[{"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-65":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},2364334,4623,"Chapter 65: Bloody Battle","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-65",65,"\u003Cp>As the moat was filled in, the assault on the city intensified abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebel forces’ attacks lacked discipline, but their sheer numbers made up for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A batch fell dead, and another immediately replaced them, as if endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a loud “boom,” an aging cannon reached the end of its life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two gunners nearby were blown clean into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even rotating the cannons in batches could not prevent accidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cease firing! Check whether the remaining cannons are safe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several days of continuous practice, the artillerymen’s accuracy had improved significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within effective range, the error margin was generally kept within thirty meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some exceptional gunners could even control precision within fifteen meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such accuracy would be negligible in later eras, but in the Great Yu Dynasty, it was already impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Training a skilled artilleryman was difficult; he had always valued such technical talent and could not afford to waste them lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The enemy is out of ammunition! Launch a full-scale assault at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the watchtower, Huang Renlong, watching the battle, ordered excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of trial and error, the rebel soldiers had developed many ways to dodge cannonballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lethality of the cannons had dropped significantly compared to earlier days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the thundering cannon fire still heavily suppressed rebel morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the massive siege engines—once struck by solid shot, they were instantly destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the cannon threat gone, the rebel soldiers’ morale surged instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer holding back their strength, Huang Renlong deployed all his siege equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a hundred massive trebuchets unleashed their full firepower upon the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soldiers raised wooden doors as shields and pushed siege rams against the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The already-prepared death squads shouldered ladders and leaned them against the walls, only to face falling boulders from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many never even reached the ladder before being crushed into pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lucky few who climbed up had no time to celebrate before arrows pierced their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vats of boiling golden fluid, scalding hot, poured down in relentless streams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuous screams mixed with a foul stench, turning the battlefield into a choking haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Casualties among the city defenders also began to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew when a flying boulder might turn them into pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle entered its most intense phase; both sides engaged in a war of endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Battalion, move up and relieve them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu ordered coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having witnessed the brutality of war firsthand, his desire to earn glory and merit dimmed somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he only wanted to defeat the rebels swiftly and restore peace to Yangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second; dusk deepened, yet the two armies continued their fierce clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At critical moments, rebel soldiers briefly breached the ramparts, but were quickly eliminated by the defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, order a retreat at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night is falling, the enemy’s defenses remain solid—there’s no chance of taking the city today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Death Corps has been wiped out; all three battalions that rotated in have suffered heavy losses—if we keep going, the fourth battalion will be gone too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renliang pleaded anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the earlier expendable troops, the battalions fighting today were among the very first he had raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the world at large, they were nothing—but within this rebel army, they were unquestionably elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sound the gong and withdraw!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong gritted his teeth and ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, he bled just as much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care how many expendable troops died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these veteran units—he couldn’t bear it. The soldiers were mostly from his hometown, his neighbors and sworn brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since taking up rebellion, these were the ones who had fought every hardest battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, after expanding the army, our combat effectiveness has dropped sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were the original veteran units, we might have seized the gate just now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong pretended not to hear Zong Guangtai’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not expanded the veteran units, he would never have sent them into battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the intensity of today’s fighting, even the most elite troops would be consumed on the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this core force was wiped out in one battle, even if Yangzhou fell, it would only serve as a gift for someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zong, the defenders’ combat effectiveness is far stronger than any imperial troops we’ve faced before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men are from the capital—bribes and threats mean nothing to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we keep assaulting the city, our rebel army will suffer devastating losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you have a clever plan to take the city?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong asked hopefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previous sieges had always succeeded through inside cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the time, silver bullets worked—bribing the defenders with heavy gold could easily breach the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When defenders refused to cooperate, capturing their families usually forced someone to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time they truly faced a hard nut to crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core officers of the Five City Garrison were still noble descendants—they would never abandon their comfortable lives to follow a rebel leader like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The art of war places psychological warfare above all else; siege warfare is secondary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General, to take Yangzhou, you must first break the enemy’s morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve been besieged for over twenty days—the lives of soldiers and civilians inside must be in dire straits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court is corrupt; commanders love to embezzle pay and rations; soldiers often freeze and starve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why not set up iron cauldrons outside camp, slaughter a hundred fat pigs, and let the aroma drift with the wind into the city?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pride in his expression betrayed his true intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, Huang Renlong had been gathering strategists, clearly distancing himself from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the flowers had intentions, but the stream flowed on—scholars looked down on this salt smuggler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even renowned Confucian scholars, once brought into the rebel ranks, grew clumsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When offering strategies, they spoke only in Confucian maxims, never giving concrete details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, some bold ones would launch a direct verbal assault on Huang Renlong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, serving the rebels was unthinkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offering strategies was dangerous unless one truly pledged loyalty—otherwise, it was a minefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they harbored resentment and deliberately set a trap, it could cost lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After circling around, they had finally come back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zong, you speak lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our army has been camped here for so many days—there’s not a soul for a hundred li around. Where are we supposed to find a hundred fat pigs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renliang scoffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels had no concept of sustainable development; every pig, ox, and sheep they’d seized had long been slaughtered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Renliang, don’t disrespect Master Zong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master’s point is to let the scent of meat drift into the city and shake enemy morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s pitch dark, and the distance is great—how will the enemy know what kind of meat we’re boiling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t find pork, there are so many dead bodies on the battlefield—can’t you find a substitute?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong immediately rebuked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, brilliant idea!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zong, I apologize for my earlier words—please forgive me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renliang’s sudden change of tone left Zong Guangtai deeply unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boiling human flesh was a profound shock to this scholar from a distinguished family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1200,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","bc9ea142c536901f4dad1b955aad8f14d318e5a8868f091c3f299b3c0fff4938","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-66","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-64",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]