[{"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-87":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},2364356,4623,"Chapter 87: The Big Basket","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>Xinghua City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After circulating the intelligence, all the officers of the Five Cities Military Command stared in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Rong has led his troops to retake Taizhou and invites everyone to attend the victory banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of explosive news is no different from the sun rising in the west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis, since Commander Rong is in such high spirits, why not indulge him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle at Gaoyou State is nearly over; once this concludes, we’ll go to the victory banquet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu smiled cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t believe the sun rose in the west; likewise, the ragtag force led by Commander Rong had no capacity to retake Taizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recognizing something was off was one thing, but as a decent man, he couldn’t directly suspect a colleague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truth or falsehood—once we arrive, we’ll know for sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the boastful claims in battle reports: three days and nights of brutal fighting, tens of thousands of enemy slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those unfamiliar with Commander Rong might think the Overlord himself had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exaggerating battle achievements was common, but daring to boast this brazenly was rare indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he inflated his reports, he at most embellished the enemy casualty figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he exaggerated the victory, he’d say soldiers fought bloody battles for three days and nights—not that he himself fought for three days and nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court officials weren’t fools; everyone understood that a large army might fight fiercely for several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’s so formidable, why not take the military imperial examination and become a martial Zhuangyuan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not boasting—Great Yu’s martial Zhuangyuan were truly formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could shoot arrows and ride horses with near-perfect accuracy, wield weapons over a hundred jin as if they were toys, and kill an ox with a single punch was basic ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every martial Zhuangyuan possessed the strength to kill a tiger barehanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely being strong wasn’t enough; they also had to be thoroughly proficient in military strategy and tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the martial examination was held every three years, very few passed as military Jinshi, and the martial Zhuangyuan was rarer still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winning first place didn’t automatically grant the Zhuangyuan title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had to demonstrate overwhelming superiority and gain the Emperor’s approval to earn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all these years since Great Yu’s founding, there had been only a handful of martial Zhuangyuans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such formidable figures existing, wise generals never emphasized their personal valor in battle reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Obey him? I think you’re just craving more chaos!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it. Since he’s so capable, let the Ministry of War verify his battle claims.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just fear he didn’t defeat the rebels and retake Taizhou at all—instead, he got defeated by them. Our Five Cities Military Command would lose face!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he spoke of difficulties, the smile on his lips betrayed the Marquis’s good mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last flaw had now been patched by the good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this battle report, no one could ever accuse him of deliberately assigning suicide missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the report’s contents were true, or whether Commander Rong and his men were alive or dead—none of it mattered anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bait is only needed when fishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the water is drained, you simply walk in and grab the fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Gaoyou State battle ending early, the rebels’ current situation was like fish without water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rebel forces in Nantong State failed to cross the river; the Jiangnan Naval Force, seeking to redeem themselves, pinned them firmly on the northern bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coalition armies raised by southern provinces launched repeated river-crossing assaults, driving them to despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having missed their best chance to expand, the court’s encirclement was now complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how the rebels struggled, their destruction was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s grand strategy remained unaffected; victories or defeats on local battlefields were trivial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five Cities Military Command’s reputation? That was pure nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly cared about the bureau’s face, they wouldn’t have sent a band of aristocratic wastrels to lead troops into battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, Commander Rong knows the stakes—he wouldn’t fabricate a victory report.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he’s already retaken Taizhou, we needn’t rush southward. Let’s first deal with the remaining enemies in Gaoyou State!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yawei feigned ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to before, he now desperately needed military merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the army, strength granted influence, but military merit was the decisive factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Li Mu’s sudden rise, the position of this top-ranked Battalion Commander in the bureau had become extremely awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a colleague outshining him, his strength and merit appeared mismatched—in outsiders’ eyes, it proved his incompetence as a Battalion Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military merit wasn’t just about wanting it—you needed sufficient luck too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent days, while hunting rebel remnants, the other Battalion Commands had all scored kills; his own unit hadn’t even encountered a single enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what, he had to join the aftermath of the Gaoyou State campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taizhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment, Commander Rong had been commanding with great prestige; the next, he was a prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with him, a host of noble officers shared his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They never imagined that, even after negotiations were settled, the rebels would turn on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the ringleaders would be punished; accomplices would be pardoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such generous terms were undeniably lenient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had they not urgently needed a victory, they wouldn’t have risked court retribution by offering such favorable surrender conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me go! You can’t break your word!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Rong couldn’t help shouting in rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply couldn’t understand: if the rebels had already delivered the Zong family’s heads, why suddenly betray them at the victory banquet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Rong, Commander Rong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that we broke our word—we were forced.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, your terms were very tempting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we are the leaders of the righteous army!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Zong family? Merely a bunch of rats. Who gave them the right to command us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, you didn’t know these secrets, and we don’t blame you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But you didn’t know—Embroidered Uniform Guard knew. Every brother in the righteous army knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everyone knows something, it can’t be kept secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s stance toward the righteous army has always been unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we surrendered to the court, we’d all be flayed alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no other choice, we’ve invited you here as our guest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong smiled amiably as he explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deception had gone smoother than he imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not seen it completed, he wouldn’t have believed the Zong family’s name carried such weight—even their severed heads were so useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve confirmed it myself—the Zong family is one of the Seven Great Clans of the Two Huai, immensely powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re just a salt smuggler. How could you possibly command the entire army?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Rong said in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stories of the Seven Great Clans of the Two Huai—he’d heard them so often while visiting brothels in Yangzhou that his ears were numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s list of rebel leaders precisely matched the clan heads of the Seven Great Clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minor figures like the Huang brothers weren't even qualified to appear on the rebel list—how could they become rebel leaders?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Zong family were truly as powerful as you claim, how could you cut off their heads?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you delivered their heads, you didn’t even check the time of death—whose fault is that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smuggling salt carries the death penalty; without proper preparations, my brothers would’ve been dead long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the court is stingy—the soldiers in the bureaus were nearly starving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We brothers couldn’t bear to see others suffer, so we used our money to support them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When you gathered intelligence from our men, the fact you got even this much shows you’ve done well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the imperial troops were this incompetent, his rebellion might actually succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court listing the Seven Great Clans of the Two Huai as rebel leaders? Even an outsider like him knew it was political necessity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the charges weren’t severe enough, how could they sweep away the bloodsucking interest groups feeding on the salt trade?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Seven Great Clans were labeled mere accomplices, the scholars they’d funded would surely find ways to whitewash them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court officials who’d taken their bribes had a hundred ways to help them escape punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without eliminating the masterminds, salt reform would be a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Labeling them as rebel leaders changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared help them clear their names—just hearing their names made people avoid them like plague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Despicable!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After cursing aloud, Commander Rong collapsed where he stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if his wits were dull, he knew he was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once in the hands of the rebels, his status and patrons became useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he were lucky enough to be rescued by imperial troops, he was still doomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That boastful “victory report” was his death warrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disturbance in Taizhou was swiftly reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the news, Marquis Wuyang immediately began cursing Commander Rong’s ancestors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his fury, he even spat out accusations of the imperial consort bringing ruin to the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The capture of a large number of imperial relatives and noble youths was a major incident—far more serious than the earlier assassination attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the nobles and imperial relatives, these men could lose battles, could die on the battlefield, but could never become prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, these men were dispatched from our Five City Military Command; the cleanup must be handled by us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under no circumstances can the civil officials be allowed to interfere—otherwise, the consequences will be endless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When group interests were involved, Li Mu lost his usual composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Commander Rong had caused trouble, but never imagined they were so bold—they didn’t just hand over the entire army to the enemy, but went and became prisoners themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t expect them all to die, but at least a few should have died to prove their honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since no one was willing to die, they would have to find a way to make them die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the eunuch faction and the noble imperial relatives were temporarily allied, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard relayed the news immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they delayed even a few days, once the news spread, it would be far harder to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: prepare the entire army for deployment. I will cleanse my own household!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Wuyang spoke with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trouble caused by his subordinates was his responsibility to clean up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1726,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","8c361c8f2b5028f8886141c03624852e892619690394cb240a2cee2edc0e3b58","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-88","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-86",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]