[{"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-67":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},2364336,4623,"Chapter 67: The Great Brawl","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-67",67,"\u003Cp>The rebel camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the news spread, the chaos within the camp continued to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike past rebellions sparked by desperation, this uprising was instigated by the great families of the Two Huai regions—the common folk still had enough to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had not endured the misery of eating grass roots or chewing tree bark, nor had they witnessed the tragedy of trading children for food; their moral boundaries remained intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under circumstances where food was still available, directly resorting to cannibalism was simply beyond what the men could accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explanations had no effect; everyone believed only what they saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the enraged soldiers, Huang Renlong, as Regional Commander, dared not show his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the camp in chaos, Zong Guangtai, the strategist, was utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know which deity he had offended, but since entering Yangzhou Prefecture, his luck had turned sour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a flawless strategy, perfectly aligned with military doctrine, yet every time it came to execution, something went wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zong, the General requests your presence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that familiar voice, Zong Guangtai instantly sensed trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was half-baked when it came to warfare, but when it came to scheming and political maneuvering, his skills were far from lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wake of such an incident, the priority was to quell internal dissent as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer it dragged on, the greater the damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong had not stepped forward to resolve the crisis; instead, he sent someone to summon his strategist—exactly like Cao Cao using another’s head to appease the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought arose, and it would not leave him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go back and report—I’ll change clothes and come right away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While speaking those words, Zong Guangtai had already decided to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true he had proposed the plan—but he had suggested stewing pork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only when the order was carried out and human flesh was served that the uproar erupted; why should he bear the blame?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang was clearly incapable, destined to fail—leaving now was the wisest course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this moment of crisis, Zong Guangtai was a decisive man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he decided to flee, he had no time to pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying some silver and forged travel permits, he slipped out of the camp with two family death-servants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water can make you choke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he left the camp than two screams pierced the air—the two death-servants lay dead in pools of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who dares kill me, Zong—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, the blade at his throat forced him to swallow his rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, spare me! I was captured by bandits—I never intended to join them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, seeing the rebel camp in chaos, I seized the chance to escape this hellhole!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In moments, he had crafted a plausible excuse—even he was impressed by his own wit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough talk. If you want to live, prove your worth. I ask, you answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answer correctly, and I’ll take you back to claim credit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answer wrong, and I’ll cut off your head this instant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Zhou Chuanfa made a slashing motion across his throat, drenching Zong Guangtai in cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scholar meets a soldier—reason counts for nothing, especially when he had no reason on his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a scion of the Zong family, if captured by the imperial court, he would face neither flaying nor beheading and public display.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, ask whatever you wish—I know the rebel camp inside and out, and I’ll satisfy you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai said nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How he would die later was a matter for the future; right now, survival came first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man before him spoke with a capital accent—he was likely from the Five City Military Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling into the hands of the Five City Military Command was better than falling into the local authorities’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was well-known in the south, but few in the capital knew him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fabricating a new identity in this chaos meant it couldn’t be verified anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that time gap, he could adapt as events unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me—what happened in the rebel camp?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chuanfa asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along this entire infiltration route, he hadn’t encountered a single night patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strangeness made him suspect it was an enemy trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report, General.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That damned rebel leader boiled over a hundred pots of human flesh today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell was too strong—the soldiers found out, and now they’re rioting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai spoke with bitter resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfectly good plan, ruined by fools—now this mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Huang Renlong hadn’t been so clever and caused this disaster, he wouldn’t have had to flee at night, nor end up in imperial hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed the battalion commander had simply fabricated charges to pacify the troops—he never imagined these rebels would actually do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So heartless, so monstrous—they even consumed the corpses of their own comrades. No wonder the soldiers couldn’t bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take me to the rebel granary!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chuanfa said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, Zong Guangtai resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had left the rebel camp out of necessity—he did not wish to see it destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the granary burned, the rebels wouldn’t last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the rebels throwing the realm into chaos, how could he overthrow Great Yu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, the granary is heavily guarded—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, rest assured—I’ll lead you there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The refusal died on his lips; his body acted on instinct, betraying his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gleaming blade was too terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels came from all walks of life—bandits, monks, merchants, and even former imperial soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camp’s chaos created ideal conditions for the assault team to move unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many people moved back and forth—no one could tell who belonged to which unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the assault team itself was hastily assembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It included both imperial troops and conscripted civilians, all dressed in mismatched uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from a more imposing aura, their appearance was indistinguishable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever someone challenged them for the password, Zong Guangtai answered—somehow, they passed unchallenged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, this is the granary!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai pointed ahead to the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. If this mission succeeds, I’ll credit you with the foremost achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You two—watch this man. Don’t let the rebels harm him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chuanfa’s words extinguished Zong Guangtai’s hope of fleeing in the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accompanying soldiers dispersed spontaneously, approaching the granary from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Granary restricted area—no unauthorized personnel may approach—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warning was cut short by a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost simultaneously, the imperial troops launching the raid attacked the rebel guards at the granary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost simultaneously, the troops who had participated in the raid on the camp launched attacks against the rebel soldiers guarding the grain depots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they realized it, the battle had spread through the granary compound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding bonfires became the perfect fuel—the granary soon blazed with roaring flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The granary’s sabotage plunged the already chaotic rebel camp into even greater turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch darkness, low-ranking soldiers were utterly confused, unaware of what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those from nearby units who had come to visit—they were mistaken for enemies before they even understood the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some with old grudges now seized the chance to settle scores, making the chaos impossible to contain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some with longstanding grudges now emerged to settle scores and exact revenge, making the situation even harder to control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1221,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","93da3b567b75b4c511678881daa9a6c57b239149ebb94f5b49609703c3b1a94b","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-68","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-66",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]