Chapter 478: Chief Grand Secretary

At Gaotang Prefecture City in Dongchang Prefecture, Tan Laizi, two streams of snot hanging from his nose, tilted his head back and howled toward the tall city wall before him. Thousands around him shouted as well, the immense wall of sound seeming about to shake the wall to rubble.

After a long while the howling gradually died down. Tan Laizi wiped his nose and heard a shrill voice beside him still yelling. He turned his head to look — it was that woman who had come with them. Her face was bright red, and she was still shrieking at the city wall. Wei estate steward strode over, slapped her to the ground with one palm, and only then did the screaming stop.

Tan Laizi stepped back, moving to the side of a wooden shield cart, blocking the woman's line of sight. He leaned against the shield cart and panted.

There were many shield carts outside the city, but each was shaped differently. Different companies used different craftsmen, so what they produced was never the same, but roughly each had a board in front, a board overhead, and four wheels below. Some of the more meticulous ones were plastered with earth for fireproofing.

Several mounted Tartars, leading a Licentiate, were shouting below the city tower ahead, saying something to the top of the wall. The north wind howled all around, and Tan Laizi could not hear clearly. He did not even know what this city was called.

They had waited at Dai Family Bay for several days. After setting out, they first went east to a county seat, stayed three more days after breaching it, then turned northward on the march. They passed another county seat — already breached by a different banner — and then arrived at this large city.

Everyone was confined within the bounds of their respective masters. Eating, drinking, shitting, and pissing all happened in designated spots. Whether man or woman, there was no avoiding it. On the march, none could leave the ranks. Gathering firewood or water required the estate steward to lead them. Even speaking to one another required the steward's permission.

Though walking across the vast northern plains, Tan Laizi's experience was utterly barren. Unable to talk with anyone each day, barely eating and drinking enough to stay alive, his reactions grew duller and duller. Sometimes he could not remember how many days they had stopped; sometimes he could not tell the direction.

He only knew they were going north, but not where they had reached. The one thing he could be certain of now was that he was farther and farther from Anqing. He did not know the name of this large city before him either. The Bordered Yellow Banner did not move fast, and had been stopped here for two or three days. The masters and bondservants in the banner had stripped the Guanxiang around the city clean, but the city wall here was tall and imposing — it did not look so easy to take.

Master Mengge ordered them to make shield carts. Wei estate steward had experience and led the old and new bondservants in working together. In two days they rushed one out. Other companies had also built quite a few. Tan Laizi had taken part in the defense of Hezhou and knew that assaulting a city was no easy task. But these were Tartars, after all — they ought to be far more formidable than the Roving Bandits. They might just breach it in one go.

So many shield carts arrayed in a long line outside the city wall — just looking at them was imposing. When the masters ordered them to howl, Tan Laizi added his own shout. Hearing the earth-shaking, mountain-trembling din, Tan Laizi guessed it was to frighten the people inside the city, like the Roving Bandits did, to make the city surrender.

At that moment, Wei estate steward waved from up ahead. Tan Laizi hurriedly left the shield cart. The other bondservants, puffing white breath, pushed the shield cart forward together. Tan Laizi walked at the side, leaning his body sideways against the cart, putting on a show of pushing hard while actually exerting no effort at all. That woman's screaming started up again. Tan Laizi tilted his head to glance — the woman was on the other side, her head rocking back and forth as she pushed the cart with desperate effort.

Tan Laizi quickly turned his head back and trudged forward with the shield cart, head down. Just then, several gong strikes sounded. Wei estate steward shouted from ahead, telling them to stop. Tan Laizi let go of the shield cart again.

The other shield carts also came to a halt one after another. Tan Laizi peered toward the top of the wall for a moment. Though still far from the city wall, Tan Laizi was a little nervous. He glanced at the shield carts on the south side, and suddenly his head froze.

In the crowd to the south, he saw a familiar face. That person had also just seen him. Tan Laizi's mouth gaped wide open, his whole body as if frozen solid.

Wei estate steward's voice rang out up ahead. Tan Laizi heard it, but just could not react. He still stared blankly to the south until Wei estate steward's voice exploded beside his ear.

"Forget the shield carts, switch to carts and go over. The Southern Barbarians have surrendered!"

Tan Laizi finally regained his wits and quickly turned to face Wei estate steward. "Master Wei, the Southern Barbarians surrendered — what stuff do we have to move?"

Wei estate steward said to him, "The officials in this city have agreed to give silver and grain. The Beile master says no city assault. We're going to collect the silver now — several hundred thousand taels. The master wants it all collected by tonight. Counting, inspecting, and transporting it will all be trouble." (Note 1)

Tan Laizi stole a glance to the south. He saw they were also mustering people on that side, and that familiar face had already been called. He hurriedly said to Wei estate steward, "It's bound to be official silver in the city. When I was a broker, I was best at recognizing silver. These dog officials and dog yamen are the craftiest. This slave knows their tricks. That dog official won't dream of cheating my master. I can also do sums and write. We must make them pack it by the chest inside the city. We count one chest and seal one chest. We absolutely cannot let that dog official shortchange us."

Wei estate steward immediately said, "Come with me. The master's side is just asking for slaves who can write and do sums. We must get the silver counted clearly."

Tan Laizi hurriedly stepped out. Wei estate steward called one more person and led them to Master Mengge. Mengge was the Daizi of this company, also called a Fende Boshiku, assisting the Zhangjing in managing company affairs. This time he was likely the one leading the team to receive the silver. The bondservants mustered by the various True Yi families arrived one after another, standing together awaiting orders.

Things were rather chaotic at this moment. Tan Laizi slowly shifted to a corner and finally drew near that familiar face.

"Tang Ershuan!" Tan Laizi's eyes reddened. "Tang... ah, how are you here too?"

Tang Ershuan wore a felt cap. Mengge was talking with the True Yi of various families, and it was noisy all around. He said quietly in Anqing dialect, "Didn't have time to run at Linqing. Got caught by the Tartars along with a few other Linqing people. Do you know where Lord Pang went?"

"I was caught at Linqing too. How would I know where that bastard Pang is." Tan Laizi wiped his tears. "A wretch like me surrendering is one thing, but you — a Battle Hero written up in the papers — how could you surrender too!"

Tang Ershuan's eyes watched their surroundings. "Squad Leader Lu told me to go find you. I searched half the day without finding you, then got surrounded by Tartars. We Distant Scouts are allowed to surrender."

Tan Laizi said blankly, "How can a soldier surrender? Then who's going to fight the masters... the Tartars?"

"The instructors at the Martial Academy said, both the Roving Bandits and the Tartars grab people to do labor. Once inside, look for a chance to send out word, or burn their grain and tents..."

Tan Laizi interrupted impatiently, "Burn what grain? We've got to run, fast. It'll be too late if we wait. This is the Bodhisattva blessing me to run into you. You're good at fighting — tell me how we run."

"It's all flat here. Outside, it's full of Tartar cavalry. If we go out we can't escape. We have to wait until the rivers thaw before it's easy to run."

Tan Laizi asked blankly, "When will they thaw?"

Tang Ershuan tilted his head to look at the sky. "Don't know."

Tan Laizi reached into his clothes and felt around. "If we don't go now, it'll be too late."

Tang Ershuan did not understand what he meant. "What's too late? Tan Laizi, what are you doing in this camp?"

"Tending the fire..." Tan Laizi said, utterly despondent.

Tang Ershuan was about to speak again when Mengge's side began loudly issuing orders. The True Yi and estate stewards below were calling their people together. The two hurriedly stopped talking. Tan Laizi swept a glance at the top of the wall. Silver chests had appeared on the battlements. The people atop the wall were tying ropes, preparing to lower the chests down.

Tan Laizi muttered, "Pang Gunzi, what the hell are you doing? If you don't come soon, the Tartars will have looted all the silver."

The sixth day of the first lunar month. Outside Dezhou, the linked encampments stretched like a sea.

Two li southwest of the city, Pang Yu hunched his body, walking behind and to the side of a gaunt old man.

That old man ahead was the very pinnacle of civil officials in the Ming Dynasty — the Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Liu Yuliang. In the old days at the Tongcheng county yamen, just hearing the words "Chief Grand Secretary" would make the entire yamen hold its breath. But now, Pang Yu felt only a faint trace of nervousness.

Liu Yuliang had not even worn his official robes, just a thick padded jacket over his casual clothes. After entering the camp, he had not even gone to the Central Army but headed straight for the place where captives were held. Clearly, in his mind, these captives were extremely important, because they could prove that the heads were genuine military merits.

Pang Yu understood this as well, which was why he dared not hand the captives over to the prefectures and counties for escort. From Tongcheng Post northward, he had kept the captives with the army. At the very least, he had to see Sun Chuanting before transferring them. Now that Liu Yuliang had come in person, it was even better.

The Anqing soldiers along the way all stepped aside to the roadside, carefully sizing up the small, thin Liu Yuliang, full of curiosity about the Chief Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Yuliang looked at those soldiers as he walked, growing more and more astonished. Normally, Northern Troops were taller and sturdier, but in this Anqing Battalion, big, burly men could be seen everywhere. There were also quite a few carriages and horses — clearly they had real strength. By now, he basically believed Pang Yu's battle report.

But in truth, Pang Yu's cavalry this time was not numerous. Due to severe cavalry losses, when heading north this time they had scraped together only three companies from all over. Officers and soldiers were unfamiliar with one another, and their combat strength was far inferior to the original military unit.

"In your earlier letter, General Pang mentioned that you brought only a little over a thousand officers and men to rally to the king. The Eastern Invaders are said to have brought a host of a hundred thousand cavalry, yet you, General, were able to defeat them in one battle — beyond the reach of ordinary men. These soldiers must also be exceptionally valiant."

"Those this subordinate brought to rally to the king are all household retainers of the battalion. It is just that the south lacks warhorses." Pang Yu knew Liu Yuliang wanted to understand the situation. He pointed at the horses. "Though my battalion has many horses, there are not enough warhorses for the household retainers, so I had to have the household retainers fight on foot."

"Such mighty warriors, yet even they lack horses. This old man shall report to the Emperor and have them transferred from the Court of the Imperial Stud. They absolutely must be made up." Liu Yuliang shook his head. His current impression of this Southern Troops unit under Pang Yu was somewhat similar to the Qi Family Army — primarily infantry, with cavalry still somewhat inferior to the Border Army.

The two chatted casually. Liu Yuliang appeared to be listening attentively, but his feet moved very quickly. In a moment, they arrived at the Logistics Division where the captives were held.

There were three tents here, holding the captives from Thirty-Li Post and Dong'e — the Two Places. They had already been brought out and were kneeling in a row outside. Liu Yuliang strode over.

"Your Excellency, please look. This one is an elite guard, belonging to Hakesaha's company under the Plain Red Banner. Hakesaha's head was identified by him. He was captured at Lepingpu."

Liu Yuliang listened with a steady expression, merely nodding slightly. He reached out and grabbed the elite guard's queue, tilting his head to carefully examine the elite guard's scalp.

The elite guard hung his head, his body trembling like chaff in a sieve. Liu Yuliang looked them over one by one, still pulling the queues himself. Pang Yu hurriedly stepped forward and held the queue of each captive, tilting their faces upward so that His Excellency could identify them more easily.

Liu Yuliang extended one hand, pointing at one captive, his expression extremely grave.

Pang Yu thought there was an important instruction and hurriedly made a show of listening intently, but he heard Liu Yuliang say loudly, "The heads must be shaved. They must look as the Tartars usually do. The common people must know at a glance that they are Eastern Invaders."

Pang Yu's face showed sudden enlightenment. "This is the most critical point in offering captives. Your Excellency sees the big picture from on high. This humble one was careless."

Liu Yuliang nodded. "Is the total number of captives still forty-seven?"

"In reply to Your Excellency, the total captured was forty-seven. On the way, four of the wounded died. The captives now in camp total forty-three."

"For the dead, you must also cut off their heads."

Pang Yu again answered in rapid succession. By now Liu Yuliang had reached the end of the ranks, where the carriage held the captured banners and armor.

Pang Yu pointed at the carriage and said, "Across the two battles we captured two company Banners, twenty-three elite guard Banner Back-Flags, and two light cavalry Banner Back-Flags. Among the confirmed heads are one company Zhangjing, two light cavalry, and thirteen elite guards. In addition to the reported head count, there are over ten more heads that were smashed to pieces in the fighting and can no longer be identified; those were not included in the report."

Liu Yuliang picked up the two company Banners and examined them carefully. Because he was short in stature, the bottom hem of the banners had fallen onto the ground. Quick as lightning, Pang Yu stepped forward and caught the hem, making it convenient for Liu Zhongtang to inspect them closely.

"Two company Banners, yet only one company Zhangjing's head. This is logically inconsistent. This old man believes that the remaining company Zhangjing…" Liu Yuliang pondered for a moment, then said, "must certainly be among those smashed heads."

Pang Yu hurriedly responded, "This humble one was confused. Fortunately, Your Excellency's single word has awakened me."

"Military merits from severed heads are the foundation of the state's order; there must be no falsehood or perfunctory handling. But General Pang has banners and armor as proof, so those smashed heads should naturally be confirmed without doubt and must of course be counted. Otherwise, it would inevitably chill the hearts of the warriors who took those heads."

"It was this humble one's lack of thorough consideration."

Liu Yuliang nodded, then signaled the official accompanying him from the Ministry of Revenue to inspect as well, to serve as a witness.

Liu Yuliang's expression was now relaxed. Before seeing it with his own eyes, he had still not dared to fully trust Pang Yu's battle reports, because the Ming Army falsified battle achievements far too often. Even banners and armor could be faked, but captives could not be faked, because once sent to the Ministry of War for interrogation, the deception would be exposed.

After seeing the captives and banners, he was basically at ease. The next step was to send these captives to the Capital and ensure they arrived alive to be presented as offerings before the palace gates.

Pang Yu also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Liu Yuliang had seen them, these military merits were now firmly established. Liu Yuliang had not even greeted Sun Chuanting when he arrived; it seemed he truly intended to take Pang Yu as his Personal Soldier. Pang Yu could guess that Liu Yuliang would not let Sun Chuanting participate in escorting the captives to the Capital either — he had no intention of sharing these military merits with him.

The Qing army was still in Shandong. Now that he had climbed onto Liu Yuliang, this Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, the battles ahead would be much easier to fight. Especially regarding provisions — the Anqing Battalion had suffered losses in this area before. They had carried a large amount of provisions while traveling north from Tongcheng Post, but the prefectures, counties, cities, and towns along the way were all in ruins, with nowhere to resupply. Linqing City had grain, but it was inconvenient for Pang Yu to go there. All the way to Dezhou they had relied on the provisions they carried. Now that they had finally assembled with Liu Yuliang, there was hope for both provisions and Military Stipend Silver. What remained was to see how the rally-to-the-king army would fight.

Pang Yu had previously sent dispatch bulletins to both him and Sun Chuanting, reporting that Qing troops were heading toward Jinan Prefecture. No one had ever replied to this matter. When passing through Linqing, he had also informed the Liao Garrison of the Qing army's movements, and likewise received no feedback.

Since the battle at Tongcheng Post, Pang Yu had lost track of the Qing army and did not understand the overall situation. Now he could only obtain intelligence from these allied forces. The information Liu Yuliang brought was that the Qing army's Vanguard was near Dezhou, which matched Pang Yu's assessment that they were returning north from Shandong. Sun Chuanting believed the Qing army's spearhead was at Dezhou and was currently deploying to intercept them.

"General Pang…" Liu Yuliang hesitated for a moment, then said, "When this old man left the Capital, I sought the Emperor's grace and brought some ready silver from the Ministry of Revenue. The Anqing soldiers have fought bravely against the bandits and originally deserved more supplementary Military Stipend Silver. This old man had also thought so before, but upon arriving here in Dezhou, Sun Military Gate mentioned that the Qin Army is five months in arrears on pay, and the Xuan-Da forces seven months in arrears. This old man is also in a difficult position. I will first supplement your troops with half a month's pay. When the Ministry of Revenue's Rations and Pay arrive later, I will make up the rest in full."

"I thank Zhongtang Your Excellency for your concern. The battalion is indeed several months in arrears on pay, but this humble one encountered a righteous merchant at Tongcheng Post who provided aid, so we can still manage to get by. If Your Excellency is in a difficult position, even if this humble one receives no Rations and Pay, the soldiers will still kill the bandits just the same."

Pang Yu's face was full of sincerity, but inwardly he was truly dissatisfied. Liu Yuliang had specifically mentioned the Military Stipend Silver earlier, and Pang Yu had thought he would receive a substantial supplement. In the end, it was only half a month. By the court's calculations, for the Anqing Battalion's two thousand men, that amounted to just over a thousand taels — not even enough to cover half a day's expenses at Tongcheng Post.

From the moment he had arrived in this Ming Dynasty, he had known that the various levels of government offices struggled to meet their obligations, but even now he still found it hard to comprehend that this was the fiscal level of such a vast empire. The rally-to-the-king army, gathered with the strength of the entire nation, had its Rations and Pay expenditures measured in the thousands of taels.

But he could not show his dissatisfaction. There was still the more critical matter of provisions, which he needed to rely on Liu Yuliang to resolve.

At that moment, the Deputy General of the Capital Battalion hurried over, leaned close to Liu Yuliang's ear, and said a few words. Liu Yuliang's expression first changed slightly, then he turned to the Deputy General in astonishment.

Pang Yu waited quietly for a moment. Seeing Liu Yuliang's signal, he hurriedly drew near. Liu Yuliang's expression was incomparably grave as he said to him in a low voice, "Jinan Prefecture has been breached by the Tartars. Come with this old man to Sun Doutang's quarters to discuss matters."

……

Note 1: When the Qing army reached Gaotang Prefecture, they employed their commonly used extortion tactic, demanding that the city pay Rations and Pay to buy peace. Gaotang Prefecture happened to have three hundred thousand taels of Grain Transport Silver in it at the time. The gentry in the city coerced the local government into handing over all the silver to the Qing army in exchange for them not attacking the city. After the Qing army withdrew, everyone involved was arrested and imprisoned, and most still lost their heads.