Chapter 25: Leaking Rain

"Sir Tang, shall we head to the Reserve Granary before noon?"

The day for inspecting the granaries arrived in the blink of an eye. Pang Yu waited early outside the Household Office, and the moment he saw Tang Weimin, he asked with a respectful attitude.

In truth, the Reserve Granary was right next to the county yamen, less than a five-minute walk away, but Tang Weimin made a thoughtful expression for a moment before saying, "I still have some documents on the autumn grain to write here, a detailed report for Anqing Prefecture. It was also assigned by Clerk Zhao and cannot be delayed. I must trouble Brother Pang to wait a short while in the Runner Squad."

Pang Yu naturally could only return to the Runner Squad. He had thought Tang Weimin would be delayed at most a short while, but who knew that once the wait began, Tang Weimin was nowhere to be seen coming out. Pang Yu grew bored waiting, yet dared not go urge Tang Weimin, so he found a corner to practice push-ups, or did pull-ups on the small-leaf banyan behind the Runner Room.

Ever since his two speeches, everyone in the Runner Squad knew Pang Yu had become a favorite with the County Vice-Magistrate. None of them dared look down on Pang Yu now. Although they saw Pang Yu's strange behavior, no one ridiculed him, and even Wang Dazhuang didn't come out to run his mouth.

It was nearly lunchtime, and the aroma of food was already drifting from the kitchen. Pang Yu figured the morning trip was most likely off. He had also grown accustomed to the slow pace of the Ming Dynasty and prepared to go eat lunch.

Many common folk in the Ming Dynasty only ate two meals a day, morning and evening, but that was not true for everyone. Wealthy households had the habit of eating three or even four meals. The yamen kitchen only prepared meals for clerks and above, but Pang Yu steadfastly ate three meals. Having arrived in the Ming Dynasty with too little capital, he didn't dare spend extravagantly, but improving his diet was a must.

Just as he was about to head out, he saw Tang Weimin emerge from the Ceremonial Gate with an auxiliary. So it turned out Tang Weimin had deliberately waited until lunchtime to go.

"I've kept Brother Pang waiting long. Let us go to the Reserve Granary now."

Pang Yu hurriedly acknowledged and went to the Eight-Character Wall to find He Xianya. He Xianya was extremely familiar with yamen affairs, so Pang Yu absolutely had to bring him along. But Zhou Yueru was also at the Eight-Character Wall. Tang Weimin had only brought one auxiliary; if he brought two, he worried Tang Weimin would think he didn't understand the rules.

Just as he was in a bit of a dilemma, Tang Weimin came over and asked, "I hear Brother Pang has a female aide."

Pang Yu seized the opportunity and said, "You jest, sir. This humble one has two aides. This is my second brother, also working as an aide for me."

Tang Weimin said very magnanimously, "In that case, let them all come along."

Pang Yu quickly fell in step half a pace behind Tang Weimin. This way, he appeared respectful to his superior, and Tang Weimin didn't have to turn his head to speak to him.

But Tang Weimin was rather easygoing and occasionally looked back at Zhou Yueru behind Pang Yu. After all, there probably weren't many people in the whole realm who brought a female aide. The expression he directed at Pang Yu carried a hint of a slight smile.

Tang Weimin casually asked Pang Yu, "How many years has Brother Pang been in the yamen?"

"Replying to Sir Tang, one year and two or three months, I suppose. This humble one's memory isn't very good at keeping track of such things, but it's exceptionally sharp at remembering kindness, never forgetting it for a lifetime. Like how Sir Tang has given this humble one much guidance this time, I shall never forget it as long as I live."

Tang Weimin hadn't expected Pang Yu to ramble so far off topic. He hurriedly exchanged a few polite words and steered back to the main subject. "Then is Brother Pang acquainted with Granary Commissioner Yuan of the Reserve Granary?"

Hearing this, Pang Yu knew Tang Weimin was probing his attitude. He carefully replied, "I am acquainted, but we've had relatively little dealings. I've heard from the other brothers that he's a decent enough person, just a little bit stingy. But this humble one has only heard this and doesn't know if it's true."

Tang Weimin gave an "Mm" after listening, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Pang Yu's words, but Pang Yu knew he had understood. Pang Yu was also probing Tang Weimin. Although he himself was someone placed by the County Vice-Magistrate, Tang Weimin was, after all, the superior officer of the Household Office. Pang Yu had to take Tang Weimin's opinion into account. Judging from Tang Weimin's current attitude, he and Granary Keeper Yuan were not an extremely close community of shared interests.

After exchanging these few words, the two had already arrived at the entrance of the Reserve Granary.

Granary Commissioner Yuan had already been waiting all morning. Although he had done all his preparatory work, this was, after all, an inspection officially issued by the county yamen. The longer he waited, the more his heart fluttered with anxiety. Only when he saw the two men approach did he breathe a sigh of relief and step forward to greet Tang Weimin.

Granary Commissioner Yuan came up, cupped his hands, and smiled. "Sir Tang, look, it's already high noon. This humble one has prepared some simple wine at Imperial River Tower. I invite Sir Tang and Brother Pang to do me the honor of having some food and wine before the inspection. In any case, the granaries are all right here and can't run away."

Pang Yu naturally wouldn't go drinking at this time. Owing Granary Keeper Yuan an extra favor would make some things difficult to say.

Seizing the moment before Tang Weimin could speak, he preempted him, saying, "Let's skip the meal. Granary storage is a vital county matter. We have our duties to bear, and today happens to be the day for inspecting the granaries. If people saw us drinking outside, those who know would say Granary Commissioner Yuan is a good host; those who don't would think we are perfunctory and shirking our duties. If word got out, it would sully Granary Commissioner Yuan's reputation and wouldn't look good on the County Vice-Magistrate's face either. Better to inspect each granary first. This is my humble opinion; ultimately, it is Sir Tang's decision."

Granary Commissioner Yuan was stunned to hear this, seemingly not expecting Pang Yu to say such a thing, accepting the courtesy yet putting on an air of handling official business strictly. He quickly looked at Tang Weimin.

Tang Weimin smiled and glanced at Pang Yu. After a moment's thought, he stepped in to smooth things over. "What Brother Pang says is also true. Then I shall first examine the entry and exit ledgers. Granary Commissioner Yuan, you accompany Brother Pang and inspect the physical goods in each granary. Don't just focus on this patrol of the granaries. Brother Pang is a young man of outstanding talent, highly regarded by the County Vice-Magistrate. Granary Commissioner Yuan, you should interact with him more in the future."

Pang Yu knew Tang Weimin was giving Granary Commissioner Yuan a chance to work on him alone. Since Tang Weimin had spoken, Granary Commissioner Yuan had no choice but to agree. He called a granary guard to open the main gate and led the group inside.

Tang Weimin and his auxiliary went directly into the gatehouse on the left side of the main gate, while Granary Commissioner Yuan accompanied Pang Yu toward the granary storehouses.

This Reserve Granary was established during the Hongwu Era, its purpose being to store grain in bumper years in preparation for famine. It had played a very good role in the early Ming, but later, like other institutions, it fell into decay, so Ever-Normal Granaries, Community Granaries, and the like were added as supplements.

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, the court once vigorously rectified the system, but it was completely divorced from reality. The court stipulated that a county of fifty li must have thirty thousand dan of grain stored in its Reserve Granary. Not a single county in the entire realm could meet this, and in the end, the standard had to be lowered again and again, with the smallest counties having a standard of less than one hundred dan.

Tongcheng totaled forty-seven li, making it a small-to-medium county. But because it was located in Nanzhili and along the Yangtze River, with abundant rainfall and very high grain yields, plus the convenience of water transport, large quantities were exported annually from Zongyang Town to the Jiangnan region. By the former unrealistic standard, Tongcheng's grain storage should have been twenty-five thousand dan; it had now been reduced to nine hundred and eighty dan, with twenty-four granary rooms.

The twenty-four granary rooms were laid out in three rows. Among them, several had actually become ruins of wood and stone. Pang Yu had already inquired about this from He Xianya, so he didn't ask Granary Commissioner Yuan and directly entered a nearby granary room. Inside, it was piled with junk; there wasn't the slightest trace of grain.

Pang Yu clasped his hands behind his back, adopting the air of a leader, showing not the slightest intention of addressing Granary Commissioner Yuan as a brother. He spoke coldly, "Where is the grain?"

Granary Commissioner Yuan came over, his face wreathed in smiles, to explain. "Brother Pang, look, this was damaged during the earthquake at the beginning of the year (Note: Tongcheng did have an earthquake in the first month of the seventh year of Chongzhen). It happened that grain was stored inside. To make matters worse, it rained that day, and the grain was soaked by the rainwater, becoming moldy and rotten. Later, we had no choice but to gradually discard it. As of now, no new grain has been added to this granary."

Pang Yu naturally didn't believe it. Yesterday, he had already gathered quite a bit of information from He Xianya. Although he didn't know the detailed process, he knew the grain's whereabouts were definitely not due to rainwater soaking.

"Oh? If I remember correctly, the earthquake this year was during the Spring Festival. It only snowed in the days around that time; it doesn't seem to have rained. If it was discarded, then I, your brother, will still need to see the entry and exit ledgers, who transported it, and have witnesses brought here. When it left the granary, when it left the city, and where it was finally discarded must also be carefully examined. A hundred thousand jin of goods can't just vanish without leaving a trace. That way, if the County Vice-Magistrate asks, this humble one will at least have something to say."

Granary Commissioner Yuan's eager smile changed flavor, the corner of his mouth twisting slightly askew. "Melted snow is just rain. When it was burned, it was in a dry field. That field was flooded again in the summer, so there's long been no trace left. The porters hired for the transport were from the Dongzuo Gate corvée labor market; even their names are unknown. Finding witnesses is a bit difficult for me. If Brother Pang wants to find them, you can go ask at the corvée labor market yourself."

Pang Yu turned his head and stared at Granary Commissioner Yuan with a smile. This granary inspection was meant to be done before the official new County Magistrate took office, to bring closure to the whereabouts of the previous grain storage. That the granaries were empty was a certainty; no one could conjure grain out of thin air. But the reason for the lack of grain could be conjured. If this reason was approved in the detailed report to Anqing Prefecture, the previous grain storage would be written off with one stroke, and the new County Magistrate could take over without worry.

So this granary inspection was not about checking whether the grain quantity was sufficient, but about finding a reason for the absence of grain. This reason could be provided by the Granary Keeper, or by the Household Office, but it had to be recognized at the county yamen level. This depended on the County Vice-Magistrate's attitude, which was also the source of Pang Yu's standing. Therefore, Pang Yu was not afraid of Granary Keeper Yuan acting shamelessly.

"Then if I, your humble servant, cannot find out at the corvée labor market, in the detailed report submitted to Anqing Prefecture, I will simply have to add one line: 'The matter of transporting and destroying one hundred thousand jin of grain was investigated and found to have no solid evidence.' Brother Yuan, do you think that would be acceptable?"

The moment these words were spoken, a tense atmosphere instantly filled the air. Granary Commissioner Yuan narrowed his eyes and looked at Pang Yu. "At that time, all circumstances were already reported to Clerk Zhao of the Household Office. If Brother Pang doesn't believe it, you are more than welcome to go ask Clerk Zhao for clarification."

Pang Yu was naturally not frightened by this sort of name-dropping bluff. By his judgment, it might be true that Granary Commissioner Yuan had dealings with Clerk Zhao, and Clerk Zhao had most likely also benefited from this, but that was limited to the Household Office not making trouble for Granary Commissioner Yuan. Now that Pang Yu was assigned by the County Vice-Magistrate, Clerk Zhao could not possibly stick his neck out to invite trouble for himself; Granary Commissioner Yuan could only rely on himself to resolve this.

So, recalling He Xianya's intelligence, Pang Yu unhurriedly said, "It's not that I, your little brother, intend to make things difficult for Granary Commissioner Yuan. It's just that with the heavy trust of the County Vice-Magistrate, I have no choice but to ask a few more questions. Brother knows Granary Commissioner Yuan is a straightforward man. Even if I were to help Granary Commissioner Yuan shoulder some things, it wouldn't matter. But granary storage is a vital county matter. If someday Anqing Prefecture or the Hoeryong Circuit investigates, I, your brother, would also be bearing an enormous risk. We all do a job and earn our wages. I imagine Clerk Zhao can also understand the reasoning in this."

After speaking, Pang Yu fixed his gaze steadily on Granary Commissioner Yuan. The two men's eyes clashed in the void. Both had laid out their bargaining chips, mixing truth and falsehood, to see if they could make the other believe they could deliver. Granary Commissioner Yuan had originally thought Pang Yu was a half-wit who had succeeded through luck and speculation, and wanted to use feints to bluff Pang Yu. Who knew the other party's words had few flaws, his overall momentum was strong, and his eyes were filled with determination, without the slightest hint of backing down.

After a moment, Granary Commissioner Yuan's eyes flickered. A Granary Keeper was always in a weak position facing this kind of inspection. It wasn't that he truly believed Pang Yu would dare write "investigated and found no solid evidence" in the detailed report to Anqing Prefecture, because doing so would first cause the County Vice-Magistrate to lose face, making it seem the County Vice-Magistrate hadn't managed Tongcheng's affairs well.

What he truly feared was only the County Vice-Magistrate. Pang Yu was clearly the current favorite and handling an assignment for the County Vice-Magistrate for the first time. If he really insisted on grabbing the Granary Keeper's tail and thrashing him wildly, then neither Clerk Zhao nor Tang Weimin would say a single good word for the Granary Keeper. Instead, they would blame the Granary Keeper for not handling the matter cleanly.

Granary Commissioner Yuan lowered his gaze. "Brother Pang, look, we're all just working in the yamen. Please, raise your hand in mercy."

"Raising my hand is possible. But what's in it for me?"

Pang Yu still wore a smile on his face, but Granary Commissioner Yuan could no longer smile. Zhou Yueru, coming from a common marketplace background, had rarely seen such entanglements between yamen officers. Pang Yu's direct demand for benefits was something she had never even heard of. Amidst such an atmosphere, Zhou Yueru felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

Granary Commissioner Yuan was also taken aback. Although yamen runners were often shamelessly brazen outside, within the yamen itself, everyone still had to maintain some face. It was rare for someone to ask for benefits so directly. But recalling Pang Yu's nickname "Er Shazi," he no longer found it strange.

After pondering for a long while, he turned his head to look around. Seeing no other outsiders present, he took two silver ingots from his bosom and pressed them into Pang Yu's hand. Pang Yu felt their size; they should be ten-tael ingots each, twenty taels in total. He had indeed underestimated the Granary Keeper, and Granary Commissioner Yuan was clearly prepared for this situation.

After accepting them, Pang Yu pretended to lower his head in thought. Granary Commissioner Yuan waited for his response, mouth dry and tongue parched.

At that moment, He Xianya suddenly spoke up. "Brother, I heard from the people in the Household Office that in this year's Spring Tax after the earthquake, three hundred dan were allocated to replenish the Reserve Granary. Was that also soaked by rainwater?"

Pang Yu followed up, "Surely not every single granary roof leaks."

Granary Commissioner Yuan turned his head and glared fiercely at He Xianya. He Xianya lowered his head and eyes, not responding. Granary Commissioner Yuan once again took out one ingot, and after a moment's hesitation, took out another, his face full of heartache as he pressed them together into Pang Yu's hand.

"Then I won't hide it from Brother Pang. The replenished three hundred dan were placed in other granary rooms. I originally thought those rooms were fine, but who knew the tile roofs had been shaken loose, leaving some gaps. As expected, they were also soaked by rainwater. But truly, this is all the grain there is; there is no more."

Pang Yu estimated this was about enough. What He Xianya had told him was to get at least fifty taels, preferably sixty. Adding what he got yesterday, it was already close.

Granary Commissioner Yuan had just hinted he could give no more. Pang Yu glanced at He Xianya from the corner of his eye and extended four fingers down below. Seeing He Xianya nod, he knew he could quit while he was ahead.

Pang Yu jutted his chin in the direction of Zhou Yueru and He Xianya. "Is there any place you two still need to examine closely?"

Granary Commissioner Yuan knew what Pang Yu meant. He went over again and gave each of the two Auxiliaries a small silver ingot of two taels. Only when he handed one to Zhou Yueru did he suddenly realize she was that woman from the Pang household last night. For a moment he could not quite figure out Zhou Yueru's status, but Granary Commissioner Yuan had roamed the jianghu for many years and did not lose his composure, still respectfully presenting the silver.

Zhou Yueru had never experienced a scene like this. Her face flushed bright red. Only after seeing He Xianya accept his did she follow suit and take it. She held it in her hand, squeezing it again and again until the silver was covered in sweat, yet Zhou Yueru still dared not put it into her money pouch.

"Here by the Great River, the spring and summer rains are indeed a bit much, ah." Pang Yu tucked the silver into his bosom without the slightest blush. "Since it is already noon, we must not let Tang go hungry."

Granary Commissioner Yuan knew he had passed the test. He immediately switched back to that ingratiating smile, intimately pulling Pang Yu along, his tone even more sincere than last time. "Gentlemen, please come this way, we are off to Imperial River Tower right now. Aiya, these past two days I have heard quite a few rumors. I truly admire Brother Pang immensely. It is a pity that I was not present at the Morning Session that day and could not hear Brother Pang's lofty discourse in person. In the future we must gather more often. How about this — from now on, we shall address each other as brothers…"