Chapter 171: The Clerk

"Your subordinate Jiao Guozha, from the day I enter the camp, shall strictly obey Lord Pang's commands, willingly submit to military law, and for any transgression, willingly accept punishment under military law. I shall also supervise my squad to obey the law and train diligently, ensuring none are lazy, cowardly, whoring or gambling, committing misdeeds, deserting, or substituting, and for any offender I willingly share the same punishment under the mutual responsibility system..."

A bang cut off the clerk's recitation. The clerk recoiled a step in fright, staring in alarm at Jiao Guozha before him. Wu Dacai was startled too; he had no idea what the clerk had done to provoke Lord Jiao.

"I'm the Camp Commandant of the Central Army, I don't have any squads under me! And as for those grunts breaking military law, I'm supposed to share their punishment? I'll share your mother!"

Jiao Guozha strode over and slapped the clerk twice across the face. The clerk dared not flee, only covering his head and taking it.

Only after Jiao Guozha finished hitting him did the clerk, face crumpled with misery, say, "Lord Jiao, for your discernment — this is the model jiezhuang set by Lord Pang. He clearly stated only the name could be changed. Every Centurion and Team Leader who came to me to have it written did it this way. It's not that I wanted to make you do this, my lord."

"I'm not one of those Centurions or Team Leaders! Who wants to write it the same as them? Who told you to write it for me?" Jiao Guozha kicked him.

Wu Dacai saw the clerk was about to cry. He had spent several days with this clerk in the Central Army. The clerk was careful and deferential in every way, sometimes weeping a few times alone. He looked over forty, yet was often beaten and cursed by Jiao Guozha, a superior in his twenties. Wu Dacai couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. But Wu Dacai dared not intervene, because from the two days he had followed Jiao Guozha, this superior's temper was not particularly good, and he might easily get himself dragged in too.

From outside came a burst of work chants, and the booming sound of footsteps entered the compound. Wu Dacai knew it was the War Soldiers returning to camp. Their daily drill at the Dajiaochang outside the Zongyang Gate wasn't the end of it — they had to run three li north, then enter the city through the north gate, and return to camp via Shizijiekou. Only then was the day's training over. Back at the barracks they had to wash up, and after dinner they had to tidy their quarters. Only before bed could they drink a little wine — that was the most relaxed moment of the day.

Here in the Garrison Command compound, things were much easier. There were some handpicked Personal Soldiers, some of them strong, some literate and clever. Every morning they practiced formations, and in the afternoon this clerk guided them in learning to read and write. Because Wu Dacai followed Jiao Guozha, he had it even easier than those Personal Soldiers. Compared to life in the military camp, putting up with a bit of Jiao Guozha's bad temper was nothing.

The clerk said, trembling, "My lord, for your discernment — today is the final day set by military order for the jiezhuang. Everyone from Squad Leader and above must submit one. Everyone else has already submitted. For you alone not to submit is not quite proper. I was only thinking of your interests, my lord."

Jiao Guozha glared fiercely at him, was silent a moment, then cursed, "This second brother of mine, always with his jiezhuang and military laws — nothing but useless nonsense."

Wu Dacai stole a glance at Jiao Guozha and saw his face full of fury.

"What damn use are these things? Not dealing with the real business of eating empty payrolls — what the hell kind of grunts is that?" Jiao Guozha slammed the table. "Just go hand in that damn thing."

The clerk, trembling with fear, spread the petition open on the desk, weighed it down with a paperweight, then presented the inkpad case and said, "My lord, you still need to press a thumbprint."

Jiao Guozha, seething with rage, pressed his thumbprint, then in one motion grabbed the inkpad case and hurled it violently to the ground. The case shattered with a crack, a splatter of red bursting across the floor.

Having vented his temper, Jiao Guozha strode toward the door. Wu Dacai hurried to follow. Without looking back, Jiao Guozha threw out a line: "No one follow me."

Wu Dacai had no choice but to stop. He watched Jiao Guozha stride out of the Garrison Command compound.

From behind came a sound of sobbing. Wu Dacai turned back and saw the clerk squatting on the floor crying. He hurried over to console him. "Mr. Hou, don't take it to heart."

He saw the clerk staring at the red seal on the floor and recalled that the Central Army had only this one clerk, who spent all day going back and forth at Lord Pang's place. Perhaps in the future he might put in a good word for him too.

Clerk Hou wiped his tears. "This fine oil-blended cinnabar inkpad — it's all bought with silver. What a terrible waste."

Wu Dacai knew the clerk wasn't really crying over the inkpad, but didn't expose it. "Just say it spilled and go buy more."

As he spoke, he helped pick up the fragments of the inkpad case from the floor. Clerk Hou looked at him twice and said, "Of course we'll buy more, but the silver — Lord Pang's silver doesn't come easily either."

With that, Clerk Hou simply sat down on the floor, tears streaming down again. He looked at Wu Dacai, shook his head, and wept, "Nothing comes easy."

"Yes, nothing comes easy." Seeing Clerk Hou's vacant eyes, Wu Dacai quickly stopped what he was doing and echoed him.

"I, Hou, am forty-one this year. I was a clerk at the Susong County Office workshop. If the Roving Bandits hadn't come, I'd be holding my grandson this month." Clerk Hou's lips trembled. "When the Roving Bandits came, I was away on official business at the Prefectural Office. I escaped that death calamity, but I couldn't escape this living calamity!"

Clerk Hou's face was ashen. He stared blankly at Wu Dacai, and for a moment Wu Dacai didn't know what to say either.

"A living calamity. The house burned down, the whole family gone. I couldn't find any laborers in the whole city. I buried them with my own hands — six pits, seven people." Clerk Hou began to weep in choked, heaving sobs, unable to go on for a moment.

Listening, Wu Dacai felt like crying too. His own village had its houses burned to the ground, his youngest son gone missing. With no way out, he had joined the Zhuang Squad. But this Clerk Hou had lost seven people. He understood Clerk Hou's despair all too well.

After a long while, Clerk Hou said through tear-blurred eyes, "There was no way to survive in Susong, so I came here and applied for the clerk position at the Garrison Command. Look at this life I'm living. I'd have been better off going cleanly with them that day."

Wu Dacai patted Clerk Hou on the shoulder. "Mr. Hou, you mustn't think like that. If you had gone with them, your family would have had no one to bury them. Who would give them incense offerings on the holidays? Besides, you still need to carry on the Hou family's incense in the future, don't you?"

Clerk Hou stared at Wu Dacai blankly for a moment, then said, "That's true enough."

Wu Dacai helped him to his feet. Clerk Hou wiped away his tears and looked at the jiezhuang on the desk. "This petition is supposed to be handed in by the General Officer himself, and he has to read it aloud at the evening assembly. Lord Jiao definitely won't be back tonight, and today is the last day. What am I to do? If Lord Pang blames me for this, I'll lose this clerk post too..."

Wu Dacai looked at the despairing Clerk Hou. From somewhere, a surge of courage rose in him. He snatched up the petition. "I'll go hand it in to Lord Pang."

In the Second Hall of the Garrison Command, Lord Pang was seated in the place of honor. Pang Ding sat to his right, and to his left sat a man Wu Dacai didn't recognize.

Seeing someone approach, Pang Yu stopped speaking and asked, "What is it?"

Wu Dacai kept his head down, went up, and announced himself. Pang Yu reached out and took the petition. After reading it through, he looked up and asked Wu Dacai, "Why didn't Bazong Jiao come to hand this in himself?"

"Bazong Jiao went to see Chen Bazong of the Water Camp." Wu Dacai's heart was pounding hard. He quickly lowered his head and said, "He said it was arranged by you, my lord."

Pang Yu neither confirmed nor denied it. He looked at the petition again. "Is the thumbprint his own?"

"It was indeed the Bazong who pressed it himself."

After speaking, Wu Dacai stole a glance at Pang Yu. Lord Pang's expression was calm, and Wu Dacai's heart eased a little.

Pang Yu put the petition away and said gently to Wu Dacai, "You are Wu Dacai. You joined the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad after the new year, and were previously in the First Bureau."

"Yes, I'm honored that my lord remembers my humble name."

"Have you gotten used to things since coming to the Central Army?"

Wu Dacai hurriedly said, "I've gotten used to it. I can even learn to read with Clerk Hou every day."

Pang Yu nodded. "The War Soldiers have the War Soldiers's hardships, and the Central Army has the Central Army's difficulties. Learning more things is always good. In this army, there are plenty of prospects for the future."

"I will certainly work hard."

Then he heard Pang Yu say, "I've accepted the petition. You may go now."

Wu Dacai let out a breath of relief and quickly withdrew from the Second Hall.

Pang Yu casually handed the petition to Pang Ding. Pang Ding took it and went to the side room next door, which was where the Garrison Command stored its documents.

When Pang Ding returned to the hall, Pang Yu turned toward Jiang Fan on his left and asked, "You said earlier that the new Susong County Magistrate has already taken up his post. Then Chen Ten Prefectures should be returning to the Prefectural City very soon."

Jiang Fan nodded. "He should arrive tomorrow. I learned at the Prefectural Office that both Pi Yingju and Chen Ten Prefectures must be present to honor the gods at the Tribute Transport Opening."

"After the Tribute Transport Opening, most of the Water Camp's boats will be away. The Caoding and Caotou of the Anqing Guard will also need to hire boats, and many porters will be taken on as boatmen." Pang Yu mused, "Based on past years, they won't start returning until at least the tenth month. During these intervening months, the forces on the docks will be weak. We must use these months to fully control the docks."

Jiang Fan immediately continued, "There is just one remaining obstacle — the Anqing Water Camp. This Water Camp is a world of its own. Even the previous Pan Keda couldn't interfere. They all answer to Chen Bazong. If the Water Camp is emptied after the Tribute Transport Opening, we could deal with that Chen Bazong... and when the Water Camp returns in the tenth month, it will be a scattered mess."

Pang Yu narrowed his eyes. "Chen Bazong is Wang Gongbi's trusted man. It can only be done in secret. Aside from the Water Camp, what of the others?"

"Once the grain transport ships have all set out, only the Canal Gang and the brokerages will remain on the docks. I have already identified all the headmen of the Canal Gang and the brokerages. The Canal Gang has no real backing. The brokerages have many backers, but now that the major gentry families are gone, as long as Chen Ten Prefectures is willing to put in the effort, we can handle them. We just need to find a reason to make a move."

Pang Yu tapped the armrest. "Based on the intelligence you've gathered on the docks, what reason would be best for us to use?"

"Within the Canal Gang, there are many followers of the Luo Sect, and also a small number of White Lotus Sect..."

"Then we'll use that reason." Pang Yu stood up. "How many men have you recruited?"

Jiang Fan stood up as well. "Only five. All of them are porters on the docks who've been pushed out by the Canal Gang. I saw that these few were combative, so I kept them at the Liangpu."

Pang Yu looked at Jiang Fan and suddenly smiled. "So you've made up your mind not to return to the Tongcheng Constable. If you follow this official, I won't arrange an official post for you for now. Naturally, you'll still receive a monthly pay, but you can only collect it from Liu Shopkeeper."

Jiang Fan bowed. "This humble one figured it out long ago. Official post or not, from now on I follow only you, my lord."

Pang Yu nodded. "Which day is the Tribute Transport Opening set for?"

Jiang Fan looked up at Pang Yu. "The day after tomorrow."