Chapter 404: A Single Sheet of Paper

"This humble servant serves as the Rites Office Clerk of Tongcheng. Because General Pang is completing his marriage under Imperial Order, which is truly a major ceremonial affair for Tongcheng, Yang Your Honor has directed this humble servant to come and assist, ensuring that the General's wedding is conducted with honor and dignity."

The speaker was all smiles. Seated in the hall were also Pang Yu's father and mother, along with Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu. Pang Yu himself sat listlessly in a corner, with Pang Ding standing behind him. The Rites Office Clerk looked over warmly, and Pang Yu could only force a faint smile in response.

Pang Yu had set out from Xiangyang with his cavalry, spending nearly a month on the road before finally returning to Tongcheng to complete his lifelong affair. Because the Emperor had involved himself in it, the Pang family wedding had become an official matter for the Tongcheng county yamen, entirely beyond Pang Yu's control. This Rites Office Clerk was sent by Yang Erming to assist. Though not a wedding professional, he was at least somewhat of an expert in ceremonial matters. Thus, among those seated in the hall, the only person with no control over the wedding was Pang Yu himself.

After nodding to everyone in greeting, the Clerk continued, "The two families' opinion is that the rites should follow our folk customs. Since a marriage contract already exists between the two families, the Name Inquiry step can be omitted. What remains is Gift Presentation, Date Setting, Urging Dressing, and Welcoming the Bride."

Everyone in the room nodded at this. This was indeed the customary wedding procedure in the Ming Dynasty, and everyone except Pang Yu was quite clear on it.

"Then the first priority is Gift Presentation. For Gift Presentation, a formal letter must still be prepared. This humble servant needs to know: does the marriage contract specify the amounts for the betrothal gifts and the dowry?"

"Fifty taels!" Before anyone else could speak, Aunt Liu rushed to say, "Never mind the marriage contract or not — the two families agreed on fifty taels, not one tael more, not one tael less."

The Clerk had not expected the bride's side to speak up. Gift Presentation was about delivering the betrothal gifts — the groom's family sent gifts to the bride's family. If the bride's side deemed them suitable, they accepted, signifying consent to complete the marriage. It was usually negotiated in advance. In the early Ming, betrothal gifts mostly consisted of goods, but by the late Ming, gold and silver were the norm. Especially in the Jiangnan region, where extravagant customs prevailed, marriage and betrothal gifts were closely linked — contemporaries called it "marriage by wealth." The amounts of gold and silver kept rising. For an ordinary family, fifty taels was passable, but given Pang Yu's current official rank, he should give at least three hundred taels or more. Fifty taels was far too little.

But since the bride's side had agreed, the Clerk naturally could not object. He ground the ink, took a sheet of red paper folded in two, and began writing the betrothal gift list.

Aunt Liu stood up beside him, craned her neck to look, and then said, "Sir Clerk, this — this betrothal gift — it's our family giving it to the Pang family."

The Clerk had not paid it much mind at first and merely grunted in acknowledgment. Then he suddenly grasped what she meant and looked up blankly at Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu. Aunt Liu said with some embarrassment, "There's no other way, because of that calamity. The White-Bearded Immortal said it — Sir Clerk, you surely know — the Nine Yang Qi. It must be the Nine Yang Qi to break it."

Her explanation only left the Clerk more bewildered. He then turned his gaze toward Pang Yu's parents. For the bride's family to give betrothal gifts to the groom's family — not only did it shame the bride's side, but it seemed to shame the groom's side even more.

Pang Yu's nominal father's face was ashen. He stared fixedly at the floorboards beneath his feet and said nothing. Pang Yu's mother rubbed her hands twice on her apron, made a couple of "aiya" sounds but could produce no words, and could only fix her eyes on Pang Yu.

The thoroughly confused Clerk followed her gaze over. Pang Yu tilted his head to one side and pretended not to see.

The Clerk dared not ask Pang Yu directly. He could only stammer, "Then — this — the betrothal gifts are given by the bride's family — could it be that the dowry is from the groom's family…?"

The moment these words were spoken, Pang Yu's father wished he could burrow into the cracks between the flagstones. According to Ming Dynasty custom, after the betrothal gifts were delivered, the bride's family had to prepare the bride's trousseau items, bed curtains, bed sheets, and other such articles. These would be paraded through the streets when she crossed the threshold to the groom's home — the more there was, the greater the face. Now, with the bride's family giving betrothal gifts to the groom's family, by logic the Pang family should be buying the groom's articles and parading them through the streets to move in with the bride's family. This was absolutely unacceptable in this era, even more so because Pang Yu was a famed general who awed the realm — if word got out, he would become the laughingstock of all under heaven.

An awkward silence filled the hall. Finally, Pang Yu's father could bear it no longer. He raised his head and said angrily, "The dowry will naturally still be prepared by the bride's family. The betrothal gift is merely a method to avert the calamity. But the Pang family will also give a return gift, and it will certainly far exceed fifty taels. We will not let the Liu family suffer a loss."

A soft "pfft" sounded in the hall. Everyone turned to look, only to see Pang Ding biting his lip and lowering his head. Pang Yu sat expressionless in his seat. No one knew who had made the sound.

Aunt Liu was now radiant. She could not be bothered to investigate who had made the noise. Turning to the Clerk, she said, "Sir Clerk, just treat it as the bride's family giving the return gift first, and the groom's family giving the betrothal gifts after. It's no obstacle. Just write it that way."

The Clerk was at a loss but knew he could not keep harping on this matter. If he provoked General Pang — the one who had beheaded thirty men in a single night — into anger, a mere Clerk like him could be cut down and killed with nowhere to even plead his case. He bent his head and wrote for a spell. In any case, the only people who would see what he wrote were these two families. The likelihood of it leaking out was small, and it would not affect the public's assessment of his professional competence.

After a good while, the Clerk looked up and said, "The betrothal letter is written. Next is Date Setting. Again, the groom's family sends a letter to the bride's family to fix the wedding date. Gifts may be brought or not. The bride's family must provide a meal."

Pang Yu's father said decisively, "Bring gifts. It will certainly be no less than fifty — no, one hundred taels."

Another "pfft" sounded in the hall. Everyone turned to look, only to see Pang Ding covering his mouth and running out the door. Pang Yu propped his left elbow on the armrest and covered his face with his palm. No one knew what he was thinking.

"Brother Pang, look at you being so courteous — we're all one family, aren't we? Go ahead and bring some things." Aunt Liu covered her mouth and laughed heartily twice, then looked toward Pang Yu's nominal mother. "Sister, how about we set the wedding date according to the day Jiang Daozhang calculated?"

Pang Yu, who had been silent for half the day, finally spoke. "What day did Jiang Daozhang calculate?"

Aunt Liu turned to look at Pang Yu, put away the smile on her face, and said cautiously, "The twenty-third of the sixth month."

"Not good. Change it to the seventh month."

Aunt Liu was taken aback. "Why is that, Brother Yu? The wedding date mustn't be changed back and forth."

Pang Yu said without the slightest hesitation, "The White-Bearded Immortal said the yang energy is heavier in the seventh month. It benefits the Nine Yang Qi in breaking the calamity."

"The yang energy in the sixth month is also ample…"

Ignoring her, Pang Yu walked over to the Clerk and said, "Huang Sili, let's you and I have a discussion."

Aunt Liu's whole body shuddered. She hurriedly grabbed Huang Sili. "The Emperor himself has already spoken — what is there left to discuss?"

How would Huang Sili dare heed Aunt Liu's words? He hastily pulled free and walked over to Pang Yu. Pang Yu put an arm around his shoulder and led him aside. Lowering his voice, he said, "Huang Sili, this official has a secret order from a superior. This marriage has the effect of confusing the Roving Thieves. It absolutely must be delayed until after the seventh month. It cannot be rushed through in the sixth month. The wedding date must be changed to the seventh month. You go think of a way to persuade the Liu family."

The only person in this hall that Pang Yu could actually do anything to was Huang Sili. Huang Sili, his face a mask of misery, turned back to look at Aunt Liu. Before he could even open his mouth, Aunt Liu said, "Sir Clerk, our family is not changing it, no matter what. If you recklessly change things and ruin the Emperor's good affair, this old woman will go to the Circuit Intendant and file an imperial lawsuit."

Sweat beaded on Huang Sili's forehead. He could not afford to offend Pang Yu, and he could not afford to offend Pang Yu's mother-in-law either. His mind raced, excavating years of professional and unprofessional knowledge reserves. His eyes darted about, and then he leaned close to Pang Yu's ear and said, "My lord, your mother-in-law is not easy to talk to. Changing the date may be… but this humble servant has a method that can let my lord drag things out until the seventh month."

"What method?"

"According to the customs of some regions, after the bride crosses the threshold, the couple must still make a Returning Visit together, staying at the bride's family home for a few days."

Pang Yu recalled having heard of this practice. This way, he wouldn't have to wrangle with Aunt Liu and could still stall for time. He asked him, "The marriage is only complete after the Returning Visit?"

"It should be so."

Pang Yu fixed his eyes on him. "What do you mean 'should be so'? This official is completing his marriage under Imperial Order. You are the Rites Office Clerk, representing the Tongcheng county yamen here — which means you represent the imperial court. How can you be ambiguous?"

In an instant, Huang Sili had gone from a county yamen clerk to representing the entire Ming Dynasty court. Wiping away sweat, he said, "It is only after the Returning Visit that the marriage is complete."

"How long before the Returning Visit?"

"However long my lord feels is appropriate."

Pang Yu rubbed his chin. "Three and a half months."

"My lord, a round number would be better."

Pang Yu calculated the time. They estimated the Tartars would invade in the seventh month, but it was only a guess after all. If the Tartars came in the eighth month, he would already have returned to Huguang and would have to march from Huguang for the rally to the king. He needed to leave some margin for error.

"Three months."

Huang Sili's face was full of difficulty. "M-my lord, nowhere under heaven has such a long gap. If the superiors ask, there's no way to explain."

Pang Yu observed his expression, then said, "Two months. It cannot be any less."

The Clerk finally nodded, simultaneously letting out a huge sigh of relief.

Pang Yu turned to Aunt Liu and said, "Aunt Liu, the twenty-third of the sixth month it is."

Aunt Liu on the other side had been nervously watching the developments here. Upon hearing this, she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

…

"Young Master, you pay no mind to the wedding preparations, yet you have the mood to look at this single sheet of paper."

Pang Yu's eyes shone as he carefully examined the Banknote in his hands, a completely different person from the one discussing marriage moments ago.

This was, in effect, a type of pre-issued fixed-term certificate of deposit. The earliest Banknotes in China were issued by the Xiehe Money Shop in Shanghai, with a redemption period of only half a month. The one in Pang Yu's hand had a face value of thirty taels, but the actual silver deposit required was only twenty-seven taels. It stated clearly that after one year, it could be redeemed for thirty taels of cash silver. Unlike the Silver Notes used before, this had a fixed face value, was bearer, and had no Secret Phrase.

The Banknote's advantage over currency was that it accrued value even while in circulation. Before the Banknote matured, if one urgently needed cash silver, one could also go to the Silver Shop to discount it based on the actual time and interest accrued. It lay somewhere between paper money and Silver Notes — compared to paper money, it bore interest; compared to Silver Notes, it was more flexible.

Pang Yu held the Silver Note up before his face. He studied it carefully for a long while but could only discover three hidden marks. These marks were concealed within the complex patterns along the edges of the note. Some were differences in line thickness, some were subtle variations in repeating shapes, and others were differences in color shading. The Workshop had used tools like magnifying glass when making the printing plates, a capability other workshops currently lacked. The hidden marks alone would greatly increase the cost for any counterfeiting workshop.

In the middle of the Banknote was a string of numbers. Pang Yu had designed a simple formula from later eras, but one that was difficult to reverse-engineer from the result in this age. The brass mechanical decoder was manufactured by the Workshop. The Silver Shops in various regions did not know the formula, reducing the possibility of leaks to a minimum.

The Workshop was now mass-producing Banknotes, and three decoders had been made. Liu Ruogu believed the Banknotes were ready for issuance. A trial issuance of ten thousand taels had begun in Nanjing, designated exclusively for transactions with Yangzhou.

Pang Ding tilted his head to look at the coupon. "Is this piece of paper really that fascinating?"

"This is no mere piece of paper." Pang Yu's gaze was entranced. "This is the Anqing Battalion's invincibility, the Water Army spread all along the river, the Canal Gang and silver banks at every dock, the million in ready silver seized from Susong, the Jiangnan Times distributed everywhere, and your young master's boundless future."

Pang Ding's eyes shifted back and forth between Pang Yu and the coupon. "A flimsy slip of paper like this — I fear people will still feel ready silver is more secure."

Pang Yu shook his head. "The trade in goods along the Great River requires vast sums of silver. Before the Great River Silver Bank, there were no chain banks. Traveling merchants had to carry large amounts of ready silver, which was neither safe nor convenient. Major merchants would exchange for silver notes, but at the same time many small transactions existed that hardly warranted the labor and time of converting at a bank. Now I offer a choice that satisfies both, and it even earns interest. They will certainly use it."

"Then what if they finish their business and go exchange it back for ready silver?"

"This coupon carries interest from the moment of issuance. The redemption amount is printed clearly upon it. If redeemed early, one receives less than the full amount in ready silver. The missing portion will be regarded as his loss, so the vast majority will not discount it early. That is human nature."

"Young master, is all this just to make them deposit for this one year?"

"Of course it's more than that." Pang Yu casually handed the coupon to Pang Ding. "In this room there was originally not a single coin, yet this paper is now thirty taels of ready silver. Print another at the workshop, and that too is thirty taels of ready silver. This is both paper and ready silver."

Pang Ding took the coupon and scratched his head, asking no further. Just as he was about to put the coupon away, Pang Yu snatched it back in one motion.

Pang Yu stood up. "Xiong Wencan has arranged the timing rather well. These two months before the returning visit, I can go take care of many matters."

"Young master is going to Nanjing?"

"Mainly for this coupon." Pang Yu paused in thought for a moment. "There are also some other matters. Qian Qianyi has returned to Nanjing, and the Restoration Society affair has also quieted down. Between the Donglin and the Restoration Society, I need to weigh things again. Perhaps I should meet with him."

Pang Ding came closer and said in a low voice, "That is to say, the Emperor intends to keep the Donglin. The court situation remains as before — the Lone Minister and the Donglin checking each other."

Pang Yu nodded. "Checking each other, in other words, is also wearing each other down. In times of peace, such balance is proper principle. But now the realm is in turmoil, and the court needs to unite against outside threats. Further attrition is not so appropriate. But that is a matter for the Emperor to worry over. We look after our own affairs. At present, along the Great River, Huguang still falls a bit short of the mark. And just so happens there is an opportunity — the new Huguang Grand Coordinator is someone you know."

Pang Ding scratched his head. "Ruan Dacheng?"

Pang Yu laughed twice and shook his head. "It is Fang Kongzhao."