Chapter 308: Specific Responsibility

The rear office of the Anqing Defense Officer Department had been converted into a dedicated Military Office space. All subordinate sections now worked in the rear office, completely separated from the various offices in the main hall. Almost everyone coming and going wore military uniforms.

A military conference was underway in the rear office's main hall. Pang Yu sat in the seat of honor, a giant map hanging on the wall behind him. The map covered Shaanxi, Henan, Northern and Southern Zhili, and Huguang, with red markings indicating the movements of the Roving Bandits.

Between Chaohu and Chuzhou on the north bank of the Yangtze River, there were several medium-sized red arrows, one of which was already nearing Jiangpu. North of Anqing's position, over a dozen small red arrows clustered densely, along with a thick scattering of red cross marks, showing heavy recent fighting in the Dabie Mountains north of Anqing. Though the scale of each clash was small, it proved the bandits in the mountains were considerable in number and constantly probing.

Farther north on the map, two enormous, shocking red arrows originated from Nanyang, pointing toward Huguang and Henan respectively.

"Received a field report from Vice General Liu Liangzuo, garrisoned at Lu'an Prefecture. His Household Retainers encountered bandits in the direction of Gushi. At night, fires were visible for over ten li. Additionally, two bands of mountain bandits from the Huoshan direction were routed by his troops while pillaging outside the mountains. Over a hundred heads were taken. The bandit leader was Geli Yan..."

"Received a field report from Zheng Guoliang, Provincial Courier Official of the Director-General's Department. According to a report from Liu Yongfu's Household Retainers, a large bandit force is marching between Tang County and Biyang, the column unbroken for days. Bandit leaders include Chuang Tatian and Cao Cao. Another large bandit force is moving south via Xiangyang, led by the Eight Great Kings of the Western Camp and Ma Shouying. All Grand Coordinators and Inspectors are ordered to strictly defend their jurisdictions and combine forces to suppress them..."

"Received a field report from Mo Yu, Southern Military Courier Officer of the Southern Ministry of War. On the thirteenth day of this month, Jiangpu County captured a Roving Bandit spy on the rear hill within the town. His name is Chen Pu, a native of Fengyang. He was captured last year and forced into Hun Shiwan's camp. Hun Shiwan has now joined forces with a new bandit leader, Ziwei Star. This bandit was ordered to scout the number of defense troops in Jiangpu. He stated that while in the bandit camp, he heard High Shine say things like 'go down to Jiangpu for revenge.' He claims several hundred men have infiltrated Pukou, Liuhe, and Yizheng. Over a thousand more from various camps crossed the river mid-year, disguised as craftsmen, beggars, monks, and Daoists, entering Nanjing with the intent to spy and raid the Southern Capital. Hezhou and other places are ordered to strictly clear the river, forbidding riverboats from mooring on the North Bank, and our Water Camp is ordered to intensify patrols along the river sector."

Yang Xueshi, who had already taken over as Section Clerk of the Military Affairs Section, was reporting on the military situation from various locations. Originally, he was only the Section Clerk of the Advisory Office, while the Military Affairs Section Section Clerk post was concurrently held by the Document Receiving Office Section Clerk. Mr. Hou thus held three posts simultaneously: Document Receiving Office Section Clerk, Chief Clerk Officer, and Military Affairs Section Section Clerk. Later, He County Yamen returned to Anqing. Although not formally appointed, he was already handling affairs in the Document Receiving Office. Now, Mr. Hou basically only managed the military's Clerk Officer system.

Everyone listened in silence. This year's bandit situation was severe. In particular, the forces of Geli Yan and the Left Golden King had spent the summer in the mountains, clearly treating the Dabie Mountains as their base. As soon as autumn arrived, they began raiding in all directions. Anqing bordered countless mountain paths, tying down a large portion of government troops.

Pang Yu jotted rough notes while speaking. "Report on the positions of friendly forces."

"The nearest Government Troops in the Fengyang Governor's Jurisdiction are Liu Liangzuo's unit at Lu'an Prefecture, numbering roughly four thousand; Mou Wenshou's unit at Chuzhou, numbering roughly three thousand; at Shouzhou, fifteen hundred Sichuan Troops; at Fengyang, three thousand Zhejiang Troops and thirty-five hundred from the Fengyang Governor's Garrison Battalion. The nearest in Henan is Regional Commander Zuo Liangyu's unit, currently in the Ruyang area, numbering about twenty thousand."

"Twenty thousand?" Mr. Hou looked up in surprise. "A Regional Commander commands but one Standard Battalion. Where would twenty thousand come from?"

The other officers attending the meeting were equally astonished. Ordinary commanders pocketed pay for phantom soldiers and inflated their numbers, wishing they could keep only their Household Retainers. This Zuo Liangyu, on the contrary, had six or seven times his authorized troop strength.

"That... I do not know. This figure came from the Grand Coordinator Yamen."

Pang Yu also had some doubts about this point, but it was difficult to verify immediately. He could only let Yang Xueshi continue his report.

The overall bandit situation this year was no less severe than last year. Field reports from Provincial Courier Officials everywhere indicated that the Roving Bandits had split at Nanyang, circling the Dabie Mountains to move south and east respectively. The Government Troops, however, were more dispersed than last year, lacking Lu Xiangsheng's mobile corps. The Liaodong Troops of Zu Kuan and Li Chongzhen were northeast of Nanyang, seemingly guarding Kaifeng more than anything else.

"Regional Commander Wang has been in Kaifeng the entire time?"

"It is said he has not ventured far."

Pang Yu was also somewhat worried. He did not know Wang Jiazhen's capabilities, but his style clearly differed greatly from Lu Xiangsheng's approach of leading from the front. Given the Roving Bandits' characteristic of coming and going like the wind, Pang Yu felt that Lu Xiangsheng's method of staying close to the front lines was more effective.

Such was the military system of the Ming Dynasty. The highest military post was Regional Commander, directly commanding only three to four thousand troops. The various units had no peacetime chain of command with each other, making unified orders extremely difficult during combat. Military command authority rested entirely in the hands of civil officials. Without Lu Xiangsheng personally leading the troops, such a great victory at Chuzhou would have been impossible.

With Wang Jiazhen sitting immobile in Kaifeng and the Five Provinces spanning a vast area, intelligence and orders took half a month to travel back and forth. The Roving Bandits' movements changed constantly; after half a month, they were long gone from their original positions. Wang Jiazhen's deployments were thus utterly meaningless. The very purpose of establishing the Five-Province Regional Commander was to unify troop deployments. Without a high official like Lu Xiangsheng leading troops nearby, each unit fought on its own, turning the war against the Roving Bandits into a chaotic mess.

The current total strength of the Five Provinces was around one hundred thousand, but less than half could be used for mobile operations. In the current distribution of Government Troops, Henan was the strongest, followed by the Fengyang jurisdiction. The entire northern Huguang region had about fifteen thousand Government Troops, mainly the Hubei Provincial Commander's Standard Troops Battalion and reinforcing Sichuan Troops and Ma Troops. The weakest was Anqing, under the jurisdiction of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator.

What worried Pang Yu most now was the two large bands of Roving Bandits that had split at Nanyang. Under the blocking efforts of various Government Troops, they might ultimately converge on Anqing. Given the Roving Bandits' mobility, Government Troops could not redeploy in time, and it might well turn into the Roving Bandits encircling and annihilating the Anqing Government Troops.

"Section Clerk Yang, report on Anqing's latest deployments."

"Qianshan County Magistrate Zhu Jiaxiang has led officials and civilians into Tianning Fortress. All funds and grain have been moved, and construction of Tianning Fortress's moat has begun. Taihu County Magistrate Yang Zhuoran continues to lead the people in building town walls. Many townships along the mountains in Taihu have trained local militia, who have fought dozens of large and small engagements with scattered Roving Bandits at various mountain passes. Our cavalry unit's scouts at Jifei Shoal have received considerable assistance from the local militia. Susong's wall construction has halted; the people have prepared boats and moored them along the shores of Lei Pool. At night, Susong is completely empty. Wangjiang's walls are fully prepared. The thirty men detached from the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad have arrived in the town, specifically assigned to guide the Community Soldiers in city defense preparations and combat."

Yang Xueshi picked up his water and took a gulp. He had been seriously wounded in Jiangpu at the beginning of the year, especially the wound on his face, which still affected his eating. Compared to when Pang Yu first met him last year, Yang Xueshi had grown much thinner.

"According to the deployment by His Excellency the Circuit Intendant, the current Jiangnan Reinforcement Troops at Liu River and various camps total twenty-one hundred men, stationed separately at Tongcheng's North Gorge Pass, Kongcheng Town, Zongyang, Taihu County Town, Tongling Fort, and other locations. Mobile Corps Commander Pan's unit of fifteen hundred men is stationed at the Tongcheng County Seat. The New Courage Battalion, Path Biao Battalion, and Army Courage Battalion are separately stationed at Wangjiang, Fengxiang Courier Station, and other places. The remainder are our Defense Officer Battalion units. The First Division remains stationed at Tongcheng. The Second Division has..." Yang Xueshi paused briefly before continuing, "has returned to Qianshan Tianning Fort. Because the cavalry scouts detected Roving Bandits swarming at Longjing Pass, belonging to the Left Golden King's forces, the Second Division will not be redeployed elsewhere in the near term..."

The Longjing Pass he mentioned was a critical pass near Taihu, with far better road conditions than other small passes. If the mountain bandits wanted to emerge, Qianshan and Taihu would bear the brunt.

Pang Yu raised his hand, cutting Yang Xueshi off. "Since Section Clerk Yang has brought up the Second Division, this official will say a few words. The Defense Officer Battalion is the imperial court's army, but the court appointed this official to train and deploy it. Every officer and soldier of the Defense Officer Battalion must obey only this official's orders. Military law is clear: all battalion-level military orders originate solely from the Advisory Office. Military orders must be carried out!"

He swept his gaze over the attending officers, finally settling on Mr. Hou. "As for which superior this official obeys, that is this official's business. Nor does this official obey only one particular superior. Above us is not just the Circuit Intendant Yamen alone; there is also the Yingtian Military Governor, the Fengyang Governor's Department, the Director-General's Department, the Southern Ministry of War, and the Ministry of War in the Capital. If everyone could issue orders to the Defense Officer Battalion's divisions, then there would be no need for this official. Don't you agree, Mr. Hou?"

One could hear a pin drop in the hall. Sweat beaded on Mr. Hou's forehead as he repeatedly voiced his agreement.

Pang Yu nodded. "Since Mr. Hou agrees, presumably he instructs the Clerk Officers at all levels in this manner. If any Clerk Officer acts contrary to this, then he lacks understanding. Marching and fighting are matters of life and death. A lack of understanding gets people killed."

Mr. Hou carefully stood and bowed. "This subordinate understands. It is just that when selecting Clerk Officers, there were too few who could read. This subordinate was momentarily negligent..."

"Clerk Officers are both civil and military; they are a vital element of the army. Though called Clerk Officers, the most crucial thing is grasping the greater picture and understanding reason, not whether they can read. This official believes it is better to leave a post vacant than to fill it with the unqualified, and certainly not to compromise or make do. Unsuitable individuals must be replaced immediately. By tomorrow morning, this official wants to see the personnel adjustments for the Clerk Officers."

Mr. Hou wiped the sweat from his forehead. "This subordinate understands what must be done."

"This official will remind Mr. Hou of one more thing. Some unsuitable individuals should not simply be transferred from Clerk Officer to a yamen post. Since they fail to grasp the greater picture, expel them from the Defense Officer Battalion. The world is full of talent; do not worry about having no one to use."

Attending officers like Jiang Guoyong and Zhuang Chaozheng sat stiffly upright. Only Mr. Hou remained standing. Pang Yu did not invite him to sit, turning instead to let Yang Xueshi continue his report.

At that moment, a guard reported from outside the door. He County Yamen then hurried in and handed over an official document, saying in a low voice, "An order just arrived from His Excellency the Circuit Intendant."

Pang Yu asked directly, "A field report from somewhere?"

"A small band of Roving Bandits used a side path to enter Zongyang from Tongcheng and burned down one granary. Our Water Camp stationed at Zongyang rushed to the scene, killed seven Roving Bandits, and the rest fled. His Excellency the Circuit Intendant believes this is the vanguard of a large bandit force from Chao County, and that the main force will subsequently attack Zongyang. He wants you, sir, to personally lead the cavalry to Kongcheng Town."

"Only sending this now." Pang Yu had long since received the Water Camp's field report. He reached out, took the order letter, and glanced at it. "Just a few dozen bandits. No confirmed enemy movements anywhere else, yet he wants to scatter the troops across several counties again. When Susong raises another alarm, will he then demand this official rush to Susong within a day? What is his response to the bandit situation in the direction of Guangji?"

"He orders the Water Camp Land Troops to move to Chunfeng Fort at the Susong Mountain Pass to set up defenses."

"Water Camp Land Troops... so even Circuit Intendant Shi knows about them now. But that Chunfeng Fort sits high atop a mountain peak. If the Roving Bandits block the way down, not a single soldier can get out." Pang Yu casually set the order letter down. "Reply to His Excellency the Circuit Intendant: our cavalry unit has already been deployed to Taihu, and the Water Camp Land Combat Unit is garrisoned at Wangjiang. They still bear the responsibility of reinforcing Jiangnan and dare not be lightly redeployed."

He County Yamen, unaware of the earlier meeting's content, quietly advised upon hearing this, "Then, sir, should we consider sending a partial force? Sending not a single soldier might be difficult to explain. After all, the Military Defense Circuit is specifically tasked with overseeing the troops."

Pang Yu frowned in thought for a moment. Currently, the Nanjing money house was developing well, and funds were ample. The Circuit Intendant Yamen's money and grain were becoming less and less important to him. The military forces Shi Kefa controlled were also completely incapable of suppressing the Defense Officer Battalion. Zhang Guowei could not effectively lodge complaints against Pang Yu either. The only advantage Shi Kefa held was his official rank.

What most irritated Pang Yu at present was Shi Kefa bypassing him to issue orders to the Defense Officer Battalion. But completely ignoring Shi Kefa would set a bad example for his subordinates. Moreover, he was still within the imperial court's system; tearing his face off openly would bring considerable inconvenience.

Although He County Yamen had not attended the meeting, he had heard about the Second Division matter. Seeing Pang Yu's expression, he roughly guessed the issue. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This subordinate has an idea. The places in Anqing facing major bandit threats are no more than Susong and Tongcheng. Along the mountains, there are only small bands. We could propose to His Excellency the Circuit Intendant that the Defense Officer Battalion take sole responsibility for defending one direction—either the Susong front or the Tongcheng front. This would also save us from being shuttled back and forth over hundreds of li. When a major bandit force appears, His Excellency the Circuit Intendant can then deploy us for offensive operations."

Several attending officers nodded slightly. They, too, had complaints about the chaotic command structure. Anqing's terrain was long east-to-west and short north-to-south. If a specific area of responsibility were clearly defined, the Defense Officer Battalion could deploy more effectively and avoid constant conflict with the Circuit Intendant Yamen.

"That is a good proposal. From now on, He County Yamen will participate in military conferences." Pang Yu stood up as he spoke. "This official will go to Tongcheng tomorrow to see Circuit Intendant Shi. He County Yamen will accompany me."