[{"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-387":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},2364656,4623,"Chapter 387: Sunset Glow","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-387",387,"\u003Cp>Faced with roaring flames, even though the Yue army acted immediately, it still took two hours to extinguish the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it wasn’t winter; otherwise, with dry branches and dead leaves, the fire would have spread faster and been even harder to put out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having delayed for two hours, the Yue forces that had failed in their ambush successfully completed their withdrawal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Shi Yufeng, as the commanding general, showed not a trace of satisfaction on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you under? Why are you still lingering here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was infuriating—he had led his troops in desperate resistance to buy time for the main army’s retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After engaging the enemy halfway, they encountered soldiers from the rear guard during their transfer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few stragglers were acceptable, but now there was an entire organized unit that had stalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, we are under General Weiwu, tasked with escorting the army’s grain supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We didn’t want to linger—mainly because the road ahead was blocked and carts couldn’t pass; General Weiwu is leading men to repair it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the middle-aged captain’s explanation, Shi Yufeng’s anger flared even higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grain supplies must move before the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal arrangements, during such a strategic withdrawal, the grain and supplies should have been evacuated first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yue army’s decision to break out had been carefully considered in advance, not made on impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An orderly, disciplined withdrawal was theoretically entirely possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the order had been reversed: the grain convoy, meant to withdraw first, had become the rear guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief moment of shock, Shi Yufeng reacted swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These unfortunate men were likely those who had offended someone in court, hence this illogical arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell General Weiwu the enemy is closing in—speed up the withdrawal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Issue orders: the entire army will set up camp here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yufeng waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re all down on our luck; no need to make things harder for each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this straggling unit manages to withdraw safely, they’ve had good fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy catches them, it’s their bad luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the rearguard, he had few troops and no time for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had conditions allowed, he’d have used these men as bait to trick the enemy once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One general’s glory is built on ten thousand bones; a commander lacks nothing in ruthlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guangzhou Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: prepare all units—we will launch from the sea against Annan in two days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After verifying the commander’s order in his hand, Zhang Ning immediately issued the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a purely geographical standpoint, boarding at Lianzhougang was closest to Annan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But war requires more than distance—it demands operational secrecy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stationing tens of thousands of troops at Lianzhougang would make any sane Annan commander suspect a naval attack; they’d never concentrate forces to storm Zhennan Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy doesn’t launch an offensive but instead defends in place,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the cost to conquer Annan would rise at least several-fold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Annan not been internally weak, pirates wouldn’t have run rampant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pirates causing chaos, the Bai Lian rebels couldn’t have been easily smuggled in, and Annan wouldn’t have seen so many internal rebellions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond military considerations, there were political ones too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Annan’s actual attack on Zhennan Pass as fact, Li Mu’s campaign to destroy Annan became morally justified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thang Long City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Lin, are you certain you haven’t made a mistake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Zi asked in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No killing of envoys during wartime” was a regional unwritten rule in East Asia, established by Great Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a nation of propriety, Great Yu had spent the past two centuries upholding its reputation through consistent action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, hearing his own envoy team had been killed, Cui Zi’s first reaction was: impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d rather believe the envoy ship had sunk en route or been ambushed by pirates than accept that Great Yu’s court had done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prime Minister, this was witnessed firsthand by our intelligence agents—there is no possible falsehood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heads are now displayed on the walls of Qiongzhou. If you doubt it, send someone to verify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zeliang immediately assured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rebuild the intelligence network, he had poured in tremendous effort, reestablishing its reach across Guangdong and Guangxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, calling it an “intelligence network” was self-flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personnel were hastily selected, with no time for professional training—purely a makeshift operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond gathering open-source information, they couldn’t touch a single secret intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For safety’s sake, they even had to actively avoid government surveillance, let alone infiltrate the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What fools did those idiots do to provoke Great Yu into such a massacre?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Zi frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Yu’s international reputation was too strong; even after his own envoy was killed, he still suspected the envoy team had provoked it themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even last time, when the envoy team was detained, he hadn’t doubted Great Yu’s official explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, domestic documents had always referred to the Great Yue Dynasty and Great Yue Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ministry of Rites officials, following long-standing habit, wrote diplomatic letters the same way—it was perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The envoy officers neglected to check, causing a colossal blunder that got them killed—the logic was flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a large forest, any bird can appear; similar blunders had happened more than once in Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more one saw, the more one grew accustomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reports say they discovered assassins within the envoy team; after the Qiongzhou magistrate received the news, he imprisoned all members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once reported to the capital, the Great Yu Emperor directly ordered their execution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zeliang answered helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all the information he had—he could only speak the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth? His intelligence network had no capacity to investigate, let alone mount a rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he received the news, the envoy team’s heads were already hanging on the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before seeing the heads, he had assumed the envoy team had reached the Great Yu capital and was negotiating an end to the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From Qiongzhou to the Great Yu capital is no short journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so much time passing, how did you not discover the envoy team had been imprisoned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Zi demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The envoy’s death was minor—the key was that peace talks were now shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Yu Emperor’s direct order to execute them clearly meant he was enraged; sending another delegation now would yield nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue’s current position was extremely perilous; with peace talks destroyed, both sides could only fight to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sudden shift shattered their prior plans; many strategic designs now had to be rebuilt from scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prime Minister, this is the responsibility of the former Tongzheng Minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Weiqi, that old thief embezzled intelligence funds, rendering our overseas network a hollow shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve held office for only a few months—getting agents into Great Yu was already a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penetrating the Great Yu court requires decades of effort before any results appear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zeliang quickly shifted blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dead cannot speak; the former Tongzheng Minister’s grave was already overgrown with grass—taking more blame wouldn’t hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This outcome benefited everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placing blame on the dead meant no one had to take responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough—you’ve had a hard time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will explain this to the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Tongzheng Office’s intelligence network must be restored quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court cannot give you decades to develop slowly—intelligence agents must be dispatched immediately; we must monitor every move of the Great Yu court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zeliang ignored the latter half of Cui Zi’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Yu conducted household registration checks; foreign nationals stood out like lanterns in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living under the spotlight, any slight anomaly could expose their identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are we stopped again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days had passed since their withdrawal from Zhennan Pass, yet the army had advanced less than sixty li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal marching conditions, he’d have tolerated this pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, with enemies chasing behind, this sluggishness would be disastrous if the enemy caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, an explosion ahead triggered a landslide, blocking the army’s path.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this explanation, Hu Xinbo’s expression turned grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had indeed heard the explosion earlier, but hadn’t taken it seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, small units of the Yu army had continuously launched ambushes along the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just last night, the main camp was attacked three times—he’d grown used to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting on home soil, yet feeling as if the whole world were against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all due to lax military discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Troops passing like a comb” was no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever the Yu army passed, local civilians mostly suffered harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t even think of them helping us fight—just not aiding the Yu army against us was considered generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if ordinary civilians spotted Yu troops sneaking in, their simple logic was to pretend they saw nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, influenced by Central Plains culture, the Yu army had adopted many practices from the Yue army, and their uniforms bore many similarities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary civilians who had never left home found it extremely difficult to distinguish between the two armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we detour?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo asked anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer cared about how to hunt down the enemy’s infiltrating units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His anger had mostly burned out over the past few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The domestic situation was dire—he had no time to tangle with the Yu army; he only wanted to retreat from this barren, hostile land as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Detouring adds fifty li, and the roads are terrible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one can guarantee the enemy hasn’t set ambushes on other routes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Given the current situation, someone in Liangshan may be colluding with the enemy—otherwise, their operations wouldn’t be this smooth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The main force should stick to the main road to avoid provoking more trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chuyang reported nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d known there’d be so many troubles, he never should’ve come along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home as Minister of War, surrounded by rare delicacies, fine wine, and beautiful women—far better than eating dirt in these mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that we’ve suffered defeat, someone will surely be held responsible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might end up as the scapegoat for his position as Minister of War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems abandoning Liangshan for now was the right decision—otherwise, collusion from within and without would put the army in danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing to abandon the defense of Liangshan had nothing to do with internal-external collusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The decision was made because the domestic situation had deteriorated too rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly half of the Great Yue Empire’s territory had slipped from imperial control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we continue entangling with the Yu army, even the most vital Hanoi region might be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Liangshan held high strategic value, economically it was a money pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding it at all costs would consume vast amounts of grain and silver with no practical gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, after the main force withdrew south, too few troops remained to hold it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we can’t hold it militarily, we’ll reclaim it through diplomacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When our ancestors were defeated, they were already considering surrender—then the Great Yu suddenly abandoned Jiaozhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This proves the Great Yu court never valued this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing on their experience dealing with the Great Yu, Yue’s high command believed that if they gave enough face and offered generous bribes to court ministers, the matter would be settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, urgent news from Thang Long City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our diplomatic mission was executed by Yu officials while stopping at Qiongzhou Prefecture for supplies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, the Guangdong and Guangxi navies have moved—suspected imminent large-scale amphibious assault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving two disasters in quick succession, Hu Xinbo nearly choked, his body swaying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, negotiations collapsed, shutting the door to ending the war diplomatically; then came word of an enemy amphibious landing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to land attacks, sea-based assaults were clearly far easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Yue Empire now had no coastal defense—its long coastline offered countless landing points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, an attack from the sea could bypass Liangshan, greatly easing logistical pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before starting the war, Hu Xinbo had considered a sea assault—but the navy was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, everyone naturally feared the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan was immediately rejected in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now things were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pirates had already paved the way, followed by a flood of Bai Lian rebels, giving the Yu forces experience in cross-sea operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the enemy still had three recruitment units uncommitted in Guangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they launched an amphibious assault now, the thinly defended Hanoi region would be in grave danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Are you frightened by this little thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As officials of the Great Yue Empire, where is your pride?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to fear from a few Yu troops?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Mu is still too young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they’d launched the amphibious assault before we withdrew, they might have scored some victories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now we’ve retreated dozens of li—no more than ten days’ march from Thang Long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the time they land, we’ll be back—then we’ll make sure they come but never return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this battle, I will make Li Mu learn…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xinbo forced calm as he rebuked them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted loudly, but inside, he was more terrified than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even beaten the enemy’s garrison troops—who knew how fierce the recruited soldiers, stronger still, might be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yue army’s combat effectiveness might fool ignorant peasants, but he dared not believe it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember how veteran general Xiao Yunfan, leading tens of thousands back to crush rebels, was defeated and killed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these facts proved the Yue army’s combat capability was poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now was the time to stabilize morale—no matter the real strength disparity, they had to blow up their own reputation first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once morale collapsed, the war would be unwinnable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You men on the mountain, listen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are surrounded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surrender your weapons at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We treat prisoners well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the shouts below, Shi Yufeng, his face streaked with fresh cuts, gave a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the rearguard, he had fought while retreating—though he hadn’t held the Zhennan Pass, he’d used the terrain to stall the Yu army for three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a cost: the seven thousand elite troops who’d followed him now numbered fewer than three hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few had scattered; most had died on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mission was accomplished—and yet it had failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time had been bought, but the distance between the two armies hadn’t widened as planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This position was less than fifty li from the rear camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main force was moving slowly; with the enemy’s speed, they’d catch up soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these problems no longer concerned him—a general facing death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2402,"2026-06-21T08:09:04.021Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","56dd78a00f27da9d98fa263023a19dcb41ad857b30ba2e8a09b53fa722608c4d","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-388","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-386",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]