[{"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-39":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},2364308,4623,"Chapter 39: Strike East, Attack West","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-39",39,"\u003Cp>Yangzhou City, Changchun Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fangyong, listening to a little tune while reviewing his ledgers, felt he could still take on eight more concubines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The profits from the first half of the year increased by another fifty thousand taels; selling salt in Dayu was truly effortless wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Building gardens, hosting banquets, keeping slender horses—there was simply too much to spend, far too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you’ve gone daydreaming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The concubine singing beside him pressed close, embracing him, pulling Zhang Fangyong back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it—no more concubines for now; my health comes first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already have over twenty beautiful concubines at home to keep me busy, not to mention all my other lovers; adding another would break me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to soothe the woman in his arms, a group of unexpected guests burst in, knocking down the guards and sending the maids into shrieks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you? Do you even know where you are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fangyong demanded angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a renowned salt merchant of Yangzhou, even the Prefect treated him with courtesy, and the local constables and soldiers were under his command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the power of money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he couldn’t directly control authority, that didn’t stop him from enjoying its benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Provincial Administration Commissioner and Provincial Governor down to lowly clerks in the yamen, all had taken his money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless candidates he had sponsored had entered officialdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appeared to be merely a salt merchant, but his web of connections had long seeped into the heart of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yangzhou, few dared to oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course we know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, never go to the wrong place when on official business!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, several soldiers rushed forward and pinned Zhang Fangyong to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m friends with Commander Liu of your Southern Town Command Office—you must have made a mistake…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how Zhang Fangyong pleaded, the soldiers ignored him, binding him with swift efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the entire Changchun Garden was raided, and everyone inside became prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At nearly the same moment, all prominent salt merchants in Yangzhou were arrested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s massive operation quickly drew the attention of the Prefect’s yamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the news, Yangzhou Prefect Hao Xingfeng froze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had received no word at all about the court targeting salt merchants!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time the court cracked down on the Two Huai salt transport system was three years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, under pressure from various factions, they merely dismissed the corrupt Salt Surveillance Commissioner and took no major action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time was clearly different—no warning at all, yet the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot had already moved to arrest people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logic told him he must act to prevent disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To confront the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard head-on? He was a civil official—he wasn’t that reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, his own clerks and runners would turn to jelly at the sight of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; they had no courage to interfere with their operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhu, send someone immediately to notify the Salt Administration Office—hopefully it’s not too late!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Xingfeng said grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the Salt Administration Office could stop the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot, Hao Xingfeng had no confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no choice—after all, he’d taken the salt merchants’ money and couldn’t resist the temptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, the fact that both the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot moved together means the court has reached its limit with the Two Huai salt administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Salt Administration Office is likely in danger itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, we must consider our escape routes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The factory and guards caught the salt merchants off guard, but behind the scenes, those merchants have gathered plenty of desperate men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now with knives at their throats, these men may resort to desperate acts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, these salt merchants are merely the frontmen; numerous powerful clans depend on the salt trade for their livelihood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the court cuts off their profits, they won’t accept it quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once chaos erupts, Yangzhou Prefecture will be the first to suffer—we’re in deep trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhu’s analysis made Hao Xingfeng feel even more helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Dayu Empire, corruption still had room for maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if a large-scale rebellion broke out, he, as the people’s parent-official, was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go notify them first!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also send word to the Provincial Administration Commissioner and Provincial Governor—if I’m done for, they won’t escape either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return immediately to the Battalion Command, select some trustworthy men from the Five City Military Command, and prepare to head south!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon returning to the Hou Fu, Li Mu was stunned by his uncle’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court was investigating military land loss—it should have focused on the northern frontier; why suddenly send troops to Jiangnan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, has something happened in Jiangnan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, even if Jiangnan had unrest, the court would send an imperial envoy—not the Five City Military Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not Jiangnan that’s changed—it’s the Two Huai salt administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor agreed to drop the pursuit of the noble families' responsibility in the military land loss case, but he needs our support to reform the Two Huai salt system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot have already moved; the Emperor fears unrest and has decided to dispatch troops from the capital to stabilize the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command has extensive experience in investigations and maintaining local order, so we’ve been included in the deployment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Yuan’s explanation, Li Mu instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military land investigation was merely a cover—the true target of Emperor Tianyuan was the Two Huai salt administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the defeat in Liaodong to drag out the military land case was simply convenient timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble families, to save themselves, chose a political bargain with the Emperor, and all prior matters were erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let the other guy die, not me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if nobles had business ties with salt merchants, at this sensitive moment, everyone would cut their losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, behind the scenes, Emperor Tianyuan had even hinted to the noble leaders that after the salt reform, they could join in and claim a share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in an era where civil officials were valued over military, the noble families only picked up scraps from the salt merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the combination of the stick and the carrot, the nobles clearly couldn’t resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his uncle’s demeanor, Li Mu could tell he’d been convinced by the Emperor and was ready to plunge into a major campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the capital garrison was being sent—this was no longer mere political struggle; they had prepared for armed suppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, rest assured—I’ll act at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately pledged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Huai salt merchants, as the wealthiest group in Dayu, had influence that reached every corner of the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To target them, the local government offices were utterly unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending a few civil officials to replace them would be useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might not even make it to the yamen before being sent to meet Yama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For cleaning up local affairs, the Five City Military Command—with no entanglements in local interests—was clearly the best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when facing powerful local clans, civil officials’ morale would crumble at the mention of a famous family name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noble-born officers had no such concerns; even if you named a dozen influential families, they might not know who they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offending people didn’t matter—they were just passing through, not staying long-term in office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1245,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","d3a55b581ff257b7b1da16315527609ecd23402121af44efc967831268eec6ca","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-40","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-38",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]