Chapter 376: Night Meeting

At Anqing's Sheng-Tang Ferry, several hundred officers and soldiers of the First Division of Land Warfare stood in rigid formation along the dock. On the river, five grain transport ships and three scout boats of the Water Camp flew banners snapping in the wind.

A line of boats was approaching from upstream. The lead vessel bore a large banner, but the wind on the river was light, and part of the flag was wrapped around the pole — it lacked a certain imposing force.

Pang Yu's eyesight was good; he could make out the two characters for "Imperial Commissioner." Following the precedent of Lu Xiangsheng, he guessed the full title would be: "Imperial Commissioner, Regional Commander of Military Affairs for Zhili, Henan, Shandong, Chuan, Hu, and Other Regions, Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Concurrently Minister of War."

Previously, Lu Xiangsheng had held the concurrent post of Vice Minister of War. This time, with the Eight-Sided Net strategy, the Emperor was in earnest, having Xiong Wencan concurrently serve as Minister of War, raising the rank of Five-Province Regional Commander to parity with the heads of the Six Ministries — though in actual authority, there was still some difference from a substantive Minister of War.

In May, Yang Sichang proposed the Eight-Sided Net. After that, the Bandit Suppression Pay began to be collected everywhere. Although the collection results were not ideal, they still represented an improvement over previous military funding, and troop recruitment gradually got underway across the regions. But Xiong Wencan had not yet taken office, so the 30,000 troops under his direct command had not been finalized, and the localities had no basis to increase their forces. Thus, the plan largely remained on paper. Nearly five months had passed since the Eight-Sided Net was first proposed.

On the decks of the ships further back in the fleet, there were many soldiers, and cannons were faintly visible. Whether there were large numbers of fire lances could not yet be clearly seen.

The dock was filled with Anqing officials, still headed by Shi Kefa. But this time they were welcoming Xiong Wencan, the Regional Commander of Military Affairs, so the order of precedence placed military officers first. Pang Yu stood beside him; on the other side was Xu Strengthening, with Cheng Long standing outside Xu Strengthening.

Pang Yu glanced over. Xu Strengthening's face was expressionless. He had also shared in the military merits from Susong and was now a substantive Regional Commander, his scattered rank also elevated. But Xu Regional Commander was not particularly concerned with these things; he had been thinking of returning to Wusong. However, the battle of Susong had wiped out the elite of Jiangnan, and Zhang Guowei had only these commanders left. Xu Strengthening was nominally a battle-hardened veteran; he could not simply return to Wusong to enjoy a quiet retirement. If not stationed in Anqing, he would be placed in Puliu. Xu Strengthening had initially considered Puliu, but after careful thought, Luhe was both far and lacked city walls. Once besieged, it would require relief forces, and without a garrison battalion nearby, Xu Regional Commander facing the Eight Great Kings alone had no confidence whatsoever. So even now, he had not decided where would be suitable.

Cheng Long's face bore two more scars. He had just recovered from his wounds; Zhang Guowei had not yet assigned him any duties, so he was temporarily staying in Anqing. His mental spirit was somewhat listless, and at this moment, he was incessantly scrutinizing the Marine Corps soldiers standing in formation.

Seeing that the fleet would still take some time to arrive, Pang Yu drew slightly closer to Shi Kefa and said in a low voice, "Lord Circuit Intendant, the more than ten thousand captured Roving Bandits still remain in Susong. This is truly a major hidden danger. This humble official believes it would be better to arrange for their relocation elsewhere sooner."

The dark, lean Shi Kefa listened, and did not pretend to have forgotten the plan they had agreed upon at the time. He thought for a moment and said, "The circumstances of each county differ; perhaps they simply cannot attend to it for the moment."

Pang Yu bowed and said, "A commander in this humble official's battalion has proposed marching these Roving Bandits into the mountains and killing them all in one go."

Shi Kefa started in alarm and immediately turned his head to look at Pang Yu. "These are people coerced by the bandits. Once they have surrendered to the government, they are law-abiding subjects, the beloved children of our Emperor. How can they simply be killed off like that?"

"This humble official gave the same reply, and rebuked the proposer on the spot. These people were abducted into the bandit camps, have already been driven from their homes and suffered every hardship. Our Yingtian Troops are a righteous and benevolent force; naturally, we could never do such a thing." Pang Yu finished speaking with a solemn expression, then softened his tone. "It is just that over ten thousand people gathered in one place inevitably causes worry on all sides. Should we not follow the earlier proposal and disperse them to the various counties as soon as possible? This would prevent unforeseen complications and also allow these suffering people to settle down sooner."

"This matter can be discussed further, but they absolutely must not be killed off." Shi Kefa earnestly advised, "Setting aside the hardships of the refugees, killing those who have surrendered is an act of the utmost ill omen. Once you kill them here and gain a moment's peace, in the future, when bandit spawn encounter our troops, they will fight to the death rather than surrender. Our soldiers will suffer needless casualties, and in the end, it is our own lives that are harmed. General Pang, you must explain this reasoning clearly to your officers and men."

"This humble official understands. I gave that man a thorough scolding at the time." Pang Yu said gravely, "If word of such indiscriminate slaughter of innocents were to spread, what would the world think of our Yingtian Troops?"

"General Pang, it is right that you have such insight. Should any officers or soldiers harbor such thoughts, you must do your utmost to suppress them." Shi Kefa thought for a moment, then added gently, "The matter of distributing and supporting them is, after all, the affair of the various counties. This official cannot very well press them too hard; ultimately, it is the counties that must take them in. General Pang, you could simply discuss it directly with the counties yourself. That would also avoid delays in the Circuit Intendant's office."

Seeing Shi Kefa pass the buck again, Pang Yu was about to argue further, but the fleet had already reached the shore. Shi Kefa slightly adjusted his official hat and solemnly walked down to the dock.

……

At the back gate of the Anqing Prefectural Office after nightfall, the alley was already guarded by Xiong Wencan's Biao Troops. But the lanterns on the gate had not been changed; they still read "Anqing Prefectural Office."

Pang Yu nodded to He County Yamen. He County Yamen produced the gift list and went to deal with the gatekeeper. Probably because they had already dealt with him in Guangdong, the gatekeeper's attitude was relatively mild. After accepting He County Yamen's silver, he did not give them any sour looks, and immediately took the gift list to announce them.

He County Yamen had returned together with Xiong Wencan. When he went to Guangdong, he had delivered a 5,000-tael silver note drawn on Nanjing. For this personal visit by Pang Yu, naturally another sum had to be sent. Besides the silver note, there were also some treasures: roughly one crystal brush pot, one white jade double-crane brush rest, one green jade auspicious beast paperweight, one jade knife, two large pearls, and finally, as usual, one collapsible telescope.

Choosing the gifts had taken considerable thought. A large batch of treasures had been seized at Susong, and the gambling houses in Nanjing and Anqing also held some valuable pawned items, so Pang Yu had room to be selective. Mr. Yu spent several days choosing, finally selecting these. Pang Yu reviewed them again. These treasures were all of superior material and exquisite craftsmanship, valuable yet possessing a certain refined taste, suited to the preferences of a civil official like Xiong. Moreover, they were all small in size — convenient for gift-giving, and would not attract attention when Xiong moved house in the future.

Mr. Yu was also accompanying them. The group waited in the dark alley. Although he was about to meet the Five-Province Regional Commander, Pang Yu was not particularly nervous. He had given gifts to various officials many times over the years, always coming at night. Last year, he had walked through this very gate three times to deliver gifts to Pi Yingju. The environment was already familiar, and once familiar, it was hard to feel nervous even if one tried.

Xiong Wencan had only just arrived in Anqing today. He was not a local official and had no work or documents to hand over. Originally, he had no need to receive local gentry and country squires. But Xiong showed no airs; he not only met with the gentry of the Prefectural City but also visited Liu Ruozai's residence. In the afternoon, before his living quarters were even properly settled, he convened a meeting of civil and military officials in the Prefectural Office to discuss business. Pang Yu had also attended. This Xiong was at least putting on a display of proactive work attitude.

He County Yamen, worried that Pang Yu might think the wait was too long and reflect poorly on his efficiency, said in a low voice to Pang Yu, "Perhaps Xiong's living quarters are still not settled. I must trouble you, my lord, to wait a moment."

Pang Yu shook his head. "A trifling matter. Xiong is travel-worn and only arrived today, yet he can receive me this very evening. It shows you have put your heart into handling this."

He County Yamen was relieved to hear this. He waited a moment, then added, "When this humble one received your urgent letter, my lord, I had already set out with Xiong. I had Zhang Shuangwei return to Guangzhou to contact those English Red Barbarians. On the way, I received his reply. He found a interpreter in Guangzhou and has already made contact. After reading your letter, my lord, the English Barbarians treated Zhang Shuangwei with great courtesy and are preparing to send someone to follow Zhang Shuangwei back to pay respects to you."

"Those English Barbarians are still in Guangzhou?"

"They have already withdrawn to Macau. On the journey, this humble one became familiar with Xiong's Advisors. I heard one of them say that the English Barbarians originally bought goods from the Franks in Macau. Now, their English Barbarian Emperor wants to earn more silver and wishes to buy our goods himself. These few ships came for this purpose. The Red Barbarians in Macau secretly made trouble, preventing the English Barbarians from buying anything. The English Barbarians had sailed for a year across the sea to get here; naturally, they were unwilling to leave empty-handed, so they fought the Guangdong Navy and thus broke that fort."

"A merchant ship took down a fort?" Pang Yu rubbed his chin. "The Macau Red Barbarians have been entrenched for a long time. To gain a firm foothold on the coast, they must have considerable intertwined interests with the Guangdong official circles. They probably monopolize the transshipment of goods for Guangdong's maritime trade. The English Barbarians came from a distant place ten thousand li away, wanting to bypass them. Naturally, they would not fare well. These Red Barbarians still prefer brute force in their dealings."

"This…" He County Yamen asked cautiously, "The English Barbarians are from a distant place ten thousand li away. Second Brother, how is it that you can write the script of the Red Hair Barbarians? Could there really be a White-Bearded Immortal?"

Pang Yu gave a cryptic chuckle. "Naturally, it's true. This official was enlightened by an immortal. There is nothing this official does not know."

He County Yamen was stunned. Pang Yu then asked in a low voice, "It's good they went to Macau. Did you instruct Zhang Shuangwei to also make contact with the Franks?"

"Everything was said as you instructed, my lord. Zhang Shuangwei has been in business for many years; I imagine he knows how to adapt to circumstances. This subordinate previously thought all Red Barbarians were the same. Only on this trip did I learn that these Red Hair Barbarians are divided into many nations. Off the coast of Fujian alone, there are those from two or three nations. Off Guangdong, it's the Franks. In Nanyang, it's yet another nation. And now the English Barbarians have come."

"The Red Barbarian nations are both numerous and small. They also have dissatisfactions among themselves, which we can exploit."

At that moment, the gate leaf opened. Pang Yu quickly stopped talking. The gatekeeper led the group inside. An Advisor came to greet Pang Yu, and the two walked and talked. Although the Advisor spoke the official language, his accent differed from the Jiangnan region, so Pang Yu had to listen carefully.

Although it was already evening, the Prefectural Office was bustling with noise. Many people were busy moving furniture and belongings. Various miscellaneous items were placed in every open space. Indeed, the living quarters had not yet been properly settled.

Xiong Wencan arranged to meet in the Second Hall. Pang Yu had already met him once today. He performed the customary kneeling obeisance. Perhaps because the gifts had been well received, Xiong Wencan said in a gentle tone, "Please rise. Give General Pang a seat."

"I thank you, my lord." Pang Yu bowed again to the Advisor before sitting on the corner of the chair. He raised his head to look at Xiong Wencan.

This Five-Province Regional Commander was around fifty years old, his beard and hair already graying. But he had maintained himself quite well overall; even after two months on the road, he showed few signs of travel-weariness.

Xiong Wencan looked up at the window and said, "I hear this glass window was crafted by men under General Pang's arrangement. Its ingenuity is not inferior to that of the Red Barbarians. When this official came this afternoon, the study was filled with clear light. General Pang, you have taken great pains."

"This humble general thought that you, my lord, review many documents, and better lighting is less harmful to the eyes. You, my lord, have spared no hardship, traveling a thousand li from the south to serve the nation at this critical military juncture. Anqing has long suffered from bandit calamities and has been eagerly awaiting a capable minister like you to rescue the people from dire straits. The trifling things this humble general has done are not worth mentioning compared to your lofty virtue and integrity. It is merely a small token of regard on behalf of the people of Anqing."

Xiong Wencan nodded slightly. "This old man learned on the way here that General Pang is from Tongcheng in Anqing, a fellow townsman of one of my provincial graduates."

"That would be Mr. Zuo, who passed the Presented Scholar examination in the same year as you, my lord — the 35th year of Wanli."

Xiong Wencan was briefly taken aback, then chuckled. "It is rare that General Pang knows this. This old man has always wished to pay respects at Lord Zuo's grave but has never found the opportunity. In a few days, this official will inspect the defense and bandit-suppression matters in Anqing. Tongcheng is also on the itinerary."

Pang Yu said respectfully, "This humble general has, in fact, always taken figures like Zuo and yourself, my lord, as personal models. I wished to study and take the civil examination path, but the times were turbulent, and in the end, I had to abandon the brush for the sword. Though it was unavoidable, it remains a lifelong regret. For this reason, I have often paid attention to the experiences of Mr. Zuo and yourself, my lord, and naturally came to know of this. This humble general is also from Tongcheng and has been campaigning everywhere this year, so I have not yet had the chance to pay respects at Zuo's grave. I humbly request to accompany you, my lord."

Xiong Wencan let out two hearty laughs. After the laughter subsided, he said, "General Pang abandoned the brush for the sword in service of the nation; you need not consider it a regret. The so-called civil and military are merely different ways of handling official duties. In these times of national turmoil, civil and military must work as one to serve the Emperor and do more to relieve His Majesty's worries."

"This humble general will firmly remember your lordship's teachings." Hearing this, Pang Yu knew Xiong Wencan was about to turn to the main business. Zhang Guowei, that Donglin Party Grand Coordinator, was like a mistreated daughter-in-law before the Emperor, which caused him many concerns. Pang Yu had many matters he wished to pursue, but few could be submitted to the imperial court. Xiong Wencan held the rank of Minister of War, bore the heavy responsibility of exterminating the bandits, and was newly appointed — he was surely in favor with the Emperor at the moment. Getting things done should be far smoother than with Zhang Guowei.

Previously, He County Yamen had gone ahead to Guangdong and, on the journey, had already held many discussions with Xiong Wencan's Advisors, mutually understanding each other's intentions for negotiation.

Although Xiong Wencan was the noble Minister of War, with the rise of the Tartars and Roving Bandits, the status of military men was no longer what it had been in the early years of Chongzhen. This time, Xiong Wencan's appointment edict required military officers to report to Anqing with their service tickets. These included Zuo Liangyu, Luo Dai, and Mou Wenshou. Mou Wenshou was in Lu'an Prefecture and at least sent a letter back saying the Ziwei Star was active nearby and he could not leave. Zuo Liangyu and Luo Dai neither came to Anqing nor sent any word at all.

Pang Yu had both sent men to welcome him and offered silver, and was also the most capable fighter in the vicinity. Xiong Wencan had brought about a thousand men from Guangdong, but from the scene Pang Yu witnessed during disembarkation today, although these Guangdong Troops had many firearms, they basically had no armor. Only some officers had leather armor. The soldiers were mostly thin and frail, even wearing thin southern clothes in October. They shivered uncontrollably as they came ashore in Anqing, showing their logistical situation was also terrible.

These Southern Troops had certainly never been to the north side, nor had they ever seen northern cavalry. Once they encountered horse soldiers like Cao Cao's by the Pure Stream River, they would collapse before even engaging in battle.

Meanwhile, the First Division of Land Warfare standing on the dock at the same time — presumably Xiong Wencan had also seen them. Regardless of past battle records, any normal person could see they were certainly not something the Standard Battalion could compare to.

Xiong Wencan had always dealt with sea bandits in the south. Coming to the Central Plains, overrun by Roving Bandits, to take up his post, if he lacked a reliable, trusted armed force, he would have to rely on various military commanders even for his own survival, leaving him with no confidence whatsoever.

The performance of Zuo Liangyu and Luo Dai, and then the sight of that Guangdong Standard Battalion in the afternoon, had further increased Pang Yu's bargaining chips.

Xiong Wencan slightly adjusted his sitting posture, looked at Pang Yu, and said, "In April, General Pang led the Anqing Garrison Battalion and routed dozens of bandit camps at Susong. It was the greatest victory of the year. This Minister of War has formulated the Eight-Sided Net strategy. At this time when the realm is mobilizing for war, this old man believes such fierce generals and mighty troops need not be confined to a single corner of Yingtian. I wonder what the General thinks?"