Chapter 273: Lofty Discourse

"Truly handsome, truly refined — truly a Handsome Youth."

In the gap of the second-floor window of Mei Lou, several maids were secretly peeping. The handsome Garrison Commander Pang was sipping tea in the garden below. The warm early-spring sun shone on his face, making him look bright and full of vigor. The short maid was so absorbed that she kept shaking her head in admiration.

Gu Mei came over for a glance and pinched the short maid's cheek. "Looking at his appearance, do you think he could shake both hands and send Roving Thieves flying seventy or eighty feet away?"

The short maid rubbed her cheek. "He doesn't really look it. Sister, why doesn't this Lord Pang… Garrison Commander look like Zhang Fei?"

"Mm, and he doesn't look like Li Helmet either."

Gu Mei heard this and laughed softly. "Even less like Zhao Zilong."

The short maid said curiously, "How come he doesn't even have a Left and Right General? In that play 'Qin Shubao Meets the Maiden,' the Tang King had them."

"He's just a minor Garrison Commander — where would he get a Left and Right General?" Gu Mei pointed toward the side courtyard. "Besides, he did bring soldiers. Aren't those the ones waiting outside?"

The tall maid craned her neck to look. Everyone who came to Mei Lou was either wealthy or noble, and their attendants usually entered the side courtyard through a side gate to wait. Sure enough, beyond the gray wall, several men in short gray clothes could be seen, all with gray Square Scarves wrapped around their heads and Waist Sabers hanging from their belts — ordinary rich men's household servants were rarely so uniform.

"Even these Household Retainers look more like brave warriors than he does."

The short maid looked up at Gu Mei. "So he's Zhuge Kongming, the one who leads generals into battle."

Gu Mei gave a soft scoff. "Him, a bought Imperial Academy Student — how can he be called Zhuge Kongming? You think being a scholar-general is so easy? Wang Yangming passed the Presented Scholar exam first before leading troops. Look at these newly arrived Restoration Society scholars — they are the future Zhuge Kongmings. One must study to gain insight."

The short maid turned to look and saw Fang Yizhi and several scholars walking into the garden, all exchanging greetings with Pang Yu. It seemed most of them knew him.

"They're all scholars from Tongcheng. Young Master Sun Lin, Young Master Jiang Chen… Ah, I heard this Young Master Jiang has been admitted to the Upright and Virtuous Talent Selection — he'll enter court as an official without taking the imperial exam. Isn't that just like the outstanding talent recommended from the common people?"

"As different as heaven and earth." Gu Mei slowly turned and went to a gleaming bronze mirror to dress her hair. She poured out a tiny amount of the Tumi Lu she had just bought and gently smoothed it into her hair, saying as she did so, "The Fangzheng Xianliang Ke is the court's thirst for talent — recommended by great Jiangnan Confucian scholars and decided by the Emperor's own golden words. How can it compare to buying an Imperial Academy Student with money?"

Seeing more guests arriving, the maids rose one after another to go make preparations. The short maid came over to help Gu Mei dress her hair and arrange flowers, choosing a red coral hairpin and inserting it from the side of Gu Mei's chignon. "Good thing the Tumi Lu arrived just today. Rubbed into the hair, the fragrance is truly fresh and piercing — it'll surely mesmerize those scholars."

Gu Mei burst out laughing softly. "In the end, these are all external things. Does your sister still need a bit of scented dew to mesmerize those scholars?"

"This servant spoke wrongly again. Sister has an orchid heart and a wise nature, learned and well-mannered — even with disheveled hair you could mesmerize them, and they'd trample the doorstep to send you Hong Arrow. Truly it's just as Yu Huai said: Mei Lou is the Enchanting Tower."

Gu Mei covered her mouth and giggled. After a good while she stopped and swatted the short maid's leg with her hand. "You and your glib tongue. Focus on arranging the flowers."

"Does Sister want more flowers or fewer?"

As the two spoke, the voices of Fang Yizhi and the others could already be heard entering downstairs, and among them was a particularly loud voice.

Hearing this voice, Gu Mei furrowed her brow slightly.

"It's that Wu Yingji again. Just as Sister said so clearly — the Guomen Guangye Society is indeed full of those who fail the exams time and again." The short maid shook her head. "If Sister wants to go out, this servant will arrange the flowers faster."

Gu Mei sighed softly. "Let Ping'er and the others in the back building entertain them first. Take your time with the dressing — your sister is in no hurry to go out."

……

"Once again, many thanks to Brother Gu. Mei Lou's handkerchief appointments are all booked up for the next month or two. If Brother Gu hadn't given his up, we wouldn't have been able to entertain Brother Pang so easily."

Hearing Fang Yizhi's words, Pang Yu quickly expressed his thanks. He had come to Mei Lou because of its great reputation — once he settled things here, it would be easier to promote chain advertising among the Qinhuai pleasure houses. He hadn't expected Mei Lou's slots to be so hard to book.

Fang Yizhi had invited quite a few people this time. Besides the familiar faces from Tongcheng, whom he had already greeted, there were three he was meeting for the first time and had yet to find a topic of conversation with. Pang Yu did his best to appear more modest.

They had just entered the building. Mei Lou was situated in the most scenic spot of Taoye Ferry, with courtyards both inside and out, nestled among dense flowering trees. From the outside, it looked like just a single small building, but inside, it held hidden depths.

The garden where they had sat earlier faced the Qinhuai River directly. Within the garden, rockeries, ponds, fish, and flowering trees were artfully scattered, complementing the weeping willows on the riverbank. The ground floor was elegantly furnished, with miniature ponds and bonsai inside, doors and windows alternating between round and square, blending with the garden scenery at every turn. Though not a vast garden landscape, once inside the hall, every step revealed a view, and each view was different.

A graceful young woman led the way. Pang Yu followed Fang Yizhi up to the second floor, where the view suddenly opened up. Only then did Pang Yu realize the garden's flowering trees had all been trimmed so that they rested just at windowsill height. The Qinhuai riverbank stretched fully into sight, painted boats gliding across the water with gentle ripples — one could truly say it offered both garden scenery and wild scenery.

This second floor was the place for receiving guests. A row of small tables lined the windows, each with a vase of plum blossoms. Pang Yu had seen the courtyards of Ruan Dacheng and the Fang Family, but compared to this place, they lacked this flavor of understated elegance and secluded tranquility.

On the west side of the second floor, a landscape screen blocked a door — that must be where Gu Mei dressed and prepared to receive guests. She had not yet emerged.

Fang Yizhi invited everyone to take their seats. Pang Yu was the guest of honor today and sat to Fang Yizhi's right. Four or five maids entered the hall, each presenting tea sets. They also brought in two Copper Kettles, crouched down, and carefully brewed the tea, pouring the first infusion back into a Copper Basin.

When the second infusion was ready, the fragrance of tea filled the air. Even Pang Yu, who was not much of a tea drinker, felt an urge to taste it.

After waiting a moment, Pang Yu lifted his cup and took a sip. Amid the clear fragrance, there seemed to be a faint, elusive sweetness. The graceful young woman attending them knew Pang Yu was the guest of honor and stood specially beside him to explain, "General Pang probably does not know — the tea used at Mei Lou is the finest grade of Xiuning Songluo tea. But there is one thing that sets it apart from elsewhere: the water for the first cup is brought from Phoenix Spring, the water for the second cup from Waguan Spring, and the third cup, drunk after the meal, comes from Sweet Dew Spring at Rain Flower Terrace. The spring water is delivered fresh every morning and never kept overnight — only thus can the spring water's sweet coolness be preserved. Each of these spring waters has its own distinct flavor. General Pang, please savor it carefully."

Pang Yu suddenly understood. He had drunk Songluo tea before, and it had indeed lacked a certain nuance compared to today's. It seemed the owner of Mei Lou was very skilled at business, using these details to elevate the establishment's class. Pang Yu knew the owner of Mei Lou was not Gu Mei, but he had still not seen her by this point.

When the second cup of tea was brewed, the maids also brought out five or six plates of snacks. Pang Yu glanced over them — the food in each dish was exquisitely refined, small in portion but varied in color, clearly pre-meal appetizers. Some he had seen before, some he had not. The graceful young woman observed him for a moment, then leaned down and said softly, "For General Pang's information, starting from the left: Fujian Fortune Orange Cakes, Jiangxi Fengcheng Preserves, Suzhou Pine Nut Candy, Jinling Hawthorn Candy, and Sheng County Longyou Candy."

Pang Yu realized the woman had noticed he had never eaten these before. Speaking in a low voice was to save Pang Yu's face, so the others wouldn't hear and think him uncouth — clearly she was quite adept at dealing with people. He turned his head and smiled. "Thank you for the introduction. May I ask your honorable surname?"

The woman paused for a moment, not expecting a guest to be so courteous, and quickly replied, "General Pang may simply call me Ping'er."

"Would that be the surname Li?"

The woman pressed her lips together in a smile. "Young Master's thoughts go far indeed, but this servant's 'Ping' is the 'ping' of 'screen' — screen. Though I do indeed follow Mama's surname Li."

"A bit different from what I imagined…"

The woman laughed softly again. "Young Master is also a bit different from what the newspaper says."

Pang Yu found this amusing and was about to banter a little more when he heard Fang Yizhi beside him say, "It was rushed earlier. Let me now introduce three more Restoration Society society members to General Pang."

The woman, knowing the guests had matters to discuss, quickly straightened up and stood properly. Pang Yu also sat up straight and faced Fang Yizhi.

Fang Yizhi extended his hand toward Pang Yu's right. "This is Brother Wu Yingji of Chizhou, courtesy name Ciwei. The Restoration Society articles selected for the Jiangnan Times pass through Ciwei's hands."

Before Pang Yu could offer his greetings, Wu Yingji stood up first and said loudly, "Because of the Times, I have long been in correspondence with He County Yamen and have often heard of General Pang's great name. That a Military Officer would be willing to spend money on literary affairs for the realm — this is one marvel. And now I have also received the grace of the General's thousand-li rescue of Jinling. First, accept this bow from me."

Pang Yu hurriedly returned the courtesy. Unlike the other scholars, Wu Yingji performed the ritual openly and without reserve, then invited Pang Yu to sit. Pang Yu immediately took note of this man.

The other was named He Houming, from Songjiang Prefecture, also a Restoration Society scholar. He was far more composed than Wu Yingji.

He Houming faced Pang Yu with a respectful expression and said in a steady tone, "Since the Roving Bandits approached the river, the Southern Capital had no reliable troops. Inside and outside Jinling, hearts were in panic. Mizhi and I were both burning with anxiety and submitted river-defense strategies to the various ministries of the Southern Capital. The most crucial point was none other than drilling troops. I have heard Mizhi speak of the Anqing troop-drilling methods, which in many ways align with the Qi Shaobao Military Manual — this is the reason the General has won every battle."

Fang Mizhi said to Pang Yu, "Brother He has read through the military texts of all dynasties. The one he esteems most is Qi Jiguang. He often says that without knowing how to drill troops, one is not qualified to speak of military matters."

Pang Yu carefully sized up He Houming. This man's insights were indeed superior to those ordinary scholars who merely spouted empty military theories. He concurred, saying, "I share Brother He's view. Drilling troops is the foundation of military science. No matter how a General Officer devises strategies, the enemy will not be strategized to death — in the end, it is the soldiers who must kill, one blade and one spear at a time."

He Houming cupped his hands. "First Liaodong fell to the Eastern Slaves, then chaos erupted in the northwest. Although Restoration Society takes the revival of ancient learning as its mission, imitating the ancients does not necessarily mean understanding the present. The study of practical application — military study is also a study of practical application. Among our society members, there are many who delve deeply into military texts, but in the end, there is a tendency toward empty talk of strategy. General Pang, however, has applied learning to practice and has already seen real results. I am ashamed to be inferior. If all Military Officers in the realm were like this, how could the bandit chaos have reached this point?"

Before being introduced, the remaining person rose and interjected, "Brother He's words are not wrong, but they are somewhat biased. Consider this: if a bunch of reckless brutes, even if drilled to possess brute strength, charge into battle in one mad rush, in the end they are still a rabble. Drilling troops is only one aspect of military affairs. Military systems, military methods, and military formations — none can be neglected. If the military system is not reformed, then drilling troops is merely a rootless tree. If a general does not understand military methods and formations, strong soldiers are wasted in Danger Zones, not used at critical points — then drilling troops becomes wasted effort."

Pang Yu had not expected an opponent, and one who spoke with such good reason. He quickly turned to the man. "Military affairs indeed cannot be one-sided. I have not yet asked the gentleman's honored name."

"I am Huang Zongxi."

Fang Yizhi introduced him. "Brother Huang is the descendant of a Donglin loyal martyr."

Huang Zongxi waved his hand. "I have not finished. No matter how refined the use of arms, it remains a baleful affair. Using troops to destroy bandits is ultimately a method that treats only the symptoms. The Smelling Incense Sect rebellion is not far past, the She-An rebellion has only just been quelled, and beyond the Roving Thieves there are still the Northern Barbarians and the Eastern Slaves. Chaos rises everywhere in the realm. If a disturbance arises in one place, troops are used to suppress it — disturbances arise everywhere, and troops are used everywhere. This cannot go on. To get to the root, the method to destroy the bandits, pacify the Slaves, and bring peace to the realm lies in no more than six words."

Pang Yu felt some Approval in his heart and wondered what lofty discourse this Huang Zongxi had to offer. He quickly said humbly, "Please, sir, instruct me."

Huang Zongxi lifted his head high and declared with righteous solemnity, "Simply keep near to noble men and far from petty men, that is all!"

Pang Yu gaped, tongue-tied, at a loss for where to begin, but seeing Huang Zongxi's expression, the man truly seemed to believe it. Among the few new acquaintances here, Wu Yingji had a bold and forthright nature and held no prejudice against military men, while He Houming's views leaned toward the practical, which had raised Pang Yu's expectations high for the last one. Huang Zongxi's thesis was indeed lofty, yet the answer he finally gave left Pang Yu somewhat astonished.

Sun Lin and Jiang Chen both kept their heads down eating. He Houming smiled impassively and sat back down. Only Wu Yingji looked a little impatient, as if ready to retort, but Fang Yizhi silenced him with a look.

"Your lofty discourse, sir, awakens the deaf and enlightens the benighted — I shall engrave it upon my heart." Seeing the wine had not yet arrived, Pang Yu hastily raised his tea and said, "Allow me first to toast you, sir, with tea in place of wine, to express my admiration."

Huang Zongxi was not arrogant, but instead politely invited Pang Yu to drink together. After using this cup of tea to defuse the awkwardness, Pang Yu dared not speak further with Huang Zongxi. He immediately turned to Jiang Chen on his left and said, "I hear from Mizhi that Brother Jiang has passed the Fangzheng Xianliang Ke and will soon depart for the capital. Should Brother Jiang gain an audience with the Emperor, he ought to convey such words of gold and jade as Brother Huang's to the heavenly ear. Here I also wish Brother Jiang a future without limit."

Jiang Chen had already experienced Pang Yu's way with words. Seeing now that Pang Yu dared not say much to Huang Zongxi either, a hint of mocking amusement flickered in his eyes. Still raising his cup politely, he said, "I thank General Pang for his kind words. It was only through the aid of a benefactor and the recommendation of a great Confucian scholar that I passed by sheer luck. Here I also offer my congratulations to Garrison Commander Pang. When we first met, the General was still a mere runner at the Tongcheng county yamen. That staff strike truly had divine aid — now, little more than a year later, you are already a garrison commander who has led troops a thousand li to smash bandits. Your future prospects are likewise boundless."

The moment these two remarks were spoken, both Huang Zongxi and He Houming's expressions grew somewhat strained. In these times of nationwide chaos, the status of military officers was rising, and sharing a table with one was still acceptable, but hearing that this man had once been a runner left everyone with a measure of displeasure.

Pang Yu also sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere at the table. He had not expected Jiang Chen to be so skilled at Grudge Memory. That day over the matter of paper currency, Jiang Chen had been left rather embarrassed by Pang Yu's questioning at the Ze Society in Tongcheng. Now, without batting an eye, Jiang Chen had brought up Pang Yu's past, precisely to embarrass him in turn.

Fang Yizhi, seeing this, was about to speak, but Wu Yingji raised his voice and said, "Heroes also emerge from humble and lowly origins. When General Pang was still at the county yamen, he entered Cloud Gathering Temple alone, slew over thirty rebels, and transported their heads to the front of the Tongcheng county yamen — witnessed by thousands of the common people of Tongcheng. Thus the Civil Unrest was quelled. Afterward, he entered the Imperial Academy and, as an Imperial Academy Student, cast aside the brush to take up arms. He is naturally different from ordinary military officers."

Huang Zongxi's expression eased again. Wu Yingji still looked somewhat indignant. Although this was his first time meeting Pang Yu, he had close ties with the Newspaper Office and had read many articles extolling Pang Yu, so he had likely already formed a fixed impression and could not accept others viewing Grand General Pang in such a light.

Pang Yu himself did not mind. Among the scholars here, some might pass the Presented Scholar examination, but the likelihood that any could directly hold jurisdiction over him was slim, for they were all scholars of Nanzhili and could not serve as officials in Anqing. Their opinions, therefore, mattered little.

Just then, the maids cleared away the small appetizers, and a variety of dishes were brought out in succession. The very first plate astonished Pang Yu. According to the introduction by the woman beside him, it was a tofu made from bird brains. This one small plate must have required the brains of dozens of birds. It looked white, tender, smooth, and glossy, yet somehow it felt a little disgusting. The several dishes that followed were also local specialties from various regions. Though Pang Yu had attended many welcoming banquets in Anqing, he had never seen anything like them. He could not help but grow a little curious about the cost of today's meal — it was certainly more expensive than any banquet he had ever eaten at.

But now that the meal was about to begin, the mistress of Mei Lou had still not appeared, nor had that Gu Mei. Pang Yu could not help but worry a little about the matter of the advertising slot.

At that moment, a maid came upstairs, whispered a few words in Fang Yizhi's ear, and then went back down.

Fang Yizhi turned to Pang Yu and said, "There is one more society friend today, one the General knows. Can the General guess who?"