Chapter 212: Military Strength

Anqing's October deepened with autumn; grain ships packed the Sheng-Tang Ferry. Even after the disaster, Anqing still had surplus grain to sell into the Jiangnan region. As goods circulated, the desolate markets began to show some life again.

But beyond Anqing, warnings of the Roving Bandits grew ever denser. All kinds of intelligence showed the bandits swarming out of the passes, from Shaanxi into Huguang and Henan, their zone of activity spanning a thousand li. The Central Plains were already wreathed in war-smoke everywhere, and the bandits were drawing closer and closer to eastern Henan — another peak wave of Roving Bandits was arriving.

For Anqing, which bordered Henan, the three disaster-stricken counties had been exempted from taxes for the seventh and eighth years. The remaining three counties had also completed the Autumn Grain Levy and warehoused it. All the energy of the local yamens had turned toward bandit preparedness. With the lesson of the start of the year, no local official dared neglect preparedness work again, and each strengthened intelligence work within their capacity.

There had already been several warnings from the Tongcheng and Qianshan directions. Not only around Anqing, but even upstream on the Great River, all sorts of rumors circulated — some even said the Roving Bandits were preparing to seize boats and cross the river. Every day the brokerages and the Canal Gang gathered a huge volume of bandit-related information at Sheng-Tang Ferry; the quantity was already more than five times that of September. After compiling the somewhat reliable reports, there were already over thirty bandit camps, large and small, operating in Huguang and Henan.

As Anqing's most important military force, Pang Yu had already felt the pressure of the Roving Bandits closing in. He stationed half of the expanded cavalry unit in Tongcheng. Cavalry training plans and the like had to be set aside for now — obtaining accurate intelligence was more important.

Under the urgent military pressure, the Land Battalion's reorganization quickened. New recruits were assigned and in place; the three Infantry Divisions and the Personal Guard Unit were at full personnel. Officers were being appointed one after another. Shi Kefa had transferred a batch of equipment from Chizhou, including cold weapons, cotton armor, iron stock, and gunpowder. Thirty percent of the long spears were still substandard, the defects mainly in the spearheads. The spearheads Pang Yu made in Anqing were forged by Su Gang, weighing two taels, effective against unarmored targets. The issued spearheads generally fell short of two taels, and the iron was poor, prone to snapping.

The homemade armor also fell short of Pang Yu's expectations. Nearly every forge in Anqing was making armor for the Garrison Battalion, but in a month they had produced only seventy-three suits, weighing around forty jin — a severe shortage that greatly affected Pang Yu's war preparations. The three hundred suits of cotton armor allocated by Shi Kefa were at least serviceable; perhaps Jiangnan's textile standards were quite high, unlike iron armor, where the gap with the north was vast.

The heavy pressure was not entirely without benefit. The Water Camp's reorganization had Shi Kefa's support and progressed relatively smoothly. Ren Dalang was temporarily acting as Company Commander. He sorted out twenty-seven grain transport ships and nine small patrol boats, recruited sailors at the docks, and now had two hundred thirty men. With this waterborne force, the Sheng-Tang Ferry was now completely under Pang Yu's control.

Pang Yu set down the booklet in his hand — a progress chart he had made himself, with every milestone marked. The overall pace of war preparations still did not satisfy him. He needed to clear away the problems at these nodes and get the progress back on track.

From the Main Hall came waves of shouted cadence — the Personal Guard Unit on duty was drilling. In this reorganization, the Personal Guard Unit was established with one infantry Company Commander and one cavalry Centurion, using horses phased out from the main force, primarily for herald duties, organized separately from Yang Xueshi's cavalry. Before, Pang Yu had only used his personal soldiers as guards for the Garrison Command, but after the Battle of Beixia Pass, he wanted to directly control a combat force. The Personal Guard Unit drew from the same military payroll, and its training was to be brought up to the standard of the War Soldiers.

A few knocks sounded at the door, and then Guo Fengyou appeared in the doorway. He hurried over and said, "The main gate guards report that a Mr. Ma, who says he has come from Suzhou, is at the gate requesting an audience."

Pang Yu's heart jolted. He scrambled to his feet. "Where is he?"

"Detained at the gate by the guards."

Pang Yu rushed toward the main gate, inwardly puzzled. Although Mr. Ma held no official status, as Zhang Guowei's advisor he moved freely among the local authorities at any time, representing the Grand Coordinator Yamen. Whenever he was going somewhere, he would send advance notice so the yamen could make preparations. He generally would not show up unannounced, because he was very likely to be stopped by the gatekeepers, which would damage the Grand Coordinator Yamen's authority.

Going out through the side gate to look, he saw the gray-haired Mr. Ma standing beside the flagpole, with a few soldiers from the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion behind him.

Pang Yu went over to greet him. "This humble officer failed to come out to welcome you, and has kept you waiting, sir."

The nearby guards, hearing their commanding officer's tone, realized the man they had stopped was someone of considerable status and that they had probably gotten themselves into trouble. But Pang Yu did not reprimand them; instead he shot a glance at Guo Fengyou, who immediately withdrew silently to one side. After the two men entered, Guo Fengyou used his own identity badge to sign them in, handling everything strictly according to military law.

Mr. Ma's manner was mild. He did not put on a sour face for Pang Yu, much less lodge a complaint against those guards.

After entering the Main Hall, he saw the personal soldiers drilling below the dais and could not help stopping in his tracks.

At that moment, the Personal Guard Unit was in the middle of a squad push-up contest, with each Banner Team's men loudly cheering them on, the hall a din of noise.

The Garrison Battalion and the Zhuang Squad shared the same lineage. Nearly every day's training included contests, mostly collective events, to stimulate their competitive drive and team spirit.

Mr. Ma waved a hand at his personal attendants, and they hastily withdrew to one side. Seeing this, Pang Yu knew Mr. Ma had something to say and also dismissed his own men.

"His Excellency Zhang holds Garrison Commander Pang in high esteem. He has said to this old man more than once that Garrison Commander Pang has not disappointed his earnest hopes." Mr. Ma watched the soldiers as he spoke slowly. "After the victory at Beixia Pass last time, this old man petitioned His Excellency, wishing to come to Anqing to help Young Friend Pang put on a proper display. But the Military Commander's affairs are tedious and numerous, and only today was I able to make the trip."

Pang Yu immediately expressed his gratitude, but he knew this was only an opening. Mr. Ma's two sleeves were joined together, his hands clasped over his lower abdomen. Judging from his body language, Mr. Ma at this moment lacked a sense of security. Yet here in the Garrison Command, surrounded by so many soldiers, this should be the safest place in Anqing. So Mr. Ma's worry must lie outside the Garrison Command.

As Zhang Guowei's trusted confidant, his coming to Anqing surely had an important reason. Perhaps there was a new opportunity for exchange. Pang Yu waited patiently for Mr. Ma to continue.

Mr. Ma handed a sheet of petition paper to Pang Yu. Pang Yu took it and immediately read it closely, growing more alarmed the more he read.

When he finished, Pang Yu looked up in astonishment. "In the whole of Huguang, there are only eighteen thousand officers and men."

"This is copied from the Huguang memorial at the Ministry of War. Of these eighteen thousand troops, three thousand are guarding the imperial tombs. The rest are separately garrisoned at Yunyang, Xiangyang, Ma, Huang, and other places. Those that can move to support one another are only the Grand Coordinator's Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion and the four thousand Sichuan Army troops under Qin Yiming. And now that Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion has also gone to Henan." Mr. Ma sighed. "Huguang has long been an interior region. Over half the official troop strength is phantom numbers. With such a force to face the Roving Bandits, I truly dare not imagine it."

Pang Yu now understood why Mr. Ma lacked a sense of security — it was mainly worry over bandit preparedness. Hearing the state of Huguang's preparations, Pang Yu felt the pressure grow another notch. With Huguang's current troop strength, it was impossible to contain the bandits' movements. The danger to Anqing's western flank far exceeded his estimates.

Henan went without saying. The previous year, the Roving Bandits had broken through into Jiangbei from southeastern Henan. The Henan troops had not only failed to block them, they had not even given warning. The utter lack of preparedness in the counties and subprefectures of Nanzhili stemmed partly from their own negligence, but the lack of warning was also a huge factor.

Mr. Ma looked around, then set off slowly along the covered corridor toward the Second Hall. Pang Yu led the way, bringing him to the outside of his own public house to the left of the Second Hall. But Mr. Ma did not go straight in; instead he took a turn around the Second Hall. On the hall stood a wooden sand table. The mountainous terrain to the north was even covered with moss, showing a lush green color. The rivers were meticulously crafted from blue cloth strips. The locations of the several county seats were marked with small red banners bearing the county names, and several other important towns and cities were also labeled.

Mr. Ma seemed quite interested in this sand table and circled it once to look. Pang Yu knew that on this visit, he also meant to see the Garrison Battalion's actual combat readiness with his own eyes, so that Zhang Guowei would have a clear picture.

Seizing the opportunity, Pang Yu hurried to stay beside him, pointing at the sand table. "Today, hearing you speak of Huguang's emptiness, sir, this junior is even more worried about the three counties of Susong. If the Roving Bandits come via Huangmei, Anqing is off to the southeast, and we could not rush to the rescue in time. Mr. Ma, please look — Shipai Market lies where the Wan River converges. If the bandit force is weak, the Garrison Battalion can immediately move out to engage them. If the bandit force is strong, we need only hold Shipai securely, and the bandits will absolutely not dare to attack Anqing directly…"

"The matter of your stationing troops at Shipai, His Excellency Zhang has already approved. But the matter of retaining rations and pay from the Jiangnan tax revenues — the Emperor has once again rejected it." In a single sentence, Mr. Ma gave Pang Yu half a reason to be glad; his hope of expanding the Anqing Garrison Battalion now seemed hopeless.

Pang Yu still felt he had gained considerably. As long as troops were stationed at Shipai, he could obtain the wall-building funds for Wangjiang, as well as the self-use rations and pay that Wangjiang levied. Although the Emperor had exempted the three counties from taxes, that only applied to the forwarded portion. The county yamen still had to support its own people and always needed funds; the amounts levied would not be small. Moreover, from what Pang Yu had inquired after returning, Shi Kefa was now demanding that Susong and Qianshan build walls, and those two counties were also beginning preparations. He could follow the same pattern.

Mr. Ma took the lead and entered the public house. Mr. Hou, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, had just reached the door. Pang Yu gave him a couple of instructions. Mr. Hou acknowledged in a low voice and hurried off again.

After Guo Fengyou had served tea, Pang Yu closed the door of the public house.

Mr. Ma's expression relaxed somewhat. He lifted the tea, took a sip, and said, "This old man's trip this time was hurried. The bandit situation in Henan worsens by the day. His Excellency Zhang is constantly anxious about Jiangbei. The Grand Coordinator Yamen has already made preparations at Jurong. His Excellency may rush to Jurong at any time."

Hearing this, Pang Yu understood that Zhang Guowei wanted him to be ready to relieve Jiangpu and Liuhe. Those two places were both exclaves of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator, and both lay on the opposite bank of the river from Nanjing — for Zhang Guowei, they truly could not be lost. The reckless promises Pang Yu had made when seeking office that day were now coming due.

Pang Yu thought for a moment, then probed, "With His Excellency personally in command at Jurong, transferring troops from Jiangnan would be more convenient at that time."

Mr. Ma fell silent for a while. Pang Yu's meaning was that he wanted to know the strength of the Jiangnan Army, so he could assess the difficulty of relieving Jiangpu and Liuhe. If he described the Jiangnan Army as too weak, Pang Yu might shrink back. If he described them as too strong, Pang Yu might not commit enough troops. He had to choose his words carefully.

After a long pause, he finally said, "This old man felt an instant kinship with Young Friend Pang, so I will speak some frank words with you. Just now I said Huguang has eighteen thousand troops on the books; the actual number is likely less than half. Now, as for the Jiangnan Army — since the Wanli era, peace has long prevailed, and the military regulations and statutes have already lost five parts in ten. The five parts that remain are still scattered among frontier coastal and strategic points, where soldiers and officers are unaccustomed to one another. When the conscription order was issued for Xu Strengthening, commanding the Jiangnan troop strength, of the over seven thousand men on the coast, only thirty-six hundred remained, and even those could not all be transferred. Having no alternative, on the march to Anqing they made up the numbers with Green-Skins and beggars. Can such men fight? The Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion is the pillar of the Nine Prefectures of Jiangnan. Its total strength is less than fourteen hundred. The Household Retainers can only be provided a monthly pay of nine Mace of silver. The rest of the regimented battalions receive a monthly pay of six Mace and nine fen. To meet several hundred thousand mounted Roving Bandits with such military strength — where is the chance of victory?" (Note 1)

Pang Yu was dumbstruck. The wealth of the realm converged on Jiangnan, the fat and fertile lands of the Nine Prefectures, yet its military strength was weak to this degree. He had been to Suzhou and witnessed Jiangnan's prosperity. In Pang Yu's imagination, Jiangnan was the place least lacking in military funds; they might be poor at fighting, but their numbers would not be small. The last time Xu Strengthening came, Pang Yu had known that most of his men were just padding the ranks, and he had assumed Zhang Guowei was fobbing off a motley force on Anqing. Only now did he realize that those were already the strongest troops outside the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion.

And he had never imagined that the monthly pay of the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion's Household Retainers was not even half of what his own men received. Where had all of Jiangnan's money gone? He also felt a flash of irritation — had he set the wages for his big-headed soldiers too high back then? Calculated this way, his own Garrison Battalion, cobbled together from all sides, might well count as the strongest combat force along the river. The Grand Coordinator would also have need of him. From this moment on, although the Grand Coordinator Yamen was still his superior, Pang Yu no longer felt in his heart that it was high and unapproachable.

Having reached this conclusion, the authority of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator dropped a notch in an instant. Mr. Ma's talk today was not truly him speaking frank words; it was to make Pang Yu ready for riverine relief operations, and with no small number of troops.

Pang Yu's mind raced, while his face wore an expression of deep concern. He raised his eyes to Mr. Ma. "Never mind His Excellency's military orders — even if it were just a word from you, Mr. Ma, this junior would not dare disobey. If the Roving Bandits come down the river, the Garrison Battalion will certainly commit its full strength to reinforce Jiangnan. Today, this junior will also speak some frank words with you, sir. If we had to wait for the court to provide the silver, this Garrison Battalion would have already collapsed. At present, we have over a thousand troops, all raised by this junior through many channels. The Water Camp's business on the river can earn some money, and the Prefectural Office has been of considerable help — only thus can we barely manage. Anqing's safety rests entirely on the Garrison Battalion. However, if we go downriver to relieve others, Anqing will be left insufficiently defended. I fear that in the future, local support may diminish. If the troop quota could be supplemented somewhat, then when the time comes to deploy, we would not be stretched so thin."

Having obtained Pang Yu's reaffirmation, Mr. Ma had achieved the main purpose of his trip. That was why, upon arriving in Anqing, he had first seen Shi Kefa, and then come directly to find Pang Yu, without even going to Pi Yingju's Prefectural Office.

Now, hearing that Pang Yu's meaning was a wish for some additional troop quota, Mr. Ma said with some difficulty, "His Excellency Zhang has twice this year requested troop quotas from the court, and the court has denied it both times. To the court, the troop quota itself is a small matter, but a quota must be followed by allocations of rations and pay, or by retaining pay from the Jiangnan tax revenues. Anqing's thousand-man Land Battalion quota was already diverted from other regimented battalions elsewhere."

"Sir, you see clearly. The Garrison Battalion lacks troop quotas, yet some quotas sit elsewhere as empty shells. If the Garrison Battalion remains at its original strength, stationing troops at Shipai on the Huguang front will only allow us to defend, not to drive off the enemy. But there is one place in Anqing that is wasting a troop quota to no purpose."

Mr. Ma, who knew the Anqing situation like the back of his hand, understood at once what he meant. He could not help smiling. "But that is the Water Camp."

Pang Yu bowed. "In the Huguang region, there are rumors that the Roving Bandits have designs on seizing boats to cross the river. This subordinate dares not be negligent, yet the defenses at Leigang are lax — that is a hidden danger. Furthermore, in this subordinate's camp, the Land Battalion has over a thousand men. When conducting riverine relief operations, we will certainly need a great many boats and ships. The Anqing Water Camp is truly insufficient."

This argument of his fit precisely with Zhang Guowei's positioning of the Anqing Garrison Battalion. If riverine relief was required, boats were indispensable. So raising this request would not appear to stem from Pang Yu's private interest.

"Leigang is to be placed under the Garrison Command." Mr. Ma murmured this to himself. Pang Yu waited quietly for his decision. Leigang lay on the riverbank in Wangjiang County. The last time Pang Yu went to Susong, he had afterward taken a boat from Leigang to Jiangnan. A Company Commander was stationed there — the same rank as Fang Heavy Armor. For a Grand Coordinator like Zhang Guowei, the appointment or dismissal of a Company Commander was a matter of a single word.

If Leigang could be brought under the Garrison Command, and Ruan Jin further helped control the Xiazongyang docks, the Water Camp would control the entire Anqing stretch of the river. This place, together with Shipai and Anqing, would form a triangle, also aiding the land defense. So the troop quota was secondary; what he wanted was the place itself — Leigang.

Mr. Ma could also guess Pang Yu's thinking, because if Anqing did not require military pay, it actually did not lack troop quotas. The Anqing Guard's military household quota was fifty-three hundred — Pang Yu could never use them all. He considered for a moment. "Military regulations and statutes require the Ministry of War's approval. But in extraordinary times, as long as it is something that does not require the court to produce silver, it should be permissible to act expediently. This old man will speak on this matter before His Excellency, but I cannot guarantee whether it will succeed or not."

Having said this, Mr. Ma rose to his feet. Pang Yu stood up as well and moved first to open the door. He did not know Mr. Ma's itinerary, but having come from so far, he would not be staying just a day or two, nor was this the only matter — naturally there would be other business to attend to.

Mr. Hou was already waiting outside the door. After stepping out, Pang Yu put his hands behind his back, palm facing Mr. Hou. A folded wad of paper was immediately pressed into it.

Pang Yu followed slightly behind Mr. Ma. Taking advantage of a moment when Mr. Ma did not turn around, he swiftly withdrew his hand and glanced at it. A one-thousand-tael silver note, from the Great River Silver Bank. Originally, he should have given a flying ticket from another silver bank, so it could be redeemed in Nanjing. But Mr. Ma had come suddenly, and there had been no time to prepare one — he would have to make do.

Pang Yu respectfully escorted him outside to the horse-mounting stone. Mr. Ma turned to face Pang Yu. "Now a Bandit-Suppressing Director, bearing the concurrent title of Vice Minister of War, has been newly appointed. Anqing, being in Jiangbei, also falls under his jurisdiction — but only in matters of suppressing bandits. Young Friend Pang must know in his heart what to choose and what to forgo."

Though not stated explicitly, Pang Yu understood Mr. Ma's meaning. Zhang Guowei's core interest lay in the safety of those few exclaves. Other places had little to do with him. He hoped that the troops under his command would all be used to ensure Jiangnan's safety, and not be shuffled around by others.

"This junior understands." Pang Yu raised his head. "Has that esteemed superior already taken up the post?" (Note 2)

Mr. Ma nodded. "It is the former Huguang Grand Coordinator, Lu Xiangsheng."

……

Note 1: See Zhang Guowei's "Pacifying Wu: Memorial Drafts," Chongzhen Eighth Year, third month, memorial requesting restoration of troop quotas. The military strength of Jiangnan was utterly hollow.

Note 2: On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the Chongzhen Eighth Year, Lu Xiangsheng was appointed Vice Minister of War and concurrently Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, taking overall command of military affairs in Zhili, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, Huguang, and other regions.