Chapter 136

In a small courtyard at the northwest corner of the Ye Family Old Residence late at night, light shone through a window in the eastern wing. Pang Yu paced gently inside the room.

This small courtyard had once been the quarters of a concubine of the Ye Family. It was burned during the civil unrest, but the brick walls still stood, and being farthest from the main gate, even the nearby commoners looting bricks were unwilling to come this way, so restoring it was relatively convenient. The Zhuang Squad re-set the main beams and laid the tiles, and two large rooms were now repaired. One of them was Pang Yu's quarters, furnished only with a simple table, a chair, and a bed. Since the Roving Bandits withdrew, Pang Yu had not returned home but had been staying here.

Jiang Fan sat quietly in a folding chair, not daring to disturb Pang Yu. After escaping from Susong that day, he had first gone south into Wangjiang County, then followed the river all the way downstream, assembling with the other mounted constables at Anqing Prefectural City, and only returned to Tongcheng after confirming the Roving Bandits had left.

Pang Yu stopped and questioned Jiang Fan. "You said you learned in Anqing that on the third day of the second month, the Prefectural Office sent a man to Susong to deliver the news that the Roving Bandits had reached Tongcheng?"

Jiang Fan said quietly, "This humble one travels frequently to Anqing and is well acquainted with the Document Receiving Section, the Punishment Section, the Yamen Runner Squad, and the Huaining Constable Squad. This time, I learned of this through a clerk in the Document Receiving Section. At that time, the Anqing Prefectural Office dispatched Messengers to Qianshan, Taihu, Susong, and Wangjiang. The one to Qianshan vanished without a trace. The one to Taihu encountered bandits halfway and turned back. As for the one to Susong, after returning to the Prefecture, he disappeared and has not reappeared even as of the day before yesterday."

"According to what you just said, the Messenger left on the third day of the second month, carrying such fatal news. Every extra moment outside meant an extra moment of danger. That Messenger surely would not have dared to delay and would have reached Susong by the fourth. You only arrived on the fifth. The Susong Document Receiving Office told you at the time that the County Magistrate was in the yamen. At that very moment, that Advisor was leading men inside the yamen trying to kill you. If our deduction is correct, Chen Ten Prefectures had already learned the Roving Bandits were coming. Your arrival happened to coincide. He wanted to silence you, to fabricate that he had received no news of the Roving Bandits. Only thus could he extricate himself and shift the blame for Susong's fall onto the County Vice-Magistrate, Zhu Wannian."

"This humble one thinks the same. Susong had no walls and no troops. No one could have held it. To save his life, this was his only path."

"This evening, while welcoming Mr. Ma, he mentioned that the Sweeping King reached Susong on the seventh day of the second month. Susong's County Vice-Magistrate Zhu Wannian only learned the news that very day. With such haste, even if there had been city walls, they might not have held." Pang Yu smiled and shook his head. "Had he received the news, Chen Ten Prefectures could have let the commoners flee, but he himself could not flee. Fleeing would mean abandoning his post, and sooner or later, a blade awaits him. Just like Zhu Wannian, unable to fight and unable to flee, he could only await death in the yamen. For Chen Ten Prefectures to save his own miserable life, he had no choice but to seal off the news of the Roving Bandits' arrival and let the commoners lose their lives. The ones who tried to kill you that day must have been his Advisor and trusted confidants. That is why they dared not alert anyone else in the yamen. Once they caught you, and the news of the Roving Bandits' arrival spread, Chen Ten Prefectures would be doomed. That is how you kept your life."

Jiang Fan sighed softly, lowered his head to look at the floor. In the dim lamplight, his expression was unreadable, and no one knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "He knows I am a mounted constable from Tongcheng. If he escapes the court's severe punishment, he will surely send men to Tongcheng to silence me."

Pang Yu nodded. "Given that he dared to kill inside the county yamen, silencing you is only to be expected. And he likely won't wait long."

Jiang Fan probed cautiously, "This humble one wishes to send his parents to the Ye Family Old Residence first. With the Zhuang Squad on guard here, it is safer than this humble one's home. I hope the Squad Leader will permit it."

"Bring your family with you tomorrow. They can stay in the West Garden. There are sentries here all day; it should be safe. But this is ultimately passive. Since he wants to silence you, we will grab a few more of his tails. Then silencing you becomes meaningless. Only then will you be safe."

"Squad Leader means that Messenger?"

"The Messenger is one lead, but that man has already disappeared. In the teeth of the storm of a court investigation, he likely won't dare return home in the short term, making him hard to catch for now." Pang Yu fixed his eyes on Jiang Fan. "In Susong City, practically none of the commoners remain, and the county yamen was burned down. Chen Ten Prefectures, as Acting Magistrate, must stay in the city to handle the aftermath. He probably doesn't even have a few runners at his disposal. His Advisor will certainly have to go out and handle matters personally. Tomorrow, take two capable men and capture that Advisor."

Jiang Fan's eyes lit up. Capturing the Advisor would provide the most effective witness. Then Chen Ten Prefectures would be wary of harming him, and he would be truly safe, no longer needing to constantly fear someone coming to silence him.

"This matter requires the strictest secrecy. This humble one has only one man he can trust. Could the Squad Leader lend me reliable men from the Zhuang Squad?"

Pang Yu thought for a moment. "None of the Zhuang Squad are suitable. Take Guo Fengyou with you."

Jiang Fan knew of Guo Fengyou. That day at the city gate, it was he who had stopped the Bandit Child Army disguised as beggars, giving Tongcheng its early warning. Then Pang Yu had sent him out as a scout, leading to all the events that followed. He was not familiar with Guo Fengyou, only knowing he was an Auxiliary in the Fast Squad and had not been around long. But since Pang Yu deemed him usable, he could not be too poor a choice.

After pondering a moment, he added, "Susong is over two hundred li from Tongcheng. Capturing him is easy for this humble one, but how to transport him over such a long road? Could the Squad Leader offer some guidance?"

"Use a horse cart." Pang Yu recalled the method Ruan Dacheng used to leave the city and said quietly, "Disguise the carriage to look like one carrying womenfolk. It will save much trouble on the road. In such operations, secrecy is paramount. You must be patient. When capturing him, do not be hasty. Before acting, you must repeatedly survey the terrain. Only strike when you have full confidence. Otherwise, you alert the snake and startle the prey. Once they are on guard, things will become difficult afterward. As for the other operational details, plan them yourself. Drill repeatedly. The more thorough the preparation, the greater your chance of success."

"This humble one understands. I only worry that if I fail, I might implicate the Squad Leader."

Pang Yu chuckled coldly. "Even if he finds out, would he dare make it public? Act boldly."

Jiang Fan nodded. He had been in constant fear these past ten-odd days. Afterward, he had pondered repeatedly and roughly deduced the situation of that day. Although he had temporarily escaped, he still had to worry about being silenced afterward. He was just an ordinary mounted constable. If Pang Yu dared not stand up for him, then facing Chen Ten Prefectures alone, he would be utterly outmatched in both power and wealth. Now, with Pang Yu's support, the situation was immediately different. The heart hanging in suspense finally settled somewhat.

"After capturing that Advisor, how should we make use of him?"

Pang Yu returned to his chair and sat down, crossing his legs. "Chen Ten Prefectures oversees Grain Transport, Water Conservancy, Military Farms, and River Defense in Anqing. Among these, he has little control over Military Farms. But Grain Transport and River Defense involve the Tribute Grain docks on the Wan River and the like. Holding that Advisor not only saves your life, it also lets us grab Chen Ten Prefectures by the tail. I want the docks at Anqing."

Jiang Fan stared blankly. He had not expected Pang Yu to say such a thing. He had no idea what Pang Yu wanted with the docks.

Seeing Jiang Fan's stunned expression, Pang Yu offered no explanation, merely instructing, "Handle this matter as quickly as possible. I will be going to Suzhou soon. It would be best to settle it before I leave for Suzhou. But as I said, safety first. Only act when you are certain."

"This humble one obeys." Jiang Fan answered quietly.

At that moment, Pang Ding's voice came from outside. "Squad Leader, Captain He is here."

Hearing the words "Captain He," Jiang Fan immediately stood up. "This humble one will make some preparations tomorrow and set out the day after. I will not disturb the Squad Leader's rest. I take my leave first."

Pang Yu nodded and stood up to see him to the door.

He Xianya was already waiting outside. Seeing Jiang Fan, he gave a slight nod. Jiang Fan also nodded in acknowledgment. The two did not speak to each other.

After Jiang Fan left, He Xianya entered the room and said to Pang Yu, "Tonight, Mr. Ma is staying at the Circuit Intendant's Branch Office. Practically everyone in the county yamen above the rank of clerk went, all entering by the back door and leaving by the side door. He probably collected several thousand taels of silver this evening."

Pang Yu listened but said nothing. He walked back to the table, lifted a wine jug from the corner, and filled both bowls on the table with wine.

He Xianya came over and sat down. Pang Yu raised his wine. They touched bowls and each took a large gulp.

Only after setting down the wine bowls did Pang Yu say quietly, "Tongcheng is broken and ruined. Everyone fears the court's investigation. But this time, with Fengyang and the Imperial Mausoleum ahead of us, and the Qianjiang Three Counties behind us, Tongcheng, no matter what, held its County Seat. No matter how you look at it, Tongcheng won't be severely punished. They are each buying peace of mind. Mr. Ma is just conveniently making a fortune."

He Xianya lowered his voice. "Fang Yingqian went too. This evening, someone from the Punishment Office came to the Old Residence and released that Liu Xiucai."

Pang Yu raised his eyes and saw the worried look on He Xianya's face. That day at Zilai Tower, he had framed Liu Xiucai. The original plan was to properly deal with Liu Xiucai in jail, but then the city defense battle began immediately after, and there had been no time. By the time He Xianya remembered the matter, Liu Xiucai had already been released. For He Xianya, this meant one more powerful enemy.

"What moves has he made since getting out?"

"He set two banquet tables at Imperial River Tower and invited quite a few of his clique to celebrate. Brother... Jiao also went."

"Is Big Brother still mingling with those people every day?"

"When the Roving Bandits came, Big Brother was serious for a few days. He stood guard on the west wall for two days. Once the Roving Bandits withdrew, he reverted to his old ways. He also..."

Pang Yu looked at him. "Also what?"

"This evening, after drinking, he came looking for me. He wanted me to help him speak with you, to ask the Squad Leader not to trouble Liu Xiucai anymore. He also wants to share out more of the profits from Yunji Temple."

After He Xianya finished speaking, he kept his head down. Only after a long while did he steal a glance at Pang Yu. He saw that Pang Yu showed no particular reaction, only frowning and staring at the tabletop, lost in thought.

"I am aware of this matter. In the future, let him come to me himself. Do not relay messages for him." Pang Yu rubbed his forehead. "In a few days, you will accompany me on a trip to Jiangnan. Before that, go to a place first. Learn the recent situation there in detail. Then arrange for two of your Auxiliaries to take up residence there."

"Second Brother, give your orders."

"Xiazongyang."