Chapter 356: A Future

"Lift your head!"

Inside City River Stockade, the Sweeping King, bound on the ground, trembled at the sound but did not raise his head. Pang Yu signaled with his eyes, and Guo Fengyou strode over, seized him by the hair, and yanked his head up. The Sweeping King's topknot had come loose, and filthy strands of hair hung over his face. Through the gaps between the strands, his gaze revealed no readable emotion.

Pang Yu stole a glance at the gray-haired Mr. Ma. The older man's face was slightly flushed — whether from excitement or from fury at seeing this butcher of men, Pang Yu could not tell.

Lord Pi extended a finger at the Sweeping King and cursed, "A vicious thug like you deserves death by a thousand cuts as a warning to all under heaven."

Seeing the Sweeping King still unyielding, Lord Pi crouched down, studied him closely, and said in anger, "Back when you slaughtered innocents, destroyed homes, and spread misery across the land — did you ever imagine an end like today's? Heaven gave life to countless millions; how could it produce a wretch like you? Every time this official recalls what he witnessed in Susong, for two years I have not slept through a single night. I wish I could flay you alive this very day."

Another voice, bold and unrestrained, boomed out, "Don't let this filth soil Lord Pi's hands. Let this humble general, a military man, do it. Lord Pi, just say how to carve him, and Xu will wield the blade — to avenge this blood-debt for the tens of thousands of Anqing's people."

Pang Yu did not need to look to know it was his sworn brother Xu Strengthening. That day, the Wusong General Command had set fire to Old County Bridge, then fled with his men before it fully collapsed — he had not even had time to burn the stockpiled army rations. As a result, the deserters on the opposite bank put out the fire, and the remaining half of the Old County Bridge, left unguarded, fell into the hands of Cao Cao's forces. In the end, Liu Guoneng led the defeated troops from all camps smoothly across the river, and they even obtained supplies at Old County. After rallying the routed soldiers there, they withdrew into the mountains without a hitch.

That day, there were still government troops at Fengjiadu. Liu Guoneng had skirted around the base of the mountain. In their headlong flight, his force had no combat capability whatsoever and carried no supplies. Had this sworn brother of his been even slightly more reliable and, as Pang Yu had urged, held Old County to the death, the Roving Bandits' defeated troops would have been trapped and perished by the Old County River. Then there would be far more than just the Sweeping King tied up here now.

Pang Yu could not help glancing over. Xu Strengthening stood with his hand pressed on his sword hilt, glaring at the Sweeping King with utter fury — he truly looked ready to flay the Sweeping King alive.

"Dog official, you think you're worthy of carving up this old master?!"

Everyone started. It was the Sweeping King, silent until now, who had spoken. Xu Strengthening froze for a second, then roared in fury and drew his waist saber. Pang Yu quickly signaled with his eyes, and the accompanying Jiang Guoyong immediately grabbed Regional Commander Xu.

Xu Strengthening still struggled forward with all his might, his blade swinging wildly about. Everyone scrambled to get clear. Lord Pi dodged even as he tried to talk him down.

"None of you stop me! Today this official will see this dog bandit meet his death in Susong — aiya!"

Pang Yu, watching from the side, saw it clearly: the Sweeping King, from the ground, lashed out with a diagonal kick that struck Xu Strengthening squarely in a vital spot. Regional Commander Xu crumpled to the ground at once.

The others hurriedly helped Xu Strengthening to the side. Guo Fengyou ordered men to bind the Sweeping King's legs as well.

"Regional Commander Xu, calm your anger. Were it not for the requirement to present captives at the palace gate, I would insist on flaying him alive alongside you today." Pang Yu handed Xu Strengthening water as he spoke. "Once he reaches the Capital, his fate is absolutely to die by a thousand cuts. This Sweeping King is clearly trying to provoke Regional Commander Xu on purpose, hoping for a cheap death. Surely Regional Commander Xu will not fall for his trick."

Xu Strengthening's face was bright red. It took him a long while to catch his breath. "So that's it. He won't get his wish."

Pang Yu looked up toward Mr. Ma. He and Lord Pi stood far to one side, unwilling to take part in this farce.

Seeing no outsiders nearby, Xu Strengthening forced himself to his feet and said, "Brother Pang, that day I fully intended to defend Old County to the death. We military men come precisely to kill bandits. Even if tens of thousands of Roving Bandits came — as the saying goes, a general does not shrink from dying in formation; at worst, it's just one life. But... ah, your elder brother here had no choice. The difficulties are not fit to be spoken of to outsiders."

"Brother Xu's character — I have always trusted it completely." Pang Yu offered reassurance, but in truth he had already received word from the relay horse scouts left at Shipai. That day, Regional Commander Xu, believing the bridge was burned and collapsed, had fled along the post road toward Taihu. In stark contrast to his dawdling on the way there, he had raced to Shipai within a single day. Just as he was preparing to continue on to Anqing Prefectural City, he encountered Pang Yu's relay horse delivering the victory report, and only then did he join up with Lord Pi and come to Chema River.

Now Xu Strengthening's words hinted that it was Shi Kefa who had caused him to lose Old County. This was not about dividing military merits; his primary aim was to shift blame, lest Pang Yu, riding the momentum of a great victory, submit an impeachment memorial against him.

Pang Yu had cooperated with him many times and long ago grasped his style. For defending a city, he was barely usable; in battle, he could not be relied upon. Relatively speaking, however, Xu Strengthening was at least easy to get along with. At worst, he merely wasted a troop quota.

It was also from him that Pang Yu obtained confirmed information: Circuit Intendant Shi had gone to White Cliff Stockade. Pang Yu had been there before. The stockade itself was not especially tall, but its advantage lay in its position high in the mountains. Midway up, there was no place to assemble or rest. By the time one climbed up, one was already half-dead from exhaustion and had little strength left to assault the stockade — it was indeed a place easy to defend and hard to attack. If the main army at Fengjiadu had truly been annihilated, that was the only place Shi Kefa could have held out.

Estimating the travel distance, Circuit Intendant Shi would likely not arrive until tomorrow. That gave Pang Yu an opportunity to communicate with Mr. Ma in advance — which meant Xu Strengthening had, in a way, done him a good turn.

Once Xu Strengthening had recovered, the two of them went over to where Lord Pi and Mr. Ma stood. Mr. Ma was more interested in the details of that day's battle. Pang Yu accompanied the three men, traveling westward all the way from City River Stockade.

On the battlefield at Chema River, thousands of corpses lay strewn about. Large numbers of captives, under guard, had begun digging pits. The Ming Dynasty's verification of military merits required the participation of local prefectures and counties. Susong County Magistrate Gou Tianqi and Prefect Lord Pi were both present at the scene. They still needed to wait for Shi Kefa's verification, and when conditions permitted, the Regional Inspector's review as well, before the formal merit-reporting documents could be written. But with the weather now sweltering, both Pang Yu and Lord Pi feared an epidemic, so they had the Assistant Prefect conduct the verification first and then report upward to Regional Inspector Zhang Xuan.

Pang Yu narrated the course of the battle the entire way. The three men listened with rapt attention, as if they themselves had fought in it. Finally, they arrived at the small slope where the cannon battery had been set up. Pang Yu had someone bring over a small cannon. Lord Pi and Xu Strengthening both crowded around it, examining it closely.

Mr. Ma walked off alone to one side. After Pang Yu followed him over, Mr. Ma said in a low voice, "This time, the Jiangnan Reinforcement Troops were routed entirely. Pan Keda, Zhan Peng, Lu Wangyou, and Wang Xihan all perished. Cheng Long was wounded, Chen Yuwang was wounded, and Jiang Ruolai's whereabouts are unknown. Of over four thousand officers and soldiers, only a few hundred defeated troops remain."

Pang Yu nodded. Wang Zenglu had already confirmed the information. That day, Cao Cao had deliberately lifted the siege. The government troops at Fengjiadu, seeing a path to survival, had broken into a mass rout during the night, each unit fleeing on its own. Only Cheng Long and Chen Yuwang, believing it to be a Roving Bandit ploy, had restrained a small number of household retainers and stayed behind — and thus alone escaped disaster.

"General Cheng is a man who dares to fight."

Mr. Ma shook his head. "Had the Garrison Battalion not routed the bandit horde in a single strike, that remnant force of Cheng Long's would have lasted half a day at most. General Pang, in this battle, achieved what others could not — plunging into an army of thousands to take the bandit chieftain's head. You are truly the pillar of Anqing. This old man will certainly report this clearly to the Military Commander."

Pang Yu hurriedly said, "This humble person's meager merit rests entirely on the Military Commander's and Mr. Ma's care for the Anqing Garrison Battalion, and on the officers and soldiers who fought with desperate courage. In addition, the local Prefectural Office also lent its full cooperation."

Mr. Ma smiled faintly. "Between you and me, there is no need for such formalities. That day, when Old County fell and I received the report at Taihu, I believed the Jiangnan elite troops had been completely wiped out. I felt as if heaven and earth were collapsing. Who could have known that defeat could be turned into victory? For Zhang Military Gate, this is truly timely aid. General Pang, if there is anything else you need done, you may speak frankly to this old man."

The two had known each other well since the civil unrest in Tongcheng. From that point on, through Pang Yu's every step in seeking office and promotion, Mr. Ma had been involved. Between them, there were fewer and fewer taboos in conversation.

"I will not hide it from Mr. Ma. This battle was won at extreme peril. At the critical moment, Cao Cao had already charged right up to my recognition banner. In the camp, fire soldiers, medical officers, clerks, and civilian laborers — all went into the line. Even this official drew his sword and personally cut down over ten Roving Bandits. We relied entirely on the desperate courage of the officers and men. The casualties were grievously heavy. Beyond silver and comfort compensation, I have also been thinking of securing a future for them."

Mr. Ma said readily, "Since they fought for and won this great victory, a future is their rightful due. Ma can first reveal to the General that for such great merit, a substantive appointment as Vice Regional Commander is the minimum. Even Regional Commander can be contended for. Once the General's own rank rises, all those beneath him can have a future."

"I was thinking, if they remain in my battalion, they would only be a garrison Mobile Corps Commander — no comparison to holding a defense independently."

A flicker passed through Mr. Ma's eyes. "General Pang means... other places?"

"I was hoping to place them in locations along the river. In the future, when reinforcing Jiangnan, we could concentrate forces by simply following the current downstream. If there are strong troops all along the river, the river defense can be assured."

Mr. Ma looked at Pang Yu but did not speak, appearing lost in thought. Pang Yu hastily added, "This is merely my own idea. Whether it is suitable, I must ask Mr. Ma for guidance."

After speaking, he waited for Mr. Ma's reply. Following this great victory after a great defeat, many general officers had fallen in battle, and many men in the Anqing Garrison Battalion needed promotion. Pang Yu wanted his own people positioned along the river.

"Guidance, I dare not claim. This old man simply knows a bit more information. Before the Governor returned to Jiangnan, there was a plan. Because Anqing sits at a strategic choke point yet has weak military strength, it was proposed to add three hundred cavalry — of which one hundred fifty would be recruited Border Army cavalry and one hundred fifty household retainer cavalry — plus one thousand eight hundred infantry, for a total of two thousand one hundred troops (Note 1). That would form one full battalion. If divided into two battalions of skirmishers, that would also be feasible. Furthermore, since Pan Keda has perished, the Bronze Standard Battalion has a vacant Mobile Corps Commander position. The Company Commander and Centurion posts beneath it naturally come with their own authorized strengths — it should be enough for General Pang to secure a future for his subordinates."

Pang Yu was startled upon hearing this. "Such a force would cost a great deal. Can the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue approve it?"

"This troop increase is to be funded by rations and pay self-recruited by Yingtian. The Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue will naturally not obstruct it." Mr. Ma spoke as if recalling details. "These two thousand troops will cost thirty-one thousand taels of silver annually. The Military Commander is indeed hard-pressed to shift funds; it will require raising money from several localities. Previously, when the Roving Bandits approached the river, each county organized and trained local militia — five to six hundred for a large county, three to four hundred for a medium county, two hundred for a small county — with an annual wage of five taels of silver each. The Military Commander's intent is that every prefecture or county not under bandit alarm will divert the wages of one hundred to one hundred forty men, yielding fourteen thousand taels. The second source is Wuhu: the wages of the laborers at the Tax Pass, that is, the shop-front tax within the city, totaling six thousand taels. The third, however, is Anqing's Zongyang Tangjiagou."

"Tangjiagou?" Pang Yu listened intently. Tangjiagou was the location of Zongyang's harbor.

Mr. Ma nodded. "The rice and beans brokers at Tangjiagou have agreed to donate, pledging two sheng per dan. That is another several thousand taels..."

Pang Yu's mind raced. He had been in camp recently, all his energy focused on combat. He had not even noticed such momentous local news.

Although he had made arrangements in Zongyang early on, because there were too many powerful gentry, he had only managed to control the Canal Gang, not the brokerages. Even with the Water Army stationed there, the brokerages only handed over a portion of silver as protection money.

At Anqing's Sheng-Tang ferry, he had already gained control of the brokerage agents, taking a cut from all kinds of goods trading. But that was merely a private arrangement. What Zhang Guowei was doing now was official — its significance for Pang Yu was entirely different.

What Mr. Ma went on to describe were the other several sources, mainly increasing the commutation ratio of silver payments at other Guard Posts. Though the amounts were not less than Zongyang's, they did not pique Pang Yu's interest in the slightest.

After he finished speaking, Mr. Ma swept his gaze across the corpse-strewn battlefield. "This old man suggests General Pang seek a future for them within Anqing for yet another reason."

Pang Yu focused his full attention and listened carefully. "Please, Mr. Ma, guide me."

"Before this battle, because Anqing is isolated a thousand li away, Governor Zhang had long intended to petition the court to establish a separate Grand Coordinator post, removing Anqing from the Yingtian Jurisdiction. Strong soldiers and fierce generals are not easily come by..."

The words escaped Pang Yu's mouth before he could stop them. "Absolutely not!"

Note 1: See "Fu Wu Shu Cao," Chongzhen Year 10, fourth month, "Fifth Petition for Troop Increase in Wan Prefecture."