Chapter 290: Error

"My lord, appointing this subordinate as Personal Soldier Si Company Commander fills me with some trepidation. I fear I may fail in your affairs."

Beside the rockery in the rear courtyard of the Garrison Command, Zhuang Chaozheng followed behind Pang Yu as he paced slowly. Soldiers came and went around them, carrying bed frames and cabinets out of various rooms, then moving tables and chairs in without pause. Pang Yu's rear office was to become the exclusive workspace of the Advisory Room.

Pang Yu turned his head to look at Zhuang Chaozheng. "Chaozheng, in your opinion, who do you think is most suited to serve as Personal Soldier Si Company Commander?"

"This subordinate dares not speak recklessly."

"This is a military order. You are a man who leads troops into battle; you can kill a man, so what is there to fear in answering a question?"

Zhuang Chaozheng hesitated a moment, then said, "This subordinate believes that Company Commander Yao and Company Commander Wang are both suitable."

"What you truly mean is that Yao Dongshan is fierce and brave, while Wang Zenglu is composed and skilled at deploying formations, and thus seems more suited to lead the Heavy Infantry." Pang Yu pointed to the stone stools by the pond, gesturing for Zhuang Chaozheng to sit with him. "But this official believes that in warfare, tenacity is paramount. I am placing you in command because of your steadfast performance at the Pure Stream River ferry crossing. The Seventh Company suffered over half casualties, yet its formation held. This official trusts you."

Zhuang Chaozheng immediately stood upon hearing this. Pang Yu waved his hand. "If this official trusts you, you must also trust yourself. No one is born a famed general. Fight for ten years, survive, and you will be a famed general too."

"Then this subordinate will assume the post this afternoon. It is just that this Personal Guard Division is entirely Heavy Armor Infantry. I still have no clear idea how they should be trained."

"Now that the Personal Guard Division has been reorganized into Heavy Infantry, whether on hills, in water networks, or on plains, whether in defense or offense, it will surely be deployed at the critical points of the battle line. In the eighth year, during the defense of Tongcheng, the Roving Bandits had already breached the South Wall. In the end, when we retook the South Wall, we relied heavily on a few Heavy Armor Soldiers. Afterward, at North Gorge Pass, Puzikou, Chuzhou, and several other battles, whenever the Heavy Armor Soldiers appeared, they could often immediately deter the Roving Bandits' assaults. When crossing the Pure Stream River, the First Division's rearguard was entirely composed of Heavy Armor Soldiers. When you led the Seventh Company to hold the ferry crossing, with a hundred men defending against ten times their number of Roving Bandit elites, you also relied on the might of the Heavy Armor Soldiers."

Hearing this, Zhuang Chaozheng echoed, "It was indeed as my lord says. That day at the ferry crossing, we relied entirely on the Heavy Armor Soldiers to hold the line. Most of those arrows that struck the armor could not inflict the slightest injury, and the same was true for swords and blades. Only weapons like the Great Axe, Bone Mace, and Line Spear could cause harm. Yet in the end, the majority of the dead and wounded were still the lightly armored troops. The Roving Bandits later did not even dare to charge forward. This subordinate reflected afterward that if I had been leading troops like Xu Strengthening's, even ten thousand men would have collapsed."

"At present, it seems the Heavy Infantry is more suited to defense, but this official believes their role goes far beyond that. For this Personal Guard Division, I will ensure they are fully equipped with Heavy Armor and Auxiliary Armor, with protection even for the face."

Zhuang Chaozheng hesitated, then said, "This subordinate was thinking, with such armor, when the summer heat is scorching, how is this Personal Guard Division supposed to fight?"

"I have also considered this matter. Both times the Roving Bandits ran rampant, it was in autumn and winter. This is not without reason, for the supplies needed by both men and horses are only sufficient after the autumn harvest. The Heavy Armor Soldiers are perfectly suited for that time. Should there be an incursion in summer, the Personal Guard Division will primarily be used for defending the various cities. In that case, there is no need to march, and the cities provide supplies. But the Personal Guard Division is still an army. When the time comes to fight, whether in summer or bitter winter, once the order is given, they must charge in even if stripped to the waist."

"This subordinate understands."

Pang Yu observed him carefully for a moment. Zhuang Chaozheng's eyes still held a trace of evasion, but compared to when they first met, he was far more confident now, and had the bearing of a military officer.

Pang Yu then gave further advice. "Although we have drawn a hundred soldiers and officers from the various divisions, by my count, half of the Personal Guard Division are still new recruits. Training troops is a taxing endeavor. The Heavy Infantry's own marching, formation drills, and skills, as well as defense and offense in different positions and terrains—these are much the same as with the former Third Division. But what I want is not just that. Before, each division fought on its own, and the Artillery also fought on its own. At the bridge head of Puzikou, when the cannons struck the Roving Bandit chieftain, the infantry just stood there watching. By the time they gave chase after the bandits fled, the Roving Bandit elites had already broken contact, and a good opportunity was thrown away for nothing. This reorganization is not for the sake of changing the structure. From now on, infantry, artillery, and cavalry must drill together. This official calls it Joint Operations. At present, I only have a rough idea. As for the specific methods of fighting, you officers will have to use your brains. How the Heavy Armor Soldiers are to be used within this, Chaozheng, you should start planning based on this concept."

Zhuang Chaozheng listened with an expression of utter admiration. Pang Yu found this quite gratifying. He had once read about Joint Operations somewhere, but his knowledge was limited to just that. How exactly to coordinate in this era, he had absolutely no idea. But after these few battles with the Roving Bandits, he had grasped some of the principles. A single troop type has its own inherent weaknesses; the coordination of multiple troop types should be effective, regardless of the era.

"The Roving Bandits suffered a crushing defeat at Chuzhou, but the scourge of the Roving Bandits is far from over. In the second month, they even killed Tang Jiuzhou. As commanders, we cannot afford the slightest negligence in drilling troops and fighting wars. You must be absolutely diligent and earnest." Pang Yu stood and looked at Zhuang Chaozheng. On this point, he was utterly certain. Although he had mostly never heard of the other Roving Bandits and knew nothing of the intermediate process, he knew that Li Inner City had entered the Capital. Therefore, the Roving Bandits would absolutely not be wiped out after the Chuzhou Campaign. Judging by the Roving Bandits' area of activity, Anqing was far more dangerous than the Capital. If even the Capital could not be held in the end, then the situation in Anqing would only be more severe. As for the more distant Tartars, he could not afford to worry about them yet.

Pang Yu did not know whether, historically, the Roving Bandits had ever taken Anqing. Now, due to his arrival, the Anqing Garrison Battalion was much stronger. With this variable in play, he wondered if it would change the outcome of the Roving Bandits taking the Capital.

In the original history, the Anqing Garrison Commander at this time was Pan Keda. The Bronze Standard Battalion had not yet been established, and Zhang Guowei had to repeatedly mobilize troops from Jiangnan to reinforce Anqing. Aside from Xu Strengthening, these were men like Chen Yuwang, whom Pang Yu had met during the Jiangnan relief campaign. Facing the surging Roving Bandits from both Huguang and Henan with such military strength, Anqing was naturally in a perilous state, as precarious as a pile of eggs. This also compelled Zhang Guowei to urgently want to separate Anqing's administration. However, due to the emergence of the Garrison Battalion, the current situation had already greatly improved.

Pang Yu was naturally completely ignorant of this. His conversation with Zhuang Chaozheng was basically over. Today, he had already spoken with the Chief Officials of every division. The greatest changes in the original structure were in the Personal Guard Division and the Cavalry Division. The post of Personal Guard Division Company Commander was newly assigned to Zhuang Chaozheng, and the Cavalry Division Company Commander was Chen Rulie, both chosen for their more outstanding performance in the Chuzhou Campaign. Yao Dongshan, Wang Zenglu, and Ren Dalang remained in their original posts; he had spoken with them all as well. The last one remaining was the Marine Landing Division. This was an expanded unit, and its Company Commander was the promoted Iron Centurion. Pang Yu had left him for the afternoon talk.

After Zhuang Chaozheng left, Pang Yu returned to his Study and lay back in his grand tutor's chair to rest briefly. The sounds of soldiers moving furniture outside continued without pause. Pang Yu could not nap, but he did not have anyone interfere with them either.

There were two knocks on the door. Without opening his eyes, Pang Yu knew it was Pang Ding. When others came, the Personal Soldiers would request instructions on whether to admit them. Only Pang Ding had special permission to enter directly.

The door creaked open, and indeed it was Pang Ding who walked in. He turned, closed the door carefully, then approached Pang Yu and handed him a ledger.

After Pang Yu took it, he said, "Young Master, this is the outgoing account for the sixth month. Mr. Yu just sent it over. For our Garrison Battalion, on the single item of Monthly Pay alone, there are three thousand one hundred and thirty-seven officers and soldiers drawing pay, with a monthly pay expenditure of over seven thousand one hundred taels. The cost of consumed grain, Forage, meat, and vegetables totals four thousand one hundred taels in silver. There are two hundred and forty-one craftsmen and apprentices in the workshops, and four hundred and twenty Laborers, drawing a total of over one thousand one hundred taels in pay. For the manufacture and external purchase of naval and land armaments, equipment, uniforms, and the like, over five thousand two hundred taels of silver were used. The donation to the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad's military stipend silver was two hundred and thirty-four taels. The Canal Gang cudgel gang leader stipend silver was three hundred taels. The Brokerage was four hundred and fifty-two taels. And the gratuities for the officials and runners of Tongcheng, Huaining, and Qianshan counties totaled five hundred and seventy taels."

Pang Yu flipped through it casually. "The over five thousand taels for armaments is due to the need to replenish equipment for the newly added troops. We purchased a lot of copper, iron, leather, charcoal, cloth, and other raw materials. It will be higher in recent months, but not this high every month. Looking at this, the normal monthly expenditure should be around thirteen thousand taels."

"But the silver allocated by the Circuit Intendant Yamen is all based on a troop strength of two thousand and two Company Commander Retainers. The soldiers' Monthly Pay is seven qian, and the Household Retainers' is only one tael, totaling no more than one thousand six hundred taels per month. Its purity is often insufficient. As for the other items like grain tax in kind and Forage, they force us to sign for receipt, but we have never seen them. Everything must be self-raised. Young Master, just to maintain the troops, you are losing ten thousand taels a month."

Pang Yu lay back in his grand tutor's chair, still examining the detailed entries in the ledger. "Relying on the court's silver to maintain troops will only produce troops like Xu Strengthening's. Spending your own silver to acquire strong troops—how can that be called a loss? Besides, you just missed the people rounded up from Chuzhou. Although these people receive no Monthly Pay, they still eat our food. That must be several hundred taels a month at least."

"There is also the Comfort Compensation for the officers and soldiers killed and wounded in all the battles. That still requires several hundred taels each month. Next month, over five hundred replacement soldiers will be converted to Right Troops, which will add over five hundred taels to the monthly military pay. The units currently most understaffed are the Heavy Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. Their Monthly Pay is all higher than the infantry's. Once these Camp Heads are fully recruited, it will increase by a great deal more. And then there is the interest… Just the interest on the pre-collected tax silver and city construction silver from the various counties is over a thousand taels a month. The interest on the soldiers' and officers' deposited silver hasn't even been calculated yet." As Pang Ding calculated this, his heart grew more anxious. Any of the figures he was now reciting would have been unimaginable to him two years ago. Now, he had to list so many items in a row.

He stole a glance at Pang Yu, only to see that this heavily indebted magnate still had a relaxed expression. Pang Ding sat down dejectedly and said, "At the rate Young Master spends, the sixty thousand taels borrowed from Taihu will be used up in just four months."

"When the Taihu money is used up, there is still Qianshan's. But do you know where all that Monthly Pay goes?"

Pang Ding sat there blankly, unable to answer. Pang Yu casually put down the ledger. "Have you ever gone to the Qian Zhuang to look at this month's deposit and withdrawal records?"

Pang Ding had not seen the Qian Zhuang's accounts, so he could only shake his head. Pang Yu blinked and smiled. "The largest expenditure item just now was the monthly silver for the army and workshops. This month, that was over eight thousand taels. Add the Canal Gang cudgel gang leader of the second rank and above, and the Brokerage heads, and the total is over nine thousand taels, accounting for the majority of daily expenditures. But this month, only two thousand four hundred taels were withdrawn from the Qian Zhuang. That means we paid out less than thirty percent of the stipend silver. The rest of the silver is still in the Qian Zhuang. This bit of Monthly Pay can be earned back by the Nanjing Baisun Hall alone."

Pang Ding frowned and thought for a long while, then said, still puzzled, "But that means paying more interest, and eventually, it will still have to be withdrawn."

"If they can earn interest, as long as I, your young master, remain an official, the deposited silver will not all be withdrawn. This is the advantage of a Qian Zhuang. As long as the silver is in the Qian Zhuang, it cannot be considered paid out. It is all silver that I, your father, can still use."

Pang Ding suddenly blinked. "In the future, should we recruit more unmarried soldiers? They drill in the camp on regular days and have no time to spend silver, so their Monthly Pay has to be deposited in the Qian Zhuang, and Young Master can use it. Those with families have daily expenses and must withdraw silver every month. If they are killed or wounded, Young Master, you then have to support those widows and orphans, spending even more silver."

"The soldiers' and officers' deposited silver each has its own use. Unmarried soldiers always have parents and brothers. If they are from out of town, they still have to send money home to support their families, so it is still spent, and the silver flows back to the villages. In the countryside, plenty of people marry at fifteen or sixteen. Why would we recruit anyone younger? Soldiers and officers with families have ties that bind them, and they prefer to deposit silver. They have some large purchases to make, and this official has his own plans for that." Pang Yu paused for a moment, then smiled. "All this calculating is still just minor details. The Nanjing Qian Zhuang is our lifeline. As long as the Nanjing Qian Zhuang does well, the expenditures you just mentioned are no big deal."

"But Young Master said last time that someone has designs on the Qian Zhuang."

"I already sent Jiang Fan to Nanjing to investigate. The news he sent back is somewhat troubling. This time, the court truly intends to move against the Restoration Society. The person targeting Bai Shun Tang comes from the Inner Garrison Command. Although no one has paid attention to the Qian Zhuang yet, it is only a matter of time." Pang Yu sighed. "Only when the Nanjing Qian Zhuang is established can we expand toward Jiangnan and the Grand Canal. Once Jiang Fan has thoroughly investigated the background behind Li Lizhen, I will have to make a trip to Nanjing. If they just want a few more shares of Bai Shun Tang, so be it. But if they want to seize the Qian Zhuang, this official does not care who she is."

At that moment, the voice of a Personal Soldier came from outside the door. "My lord, an urgent dispatch rider from the Grand Coordinator Yamen in Suzhou has arrived, sent by Lord Zhang."

Pang Yu was taken aback. Zhang Guowei mostly communicated with him privately. Official documents were always forwarded through the Military Defense Circuit Yamen. An urgent dispatch rider like this was unprecedented.

He immediately stood and had the Personal Soldier bring it in. Pang Yu opened it and scanned it hastily, then stood frozen on the spot.

Seeing this, Pang Ding asked cautiously, "Young Master, what has happened?"

"The Qing army has entered the pass! Zhang Guowei orders me to go to Jurong immediately." Pang Yu turned to Pang Ding, holding the dispatch, looking utterly distraught. He muttered to himself, "I was wondering how many years Chongzhen had left. So it ends in the ninth year. How could they enter the pass so quickly? What's the rush, that bastard Wu Sangui? I only have three thousand troops… they aren't even trained yet. There's no time."