[{"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-94":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},2364363,4623,"Chapter 94: Do Not Maintain Useless Officials","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-94",94,"\u003Cp>Night was the best cover; the limited imperial troops could never kill all the rebels pouring out endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the elderly, weak, women, and children fleeing—they knelt immediately, begging for mercy, severely slowing the imperial troops’ advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew these people were masking the escape of the able-bodied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the younger officers, still clinging to moral boundaries, ordered their men to accept their surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time slipped away second by second; dawn’s light appeared on the horizon, and the great battle gradually drew to a close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, last night the Eastern City Battalion killed over three thousand rebels and captured more than twenty thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, last night the Western City Battalion killed over two thousand eight hundred rebels and captured more than twenty thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, last night the Central City Battalion killed over two thousand rebels and captured over sixteen thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing all four battalions had scored heavy victories, Marquis WuYang’s face never stopped smiling—he’d turned the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the rebel leader hadn’t been caught, Taizhou City was taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Garrison’s face was preserved; his own as commander was preserved; the rest were mere side issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Renlong was the de facto rebel leader, but for political reasons, the official wanted fugitives were the Zong family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zong family died in rebel infighting; with a little artistic embellishment, it became a victory of the Five City Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You fought well. Send word to Grand Secretary Xu and the Nanjing Six Ministries—they must send men immediately to take over Taizhou City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis WuYang ordered with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taizhou was now an empty city, nothing worth taking—but the captives were a massive problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four battalions had captured nearly seventy thousand enemy troops; over ninety percent were elderly, weak, women, and children—mostly rebel family members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not dealing with them was impossible; executing them all, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding no perfect solution, the best choice was to dump the burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Governing the region was the civil officials’ responsibility—they had to take this blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, while clearing out rebel remnants, we found captured… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhao Battalion Commander could finish, Marquis WuYang’s face turned black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your men must have mistaken them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our Great Yu’s noble families are men of iron will—how could they become rebel captives?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone must be impersonating them, trying to sully the reputations of our fallen comrades!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When you encounter such despicable scoundrels, deal with them immediately—don’t let them foul your eyes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One or two soldiers captured after defeat was one thing; a whole group of noble and imperial in-law youths captured? That would be a colossal joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For their families, having such a disgraceful descendant alive was worse than death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least dying in battle for the state could earn them imperial commendation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment they were handed over, these discarded ones were already dead in the eyes of those in power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be blunt, killing them all would greatly improve Beijing’s order—crime rates would drop by at least thirty percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander is right—these are rebel tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to defeat us on the battlefield, they resort to such vile schemes to slander our fallen comrades!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yawei hurriedly made amends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brief exchange sealed the fate of a group of aristocratic youths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one present voiced sympathy for these unlucky ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Empire’s standpoint, this purge was far from enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If all the aristocratic wastrels across the land could be purged, Great Yu’s dynasty might last thirty more years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most wrongful cases in the countryside were caused by these bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without these parasites, the ruling elite’s quality would rise at least one tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the meeting over, the Five City Garrison’s southern campaign reached its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local governance was a taboo for military officers—they must not interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Marquis WuYang had no right to directly meddle in salt reform; Li Mu, an obscure battalion commander, had even less voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just getting a share of the loot was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salt industry’s big cake was for the big players—he had no interest whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With free time now, Li Mu began considering his next steps—this was also the shared worry of all the Five City Garrison officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For war needs, they had secretly expanded their forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the fighting was over, the excess troops were a serious problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disbanding them outright was hard—they couldn’t bear to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As military officers, they might face battle again at any moment; holding a battle-ready force was invaluable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keeping them all as retainers, however, was a heavy financial burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If their next posting was a lucrative post, fine; if sent to a poor office, maintaining troops became a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from a few so terrified by war they wanted to return to Beijing, most were now busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All kinds of connections were activated; letters flew everywhere, all to secure a good posting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the most accessible big shot, Marquis WuYang’s tent became a crowded hub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu keenly noticed the camp’s atmosphere had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five City Garrison’s southern campaign had become a war merit factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every officer had dozens, even hundreds of enemy heads to his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Great Yu law, all of them clearly met the basic requirements for military promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so many officers suddenly eligible for promotion, the court’s limited high-quality posts couldn’t possibly cover them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the Five City Garrison, the Capital Garrison was also a stronghold of noble scions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side scored heavily; the other side scored even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was connected by family ties—competition would only grow fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Families with fewer sons were better off; showing even modest potential earned strong clan support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst off were those with many brothers—brothers, cousins, uncles, nephews—all serving in the military, all needing promotion at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Limited resources couldn’t cover everyone; the court wouldn’t allow one family to dominate—someone had to sacrifice their career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even blood brothers would strain private relations over personal advancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former comrades suddenly became rivals on the career ladder—the impact was far greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to most colleagues, Li Mu’s situation was relatively good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not of the Hou family’s direct line, his demonstrated potential had earned him the attention of Zhenyuan Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clan political resource allocation looked at bloodline, but also at a youth’s potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who got what, the head of the family had great say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prioritizing the most talented clan members aligned with the family’s overall interest—no one could object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the top contributor of the Five City Garrison, he represented, to some extent, the bureau’s face—and Marquis WuYang’s personal preference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of War and the Command Headquarters would consider these factors when appointing officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exact posting would require behind-the-scenes maneuvering, but at least it wouldn’t be terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While others scrambled for advantage, Li Mu found himself idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the operation to capture Huang Renlong had been indefinitely shelved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t negligence—there were simply military customs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the commander’s authorization, subordinate officers had no right to mobilize troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the limited intelligence couldn’t guarantee catching the rebel leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Volunteering for a mission and failing was a major taboo in officialdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially near a critical promotion, fewer troubles meant more safety—no mistakes was achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yangzhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Secretary Xu felt his head ache upon receiving the victory report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so long a southern campaign, not a single good thing had fallen to him—only trouble piled up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial army’s recapture of Taizhou City was a great joy; the seventy thousand captives left behind were a burning hot potato.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military hadn’t slaughtered the surrendered; as leader of the clean-stream faction, he certainly couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pardoning them was impossible; no matter how conciliatory, you couldn’t pardon rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By past precedent, the court usually exiled or conscripted coerced rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, only the able-bodied could rebel—the elderly, weak, women, and children had already perished in the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing them outright was too wasteful; better to put them to use, showing the court’s benevolence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the captives seized by the Five City Garrison were unusual: few able-bodied men, mostly elderly, weak, women, and children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exiling them would likely see them all collapse before reaching their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those who survived wouldn’t be wanted by the frontier garrisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huaichang, how should we handle these people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue set down his documents and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Secretary, our dynasty has no precedent for this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they’re rebels; treating them lightly won’t satisfy public expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the realm sympathize with the weak; if we treat them harshly, it will damage your reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to lock them up first and submit a memorial to the court, letting His Majesty decide.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Huaichang said, hesitating slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure Stream faction’s lack of imperial favor largely stems from their habit of dumping thorny problems onto the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Natural disasters and human misfortunes are the Emperor’s moral failings; the treasury’s deficit is due to his extravagance; defeats on the frontier are because he failed to appoint virtuous ministers…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this group of virtuous ministers only identifies problems—they never solve them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unacceptable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue shook his head in disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a cabinet minister from the Pure Stream faction, Xu Wenyue was certainly no ordinary member of that group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his colleagues, he had political ambitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t achieve the ideal of exhausting himself until death, but within his capacity, he still wished to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumping problems onto the Emperor was easiest, but it would cost him the Emperor’s trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Tianyuan was no fool; the previous Pure Stream elders who did this all ended up back home farming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Minister, if we don’t report this to the court, perhaps we should wait and observe for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We aren’t the only ones with prisoners of war—Huai’an Prefecture has plenty too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s see how the eunuch faction handles it; if their approach suits us, we can follow suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it causes negative repercussions, we can at least arrange for the eunuchs to take the blame when necessary!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Hou Huaichang’s new suggestion, Xu Wenyue nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumping blame onto colleagues is far safer than dumping it onto the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the truth leaks out, the Pure Stream faction will firmly insist it was the eunuchs’ doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send word to the Marquis of Wuyang: let him temporarily oversee the prisoners of war; I’ll send personnel to deliver the grain and fodder as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Send messengers to urge the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue to hurry and secure grain—I’ll give them no more than seven days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they haven’t gathered three hundred thousand shi of grain by then, they can go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court doesn’t support useless officials!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell the Minister of Personnel: if he still can’t find a suitable candidate, I’ll submit a memorial to the court recommending him for the post of Prefect of Yangzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenyue said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel were the most powerful departments in Great Yu—but that referred to the capital’s ministries, not Nanjing’s retirement posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a cabinet minister, dealing with marginal, retired officials wasn’t difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having climbed the ranks himself, Xu Wenyue understood these officials’ thinking better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their prolonged inaction simply meant none of them wanted to take responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If subordinates shirk responsibility, the burden falls on me, the Imperial Commissioner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current trouble stems fundamentally from these two departments’ inaction—hence the trouble has come to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel had appointed officials the moment vacancies appeared in the prefectures and counties, these problems could have been handed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Imperial Commissioner, I need only oversee the subordinates’ work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they fail, it’s their fault; I bear only supervisory responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why must I now handle every detail myself, burdened with so much responsibility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taizhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After ten days of cleanup, the city’s corpses were finally cleared away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping into this ancient city, Li Mu’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of wounds and devastation everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The destructive power of war was simply too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single rebellion had utterly destroyed an entire prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Restoring its former prosperity would take decades of peace and recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Battalion Commander, the number of sick prisoners in the neighboring camps is rising sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many are vomiting—the military physician says it may be an outbreak of plague!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Lan Linjie’s report, Li Mu’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Battle of Taizhou was fought by the other four Battalion Commands; they also held custody of the prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep inside, Li Mu cursed their entire families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era with backward medical conditions, plague was no less deadly than war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing full well how dangerous plague was, they still failed to take timely preventive measures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he had received word—the plague had clearly been spreading in the camps for days, not just one or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was lack of experience in handling plague, or preoccupation with promotion that led them to neglect camp management, Li Mu didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, he knew the Five City Military Command was in deep trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prisoner camps held mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children—plague struck them hardest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If large numbers of prisoners died, the censors, always eager to find fault with officials, would seize this chance to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: from now on, no one may drink raw water; all food must be thoroughly cooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone showing symptoms must be immediately isolated and treated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell the soldiers: don’t wander around unnecessarily, especially not to camps where plague has broken out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mu immediately ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2244,"2026-06-21T08:09:02.410Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","b189eb0023cf9c8069aa755ff8d6c5d0f0c5f4a2a510a603c3980d9491d4aba2","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-95","restoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-93",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frestoring-the-mountains-and-rivers-cover.jpg"]