[{"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-385":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},2364654,4623,"Chapter 385: Peace Talks","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-385",385,"\u003Cp>“The encirclement operation failed? Xiao Yunfan died in the chaos of battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the intelligence in his hand, Hu Xinbo’s face instantly turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news came as a shocking blow, completely beyond his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how numerous the pirates, they were merely a rabble—no match for a regular army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of Xiao Yunfan’s troops, a quarter were elite soldiers, among the most formidable forces in Dayue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For such a powerful force to lose to a band of pirates is far more damaging than the earlier annihilation of the navy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, please calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Xiao was defeated because the enemy was utterly treacherous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yu army disguised themselves as Bai Lian rebels, infiltrated our territory, and posed as insurgents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Xiao, caught off guard, fell into their trap, and thus…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chuyang explained nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing to rebels is shameful; losing to Bai Lian prisoners is even more shameful—so blame it on the Yu army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In politics, truth is just a doll that can be dressed up any way needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Worthless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yunfan is worthless, and so are all those bastards back home!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All my ministers are worthless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo erupted in furious curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idea that the Yu army disguised themselves as Bai Lian prisoners and incited rebellion inside Dayue sounded absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The language barrier alone was a formidable obstacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy couldn’t possibly have everyone fluent in both languages; even if they launched a rebellion, they could only conscript able-bodied men by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a large-scale disturbance could not possibly escape the notice of local authorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among so many local officials, some must have been sharp enough to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon detecting the problem, they would normally report it upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a seasoned general, Xiao Yunfan would not have fallen for the trap unless he had been reckless and overconfident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If none of them noticed the problem, either Dayue is rotten to the core, or the battle reports have been falsified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing on years of political experience, Hu Xinbo was certain the battle reports sent to him had been altered countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How far they strayed from the original truth was known only to heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing something is one thing; exposing the truth is another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Emperor must abide by the rules of the political game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid catastrophic political consequences, he had no choice but to accept the content of the report—his outburst was merely emotional venting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, these people concealed the truth to minimize the political fallout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, please calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The damage is done. The priority now is to manage the aftermath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Xiao has fallen in battle, his troops slaughtered or wounded in vast numbers—they can no longer repel the invading Yu forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only course now is to withdraw the army and stabilize the domestic situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chuyang urged urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few scoldings mean nothing; what matters is solving the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the chaos in Dayue was caused by pirates, Bai Lian prisoners, or the Yu army, they were all enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their destructive power far exceeds that of the enemy inside Zhennan Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day the chaos continues drains Dayue’s national strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the rear is in disarray, the army’s logistics will collapse—northern expedition becomes a farce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Withdraw?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Easy to say, but can we even withdraw now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d bet my life that the moment our army pulls back from Zhennan Pass, the defenders will surge out to harass us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy doesn’t need to defeat us—just delay our retreat, and that’s enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo spoke bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long wanted to withdraw—Zhennan Pass was unassailable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To date, the casualty ratio has reached nearly 20:1—such a staggering disparity would crush any besieger’s morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the initial assaults, the past weeks have been nothing but token efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wants to launch another attack—no one wants to throw away their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over ten thousand men have been lost before Zhennan Pass—nearly ten percent of our total strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we keep grinding on, even if we annihilate our entire force, we won’t break the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the northern expedition began, Hu Xinbo’s goal was to seize Guangdong and Guangxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the war began, the goal was immediately lowered to capturing Guangxi and then withdrawing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month into the war, the goal dropped again—to take Zhennan Pass and retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later still, the strategic objective became nothing more than to withdraw the entire army intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he only hoped to retreat with minimal losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ironically, the lower the goal, the faster the situation deteriorated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crisis at home robbed him of the capacity for a prolonged war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was maddening—after so long, they had never even faced the enemy in open battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had lost in a fair fight, he would have accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now they were defeated in the most humiliating way—manipulated like puppets in the enemy’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Yu is not a monolith—some advocate war, others peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence, Yu has already crushed the Jiangnan rebels and will soon recover its strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forces we’re fighting now are only from Guangdong and Guangxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yu sends more reinforcements, the situation will spiral out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in the newly conquered southern territories, the locals have little loyalty to Dayue; if the war drags on, they may break away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yu is in its low point, immediately dispatch an envoy to their capital to persuade their peace faction and end this war swiftly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The veteran Shi Yufeng again proposed ending the war—this time, unlike before, he faced no condemnation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this war had made Dayue’s high command realize the gap in strength between them and Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the forces of Guangdong and Guangxi had pushed them to the brink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the war continued and Yu sent more troops, the situation would only worsen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wants to fight a war they know they will lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers’ silent consensus wounded Hu Xinbo deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first foreign war as ruler had not harmed the enemy—but had already shattered his own country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Destruction is easy; rebuilding is hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this war with Yu ends, the mess at home cannot be cleaned up overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t the Yu Emperor execute our previous envoy? What use is sending another now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the distance from our capital to Yu’s capital is vast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if we send someone immediately, it will take months before any result emerges.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jingfu immediately countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t truly want to continue the war—he opposed only to spare the Emperor’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, by now, Dayue had no hardline war faction left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compromise is the survival Zhidao  of small states; the stubborn have long vanished from history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed not fear dissent—his reasons were all practical realities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yongning Emperor was no easygoing man—the letter incident had already enraged him beyond repair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of necessity, he had temporarily restrained himself and refrained from executing the envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once war broke out, the Yongning Emperor’s fury flared—and he immediately sent the envoy to the execution ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One stroke of the blade, and the entire first envoy team was wiped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy had made it clear with action: they would fight to the death. Hu Xinbo could not appear weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu had not sent an envoy; he could not execute anyone—but he had sent no shortage of provocative letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu, as the frontline commander, naturally did not withhold these documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sent them all to the capital, and the entire Yu court erupted in collective outrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most anti-war civil officials switched from peace faction to war faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You just insulted them to death—and now you want to make peace? How could it be so easy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if someone in court advocated peace, they’d still demand a heavy price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tax revenue from the eight southern provinces gave Yu the financial backbone to sustain the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to losses from internal rebellion, the cost of this Annan campaign was relatively low for Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirates were lured by Li Mu’s empty promises; the Bai Lian prisoners were merely given free passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the weapons they held were captured during the suppression of rebellions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far in the war, the actual Yu army forces engaged, both land and naval, number no more than tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regardless of whether it’s useful or not, we must demonstrate our sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yu people value face above all—give them enough face first, then there’s room to negotiate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distance is indeed a problem, but it’s one we must confront.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we wish to end this war through negotiation, we have only two options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either negotiate here with the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi, or send envoys to the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence gathered, the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi is a military officer who rose through battlefield merit, naturally inclined toward war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoping to end this war through negotiations with him is virtually hopeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the standpoint of that Marquis of Han River, he likely wishes this war to last as long as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, since the war began, the enemy has not yet deployed their full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Guangdong alone, the enemy has three elite garrisons that have not been committed to this war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said the Yu army is divided into two types: conscripted troops and garrison troops, with only the conscripted troops serving as the main combat force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forces currently fighting us are the garrison units from Guangdong and Guangxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Yu army’s hierarchy, their combat effectiveness ranks at best as second-line troops, possibly even third-line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chuyang vigorously promoted this view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To end this war as quickly as possible, he had abandoned all concern for face and openly exposed his own weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he pushed too hard—those who heard this news all turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The garrison at Zhennan Pass is undoubtedly the most elite force of Great Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our troops have fought them before—there can be no mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intelligence must be flawed; those fools in the Tongzheng Office are useless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jingfu quickly rebutted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike before, when he defended the Emperor’s face, now the honor of the military and his own future were at stake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having suffered heavy losses at Zhennan Pass, he needed to portray the enemy as formidable to lessen his own culpability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what, he could not accept defeat at the hands of second- or third-line enemy troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty is right—the garrison at Zhennan Pass still possesses considerable strength and cannot be compared to ordinary Yu troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the enemy deliberately disguised their elite troops as garrison units to lull us into complacency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter need not be probed further; let us return to discussing peace talks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo, realizing the gravity of the issue, swiftly settled the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even disregarding other factors, he had to consider his reputation in life and after death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he admitted the Zhennan Pass garrison was merely a garrison unit, future histories would record him as a laughingstock for all time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar cautionary tales had appeared in Great Yue’s history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Zhennan Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, the enemy camp is stirring—it appears they’re preparing to retreat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jingxing said, his voice filled with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Garrison Commander of Zhennan Pass, having been blockaded in his own city for months, he saw this as the greatest humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his commander forbade any counterattack; no matter how grievous his grievance, he had to hold it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the battlefield, everyone is a single screw, serving the greater whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems Kong Yutang and the others did well—those Bai Lian rebels turned prisoners have proven useful within Annan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Issue orders: keep close watch on every movement of the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they officially withdraw, give them a grand gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu smiled as he gave the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding out for so long had not only frustrated his troops—he himself was equally stifled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But war cannot be waged on emotion; if victory can be won with minimal cost, soldiers must not be sacrificed needlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, the finest commanders achieve victory without glorious battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victories built on piles of corpses—he would never resort to such a thing unless utterly desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, since the Bai Lian prisoners are so useful, recruit more of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t have them fight—just assign them to clear the way for our army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve calculated: eliminating the miasma requires massive manpower and resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, we can use Annan prisoners for this, but in the early stages, we still need large numbers of laborers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Chenfeng immediately proposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After removing the most vicious offenders, the remaining prisoners had mostly been forced into joining the rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they weren’t just simple farmers, they’d picked up some bad habits while serving the rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a period of reeducation, most had reverted to their farmer state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working in the garrisons was only more exhausting during peak farming season; otherwise, it was much like being a hired laborer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard work had its benefits: the more land reclaimed, the more grain each person received.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu had always placed great importance on stimulating production incentives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how small the return, if it was even slightly better than before, the men were satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They rose with the sun and rested at its setting, rarely causing trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after their families began arriving, these men grew even more obedient and humble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their greatest dream now was to receive imperial amnesty, so they could be buried in their ancestral graves after death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only a dream—not easily realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imperial amnesties always listed ten unforgivable crimes, and rebellion ranked first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were merely coerced, they remained prime targets for suppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s worth considering. You several discuss it and draft a detailed plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many to recruit, what Daiyu  to offer, how to secure logistics—all must be accounted for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He always encouraged his subordinates to take initiative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as their proposals were feasible, he was willing to give them a chance—to cultivate a cohort of officers capable of standing alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once our army enters Annan, the nature of warfare will change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large-scale battles like these will become extremely rare; future resistance will mostly be in small to medium-scale engagements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2371,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","27196d9e443756de3a72b16e0c08e4cc8e90e19e879acb99673783d14b0215d6","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-386","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-384",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]