[{"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-60":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},2364329,4623,"Chapter 60: Establishing Trust","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>How long has it been since these gunners last practiced?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the city gate tower, having witnessed the artillery’s “accuracy,” Li Mu asked in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a range of only five to six hundred meters, they missed by eighty or a hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the artillery’s large margin of error, this was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the cannon’s fault—it was the men’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lord, I won’t hide it from you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is our first time firing; before, we only practiced loading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young soldier’s enthusiastic reply left Li Mu speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve seen horses turned loose on southern hills, but never this thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve never fired live rounds; just getting the shells to fire safely is a miracle—accuracy is out of the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good work. Keep pushing. Strive to become qualified gunners soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be careful when loading—don’t injure yourselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of you will receive one tael of silver as a reward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu forced himself to encourage them, suppressing his frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neglecting military readiness isn’t the soldiers’ fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They risked their lives operating century-old cannons—no merit, but plenty of hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minor incident ended; Li Mu’s gaze turned to the rebel forces’ movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy was stingy—after firing just a few shells that failed to topple the commander’s banner, they launched retaliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the rebels charge in disarray, Li Mu rubbed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their formation was chaotic—soldiers surged forward in a dense, mindless mob.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Order the artillery to fire at will!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu gave the order on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy came to deliver their heads—he had no reason not to take them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roar of artillery announced the start of the Yangzhou Defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Braving the cannon fire, after heavy losses, the rebels finally reached the moat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless soldiers hurled sacks filled with earth into the moat, hoping to fill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Mu couldn’t help but sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filling a moat is a massive undertaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No carts to haul earth—only manpower to carry it. How long will this take?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the defenders will intercept them. In just fifteen minutes of assault, enemy casualties already exceeded a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this rate, they’re trading lives for gunpowder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Huang, the siege engines aren’t ready yet—sound the retreat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai said wearily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been busy gathering craftsmen to build siege equipment, yet the commander had already launched the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy had been unprepared, a night raid might have had a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it’s daytime—the enemy has been ready for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without siege engines, even if you cross the moat, you can only stare at the walls and sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those imperial troops dared to shell my camp—if we don’t retaliate, morale will collapse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong said angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re just relying on their cannons. When my artillery arrives, I’ll teach them a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General, endure a little longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebel forces from all regions are converging. If we suffer heavy losses here at Yangzhou, it will damage your standing among the rebels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai pleaded helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with basic military sense knows that a major city like Yangzhou is nearly impossible to take without internal cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current defenders are the Five City Garrison Command—yet their secret agents within the city have been purged from power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the gates from within is virtually impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To storm a city, you must prepare thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even this moat alone isn’t easy to cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether filling it or building bridges, you need abundant auxiliary tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the Master, I’ll let the imperial troops live a few more days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once all rebel forces converge, I’ll tear them to pieces and avenge my fury!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong growled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted loudly, but deep inside, doubt began to stir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yangzhou is this hard to take, how can he hope to seize the throne of Great Yu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zong, is there any way to rapidly expand our army and boost its combat power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Huang Renlong’s question, Zong Guangtai nearly spat blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If such a method existed, the Zong family would have used it long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just raising this force cost them the loss of their leadership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But refusing outright would make him look incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Zong Guangtai slowly replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expanding the army is simple—send troops out to conscript recruits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yangzhou Prefecture was prepared—every village we passed through is deserted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people either fled into the city or hid in the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, to conscript, we must send men farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for improving combat power, it’s simple: enforce discipline, intensify training, then take them to battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elite troops are forged in combat. Once we capture more territory, your troops will naturally become elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This evasive answer clearly failed to satisfy Huang Renlong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for your advice, Master!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke politely, but inwardly he realized this Zong Master was no Dragon among strategists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve a throne, he’d need to find more talented advisors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the first assault ended, the defenders—who had been anxious—now carried a new confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, confidence comes from the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels’ massive assault failed to even touch the walls, leaving hundreds of corpses behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had shown everyone, by action, what “rabble” truly meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Order: every soldier who fought in the last round receives thirty cash as reward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell everyone: for every subsequent repelled assault, participating soldiers will be paid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Li Mu was stingy—purely because the enemy died outside the walls, the defenders had no heads to claim for official records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These conscripted youths came from the lowest strata of society—talk of glory and merit would put them to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best way to motivate them was cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much money mattered less than ensuring full, timely payment—to establish his reputation as a man who kept his word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with sufficient credibility would men later risk their lives for promises of greater rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battalion Commander, the Marquis sent me to inspect the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy attacked from this side—how many casualties did they suffer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visitor was a personal guard of the Marquis of Wuyang; he’d met Li Mu several times, and they were on familiar terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guard Liu, please inform the Marquis: our side is secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the blood and valor of our soldiers, we’ve slain hundreds of rebels and successfully repelled the first assault!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To highlight his achievements, Li Mu deliberately avoided answering the question directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew how to report—unfortunately, the battle’s merits couldn’t be precisely verified, so he blurred the details, emphasizing the repulsion of the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1082,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","5aae36d5ddf12edf02f5193798b153b19dfd043ada935f79ed3876e40dca4757","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-61","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-59",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]