[{"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-82":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},2364351,4623,"Chapter 82: Detour Force","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-82",82,"\u003Cp>“Marquis, news has arrived from Yangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebels you captured were rescued by the rebel army yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s said that after Grand Secretary Xu arrived on the scene, he was so furious he could barely speak!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the steward brazenly lie, Marquis Wuyang nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These officers under him still knew how to get things done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a jailbreak could be executed so cleanly—they’d be perfect to recommend to my nephew for serious promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These traitors deserve death a thousand times over. Issue orders: if any trace of these rebels is found, kill them all without mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang’s order directly decided the fates of the corrupt officials and salt merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dirty work was done by the rebel army; the trouble belonged to Grand Secretary Xu; it had nothing to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as all the parties involved were dead, this Yangzhou mission would be complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaoyou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gentlemen, we face our greatest crisis since rising in rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The righteous army in Huai’an has been crushed by the imperial forces; the Capital Garrison is advancing south in force, its blades pointed straight at Baoying County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command, which just won a great victory in Yangzhou, is now advancing toward Xinghua County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the overall situation, the court intends to encircle us from north and south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad news doesn’t end there—it’s rumored the court plans to deploy the Shandong Navy into the Grand Canal; the waterways will soon be unsafe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Feiyang spoke with grave expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading a righteous army is no easy task—not only must you manage a mess of chaotic affairs, but also face external military pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though physically only in his thirties, his face looked older than many men over fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, Gaoyou lies between the Yangtze and the Yellow River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout history, warlords who carved out territories always used the Yangtze and Huai River as boundaries; no one has ever seized the realm by holding only Gaoyou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial army advances with overwhelming force; holding Gaoyou is suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether south or north, we must seize a larger base of power—only then can we establish our footing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young scholar spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebellion—this heart-stopping business—is best suited for the young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older generation’s thinking is rigid, filled with fear of the court; they hesitate at every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Seven Great Families of the Two Huai, the Wen family was unremarkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they were the first to delegate power to the younger generation; after rising in rebellion, they developed better than any other, and are the only faction capable of fully controlling their troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to rebel forces elsewhere, Gaoyou’s rebels are not the largest in number, but their internal organization is the most refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wen Jianping, shut your mouth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With the imperial army advancing, abandoning our base for a distant campaign turns us into bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No bandit ever built a great cause!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaoyou may be geographically disadvantaged, but it is still a base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the base remains, morale and troop spirit remain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lose the base, and we lose everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’d be no different from those peasant rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Yu Dynasty's foundation remains intact; now is not yet the time to contest for the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our priority now is to defeat the imperial suppression army, then find allies in the court to seek amnesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Feiyun spoke up sharply from beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever people gather, there is conflict; within the Wen family, opinions on rebellion are divided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some wish to push forward relentlessly, overthrow the Great Yu Dynasty, and establish their own imperial line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others believe the timing is wrong; fighting the court to the death is merely paving the way for a king; seeking amnesty is the true path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither side can convince the other; every time a decision looms, a clash of strategies erupts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When progress is smooth, the war faction usually dominates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when setbacks occur, the amnesty faction gains greater influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Silence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing others about to join the argument, Wen Feiyang quickly intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides have valid reasons; if they start quarreling, nothing will get done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From gathered intelligence, the Capital Garrison has roughly thirty thousand combat troops, including three thousand cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their actual combat strength has been tested by the righteous army in Huai’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We cannot stand against them in open battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You all know our situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We claim two hundred thousand troops—that includes men, women, children, and elders; able-bodied men make up less than a quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In actual combat, we’d be no match for the Capital Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ve tried holding our ground—Huai’an’s righteous army did the same; it only bought a few extra days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Military Command’s forces are no less formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Labels like 'aristocratic playboy army' are imposed by outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong gathered over three hundred thousand rebels to besiege Yangzhou, yet they were still crushed in a single decisive strike—proof this army is no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they appear to have only seven thousand combat troops, without several times our numbers in open battle, we stand little chance of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To break free, we must shatter the enemy’s pincer attack—only then do we have a glimmer of hope!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wen Feiyang finished speaking, the room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter which strategy we choose, we must fight this battle first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only if we win do we earn the right to speak of the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, besides confronting the enemy in battle, we have another option: march west to Fengyang Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to these troops from the capital, local garrison forces are far easier to defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Fengyang, seize Xuzhou, and plunge into the Central Plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we move fast enough, we can raise a million troops before the imperial army converges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we can win, we fight; if we can’t, we break the Yellow River’s dikes and leave the Great Yu drowning in its own chaos!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Jianping’s plan startled everyone present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must admit—young men dare to dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if we couldn't seize the realm, the court would certainly be thrown into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jianping, I think it’s more practical to head south first and destroy the Five City Military Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Siege warfare is no child’s play; we captured Gaoyou quickly only because we’ve built our presence here for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Move elsewhere, and we’d face forced assaults; if defenders hold out for a few days, the Capital Garrison will catch up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t forget—they have cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We might not even reach Fengyang’s gates before the imperial army arrives ahead of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Feiyang rejected it outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take Fengyang, seize Xuzhou, enter the Central Plains”—the difficulty is no less than “attack Yangzhou, capture Zhenjiang, seize Nanjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were truly this easy, the dynasty would have changed long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ancient times, the hardest part has never been formulating strategy—it’s executing the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army trudged forward slowly; Li Mu was too lazy to ride a horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the open plain, advancing thirty li a day was practically a picnic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as the eye could see, for miles around, there was no cover whatsoever—no need to fear ambushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain, enemy traces detected thirty li ahead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their formation is disordered, and their numbers are vast—the scouts couldn’t count them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Li Mu paused in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The route to Gaoyou isn’t unique; we chose to advance toward Xinghua because it’s remote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though flat terrain, the region is crisscrossed with vast marshes and lakes—unsuitable for large-scale battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the original plan, after the Capital Garrison crushed Gaoyou’s rebels, the Five City Military Command would simply retake Xinghua County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, we’d claim credit without risking a decisive battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send out more scouts—find out the rebels’ direction as soon as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Issue orders: halt and establish camp here, await the arrival of rear forces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu gave the order immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instinct told him—the rebels were coming for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the strategic plan changed, each captain had assigned duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The East City and Central City Captaincies were to monitor Yangzhou, ready to return for reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West City and North City Captaincies were to watch the enemy near Taizhou, ready to turn and strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The South City Captaincy and the Command Headquarters were to feign an attack on Xinghua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five battalion commands were divided into three units, each no more than five li apart, forming a triangular layout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should enemy forces attack from any direction, the other two units could swiftly reinforce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strategically speaking, the Xinghua direction, lacking strategic value, was least likely to face the enemy’s main force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the opponent was a rebel force, it was entirely plausible that their commander, in a fit of rage, would do something irrational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncertain of the situation, Li Mu decided to play it safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Capital Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Jing, the enemy’s movements around Gaoyou are suspicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoying County lies at the junction of Yangzhou and Huai’an, connecting Suzhong and Subei; its military value far exceeds that of Xinghua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy isn’t reinforcing Baoying but is moving toward Xinghua—this clearly defies logic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the intelligence not come from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Yuan would have suspected a prank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were the rebel commander, he would have abandoned Gaoyou and fled long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebellion requires choosing the right location—the more remote and impoverished the region, the higher the chance of success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the rebellion fails, they can retreat into the mountains to evade imperial suppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinghua is relatively remote, but the area lacks large mountains and is too cramped to offer strategic maneuvering space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Jing, haven’t the rebels done enough bizarre things on this campaign?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When we first arrived, the Huai’an rebels actually tried to fight us using the Eight Trigrams formation, imitating ancient tactics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Guoliang said with indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking of the rebels’ Eight Trigrams formation made him want to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient military formations passed down by our ancestors were indeed effective, but the more complex the formation, the higher the demands on soldiers and officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting up a formation is easy; changing it is hard. If just a few fools run amok within it, the formation collapses into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the founding of Dayu, firearms became widespread, and military formations gradually grew obsolete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, our noble families no longer bother requiring their heirs to learn those ancient formations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when they do form up, they only use simple square or circular formations—easy to learn and simple to operate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Jing is right—the rebels aren’t the barbarians beyond the border; they aren’t that cunning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they have a scheme, they lack the strength to carry it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real threat to the court remains the northern barbarians beyond the border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since their victory in the last Liaodong campaign, their strength has grown rapidly, and they’ve already absorbed several steppe tribes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the Emperor’s nature, he won’t allow them to grow stronger unchecked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the court’s finances improve, a major war will surely be reignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the Nine Border Garrison Armies, the Capital Garrison will likely return to the battlefield.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yuan said, deeply concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when standing on the ground did he realize how profitable the salt trade was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With proper reform, the court could easily extract ten million taels in salt taxes annually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the previous thirteen million taels, it was a complete transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extra money, if not poured into military funding, would be squandered by bureaucrats under other pretexts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Emperor’s perspective, using it to resolve external threats was the most cost-effective choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let them fight—if the court has money, how can we fail to pacify Liaodong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The northern barbarians have so few people; even if they unified the entire steppe, they’d number at most two or three million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fight them once a year, and within a few years, they’ll be worn down to nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Risk and opportunity coexist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prolonged peace has severely weakened our noble families’ influence at court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continues, we’ll soon face the same fate as the Song dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A border conflict is also an opportunity for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Guoliang said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the noble faction’s spokesperson at court, he had long accumulated countless grievances over their current plight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no change ahead, he had no choice but to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that an opportunity had appeared, he wouldn’t let it slip away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War means risk, but war also means power and wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The present situation is the best example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, nobles had no authority to interfere in local affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Two Huai rebellion, everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War reshuffled the interests, and the noble faction's reach extended instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the military officers eliminated in the chaos, they were simply unlucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vacant military posts became the noble faction’s spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being washed clean by war, even the lowest-tier garrison units had a chance to become Dayu’s most prestigious garrisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No other reason—land for military farming had been restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With tangible benefits before their eyes, motivation naturally surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jianping, this is your first time leading troops—you must be cautious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengyang Prefecture isn’t easy to capture; your goal is only to draw the Capital Garrison’s attention—do not actually assault the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once we eliminate the enemy in the Five City Military Command, join forces with the righteous armies of Taixing and Nantongzhou, then turn back to confront the Capital Garrison!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Feiyang said solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With two major factions within his clan locked in endless debate, he had no choice but to adopt a compromise strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>South first, then north; easy targets first, then hard ones—this was his core strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the enemy near the Capital Garrison couldn’t be entirely ignored, hence the diversionary attack on Fengyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assigning his nephew to lead the force was also unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just Wen Jianping who lacked experience—even he, as commander, had never faced the enemy in direct combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone lacked experience; at least Wen Jianping had led salt guards to storm the prefectural yamen and personally slain two yamen runners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, rest assured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have only eight thousand troops, half of them old or weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They might cause trouble in the countryside, but attacking a prefectural city? Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Jianping immediately assured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had fought hard for this chance—he wouldn’t let it slip away over a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he’d listen later was another matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military manuals all said: when a general is in the field, he may disregard imperial orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once in Fengyang Prefecture, how to fight would be up to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things went badly, he could bypass Fengyang and strike Xuzhou directly, or detour into Luzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, roaming anywhere was better than staying in Gaoyou to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2442,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","6a18d349528475c8c5065711c3b94debb651567ef429bb8d0b4007f8e9330efc","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-83","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-81",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]