Chapter 157: Three Hundred Taels

"One who first observes and inquires into affairs, who persuades and then shares food, who is honest and magnanimous yet sparing of words, who distributes goods equitably — this is a Ten Generals. One who is keen and decisive, whose intent is stern and solemn, who rejects remonstrance, who frequently inflicts punishment and execution, whose punishments always draw blood, and who does not spare even his own kin — this is a Hundred Generals. One who delights in litigation and victory, who hates the enemy's encroachment, who punishes others by law, and who seeks to unify the multitude — this is a Thousand Generals. Third Brother, tell me, how many men's general does your old man count as?"

Pang Yu finished speaking, rubbed his eyes, and closed the scroll in his hand. On the cover were written the four characters "Wujing Zongyao."

The boat cabin swayed slightly. Pang Yu turned his gaze outside. On the bank, green willows were like mist, weeping branches touching the water. In the fields, farmers in bamboo hats were busy at work. The countryside was dotted with groves of bamboo. From somewhere unknown drifted the sound of a melodious flute. Bustling Suzhou was receding into the distance.

He had already received his Flag of Authority and set out on the return journey. Coming, he had traveled downstream, moving faster on the Great River. For the return trip, Mr. Ma had suggested he switch to a different route: from Taihu through Guxu Creek to Shijiu Lake, then from the Shijiu River north via the Yanzhi River, he could enter the Qinhuai River and go straight to Nanjing. This waterway had been dredged in the early Ming, making full use of the lakes and natural channels between Suzhou and Nanjing, bypassing the upstream section of the Great River. It had become the main route for boats traveling from Suzhou to Nanjing.

Pang Yu had thus rented a small boat, shaped like an oversized black-canopied boat. On board were only a husband and wife, and it had a single small sail. Normally it only did transport along the shores of Taihu; only if the price was high enough would it take the Nanjing route.

The water conditions along the way were calm and the scenery beautiful. Pang Yu was happy enough to relax for two days. This trip out had lasted over half a month, traveling back and forth across several places, covering a thousand li. Because he had gone out with a purpose to accomplish, it had lacked the relaxation of sightseeing. Fortunately, in the end, it was done, and his mood was far lighter than when he had come.

At this moment, the boat had not yet entered Taihu. A fine rain drifted down from the sky, and the entire field of view was a vast, hazy blur.

"Second Brother is surely a Ten Thousand Generals." He Xianya's voice came. He said ingratiatingly, "Back when we defended Tongcheng, Second Brother hadn't read these military texts, yet he arranged Tongcheng's several thousand Community Soldiers and Guards in perfect order. Didn't we fight well enough? Even the Eighth Bandit fled in panic."

Pang Yu laughed in spite of himself. "The Eighth Bandit didn't flee in panic. He just stopped fighting and withdrew. When we boast and brag to outsiders, we can use the brushwork of the Spring and Autumn Annals, but we ourselves must understand what really happened. We can't end up deceiving ourselves. I have to recognize clearly how much I'm worth. What I need to learn from others, I must learn with an open mind. Reading military texts has also benefited me greatly. Just now, the Wujing Zongyao spoke of the Hundred Generals: 'whose punishments always draw blood, and who does not spare even his own kin.' Last time I caught a few deserters and brought them back, when their Family Dependents pleaded for mercy, your old man's heart softened. In the end, I used the Whistle Staff and spared their lives. So that day at Zilai Bridge, when a Squad of the Zhuang Squad offered no resistance and truly fled in panic — by that standard, I'm not even the equal of a Hundred Generals right now."

He Xianya lowered his head, thought for a moment, then urged, "Second Brother holds this post of Garrison Commander, with five hundred Water Troops, and Commander Zhang has added another five hundred Land Troops — that makes you exactly a Thousand Generals. How could you be anything less than a Hundred Generals?"

"I'm not talking about the number of troops I lead. I'm talking about my ability."

"With Second Brother's talent, knowledge, and wisdom, in the future you will surely be a Ten Thousand Generals — no, a general of a hundred thousand or a million men. The Anqing Garrison Command is merely Second Brother's stepping stone."

Pang Yu knew it was flattery, but he did not rebuke He Xianya. "Then let's first do this Thousand Generals job well. We'll stop in Nanjing for a few days on the way. Once the Grand Coordinator Yamen has dismissed Pan Keda from his Garrison Commander post and he rolls back to Jiangnan, then we'll go take up the office. As for that bunch of troops he brought with him, let him take them all away. I don't want a single one."

"There will still be some clerks and the like left in the yamen."

"The Garrison Command is a General Officer's yamen, not a county yamen or Prefectural Office. Official documents don't come and go much to begin with. Clerks who are useful can stay. Anyone useless in the yamen, I don't want. I'd rather hire a few more craftsmen."

"Will that skilled craftsman Bao Yu come to Anqing?"

Pang Yu said confidently, "He will come."

"Often a promise made on the spur of the moment is forgotten once the moment passes. Or if business is good, it's deliberately forgotten."

"That's why I didn't give him the silver for the Bronze Cannon. Compared to spoken promises, silver is more reliable." Pang Yu stretched his arms, stood up, and walked to the front deck. Mist and rain blurred together over the lake. Though wind and rain brushed his face, it held a unique poetic charm.

He Xianya hurriedly followed behind. Guo Fengyou also wanted to come out, but the boat's deck was not wide. He Xianya blocked the way. Guo Fengyou said nothing, squeezed past him from behind, and went to stand by himself at one corner of the deck. He Xianya did not look back, nor did he show any displeasure.

"The Grand Coordinator Yamen gave him one hundred and fifty taels. I've already spoken to Commander Zhang about this matter. Since the cannon is being made for Anqing, I will settle the remaining silver. Bao Yu spent one hundred taels making the iron mold. Copper stock costs seven or eight fen of silver per catty. His cannon weighs over a thousand catties. Even though tin is added to the bronze, the copper alone must be at least seven or eight hundred catties — that's over sixty taels. Then there's the labor used, the ironwork for the cannonballs, the Gunpowder, the woodwork, and all the other miscellaneous costs, which add up to at least another fifty taels or so. If he doesn't come, he'll be out over sixty taels. And I've promised him another two hundred taels — that's the delivered price for transporting the Bronze Cannon and the iron mold to Sheng-Tang Ferry. If he improves the Carriage, add another hundred taels. The Telescope is separate. Tell me, will he come or not?"

"Then I'm afraid once he finishes the backlog of orders in hand, he'll have to come. These past two days we've been asking around — the price of Glasses is falling. Even though he's a skilled craftsman, one man can't produce that much. Earning several hundred taels isn't easy for him either."

Pang Yu rubbed his neck. "In the work of a hundred crafts, he insists on doing everything personally. The quality can be guaranteed, but that way he won't earn much money. The price I'm giving him — it's very hard for him to refuse."

"If this man does come, will he only be modifying the Bronze Cannon and the Telescope?"

"Arquebuses, cannons, blades — he can make all of them. Take this very cannon before us: over three hundred taels only covers his labor and raw material costs. The value of a man's learning isn't factored in. A man like this, who can make devices and also write books and establish theories — you won't lose out by keeping him." Pang Yu tilted his head toward the shore and happened to catch sight of a lively scene.

On the Official Road by the bank was a red bridal sedan chair. A man in red rode a horse at the front, followed by a group of wedding escorts also dressed in red. The most eye-catching was a person with a platter balanced on their head, walking at the very back of the procession. It was unclear what was being carried.

Pang Yu had recently seen a few Suzhou Welcoming the Bride processions. They didn't have the noisy clamor of drums and pipes he remembered, but they were still quite lively. To Pang Yu's eyes, the absence of that irritating suona sound made it all the more pleasant.

By now they were nearing the entrance to Taihu. Diagonally ahead, a red boat was also rowing toward the shore. The red boat's deck had two levels of cabins. Half of the upper level was an open terrace and pavilion. Around the boat hung exquisite lanterns decorated with cut-paper designs. It looked like a pleasure boat. The boat had no sail raised; instead, it hung a large signboard, with five characters written on it.

"Xiangfu xiatang qie." Pang Yu narrowed his eyes to read it, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Now that's advertising. Which prostitute has such nerve?"

He Xianya also looked carefully in that direction. On the forward deck were two figures, standing still and gazing at the wedding procession on shore.

The boatman behind them called out loudly, "Let me inform you, sir — this signboard is one of a kind. It's a girl from the Returning Home Court in Shengze Town. I hear she was cast out from some Grand Secretary's household. She used to often roam the lake, but later went elsewhere. I'm afraid it's been a year or two since this signboard was last seen. No telling when she came back. I hear that when she was at the Returning Home Court, it cost at least a hundred taels of silver just to see this girl once."

"What sort of place is Shengze Town, that it's so expensive?" Pang Yu said with keen interest. "Far pricier than the girls at Mochou Lake in Nanjing. At Mochou Lake, a hundred taels of silver is more than enough to host a gathering. In Shengze Town, it only gets you one meeting."

The boatman said eagerly, "Shengze Town is a gold-draining den to begin with. Many Prefectural Cities can't even compare. There are plenty of people there who can put up a hundred taels of silver, and even with silver, you might not get to see her. They say a silk merchant once went and offered three hundred taels, and still didn't get to see her."

Pang Yu said in surprise, "If even you know this story, you can see how good this girl is at driving up her own price. Impressive, impressive. Since she's so valuable, running around the lake like this, isn't she afraid of being kidnapped and sold off by water bandits or River Bandits?"

Both the boatman and his wife laughed. The boatman's wife said with a smile, "The honored guest speaks amusingly, but the area around Taihu is the safest. On the south side of Taihu, night boats are everywhere. I've never heard of anyone being robbed and sold by water bandits. Further north, though, it won't do — few dare to run night boats there. This lake is full of pleasure boats and boat-women. This girl's pleasure boat is perfectly safe."

Pang Yu touched his chin. "So that's how it is. Three hundred taels — the price of one Bronze Cannon just to see her once. Could this woman really be a fairy transformed?"

He Xianya lowered his voice and said, "Seco… My lord, would you like to see that xiatang qie? No need for three hundred taels — ten taels of silver at most."

Pang Yu found He Xianya's awkward correction of address inwardly amusing, but he kept his expression calm. "You have a method?"

He Xianya gave a dark grin and turned his gaze toward the boatman rowing at the stern.

……

Bang! With a loud crash, the large black-canopied boat rammed heavily into the side of the red boat. Inside the cabin, Xu Lengzi's snoring came to an abrupt halt.

The red boat rocked violently. A chorus of shrieks came from aboard, and then seven or eight heads popped out from various spots on the boat to look.

"Second Brother, look quickly… which one is the three-hundred-tael one?" He Xianya's eyes darted wildly. The heads belonged to both men and women, and they looked to be either boat hands or maidservants.

The large black-canopied boat had lost its momentum and was pressed up against the side of the pleasure boat. Its hull was rocking far more violently than the larger vessel. Pang Yu had to grip the edge of the canopy just to stay on his feet. He couldn't tell which one was the three-hundred-tael either. Even Guo Fengyou, who rarely looked around, couldn't help scrutinizing them carefully, feeling as if a single glance had just earned him three hundred taels.

At the bow, a woman in a white, narrow-sleeved long dress scolded, "How do you run a boat, boatman? A lake this vast, and you don't steer clear — you have to ram right into a lady's boat."

While looking around wildly, He Xianya shot back casually, "Clearly you were barreling around recklessly with your big boat and rammed our little boat. Hurry up and pay us silver for it."

The woman put her hands on her hips and said shrilly, "You scoundrel, you dare blame the victim first! Our boat was slowing down to dock. You tell me how a side panel rams into your bow."

"It was the side panel that rammed us. I haven't even asked you how you managed to ram it."

The woman's almond eyes went wide. "Where did this roving Riffraff come from! Yang Bangtou, tie up their boat!"

Guo Fengyou immediately shifted his gaze to the woman, his hand gripping the hilt of his Waist Saber.

The woman pointed a finger at Guo Fengyou. "You ram someone else's boat, and you still dare to reach for a sword? Suzhou is not a place for you to run wild!"

"Red, do not quarrel with people." A soft female voice came from behind on the deck. "Check if the hull is damaged. If not, let them go."

Pang Yu and his companions all sensed at the same moment: this voice was the three-hundred-tael one.

A figure in an emerald-green long dress slowly came to the gunwale. On her head she wore a delicate, small bamboo hat. A thin white gauze veil hung down from the brim, just obscuring her face.