Chapter 215: Group Brawl

In November, a cold snap arrived in Anqing. Pedestrians on the roads donned heavy padded coats, and the sky was thick with leaden clouds, looking as if it might snow at any moment.

The Great River had entered its dry season. The water level at the docks had dropped; many boats were moored along the bank, but no cargo was being loaded or unloaded. Business for the porters grew increasingly sparse. Although the river was navigable year-round in the south, fewer boats traveled it when the weather turned cold.

Passenger boats coming down from Huguang still arrived from time to time. This year, the passenger boat business was better than in previous years. As news spread that the Roving Bandits had entered Henan, people of some means along the river began heading for Nanjing one after another. Even some common folk, as long as they had relatives to rely on, planned to cross the river to take shelter for a while.

The vast majority of people still could not leave. With Anqing's trade peak over for the year, families who had earned a bit of money began planning to buy houses inside the city. It was not that living in the city was more comfortable, but because Huaining's City Wall encircled it; if the Roving Bandits came, they could preserve their lives and property. But often their cash was insufficient, and they needed to sell their houses outside the city to cash out. Thus, Anqing saw a situation of plummeting prices outside the city and soaring prices inside — a world of ice and fire separated by a single city wall.

Wu Dacai, who also wanted to buy a house in the city, found himself drifting further and further from that goal because his Monthly Pay for those months had been docked. So whenever he thought of this matter, Wu Dacai would curse Jiao Guozha in his heart, and by the way, curse Jiang Guoyong and Yao Dongshan, who had blocked his promotion. As for that Wai Lian...

"Cursing him dirties my own mouth." Wu Dacai touched his cheek and muttered resentfully. There was still a bit of black bruise on his face, left by Yao Dongshan. It had been over ten days and it still hadn't completely faded. But being transferred to the Second Division as a Team Leader was worth it.

After touching the Whip at his Waist, he turned around. Wu Dacai planted his Flag Spear upright; on the small triangular pennant was embroidered "Second Division, Fourth Company, First Banner Team, First Squad."

"Fall in! Stand at ease!"

Ten soldiers lined up in a row before him. On their heads they wore smooth Iron Helmets, and all were clad in scale armor, but all wore Main Armor without Auxiliary Armor. They executed the order swiftly upon hearing the command. The looks they directed at Wu Dacai held not a trace of contempt, a result entirely attributable to Wu Dacai's diligent application of the Whip at his Waist.

Wu Dacai said with Satisfaction, "This afternoon is the team-versus-team confrontation held every five days. Our Fourth Company is having an internal match. We won't be doing Tunnel Pushing this time; we'll compete right at the marked lines on the training ground. Banner Team against Banner Team, offensive formation. Pushing the other side completely back to their starting line counts as a win."

After speaking, he glanced at the training ground. None of the Company Commander were there; they had all gone to the Central Army for a Military Council. Lately, the officers' meetings had grown more and more frequent. Wu Dacai knew this was not a good sign. The word passed down from the Centurion was that the main force of the Roving Bandits seemed to be moving south, with some elements already appearing within Xinyang's borders, drawing close to Nanzhili once more.

Xinyang's location was at the southern end of the Henan Provincial Administration Commission. Going west led to Huguang, going east to Nanzhili — the distances were roughly equal. If the Roving Bandits went east, they would reach Gushi County of the Henan Provincial Administration Commission, the launching point for last year's Roving Bandit invasion of Nanzhili. As soon as the Roving Bandits appeared in Gushi, the Garrison Camp would have to deploy to Tongcheng for defense.

The Garrison Camp was already on high alert. Training intensity had grown greater and greater, with layers of evaluations. Wu Dacai's Whip was used more and more frequently. Fortunately, the replacement recruits had all trained in the Reserve Camp. His Squad's performance ranked third in the Fourth Company, which left Wu Dacai Satisfied.

The Squad had finished falling in, and Wu Dacai was preparing to lead them to muster with the Banner Commander. Before he could give the order, he saw a familiar figure walking over from the side.

"Wu Dacai, dare to have a match against my Squad?"

The corner of Wu Dacai's mouth twitched. The matter of Wai Lian killing someone at Leigang had not been verified by investigation. As for beating and killing commoners at Beixia Pass, the Pacification Office deemed it to have occurred on the battlefield — among the Roving Bandits, dragons and fishes mingled together — and did not classify them as commoners. Wai Lian was temporarily serving as Acting Squad Leader according to the promotion list. On the contrary, Yao Dongshan had suffered a setback at the Central Army for assaulting a subordinate without cause, had two months' Military Stipend Silver docked, and was said to have even apologized to Lord Pang. And this was not Wu Dacai's goal; he did not wish to offend Yao Dongshan. The one he hated most was still this Wai Lian.

"Whoever dares not is the grandson."

Wai Lian leaned in close, his nose nearly touching Wu Dacai's face. "You falsely accusing turtle-grandson, the loser kowtows to the winner."

Wu Dacai glared fiercely at Wai Lian's narrow eyes. The look in those eyes was even more vicious. Normally, Wu Dacai was somewhat afraid, but ever since he had come to hate Wai Lian, it seemed he was not so afraid anymore.

"You big-talking turtle-grandson." Wu Dacai clenched his fists, his gaze not yielding a bit. His Anger towards Wai Lian blazed hotter and hotter. Though his heart was tense, he had assessed himself: his size and strength were considered large in the army, and he had been in plenty of fights back in the village. As long as no weapons were used, he was not afraid of Wai Lian.

The subordinates nearby stared blankly; they had more or less heard about the matter between the two. Private brawls were forbidden in the army. If soldiers had personal conflicts, they could fight after reporting it and gaining the consent of officers at the Banner Commander level or above; spectators were even permitted. The atmosphere in the camp was growing increasingly brutal. However, private brawls of any kind were forbidden for officers at the Team Leader level and above. But looking at the two of them, they were clearly using the team competition to settle a personal grudge.

Just as they were at a loss, a furious shout came from behind. "Wu Dacai! How long does it take to assemble a Team!"

Wu Dacai hurriedly Turned Around. The one approaching was a dark, burly man — his Banner Captain. Originally a blacksmith from Tongcheng, he had joined the Community Soldiers when the Roving Bandits besieged the city, throwing millstones from the South City wall. Afterward, he joined the Zhuang Squad. At the Battle of Beixia Pass, he had stood firm before the horse herd without retreating, and this time he had been promoted to Banner Commander.

"Reporting to the Banner Commander, a Squad from the First Division here wants to issue a challenge."

"A challenge?" The Banner Commander tilted his head to glance at Wai Lian behind him, then immediately let out another furious shout. "Then damn well accept the challenge! What's there more to say?"

Wai Lian snorted, Turned Around, and left, preparing to call his own Squad over.

"Stop right there!"

Wai Lian turned back in confusion. The Banner Commander strode over and slapped him across the face with a crack, making his head spin. He couldn't help but feel both shocked and furious.

"Salute when you see an officer." After striking him, the blacksmith Banner Commander ignored Wai Lian completely and turned to walk towards Wu Dacai. "Wu Dacai, I'm telling you, if you lose and come back, I won't beat you to death."

The marked competition ground was packed with people. There were competitions in the camp every day, and each time there were numerous spectators. When Pang Yu initially designed the army's ethos, he had wanted the troops to be combative. Public competitions greatly promoted this, and also helped soldiers get used to the tension of being on the spot. Many training methods were also guided in the direction of fostering combativeness. For the soldiers watching, the spectacle also helped relieve their mood; after all, being beaten in the army was a common sight, and almost no one was exempt.

But this time, with so many spectators, there was something different. Because a Company Commander like Yao Dongshan had suffered a setback, the whole army was spreading gossip. Everyone knew of the grudge between Wu Dacai and Wai Lian, and there was a tremendous sense of anticipation in watching enemies compete.

The blacksmith waved his large hands, howling in a gander-like voice as he led his Banner Team in shouting slogans to cheer Wu Dacai on. Over there, the First Division's Banner Team also did a round, wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves, an extraordinary ruckus.

The two Squads stood twenty paces apart, both wearing Main Armor. Before, Tunnel Pushing meant one's own side reaching the opponent's starting line. Now, it was even more brutal: they needed to push the other side entirely back to their starting point, but striking was not allowed. Only pushing and dragging were permitted, and often victory was only decided when one side was completely exhausted.

Wu Dacai stood directly opposite Wai Lian. Because each side wanted to avenge their Team Leader, both were eager to fight.

A Banner Commander from the Third Division stood in the middle. This was not an official evaluation match, so he had no superfluous words and simply shouted, "Begin."

Both sides let out a howl and charged fiercely, accelerating desperately over the short distance. Twenty-two people collided with a series of thuds.

When Wu Dacai crashed into Wai Lian, he held a slight advantage relying on his weight, but was dragged to the ground by Wai Lian. The two wrestled on the ground, and all around them on the ground were people too. Dust flew in the arena, and the spectators outside cheered thunderously.

"You big-talking turtle-grandson!" Wu Dacai cursed as he shouted.

Wai Lian's weight was less than Wu Dacai's, and he was at a disadvantage in the wrestling, pinned underneath. Wu Dacai could not strike, but he kept using his hands to cover Wai Lian's Mouth and nose. This was a common Method in the camp, forcing the opponent to struggle so they would exhaust their strength as quickly as possible.

In his fury, Wai Lian grabbed at Wu Dacai's collarbone, his fingers digging in desperately. Wu Dacai let out a miserable cry; the pain in his shoulder blade was heart-rending. He was flipped over and pinned by Wai Lian, who likewise covered his Mouth and nose.

No one in the camp had ever used such a dirty trick. Wu Dacai's Anger blazed, and disregarding the rules, he slapped Wai Lian across the face. Wai Lian immediately returned a slap, and then both sides switched to fists.

The people at the edge of the field were all watching the two of them. Now they clamored noisily. The twenty-odd people wrestling in the arena all changed their methods one after another, switching from grappling to free fighting.

"Beat that dog of a scoundrel!" A soldier from the First Division nearby charged into the arena and aimed a kick at Wu Dacai. Immediately after, the blacksmith Banner Commander charged in and flung that soldier to the ground.

More and more people on the training ground began fighting. The remaining people on the sidelines descended into chaos. As it happened, no officer of Company Commander rank or above was present to preside. The men from each Banner Team were the first to Rush in, followed by the Company, and then people from the First Division and Second Division entered the fray one after another. The training ground turned into a massive group brawl. Several Pacification soldiers charged into the arena but were beaten down together by those soldiers.

Dust and smoke billowed in the arena as countless figures wrestled and tumbled within.

"Henan has suffered a rather severe drought this year, so much so that many have joined the bandits. The total number of Roving Bandits rampaging through the Central Plains, according to that Lord Lu's estimate, is about two hundred to three hundred thousand. In late October, their main force was in the Luoyang and Ruzhou area. Currently, they are moving south. There are about ten or so Camp Heads of Roving Bandits at Xinyang. The only ones we can confirm are Chuang Wang, Chuang Jiang, and Yao Tiandong. Out of the need for vigilance, the November training plan has been slightly adjusted. The water transport mobility training will not be conducted with the entire army at once. Each time, each Division will select one Company, accompanied by cavalry or Artillery, not exceeding four hundred men. The route will be from Anqing to Zongyang. After disembarking, they will march back through Tongcheng territory. The key focus is to drill the process of embarking and disembarking, as well as the support during the boat transport process, so that the soldiers become accustomed to water transport."

Pang Yu put down the draft in his hand and looked at the officers beside the table. "Our Garrison Camp is the bedrock of Jiangbei, and also the bedrock of Jiangnan. We must not only protect Anqing but also protect Jiangnan. Currently, the Roving Bandits' movements are unclear, but we should have contingency plans. If the Roving Bandits head towards Huguang, we will begin stationing troops at Shipai and strengthen scouts in the direction of Huangmei. If the Roving Bandits enter the great mountains, we must strengthen our guard at Yingshan and Huoshan. If by chance the Roving Bandits head towards Fengyang and Yangzhou, we must prepare for water transport to rescue Jiangnan."

Wang Zenglu beside him looked up and said, "But what if we go to Yangzhou and the Roving Bandits come west again? How should we handle that? And would water transport be in time?"

Pang Yu nodded and said, "Therefore, we cannot disembark at Yangzhou. The landing point must cut off the Roving Bandits' Road Passage west. The riverside is dense with water networks and Tang Lakes, where the Roving Bandits' numerical advantage may not be brought to bear. As for the speed of water transport, although it is currently the dry season, according to this official's tests on the river current, the flow speed of the Anqing river surface is roughly four chi per second. It may slow down downstream. The Wind direction cannot be determined definitively. Generally speaking, we should be able to reach the river surface near Nanjing within four days."

"My lord, what is this 'second'?"

Pang Yu shook his head. He truly did not know how to describe it. The county yamen had dedicated Yin-Yang Officials for timekeeping; the Bell Tower rang the bell according to the time they calculated. In the garrison yamen, there were also two such professional cadres on specialized technical tracks. Pang Yu had basically dismissed everyone from the previous Garrison Camp, but these two specialists he still had to keep.

On the training ground, they had previously used hourglasses and graduated arrow clepsydras, but these were all inside containers. The soldiers could not always walk over to look at them. Pang Yu believed it was difficult to create an intuitive sense of urgency for the soldiers. Now, timekeeping in the army all used Incense Clocks, with different lengths left according to different requirements. It just meant an extra expense every month.

But these were rough methods of time calculation, only sufficient for daily life needs, and of no help for military operations. Pang Yu had hoped to use clocks. Bao Yu had once seen a Western Clock in Suzhou, but he did not know how to make one.

"This matter will be explained later. What you need to know is..."

Just as he reached this point, Pang Ding slammed the door open with a bang. "Young, my lord, a fight has broken out on the training ground! First Division against Second Division."

When Pang Yu arrived at the training ground, the brawl had not yet ended. The arena was a cacophony of noise; everywhere, crowds were chasing and fighting. The ground was strewn with utterly exhausted soldiers, still struggling fiercely in combat. Those bleeding from the Mouth and nose were not few in number.

Everyone wore the same clothes, so no one knew which Division was winning. Pang Yu even saw several men from the Personal Guard Unit had joined in, but the main body was definitely the First Division and the Second Division.

Quite a few people from the two divisions also did not join in, but stayed at the edge of the field to watch.

Wang Zenglu and Yao Dongshan both looked ashen-faced, especially Yao Dongshan — after just being put in his place by Pang Yu, his First Division had immediately gotten into a brawl, and he had no idea how Pang Yu would now view him.

Jiang Guoyong was also deeply embarrassed; the Garrison Inspector soldiers left on the drill ground had been utterly useless, and it even seemed they had been knocked to the ground by the soldiers.

When he stole a glance at Pang Yu, this young superior's expression was completely relaxed, as if he were watching with considerable interest.

Jiang Guoyong covered his mouth with his hand for a moment, then said to Pang Yu, "Sir, this… how should it be handled?"

"You are the Garrison Inspector officer. What do you think?"