[{"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-43":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},2364312,4623,"Chapter 43: An Unpleasant Meeting","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>The boat docked, and the young nobles aboard were all thrilled beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring their weakened bodies, they scrambled eagerly onto land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their disheveled appearance shocked the Yangzhou officials who had come to greet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew the imperial envoy was coming, but these people clearly had nothing to do with an imperial commissioner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After both sides revealed their identities, the Yangzhou officials instantly realized the situation was dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no imperial envoy—these were a pack of living ancestors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who had ever reported to the capital knew these spoiled scions of noble families well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the capital, there were many high officials; with superiors holding them in check, these spoiled scions of noble families merely bickered over women or fought petty brawls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But out in the provinces, who dared to control these ancestors?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving south just as the salt merchants were arrested, these fellows clearly meant to grab a share of the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yangzhou Prefect Hao Xingfeng, at your service, Marquis Wuyang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Xingfeng bowed with a respectful hand gesture, neither subservient nor defiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His demeanor was cold, showing not the slightest warmth befitting an imperial envoy’s arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the Marquis Wuyang was not angered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bringing so many plagues here, the fact that they hadn’t turned on him outright was already a sign of good temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what chaos followed, as the local magistrate, Hao Xingfeng bore primary responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment the Five City Garrison troops set foot on shore, Hao Xingfeng’s official career had been trembling in the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Hao, no need for formalities—we're all serving the court.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dock isn’t a place for talk; please arrange lodging for us first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yangzhou officials glanced at the procession, their faces grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these were ordinary soldiers, they could simply camp outside the city with minimal supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d only need firewood, grain, and minor expenses—wealthy Yangzhou could easily afford them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this group had too many big shots; even a single officer held rank enough to be a major figure in the provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, if there was a chance to build connections, no one minded expanding their network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these people clearly meant to snatch meat from everyone’s bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhu, have someone clean out the confiscated salt merchant mansions and assign them as lodging for our distinguished guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief hesitation, Hao Xingfeng ventured cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot had only arrested them; no verdict had been passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legally, their mansions still belonged to the salt merchants personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moving in ahead of time was clearly a violation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A civil official familiar with the law would never accept such an arrangement that handed enemies a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, do it that way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard salt merchants are the richest in the world—we might as well see for ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Marquis Wuyang could speak, someone in the crowd began to stir up trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To retaliate for their miserable treatment aboard the ship, only these spoiled scions of noble families would dare publicly humiliate their superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must truly think themselves Deputy Commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference between Commander and Deputy Commander was only half a rank; for minor matters, the Marquis Wuyang couldn’t punish them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do it then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis Wuyang said without changing expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not worth getting angry at fools—he was already calculating how to sell out these disastrous allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering Yangzhou with the crowd, Li Mu’s Nan Cheng Battalion was assigned to the residence of a salt merchant surnamed Tu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A typical Jiangnan water-town garden, even with partial damage, clearly showed its luxurious design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most striking was the eight rooms arranged in a row along the main hall—this layout was reserved for dukes and imperial princes in the Great Yu Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The violations weren’t limited to the hall’s layout: the yellow glazed tiles on the roof, the exotic beasts carved in decoration—all were strictly forbidden to merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot dared arrest them despite insufficient evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just this single violation of protocol could cost the Tu salt merchant his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If such a violation existed, it wasn’t an isolated case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion was merely the tip of the iceberg; their daily clothing, food, housing, and travel likely brimmed with breaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salt merchant’s brazen audacity, Li Mu had now witnessed firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every inch of them was riddled with flaws; the court needed no evidence to crush them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Battalion Commander, the Yangzhou Prefecture has sent an invitation to attend a welcome banquet on the Qinhuai River.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Li Mu smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed the unpleasant meeting at the dock meant Yangzhou would skip the welcome banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these officials’ thick skin exceeded even his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Lan, what do you think Yangzhou intends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each region had its own customs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu was curious to experience the Qinhuai River’s charm, but reason prevailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capital troops were still dawdling on the road, yet the Five City Garrison had arrived first—something felt deeply off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, the welcome banquet is standard protocol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though today’s incident at the dock was a minor disturbance, that was official business; tonight’s gathering is private.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Jiangnan region, officials always clearly separate public and private matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But our arrival has been too conspicuous, stirring the local officials’ sensitive nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They may try to probe us during the banquet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Linjie said after some thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though born in Jiangnan, his understanding of its bureaucracy remained limited to discussions with fellow students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know the exact purpose of the Five City Garrison’s large-scale southern deployment, but one thing was certain: the court distrusted the Yangzhou local government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it—I have no interest in playing their games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell the messenger I’m unwell and cannot attend tonight’s banquet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this southern expedition wasn’t just the capital troops and the Five City Garrison—high-ranking officers from the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard had also secretly arrived in Yangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their whereabouts en route remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If trouble was brewing, tonight’s banquet would be the perfect opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not know the hidden patrons behind the Two Huai salt trade, but the two secret agencies certainly did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These clans didn’t just control salt—they were deeply entangled in the entertainment industry along the Qinhuai River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Battalion Commander, is the court truly determined to reform the salt monopoly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Linjie asked hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a private secretary, he shouldn’t inquire into matters his patron hadn’t raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But some thoughts had festered too long—he couldn’t hold them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you connected to these salt merchants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked half-jokingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had inquired into his secretary’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family owned a few hundred mu of land—a minor landlord in Jiangnan; Lan Linjie was the first to climb into the gentry class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a small fry could only dream of joining the salt trade—as a bookkeeper for a merchant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, you jest. How could I possibly be tied to salt merchants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I merely heard from fellow students about some of their deeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their network is extremely complex, wielding great local influence—handling them is perilous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep could spark a popular uprising!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1194,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","acc8663b3b66ba086ca4d4075b53b29865bdbf8e8dd7fd9da761d6aee0ab6118","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-44","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-42",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]