Chapter 145: River Bandits

"Sir, whether you're heading to Anqing, Wuhu, Nanjing, or going to Jiujiang and Huguang, our boats here can take you."

"Sir, follow me — this boat here is about to fill up and leave. Take my advice: things haven't been peaceful lately, and many people are heading down the Great River. If you delay even a moment longer, today's boats might all be full, and you'll have to wait until tomorrow, wasting a whole day's journey for nothing."

"Young master, please give us a straight answer. If you're going to Jiangnan and we brokers didn't bring you, the passenger boats won't dare let you aboard."

"Young master, listen to me. The boats I bring you to, whether to Huguang or Nanjing, have all been running these routes for decades. On the way, you'll absolutely face no trouble from river bandits..."

At the Lei Port wharf in Wangjiang County, a crowd of passenger-boat brokers surrounded Pang Yu and his group. He Xianya cleared a path ahead, while Guo Fengyou kept shoving, not letting the brokers get too close.

After leaving Susong, Pang Yu had originally planned to board a boat outside the city, travel via the Lei River past Wangjiang County, and transfer at the Great River. But Susong had suffered a brutal siege, and people now dreaded vengeful spirits. Very few boats came to Susong; most only brought funeral goods from Wangjiang, unloaded hastily, and left at once, never daring to spend the night in Susong. Generally, by afternoon, there were no boats left.

Heading south from Susong, a few li outside the city brought one to Lei Pool. Lei Pool was a vast, misty expanse, dotted with many fishing boats. If Chen Ten Prefectures had warned the people of Susong that day, once they entered Lei Pool they would be out of danger, those fishing boats could have saved over a thousand lives.

Having found no passenger boats the whole way, Pang Yu and his group had no choice but to take their own cart and hurry toward Wangjiang, skirting east around Bo Lake. Bo Lake and Lei Pool half-encircled Susong. Because the distance to the Great River grew ever shorter, the region was crisscrossed with waterways and dense with ponds and lakes, making it unsuitable for troop movements — which was what had protected Wangjiang County from the roving bandits' incursion.

Guo Fengyou had traveled this road when capturing the advisor. He led the group to Wangjiang County by the next day. Most passenger boats heading to Jiangnan docked at the Lei Port Ferry. Arriving at the ferry in the afternoon, they were met by swarms of brokers.

The Lei Port Ferry was not on the banks of the Great River itself, but beside its tributary, the Lei River. Situated at the outlet where Lei Pool and Bo Lake flowed into the river, it channeled the surrounding region's grain, bamboo ware, timber, and medicinal herbs into the Yangtze. It was a major port within Anqing's territory.

Having finally reached the riverbank, Pang Yu swept his gaze out. Below the ferry crossing, all manner of boats were moored, most of them two-masted grain-transport-style vessels, about nine zhang in overall length, with a bow width of just over one zhang. Each hull was fitted with one large awning and one forward awning.

The boats Pang Yu had seen at Anqing's Sheng-Tang Wharf were also mostly of this type. Pang Yu did not know the exact construction specifications, but what he had heard in Anqing that day was that these flat-bottomed, shallow-draft boats, when carrying tribute grain fully loaded, could reach a capacity of two thousand shi.

There were many passenger boats, and many inns on the shore. Pang Yu was in no hurry to board. The brokers from those passenger boats surrounded the four of them, soliciting customers. Pang Yu wanted to observe the surroundings of the ferry crossing, but for the moment he could not extricate himself.

He Xianya shouted curses and shoved, but the brokers would not easily retreat. Xu Lengzi walked at the very back. Seeing how tall and brawny he was, the brokers dared not tug at him, but they still crowded around him all the same.

These brokers had worked the docks for years and possessed first-rate judgment. They saw at a glance that Pang Yu was the master of the group and all clustered around him to make their pitch. A great swarm of brokers encircled him, fiercely competing with one another. Some even reached out and tugged at Pang Yu, utterly unafraid that all four men carried waist sabers.

Unwilling to tangle with these local bullies, Pang Yu raised his voice to them: "This young master is going to Dongliu. It's late today; I'll cross the river tomorrow. I must trouble you all to come back then."

The moment those brokers heard he was going to Dongliu, their expressions instantly changed. One after another, they turned and left, some cursing under their breath as they went.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, He Xianya asked in astonishment, "What sort of place is this Dongliu? How come they all left the moment they heard it?"

"Cross the river from Lei Port and you're at Dongliu. The boat fare is only a few copper coins. They don't want to go to that much trouble."

"Second Brother, how did you even know about that place Dongliu? I've never heard of it."

"Did my homework." Pang Yu pulled a book from inside his robe and handed it to He Xianya. He Xianya looked — it was that copy of The World's Waterway Routes. The Fast Squad had this book too, but He Xianya had only looked at the sections for a few nearby counties. Most people in these times never traveled far; many in the countryside had never even been to the county seat. The runners' duties at most took them to Anqing; they knew very little about the lands south of the Great River.

"You can read it on the road too. A man should embrace the whole world in his heart." Pang Yu pointed toward an official compound not far ahead. "Do you two know what place that is?"

He Xianya and Guo Fengyou both shook their heads.

"That is the official compound of the Lei Port Garrison."

Guo Fengyou said, astonished, "Does that book even record this official compound?"

Pang Yu said smugly, "Not exactly. I asked around about it in Anqing. This place has one Garrison Commander and two to three hundred water troops. There are no other official compounds nearby, so it must be this one. There's also an Inspection Office here, but I haven't found where it is yet."

His words had barely faded when they saw several soldiers in red padded jackets walking this way. The surrounding brokers and porters all hastily parted to make way.

As the soldiers passed by the four of them, they looked them up and down and noticed Pang Yu and the others carried swords and blades. But many traveling merchants carried blades, and the soldiers had likely seen it often. Though their expressions were unfriendly, they did not come over to question them.

After they had passed, Pang Yu said, "From Jiujiang to Lei Port is about two hundred li. Lei Port to Anqing is over a hundred li. Downstream from Anqing, nearly a hundred li, is Zongyang County. Lei Port and Zongyang are both under Anqing's jurisdiction. From Jiujiang to Zongyang, with these four points, one can control these several hundred li of river."

He Xianya hurriedly committed it to memory. Lately, Pang Yu seemed to have an immense interest in the Great River, inquiring about everything along its banks. He felt he, too, ought to put more effort into this.

He Xianya flattered Pang Yu: "Second Brother is so diligent, no wonder you know everything."

"Mastering information is always the right course. Only then can you face any situation with a well-formed plan."

Pang Yu had just finished speaking, a touch self-satisfied, when he suddenly heard a startled cry from Xu Lengzi behind him.

"My money pouch is gone!"

Xu Lengzi hung his head. The four of them had set out together, all equally squeezed among the brokers, yet the other three's money pouches were untouched — only his had vanished. Before this trip, Xu Lengzi had never once left the bounds of Tongcheng. He had felt some excitement knowing he was going to Nanjing, but before even boarding a boat, he had been dealt this sudden, disheartening blow.

He Xianya and Guo Fengyou, both former Fast Squad auxiliaries, were well familiar with these tricks. The thief must have blended in among the brokers, using the jostling crowd to steal Xu Lengzi's money pouch. That was why they had both kept their hands covering their own pouches the whole time. Pang Yu had done the same.

But even knowing this, there was no way to find the thief now. Fortunately, Pang Yu had known Xu Lengzi was unreliable and had not entrusted the travel funds to him.

They could only console Xu Lengzi for a while. After scouting the area around Lei Port, the group returned to the harbor. By now, the sun was sinking west, and the brokers had thinned out. Sure enough, some passenger boats were not departing; those who had already paid and boarded would have to spend another night on the boat.

Unwilling to be delayed at Lei Port, Pang Yu spotted a boat preparing to cast off — likely a night-running vessel. He went straight to the boat to ask the price, but the boatman dared not accept him directly. Soon a broker came over. This boat was bound for Yangzhou and would pass Nanjing on the way. Lei Port was about seven hundred li from Nanjing. The broker's asking price was one hundred seventy copper coins per person for the fare.

Naturally, the group had not brought that many copper coins with them. He Xianya haggled with the broker, and they finally settled at one hundred thirty coins. Then came a round of converting silver and coin values, which took considerable time. The passengers already aboard were urging them from above to hurry.

Once He Xianya had paid the silver and the boatman had given the broker his middle-witness fee, Pang Yu and his three companions finally boarded the boat.

The passenger boat they were on was the flat-bottomed, shallow-draft type used by ordinary boat merchants. What the merchants considered first was not the boat specifications set by the imperial court, but the rate of return on their investment. Boat speeds were slow at this time, especially when returning from downstream. They needed greater carrying capacity; only with enough cargo on a single trip could they secure their income.

So boat merchants generally bought military-surplus vessels, lengthened by two zhang and widened by two chi compared to standard grain transports. These could carry up to three thousand shi of grain. The lower hold was usually loaded with cargo, while passengers rode in the upper-level cabin. The passenger cabin occupied the rear half of the main deck, with a wooden canopy built over it to shield against wind and rain. Inside, there were already twenty or thirty people.

There were no stools inside; everyone sat cross-legged. Since this boat journey would not be short, people used their own bundles, clothing, and such as cushions beneath them, trying to find a comfortable position to rest.

Among the passengers were traveling merchants, servants, a Daoist priest, laborers, and all sorts. Some traveling together conversed loudly with one another. The Daoist priest was telling fortunes, doing business even during the boat ride. The cabin was cramped and noisy. Someone had taken off their shoes, and all manner of smells permeated the hold.

Pang Yu had seen scenes like this before. Though he was somewhat mentally prepared, it was still hard to endure. He had no choice but to sit by the cabin entrance, where the wind was strong and sleeping difficult, but the air was relatively fresh.

On the outer deck, three or four bare-chested boatmen stood on each side. The coxswain steering from the small rear cabin shouted commands loudly. The boatmen rowed their oars in unison, and the boat slowly pulled away from the shore. A man sat atop the forward mast's awning peak; neither of the two stiff sails had yet been raised.

Taking advantage of the fading daylight, the passenger boat followed the Lei River out into the Yangtze. The wind was favorable now, and the boat sailed downstream. Pang Yu sat at the cabin entrance. The river's surface glittered with rippling light; the reeds on both banks were a lush, pale green. The river breeze dispersed the foul odors, and Pang Yu instantly felt refreshed and clear-headed.

The boatmen on deck began to ready the sails. These stiff sails were woven from bamboo strips, sandwiched with bamboo rods. The entire sail was composed of over a dozen long, narrow panels. When not in use, they could be folded and stacked on the deck, thus not occupying too much deck space, though they were heavier than soft sails.

The boatman atop the awning peak grasped the sail halyard, tilted his head back, and shouted, "Hoist the forward sail — lo!"

The boatmen below shouted in unison, "Yo... heave!"

The sail slowly rose. With every pull the boatman made, the boatmen above and below all shouted together, "Yo-heave!"

Pang Yu watched with a grin and murmured under his breath, "River bandits."