Chapter 296: A Temporary Loan

The sweltering Nanjing saw a moderate rain, slightly easing the heat. Rainwater from the streets west of the city flowed into the Imperial River, winding slowly around the resplendent Imperial City.

At the Baichuan Bridge head beside the Imperial River (Note: present-day Banbian Bridge on Longpan Middle Road, Nanjing) stood the Nanjing Inner Garrison Office. Originally, eunuchs and Eunuch Officials were supposed to reside within the Imperial City, but because the Inner Garrison Commander held actual power in Nanjing and the Imperial City had fixed gate opening and closing times, the Inner Garrison Office moved outside the Imperial City for convenience, setting up its yamen at the Zhuanzi Pu by Baichuan Bridge.

This location was not far from the West Flower Gate of the Imperial City, surrounded by the Lingbi Marquis Residence, the Revenue Department Residence, the War Department Residence, and the Works Department Envoy Residence—essentially the family quarters for Nanjing's various yamen, though they held only usage rights, not ownership.

Since officials all lived there, troops from the Five Wards Military Command were normally on guard duty, but today their numbers had multiplied several times over. The main hall of the Inner Garrison Office was packed with officials. Pang Yu and another official had just risen to their feet.

"Your subordinate, Right Advisor of the Susong Circuit Feng Yuanbiao, by order of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang, replies to the Southern War Ministry's urgent consultation on the rally to the king matter, and reports jointly to the Inner Garrison Office's Lord Liang and Lord Zhang for their awareness. The Grand Coordinator's office originally planned to deploy 1,500 Jiangnan Army troops under its jurisdiction, but because mobilization from various locations takes time and Lord Zhang is anxious for the safety of the Divine Capital, it happens that Anqing Garrison Battalion Mobile Corps Commander Pang Yu, loyal to the state, volunteered to lead his own troops for rally to the king. This unit is an elite force under the Grand Coordinator, with illustrious battle records in every engagement, already waiting in Anqing with weapons ready—truly a display of commendable courage and usable morale. Lord Zhang therefore redirected the deployment to 2,700 naval and land officers and men of the Anqing Garrison Battalion, drawing 600 horse and foot officers and men from Wusong General Command Xu Strengthening stationed in Anqing, to arrive at Jiangpu within seven days. Additionally, 300 able-bodied men from the Standard Battalion under Zhang Ruolai and Chen Yuwang, plus 400 elite from the newly recruited troops in Liuhe, totaling 4,000 naval and land elites, to be led by Mobile Corps Commander Pang Yu, marching north for rally to the king within ten days."

Pang Yu knelt to the side. What Feng Yuanbiao was now reporting was the outcome orchestrated by Pang Yu and Ruan Dacheng over the past two days. Zhang Guowei had assembled a force of 4,000 to ensure it surpassed Zhu Dadian's, and the terms with Liang Hongtai had already been negotiated. This meeting merely presented the negotiated result. All of this was accomplished in two days—highly efficient by the standards of the brokerage trade.

Seated on the upper left was the Nanjing Inner Garrison Commander and Southern Directorate of Ceremonial Seal-Holding Grand Eunuch Liang Hongtai. Though his fame fell far short of the early Nanjing Garrison Eunuch Zheng He, within Nanjing's power structure he seemed even more prominent.

At this moment, he was impeccably dressed, but the rain had not brought lasting relief from the heat. As the rain stopped and moisture evaporated, the air grew even more stifling. Liang Hongtai, already stout, had beads of sweat streaming down his face. He unconsciously tugged at his collar to cool off, revealing a corner of the red inner garment beneath.

Feng Yuanbiao had just finished speaking, and everyone was waiting for Liang Hongtai to ask questions. Liang Hongtai adjusted his collar, coughed once, and said in a somewhat shrill voice, "rally to the king is a matter of urgent, spark-like priority. However, the movement of troops is no trivial affair. The Anqing Garrison Battalion originally guards the upper reaches. With this sudden troop redeployment, can they truly reach Nanjing within seven days?"

Feng Yuanbiao slightly raised his head, about to reply, when Liang Hongtai added flatly, "General Pang, you answer my question."

Pang Yu replied in a resonant voice, "In answer to Lord Liang, from the very start of my appointment, I have drilled the troops according to Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang's strategy of 'garrisoning Anqing to support the Great River,' which enabled the rescue of Jiangnan at the start of the year. Since then, the entire battalion's officers and men have remained ever-vigilant. Before I departed for Pukou, I had already made preparations, selecting 2,700 elite troops from the garrison battalion. Half of these men personally experienced the battles of Tongcheng, North Gorge Pass, Puzikou, and Chuzhou—all robust warriors who have survived a hundred battles. The newly recruited soldiers are also fresh elites. When the troops heard that the Slaves had invaded the Divine Capital and the Son of Heaven was besieged, every man was filled with righteous fury, wishing they could reach the north in an instant to strike the Tartars hard. The relief army is now assembled in Huaining. Once the military order is given, they will certainly reach Pukou within seven days."

Liang Hongtai grunted in acknowledgment, his expression one of clear approval. From his act of singling out Pang Yu to answer, most of the officials present discerned Liang Hongtai's stance: this Zuotang Guan wished to see today's matter through.

After asking this first question, Liang Hongtai turned to the other eunuch beside him. "rally to the king concerns His Majesty. Does Lord Zhang have any instructions?"

The one addressed was the other Inner Guard Grand Eunuch, Zhang Yingqian. Although Liang Hongtai was the Seal-Holding Grand Eunuch, Zhang Yingqian was equally the Coordinating Guard, so the formal courtesies had to be observed.

After saluting Liang Hongtai, Zhang Yingqian instead turned to question Feng Yuanbiao. "Since the Yingtian Grand Coordinator already has troops stationed in Puliu, why not deploy those forces? Why bypass the near to seek the distant, making the Anqing Garrison Battalion rush a thousand li to the rescue?"

"In answer to Lord Zhang, at present the Roving Thieves are active between Chao Feng, eyeing the fertile lands of Weiyang. Liuhe and Jiangpu are the throat of Jinyang. Jiangpu and Pukou have 1,900 garrisoned troops, barely enough to hold the city—they cannot be drawn down excessively. Liuhe has moats but no walls. That the Roving Thieves did not attack at the start of the year was thanks to the 2,000 newly recruited infantry. However, their training is for defending along the moats; they seem unfit for the roving battles of rally to the king. The proposed 400 elites are already the absolute maximum. Meanwhile, Anqing's new and old Land Battalions have 5,000 troops. Among them, the garrison battalion is the most battle-hardened elite under Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang. Using them for rally to the king best expresses Lord Zhang's sincere devotion to His Majesty."

Though Feng Yuanbiao invoked the Emperor, Zhang Yingqian pressed on, unmoved. "Anqing is also a critical location. As the saying goes, without Anqing there is no Jiangnan. Since the Roving Thieves are between Chao Feng, they can also move upriver. The bandits hidden in Yinghuo Mountain are beyond counting. Anqing's vast territory cannot compare to Jiangpu and Liuhe. Once General Pang's elite troops leave, can Shi Kefa hold off the bandits? If rally to the king fails to arrive and instead Anqing is plunged into misery, would that not run counter to His Majesty's original intent?"

Zhang Yingqian likewise invoked the Emperor. Pang Yu felt a twinge of nervousness. All prior dealings had been under the table, kept from this Zhang Yingqian. He had assumed this eunuch knew nothing of military affairs and, caught off guard in the meeting, would have no strong grounds to object. Who knew Zhang Yingqian's words would be so incisive? Feng Yuanbiao indeed faltered. Pang Yu knew in his heart that he absolutely could not retreat now. In such an important meeting, once the opponent seized the momentum, the steps that followed would be difficult to carry out.

He immediately bowed to Zhang Yingqian and said, "Circuit Intendant Feng was previously busy outside deploying troops from various places in Susong. Regarding Lord Zhang's question, the Grand Coordinator once discussed it with me."

Liang Hongtai said impassively, "Then General Pang, explain on behalf of Circuit Intendant Feng."

The two Inner Garrison Commanders sparred subtly with their words. The Southern War Ministry Minister, the Outer Garrison Commander, the Coordinating Guard, and the River Patrol Admiral seated high in the hall all pretended not to notice, and none were willing to speak.

Pang Yu said unhurriedly, "Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang said that rally to the king is critical, but defending against bandits is equally critical. Both are critical matters, yet there is a distinction between urgent and less urgent. At present, rally to the king is the urgent task, while the Roving Thieves' threat is less urgent. The Roving Thieves habitually plunder in autumn and winter and lie dormant in spring and summer. Their major forays will likely come after the tenth month. After Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang deploys the Anqing Garrison Battalion north, he will, within two months, draw 2,100 men in total from the Wuhu New Recruit Camp, Yongsheng Camp, Changzhou Biao Camp, Jinshan Battalion, Zhenjiang Land Camp, and Fushan Camp to reinforce Anqing. By the time the Roving Thieves emerge in force, the reinforcements will already be assembled in Anqing, and holding off the bandits will naturally be no concern. This way, troops can be immediately deployed for rally to the king without compromising Anqing's defense against bandits. This is the method of responding to the less urgent with the urgent."

"Mm. Replacing the urgent with the less urgent, responding to the less urgent with the urgent. I say this is a good method."

Pang Yu's speech, attributed to Zhang Guowei, was quite reasonable and well-founded. He dared not say that the garrison battalion's actual troop strength was higher, but Zhang Guowei indeed had a plan to deploy five battalions to reinforce Anqing. Wrapped in the packaging of "responding to the less urgent with the urgent," it sounded quite feasible.

Liang Hongtai clapped his hands and laughed twice, then turned to Zhang Yingqian. "Does Lord Zhang have any further exhortations regarding the dispatch of troops to rescue His Majesty?"

By now, Liang Hongtai had shifted his phrasing. Zhang Yingqian caught the implication. If he continued to question, it would be obstructing the rescue of the Emperor—a crime of no small magnitude. With so many present at today's meeting, if someone fabricated a story and sent it to the Capital, it would be extremely troublesome.

In truth, he still had not figured out the ins and outs behind today's meeting. Something like Bai Shun Tang was a trivial matter to him; he had never even heard of it. But because Liang Hongtai was overly enthusiastic and his interaction with Pang Yu was highly purposeful, Zhang Yingqian instinctively sensed something fishy. He vaguely felt it might be about vying for a conspicuous opportunity before the Emperor. How could he have imagined it all stemmed from a gambling den?

As for the court appointing two Inner Garrison Commanders to coordinate, both Liang Hongtai and Zhang Yingqian understood the reasoning: to make them check and balance each other. So when it was time to struggle, they had to struggle a bit. How well they controlled the degree depended on their instinct as officials. Now that Liang Hongtai's attitude was quite firm, Zhang Yingqian saw no need to oppose the Seal-Holding Grand Eunuch over an unclear matter. He smiled and said, "If we can both hold Anqing and deploy troops for rally to the king, I fully support it."

He left a trailing hook in his words, but Liang Hongtai had no intention of pretending not to notice. He chuckled and said, "There is no such thing as a perfect plan in this world. Anqing is Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang's jurisdiction, originally outside the Nanjing Garrison's purview. Since Lord Zhang dares to redeploy troops, he naturally understands the priorities."

This time Zhang Yingqian did not continue the exchange. Liang Hongtai's words were also perfectly reasonable. The Nanjing Garrison could inquire about military matters concerning Nanjing, but to directly interfere in the command of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator far exceeded his authority. Today was the Yingtian Grand Coordinator replying to the Southern War Ministry's ministry dispatch, not seeking orders from the Nanjing Garrison. Zhang Yingqian's approval was not required.

After Zhang Yingqian backed down, Liang Hongtai asked the other side, "What does Minister Fan think?"

This time he addressed the Southern War Ministry Minister Fan Jingwen, who was also the Advisor on Military Affairs within the garrison system. Regarding Nanjing's own or related defenses, both the Inner and Outer Garrison Commanders could send inquiries to the Yingtian Grand Coordinator. rally to the king, however, was a military operation in the north. The Inner Garrison Commander lacked this authority, but the Nanjing Ministry of War did, since it was nominally also a Ministry of War. Thus, this time the Southern Ministry of War sent a ministry dispatch to Zhang Guowei, and then Feng Yuanbiao crossed the river to reply, allowing all parties to meet smoothly and complete the transaction as a matter of course.

"It is indeed a good method," Fan Jingwen said unhurriedly. "But this urgency and non-urgency also have their limits. Reinforcing Anhui's defense is non-urgent, but it must not be delayed excessively, lest the upper reaches' land defense be compromised. Deploying troops for rally to the king is urgent, so it should yield immediate results. As the saying goes, speed is the essence of war. Arriving at the Capital even one day earlier to slightly ease Our Emperor's worries would be a good thing."

His words covered every angle yet said nothing at all. The Outer Garrison Commander and Coordinating Guard behind him were nobles and imperial in-laws who had long since read the situation clearly. Like Fan Jingwen, they practiced Tai Chi. The garrison commanders unanimously supported the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's rally to the king plan. The other attendees, such as the River Patrol Admiral and the Vice Ministers of War and Revenue, had no chance to speak.

Once the meeting's tone was set, what followed proceeded naturally. Liang Hongtai asked Pang Yu gently, "Regarding the rally to the king matter, is there anything still not fully prepared?"

"In answer to Lord Liang, the foremost need for a great army's deployment is Mobilization Silver. Fortunately, the Anqing righteous merchant Liu Ruogu in Nanjing has pledged a donation of 5,000 taels, which has already relieved the most pressing need. The garrison battalion's officers and men can set out immediately. However, with 4,000 troops on the march, rations and pay, armor and weapons, and boats are all in short supply. Grand Coordinator Lord Zhang has ordered the Ten Prefectures to forward all stipends, whether Old Stipend or new, to Pukou, but gathering them in haste takes time…"

These were the cooperation terms Zhang Guowei and Liang Hongtai had reached. The rally to the king affair was difficult to link to Liang Hongtai. Ruan Dacheng's method was for Nanjing to temporarily lend rations and pay, allowing the rally to the king army to march north promptly. This would connect Liang Hongtai to the rally to the king effort. Zhang Guowei's memorial had to clearly state this point, and Liang Hongtai would also submit his own memorial, but Zhang Guowei's memorial would obviously be more persuasive. At a time when the Tartars were invading, Liang Hongtai, without personally taking any risk, gained an excellent opportunity to win the Emperor's trust, putting him a cut above the other eunuchs, especially Zhang Yingqian. The words Zhang Yingqian had spoken earlier in the meeting could also be exploited to greatly diminish his competitiveness for the Seal-Holding position.

The same applied to Zhang Guowei, only his opponent was Zhu Dadian. Pang Yu's specific mention of Liu Ruogu was because it had already been decided to include Liu Ruogu in Zhang Guowei's memorial to the throne. Speaking it aloud in the meeting was to inform the Nanjing powerholders that this man now possessed political capital. As the nominal holder of Pang Yu's assets, if anyone in Nanjing later had designs on those assets, they would need to consider this layer.

The meeting was merely a formality. Before today's meeting, a great circle had already been traversed, centered on the rally to the king military deployment, to ensure all parties achieved their interests. Pang Yu naturally reaped considerable gains within this, but because he held the lowest status among the negotiating parties, he also paid the most—after all, he was the one who had to lead the 4,000 troops into danger.

He listed a long string of equipment, rations, and funds. Pang Yu did not care how much he could actually obtain, but he would get at least something, treating it as an extra reward for this operation.

When Pang Yu finished, Liang Hongtai slowly rose to his feet. "The Divine Capital is shaken, the Son of Heaven is in peril. Whether inner officials or outer officials, all should harbor the sentiment that the master's disgrace means the minister's death. The Jiangnan Ten Prefectures produce the realm's wealth and taxes; in rally to the king, they should not fall behind others, and they have dispatched the most elite troops. I say this is a good thing. General Pang is both talented and devoted. Now that we have elite troops but lack rations and pay—it is not that they cannot be raised, but that the various prefectures need time to gather them. What His Majesty lacks most are elite troops and good generals. We cannot let a mere matter of rations and pay delay the army's march. What General Pang temporarily lacks, the Southern Capital has in store. Then let it be used first. Ordinarily, every yamen in Nanjing city speaks of its own affairs as if each were a matter of the utmost importance. I feel they are nothing much, but I have let them be. Today, I say this: rally to the king is the important matter, a matter of heaven-shaking importance! The rations and pay just reported shall be delivered to the West Gate of Puzikou within five days. Not a single grain, not a single coin shall be missing. rally to the king is not a matter of helping or not helping—it is your affair. Whichever yamen's turn it is, if it fails to do what it should, I say you need not continue in your post. And if there are any who still drag their feet, who insist on doing the opposite—"

Liang Hongtai slammed the table. "I have nothing more to say to you. Let the Embroidered Uniform Guard speak with you."