[{"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-61":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},2364330,4623,"Chapter 61: The Frustrated Commander","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>After a brief clash, both sides fell into a standoff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For three consecutive days, the rebel forces made no move; Li Mu knew the enemy had run into trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yangzhou sits on the Jianghuai Plain, surrounded by flat terrain and crisscrossed waterways, with not a single towering mountain in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of development, trees on the plain are few and far between.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To build siege equipment, they must send men to fetch materials from much farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This back-and-forth wasted precious time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the number of rebel troops increased daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was conscripted villagers or rebels from other regions, they were converging toward this area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confident the enemy would not launch an immediate attack, Li Mu gradually relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the defender, he now had more than enough time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the enemy wasn’t attacking, he seized the opportunity to train new recruits in batches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the prefectural yamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, why have you summoned us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the rebels laid siege, officers had stationed themselves permanently in their own defense sectors for easier command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if matters arose, they simply sent messengers to communicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calling all city officers together for a meeting was the first such gathering since the war began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve just received word that Nantongzhou has fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial navy sent as reinforcement was betrayed by a traitor, suffering heavy losses—nearly a hundred warships captured by the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so many ships seized, the rebels can now sail upstream at any moment and strike our rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Nanjing’s safety, reinforcements from the southeastern provinces will now reroute to Zhenjiang for defense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Marquis of Wuyang finished speaking, the room fell into heavy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news came too suddenly—the navy’s catastrophic defeat and the loss of so many ships seemed like a fairy tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu strongly suspected the navy had deliberately inflated losses to cover up their own misdeeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The navy differed from the army; even if infiltrated, they might lose only one or two ships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total number of warships in the Jiangnan navy was barely over a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a hundred ships could be turned by the enemy, the Great Yu empire would have already changed hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The national situation remained stable; how could so many rebels possibly arise?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reinforcements from the southeastern provinces were nothing more than a force existing only on paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself came from a garrison unit; he knew better than anyone how rotten the local garrison forces had become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to reinforce Zhenjiang was a pretense; the real reason was fear of exposing their weakness before the imperial inspector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official troop strength across the provinces reached hundreds of thousands; if they were truly sound, they could easily split into two forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more aggressively, marching directly to crush the rebellion would not have been difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the truth, but these were merely personal suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In officialdom, one could never speak without evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing there was a hidden truth, no one dared speak first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is everyone silent? Are you all frightened by the rebels?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyang demanded, displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, he felt even more uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With limited military skill, he could only rely on his subordinates to hold the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even his officers were helpless, trouble would be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fleeing the city would be too shameful—he was a man who cared about face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, the situation may not be as dire as it seems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nantongzhou’s fall is real, but the navy’s defeat and loss of ships are likely fabricated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiangnan navy is riddled with ghost soldiers; their fleet probably doesn’t even total a hundred ships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s wait and see—soon enough, we’ll hear news of the navy bravely blocking the rebels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Jincheng spoke with disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing a battle meant being held accountable by the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could use defeat to cover up debts, but one must also be given a chance to redeem oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, in court, one could smooth things over with connections and claim merit outweighed fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this back-and-forth, all past misdeeds could be erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the court later funded the navy’s reconstruction, another windfall could be had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, Tang Battalion Commander hasn’t finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not just the Jiangnan navy playing tricks—the reinforcements from the southeastern provinces are too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the rebels don’t attack, they’ll still seek opportunities to fight them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they’ll fabricate battle reports showing both high casualties and high achievements, to conceal their past problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re outsiders; when doing such shady business, we naturally keep our distance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhao Yawei finished speaking, Li Mu felt overwhelming pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to admit, these two were truly bold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many knew the army’s corruption, but few dared speak out so openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first two had already laid everything bare; if he tried to cover for them, it would be impossible to justify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing to expose more secrets, however, didn’t suit his status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others could lift the lid—but as a garrison descendant, he couldn’t pick up the bowl and smash the pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, the reinforcements from the southeastern provinces were never part of our plan; whether they come or not makes no difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels’ internal structure is complex, and they cannot coordinate strategically—their next move cannot be predicted by conventional logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels from Nantongzhou might join the siege against us, or they might march directly south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even heading straight for Nanjing is not beyond them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, a faction of rebels from Huai’an Prefecture, overreaching themselves, declared a northern expedition to the Central Plains and marched toward Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were annihilated halfway when they clashed with the Capital Garrison!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu swiftly shifted the topic to military matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were certainly clever men among the rebels, but most were short-sighted—that was inherent to any rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such opponents, any decision was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listing these possibilities, the Marquis of Wuyang was thoroughly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment north, the next south, then west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking a commander with no military knowledge to decide was truly unfair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You all figure it out yourselves!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How exactly to fight—I won’t interfere, but Yangzhou must not fall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you hold Yangzhou, I’ll petition the Emperor on your behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those stationed in the capital will be promoted at least one rank; those posted outside will be promoted three ranks at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yangzhou is lost, you can just slit your own throats!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyang immediately started handing out empty promises; his method was clumsy—he hadn’t even put the dire warnings first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, no one’s morale was stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the greater likelihood was that everyone had powerful patrons behind them; as long as they earned merit, promotion was guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was frustrating—here he was, the Regional Commander, holding ultimate authority, yet unable to make timely decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He normally avoided military meetings because, by the end of each one, he felt like an idiot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when the battalion commanders disagreed, it was pure torment for the Marquis of Wuyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s arguments seemed reasonable; he couldn’t decide whose plan to adopt, so he just waited for them to argue it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, he had already decided: after completing this mission, he would never command troops again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This job wasn’t fit for a human being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1207,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","c036df6b09254d319ad6fb485815dc1158ed922e6009e52323bb2ae678bedfad","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-62","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-60",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]