Chapter 38: Loose Sand

Outside the Tongcheng county yamen, few people were about. The Green-Skin Substitute Beating who used to gather by the Eight-Character Wall had almost vanished, leaving only a handful of Auxiliaries from the Three Squads. Everyone passing through the Ceremonial Gate gate moved with hurried steps.

Pang Yu hurried through the Ceremonial Gate. After crossing the Tangqian Bridge, he saw Wang Instructor holding a council in the main hall. Besides the squad leaders and Clerks, there were others he did not usually see, all dressed in fine clothing.

There were not many people below the hall. Pang Yu knew today was different from usual; everyone feared being assigned a task and absolutely could not stand in a conspicuous spot. Although Pang Yu wanted to go to Hu Family Village to take a look, he could not just go blindly. So he quickly slipped into the Household Office as well.

Only half the staff were in the Household Office, all watching the activity in the Main Hall from the windows and doorway. When Pang Yu entered, he unexpectedly saw He Xianya and Jiao Guozha by the left-hand window. He hurriedly squeezed between them and asked He Xianya, "Who are all those people I don't recognize?"

"Representatives sent by the various gentry families."

Pang Yu nodded. Hearing someone speaking in the hall, he quickly turned his attention back to observing the situation in the Main Hall.

In the hall, Li Squad Leader of the Fast Squad was speaking. He said loudly, "Your subordinate has ascertained that on the night of the twenty-third, two men were killed by rioters. The one hung at the Dongzuo Gate was Yin Deng, a household slave of Wu Xianghuan, nicknamed Yin Thousand Years. The one hung at the South Gate was Wu Bing, also a household slave of Wu Xianghuan. Only the head was hung on the South Gate tower; the body was left in the burned gatehouse of the Wu residence. Corvée Laborers have been dispatched to retrieve the body."

Wang Instructor listened, his brow tightly furrowed. "Both are household slaves of a Country Squire. Has the ringleader of the revolt been identified? And for what reason?"

"According to information my subordinate has obtained, the man currently leading the group gathered at Hu Family Village north of the city is Wang Guohua. Based on my subordinate's interviews with witnesses at the South Gate today, all say that when the fires were set last night, the rioters were shouting cries for revenge."

"Nonsense. What Wang Guohua? The ringleaders are Zhang Ru, with Zhu Zong as his deputy. When the fires were set yesterday evening, many in my household saw them. These two men do indeed have old grudges against Yin Deng."

The speaker was a man in his fifties, slightly plump in build, clearly living on a different level from the common folk.

Li Squad Leader, not daring to offend the man, replied politely in a low voice, "Wu Steward, please do not be impatient. Zhang Ru and Zhu Zong are indeed among them, but the leader is undoubtedly Wang Guohua. One of my Runners pretended to defect and went to Hu Family Village. He recognized Wang Guohua and saw with his own eyes this man carrying blades, setting up an altar and writing slogans outside the village."

Wu Steward was from the household of Wu Yingqi. He gave Li Squad Leader no courtesy and said with stern voice and severe expression, "And now you still say do not be impatient? In the second month, there were already rumors that someone was conspiring to start a revolt, yet the county yamen did not investigate. In the eighth month, the rumors came again, and the yamen did nothing, only knowing to arrest that Old Zheng. Now, not only has Old Zheng not been captured, but it has bred Giant Bandits. This gang of bandits clearly intends to coordinate with the Roving Bandits and profit from the chaos. Since the Fast Squad is responsible for patrolling and apprehending criminals, it should diligently perform its duties. Now the bandits have killed men and hung their corpses, then openly raised banners and set up an altar. Where is the regard for the King's law? Where is the regard for the face of the county's His Honor? Li Squad Leader, instead of sending Runners to arrest them and bring them before the officials, you still speak of not being impatient. Are you waiting for the bandits to seize Tongcheng and storm into this very Main Hall before you become impatient?"

Li Squad Leader's expression turned awkward. Although this was not a formal Morning or Evening Session, the personnel of the yamen's Six Offices were actually nearby, all paying attention to the activity in the Main Hall. This Wu Steward's inexplicable harsh rebuke of the Fast Squad put Li Squad Leader in a very difficult position.

Wang Instructor's face showed difficulty. He was merely a Juren who had failed the Presented Scholar exam several times. With no other options, he had taken the path of Instructor, just to secure a livelihood. The Fansi had assigned him to Tongcheng, originally a respectable and peaceful post. Who would have thought that just days after Yang Fangzao left, he would encounter civil unrest unseen in Tongcheng for a hundred years?

He knew the background of the Wu family and that it was absolutely not something a mere Juren like himself could handle. Not daring to rebuke Wu Steward, he turned to Li Squad Leader and asked, "Since we know the killers have set up banners outside the city, can the Fast Squad go today and arrest a few men to answer for their crimes?"

Li Squad Leader coughed once and said, "Your Excellency, for your clear judgment: the rioters gathered at Hu Family Village have numbered several hundred in a single day, and vicious and cunning men from the surrounding countryside are still converging. The Fast Squad has no more than ten men at the yamen today, and their morale is scattered. If the word is given to go to Hu Family Village to arrest the bandits, these ten or so men will disperse in the blink of an eye."

"Then what is the purpose of the imperial grain you receive?" Wu Steward pointed at the stone inscription in front of the Admonition Stone Pavilion and shouted, "Now the rioters are cruelly harming the family members of good gentry, yet you look up to and nurture the bandits, and at every turn speak of dispersing. What are your intentions? Do you wish to be the vanguard of the bandits?"

Li Squad Leader was sprayed in the face by Wu Steward's spittle. As several serious accusations were piled on him one after another, Li Squad Leader grew anxious and even more tongue-tied, his face flushing bright red.

Wang Instructor was also at a loss, standing on the platform unable to think of a single word to defend the Fast Squad.

Although the Instructor was the head of the county school, a seemingly lofty position, it was not worth mentioning compared to the civil examination credentials of these gentry. If the actual gentry had come, they would still show the Instructor some face, since they all came through the examination system and would certainly respect the system itself. But these stewards cared nothing for such things.

Another gentry man in purple robes below the hall also spoke with displeasure, "Our families have lived in Tongcheng for generations. We cannot simply cover our heads and scurry away like those common folk. Our family properties were built up over several generations of life and accumulation. If the Fast Squad stands by and indulges the bandits, are we to simply let the bandits burn our family properties to ashes?"

The other stewards chimed in one after another. Only a few young men who looked like scholars did not speak, staying out of the dispute between the stewards and the yamen.

Many Xuli stood around watching silently. The scene was quite awkward. Stewards from several Country Squire households were berating the squad leader right in the yamen's Main Hall, and Wang Instructor said not a word.

Even though Wang Instructor was only temporarily overseeing county affairs, he still represented the authority of the county yamen, yet he dared not stand up for his own Xuli.

He Xianya said, "If Wang Instructor doesn't speak, the morale of the yamen will scatter."

Jiao Guozha said angrily beside him, "It's scattered whether he speaks or not. Damned stewards, they're nothing but head slaves. What are they so arrogant about?"

Listening to the conversation in the hall, Pang Yu gathered that the leader of the rioters was not yet confirmed, but it was certainly some faction within Tongcheng, which was always easier to deal with than Roving Bandits.

Remembering that Jiao Guozha was with the Fast Squad, Pang Yu quickly asked in a low voice, "Big Brother, what has your Fast Squad been doing these past two days?"

"I've had rotten luck working this Fast Squad. The city is full of people looting property. Today alone there were thirteen break-ins and robberies. And this dog steward still wants me to go arrest Wang Guohua. As if Wang Guohua is worthy of me arresting him!"

"What kind of people are Wang Guohua and Zhang Ru? Are you sure they're not Roving Bandits?"

"With his character, he couldn't be a Roving Bandit." Things were different from usual now, and Jiao Guozha no longer put on a sour face for Pang Yu. Lowering his voice, he said seriously, "It's another gang of household slaves, led by Zhang Ru and Wang Guohua. The Camp Gate Liang among them might be that Huang Wending. When the corpses were hung this morning, someone saw them in City East."

The term "Camp Gate Liang" Jiao Guozha mentioned was bandit slang, sometimes also called Vanguard General. It generally referred to the most capable fighter, the one who often played the role of Pioneer.

Jiao Guozha shook his head and sighed again, "I never imagined Wang Guohua and his lot would dare to go this far. Just now the Coroner went to the Punishment Office to report back. He said Yin Deng's neck was slashed countless times with a small knife. He died a terribly gruesome death; no one knows who did it. Wu Bing at the South Gate, though, was beheaded with a single stroke. Everyone says they saw Huang Wending do it. That man is a Military Examination Candidate; cutting off a head is nothing for him."

Pang Yu drew in a soft hiss of air. Huang Wending beheading a man in one stroke was impressive, but the thought of hacking off a head with a small knife was chilling, and it showed the perpetrator had a vicious and ruthless nature.

Jiao Guozha's face was tinged with worry. "In the past, Zhang Ru's gang was also a power in the city. I've had plenty of dealings with them. They were connected with the Household Office's Luo Clerk back then, and had their hands in the brokerage, pawnshop, and gambling house businesses. Later, after Clerk Zhao took over the top post, Old Zheng and Yin Deng's gang gained the upper hand. Relying on their master's family background, they snatched away all the profitable trades. Because of old grudges, Wu Bing and Yin Deng even specifically bullied Zhang Ru and the others. Maybe they pushed too hard, but I never imagined Zhang Ru and his lot would dare to gather a crowd and rebel."

"Just how many men do Zhang Ru and Wang Guohua have? Can they all fight?"

"Their gang used to have about thirty men. Now that Old Zheng and his lot have stolen their profitable businesses, maybe not that many. But if they dared to start a rebellion, they must have pulled in people from somewhere. I just came from the North Arch Gate tower; there are quite a few people over at Hu Family Village."

Pang Yu stroked his chin. "It's too far to see clearly. Why don't we brothers go to Hu Family Village and take a look?"

Jiao Guozha shook his head like a pellet drum. "I'm not going. Bandit spawn from all over the countryside are heading to Hu Family Village. Who knows what they're really up to? Plenty of people recognize us as yamen men. Once we're recognized, they'll just kill us to consecrate their banners and start their rebellion. Wouldn't that be a terrible loss for me?"

Pang Yu thought this made sense. It was better to be prudent in such matters; gathering information did not have to be rushed.

At that moment, Wu Steward in the hall roared in anger, grabbing Li Squad Leader by the collar as if to beat him. Wang Instructor and the instructor beside him hurriedly pulled Wu Steward back, trying their best to separate the two sides.

Jiao Guozha spat at the sight. "Still putting on the airs of a Country Squire now, still thinking he's a real official. I'm not serving this. If I go to Hu Family Village to arrest anyone, I'll take his Wu family name."

With that, he slipped away along the corridor of the Six Offices. Pang Yu looked around. The already sparse number of people in each office had dwindled further as more slipped away. The Fast Squad probably could not even muster ten men now. Looking back at the Main Hall in chaos, Pang Yu frowned slightly.

"Aunt Liu, why haven't you left? There won't be any business these next two days." When Pang Yu returned to Yimin Gate Street, Aunt Liu was putting up the last door panel.

Aunt Liu's face was full of worry. Looking up and seeing Pang Yu, she was so agitated that she grabbed his sleeve. "Brother Yu, you're back! What kind of world is this? Aunt Liu's family relies entirely on this shop. All our goods and wealth are here; we can't leave. This morning, seeing your shop closed, your betrothed wife was terribly worried. Now I can finally be at ease. Look, we're all one family. If something happens to my family, you can't just ignore it. Especially since your wife is still a maiden. Aiya, what to do..."

Pang Yu had inexplicably gained a betrothed wife. Last time, he had dug a pitfall for Aunt Liu regarding betrothal gifts, and Aunt Liu still had not given a reply. Knowing Aunt Liu's miserly nature, those fifty taels of silver could truly be the death of her; it was certainly not an easy decision.

Pang Yu quickly consoled the wailing Aunt Liu. "Sooner or later we'll be one family. Aunt Liu, rest assured, I would give my own life before I let any harm come to our Liu family sister."

By now, the remaining neighbors on the street had all gathered around. Pang Yu had been unreliable in handling matters before, but after his recent Spirit Awakening, even the County Vice-Magistrate had praised him. Moreover, he was a yamen runner, representing official authority, and everyone felt a natural sense of trust.

After last night's murder and arson, the Tongcheng county yamen had taken almost no effective measures today. Bandits outside the city were setting up banners to recruit, and the public order situation within the city was even less optimistic. The various families who had stayed behind were all deeply worried. So the neighbors instinctively wanted to rely somewhat on Pang Yu, one after another demanding that he take on the task of managing the street's security.

Seeing everyone gathered around him, Pang Yu felt a considerable sense of superiority from being valued. Raising his hand to the crowd, he said, "Fellow neighbors, rest assured. It's not the Mountain-Shaanxi Roving Bandits, just some local rioters. But there is indeed a lot of chaos in the city. The yamen can't manage it for now, but we must manage ourselves. The yamen doesn't rely on these buildings for their lives and livelihoods; we are different. Our entire families, young and old, depend on these shops for our living. Inside are stored each family's goods. No one can afford to lose them."

A male neighbor said, "Brother Yu, lay out a plan. At a time like this, we neighbors ought to help each other."

The others voiced their approval one after another, showing considerable trust in the current Pang Yu.

Pang Yu quickly raised his fingers and said with full confidence, "To protect ourselves, there are two things. One, prevent fire. Two, prevent theft. Three, prevent robbery. We must organize; we can't be a heap of loose sand. Each household contributes one able-bodied man; more is better. Five men form a Team, with two Swords and three clubs. Every household brings out its largest water vat and places it at the door. One Hemp Beater for firefighting per two households. If anyone has extra, share them around. If fire comes, we fight the fire. If a small group of bandits comes, we fight the bandits. If a large group of bandits comes, we run. The men will be the rear guard, letting the women and children run first..."

Everyone watched Pang Yu attentively, some even with a hint of excitement. Pang Yu felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment from directing others, a feeling he'd had since his previous life. Seeing everyone nodding along, Pang Yu was very satisfied with the situation before him.

Pang Yu paused, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and was about to continue when the Zhou Family Rice Shop's Shopkeeper suddenly interrupted the excited Pang Yu.

"That's not right. Why should the women run first? The head of the household should rightly run first. What use is it if only the women run out? They can't survive on their own. Besides, with all those bound feet, how fast can the women run? Running first would be a waste of effort."

Before Pang Yu could answer, Xu Shu from the shoe shop also turned to leave, saying as he walked, "If bandits come, they'll definitely rob the wealthy households. Why would they rob small households like ours? Our Xu family won't get involved. Whoever has money can go hire their own men."

With these two withdrawing from the partnership, the situation immediately took a sharp turn for the worse.

Aunt Zhou also stepped back a pace and said, "Our family has only one man — how can we send out a Dingkou too? If something were to happen to him, our family couldn't go on living. Families with many men should send more. Our family has few men, so we won't go."

Sister-in-law Zhang rolled her eyes at Aunt Zhou. "So what if your family has few men — does any family have several men to spare? Brother Yu made it clear that every family should contribute. You just want all the benefits. Other families' men risk beheading out on the streets on night watch, while you hug your man in bed asleep. Where under heaven does such a cheap bargain exist? Why should you get to hog it all?"

"What kind of talk is that? No matter what you say, my Zhou Family is not sending a man for night watch."

"How strange. Could it be your Zhou Family is sending a woman for night watch? No one would take her anyway." Sister-in-law Zhang let out a snort, swung her waist around, and went back to her own shopfront.

The other neighbors exchanged a few words among themselves, then scattered one after another, leaving Pang Yu standing dumbly where he was. The excellent situation had vanished like smoke.

Aunt Liu opened her mouth, took a few steps toward her own shop, paused a moment, then turned around and came back before Pang Yu. "Brother Yu, if anything happens tonight, don't bother with the other families — especially that Zhou Family, the most shameless of the lot. But if something happens at our place, you absolutely must lend a hand."

Pang Yu watched the departing neighbors and sighed. "Rest assured, Aunt Liu."