Chapter 379: Civil and Military

Inside the Zhongjiang Tower at the Sheng-Tang ferry crossing, the heavily bearded Ruan Dacheng put on a smiling face and greeted Pang Yu, who had just entered.

Pang Yu returned the greeting. "Ruan Xiansheng has returned home; I should have been the host..."

Ruan Dacheng waved his hand. "General Pang, please, no need for such courtesy. Though I temporarily reside in Jinling, I am still a man of Huaining. When it comes to this place, the Sheng-Tang ferry, it is only fitting that I play host."

Pang Yu gave a hearty laugh. Ruan Dacheng continued, "I should have welcomed you from afar, General, but with Wu Changshi accompanying me on this trip, and since I did not inform my local friends and kin, it was inconvenient to show my face everywhere. I beg your forgiveness for this discourtesy."

"May I ask Ruan Xiansheng to advise me: what is Wu Changshi's purpose in coming here?"

"It is likely he still has his eye on your military talent, General Pang. Now that Wen Tiren has returned home, the court situation is bound for upheaval. Zhang Pu is plotting a comeback, and rising again through frontier merit is the shortcut." Ruan Dacheng lowered his voice. "Wu Changshi is a man without shame, but he understands the ways of the world. Pang Xiaoyou, you may speak frankly with him."

Pang Yu gave an assenting grunt. Ruan Dacheng immediately stepped aside to let him ascend the stairs first. The two men exchanged polite refusals for a moment, but in the end Pang Yu went first. Ever since Ruan Dacheng had taken a share in Bai Shun Tang, he had grown increasingly deferential toward Pang Yu.

The Zhongjiang Tower was built by Ruan Zihua and had always been Ruan family property. Its ground floor was once a place for rehearsing operas. At the Sheng-Tang ferry, it stood even taller than the city wall. Every time a bandit alarm grew urgent, Huaining County had to prepare to burn the houses below the wall, and this tower of the Ruan family had nearly been lost. However, because the Sheng-Tang Gate leaned against the riverbank, any Roving Bandits approaching would face fire from the entire South Wall. This direction was constrained by the river barrier, leaving the terrain narrow; the bandits had no way to mass troops for a city assault, so it was never truly critical. In the end, it survived the danger intact. Had they encountered a county magistrate as hasty as the Wangjiang County Magistrate, it would likely have long since been reduced to a pile of ashes.

He had returned this time bringing Wu Changshi with him. This man was Zhang Pu's number one operative. That he came to see Pang Yu while concealing his tracks and hiding his movements must have been on Zhang Pu's instructions.

When they reached the top floor, Pang Yu turned his head and saw a scholar in his forties already standing off to the side. Once Pang Yu turned around, Wu Changshi, his face wreathed in smiles, offered a greeting. "Wu Changshi of Jiaxing, come to meet the General Pang whose might shakes the Great River."

"I have long heard of the esteemed name of Mr. Laizhi. Whenever I associate with the scholars of the Restoration Society, I hear them speak of you with unanimous praise. Some military affairs delayed me before noon; I have kept you waiting long, sir."

"It is merely the undeserved affection of my society friends. I came solely to meet face-to-face the general who sweeps aside the Roving Thieves. With your military duties so busy, General, that you could spare the time to see me is already an honor. How could I dare accept the words 'kept waiting long'?" Wu Changshi turned toward Ruan Dacheng. "Moreover, outside the Zhongjiang Tower, the Great River surges onward, water and sky a single hue. I felt only a sense of boundless ease, even moved to sigh that I breathe in unison with heaven and earth. I had no sense of waiting at all. I never understood before why Ruan Xiansheng's operas were so surpassingly brilliant, until I saw this tower built by Mr. Pruning Branches. Only then did I realize that talent is passed down through the family line — it is simply something I could never learn."

Ruan Dacheng roared with laughter at this. Wu Changshi's words had politely flattered Pang Yu while also, through the Zhongjiang Tower, currying favor with Ruan Dacheng's family. Though they were mere pleasantries, Pang Yu found them rather agreeable and felt himself grow much more familiar with Wu Changshi.

He was meeting Wu Changshi for the first time. He knew Wu Changshi was a Presented Scholar, and a proper Presented Scholar ranked in the Second Class at that — a more authentic pedigree than Ruan Dacheng, a Third Class Tong Presented Scholar. Pang Yu was not deeply versed in the imperial examinations, but he knew there were only about three hundred Presented Scholar each year. Viewed across the entire country, each one was a city-level Principal Graduate. As long as their studies hadn't addled them, they could all be considered academic prodigies. In this room of three people, there were actually two such prodigies, plus himself, a outstanding talent.

Wu Changshi had taken the initiative to greet Pang Yu first and spoke with extreme courtesy. One could say he put on no Presented Scholar airs whatsoever. The atmosphere in the room was very congenial. He then attentively invited Pang Yu to take a seat, wanting him to sit in the place of honor.

Although Pang Yu was the only official present, he understood the social standing of a Presented Scholar. Having just met Wu Changshi and not yet being familiar with each other, the unspoken rules had to be observed. He firmly refused to take the seat of honor. After a round of insincere, ritual politeness, he asked Ruan Dacheng, by virtue of his seniority as a man of letters, to sit in the place of honor.

Pang Yu chose the right side, effectively taking the lowest guest seat. Servants filed in like fish, covering the table with wine and dishes. The Zhongjiang Tower stood isolated outside the city, surrounded by the empty river expanse; in winter it was much colder than inside the walls. A maid placed a brazier in the corner to warm the room, burning charcoal inside.

While Ruan Dacheng introduced the fish, Pang Yu assessed the ventilation to guard against carbon monoxide poisoning. Wu Changshi, who must also have been a man who insisted on the finest food, exchanged questions and answers with Ruan Dacheng, and from time to time drew Pang Yu into discussing the dishes. In the intervals, they toasted each other, and before they knew it, an hour had passed.

After a few cups of wine, the gathering was quite congenial. Ruan Dacheng chose the right moment to end the talk of cuisine and local specialties. Apart from one trusted man who poured the wine, he dismissed all the other servants downstairs. Pang Yu knew the time had come to discuss serious matters.

Wu Changshi raised his cup toward Pang Yu. "I have long been a spiritual friend of the General. To see your heroic bearing in person on this visit truly fulfills a lifelong wish. I hear you are soon bound for Huguang to suppress the bandits. This cup is to wish you victory at the first banner and the sweeping away of all demonic miasma under heaven in a single stroke."

Pang Yu drained his cup in one gulp. As he set it down, he heard Wu Changshi continue, "I often hear Mizhi, Wugong, and Ciwei speak of the General's deeds. When you were still in Tongcheng, you already had dealings with members of the Restoration Society. Later, when you started the Jiangnan Times in Jinling, you even secured an article from Mr. Tianru. One could say you have deep ties with our Restoration Society."

"With the help of Mizhi and the others every step of the way, I have been able to achieve some small success. I will need to rely heavily on the gentlemen of the Restoration Society in the future as well."

"I wonder, General Pang, would you be interested in forging even closer ties with our Restoration Society?"

Pang Yu smiled, glanced at Ruan Dacheng, then turned back to Wu Changshi. "Mr. Wu is a straightforward man, so I will not beat around the bush. It is true that I admire the Restoration Society. However, though Wen Tiren is gone for now, the Eastern Depot has only arrested Lu Shengwen and a few others. The 'Restoration Society or Questions' document still lies on the Emperor's desk. The reasons for Zhou Zhikui's dismissal back then have yet to be thoroughly investigated by the Grand Coordinator of Yingtian on imperial order. To be frank with you, Mr. Wu, I was previously implicated in this Donglin-Restoration Society affair myself and only just managed to extricate myself. Why, then, would I stand beneath a dangerous wall again at this moment?"

Wu Changshi's expression remained normal, showing no trace of embarrassment. He pondered for a moment, then said to Pang Yu, "I have heard something of your situation, General. Zhang Guowei originally had no room to maneuver either. But once the Susong Great Victory arrived, every request he made was granted — all thanks to your achievement in that single battle, General."

The other party made no attempt to hide their need for military merit. Pang Yu did not feign modesty either, and quietly waited for Wu Changshi's next words, to see what terms of exchange he could offer.

"The Rogue Marauders run rampant in the Central Plains. This year, Joseon submitted to the Tartars. Pi Island fell, leading to the destruction of Dongjiang. The situation at Elm Pass grows more critical by the day. I imagine you are also aware, General Pang, that what the Emperor needs most are ministers of frontier talent — indeed, one might say he wants only ministers of frontier talent."

Pang Yu fixed his eyes on Wu Changshi. "The Emperor most needs frontier talent, but what he least needs is frontier talent forming cliques. I am a scholar who cast aside the brush to join the ranks, yet at present I am, after all, a military man. If military men have a faction, the perception in the Emperor's eyes would likely be even more unsightly."

At the words "cast aside the brush to join the ranks," Ruan Dacheng nodded with great certainty, affirming the point. Pang Yu had now hinted at refusal, hoping Wu Changshi would lay out his essential terms.

Wu Changshi straightened his posture. "For General Pang to have such concerns is only human. When I spoke of 'closer ties,' I did not mean forming cliques. One could even say the Restoration Society is not a society for faction-forming; it is simply upright scholars of like mind and path. Mr. Tianru has recently had a brilliant insight: in these turbulent times, we should cast aside factional and society views, and the distinction between civil and military. Whether in the temple or among the rivers and lakes, so long as one has the heart to serve the country, all should cooperate as one, regardless of faction or society. Only then can court affairs be set right; only then can the common people have hope."

Pang Yu was slightly surprised. The Wu Changshi before him was graceful, of extraordinary bearing, and brimming with righteous integrity — worlds apart from the shameless scoundrel Ruan Dacheng had described. If the words just spoken truly represented Zhang Pu's thinking, then he seemed to have undergone a major political shift. The old Zhang Pu had been single-mindedly bent on using the Restoration Society to monopolize the examinations, controlling the path to advancement and thereby directly dominating court politics. The current line had transformed into something like a united front.

After years of suppression by Wen Tiren, Zhang Pu must have realized that the Restoration Society alone was insufficient to influence court politics. The Emperor relied on Lone Ministers; the Cabinet not only had no Restoration Society men, even the Donglin had no voice. If the Restoration Society's influence was to expand, it could only cooperate with other powers. Pang Yu estimated that this united front would certainly include the Donglin. Previously, due to Zhang Pu's obsession with controlling the examinations, there had been considerable dissatisfaction between the Donglin and the Restoration Society. The two sides shared only a common enemy but lacked common interests. That Qian Qianyi had been able to bring down Wen Tiren this time was something Zhang Pu absolutely could not have done, demonstrating the deep foundations of the Donglin Party. Some even believed Qian Qianyi might turn misfortune into blessing and stage a comeback. So Pang Yu thought Zhang Pu would definitely try to win over the Donglin first.

When Wu Changshi had just spoken of "regardless of faction or society," he had deliberately looked at Ruan Dacheng, meaning that Zhang Pu's united front could also include someone like Ruan Dacheng from the Eunuch Faction. After all, in bringing down Wen Tiren, men like Feng Quan from the Eunuch Faction had also contributed, likewise demonstrating deep foundations. No wonder Ruan Dacheng was willing to accompany him on this long journey to Anqing.

Composing himself, Pang Yu said, "What does Mr. Wu mean by 'the distinction between civil and military'?"

"The realm is in chaos. The potential for court affairs lies in pacifying the Tartars and quelling the unrest, yet the arena for using military force is far removed from the court. Without patronage from the court, one cannot avoid being at the mercy of others at every turn. At such a time, we should naturally cast aside the civil-military distinction and instead have civil and military aid each other."

Pang Yu's fingers traced the rim of his wine cup as he pondered the meaning in Wu Changshi's words. It seemed Ruan Dacheng's judgment was correct. Stripping away Wu Changshi's ornate rhetoric, the simple meaning was that they wanted to rely on Pang Yu's military achievements. If Zhang Pu were restored to power over a frontier region, he would need Pang Yu to provide military support, so as to avoid the dead end that Yang He and Zhang Fengyi had met.

Zhang Pu's battle line naturally included military appointments as well. The military officers the Restoration Society could draw in needed both real strength and some prior connection to the society. As things stood, he himself was the best candidate. As for what other factions or figures might be in this united front, Pang Yu could not guess.

"I have grasped Mr. Wu's meaning in full. In the years since the unrest began in Tongcheng, I have coordinated with the Restoration Society on many occasions. Now that I hold a military post, I deeply feel the necessity of what you call civil and military aiding each other." Pang Yu looked up at Wu Changshi. "If I could obtain patronage from the court, my use of troops would indeed yield twice the result with half the effort. But after leading troops for several years, I have also come to understand one thing: battle is fought with rations and pay. As you must know, Mr. Wu, I have some fundraising businesses along the river that have greatly aided the Garrison Battalion. But it is all hard-earned money. I hear Jiangnan is rich; I have long wished to expand my business into the Su-Song region, but hampered by unfamiliarity with the locality, I have never been able to do so."

Wu Changshi had naturally long since visited Pang Yu's Bai Shun Tang and knew of the famous Great River Silver Bank. He laughed heartily at this. "I knew long ago that General Pang is an expert at both leading troops and making money. Since this concerns military funds — a matter that benefits both country and people — I dare not speak for other places, but for Suzhou, Songjiang, and Hangzhou, I myself can give you my word. And if there is anything I cannot handle, Mr. Tianru will certainly not refuse. He has mentioned you many times recently, General, praising your achievements since the civil unrest in Tongcheng without end. Hearing you are also an Imperial Academy Student, he often says this is what a pillar of the state truly is. If you had a good teacher to instruct you, he says, you would surely pass the Presented Scholar examination in literary studies as well."

This was the commitment Pang Yu most hoped to receive. The Restoration Society scholars he had previously associated with were not of sufficient rank. Although he had expanded his influence through the Jiangnan Times, it had done little to aid the Silver Bank's development. These scholars were nowhere near matching Zhang Pu's power. Especially in the Jiangnan region, Zhang Pu could even control the examinations; his local influence far exceeded that of officials. As long as he was willing to step forward, the Silver Bank could rapidly expand in the wealthiest parts of Jiangnan.

That Wu Changshi could so readily give his word on Zhang Pu's behalf showed his very high standing within the Restoration Society — he was absolutely within the core decision-making circle. As for the implication of "a good teacher to instruct," Pang Yu understood it to mean Zhang Pu wanted to take him as a student. In the social climate of the time, formally acknowledging a teacher was a very serious matter. Once a teacher-student relationship was established, others would automatically assume you were a community of shared interests. The last time he had taken Qian Qianyi as a teacher, he had been dragged into a quagmire. Now Zhang Pu was coming again. There was a certain risk, but Zhang Pu's influence would also bring substantial practical benefits.

"With Mr. Wu's help, I am grateful beyond words. Please convey to Mr. Tianru that should there come a time when civil and military must aid each other, I will exert my utmost. After this bandit-suppression campaign, I hope to travel to Jiangnan and listen to Mr. Tianru's instruction and teaching in person." Pang Yu had chosen a different phrasing, one that expressed willingness to become a student while temporarily delaying the formal ceremony, at least until he was certain the Emperor had let Zhang Pu off the hook.

His impression of Wu Changshi today was quite favorable. After thinking a moment, he added, "I have heard that Mr. Wu became a Presented Scholar in the seventh year of Chongzhen. For four years, you have exhausted your efforts for the Restoration Society, even giving up the chance to serve as an official at court. This is truly admirable, yet also a pity. I wonder when you might be willing to enter official service and bring blessings to the common people."

Wu Changshi, having obtained the commitment he wanted, was naturally in excellent spirits. He gave a carefree laugh. "I did not take the examinations merely to become an official. I originally had some ideas about radically reforming and restoring order to court affairs. These past few years, the court situation has been turbulent; upright men were not tolerated by the likes of Wen Tiren. Rather than suffer indignity at court, it is better to live freely among the people and await the right moment."

"Then has the time now come for Mr. Wu to enter official service?"

Wu Changshi hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Mr. Tianru believes it is nearly here."

Pang Yu lowered his head and thought for a moment. If Wu Changshi was truly as he said, able to forgo office for four years just to wait for the court situation to turn, such forbearance was beyond what ordinary men could match.

This man Wu Changshi was also more flexible than people like Fang Yizhi. Whether dealing with the Donglin, the Eunuch Faction, or the Restoration Society, he could navigate them all with ease. Moreover, he focused on practical benefits and put on no airs. Pang Yu had no doubt about this man's ability to get things done. Whether he became a Capital Official or took up a local post, his future career prospects were considerable. As for whether he was a shameless scoundrel, Pang Yu did not particularly care.

"I hold Mr. Tianru in high esteem. Meeting you today, Mr. Wu, I have likewise come to admire you. You have both the heart to serve the country and the talent of a Su Qin. If in the future you enter the court to handle state affairs, whether you need funds or personnel, you may inform me directly. Whatever I can do, I will certainly see it done for you."

Wu Changshi raised his wine cup. "With these golden words from you, General, my trip has not been in vain."