Chapter 278: A Military Man

On Taihu County's crumbling western earthen wall in Anqing Prefecture, figures shifted in the shadows. Wu Dacai had just set down his hoe and was leaning on it, looking back at a group of people walking along the street inside the city. His closest subordinate sidled up and spat on the ground in their direction.

Wu Dacai turned and glared at the subordinate. "I told you, you dog, don't face that way. Those are people from the Military Section of the Circuit Intendant Yamen. If they see, it'll be big trouble."

The subordinate shrank back and said, "I clearly saw it was the Taihu County Magistrate."

"Didn't you see Magistrate Yang has already fallen to the back? There's a protocol to how officials walk, same as in our military camps. Look, who dares walk in front of Lord Pang?"

"The County Magistrate and the Military Office are all no good. We're Hundred-Victory Elite Troops, and they have us repairing the city wall..."

Wu Dacai glanced left and right, then beckoned to his close subordinate, led him to a spot farther away, stopped, and slapped him on the head.

The subordinate clutched his head and stumbled back a step in panic. Wu Dacai pointed at him and said in a low voice, "Where the hell did my Flower Pear Wood bed get shipped to? It's been a month since we got back from Jiangnan, and I still haven't seen a trace of it. Did you sell it in Anqing?"

"What are you saying, Banner Commander? How would I dare? That Flower Pear Wood bed went with the boatmen. They're coming back upstream; a month might not even be enough." The subordinate waved his hands frantically, glanced around, then leaned back in. "Maybe the boatmen already delivered it, but none of us were in Anqing. Once we get back, we'll definitely find it."

"Look at the kind of people you get to handle things. Whether the bed arrives is secondary, but they'd better not run their damn mouths. Today Jiang Guoyong reported that three men from the First Division privately took jewelry and silver in Chuzhou, and their family dependents in Anqing couldn't keep their mouths shut. All three have been arrested and jailed, just waiting for Lord Pang to return and pass judgment. Do you still want your head? I told you back then, don't move it, don't move it, and you insisted it was fine."

The subordinate's face filled with worry. "Well, you can't blame me either. Who told the Circuit Intendant Yamen to shuffle us around like this? If we'd stayed in Anqing, this wouldn't have happened. Banner Commander, tell me, what kind of officials are the Circuit Intendant Yamen anyway? When it's time to actually fight, you never see them. The moment Lord Pang is away, our Garrison Battalion becomes the Circuit Intendant Yamen's soldiers."

Wu Dacai snorted. The entire Garrison Battalion was full of complaints about the Circuit Intendant Yamen. They had just returned from Jiangnan, and because they had expanded too quickly recently, they basically had replacement troops with no training. Every division was understrength, and the soldiers and officers were utterly exhausted. The Circuit Intendant Yamen gave them almost no time to rest and recover before conscripting them out everywhere. Once they reached Taihu, the Military Section and the County Magistrate even had them repairing the earthen wall.

He glanced back. The earthen wall was collapsing everywhere, requiring soldiers to carry loads up bit by bit on shoulder poles and then tamp it down by hand. Even after tamping it with wooden stakes, Wu Dacai felt it was probably useless. Taihu's climate was much like Tongcheng's; with just plain dirt, as soon as a summer rainstorm hit, even more sections would collapse.

After cursing inwardly, he saw over a dozen cavalrymen enter the city through the south gate. By now, Yang Zhuoran and the others had already walked east into a stretch of ruins. The cavalry paused briefly at the gate, then headed in Wu Dacai and his men's direction.

"Grab your swords and spears!"

Chaos erupted on the earthen wall. Many of the Garrison Battalion soldiers were stripped to the waist. From their position on the wall, they could see the west side but had no idea where these cavalry had come from. Even the Banner Team on alert outside the city had given no warning whatsoever.

"Form ranks! Form ranks! It's Lord Pang!" Wu Dacai recognized the arrivals and sprang up like a coiled spring, leaping down from a collapsed section of the earthen wall. He stood by the roadside and bellowed up at them.

The earthen wall was in disarray; soldiers scrambled to find a way down, and many were still searching for their clothes.

"Stand in formation first!"

The Second Division's great banner rose at the foot of the north wall. Wang Zenglu was also hurrying over. Wu Dacai howled at the top of his lungs, urging his men down from the wall to stand in place. The soldiers who had reached their positions were frantically pulling on their clothes.

The mounted column stopped right in front of him. Wu Dacai immediately stood at attention, not daring to breathe heavily, no longer daring to mind his subordinate soldiers. He stood motionless beneath the wall.

Pang Yu looked from horseback at the chaotic scene. Many soldiers were bare-chested, still holding hoes and baskets, covered head to toe in mud.

When Wang Zenglu hurried up before him, Pang Yu said coldly, "This is how you've led my Second Division?"

"Subordinate..."

"The Second Division will don armor and take up arms. In half a quarter-hour, form ranks outside the south gate."

Without waiting for Wang Zenglu's reply, Pang Yu turned his horse and rode straight for the south gate.

"General Pang, what is the meaning of this? This unit of the Garrison Battalion was stationed in Taihu by the explicit order of the Circuit Intendant. You should know that just yesterday, Roving Bandits came from the northern mountains. Garrison Commander Pang, why are you withdrawing your troops without authorization?"

The Second Division was assembling outside the city. The commotion alarmed the city's residents. The clerk from the Military Section who had rushed over was beside himself with fury. Yang Zhuoran stood right next to the clerk but said nothing.

This clerk from the Military Section of the Circuit Intendant Yamen spoke with no courtesy at all, but Pang Yu was not angered. The clerk was originally an acquaintance; when Shi Kefa first came to Tongcheng, this clerk was among the staff he brought with him. He was one of Shi Kefa's trusted confidants, and the county magistrates throughout Anqing all treated him with considerable deference.

Pang Yu let out a hearty laugh and said politely to the Military Section clerk, "Sir Jiang, do not take offense. It is not that I am withdrawing my troops on my own authority. It is only because I received a secret report from the upper reaches of the Great River the day before yesterday, stating that forces of the Eight Bandits and All Over the Sky have appeared in Luotian and Tingqian Post. Previously, the Prefectural City's troops were all dispatched elsewhere. If the Roving Thieves pass through Susong and Wangjiang to strike directly at the Prefectural City, I fear Anqing will be endangered. This officer dares not delay military intelligence and has already urgently memorialized the Circuit Intendant together with Lord Pi, redeploying the Second Division back to reinforce Anqing."

The clerk froze and extended a hand. "Then does the Circuit Intendant have a written order here?"

"Military intelligence blazes like fire. If the Prefectural City falls because we waited for a written order, who can bear such a grave responsibility?"

"This..." The clerk looked at Pang Yu, opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He had merely been assigned here by Shi Kefa to coordinate with the Local Officials in restraining the army. When it came to actual matters of battle, he could not even say clearly how many roads there were to Wangjiang, so how could he possibly know whether the Prefectural City was truly in danger? And for a mere clerk like him, bearing responsibility was even further out of the question.

Yang Zhuoran cupped his hands toward the clerk. "Allow me to exchange a few words with General Pang."

With that, he walked slowly over. Pang Yu had not met Yang Zhuoran many times, but after their transaction atop the City Tower that day, he had gained some understanding of this man's nature. He now also stepped aside a few paces to avoid the others.

Yang Zhuoran stared at Pang Yu for a moment before speaking. "I have yet to congratulate you, General Pang, on the Grand Victory at Jiangpu. Your name has stirred all of Jiangnan, and we officials and gentry of Anqing all share in the honor."

"You are too kind, sir."

"The Garrison Battalion's arrival in Taihu has caused the Roving Thieves to halt their advance, and the people of Taihu have thus been kept safe. For this, I must also thank you, General. However, the moment you returned, you disobeyed the Circuit Intendant's military order. That is somewhat improper."

Hearing Yang Zhuoran also invoke Shi Kefa's authority, Pang Yu bowed politely and said, "Magistrate Yang, please understand. While in Jiangnan, I had an audience with Lord Zhang, the Governor. Afterward, the officials and gentry of the Southern Capital were overly hospitable, and I was compelled to stay a few extra days. I was unable to personally lead troops to relieve Taihu in time, causing you, Magistrate Yang, to be alarmed by the Roving Thieves. That is my fault. However, the Prefectural City is in crisis, and Lord Pi has also been urging me urgently. I, too, have no choice."

Yang Zhuoran grasped Pang Yu's implication: he was now Zhang Guowei's trusted man, had newly earned battle honors and made a name in the Southern Capital, and would not necessarily heed Shi Kefa's orders.

He thought for a moment, then said, "The Prefectural City has mountains at its back, faces the river, and has high walls and deep moats. Even if we only found some Community Soldiers to man the walls, the Roving Thieves could not break it overnight. General Pang, if you withdraw your troops and Taihu falls and is ravaged because of it, can you bear such a monumental crime?"

Pang Yu smiled. "Magistrate Yang jests. Taihu fell long ago. How can a city already broken be broken again?"

Yang Zhuoran was stunned, not expecting Pang Yu to be so blunt. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Taihu was broken last year, but in the span of a year, thousands upon thousands of common folk have gathered here again. Setting aside whether the city falls or not, these people's lives cannot be restored. How can you bear to speak such words, General Pang?"

Pang Yu's gaze drifted around the city gate. The onlooking commoners were sparse, many still gaunt and bony. "Magistrate Yang, your words are somewhat inaccurate. Since the Siege of the City, Taihu has had at most two thousand commoners. When the Yingshan Bandit traces appeared this time, most of the commoners had already fled to the Prefectural City. There are only a few hundred inside Taihu City. Where do these thousands upon thousands come from? I imagine you, sir, can count them clearly yourself."

Yang Zhuoran turned his head away and instead chuckled. "What General Pang means is that the only one in Taihu City who cannot leave is this official himself."

Pang Yu said without the slightest concern, "That is the truth of the matter. Taihu was broken last year. The city is nothing but broken walls and rubble. Even if the Roving Bandits come again, it would just mean one more dead County Magistrate."

The muscles on Yang Zhuoran's face twitched twice, and for a moment he said nothing. Pang Yu glanced at him and continued, "Ever since I promised you, Magistrate Yang, to station troops at Shipai last time, I have kept the matter in mind. The Shipai Camp Ground has long been in preparation. On this return from Chuzhou to Jiangnan, I already obtained Lord Zhang the Governor's approval for my Garrison Battalion to station troops at Shipai Town. I will immediately order men to begin constructing the Barracks. But the people from the Silver Bank reported back to me, saying that you, Magistrate Yang, seem to have changed your mind again and do not intend to deposit the silver for building the city in my Great River Silver Bank. Whether this business succeeds or not is one thing, but you, Magistrate Yang, have instead used my Battalion's troops as laborers to repair the city wall. Even the military rations were bought by the Circuit Intendant Yamen from Shipai. You, Magistrate Yang, contributed nothing at all. Like you were just thinking, sir, I also find this somewhat improper."

By now, the Second Division had finished assembling outside the south gate. Some of the city's commoners were frantically packing their belongings, preparing to flee to Anqing with the army. After all, in all the days this army had been stationed here, they had never once Plundered anything. Once this army left, Taihu would be an undefended place. Following the army to Anqing would at least make the road safer.

Pang Yu waited quietly for Yang Zhuoran. This Magistrate Yang was quick-witted and had made a good impression on Shi Kefa, persuading him to redeploy the Garrison Battalion to Taihu to both defend the city and repair it for him. In such circumstances, Pang Yu's usefulness was minimal. So Magistrate Yang had changed his mind. The funds pooled for repairing the city had already exceeded sixty thousand taels, and he had used it all for Official Silver Loans in Anqing and Chizhou, which offered higher interest than what Pang Yu gave.

By coming this time to take away the Taihu troops, Pang Yu intended to make Yang Zhuoran understand whose troops the Garrison Battalion really was.

After a long while, Yang Zhuoran finally said, "I imagine this is a misunderstanding, General Pang. This official intended to wait for your return to personally verify with you whether you would indeed be stationing troops at Shipai."

"This officer will tell you right now, Magistrate Yang: the Garrison Battalion will be stationed at Shipai, not Taihu. If you, Magistrate Yang, find the previous proposal workable, I can still honor the agreement. In the future, if the Garrison Battalion has more men and horses, we can establish an additional force at Fengxiang Courier Station. Then you, sir, can be free of worry in Taihu."

"In that case, please leave your troops here, General, and this official will deposit that silver in the Great River Silver Bank. It is just that the Silver Bank may have already lent out some of the previous funds and cannot produce that much all at once."

"That is your affair, Magistrate Yang. It was you who broke the agreement first, so this credit is not very reliable. The first deposit of forty thousand taels — whenever it arrives at the Great River Silver Bank, the Garrison Battalion will return to Taihu." Pang Yu finished speaking in a low voice, then waved a hand at the formed ranks of Wang Zenglu over there. "March for Shipai."

At Matang Lake in Shipai Town, the setting sun cast shimmering light upon the water. The Garrison Battalion's Second Division was making camp. Quite a few residents of Shipai Town came out to watch. Unlike ordinary government troops, these soldiers had come and gone several times, and the commoners all recognized them now. They knew the soldiers would not Plunder, so everyone could enjoy a fair bit of excitement.

"Sir, look over there. That stretch of land was given by the local Tang Family. It's right by Matang Lake, but the terrain is a bit higher. Fetching water for the camp will be convenient daily, and it won't flood in the summer. Only, we'll need to dig the wells a bit deeper."

"Then we'll build the camp right here. Tomorrow, I will personally go to the Tang Family to thank them. Although they say it's a gift, we should still give them some silver. Those people we brought back from Chuzhou — as long as they aren't craftsmen or Silver Bank apprentices — send them all here first. Have them build the walls and dig the trenches." Pang Yu put a piece of pastry into his mouth. It was a local specialty of Shipai, called Tribute Cake, once sent to the palace as tribute. It suited Pang Yu's taste.

Mr. Hou made a mark with his brush, finally settling on the location at Shipai. He also breathed a sigh of relief. Following Pang Yu, this young leader of boundless energy, Mr. Hou was also somewhat run ragged. He had just finished selecting the documents to be dispatched to the various camps when Pang Yu put him in charge of the new camp grounds at Shipai, Leigang, and Zongyang. Leigang was relatively simple, as there was a ready-made Water Army camp ground from before. Shipai and Zongyang were both new constructions, and both involved both water and land camp grounds.

"My lord, your subordinate has something to say."

"Please speak, Mr. Hou," Pang Yu said, handing over a few pieces of the Tribute Cake in his hand.

Mr. Hou hurriedly accepted them, ate a bite alongside Pang Yu, and then said, "This subordinate feels that Taihu City has no people and no food, and the villages along the Official Road around the city are like ghost towns. If we recruit laborers, they would have to walk dozens of li, and the loss from transporting grain and supplies would be enormous. These sixty thousand taels are still not enough to repair the City Wall."

"Then you believe,"

"that Prefect Yang never intended to finish repairing the City Wall."

Pang Yu nodded. "The various Chief Officials of Anqing Prefecture also know it cannot be repaired and are likely eyeing that sum of silver as well. Besides that, there is also the silver for Susong and Qianshan. But right now, Circuit Intendant Shi is single-mindedly focused on building the city. I hear he also wants to request Imperial Privy Purse funds from the court to build Fortified Strongholds everywhere in Anqing."

Mr. Hou sighed. "Circuit Intendant Shi is fixated solely on this path of building cities and strongholds. This time, Your Excellency went against Circuit Intendant Shi's wishes by taking the soldiers away from Taihu. Circuit Intendant Shi will harbor a grudge from now on. Although Commander Zhang appreciates you, Circuit Intendant Shi is, after all, right here in Anqing. I fear… Should Your Excellency go to Tongcheng to meet Circuit Intendant Shi face-to-face and explain things thoroughly?"

Pang Yu nodded. "Naturally, I must go. The reason I insisted on taking away the Taihu troops is that during this troop deployment by the Circuit Intendant Yamen, the Chief Officials of all four divisions obeyed without question. It was Jiang Fan who sent me an urgent Letter, allowing me to learn of it. From now on, one rule for the clerks Mr. Hou dispatches to each unit is to make the officers and soldiers understand whom this Garrison Battalion should obey."

"This… this subordinate understands, but…"

"It is just that you do not yet fully understand how to make the soldiers obey you." Pang Yu smiled. "I will naturally grant you some Authority, so that the officers and soldiers must heed your words. Otherwise, after all we have risked life and limb for, is it merely to rise in rank? To have our elite trained troops squandered so carelessly — we might as well have gone to Nanjing early on to live as wealthy men."

Mr. Hou knew Pang Yu was joking. He put away the Register in his hand and smiled. "Speaking of Your Excellency's official rank, with the Grand Victory at Jiangpu and the Chuzhou Great Victory this time, you should at least be promoted to Mobile Corps Commander. A Regional Commander is not out of the question either."

Pang Yu glanced Go North. "How high an official rank one gets depends on what the Emperor thinks. Look at that Jiang Chen — who could rise in rank more easily than him? Does he have any look of being Worthy and Upright? Yet he just happened to be selected for the Virtuous and Upright Examination, and without having done anything, he became a Ministry of Revenue Secretary. We risk life and limb, yet in their eyes, we are still low-class martial men."

Mr. Hou was about to offer consolation, but Pang Yu raised a hand. "I am merely speaking my mind. I would not go even if invited to that Ministry of Revenue or Ministry of Works. This time, we have taken Leigang and Zongyang, and Nanjing has established the Great River Silver Bank. The matters in my plans are gradually taking shape. You, sir, just manage the affairs of the several new Camp Grounds and the accompanying army clerks well. In Nanjing, we have the support of the Restoration Society. Regardless of whether the Emperor grants an official rank, we shall surely have our moment to soar. Martial men may not necessarily be unable to become high officials."