Chapter 302: Assessment

At high noon, on Shimen Lake northwest of Anqing, seventeen grain transport ships formed a single column, gliding bow to stern across the steam-shimmering lake surface.

"Every grain of rice and millet we eat, every copper coin and silver piece we receive, comes from Lord Pang and is taken from the common people. Therefore, protecting the common people is the sacred duty of the Marine Corps. To fulfill this sacred duty, the Marines must become the sharpest soldiers. Lord Pang demands that I obey my superior officers' orders, strictly observe military law, and train relentlessly…"

The Marines on the deck howled in unison. Tang Ershuan moved his mouth along a few times. Though they had to recite this every day, his mind always went blank whenever he had to recite alone. Normally he just muddled through by blending in with the crowd. Fortunately, the many spot checks on reciting the training order had never landed on him.

"…Marines who shrink back die on the execution ground. Only the brave who charge forward and break the enemy line shall live. Before the Marines, there has never been a strong foe!"

Tang Ershuan could remember this part. He joined the other soldiers in a great shout: "Protect! Protect! Protect!"

This was the end of the training order. After shouting, Tang Ershuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. His throat was a bit dry, so he quickly took a drink of water.

Today was the Marine Corps' first combat capability assessment, ranked by company. It was said that it would affect part of their military stipend silver and future officer promotions, so everyone was quite nervous.

This grain transport ship carried one banner team of Marines. He glanced back. The banner commander was aft with the captain and the coxswain. This assessment also included the Water Camp. Those three probably had the highest monthly pay on the whole ship and looked even more nervous than the others. The banner commander kept looking to the right.

Far off to the right, the ship flying two red banners was the one the Company Commander was on. It was also the Water Camp Company Commander's ship. After a cannon shot rang out, the flag signals on it began waving. Tang Ershuan could not read the Water Camp's flag signals, but the captain and coxswain could. The captain shouted orders. The oarsmen rowed with all their might, and the sails were adjusted accordingly.

The grain transport ships' formation began to change, groups of four dispersing to either side. The captain watched the ships ahead and astern to prevent collisions. The quartermaster and captain kept shouting, ordering the water troops to adjust the sail surfaces.

All around them ships were maneuvering. Tang Ershuan grew tense along with them. He stood with several other squad leaders and squad-of-five leaders on both sides of the ship, bamboo poles in hand to fend off collisions. He heard a clamor from the right, followed by a boom. People on the ship stood up one after another to look that way. They saw two ships had collided. The masts shook violently. A sailor standing on one fell, grabbing onto a cable securing a sail in midair. He swung suspended beneath the mast, drawing another round of shrieks.

"No talking! What's there to see?"

The banner commander strode thudding to the foredeck, grabbed a cable, and craned his head this way and that, watching for a while. He asked Tang Ershuan beside him, "You've got good eyes. Count them. Which companies are the ships that collided?"

Tang Ershuan squinted for a moment and said carefully, "Banner Commander, looks like Fourth Company, Third Banner, and Third Company, First Banner."

As they spoke, the two ships had already slowed. The soldiers on deck were frantically trying to separate the two vessels.

"Good news, good news." The banner commander turned and shouted toward the ship, "Fourth Company and Third Company collided. Our First Company and Second Company are competing for first place. Be quick about it when we hit shore. No one's allowed to hold me back."

Tang Ershuan returned to his squad and counted heads again. In his squad, besides himself, only one squad-of-five leader was a veteran. The Marines had performed well in the Hezhou reconnaissance, the Pukou landing, and the Chuzhou Campaign, earning an opportunity for expansion. Their original personnel had suffered over half casualties at Chuzhou. The few dozen who remained had almost all been promoted. Because there simply were not enough officers, they had even drawn five men from the Land Battalion.

Tang Ershuan was the acting squad leader of First Company, Second Banner Team, First Squad. Because of his outstanding performance crossing the Pure Stream River, he had skipped the squad-of-five leader step entirely. He only needed to pass this assessment to become a full squad leader. Then his monthly pay would increase by five Mace of silver. But Tang Ershuan did not feel lucky. Now ten men were under his command, far more to worry about than when he was just a common soldier.

"Thank goodness I wasn't promoted to banner commander," Tang Ershuan thought to himself. His eyes unconsciously drifted toward the banner commander again. A banner commander needed to read flag signals and listen to drum calls. He had to understand not only the squad's several formations but also the three-banner-team formations. The ships' current formation change was shifting from the marching Long Snake Formation to the Line Formation. Each ship transported one banner team. Adding the Centurion's directly subordinate troops, one company was four ships. All seventeen ships carried the entire Marine Corps, allowing them to project force ashore in the shortest possible time. The Company Commander had explained this point, but Tang Ershuan had thought about it for a long time and still did not understand. What difference could there be between landing in sequence and landing all at once? It was the same number of men either way.

"Furl sails! Row oars!"

The captain shouted again from the rear. The water troops chanted their work song as they slowly lowered the sails, stacking them into a pile. The oarsmen rowed furiously. The quartermaster at the stern controlled the direction. The ship accelerated forward. After each company pulled apart to open distance, the four ships within each also began shifting into a line. The fifteen ships gradually formed a single row, advancing toward the shore. The two that had collided fell behind.

Ahead was a lakeside beach on the western side of Shimen Lake, with only sparse reeds. The grain transport ships neared the shore. The oarsmen began back-rowing. Once the ships slowed, the men with bamboo poles thrust them forward. The grain transport ships came to a stop one after another. Marines and sailors together lowered the foot boats on both sides into the water. Two water troops grabbed the thick ropes along the gunwale and slid down, followed by the Marines. Each ship could transport six soldiers at a time, but usually they transported one squad of five.

Grain transport ships were not troop transports or landing ships. They were mainly for carrying passengers and cargo at docks and normally did not carry foot boats. The Water Camp's grain transport ships had just been modified for landings at locations without docks.

Although they had trained a few times, the transfer process still had many problems. Every ship had men fall into the water. The Third Company even had a small boat capsize. Amid the chaos and tension, Tang Ershuan finally got onto a foot boat. The boat rocked violently from side to side. He quickly crouched low and waited for the other soldiers.

Once everyone was aboard, the foot boat rocked toward the shore. When the bow suddenly pitched up after a jolt, Tang Ershuan knew the hull had been caught by the mud. He quickly called out and took the lead, sliding from the bow into the water. The mud beneath his feet swallowed his knees.

The lakeside beach was a dense mass of figures. Over a hundred Marines jumped into the water, advancing through the mud, one deep step after another.

"My shoes are done for."

Only then did Tang Ershuan remember that he had forgotten to stuff his cloth shoes into his shirt before entering the water. No officer had seen. Fortunately, there was still the floating crossing segment later. He could wash the shoes clean and would not have to worry about being reprimanded during the equipment inspection back at camp. He quickly planted his flag spear in the mud and trudged toward shore with his head down.

"First Banner's men have run ahead! How can we lose to them? Hurry up, all of you!"

Someone nearby was shouting. Tang Ershuan turned his head and looked. It was Lu Pioneer, a soldier under his command. He was not a veteran, having only entered the Marine Corps during the expansion. He seemed to particularly enjoy military life. He was powerfully built and strove to be first in everything. It was just his fiery temper that had kept him from becoming a squad-of-five leader. But he did things like boosting morale, which made him seem more like the squad leader than Tang Ershuan.

A moment later they reached shore. Tang Ershuan hastily counted heads. Fortunately, no one was missing. The soldiers were all cleaning off mud. The quick ones had already put on their shoes. On the lake, foot boats shuttled back and forth. Soldiers already ashore cheered on their own banner teams. Those just landing shouted out their numbers loudly. Officers' orders rang out continuously. The shore was bustling. Some farmers in the nearby fields heard the commotion and watched from a distance.

When the last group landed and Second Banner Team finished forming ranks, the banner captain confirmed the count and ran swiftly to report to the Centurion. The other two banners and the directly subordinate personnel confirmed their counts afterward. The Centurion did not delay a moment. At the sound of a whistle, the entire company marched rapidly south along the river. Some who had landed late hopped on one foot while hurriedly putting on their shoes.

Inside his shoes it was slippery and slimy. Tang Ershuan dared not take them off and stuff them in his shirt. He pushed forward with his head down in great strides. Normally, this five-li road was nothing to him, but these shoes were a hindrance today. He would have been better off barefoot.

Amid the thunderous footsteps, the five-li road was quickly covered. Along the way, Tang Ershuan still remembered to check his squad. The main thing was to make sure no one had wandered off. Otherwise, that would be another major mistake. If someone was missing at the final count, the result would be invalid. The Company Commander would not let up until he had beaten him to death.

When they reached the First Company's halt position, the Centurion howled loudly. The flag bearer waved his banner. The entire company halted and formed ranks. They were the first company to arrive. The soldiers spread out to open the intervals. Everyone panted heavily. The Centurion did not immediately give an order but kept watching the rear. He needed to let the soldiers rest a moment. It was just as well that the others had not yet caught up.

Tang Ershuan wore leather armor. It had been issued back in Nanjing, and he had worn it ever since. It was much lighter than the chain mail he had tried before and not as stifling as scale armor. Although it was already the tenth month, the temperature had risen a bit these past two days. After this run, it was still hot and stifling and miserable.

After a brief rest to catch their breath, the Second Company's banners appeared on the road. The Centurion blew his whistle. Then the banner captain let out a howl. The entire company, over a hundred men, charged into the river water on the left.

This river was the waterway connecting Shimen Lake to the Wan River. The current was relatively gentle. At this section, the water surface was about fifty paces wide. The depth required a floating crossing. Over a hundred men churned the river surface into a frothing boil, as if it were a bubbling cauldron.

Tang Ershuan swam on his side with one arm, holding his flag spear close to his body and raised high to indicate his position to the soldiers and avoid poking anyone nearby. His vision was blurred by the current. Every few strokes he had to lift his head to count heads, but there was splashing water everywhere. How could he see clearly for a moment?

Splashing and thrashing, they reached the opposite bank. The formation was somewhat scattered. Tang Ershuan hurriedly stood on the riverbank, raised his flag spear upright, and told his squad members to assemble as quickly as possible.

Before the drenched, bedraggled Marines could form ranks, a wave of arrows fell from the sky, thudding dully against their helmets. A unit of cavalry was also moving on the flank.

Fifty paces away on the bank stood a row of archers. One arrow landed with a slap in front of Tang Ershuan. The arrowheads were lighter than ordinary light arrows and were not pointed clusters. They were even wrapped in a layer of cloth. Tang Ershuan had been through the Pure Stream River Campaign and always felt they were quite different from real arrows.

But even so, it was enough to throw the large number of new recruits into panic. Some were struck in the face by arrows and immediately clutched their faces, wailing. The waterside was filled with shouts and screams. Officers yelled hoarsely, kicking, hitting, and dragging the panicked new recruits.

"Get your asses up here, you bastards! These arrows can't shoot you dead!"

Amid the clamor, Lu Pioneer's voice rang out clearly nearby. Tang Ershuan turned his head and saw Lu Pioneer dragging someone. A jolt went through him. He quickly thrust his flag spear into the mud, went back into the river water himself, and whenever he recognized someone from his own squad, he pulled and dragged them ashore, making them stand properly beneath the flag.

The arrows shot from the opposite side continued, sometimes in volleys, sometimes in direct fire. As Tang Ershuan pulled people, he cursed inwardly. The Land Battalion's archers were not very skilled. Normally, they were only required to shoot far, not accurately. He had never felt they were as accurate as they were today.

According to the exercise procedure, they needed to confirm the headcount before launching an attack. They had to charge in assault formation to the archers' position and knock down a row of straw men for it to be considered complete.

Through the efforts of all the officers and squad-of-five leaders, there was no one left in the river water. Tang Ershuan confirmed it once more. There was no one left in the river water nearby either. Only then did he hurry back to his flag spear. The formations of the various banner teams were somewhat chaotic, but the banner commanders' recognition banners were raised. Each banner team's pattern was different and very easy to identify. A company's battle line was not long, so soldiers quickly found their own units.

When he grabbed his flag spear, Lu Pioneer pulled at him and said in a panic, "Second Squad of Five is missing one man."

"Huh?"

…

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the exercise up to this point: the Garrison Inspector troops have collected a total of thirty-two pieces of lost equipment from various locations, including thirteen weapons, from every company. The Marine Second Company is in first place, with one injured. The Third Company is in third place, with two injured. The Fourth Company has no injuries but fell to last place. The First Company has fallen to second place, with one injured… and one missing."

Beneath the Mobile Corps Commander's red recognition banner a hundred paces away, Pang Yu listened to Yang Xueshi's report and nodded slightly. Today was the Marine Corps' entire three-company combat capability test, and also an exercise. Having led troops for some time now, Pang Yu knew that being a soldier was far more than just taking a blade and cutting people down, and that troop losses did not only happen on the battlefield. This time they had drawn troops from the Land Battalion to simulate the Marines' combat scenarios as much as possible, letting the soldiers gain some combat experience.

"Where did he go missing?"

"Right at the river crossing ahead. He was present at roll call before the crossing. Everyone from squad-of-five leader and above in the First Company has gone into the river to search."

Pang Yu said nothing more. It was not as if the Marines and Water Camp had never had men die during training on the Great River. But if someone died during such a short floating crossing, it would be somewhat inexcusable, because when selecting troops, they had all been tested for swimming ability. Even the worst could swim five hundred paces.

"Have everyone here who is skilled in the water go help. The assessments for the other Marine companies will proceed as usual."

Yang Xueshi felt a bit uneasy. Although it was not directly his responsibility, he was, after all, in charge of this assessment. Hearing this, he quickly gathered the nearby soldiers who could swim and soon headed toward the First Company's position.

More and more people joined the search in the river. Officers were heading downstream one after another. It looked like the missing soldier's chances were slim.

Pang Yu was overall still very satisfied with this exercise. Since returning from Nanjing, the nearby Roving Bandits had not yet mobilized in large numbers. The weather during this period had also been suitable, so the Garrison Battalion had pressed on with drilling. The Land Battalion's three companies had already completed their combat assessments one after another. Pang Yu hoped to make the Marines combat-effective as soon as possible. A missing soldier could only be considered a minor blemish.

Hoofbeats sounded behind him. Pang Yu did not turn to look. A moment later, He County Yamen's voice rang out from the rear. He now worked in the Document Receiving Office of the Garrison Command.

"My lord, Circuit Intendant Shi requests that you go to Taihu."

"Did the Circuit Intendant say what it concerns?"

"Director Lu has been transferred to Xuan-Da. The new Five-Province Bandit Suppression Director is Wang Jiazhen, stationed at Kaifeng. Circuit Intendant Shi is concerned the Roving Thieves will run rampant during the transition. He likely wishes to discuss with you the deployment of bandit-defense methods along the mountains."

Pang Yu's brow furrowed. Lu Xiangsheng had been in office barely a year. The Chuzhou Great Victory had curbed the Roving Bandits' expansion in Jiangbei. Gao Yingxiang had just been captured. The situation in the Central Plains was improving. All sides had only just gotten acquainted, and now he was being transferred again. In personnel terms, this was not appropriate. From September until the following spring was the peak season for Roving Bandit activity. It was now October. Pang Yu could already envision the main Roving Thief forces emerging from the mountains one after another. Changing commanders at this moment was absolutely not a sound strategy.

In past summers, the Roving Bandits had mainly spent the season in the mountain region where the borders of Shaanxi, Henan, and Huguang met. But this year, in the Dabie Mountains north of Anqing, several bands of Roving Bandits were active — and not small bands at that. Even as recently as August, two large bandit forces under Ma Shouying and Hun Shiwan had been operating within the Fengyang Governor's Jurisdiction.

Over the past two years, they had familiarized themselves with the Jiangbei region and showed a tendency to use the Dabie Mountains as a stronghold. Spring and summer were the low ebb of Roving Bandit activity. Entering the mountains to pass the summer had also drained their material reserves. As the weather turned cooler, another peak of Roving Bandit activity was about to arrive. After the autumn harvest, grain and fodder were plentiful everywhere, and the weather was suitable for marching. Driven by the need to seize survival resources, the Roving Bandits would inevitably emerge from the mountains. This did not depend on the strength of the Government Troops. If the Government Troops were strong, the worst that could happen was being beaten to death. But if they did not come out of the mountains, they would certainly starve to death. Therefore, emerging from the mountains to plunder was the only option.

As the most critical water and land artery on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Anqing faced a more severe situation this year than last. Because the Roving Bandits had not passed through here in the ninth year of Chongzhen, a year's time allowed a certain amount of wealth and goods to accumulate, making it more attractive than the ravaged Hezhou area. Under these circumstances, having a newcomer serve as Five-Province Supreme Commander — Pang Yu absolutely did not believe this would benefit the Anqing Defense.

"Then let us go and hear Circuit Intendant Shi's esteemed views."