Chapter 155: Prospects

Pang Yu answered without hesitation, "The roving bandits' advantage lies in their high speed and unpredictable movements. To speak of annihilating them, Anqing alone cannot accomplish it, yet Anqing is indeed the place to destroy them. Every region under heaven has its own terrain; what this humble one knows a little of is only the vicinity of Anqing. This place has mountains at its back and faces the river, already blocking two sides. Whether the bandits come from Huguang or Nanzhili, once their movement is checked at Anqing, they lose passage on three sides and can only turn back the way they came. Their room to maneuver shrinks drastically, and they become traceable. If a great imperial army pursues them from behind, and Anqing's forces then seal the mountain paths at places like Huangmei and Qianshan, the bandits will be encircled in the narrow strip between the Great River and Yinghuo Mountain. This whole area is crisscrossed by hills and rugged terrain, unfavorable for bandit cavalry operations. The only decent road is the official road running through Huangmei, Taihu, Qianshan, and Tongcheng; all other routes slow marching speed to a crawl. Block the official road to reduce their speed, and the government troops will have no trouble dealing with them. Thus Anqing is both my homeland and the vital point for extinguishing the bandits. The bandits may not contest this strategic ground, but the court cannot afford not to. Anqing truly needs a force capable of fighting."

Zhang Guowei gave a thoughtful hum, as if taking Pang Yu's words to heart. "If they come from Huangmei, it is true that mountains and river can block two sides. But if the bandits come from Luzhou Prefecture and are checked at Anqing, they need not necessarily turn back. Going north through North Gorge Pass, or east toward Wuwei Subprefecture and Hezhou — those are not return paths either. Which do you think the bandits would take, east or north?"

This was no longer a question about Anqing, and it exceeded Zhang Guowei's defense jurisdiction. What Zhang Guowei was asking was the sort of problem a Supreme Commander or Grand Coordinator should worry about.

Pang Yu thought briefly. If the bandits went east, the opposite bank of the river along their route would be the jurisdiction of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator. Although the bandits had never crossed the Great River, they had once crossed the Yellow River at Mianchi, after which the Central Plains had been laid waste. No one could guarantee the bandits would not cross the Yangtze. Going north meant returning to Henan, a region the bandits knew like the back of their hand — nothing much to discuss there. In Zhang Guowei's question, concern about the eastward possibility was the greater likelihood.

"This humble one believes the bandits' movements serve two purposes: first, to evade pursuit by government troops; second, to obtain what they need for survival while on the move. With government troops always chasing behind them, the chance of them turning back the way they came is very slim, nor would it be easy to obtain supplies to feed their horde. That leaves only the eastern direction, passing through Hezhou toward Yangzhou. This direction is dense with ponds and lakes, crisscrossed by rivers, with the Yangtze and the Grand Canal blocking the way. In that case, with routes south and east cut off, they could only go north again. As long as the court dispatches a great army in time, it would be entirely possible to seal the bandits within the Fengyang and Yangzhou area, and then their destruction could be expected."

Pang Yu finished in one breath. Fortunately, he had seen plenty of navigation charts before, so he knew the general terrain. During this boat journey he had been asking questions all along the way, blending what he had learned about the riverine conditions into his answer. Whether it was actually correct, he had no idea.

Zhang Guowei looked at Pang Yu. "A moment ago you said that, in terms of protecting the Jiangnan Ten Prefectures, Anqing's troops could sail downstream along the river to provide relief. Is that your plan for dealing with the bandits moving east?"

Pang Yu could now be certain that Zhang Guowei's primary concern was still protecting his own jurisdiction. Anqing was important to him, but the Jiangnan Nine Prefectures were even more so, especially since they included Nanjing. One only had to look at Yang Yipeng's fate to understand: Anqing was a critical place, but Nanjing was a place that could cost you your life.

Zhang Guowei's priorities were now crystal clear. Pang Yu rapidly reviewed everything in his mind and replied with composure, "As Your Excellency says, it is to prepare for the bandits moving east. Anqing's forces should not fix their gaze solely on Anqing, but should first and foremost ensure Your Excellency's strategic plans. Jiangnan is a hundred times more important than Anqing. Once it is confirmed the bandits are advancing east, the Anqing Garrison Commander should sail downstream to provide support. In the high-water season, boat speed can reach four hundred li a day; in the dry season, around one hundred fifty li — several times the bandits' marching speed. On the river, the first priority is to patrol the area around where Chaohu enters the river. If there is no alarm at Chaohu, then immediately proceed east. After patrolling Hezhou, land and set up defenses in the Jiangpu area to ensure the safety of Nanzhili."

After speaking, Pang Yu stole a glance up at Zhang Guowei. Chaohu lay within Chao County's borders. In terms of Jiangnan, Chaohu's importance far exceeded Chao County's, because warships could be assembled in the lake and then sortie directly into the river to strike at Jiangnan. Pang Yu had once heard Ruan Dacheng mutter twice about the strategic points on the Yangtze; at the time he had just listened for the excitement, but now it all came in handy.

Jiangpu County was another place within the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's jurisdiction that lay isolated north of the river. Under the Ming Dynasty's deliberate policy of interlocking administrative territories to keep each other in check, Jiangpu County was assigned to Yingtian Prefecture, driving a wedge into the Fengyang Governor's jurisdiction so that the Yangtze's natural barrier would not be monopolized by any single jurisdiction.

But by the same token, Jiangpu had thus become a weak point. Moreover, though the place was not large, it had been a Yangtze ferry crossing since ancient times. Not far across the river lay Nanjing. The wealthiest region of Jiangnan in the entire Ming Dynasty was all in this area. If the bandits seized Jiangpu, they would directly threaten Nanjing. Even if the bandits did not cross the river, the political impact would be immense.

As Pang Yu now reflected, Anqing was already broken and ruined. Perhaps in Zhang Guowei's mind, Jiangpu's importance had already surpassed Anqing's. If the Anqing Garrison Commander could both secure Anqing and relieve Jiangpu, then for Zhang Guowei that would be a condition he could not refuse.

Sure enough, after a moment's pause, Zhang Guowei said in a mild tone, "Your ability to earn military merits twice is no fluke. You do have some insights that set you apart from ordinary men. But can this truly quell the roving bandits?"

"What this humble one spoke of was only destroying the visible bandits, not the unseen bandits. Those called bandits were once common people too. In times of peace and prosperity, there were evildoers, but no roving bandits. Today the realm's roving bandits number in the millions — how could there be so many wicked people? At the root, it is because the common people have nowhere to seek a living. Destroy the visible bandits, and new bandits will appear in the realm. For a time they cannot be exterminated completely. Destroying the visible bandits is easy; destroying the unseen bandits is hard."

Zhang Guowei looked at Pang Yu with keen interest, seeming somewhat surprised that a squad leader could say such things. "Then what does Squad Leader Pang think must be done to exterminate the unseen bandits?"

"That is not something a military man like this humble one can resolve. It requires upright and loyal ministers such as Your Excellency to preside over the court, purge the court of treacherous sycophants, let the court rectify its roots and purify its source, correct men's hearts and firm up the foundation. When the court is filled with the upright, then the realm will naturally be as clear as the seas and as calm as the rivers, and only then can those unseen bandits be destroyed."

After speaking, Pang Yu lowered his head and waited. This passage was actually what he had heard Yang Weiyuan use to curse the Donglin Party. After Chongzhen ascended the throne, the Donglin Party had "filled the court with the upright," yet the Tartars had breached the Great Wall for the first time. Yang Weiyuan's original intent had been sarcasm; Pang Yu borrowed it and applied it flexibly, delivering a subtly veiled flattery. These words, even more than his earlier answer that took a clear stance, were better suited to echo Zhang Guowei's own sentiments.

Zhang Guowei looked at Pang Yu and nodded slightly, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "A mere squad leader from the Tongcheng county yamen, yet possessing such insight — truly rare and commendable. No wonder Pi Yingju and Yang Erming both praise you without end."

Pang Yu bowed again. "This humble one has come this far in his path only through the support of superiors, and only thus been able to achieve some modest merits. But tracing back to the source, it is the grace of superiors who recognized and employed me that allowed this humble one to put his meager talents to use. Whether Lord Pi or Lord Yang, both are benefactors to this subordinate. This humble one will never forget it, to the end of his days."

Zhang Guowei smiled again, his manner far more amiable than at the start. He stood up and said, "Squad Leader Pang has come a long way and must be weary. Now that you are in Suzhou, you may tour the sights and broaden your knowledge."

Pang Yu knew the conversation was over. Zhang Guowei had not asked a single thing about drilling troops or military operations — perhaps because Pang Yu's battle record was so impressive, he felt there was no need.

"This humble one thanks the Grand Coordinator for taking time from his busy schedule to grant an audience. This humble one takes his leave."

Pang Yu backed away a few steps, only turning around to exit when he reached the door.

Zhang Guowei, however, remained standing where he was. After Pang Yu had departed into the distance, he turned to Mr. Ma and asked, "Mr. Ma, what do you think of what he said?"

Mr. Ma seemed long accustomed to this mode of conversation with him and answered without much thought, "Much empty talk, but some substance as well. At the very least, he hit upon the intended purpose of establishing the Anqing Garrison Commander post. If he can indeed provide riverine support, it would greatly benefit the defense of the river."

"Does Mr. Ma believe what he said today was the truth?"

Mr. Ma lowered his head. "This subordinate truly does not know whether to believe it or not."

Zhang Guowei said softly, "Even when one believes a person's words, one may not have believed correctly. Can the words of some within the Donglin faction be trusted for certain? For some words, whether they are true or not is not important; what matters is simply that he must say them."

Mr. Ma echoed, "That talk of 'the court filled with the upright' and such — if it came from Pi Yingju or Yang Erming, it would hardly be surprising. But from a yamen runner, it is somewhat peculiar."

"If the court's affairs could be resolved merely by 'filling the court with the upright,' that would be easy indeed." Zhang Guowei took two steps and stopped. "He knows I am of the Donglin line, so his words all favored Donglin — a bit too obvious in their traces. Still, what he said about destroying the visible bandits and the unseen bandits shows some real insight, far better than those scholars who prattle on about military treatises. For a youth, it is already asking much of him. His future prospects are hard to measure."

Mr. Ma understood that Zhang Guowei had already made his decision and probed, "Shall we have this young squad leader wait in Suzhou…"

Zhang Guowei slowly stood up, turned, and walked toward the rear hall. "It is not easy for a young man to strive for a future. Have the Central Military Office handle it promptly."