Chapter 246: Conditions

At the Puzikou ferry crossing, nearly two hundred soldiers from the garrison battalion stood in strict formation. Beside them were about a hundred troops from the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion, wearing red padded jackets, also quite imposing.

Pang Yu stood on the lowest step, river water lapping back and forth at his feet. Beside him was the gray-haired Mr. Ma.

Several river boats were on the water. One grain transport ship, flying a large banner reading "Chief Investigating Censor of the Censorate, Grand Coordinator of Yingtian, Zhang," had just docked at the pier.

Zhang Guowei walked down the gangplank from the bow. He brought no imperial guards of honor, nor wore the loose-sleeved official robes; he was dressed in a narrow-sleeved, dark-blue everyday robe, looking quite capable and efficient.

Mr. Ma had only come ahead to make arrangements, arriving four hours earlier than Zhang Guowei. Pang Yu had no time to prepare and, after a simple arrangement of the greeting and escort squads, hurried to the pier.

Now Pang Yu and Mr. Ma both waited on the bank. With the Grand Coordinator crossing the river, the Puzikou garrison commander had finally come out of the city as well. His rank was higher than Pang Yu's, but at this moment he could only stand behind them.

The gangplank swayed up and down. Zhang Guowei walked toward the steps. Pang Yu instinctively moved to support him, but suddenly noticed Mr. Ma had not budged from his spot. He quickly pulled his foot back. The Puzikou garrison commander, however, went forward with an ingratiating look, hands spread wide, ready to lend a hand at the landing point.

Who knew Zhang Guowei walked very steadily. He completely ignored that garrison commander, stepped directly onto the stairs, and said to the two as he walked, "Come with me to Silver Ingot Bridge."

Zhang Guowei did not stop, climbing the steps all the way. Mr. Ma and Pang Yu hurried to follow. Pang Yu turned his head to glance at the Puzikou garrison commander, who stood there at a loss, because Zhang Guowei had not told him to follow, making him extremely embarrassed for a moment.

Pang Yu found it inwardly amusing. This Puzikou battalion garrison commander was a master at doing business. Every time, he sent his subordinate Company Commander, Guard Chiliarch, and the like to deal with people — all of them looking like merchants. These past two days, they had made quite a bit of silver off the garrison battalion.

He clearly did not understand Zhang Guowei very well. This Grand Coordinator often piloted a boat alone to inspect water conservancy works, boarding and disembarking as skillfully as a boatman. As Pang Yu realized it, in the persona Lord Zhang had crafted for himself, being adept at water conservancy and accustomed to rivers was an important element. That was why even Mr. Ma had not gone to support him. For a mere Puzikou garrison commander to go up and ruin Lord Zhang's persona was, of course, asking for a snub.

Pang Yu still politely cupped his hands toward him, then hurried to catch up with Zhang Guowei up to the pier.

That garrison commander hastily chased after them again. "Your subordinate has prepared an official sedan chair for Your Lordship..."

Zhang Guowei glanced at him this time, which slightly eased the uneasy garrison commander's mind.

"The city defenses of Puzikou were quite solid this time. You have also rendered service. There is nothing more for you here." He turned to Pang Yu. "Prepare a horse for me."

Pang Yu quickly beckoned Guo Fengyou over and told him to bring his own horse. This horse had originally been selected from the North Gorge Pass captures. It was not the fastest runner, but it had an elegant build and a gentle temperament, most suitable for Zhang Guowei to use.

When Zhang Guowei mounted the horse, no one dared to lend a hand. His riding skill was quite good, and he spurred the horse all the way toward Silver Ingot Bridge.

Pang Yu waved ahead. Chen Rulie and the others who had been waiting immediately moved out first to take up security positions ahead. Although Pang Yu knew there were no Roving Bandits nearby, the posture had to be complete — after all, this was still considered a war zone.

The others did not dare walk ahead of Zhang Guowei. Mr. Ma signaled with his eyes, and Pang Yu quickly mounted his horse to follow at Zhang Guowei's side and slightly behind.

"Tell me about the battle that day."

Pang Yu spurred his horse forward half a step and narrated the deployment that day all along the way. When they reached outside Wanfeng Gate, Zhang Guowei dismounted and stood at the intersection, combining the on-site terrain to listen carefully as Pang Yu recounted the battle to cut off Fierce Tiger Bridge. When he heard that seventy cavalry had charged through the interception of over four hundred horse soldiers, his expression shifted slightly.

Next, he inspected several large compounds where Roving Bandit captives were being held. Zhang Guowei looked very carefully. It was his first time seeing Roving Bandits with his own eyes, and he paid close attention as Pang Yu explained how to distinguish Old Bandits from coerced followers. Zhang Guowei passed before those captives. Pang Yu had thought this lord would fiercely scold those people, but Zhang Guowei did not utter a single word the entire time.

After the Wanfeng Gate itinerary concluded, the party continued on toward Silver Ingot Bridge.

Since the Roving Bandits began their retreat, Pang Yu had deployed the First Division, Second Division, Third Division, Marine Corps, and all cavalry at Silver Ingot Bridge, essentially concentrating his main force. The Fierce Tiger Bridge direction posed virtually no threat, so he left only one company of the Personal Army Infantry there. Wanfeng Gate served as a logistics base, where another Personal Army Infantry company was deployed.

Zhang Guowei walked out past Silver Ingot Bridge and halted his horse in the open wilderness. About a li ahead, there were still a few scattered skirmishers. Because the distance was somewhat far, Zhang Guowei narrowed his eyes, trying to see more clearly.

Two soft clicks sounded beside him. Pang Yu extended a three-section telescope and attentively presented it before Zhang Guowei. "This was specially prepared for Your Lordship. Your subordinate thought that as Your Lordship patrols Yingtian, whether commanding armies or inspecting water conservancy, this item might add some assistance."

Zhang Guowei took it with some surprise and examined it. The tube was even engraved with four characters: "Pillar of the Great River" — obviously flattering him, praising both his merit in defending the river and his ability in water management.

He did not care much for such superficial gestures; after all, as Yingtian Grand Coordinator, countless people tried to curry favor with him every day. But after raising it to his eye and looking, Zhang Guowei turned to Pang Yu in astonishment. "Garrison Commander Pang, this item is exceedingly fine. Used in the military, it could be called a divine weapon."

"It is still thanks to Your Lordship's good fortune. Had Your Lordship not possessed the discerning eye to recognize talent and raised Bao Yu from obscurity, your subordinate could never have produced such a wondrous device."

Zhang Guowei said with sudden realization, "So it was Bao Yu. No wonder it is so exquisite. He originally had true talent and learning. At the time, I was also seeking talent for the state. Is Bao Yu now planning to stay long in Anqing?"

"Replying to Your Lordship, your subordinate has a slight understanding of device-making. Mr. Bao and your subordinate hit it off at first meeting, mutually corroborating Western learning and military preparations, and both our scholarship has advanced. Mr. Bao plans to reside long-term in Anqing, making devices to strengthen the army for Your Lordship. He also accompanied the army east this time, but disembarked at Caishi to return to Suzhou and recruit some skilled copper craftsmen. The bronze cannons used in this surprise attack were made by him according to Your Lordship's guidance. Both cannons are here. Your subordinate merely reaped the benefits without effort." Pang Yu pointed to the right as he finished speaking.

Zhang Guowei looked over with a smile, appearing rather pleased. Bao Yu was indeed someone he had discovered. The first bronze cannon could not exactly be called his guidance, but it was indeed ordered by him. Thus, this great victory at Pukou was indeed more closely linked to him.

"How can it be called reaping without effort? It is still Garrison Commander Pang who has a heart loyal to the state. I read the dispatch report. You used bronze cannons to throw the bandit formation into chaos, then personally led your personal soldiers straight into the bandit formation, slaying Yao Tiandong in battle, causing the mob of bandits to lose their nerve and collapse. This can be called both brave and resourceful. I did not misjudge you."

Pang Yu continued without blushing, "Your subordinate came from upstream. The Roving Bandits massacred Hezhou. Downstream from Dangtu, floating corpses covered the river. The entire Anqing Garrison Battalion was filled with righteous fury. Killing bandits for the country is the original intent of us who joined the army. But speaking of the root cause, it was Your Lordship and Circuit Intendant Shi who planned in advance, and repeatedly sent Mr. Ma to Anqing to guide the troops and gather military supplies, which made the Anqing Garrison Battalion usable. Only then came the great victory at Pukou. Your subordinate dares not claim credit that belongs to heaven, and has already reported the details in the dispatch report."

Zhang Guowei looked at Pang Yu with a gentle expression. "This time, the Anqing Garrison Battalion rushed a thousand li to rescue Jiangnan. With just over a thousand troops, in one battle they broke the courage of hundreds of thousands of Roving Thieves. Only the loyal and brave could do this. It also shows that Anqing, as a strategic choke point, truly requires heavy troops to be stationed."

Hearing this, Pang Yu knew Zhang Guowei was about to give him a sweetener. He quickly replied, "This time the Roving Bandits ran rampant in Jiangbei. Coming from Hezhou, your subordinate saw villages along the riverbank all ruined. The Roving Bandits have invaded Nanzhili twice, reducing Jiangbei to utter misery. Your subordinate has pondered countermeasures day and night and has arrived at two humble insights. One is to expand our forces and hold Anqing, this strategic choke point, cutting off the enemy's east-west passage. The second is to develop both water and land forces simultaneously, using the Water Camp to transport the Land Battalion for riverine rescue. The Roving Thieves have never had water troops and know nothing of conditions on the river. We use the Water Camp to transport troops and strike where they least expect, just like this battle at Puzikou. The troop-carrying warships can also block the enemy from crossing south. This can be called one soldier, two uses. As long as we drill to proficiency, we should be able to make the Roving Bandits fear the sight of the river."

Zhang Guowei did not say much, but Pang Yu knew he was very satisfied inwardly. The victory at Puzikou demonstrated the correctness of employing Pang Yu and expanding the Anqing Garrison Battalion. It could effectively defend Anqing and also support the lower reaches. This was indeed Zhang Guowei's achievement in planning. Pang Yu's flattery in the dispatch report further confirmed his brilliance and proved the strategy effective. After this battle, expanding the Anqing army was imperative.

Zhang Guowei was a superior officer and generally would not directly discuss matters of benefit exchange with Pang Yu; that would be undignified. But when Mr. Ma came earlier, he had already informed him that Leigang would be directly administered by the Anqing Garrison, and that preparations were underway to upgrade the garrison battalion to a Mobile Troop Battalion. At this point, the benefits from the Pukou victory had essentially been maximized.

In Pang Yu's mind, the subsequent arrangement was simply to station at Jiangpu for a period, and once the Roving Bandits were far away, he could return to Anqing. He was even already considering the retreat route — whether it was better to go via Jiangnan or Jiangbei.

Zhang Guowei suddenly spoke. "Those from Anqing and Tongcheng who are officials at court are planning a matter. They intend to station troops at Tongcheng, to be named the Bronze Standard Battalion, with a separate Mobile Corps Commander stationed there, for the land defense of Anqing."

Pang Yu's mind immediately went on high alert. Mr. Ma had come to talk about the garrison battalion being promoted to a Mobile Troop Battalion, which meant Pang Yu would naturally be promoted to Mobile Corps Commander. Now Zhang Guowei had come and brought up another piece of unfavorable news.

Pang Yu had heard about this Bronze Standard Battalion once before from Ruan Jin, but at that time the idea had just been proposed, and Pang Yu had not taken it to heart. Afterwards, he had received some scattered information piecemeal.

Because of the bandit chaos in the eighth year of Chongzhen, some Anqing Capital Officials, led by Liu Ruozai and Sun Jin, were planning this matter. But there was still resistance at the Ministry of Revenue and the Cabinet, because stationing troops meant retaining tax revenue. Now, with Roving Bandits spreading across a thousand li, every region had people serving as officials at court. If every other place ravaged by bandits followed suit, the Ministry of Revenue's income would drop drastically.

The realm needed troops everywhere, and the court was already struggling to support those Regional Commanders. Without sufficient reason to retain tax revenue, the Cabinet and the Emperor would not agree. And this time, the Anqing army's rescue of Nanjing had instead become a good reason.

Once the Bronze Standard Battalion was established, with a separate Mobile Corps Commander, it would be another force outside the Anqing Garrison, not under the garrison battalion's jurisdiction. This camp head would also need to retain tax revenue from Nanzhili or Anqing, and the locality would have to supply in-kind provisions — all competing for resources with the garrison battalion. Pang Yu would have been making a wedding dress for others.

With an extra camp head like this, Pang Yu's power could not extend toward Tongcheng. Zongyang was also within Tongcheng's borders, and he would lose the legitimate reason to exert influence there. Even Qianshan might be their defense area. This would not only affect the integrity of defense but also impact his fundraising ability and long-term planning.

The fact that Zhang Guowei was bringing it up now meant the other side had already maneuvered to a certain extent, and Zhang Guowei certainly had other implications. This matter had no adverse effect on Zhang Guowei; having one more army, no matter who led it, was a good thing for him.

It was impossible that Zhang Guowei had not heard about Pang Yu raising funds everywhere in Anqing. From his perspective, Pang Yu simply wanted silver. This great victory at Pukou, if it could lead to retaining tax revenue from Jiangnan to increase troops, would be a tremendous benefit to Pang Yu — but it required Pang Yu to provide further bargaining chips.

What exactly Zhang Guowei wanted to trade with him, Pang Yu could not figure out for the moment. Right now, Jiangpu and Liuhe were in no danger. What urgent matter did Zhang Guowei have that required throwing out such a condition to trade with him?

After mentally preparing his wording, Pang Yu said, "Tongcheng is a key location for Anqing's land defense. Stationing troops there is naturally appropriate. But if a separate Land Battalion is established, it will lack joint training with the Water Camp and be unable to develop water and land forces simultaneously. Your subordinate believes that Zongyang has an excellent water harbor, is closest to the lower reaches, and is also the point from which Anqing's rice and beans are shipped out. Establishing one Water-Land Company Commander each there — my subordinate's Water Camp can also fight on land. In this Pukou landing, the Water Camp served as the vanguard. In this way, whenever there is an alert, we can both support Tongcheng nearby and also go downstream to rescue Jiangnan."

At this point, he had put forward his own conditions, and the reasoning was still fairly high-sounding. If a water camp were set up at Zongyang, it would be different from that Bronze Standard Battalion. The water camp was the Anqing Garrison's core duty. No matter how many Water Camp Company Commander were newly established at Zongyang, they would still be under the Anqing Garrison's jurisdiction, and the silver would go into the garrison battalion's accounts. That was why Pang Yu had also deliberately emphasized that the Water Camp could fight on land.

From Zhang Guowei's perspective, Pang Yu simply wanted authorized troop strength and increased pay and provisions. But from Pang Yu's angle, the stretch from Leigang to Zongyang encompassed all the river sections within Anqing territory — his must-have ground, not to mention Zongyang was also an important grain export channel. Now he had to get ahead of that group of Tongcheng Capital Officials and preemptively set up a water camp within Tongcheng's borders.

Now he just had to wait for Zhang Guowei's conditions. But Pang Yu kept feeling there was a trap waiting for him. He stared intently at Zhang Guowei, his mood unavoidably somewhat uneasy.

Zhang Guowei slowly lowered the telescope and casually handed it to Mr. Ma. He did not continue this topic, and instead left the expectant Pang Yu hanging, turning his horse around and heading toward the east bank of Silver Ingot Bridge.