Chapter 293: Informants

On the second floor of Baishun Hall on Zhengzhong Street, Pang Yu stood at the window. The newly built silver bank across the way was being renovated; craftsmen were still busy on the second and third floors, and the gold-lacquered signboard of the Great River Silver Bank had already been hung high. Passersby kept pointing toward it.

"Do you think I should meet with Li Lihua?"

Pang Yu turned around. In the room were Jiang Fan, Liu Ruogu, He County Yamen, and Pang Ding.

"You will not meet her, my lord." Jiang Fan spoke first, his voice steady. "Even if a meeting were to happen, she should come to you."

"Well said. I will not enter negotiations where I hold no bargaining chips." Pang Yu took the seat of honor and casually gestured toward the guest seats to either side. Once the three were seated, he continued, "You three are my right-hand men in the Southern Capital. Now that the Restoration Society affair has erupted and the situation here is complex — Jiang Fan, begin by laying out the various parties involved."

Jiang Fan had been sent to Nanjing by Pang Yu at the end of May. At the time, there were already rumors of the court moving to suppress the Restoration Society. Though he held no formal post in the Anqing Garrison Battalion, he had always been responsible for Pang Yu's intelligence work.

"From what I've gathered through various brokers in Nanjing, the Emperor's priority at present is to determine whether Zhou Zhikui's removal from office was connected to Zhang Pu and Zhang Vegetable. He has dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate and has also ordered the Yingtian Grand Coordinator to submit a report. If a link to the Two Zhangs is confirmed, a thorough investigation of the Restoration Society will follow, implicating its leading figures. The Restoration Society may never recover."

"So the current inquiry is focused mainly on Suzhou Prefecture." Pang Yu recalled the Tongcheng Uprising, when the question of how to define the incident had drawn every faction to focus on Tongcheng. The Suzhou Prefectural Office was likely being roasted over the fire right now.

Pang Yu looked at the others and said, "Before crossing the river yesterday, I received word that Lord Zhang will report back to the Emperor that this matter has no connection to Zhang Pu. But I believe it will not end there. The Cabinet is currently in Wen Tiren's hands, and the Drafting and Redacting will certainly not contain favorable language. The Emperor will not easily let this pass."

Hearing Pang Yu speak this way, the others guessed the information had come from Mr. Ma. Within the Grand Coordinator's Yamen, the person closest to Pang Yu was this secretary to the Grand Coordinator.

"Lord Zhang may not necessarily hold Zhang Pu in high regard, but Zhang Pu is the leader of the Jiangnan scholarly world. His disciples and students are spread across both sides of the Great River. Lord Zhang has no choice but to act this way. This is a handwritten copy of Zhou Zhikui's 'Restoration Society or Questions.'" Jiang Fan drew a sheet of paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and presented it to Pang Yu.

Pang Yu took it and skimmed through. The beginning detailed how Zhou Zhikui had been dismissed from his post as Suzhou Judicial Commissioner. He soon reached the accusatory conclusion: "... the Two Zhangs' disciples presumptuously established the Four Peers and Ten Sages, the brothers all styling themselves Constant Attendant Heavenly Kings. Those who agree with them, even if thieves, are praised as kindred spirits; those who disagree, even if gathered for literary pursuits, are denounced as heretics and deviants. Down to actors, servants, convicts, and riffraff of every sort, all are recruited as wings and claws, so that a scholar who does not join the society cannot advance his career, and an official who does not join cannot keep his post..."

Pang Yu could not help but show some surprise. "This is meant to take Zhang Pu's life. I've heard Zhou Zhikui was once part of the Restoration Society himself. The enmity between him and Zhang Pu must run deep."

Jiang Fan explained, "Zhou Zhikui joined the society very early and had deep friendships with both Zhangs. The rift began when the Restoration Society published the national gazetteer collection. Zhou Zhikui's essays were few in number and placed near the end. Zhou prided himself on his literary talent and accused Zhang Pu of unfair treatment. From that, dissatisfaction grew, and after a back-and-forth between the two sides, they became mortal enemies. The one who directly encouraged Zhou Zhikui to submit this memorial this time was Vegetable Yichen. Behind Vegetable Yichen is Xue Guoguan, who promised that once the matter succeeded, Zhou Zhikui would be restored to his former post. Every broker in the Southern Capital knows this."

"Literary men's affairs can be magnified or minimized." Pang Yu smiled. "Zhou Zhikui's Restoration Society essay attacks both Zhang Pu and the Restoration Society itself. The Emperor can use this essay to write many essays of his own. Whether he will only deal with the Two Zhangs or destroy the entire Restoration Society — is there any certainty yet?"

Jiang Fan shook his head. Pang Yu did not blame him. The thoughts in the Emperor's mind were exceedingly hard to predict. According to Mr. Ma, Zhang Guowei himself was unsure. His report asserting Zhang Pu's non-involvement was merely a probe to see how the Emperor would react.

He County Yamen's eyes swept over Jiang Fan and Pang Yu. He bowed toward Pang Yu and said, "The situation is still unsettled. Should the newspaper continue publishing Restoration Society current affairs essays? Yesterday Wu Yingji brought several essays, one of which fiercely attacked Chancellor Wen. I fear that if Zhang Pu falls from power, we will be implicated as part of the Restoration Society faction."

"Are we considered part of the Restoration Society faction?" Liu Ruogu lowered his head and spoke. "We put up the silver to run the newspaper, and we do publish Restoration Society essays. But they also publish the national gazetteer collection — does that make the printing workshop part of the Restoration Society faction too?"

He County Yamen turned to look at Liu Ruogu. "Liu Shopkeeper makes a valid point. But when infighting begins in officialdom, reason no longer matters. As long as we hold Baishun Hall and the Great River Silver Bank, and others covet these assets, they will twist any connection, however tenuous, to label us as part of the Restoration Society faction."

Liu Ruogu did not argue. In a calm tone, he asked, "Then what is Brother He's opinion? What should the newspaper do?"

"Stop publishing Restoration Society essays. Or shut down the newspaper entirely."

"I see." Liu Ruogu turned to Pang Yu. "The silver bank's establishment in Nanjing relied heavily on Restoration Society's protection. Your plan, my lord, to open branches north of the river and downstream all depends on Restoration Society's network of contacts across the region. Such connections are not easily built. In my humble view, with victory and defeat still undecided, there is no need to rashly burn our bridges."

He County Yamen's hand moved, as if to continue the debate. Pang Yu stood and waved him off, signaling him not to go on. Assigning He County Yamen to run the newspaper in Nanjing had been semi-coercive; He County Yamen did not actually enjoy this duty. Now that the Anqing Garrison Battalion was on a strong upward trajectory, He County Yamen had not brought up returning to Tongcheng as a Clerk again, but he had hinted to Pang Yu several times that he wished to switch to another post. His proposal to shut down the newspaper did not surprise Pang Yu.

"Both of you make valid points. Wu Yingji only selects the essays. County Yamen, you can choose not to typeset them. Essays attacking Chancellor Wen or his associates must not be published again. For the rest, we may continue as before. There is no need to rashly sever our Restoration Society connections. If the Emperor only targets Zhang Pu, the Restoration Society will remain. Even in the Reverse Case back then, only a few dozen people were implicated. The Restoration Society numbers in the thousands — surely they cannot all be arrested." Pang Yu frowned in thought, then added, "But I have another consideration. Ruogu just asked whether we count as part of the Restoration Society faction. To whom does the Restoration Society belong? Certainly not to Zhang Pu alone. There are many who could be called its leaders. But from the time we started the newspaper, the ones we've built ties with are only the younger scholars. That was enough to gain a foothold in the Southern Capital, but people like Zhang Pu, Zhang Vegetable, and Yang Tingxu have never met with me. Yang Tingxu alone has two or three thousand disciples and students — these are the true foundation of the Restoration Society network, and we have barely tapped into it."

Liu Ruogu said quietly, "My lord means that, on the contrary, we should use this opportunity to draw closer to the Restoration Society."

Pang Yu shook his head. "In court struggles, we hold no bargaining chips. We can only act as circumstances allow. If the Restoration Society is going to fall, we need not fall with them."

Jiang Fan suddenly said, "Why not establish contact with the Wen family?"

Liu Ruogu spoke politely to Jiang Fan. "A broker from Huzhou in Nanjing can reach Wen Yuren. But I still believe that Jiangnan will always be the territory of the Donglin and the Restoration Society. If the silver bank is to spread throughout Jiangnan, the Wen family cannot be relied upon. We can wait until the Restoration Society has truly lost power before making contact — even if it costs more silver."

Pang Yu also found the decision difficult. The Restoration Society's future was shrouded in fog. Whether Zhang Pu fell or not did not concern him. As long as the Restoration Society remained, it would be an enormous asset to the Great River Silver Bank. If the Restoration Society collapsed entirely, it would be hard to find another group of such scale and network in the short term, and the bank's growth would be severely affected.

"Now let us discuss the matter of Baishun Hall — that is, Li Lihua." Pang Yu sat back down and looked at Jiang Fan. "Has the person behind Li Lihua been confirmed?"

"I can confirm it comes from the Inner Guard Office."

Pang Yu picked up his teacup and took a sip. "First, explain the Nanjing Garrison to me."

"The most powerful men in Nanjing are the five Garrison Commanders. They are: two Inner Garrison Commanders, Liang Hongtai and Zhang Yingqian, both eunuchs sent from the Capital; the Outer Garrison Commander, Ningyang Marquis Chen Guangyu; the Advisor on Military Affairs, Fan Jingwen; and the Coordinating Guard, Nanhe Count Fang Yiyuan. The Nanjing Garrison convenes once a month at the Chief Military Commission of the Central Army. From what I have gathered, it is the two Inner Garrison Commanders who do the talking in the hall. If the Inner Garrison Commanders do not ask questions, the other three basically remain silent."

"There are two Inner Garrison Commanders?"

"In reply, my lord, I specifically sent men to verify this. It is said that at one time there were as many as seven Inner Garrison Commanders. At present, there are indeed two. But Liang Hongtai holds the seal of the Nanjing Directorate of Ceremonial, making him the senior of the two."

Due to Nanjing's garrison system, these five men held the greatest power in the city. The Outer Garrison Commander and the Coordinating Guard were generally selected from the Nanjing Chief Military Commission of the Central Army, but the posts were essentially always filled by members of the nobility. The Outer Garrison Commander directly oversaw the Nanjing Guard Posts. The final role, the Advisor on Military Affairs, was the Nanjing Minister of War. This was why, in the hierarchy of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Personnel ranked first in the Capital, but in Nanjing, the Ministry of War ranked first.

The most powerful among them were still the Inner Garrison Commanders. Though their official rank was only Grade Four, they could tower above the Six Ministries of the Southern Capital. Even the nobility had to bow their heads and obey their orders.

This eunuch held the seal of the Southern Directorate of Ceremonial. He not only oversaw the twenty-four directorates of the Nanjing inner palace but also supervised Nanjing officials. His authority even extended beyond the city walls. For instance, when the Roving Thieves approached the river, the Inner Garrison Commander, citing a threat to Nanjing, would direct the defenses north of the river. The Shenji Camp sent to Chuzhou had been dispatched from Nanjing.

Every time Pang Yu came to Nanjing, his visits were hurried, and he lacked a foundation of connections in the city. He had not yet been able to establish direct relations with any of these men.

"A eunuch from the Capital." Pang Yu pondered for a moment. "Is there a suitable channel to approach this man?"

"The broker introduced by Mr. Ma quoted a price: two thousand taels to meet an Inner Garrison Commander, one thousand taels for the Outer Garrison Commander or the Coordinating Guard. That is only the intermediary fee for the meeting itself. Any request would depend on what needs to be done."

Pang Yu nodded. He was no longer a newcomer to officialdom. Brokers even came to the Garrison Headquarters seeking audiences to sell their political access. There were many such people in both the Southern Capital and Beijing. High-level brokers not only served as political intermediaries but also helped officials convert their gains into cash and launder the money.

"Why is there no price for the Advisor on Military Affairs?"

"Fan Jingwen calls himself the 'Two-No Minister' — he accepts no entreaties and no gifts. Ordinary people in Nanjing find him impossible to approach." Jiang Fan paused, then added, "The Southern War Ministry Minister is not particularly influential within the Garrison in any case."

"Then who exactly behind Li Lihua is from the Inner Guard Office?"

"I have not yet confirmed it, but the most likely person is a Junior Supervisor in the Inner Guard Office." Jiang Fan reported respectfully. "Below the Inner Garrison Commander are the Junior Supervisor and the Supervisor Assistant. Below them are two Drafters. The majority of those in the Garrison Hall are Guozijian Students from the Nanjing Guozijian."

He County Yamen looked up at this. He clearly had no knowledge of the inner workings of the Garrison Hall. "Eunuchs use Guozijian Students?"

"These students are merely used as copyists. They hold no formal post in the Garrison Hall. The person who has the most dealings with Li Lihua is one such Guozijian Student, named Guo Zuoshan. What I currently know is that he serves a Junior Supervisor surnamed Zhou. Whether this Junior Supervisor is acting on the orders of the Inner Garrison Grand Eunuch cannot yet be confirmed."

Pang Yu set down his teacup. He had not expected eunuchs to use Guozijian Students as interns, nor that the scholars of Jiangnan would raise no objection. But that was none of his concern. He continued, "Li Lihua has close ties with the Restoration Society and was likely among the first to know the Restoration Society might lose power. Regardless of how much of Baishun Hall is given away, the fact that Li Lihua dares to demand a share this time means she underestimates my Garrison Battalion. If she succeeds in taking Baishun Hall, the silver bank will only be a matter of time. In the end, everything will belong to someone else. So this Baishun Hall — I do not intend to give it to her."

Liu Ruogu stole a glance at Pang Yu. Back then, Pang Yu had stormed into the Wu Family money house alone, using a single sheet of petition paper to extort Liu Ruogu. Now Li Lihua was using the same playbook, but Pang Yu clearly had no intention of backing down.

"Jiang Fan, what countermeasures do you have?"

"I have already made preparations. The first plan is to kill Li Lihua, as a warning to that person in the Garrison Hall."

Liu Ruogu said to Pang Yu, "We still do not know who in the Garrison Hall is trying to seize Baishun Hall. If it happens to be Eunuch Liang, then killing Li Lihua will do no good. Such eunuchs are long accustomed to high office and wield heavy authority in Nanjing. They will not be cowed by this. If anything goes wrong, it will only touch a reverse scale. Not only will Baishun Hall be lost, but the silver bank will be unable to continue either."

Pang Yu thought for a moment, then said, "Jiang Fan, tell us your second plan."

"First, we must identify exactly who in the Garrison Hall is behind this. We still need to start with Li Lihua." Jiang Fan glanced at Liu Ruogu. "There is one matter I must report to you, my lord. Li Lihua has also planted eyes and ears inside Baishun Hall."

The other three in the hall all turned to look at Liu Ruogu at the same time. Liu Ruogu clearly had not known about this either; his expression showed he was caught off guard.

Pang Yu observed Liu Ruogu's reaction and understood that Jiang Fan had not informed him in advance. Bringing it up during the meeting had put Liu Ruogu in a rather awkward position.

Liu Ruogu looked at Jiang Fan with surprise on his face. "I truly did not know of this. Whom has she planted?"

"Two people." Jiang Fan looked at Liu Ruogu. "Both are auxiliaries recruited in Nanjing. They both live near the Old Court — one man and one woman. The man was hired in April. His wife delivers fruits, vegetables, meat, and greens to Mei Lou. The female aide delivers water on the ground floor of Baishun Hall and also enters the Account Office twice a day."

Liu Ruogu tried to recall, but the Nanjing Baishun Hall was far larger than the one in Anqing, with over two hundred hired workers. He could not place them at all for the moment and could only say to Pang Yu, "If this is true, then I have been blind in my judgment of people. I never imagined Li Lihua would plant informants."

Pang Yu comforted Liu Ruogu with a few words, then still asked Jiang Fan, "What connection do these two informants inside Bai Shun Tang have with the investigation into the Garrison Command Office?"

"The one in contact with them is Li Lihua's personal maidservant. After discovering this, your subordinate sent men to tail the woman and found that besides contacting the informants, she also frequently comes and goes from the Inner Guard Office. She is clearly acting on Li Lihua's orders, and she must know the secrets behind this. Your subordinate intends to start with her."

"What is her name?"

Jiang Fan raised his eyes to look at Pang Yu. "Li Ping'er. In name, she is Li Lihua's adopted daughter, but in truth, she is a purchased maidservant."

Pang Yu searched his memory; he had quite an impression of this maidservant. She was better than the average maidservant at Mei Lou at reading expressions and moods, and in her bearing, she was indeed closer to Li Lihua.

Liu Ruogu said in a deep voice, "She is but a maidservant, earning her living right there in Mei Lou, and someone constantly before Li Lihua's eyes. How can you coerce her into betraying her mistress?"

"This subordinate firmly believes what you once said, sir: any person can be subdued, so long as you find their weakness." Jiang Fan turned to Liu Ruogu. "This subordinate has already found it."