Chapter 367: Along the River

On the third floor of the Great River Silver Bank, Jiang Fan, He County Yamen, and Liu Ruogu all stood respectfully. Pang Yu waved for the three of them to sit, then briefly explained the outcome of his discussion with Ruan Dacheng.

Pang Yu looked toward He County Yamen. "Before, we only dealt with the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's yamen. Ruan Dacheng was right — we should be making overtures to the Five-Province Regional Commander. Since Xiong Wencan is easy to deal with, we can put in some effort early. Third Brother, make a trip to Guangdong. Request an audience with Xiong Wencan in my name, and bring plenty of gifts."

He County Yamen paused, then said, "Going to deliver gifts so abruptly might seem out of place. Could we say we've come first to inquire about Lord Xiong's northward route, and that the Anqing Garrison Battalion can provide escort and support along the way?"

"Section Clerk He's approach is more thorough." Pang Yu nodded approvingly. "We still don't know where Lord Xiong is currently stationed, but if he's not taking a sea vessel, he should be traveling via Jiangxi. Our offer to receive him is a perfectly suitable pretext."

Liu Ruogu looked up at Pang Yu and said, "My only fear is that this Lord Xiong might select you, my lord, as his standard battalion, and you'd be taken far from your base in Anqing."

"I worried about that at first too. But since Lord Xiong is not the type to personally charge into battle, he certainly won't be dragging the garrison battalion around everywhere. Thirty thousand troops won't be massed in one place either — they'll still be dispersed to guard various areas. The best outcome is that we remain stationed in Anqing, but gain the freedom to maneuver in the surrounding regions, no longer confined to the Yingtian jurisdiction. That's precisely why we need to start laying the groundwork early."

He County Yamen bowed from his seat. "This humble one understands."

"There's one more matter to handle. This Lord Xiong has served as an official in both Fujian and Guangdong. Build some rapport with Lord Xiong's personal attendants — have them make introductions. Make a trip to Macau and recruit some craftsmen who can manufacture firearms and cannons. Speak with those red-haired devils. If they have cannons or self-igniting arquebuses for sale, buy some back, regardless of the price."

"Lord Xiong has long been stationed by the sea. Now bearing such heavy responsibility, he will naturally desire sharp and superior firearms. This subordinate believes he would be pleased to see such efforts."

Having finished the Guangdong matters, Pang Yu smiled and turned to Jiang Fan. "Ruan Dacheng has agreed to the Yangzhou matter. Once he's spoken with Zhu Dadian, the Canal Gang will first establish a foothold in Yangzhou."

"Rest assured, my lord. Within half a year, we will certainly control every dock in Yangzhou."

"Still, do not provoke the Tax Pass. Zhu Dadian's authority doesn't extend there. In other places, you may employ certain methods, but it needn't always be violence." Pang Yu pondered for a moment, then added, "The Canal Gang must establish nodes along the river. There are countless docks on the Great River — we can't fight our way through every single one. That would cause too great a disturbance. The reason I said to let Wuhu's people manage the Wuhu docks is to show the other places: having one location serve as a model is enough. In Yangzhou, by all means use both soft and hard tactics. The rule going forward will be to have the docks in each area join our alliance."

"Join the alliance?"

"It means becoming partners. They manage their own territory, but they must manage it according to our rules. We'll send people from Anqing to assist. The most important thing is that everyone benefits. The Canal Gang does not belong to Anqing — it is the Great River Canal Gang. We're not here to steal their livelihood; we're here to give them a way to survive."

Jiang Fan nodded. "This humble one understands. It's like the shipping company allowing people to bring their boats into the gang."

"That's exactly the idea. The Canal Gang, the shipping company, and the silver bank are one entity. Wherever we go, we go together. First the Great River, then the Grand Canal. Yangzhou is the place where the Great River and the Grand Canal converge. The silver bank has already opened there, and deposits are considerable, but it doesn't fall under the Yingtian jurisdiction, so conducting business is far less convenient than in Wuhu. Since Zhu Dadian is offering us convenience, better to act sooner rather than later."

Liu Ruogu interjected, "After the Susong Great Victory, the silver bank's deposits have greatly increased. In Nanjing, they've already surpassed a million taels. Yangzhou is indeed less convenient than Nanjing — all trade there is controlled by the brokerages. Weighing silver and judging its purity are all profit points for the brokerages, making it difficult for silver notes to circulate."

Jiang Fan hesitated. "My lord instructed us to dispatch personnel to Huguang. If we now move downstream to Yangzhou, should we withdraw our people from Wuchang, Jiujiang, and other places?"

"Keep them there for now." Pang Yu knew that keeping them meant continued expenditure of silver. Establishing these Canal Gang nodes wasn't as simple as sending men to work as porters. But Huguang and Jiangxi were both upstream from Anqing, vital grain-producing regions, and grain was the most important bulk commodity on the Great River. The groundwork still needed to be laid. He thought for a moment, then asked, "How has the weather been this year in Henan, Huguang, and Shaanxi?"

"From what the traveling merchants at the various docks say, it seems slightly better than previous years. If not for the roving bandits, the harvests should be enough to get by."

"This year is the tenth year of Chongzhen." Pang Yu frowned, thinking for a moment. He didn't know how many years remained until the Manchu Qing entered the pass. His only impression was that Chongzhen hadn't seemed very old when he died — probably no more than forty. The emperor was twenty-seven this year, which meant there might be about ten years left.

Judging by this year's climate, the roving bandits still lacked the capacity to expand their strength to a greater scale. Government troops in various regions still had the ability to pursue and suppress them. Moreover, the emperor was still able to levy additional military funds, indicating that the empire still possessed a certain potential. But the bandits' destructive power remained immense. Every place they passed through was left more devastated than before. Even in areas already ravaged, when the bandits couldn't obtain sufficient supplies along the official roads, they would naturally expand their range of plunder. The scope of destruction would grow, producing more refugees. Once the destruction reached a critical threshold, the roving bandits might develop with explosive speed.

His most important reference indicator, Li Inner City, was still active in the Shaanxi and Sichuan regions, being chased and beaten by government troops everywhere. This year, he hadn't heard of Li Inner City achieving any clear victories, so it seemed there should still be a few years left.

But his entire arrangement depended heavily on commerce. If Huguang and Jiangxi were completely devastated, their populations and demand vanishing, the Great River would lose all trade value. Anqing, situated in the middle reaches, would lose every advantage, and his entire operation would become unsustainable. Given the garrison battalion's current strength, it needed to expand rapidly within a few years to protect the Great River corridor, and at the same time safeguard a broader region to sustain production and demand.

This was precisely what he hoped to obtain from Xiong Wencan: a larger operational range for the garrison battalion, the ability to project military force wherever needed. That was why he had changed his thinking — to strike a proper balance between garrisoning Anqing and conducting large-scale suppression campaigns.

After the Susong Great Victory, the garrison battalion had seized an excellent opportunity for expansion. Pang Yu had no intention of remaining confined to the court's troop quotas. Zuo Liangyu was a ready-made example, though not one to follow in every respect. People in the court kept impeaching him — just last month, the Military Section Chief Supervising Censor Ling Yiqu was still impeaching Regional Commander Zuo Liangyu for letting his troops run amok with rape and plunder when he went east to relieve Shucheng. Though the court dared not strip him of his command, the Left Family Army's reputation was extremely poor. Pang Yu, however, needed a good reputation. His methods still had to differ from Zuo Liangyu's, which meant he needed to seek patronage at a higher level.

Looking at the intelligence gathered from all sides now, Qian Qianyi's case had yet to be settled. The Restoration Society and the Donglin faction were teetering under Wen Tiren's attacks — not suitable to cling to. Most of Anqing's capital officials leaned toward the Donglin, so Pang Yu didn't dare touch them for now. But through the Nanjing Garrison Eunuch, Pang Yu had come to appreciate the power of eunuchs in the Ming dynasty.

"All along, our greatest weakness has been having no one in the capital to look after our interests, and no source of intelligence. We've been acting in the dark, without direction. After the Susong battle, our garrison battalion's name resounds along the Great River. Naturally, we must extend our influence to various regions. The demands on our intelligence will be even higher — it could even determine our success or failure. So not only along the Great River, but we must also extend our reach into the Capital."

What they had just discussed concerned the Canal Gang; now the topic was the Dark Sentinel Division. But both fell under Jiang Fan's jurisdiction. Jiang Fan habitually bowed and said, "My lord sees clearly. The Dark Sentinel Division's current personnel mostly come from the Canal Gang. They're skilled at gathering information at various docks, county yamens, and shipping companies. But the Capital... at present, I fear we still lack suitable candidates. Ruan Dacheng has served as a capital official and still has extensive connections there. If he were willing to help, it would be twice the result with half the effort."

Pang Yu waved a hand. "The Capital is just a bigger place. The streets and markets still require manpower. The Dark Sentinel Division is newly established and lacks experience in this area — we'll take it step by step. As for Ruan Dacheng, he is still an outsider after all. The intelligence he provides is a separate channel. Any connections he introduces will ultimately need us to maintain them. We must mainly rely on ourselves. The Capital has all sorts of people, from high to low — the officialdom and the palace are both sources of information, not limited to any single place. Besides, we have other advantages."

He turned to Liu Ruogu. "We can begin issuing official loans. Don't compete with other silver banks on interest rates, but we can relax other conditions. With the Restoration Society recommending clients to us, we shouldn't lack for business. In the future, when these new officials are posted across various regions, they'll be ready-made sources of intelligence."

"This humble one understands. We can also inquire through the Restoration Society about a candidate's literary talent. If someone seems likely to place in the top ranks of the exam, we can relax the terms even further."

Hearing this, Pang Yu recalled the matter of Yang Erming. The people who had issued him an official loan had followed him all the way to Anqing, and Pang Yu had been the one to send them off. Yang Erming had apparently passed the Presented Scholar exam in the seventh year of Chongzhen. Pang Yu couldn't help asking, "The Metropolitan Exam is held every three years. Shouldn't the results be posted again this year?"

"In reply to my lord, the results were posted in February."

Pang Yu made a sound of acknowledgment. "Then quickly have the Restoration Society recommend more people who need official loans. I haven't seen Fang Yizhi in a long time — did he pass this time?"

At Longpan Lane near Nanjing's Qingliang Gate, Pang Yu had just reached the mouth of the alley when he looked up and saw a group of riders coming straight toward him. They were all youths on horseback, riding at a reckless speed, loudly shouting for people to clear the way.

The street was thrown into chaos. The passersby dared not provoke them, dodging aside while muttering curses. Guo Fengyou and several other guards quickly moved to shield Pang Yu. Pang Yu himself saw no point in quarreling with these young men and took the lead in stepping aside to the edge of the street.

As the horses passed by, Pang Yu suddenly spotted Fang Yizhi and his two brothers among them. Today he had come precisely to visit Fang Yizhi — he needed him to reconnect with the Restoration Society regarding the official loans, and also to discreetly inquire about the Restoration Society's situation, whether they had been implicated in the Qian Qianyi case. If the court intended to crack down on the Restoration Society, Pang Yu would temporarily keep his hands off the official loans for Restoration Society members.

He immediately called out, "Young Master Fang!"

Fang Yizhi had already ridden past. Hearing the voice, he turned his head from the saddle. Pang Yu quickly waved. Once Fang Yizhi recognized him, he immediately pulled on his horse's reins, nearly causing the rider behind him to collide.

Fang Yizhi skillfully controlled his horse to avoid the collision, guiding it from the roadside to Pang Yu's side before dismounting. Only then did Pang Yu notice he was also wearing a sword. Fang Yizhi laughed heartily toward the youths waiting for him. "So it's General Pang, who routed the eight bandit chiefs, who has arrived! Come quickly, all of you, and pay your respects."

The youths did not dismount. They merely clamored noisily as they greeted Pang Yu. The scene was quite lively.

"You all go on ahead. Today I wish to catch up with General Pang."

Fang Yizhi led his own horse and invited Pang Yu back to his Xi Yu residence. Pang Yu asked with keen interest, "Young Master Fang, riding with a sword at your side — where are you off to slay bandits?"

Fang Yizhi laughed heartily. "I can't compare to General Pang, but the heart to slay bandits for the nation is there. These society friends of mine are all fellows who discuss military strategy and practice martial arts. In our spare time, naturally we must drill."

Pang Yu voiced a word of praise. Neither Liu Ruogu nor the others knew how Fang Yizhi's exams had gone. They only said he spent his days in activities with fellow Restoration Society members, often seen riding horses, or else idling along the Qinhuai.

"Has Young Master Fang been delving deeply into physics of late?"

"Not really." Fang Yizhi suddenly fell silent. He led his horse to the gate of Xi Yu and stopped. "I might as well tell General Pang frankly: I failed the Provincial Examination last year. I've had free time all year, but I've had no heart to study miscellaneous subjects further."

Pang Yu was inwardly surprised. He had always assumed Fang Yizhi had long since passed the Provincial Graduate exam and was merely in Nanjing waiting for the Metropolitan Exam. As it turned out, Fang Yizhi hadn't even passed the Provincial Examination.

"Young Master Fang is still young, and brimming with literary learning to begin with. You needn't worry over this minor setback."

"Not so young anymore. I'm twenty-six this year." Fang Yizhi sighed. "When my father was twenty-six, he had already passed the Presented Scholar exam with high honors. Our Tongcheng's Yang Your Honor passed it when he was only in his teens."

Pang Yu was momentarily taken aback. In later ages, people always thought of those in their twenties as very young — a habit he still hadn't shaken even now.

"I now have no heart for the imperial examinations. Serving the nation is not limited to that single path." Fang Yizhi suddenly showed a hint of a smile. "Fortunately, there is news of my father's reinstatement. If he is given a military command, I intend to attend him in the army. To slay bandits for the nation — now is precisely the time."

Hearing that Fang Kongzhao was to be reinstated, Pang Yu was somewhat surprised. When the Tongcheng civil unrest was pacified, Fang Kongzhao's name had been included in the detailed report, which had traveled all the way up to the Cabinet. He had thus acquired the persona of a man with frontier talent. At the time, Pang Yu had thought he would be reinstated quickly, but two years had passed without any news. Pang Yu had nearly forgotten that Fang Kongzhao was still a country squire. Now, hearing of his sudden reinstatement, he guessed the court was indeed in urgent need of officials with frontier experience, and Fang Kongzhao had the right connections.

Not wanting to pry into the specific post, he simply cupped his hands and said, "Then allow me to first congratulate Sir Fang."

Fang Yizhi finally broke into a smile. Laughing heartily, he extended a hand toward the main gate and said, "General Pang, please."