[{"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-42":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},2364311,4623,"Chapter 42: Yangzhou","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>\"Li Battalion Commander, give the brothers a favor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us leave, and we’ll handle things on our own with Marquis Wuyang—you won’t be put in a difficult position!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Mu arrive with men to block them, the spoiled rich kids still held their heads high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their brows brimmed with contempt, as if they were certain of their dominance over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Duan, it’s not that I’m not giving face—I simply cannot defy military orders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this place is nowhere near a village or a shop, and the market is still far off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If anything happens, wouldn’t that be a tragic waste?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu shot back without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his workplace experience, if his superiors assigned him to guard them, it proved these people were unimportant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noble status only scares country bumpkins; noble heirs know that high birth and real power are not the same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly had influence, they wouldn’t have been cast aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were tagging along for credit, they’d have brought more capable retainers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their subordinates are all rabble—proof these fellows are nouveau riche, with nothing but loud names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Li Mu, several of these families were already in financial trouble, urgently needing a windfall to cover their deficits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li, we call you Battalion Commander out of respect—if we don’t, you’re just Little Li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How dare you speak to us like this? You must be itching for a beating...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the young man finished speaking, a sharp crack echoed—and his head exploded with stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu’s sudden strike stunned them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the capital, when they had disputes, Li Mu was always easygoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few days out of the capital, and he’s grown so brazen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man struck, Chu Shide, was the younger brother of Imperial Consort Chu, and held the post of Deputy Commander of the Five City Military Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assaulting a superior officer—especially the imperial consort’s own brother—was an act meant to shatter heaven itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take these lords back to their cabins. If anyone else causes trouble, kill them on the spot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before anyone could recover, Li Mu issued another cold command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You dare—I am...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is utterly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protests had no effect; the soldiers paid them no mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One servant rushed forward to shield his master—only to have Wu the Big Guy sever his left arm on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not dodged fast enough, the blade would have split his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bloody scene made faces already pale turn even more ghastly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Military orders are as firm as mountains\"—to them, this had always been just a phrase from operas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, it was as hollow as \"Even the Son of Heaven is subject to the law\"—mere empty words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they were actually doing it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the courage they’d mustered moments before collapsed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were noble; they had no reason to quarrel with a bunch of brutes. If they lost their lives, it would be tragic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their resentful glances, it was clear they had marked Li Mu down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having played the villain, Li Mu sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, someone dying here was no injustice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, these fools still didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar scenes kept playing out on the southbound grain barges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those who least wanted to offend others still chose to strictly enforce Marquis Wuyang’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offending a group of spoiled rich kids might bring trouble—but only trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men held no real power; even if they sought revenge later, they could only rely on connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone moved in the same circle; over ninety percent of their connections were useless here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Violating military orders meant losing your head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yangzhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a large number of salt merchants were arrested, this once-bustling city plunged into desolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big Brother, I’ve inquired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhang is imprisoned in the prefectural jail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two of the jailers under his guard once received favors from Master Zhang—they’re willing to be our inside men.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Among the city gate guards, we also have our own people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we give them a heads-up, they’ll make adjustments at the gate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After breaking him out, we can flee the city under cover of night!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sly, rat-eyed young man spoke with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all hired thugs raised by Zhang Fangyong, usually tasked with escorting salt shipments, occasionally handling dirty work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their pay was decent, but far from achieving greatness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many other gangs did the same work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rise above the competition, catch Master Zhang’s eye, and ascend to the peak of life—it was no small feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opportunity had finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, no merit surpasses saving one’s lord!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they rescued Master Zhang from prison, their status would skyrocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Liu, rescuing Master Zhang requires careful planning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difficulty isn’t rescuing him—it’s what comes after.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The court hasn’t convicted Master Zhang yet—there’s still room to maneuver.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"According to information from the Prefect’s office, the Prefect and the Provincial Administration Commissioner are working to clear Master Zhang’s name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we storm the jail, the charges will be entirely fabricated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad middle-aged man shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, he was Master Zhang’s subordinate; in truth, he answered to other masters behind the scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhang family had risen only two generations—Zhang Fangyong had become a famed salt merchant of the Two Huai regions, far from simple as he appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without behind-the-scenes help, a newcomer salt merchant couldn’t even untangle official connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was now complex; no one yet understood the court’s intentions, and the shadow patrons were still hesitating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we don’t storm the jail, all Yangzhou’s officials are our own—plenty of people will offer protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if we act, everything changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prisoner being rescued under one’s jurisdiction damages official evaluations and invites imperial investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone cracks under pressure and spills secrets, trouble will be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the shadow patrons, it’s cleaner to simply kill the arrested salt merchants than risk a rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They haven’t acted yet because the situation hasn’t reached that point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big Brother, it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard who arrested Master Zhang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many other Yangzhou salt merchants were arrested too—they clearly mean business. They won’t release anyone easily!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man spoke, unwilling to give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t storm the jail, all the information he’d gathered would be wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for official complications—he didn’t care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officially, Zhang Fangyong was a licensed salt merchant; in truth, he was a smuggler, and their main business was smuggling salt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the supply chain weren’t in Zhang Fangyong’s hands, they’d have gone solo long ago—who’d bother with a rescue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry—Master Zhang has long supported many scholar-officials. Now it’s time for them to repay him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once the imperial envoy arrives, these scholars will gather to plead his case.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The court officials value reputation above all—they dare not offend the literati!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1146,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","794e1b659799dbfca759ec0a7b485a5e543b9fbf5fca548079ee962163f241ca","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-43","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-41",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]