[{"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-50":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},2364319,4623,"Chapter 50: Purge the Corruptors at Court","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>The grand mobilization of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not be kept secret; news of the Yin family’s confiscation spread rapidly throughout the Two Huai region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is outrageous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These military brutes are utterly lawless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xintian shouted in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court had moved against the salt monopoly, yet as Superintendent of Salt Transport for the Two Huai, he had received not a single hint of it beforehand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When salt merchants had first been arrested, he had sent men to inquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letters from his colleagues in the capital all assured him to remain calm—the court’s arrests targeted only private salt traders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matter would not extend beyond the merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The private salt case had indeed been dropped, but the Yin family’s confiscation was justified under the charge of treason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Superintendent Xu, calm yourself. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has acted recklessly for far longer than just a day or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Yin family is prominent in the Two Huai region, across the entire Great Yu they are merely second-tier; naturally, the Embroidered Uniform Guard pays them no mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, the Salt Inspection Censor Xia Shigao spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Xu Xintian, who held the post of Superintendent of Salt Transport, Xia Shigao had only recently assumed his role as Salt Inspection Censor, just a few months prior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had accepted many gifts from salt merchants, his ties to them were shallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A relationship based on payment for services was not enough to make him risk opposing the court for the sake of the salt industry’s survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corruption was routine in the Great Yu; as long as one did not go too far, there was always room for maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who secured the lucrative post of Salt Inspection Censor naturally had powerful connections behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Grand Secretary Xu, who was currently en route from the capital, was his own mentor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you don’t respect the monk, respect the Buddha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he did not take sides recklessly, he would face no major trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Censor Xia, you speak lightly enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Seven Great Families of the Two Huai have their disputes, they have always stood united against outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Yin family confiscated, the other six will surely act—there’s a real chance the Two Huai region will descend into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no time to explain, Censor Xia—we must immediately mobilize troops and stop the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s brutality!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xintian said, his face filled with anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care whether the Two Huai descended into chaos—he feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard would drive the other six families into rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any connection to treason would force the court to investigate to the very end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an official closely tied to the salt industry, even if he now wished to sever ties, there was no time left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If branded a traitor’s accomplice, he would lose his head at best, or see his entire clan exterminated at worst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reverse the situation, he must first restrict the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s actions and stabilize the other six families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could withstand the first wave, a glimmer of opportunity would emerge—they could mobilize their networks in court to change the court’s decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Superintendent Xu, you must not speak so carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the great families of the Two Huai are secretly forming a faction and plotting rebellion, we must report it to the court at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Shigao feigned ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xintian was deeply compromised, cast aside by the Pure Stream faction—but he was not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, his duty was to stabilize the Salt Transport Office and await his master, Senior Grand Secretary Xu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not foolish enough to risk angering the Emperor, the nobility, and the eunuch faction by openly confronting the Embroidered Uniform Guard for the sake of the salt merchants’ survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebellion of the Six Great Families would be a disaster for the entire Pure Stream faction, yet for individuals or small groups within the Pure Stream, it could be an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moral pressure to stand by one’s allies vanished—no one wished to be associated with traitors, no matter how close their former ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the purge of the Two Huai gentry, numerous official posts would open up in court, increasing everyone’s chances of advancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Huai region was economically prosperous and culturally vibrant, long a cradle of juren and jinshi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the treason case, next year’s imperial examination turnout would drop sharply; with fewer influential candidates competing, the likelihood of his own family members passing would rise greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While some officials would suffer reduced gains, those who lost out were not necessarily the same ones who gained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with salt's immense profits, it could not buy off every official in the Great Yu—most officials had no qualification to take bribes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ancestor, the Yin family was not merely confiscated—they were targeted for extermination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Witnesses say the Embroidered Uniform Guard took only three prisoners alive; all other men, women, and children were slaughtered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court is coming for us—if we don’t resist now, we’re all finished!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man said, his emotions flaring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sister had married into the Yin family just months ago—and now this sudden disaster had struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disasters unfolding before one’s eyes are the most painfully felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yin family’s charge was treason; under the Great Yu Code, he himself was on the list of those to be executed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. It is not that we are disloyal to the court—it is that treacherous officials rule within, seeking to kill loyal subjects like us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they leave us no path to live, then none of us shall live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I intend to rally troops, purge the court of corrupt eunuchs, and restore peace to the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ziping and Zijie, stay behind. The rest of you, prepare!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder said, his expression grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebellion was still a daunting prospect for a traditional scholar like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sages’ texts had never taught him how to rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven great families had become six; the court’s blade now rested on their necks—they had no choice but to rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others departed nervously, leaving only the three generations of the Zhou family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two, pack your things immediately and take the family fleet to sea—disappear, assume new names, and preserve our bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless our rebellion topples the Great Yu’s rule, never return!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder’s words startled Zhou Ziping and Zhou Zijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t even raised their banner yet, and he was already ordering them to flee—this would crush morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather, don’t belittle yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Yu is a crumbling house, riddled with termites; a little more wind and rain, and it will collapse entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our uprising now aligns with the will of heaven—we may even march on the capital, overthrow the dynasty, and establish a Zhou dynasty of our own!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Ziping protested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You foolish boy, what do you know!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, those who first raise the rebel banner have always been forerunners to kingship—how could we be any different?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Huai’s garrison troops may be useless, but that doesn’t mean all imperial troops are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t be fooled by the ferocity of our salt soldiers—they’re skilled in street brawls, but they’re nothing against a proper imperial army!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder could not help but rebuke him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If rebellion were so easy, the Great Yu would have changed dynasties countless times already—why wait for them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather, if our chances of success are so slim, then let us simply flee the entire clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seas are no wilderness—we’ve been involved in overseas trade for years; we have the means to send ourselves away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zijie spoke up beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to fighting the court, he believed escape offered far better odds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hide abroad for decades, wait for the storm to pass, then return—it would be no great loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave together, and we’re all dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seas are no peaceful haven—our family’s accumulated wealth will draw every predator’s eye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough. Pack your things. Leave at midnight, each of you on separate routes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve arranged substitutes for you—henceforth, you are dead men. Never use these names again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1352,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","26466db1a920fd44ae895414c2142b7aaf532ac97e51e1dc49381e4db8c9b250","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-51","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-49",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]