Chapter 154: The Interview

Pang Yu followed behind a Biao trooper, head lowered, and entered the Second Hall. Beneath the hall, flags of authority in various colors were arrayed on both sides, along with several imposing Biao troopers — the place carried an air of solemn lethality all its own.

According to the rule for a subordinate meeting a superior, Pang Yu dared not raise his head to look at the seat of honor. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed a figure in crimson official robes. Once below the hall, he knelt and prostrated himself.

"This humble one, Pang Yu of Tongcheng, pays respects to the Grand Coordinator."

Zhang Guowei did not speak at once. The hall was utterly silent, and somehow Pang Yu felt faintly nervous. Kneeling on the ground, he could see only the stone slabs of the floor. The blue stone slabs in the yamen were old with age, worn somewhat smooth.

From a crack in the blue stone slab below, a small black ant emerged, right before Pang Yu's eyes. It waved the antennae on its head, cautiously probed its surroundings, then slowly crawled out of the crevice.

Pang Yu fixed his gaze intently on that little ant. Everything in the hall was still — so still it seemed he could hear the ant's footsteps.

The ant had traversed half a blue brick when a low, deep voice finally came from the dais.

"I have heard that Tongcheng is a place of outstanding people and numinous land, where the caps and carriages of officials crowd the roads, and the countryside abounds with upright and talented men. Squad Leader Pang is a man of Tongcheng — could you name a few?"

Zhang Guowei's voice was steady but not genial. Pang Yu had not expected the conversation to begin this way. His mind raced. Tongcheng had many talents, but the premise Zhang Guowei had given was "upright and talented." Given his political stance, it had to be the Donglin. This first question was asking Pang Yu to declare his allegiance.

"In reply to the Grand Coordinator, this humble one has known since childhood that for uprightness and talent, Tongcheng holds Zuo and He Laoxiansheng above all others."

The voice from the dais asked, "Since you know of Zuo, I wonder — what is your opinion of Zuo Guangdou?"

Another question. All the words Pang Yu had prepared over many days were of no use at all. He had thought it would be a speech; never had he imagined it would turn into an interview program — and conducted on his knees at that. The blue stone slabs were hard and icy cold; his knees were already beginning to ache sharply.

The little ant was just about to cross the seam on the other side of the slab. After several tentative attempts that seemed to go poorly, it turned back around.

Pang Yu steadied his Calm Demeanor, thought over the accounts of Zuo Guangdou's deeds he had heard in daily life, and replied, "Zuo was incorruptible, strict, and impartial, honest and devoted to public duty. In the face of the Eunuch Faction he was steadfast and unyielding. His moral integrity can move Heaven and Earth, and he should serve as a model for those of us who come after."

This answer was quite ordinary, and drew no response from above. Pang Yu continued, "What this humble one admires most of all is that Zuo championed the Martial Academy and advocated recruiting talent for the state without rigid conventions. Over a decade later, in this present age of troubles, his foresight is plain to see."

With this latter reply, Pang Yu was using Zuo Guangdou to flatter Zhang Guowei — if Zhang Guowei broke with convention to promote Pang Yu, who possessed martial talent, then he would be a model just like Zuo Guangdou.

Zhang Guowei still gave no sign, and simply did not engage with Pang Yu's topic, demonstrating that he held complete initiative in this mode of conversation. His steady voice continued its Questioning: "You seem well acquainted with the great families of Tongcheng. I have heard that the Ruan Family also passes down classical learning through the generations, and that among them Ruan Dacheng even served as an official alongside Zuo Guangdou. I wonder — what is Squad Leader Pang's view of this man Ruan Dacheng?"

Pang Yu felt a stab of headache. It seemed that for anyone from Tongcheng, this Ruan Dacheng was simply unavoidable. He himself had been quite close with the man, and it appeared Zhang Guowei had caught some Wind of it. One wrong answer and he would be classified as part of the Eunuch Faction. But if he denied it completely, the likelihood of Zhang Guowei believing him was slim, and if Zhang Guowei possessed considerable information, he would also earn the label of a fence-sitter.

Three casual questions from Zhang Guowei — on the surface they said nothing, yet everything he wanted to say lay within the questions. Pang Yu found this mode of conversation deeply troubling, because the disparity in their status was too great. Zhang Guowei only had to ask; he himself stood on invincible ground and held the power to judge the effect of the exchange, while Pang Yu, with one misstep in his response, would tumble into a pit.

Pang Yu had no idea how much Zhang Guowei knew, but at this moment there was no room for evasion. After deliberating a moment, he said, "This humble one was appointed Two-Shift Squad Leader by His Honor, with the duty of Pacifying the Locality and protecting the region and its people. So long as the various great families obey the law and keep the peace, I treat them all equally. Local affairs often rely on the various families; where yamen administration faces difficulties, one must deal with every family — only thus can the tasks His Honor assigns be properly carried out. This humble one will speak honestly: even though the Ruan Family currently has no one at court, they are still not people a mere squad leader can afford to offend. When circumstances require dealings, one must remain courteous and polite. During the Civil Unrest and the bandit crisis, I had contact with Ruan Xiansheng. He was quite enthusiastic about urgent local matters, but beyond that my Knowledge is limited."

After speaking these words, Pang Yu kept his head down and waited for feedback. He had not evaluated Ruan Dacheng; he had mainly described his relationship with Ruan Dacheng as necessitated by local administration, requiring polite treatment, and thus he had some dealings with Ruan Dacheng, but all were work-related. If Zhang Guowei pressed further, Pang Yu could then gauge from the premise how much Zhang Guowei knew and respond more flexibly.

From what Pang Yu had learned beforehand, Zhang Guowei was not a man who exhaustively reasoned principles without broad learning. He was skilled in the study of Water Conservancy, which required constantly understanding and solving practical problems, and he had risen in officialdom to become the Yingtian Grand Coordinator — the most important grand coordinator in the realm. He must be sufficiently knowledgeable about both the court and the localities. So Pang Yu gambled that he would understand the difficulties of local yamen and thereby let the matter of Ruan Dacheng be smoothed over.

The Shield had been played. Pang Yu's mood grew tense again. Before his eyes, the little ant wandered lost in the crevice between the stone slabs, as though it had lost its Direction. The crisis was not yet past. If Zhang Guowei was not satisfied with the answer, there would be no next question — he would simply be driven away. Fortunately, Zhang Guowei's voice sounded again.

"Ruan Dacheng is indeed enthusiastic about local affairs. At the time of the Tongcheng Uprising, Pan Keda's unit in Chizhou lacked Mobilization Silver, and Ruan Dacheng donated one thousand three hundred taels of silver to the Anchi Military Defense Circuit, His Excellency Wang. What is Squad Leader Pang's view of this?"

Another enormous pit. This matter involved three people: Pan Keda, Wang Gongbi, and Ruan Dacheng. The most important was Wang Gongbi. Wang Gongbi was the Anchi Military Defense Circuit, the direct superior of Pi Yingju, and could also be considered Pang Yu's superior. How to evaluate Wang Gongbi — that was what Zhang Guowei wanted to hear.

Fortunately, Pang Yu had not just now launched into a torrent of abuse against Ruan Dacheng. Otherwise, if he had painted Ruan Dacheng as utterly contemptible and then was asked this question — with Wang Gongbi having taken Ruan Dacheng's silver — it would have been even harder to answer.

"This humble one has heard some rumors of this matter. I heard that His Excellency Wang immediately forwarded the donation he received to Pan Keda's unit, allowing the Chizhou Troops to mobilize and cross the river. That His Excellency Wang was unmoved in the face of such a vast sum shows his lofty Integrity — this humble one admires him beyond measure."

Zhang Guowei gave a light cough. Pang Yu's reply was extremely slippery — he spoke of things he had "heard," and all of it was praise. Yet at Pang Yu's level, he truly could not have had contact with Wang Gongbi; Zhang Guowei could hardly come out and ask how much Wang Gongbi had skimmed off.

"Then what is Squad Leader Pang's view of Pan Keda?"

This was the question Zhang Guowei considered the hardest to answer, because Pang Yu was to replace Pan Keda — which always implied Pan Keda had various shortcomings or problems. If Pang Yu attacked him all down the line, Zhang Guowei would then ask him how he would solve them.

Pang Yu, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The topic of Ruan Dacheng had finally come to an end, and the question about Pan Keda was the one he had prepared for most thoroughly. Fortunately, Ruan Dacheng had been in Nanjing only a short time; the Military Merits he boasted of had probably not yet reached Suzhou. If the Restoration Society scholars really did come to the Grand Coordinator Yamen to verify those merits, Zhang Guowei would learn of them, and once he asked about that, Pang Yu would be in an even more difficult position.

Pang Yu raised his head slightly. "In reply to Your Excellency, the Anqing Garrison Commander Pan Keda led troops into battle twice — once during the Civil Unrest and once during the bandit crisis. He is at the very least a commander who dares to fight."

A soft "Mm" came from above — Zhang Guowei had probably not expected Pang Yu to speak well of him, and on this point Zhang Guowei seemed to concur.

But Pang Yu's tone shifted. "However, the court maintains troops not merely to dare to fight, but to fight and win. In terms of practical utility, Pan Keda has failed the court's grave trust. During the Civil Unrest, his movements were sluggish, allowing the Rioters to withdraw at leisure to Yunji Temple. During the bandit crisis, he was defeated in a single battle — he could neither drive back the enemy nor check them, falling short of the court's purpose in maintaining troops. Furthermore, all that soldiers consume is the very fat and blood of the people; every bit comes from the common folk. A commander should have a heart that knows gratitude and seeks to repay it. Yet Pan Keda ate Empty Payroll and drank Blood Money. When crossing the river, he disrupted Huaining; where his troops were stationed, the common people fled from one another. The whole realm says, 'When the bandits come, it is bitter; when the soldiers come, it is bitter.' That the common people cannot become a source of strength for the government troops is the result of such vile conduct."

As expected, Zhang Guowei pressed further. "Squad Leader Pang has achieved great merit in two battles. You must have your own insights into military affairs. For such abuses, do you have a way to resolve them?"

The pain in Pang Yu's knees was bone-grinding, yet he could not show the slightest sign of it. He had been bracing his hands on the ground the entire time. By now the little ant had crawled beside his hand and was probing the index finger of his right hand with its antennae.

"A commander must first possess the Virtue of a commander — taking Zuo as his model, restraining himself and serving the public good, incorruptible and impartial. The first priority is to ensure that he himself does not drink Blood Money or eat Empty Payroll. Only when the rank-and-file soldiers receive their full pay can Military Law have any use. Only with law can soldiers form an army; only then can officers and men be worthy of the name. Second, a commander must lead from the front, making himself a model for the soldiers — only then will the soldiers have the will to fight. Third, a commander must know soldiering: know Drilling, know the disposition of troops, understand terrain, understand the timing of Heaven, and more importantly, comprehend the calculations of his superiors. Consider Pan Keda's post as Garrison Commander — why was it established in Anqing, and what purpose should it serve? These are all things a garrison commander ought to ponder repeatedly."

"Then tell me — what purpose should this Anqing Garrison Commander serve?"

"This humble one believes that the importance of Anqing does not lie primarily in the Prefectural City of Anqing, but in the entirety of Anqing's territory. This region, backed by mountains and facing the river, controls the hinterland water and land routes of several provinces. In terms of defending the Great River, the key lies in Huaining. In terms of defending Fengyang and Luzhou, the key lies in Tongcheng. In terms of defending the Jiangnan Ten Prefectures, the key lies in the advantage of the upper reaches — not only can one block the Roving Bandits from advancing east, but when the Roving Bandits invade from Henan, one can follow the current to relieve key points along the river. The Roving Bandits can travel a hundred li in a day, but a Water Army can travel three hundred li in a day. The Anqing Garrison Commander should be proficient in both water and land…"

Zhang Guowei's voice cut in: "Stand up and speak."

Pang Yu was slightly taken aback. At that moment, the little ant had already crawled onto his index finger. He kowtowed toward the dais, and taking advantage of the motion, raised his hand and braced it forward past that crevice. Startled, the little ant fled off his finger and thereby crossed that seam in the stone slab. It circled twice on the ground, found its Direction, and hurried swiftly forward.

Pang Yu waited until the little ant had left his finger, then endured the searing pain in his knees and stood up, his face revealing no hint of anything. Once he had straightened his body, Pang Yu raised his eyes slightly and for the first time saw Zhang Guowei's face, and those bright, keen eyes.

Zhang Guowei studied Pang Yu carefully for a few moments, and at last a faint smile appeared. "Just now you spoke of defending the Great River, defending Fengyang, defending the Jiangnan Ten Prefectures — all defensive. This official would like to hear: in terms of exterminating the Roving Bandits, what should be done?"