[{"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-75":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},2364344,4623,"Chapter 75","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-75",75,"\u003Cp>“Senior Minister, it’s already late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our colleagues in Fengyang have prepared a banquet; why not enter the city to rest tonight and continue our journey tomorrow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The private secretary asked as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu the Senior Minister had traveled slowly, entering every city he passed, growing fat on bribes—and his private secretary had grown rich too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this pace, by the time this mission was done, he’d be financially free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Huai’an rebels have been decisively defeated; the siege of Yangzhou has been lifted. The initiative in the Two Huai region has now returned to the imperial court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Xintian, the Salt Transport Commissioner of the Two Huai, and Xia Shigao, the Salt Inspection Censor, have both been arrested by the eunuch faction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Numerous officials—including those from the Salt Transport Office and the Nanzhili Provincial Administration Commission—are implicated in the treason case and are now in chains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I don’t go there soon, they’ll be convicted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since ancient times, few cases of treason have ever been overturned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Six Ministries of Nanjing have sent repeated orders urging action—they’re clearly unable to withstand the eunuch faction’s pressure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have no time to waste on the road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Push another twenty li—we should reach a post station nearby. We’ll rest there tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money could always be made; at his rank, he was destined never to lack it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels had been too weak; the Two Huai situation hadn’t deteriorated as expected, leaving him no chance to clean up the mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he continued dawdling on the road, the Qingliu faction’s roots in the Two Huai region would be ripped out entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left Chancellor, the situation in Huai’an is settled. We should move on to Yangzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yuansong said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trip to the Two Huai region had been a major triumph for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether forcing the Seven Great Families into rebellion or suppressing the uprising afterward, they had rendered invaluable service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their rivals, the Eastern Depot, had been mostly inactive, confined to the capital’s vicinity—mere spectators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power determines influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s outstanding performance had propelled Gu Yuansong, as its Commander, to greater influence within the eunuch political alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to rush. Now is not the best time to enter Yangzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Five City Military Command’s performance was unexpected. Who knows how much the Marquis of Wuyang will gloat? I have no desire to witness his smug face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu the Senior Minister has always been upright—let him deal with the nobles and imperial relatives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zuo Guang’en sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Tianyuan loved playing the game of balance; he would never entrust the Two Huai salt trade to a single hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four Imperial Commissioners appointed included representatives from the Qingliu, the eunuch faction, the nobility, and the imperial relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were Imperial Commissioners; none held clearly superior rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Marquis of Wuyang cooperated, fine. But if he refused to yield, this eunuch seal-bearer would be left in an awkward position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left Chancellor, your insight is profound!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yangzhou is indeed not easy to take control of right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the salt merchants are still imprisoned there. To bring this case to a perfect close, we must ensure they are silenced forever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yuansong smoothly offered his flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Provoking conflict between the imperial relatives and the Qingliu was undoubtedly a great advantage for the eunuch faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only problem: this salt merchant rebellion had been executed far too crudely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrested salt merchants knew nothing from start to finish—they were falsely branded as traitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with half a brain wouldn’t easily confess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the authority to interrogate fell into Qingliu hands, the eunuch faction, which had orchestrated everything behind the scenes, would be thrown on the defensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. The Marquis of Wuyang understands the stakes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He knows the Emperor’s intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if he angers the Qingliu, he will carry out the Emperor’s will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suspect he’s already fretting over how to handle the salt merchants in his custody.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zuo Guang’en shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing all the arrested salt merchants under the heavy guard of the Five City Military Command was not impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, the moles embedded within the Five City Military Command would be exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command was the private domain of the imperial relatives and nobility; if their reach extended so far, neither faction would let it pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Political struggle is always about eliminating enemies and gaining allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Provoking conflict is a cardinal sin in officialdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yangzhou Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhou, I apologize for taking so long to meet you—it’s my fault!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve long heard of the fame of the Zhou family of the Two Huai. Which branch do you belong to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu’s cheerful opening left Zong Guangtai restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like his own Zong family, the Zhou family of the Two Huai was one of the Seven Great Families—and a principal player in this rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His forged name had been linked to the Zhou family—it was a death sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he known this would happen, he should’ve chosen a different surname when forging his travel pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, I am merely a country scholar with no connection to the Two Huai Zhou family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rebels seized my hometown and captured me. I have no ties to the traitors—I beg Your Excellency to investigate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai spoke nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One lie always demands more lies to cover it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he concealed himself well, his tense body betrayed his deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhou, what of your family? Were they all killed by the rebels?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu asked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point in the interrogation, he was certain: this “Master Zhou” was an impostor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That travel pass should never have been on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, someone whose hometown had been seized by rebels wouldn’t have time to obtain a travel pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for a scholar—his academic title was far more useful than any pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without a title, if his teacher was powerful enough, a letter of recommendation would grant him free passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, my life has been tragic. I lost both parents in childhood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My grandfather raised me alone. Five years ago, after his death, I had no living relatives left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, tears streamed down Zong Guangtai’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To save his life, he had gone all in—even turning his ancestors into dead men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But whether he avoided the truth no longer mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the current situation, even if the Zong family hadn’t yet died, they were already on the brink of hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels had failed to shake Great Yu’s rule; now these traitors could only hide and flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every past connection was now a death warrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many would gladly cut off their heads to earn imperial rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those closely tied to the Zong family—they’d need those heads to prove loyalty to the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize, Master Zhou—I spoke of your pain. It was my fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But suppressing rebellion is the Emperor’s mandate—I dare not be negligent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were held in the rebel camp; surely you know them well. Please, share what you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor is magnanimous. If you contribute to quelling this rebellion, he will surely overlook your past association with the traitors!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Mu’s words, Zong Guangtai’s head buzzed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make a rebel leader help suppress the rebellion? This was a joke!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he couldn’t refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether voluntary or not, “collaborating with traitors” was a grave crime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chance to redeem himself through service—any normal man would be grateful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Zong family was one of the rebel leaders, and he himself had made outstanding contributions to the rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he earned merit, it couldn’t erase his past crimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless the Emperor personally pardoned him, even an Imperial Commissioner couldn’t absolve him—let alone Li Mu, a mere Battalion Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, I swear—I will answer every question truthfully!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Guangtai gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let the other guy die; I’ll live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To survive now, he must keep his identity secret—and revealing some rebel intelligence was unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been forced into it: after guiding a death squad, he’d been dragged to the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all driven to it—after guiding the suicide squad, they were taken straight to the military camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, no one took him seriously, and there were many opportunities to flee; Zong Guangtai had prepared multiple escape plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was merely a frail scholar—his planning ability was more than sufficient, yet his execution ability was severely lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had barely run a few steps when he encountered a patrol of soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not reacted quickly enough to bluff his way past them, he might not even have had the chance to stand here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1446,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","19d5b59e00b8034e7da3330381a0c8f101b948b2df00edbe4d57d1b22d1ba96f","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-76","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-74",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]