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Plundering a nation will give us everything we want: shipyards, craftsmen, cannons, gold, silver, jewels, and beautiful women.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Duan, am not one to hoard spoils alone—if you brothers lend your strength, these gains belong to all of you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Duan immediately promised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing some among them distrusted the court and refused amnesty, he directly tempted them with plunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Great Yu, Annan’s technology might be slightly behind, but to the pirates, it was still extremely useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Nan Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, General Li Wenhao of the Guangdong-Guangxi navy has sent a battle report: three days ago, they dealt a crushing blow to the enemy navy in Annan waters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They sank over eighty enemy warships of all sizes and killed more than three thousand Annan sailors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Linjie said joyfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conquering Annan was Li Mu’s group’s current paramount strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Success would establish a legacy lasting a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how the world’s future unfolded, they would secure their place in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Failure, however, would either severely damage Li Mu’s reputation as the undefeated war god—or plunge him into endless court intrigues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had read history and understood clearly that the noble military clique now stood at a crossroads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout history, no other dynasty had witnessed factional strife on the scale of Great Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, factional struggles were merely games among a few great families and a few dozen lesser aristocratic clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever controlled the heads of these families could influence national politics through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the development of the imperial examination system, aristocratic clans declined, replaced by a new gentry class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to traditional aristocratic clans, the gentry class was far larger and harder to control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once there were only a few factions in court; now, each faction contained sub-factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the Pure Stream faction: beneath it emerged the Chu Party, the Zhe Party, the Jiangnan Academy…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If subdivided further, even these small groups split into radical and conservative wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, imperial officers’ party affiliations were not fixed—they shifted with interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faction leaders could influence their subordinates, but could directly control only a tiny few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most officials held their own positions and could not be guaranteed to align with their party when real crises arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fragmentation was the deliberate result of successive Great Yu emperors’ efforts, successfully weakening ministerial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout Great Yu’s history, no case of a powerful minister seizing control had ever occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In another dynasty, a political novice like Emperor Yongning would need bloodshed to wrest power from his regents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Great Yu, the transfer of power was largely peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though political struggles occurred frequently, their intensity was far lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the unfortunate Zuo Guang’en, who was convicted and executed, the other regents retired unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two had died accidentally during the turmoil, but they were still given lavish funerals, with no further purges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was the past—the current situation had subtly changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rise of the noble military faction had encroached upon the interests of the civil official class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that they needed them, the civil officials, divided by conflicting interests, had failed to unify their stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once peace returned, the military officers would become their common enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his private secretary, he bore Li Mu’s mark—fate bound them together, in loss or glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To remain invincible, he must prepare in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2252,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","192d59e49227ab94b5e9b387321b0da07e4a3f976bc2bb373038e5b2f33de567","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-374","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-372",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]