[{"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-378":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},2364647,4623,"Chapter 378","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-378",378,"\u003Cp>Unlike the tense atmosphere outside the city, the scene inside Zhennan Pass was entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eyes of the Yu Army officers and soldiers rich in combat experience, the feint attack launched by the Annan people was purely a child's game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long-term standoff with the enemy and a dull, tedious life were almost driving them mad from idleness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every few days they would request battle from Li Mu, clamoring to charge out and teach the enemy a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At one point, Li Mu considered launching the decisive battle early, but considering the long-term stability of the Annan region, he ultimately abandoned the idea of a quick victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having been separated from the Central Plains dynasties for hundreds of years, the Annan region's sense of identity with the Central Plains dynasties had long since dropped to freezing point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Destroying the Kingdom of Annan was easy; the difficult part was how to rule the region over the long term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying purely on military force to suppress them might work for now, but an explosion would inevitably occur at some point in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best choice was to use the war to continuously drain Annan's national strength and manpower, dismantling their will to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the influence of the Great Yu court had to be taken into account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy army was defeated in one fell swoop and immediately surrendered, upon receiving the submission memorial, Emperor Yongning would most likely issue an edict to stop the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Great Yu court would find it very difficult to entertain the idea of administering the Jiaozhou Provincial Administration Commissioner's office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were the case, this battle would have been fought in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To succeed in this scheme, it was necessary to make the Emperor and the hundred officials see the danger posed by Annan, while simultaneously making everyone believe that Annan was a quagmire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, news has just arrived: the enemy has split their forces!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Wu Dage handed the intelligence report into Li Mu's hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, a strategic opportunity has appeared!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Sanqi, the Guard Commander of the Guilin Left Guard, said with an excited expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhennan Pass was now nothing more than a fortress of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The residents had been evacuated to the rear before the war even broke out, and commerce no longer existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu maintained strict discipline in his army; no one dared to cause trouble under his watchful eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from daily training, the group of generals had nothing left to do but conduct tactical wargaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of versions of counterattack plans had been formulated, and everyone was holding in a breath of frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is there to panic about!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The enemy has only withdrawn twenty thousand troops; there are still eighteen thousand soldiers outside the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you have the ability to completely annihilate the enemy army, I will immediately authorize you to command the entire force.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you cannot do it, then return to your seat and sit down; stop jumping at every shadow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Mu's rebuke, Li Sanqi instantly deflated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defeating the enemy was easy; completely annihilating them was difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, to administer Annan, it was necessary to consume the enemy's effective fighting strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, the monk may escape, but the temple cannot run away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Kingdom of Annan only has so much land; I do not believe they can fly off into the sky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Under Zhennan Pass, this subordinate lacks the ability to completely annihilate the enemy army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if we fight all the way into enemy territory and drive them into a desperate situation, that would be a different matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since we are fighting a war anyway, does it matter where we fight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a moment, Li Sanqi spoke with indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his academic performance was not impressive, having followed Li Mu for a long time, he had still learned quite a few military strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was very unaccustomed to this kind of restricted style of fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You simpleton, your head is filled with nothing but fighting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we defeat the Annan people so quickly, how do we explain it to the court?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not forget how this war broke out in the first place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter how secretly we acted, we still left behind numerous loopholes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we push the Annan people to the brink of desperation, and they directly submit to the court as vassals, can this war continue?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu rebuked them with feigned anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That his subordinates had their own thoughts did not make him angry; on the contrary, he was pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being able to propose different opinions meant they were starting to use their brains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although their consideration of problems was not comprehensive enough, this was still a significant progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they were willing to study diligently, their vision and personal capabilities could be cultivated slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, even if the Annan people wish to surrender, it depends on whether we agree.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As a belligerent state, we have no obligation to guarantee the safety of their diplomatic mission members.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as the envoys of the Kingdom of Annan cannot reach the capital, peace negotiations will be out of the question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chenfeng, the Guard Commander of the Guangxi Guard, spoke up with a suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Yu was not Great Song; from the Emperor down to the hundred officials, everyone possessed a backbone of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under circumstances where they held the advantage on the battlefield, it was impossible to actively send someone to seek peace with Annan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against this backdrop, to keep the war going, one only needed to cut off the contact between the Annan people and the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Li Mu's power and influence, intercepting and killing the Annan diplomatic mission halfway would require very little effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is a line of thought, but it is not perfect enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Intercepting and killing the Annan envoys is easy; the difficult part is leaving no trace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From Annan to the capital, there are many routes to choose from.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This war broke out too suddenly; while we managed to fool the domestic side, the Annan people must surely have suspicions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if they send a diplomatic mission, they will not enter the capital via the two Guang regions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are so many local officials along the route; no one can guarantee that no one will leak the news to the court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although these issues could be suppressed within the capital, doing so would come at a cost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To administer Annan, we will inevitably need the court's support later; we should minimize the use of political resources for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu said, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he was blowing smoke to his subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of the noble merit group was concentrated mainly within the camp of military generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there were people they had co-opted among the civil officials, most held positions without real power and had limited influence at court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During normal times, dealing with such matters was manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a few Annan people died, no one would make a fuss about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if it coincided with a struggle between civil and military factions, it would become a blade handed to the civil official group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the court wanted to investigate, many hidden problems would be exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might not cost him his life, but it could cause his scheme to fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, to administer Annan, we must first break the enemy's backbone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without killing until rivers of blood flow, it will be very difficult to achieve our strategic objectives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the pirates cannot complete the task, then let the rebel army take over; it would be best if the enemy kills each other.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This subordinate suggests selecting some prisoners of war with rich experience in rebellion and sending them into Annan territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the Annan prisoners captured in this battle, along with their families, they should all be exiled to Liaodong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yutang, the Guard Commander of the Guilin Right Guard, stood up and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the Great Yu dynasty, Annan was merely a tiny state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Li Mu's faction, swallowing Annan was by no means an easy task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The local population numbered five to six million, which was even more than the population of the Guangxi region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight misstep could plunge them into the vast ocean of a people's war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve long-term stability, besides transporting immigrants to the local area, it was also necessary to reduce the population.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The method is good, but unfortunately, the court is too poor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sending over a million Annan people to the Liaodong front line would require considerable expenditure; the Ministry of Revenue will not pay for this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, transporting some able-bodied young men there to perform corvée labor should not be a problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regarding the matter of wreaking havoc in Annan, do you have the confidence to take on this heavy responsibility?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly speaking, the two strategies proposed by Kong Yutang were both extremely vicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once adopted, the Kingdom of Annan would see rivers of blood flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one's status determines one's stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing from the perspective of Great Yu, to recover the Jiaozhou Provincial Administration Commissioner's office, it was necessary to bring the Kingdom of Annan to its knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This subordinate is willing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yutang immediately declared his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the very beginning of the Annan war, Li Mu had controlled the overall strategic situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the current method of fighting, by the time of the great decisive battle, the Annan army would retain at most half of its combat effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winning victory at the smallest cost aligned with the interests of the group, but it was difficult to reflect individual military merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the six garrisons of the two Guang regions achieve merit on the front lines, they had long been green with envy; now that an opportunity had finally arrived, everyone wanted to show their worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they did not seek opportunities themselves and relied solely on the Regional Commander to assign tasks, that small amount of merit would hardly be enough to support their further advancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they were all grassroots generals; their only connection in the imperial court was Li Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All their competitors were their own people; whether palm or back of the hand, it was all flesh, so naturally, the capable would rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well, go to the prisoner-of-war camp and select thirty thousand men, dividing them into ten batches to be sent into Annan territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell these prisoners that this Marquis will not let them sacrifice their lives in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the wealth plundered, everyone splits the accounts fifty-fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For every head of an Annan soldier severed, one person's guilt shall be pardoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as enough enemies are slain, all family members implicated by them can obtain imperial pardon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should the number of pardons be exceeded, each head can be exchanged for one mu of tax-exempt farmland, or five taels of silver.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately painted this picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly speaking, the rewards he offered were not particularly high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They differed from the regular army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once these prisoner-soldiers were sent out, they would rely entirely on self-sufficiency to solve logistical issues, requiring no money from him to sustain them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While harming the people of Annan, there was no need to worry about these men growing too powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could not gain momentum rebelling in their homeland, it would be even harder in a foreign land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone could raise a rebel army in Annan and become a local warlord, Li Mu would be even happier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those who had experienced it knew how great the destructive power of a rebel army could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chengdu Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The imperial court intends to recall this old man to the capital and have Marquis Zhenyuan come here to oversee the overall situation; this old man has agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we endure through this period, you will no longer have to live in fear!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue said with a slight hint of disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having worked so hard, only to finally let the noble faction come in to clean up the mess, was quite a blow to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no other way; the patience of the Emperor and the hundred officials had been exhausted by the rebel army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone now had only one thought: to suppress the rebellion as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his plan, he could likewise grind the rebel army down, but it would require investing massive financial and material resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With ready-made troops available, the imperial court clearly would not spend a huge price to let him train another elite force in the Shu region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be precise, neither the Emperor nor the hundred officials believed he could train an elite force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the juniors of the Pure Stream faction did not wish to remain stuck on the battlefield indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though recalled to the capital now without distinguished military merit, at least he had not caused any major disasters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the front lines suffered a crushing defeat, he, as the leader of the Pure Stream, would have been ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Secretary, the situation in the Shu region cannot do without you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Junliang said with an excited expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, Xu Wenyue's departure was tantamount to the sky collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To suppress the rebel army, they had promised the Tusi chieftains considerable benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Xu Wenyue serving as Viceroy, even if the imperial court assigned blame, this Grand Councilor would stand in front to bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Xu Wenyue left, he, as the Provincial Governor, would become the primary person responsible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Marquis Zhenyuan were willing to acknowledge the previous promises and fulfill the conditions Grand Secretary Xu had extended, the imperial court would likely tacitly approve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Marquis Zhenyuan refused to take responsibility and rejected fulfilling the conditions they had previously promised, the trouble would be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tusi chieftains had sent troops and shed blood for Great Yu; if they failed to receive what they wanted after the war, they would certainly not let the matter rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean, 'cannot do without'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This old man oversaw the suppression of the rebellion, yet not only failed to extinguish the rebel army, but allowed them to grow ever stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Zhenyuan employs troops like a god; in merely a few months, he recovered Huguang for the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With him coming to oversee the overall situation of suppressing the rebellion, the Shu region's rebel army will not last long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his words sounded pleasant, deep in his heart, Xu Wenyue was seething with anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, during his tenure overseeing the suppression, the imperial court had spent enormous sums of money and grain; when the noble faction oversaw the suppression, most of the funds were self-raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he had gained a significant advantage, yet he possessed no core troops of his own!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the noble faction took over the overall situation, a large group of noble scions brought their private armies to join the suppression forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without effort, they raised more than ten divisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were in that position, wanting the noble group to contribute their old capital was utterly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let alone expanding new armies; even obtaining support from old units was fraught with difficulties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To deploy troops and dispatch generals, one first had to provide departure fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing the commanders below lacked ability, he had no way to replace them; he even had to coax them into working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could fight and who could not required war to test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu had brought up a large group of generals for the noble faction, allowing them to choose the best among the excellent; he, however, could only make do with the original generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unequal military resources determined that no matter how hard he tried, he could not catch up on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Secretary, you cannot speak thus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Marquis Zhenyuan is indeed capable in battle, he also benefited from your previous efforts; otherwise, Huguang would absolutely not have been recovered so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation in the Shu region is actually much the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through your efforts, we reorganized the military affairs in Shu and even coaxed the Tusi chieftains into joining the fight, thereby stabilizing the war situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We truly cannot do without you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Provincial Administration Commissioner Li Yongliang followed up with persuasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pit in the Shu region was too large; a single Provincial Governor could not fill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the imperial court assigned blame, he, as the Provincial Administration Commissioner, would not escape either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of their own interests, they also had to keep Xu Wenyue here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least until Marquis Zhenyuan arrived to complete the handover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with Grand Secretary Xu standing in front to bear the burden did they have the qualification to negotiate terms with the noble faction; otherwise, they, these unlucky ones with blemishes, would be meat on someone else's chopping block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest assured, this old man is not an irresponsible person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Marquis Zhenyuan, he has likely only received the imperial edict a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is estimated that in another month or two, the war in Jiangnan will end, after which he will dispatch troops to the Shu region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man will wait for him to arrive and complete the transfer of power before leaving the Shu region.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The petty calculations of these people before him were crystal clear to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing to stay was not because he wanted to clean up the mess; mainly, he simply could not leave right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the three major gateways in the Shu region, only the northern gateway was under imperial court control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey along this route was far from peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many places along the way were focal points of contention between both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on his understanding of these colleagues, if he left the mess for them to shoulder the blame, they would dare to leak his whereabouts to the rebel army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the process of overseeing the suppression, he had killed so many members of the White Lotus Sect that they long ago regarded him as a thorn in their eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Secretary is wise!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Secretary's courage in taking on responsibilities is truly a blessing for the nation and its altars!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flattery of the crowd fell into Xu Wenyue's ears, yet it filled him with endless sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know when the bureaucratic group of the Great Yu Dynasty had degenerated into such a state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of considering how to suppress the rebel army as quickly as possible, each one was calculating how to avoid being held accountable by the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This old man has no time to listen to your nonsense here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Zhenyuan is bringing troops to provide support; we must still strive to fight the war of suppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the time for the main decisive battle has not yet arrived, we cannot let the rebel army remain idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transmit orders to all departments to harass the rebel army when opportunities arise, causing them as much trouble as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regional Commander Zhong, you shall personally be responsible for this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there are no military achievements, Marquis Zhenyuan will not be as easy to deal with as this old man!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue immediately warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Zhong Chenliang's ears, however, it felt like the sky collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In engagements with the rebel army, he had consistently suffered defeat after defeat; he had long since lost confidence in his own military capabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordering him to dispatch troops to seek trouble with the rebel army was completely asking the impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet inaction was not an option; he bore direct responsibility for the previous defeats of the government troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue had not dealt with him because the army needed stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beheading him and replacing him with someone else might not yield anyone more capable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Marquis Zhenyuan came over, there would be no such scruples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was bringing his own troops; without him, this Regional Commander, the war would still be fought just the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3352,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","af1de5516000bae5df5be4536c70ba65082ad5400050c132f01aae23cc63c6c6","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-379","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-377",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]