Chapter 160: The Return Journey

"Jingle-jingle, jingle-jingle."

The carriage's harness bells echoed along the official road. The sun had already shifted west, but it was still somewhat scorching. The groom squinted his eyes, sitting lazily on the driver's seat, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe as he shook his head at the two figures walking ahead.

Normally when hired, the driver would walk alongside to ease the burden on the animal, but this young master had paid for the cart yet left only one person riding while the other two walked most of the time, so the driver got to stay seated — a relatively easy job.

That young-master type had a waist saber hanging at his hip and carried a pack on his back, heavy-looking, though what valuables were inside was unclear. But if they were valuables, putting them on the cart would be safer and easier, so why walk?

What was especially strange was that the two men were each carrying a long bamboo pole. This kind of mao bamboo was everywhere in the Jiangbei region, especially abundant in Anqing — there was certainly no shortage of it, and this bamboo might even have been shipped downstream from Anqing. The driver could not fathom it no matter how hard he thought: what use could two men possibly have for such utterly unremarkable mao bamboo, hauling it all the way from Hezhou to Anqing?

"There's something special inside that bamboo." The driver tapped his pipe stem twice against the carriage frame, shaking loose a cluster of sparks. "Not putting it on the cart — let's see how long you can keep lugging it."

Up ahead, Pang Yu truly was struggling to keep carrying it. Though it was still the fourth month by the lunar calendar, Hezhou lay beside the Great River, the air heavy with humidity, and sweat poured off Pang Yu like rain.

On the return journey there were no other waterways to take. Traveling upstream against the current on the Great River was far too slow, and since Pang Yu had no bulk cargo, he had chosen the overland route.

The overland route from Nanjing to Anqing crossed the river at Jiangning Town and Caishi Post, then followed the official road through Hezhou, Hanshan, Chao County, Luzhou Prefecture, Shucheng, and Tongcheng. Pang Yu did not have much luggage and planned not to follow the official road the entire way; at Chao County he could turn toward Wuwei Department, avoiding the detour up to Luzhou Prefecture.

Because of the reckless promises he had made to Zhang Guowei, Pang Yu had been forced to make a special trip ashore at Jiangpu to inspect this county town isolated north of the river. Outside Jiangpu's walls it was as bustling as Nanjing, but the city itself was surprisingly small, and the city walls were not high enough. Pang Yu seriously doubted how long Jiangpu could hold out if the roving bandits truly assaulted the city. After all, both Lujiang and Chao County had city walls, and neither had lasted three days. Even Luzhou Prefecture, with its high walls and deep moats, had nearly been taken — defending a tiny place like Jiangpu would absolutely require regular troops.

Fortunately, there were signs of reinforcement on Jiangpu's city walls, and some civilian laborers were still at work. Soldiers and yamen runners stood guard at the gate, showing that Jiangpu had made some preparations, which set Pang Yu's mind slightly at ease.

Zhang Guowei had not disclosed Nanjing's defensive deployment to him. Pang Yu had no idea how many troops would defend the river, nor how many could be used for mobile operations. On this point, Pang Yu felt Zhang Guowei was somewhat remiss — he should at least have briefed him on the overall troop disposition and contingency plans for the jurisdiction.

Perhaps out of the sense of superiority common to civil officials, Zhang Guowei maintained an inscrutable image, but it left a subordinate like Pang Yu completely in the dark about the overall defensive strategy.

After leaving Jiangpu, the three of them had rented a horse cart to haul the luggage. On the second day, Pang Yu began marching under load, only riding on the cart when they needed to hurry on to find an inn.

Today they had reached Hezhou. Compared to the first day, Pang Yu's stamina had declined somewhat, but they had still covered fifty li today.

Pang Yu stopped, pulled out a gourd, and poured some water into his mouth. Guo Fengyou, following behind, looked to be in somewhat better shape. This Guo Fengyou had still been injured during the Spring Festival; though it was not a vital area, he had lost quite a bit of blood at the time. Now, only three months later, he was undertaking a long march. Back when Pang Yu had injured his shoulder at Yunji Temple, it had taken four months to heal. Clearly, Guo Fengyou's recovery ability was stronger — a physical constitution that Pang Yu rather envied.

Pang Yu had not made him carry a load, but Guo Fengyou had insisted on taking one of the long bamboo poles. He had just drunk some water and now propped the pole on the ground, pulling out a piece of dry rations to eat.

Guo Fengyou looked at Pang Yu and asked, "Sir, why have you brought these things? At this pace, it's still over three hundred li from Hezhou to Tongcheng — at least seven or eight more days on the road. Don't wear yourself out, sir."

Pang Yu pulled out a piece of shayong, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and said indistinctly, "It's faster than taking a boat. Since we could only use a horse cart anyway, I decided to test the speed of marching under load."

"Is this bamboo pole meant to stand in for a long spear?"

Pang Yu nodded. "Exactly — a long spear. The military texts all say the long spear is foremost. The spear is something you absolutely must use."

"Let this humble one carry that pack of things. Even if you lead troops in the future, sir, you won't be marching with a heap of gear on your own back."

"I want to experience what the common soldier feels. This trip is a perfect chance to test the sustained marching capability of infantry, so I can set standards later. Equipment and load weight both have to be set according to those standards. If you carry it for me, I won't be able to gauge the difficulty. Some things you have to do yourself to truly put yourself in their shoes." As he spoke, he reached back and patted the pack behind him. "The bricks in this pack weigh thirty jin. They dig into my back a bit. Tonight, when we reach the inn, find a few pieces of cloth and add some padding where it presses against my back."

Guo Fengyou said quickly, "This humble one will remember."

Pang Yu rubbed his shoulder. "Note one more thing. When we get back, ask the shop that makes mesh boots whether they can add iron mesh to the bottom of the pack frame, so the back can bear part of the weight instead of it all hanging from the shoulders. And this damn bamboo pole — it looks light, but carrying it for a long time is also a strain. Got to think of something for that too."

Guo Fengyou said with admiration, "Sir, you haven't even taken up your post yet, but in this humble one's eyes, you already seem more like a military officer than those general officers passing through."

Pang Yu smiled. "Naturally I should seem more like one. They can only be military men — I want to be a military man. The goal is different, so the thought I put into it is different, and I can't be afraid of hardship. Nothing in this world is easy."

Having said this, he glanced around. The city was already visible in the nearby area. Hezhou was also a riverside region; the land along the river was fertile, and the official road was busy with carts, horses, and travelers. One could see that the common people were generally quite well-off — just as Tongcheng had once been.

Guo Fengyou seemed to know what Pang Yu was thinking and said tentatively, "Hezhou also has many lakes and ponds, but this official road is very good. I wonder if the roving bandits will come here."

"That's why walking brings many benefits — some things you miss when you're sitting on a cart." Pang Yu pointed at the city of Hezhou. "Not just Jiangpu — Hezhou also has a ferry crossing. In terms of river defense, Hezhou must be defended as well. Most importantly, the roving bandits need supplies to survive. If they have a choice, they won't take old routes, because the areas around old routes can't recover production in the short term, and they won't be able to loot enough. So this whole line from Luzhou to Hezhou, Wuwei Department, Hanshan, Jiangpu, and Yangzhou is actually more dangerous than the area near Anqing."

Guo Fengyou nodded. "Does sir intend to save these places?"

Pang Yu sighed. To get himself an official post, he had boasted extravagantly to Zhang Guowei. Even if it was just for show, he had to provide support along the river. Of course, if he could produce real results, Zhang Guowei would naturally give him even greater benefits.

Pang Yu hoisted the bamboo pole onto his shoulder. "Let's go."

……

Nine days later, Pang Yu, now dark and thin, finally stood before Dongzuo Gate in Tongcheng. Amid the broken walls and rubble outside the city, some roof beams had already been re-erected in places, with civilian laborers laying tiles or thatch on top. A long row of reed mats was laid out by the roadside — no need to ask, they were from Zongyang. Zongyang's reeds grew thick and lush, and the locals made large quantities of reed mats to sell every year. This year Tongcheng had suffered disaster, and many households had lost their belongings. With the weather about to turn hot, the reed mat business ought to be doing well.

Zilai Bridge remained as it always had been, the water gurgling beneath it. Pang Yu felt an inexplicable sense that the place remained but the people had changed.

"Sir, your shoes."

Guo Fengyou, behind him, handed over a new pair of shoes. Pang Yu looked down: his Songjiang shoes had two holes worn through them, even his big toe was visible, and the uppers were caked in mud — it truly looked somewhat unsightly. It was rare for Guo Fengyou to be so attentive.

The road from Wuwei Department to Lujiang had no bluestone slabs; the slightest rain turned it into a morass of mud, making travel by carriage frame extremely difficult. Traveling merchants hauling goods generally did not take this road.

"These Songjiang shoes are comfortable to wear, but I'm afraid they're not suited for marching." Pang Yu muttered this to himself, then casually sat down by the roadside and carefully removed his shoes and socks. The socks were filthy, with faint, blurred traces of blood.

Pang Yu examined the blood blisters on the soles of his feet. He had been careful along the way to arrange rest stops, had bought seven pairs of socks to change and keep his feet dry, and the shoes fit perfectly. He had held out until the dirt roads of Lujiang County before his feet got rubbed raw, and from Lujiang he had walked a full three days.

As he crossed Zilai Bridge, commoners on the road began to recognize the now-thinner Pang Squad Leader, stirring a commotion. People nearby all gathered around, greeting him warmly.

Pang Yu smiled and cupped his hands in salute as he limped toward the city. The runners guarding the gate saw this and immediately went to notify the two shifts inside the city.

Soon someone noticed Pang Yu's difficulty moving. A driver cleared out an ox cart and conveyed Pang Squad Leader toward the yamen; Pang Yu thanked him repeatedly. Quite a few idle commoners followed behind the cart, as if holding a welcome parade. Guo Fengyou walked beside the ox cart, following quietly and unobtrusively.

The shopkeepers along Dongzuo Gate Street all stepped out into the street, one after another bowing to Pang Yu with clasped hands in greeting. Having not seen the celebrated Pang Squad Leader for a month, they seemed even more enthusiastic than before he had left.

The ox cart moved slowly, and along the way many more people gathered to watch the squad leader. By the time Pang Yu reached the county yamen, Pang Ding had already rushed over from the Ye Family Old Residence upon hearing the news.

Several men from the Fast Squad came out the main gate and carefully helped Pang Yu down from the cart.

"Young master." Pang Ding hurried over at once, his expression somewhat emotional.

Pang Yu patted him on the shoulder and asked, "How many guards have you recruited?"

"Over three hundred men now, all recruited according to young master's requirements. Most have completed the standing-still training." After saying this, Pang Ding furrowed his brow.

Pang Yu glanced around. "If there's something, just say it."

Pang Ding rose slightly on his toes and leaned close to Pang Yu's ear. "The matter of Yunji Temple has been leaked."

Pang Yu narrowed his eyes. Only four people knew about the Yunji Temple affair. He Xianya was in Nanjing; the only ones left were Pang Ding and Jiao Guozha.

"What information was leaked?"

"There are rumors in the city that young master took fifty thousand taels of silver — they've even mentioned the cesspit. The Fast Squad traced it... it came from that group around Liu Xiucai."

"Understood." Pang Yu brushed off his green robe. "I'll go see His Honor first, then we'll talk."