Chapter 506: Meritorious Service

In the wilderness under nightfall, specks of fire like scattered stars ignited. The outskirts of Wangzhuang were piled high with all manner of collected carriages, livestock, and supplies, just like the Qing army camp two days before — only now the occupants inside were the Anqing Battalion.

Zhou Yuji and the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops had each occupied a village to the south. These villages had been burned by the Qing army that morning but could still serve as temporary camps. Because Pang Yu had set up a military hospital in Wangzhuang and the wounded were difficult to move, the Heavy Infantry had to remain garrisoned there. The cavalry, Logistics Soldiers, and civilian laborers took two other villages to the south, gathering up those common folk who had scattered and fled.

Pang Yu stood outside Xicunkou. He had just finished inspecting the perimeter defenses. Although the ice in the Yongding River had melted, if the enemy sent only light troops across for a night raid, it was still feasible. The Anqing army's camp had not relocated, and the Qing knew its position well, so the night watch dared not slacken in the slightest.

There were no common folk to the northeast of Wangzhuang, but many campfires had been lit there as well, with scattered civilian laborers adding firewood to them. This was something Pang Yu had learned from the Roving Bandits; Zhang Xianzhong had arranged his night defenses this way at Tongcheng. Though a manpower-consuming method, it was highly effective.

Tu Dianli and Jiang Guoyong flanked him. Pang Yu's patrol was more for show, to demonstrate that he took it seriously. The Advisory Room and the Pacification Squad, however, were acting out of duty.

After completing the sentry inspection, Pang Yu took two Squads of Heavy Infantry and continued south. There, firelight stretched across the wilds. Beside the fire beacons were the rescued common folk, most of whom had fled in the wrong direction. Reaching the Yongding River with no way to cross, they had been forced to turn back south, exhausting the last of their strength around Wangzhuang.

Some of the common folk had given up fleeing and simply waited in place for the Government Troops to come and behead them. But the Government Troops who emerged from the village did not embark on a slaughter. They merely rounded up horses everywhere. Then someone began organizing the common folk, gathering them to collect the surrounding supplies.

After nightfall, most of the Government Troops returned to the village. The common folk lit their own fires and cooked. Discarded pots and bowls lay everywhere, and grain was scattered all over the ground. A few civilian laborers who had stayed behind maintained order, but they could not watch over everything at once, and brawls and looting still broke out from time to time around the various fire beacons.

Now, seeing Government Troops approaching, those who had been quarreling and fighting all stopped. These common folk knelt one after another toward Pang Yu.

Pang Yu swept his gaze around. The men without hats had almost all had their heads shaved. Further south, there was still a contingent of Gao Qiqian's trailing pursuit force. If the common folk headed south on their own and ran into them on the road, they would truly be delivering their own heads.

From the pitch-black wilderness in the distance came one piercing, wretched wail after another. Tu Dianli leaned in and said, "Sir, those are women who have gone mad. They just wander everywhere and won't eat."

Pang Yu nodded. In such a dynasty's twilight, having been abducted into such a train, the plight of these women needed no asking. The other common folk could barely look after themselves and naturally lacked the awareness to care for others. Pang Yu stared blankly at the pitch-black wilderness before him.

At that moment, an advisor came running hastily over. "Sir, the lookout reports that roughly two to three thousand troops are approaching from the direction of Dong'an, marching through the night with torches lit. Cavalry have been dispatched to confirm."

Pang Yu grunted an acknowledgment and turned his head to look west. He could faintly make out a few sparks of firelight. "Go notify the Capital Battalion and the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops. Tell them to be on alert."

The advisor took the order and left at once. Jiang Guoyong hesitated a moment, then said, "The Pacification Squad from the First Cavalry Company reported back that when they were intercepting horses to the south, they saw men from the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops killing innocents. Some from the Capital Battalion are doing it too. Should we..."

Pang Yu waved his hand, signaling Jiang Guoyong not to continue the topic. "Our Pacification Squad concerns itself only with matters inside the battalion."

Jiang Guoyong retreated in silence. At that moment, another advisor hurried over and said urgently to Pang Yu, "Reporting for your knowledge, sir: Sun Doutang has already crossed the river."

"Reporting for the Doutang's knowledge: in this intercept operation on the south bank of the Yongding River, every battalion has reaped considerable harvests. Some bodies in the river at Yangcun still need to be retrieved, and the heads are still being verified. The total should be no fewer than five hundred. Several Tartar General Officers have been confirmed."

In a somewhat larger courtyard south of Wangzhuang, lamps blazed brightly. Sun Chuanting crouched before a pile of severed heads, picking them up one by one to examine them.

He had crossed the river in the night precisely to confirm the battle merits, and also to verify the Tartars' losses, so he could formulate the subsequent plan.

A veteran of army life, he did not go straight to look at the heads. Instead, he first inspected the sites of engagement. He examined both places where the fighting had been fiercest, to the east and west, and then questioned Pang Yu on the course of the battle. These traces of combat, matched against the account, could not deceive him.

Sun Chuanting had already determined that these heads were all genuine. After he rose, Pang Yu led him over to a corpse. Beside the body lay a stripped-off suit of Mountain Pattern Armor, stained all over with blood.

"This man is Holben, the elite guard Commander of the Plain Red Banner. His armor and weapons are all here; only his Recognition Banner was not captured."

Sun Chuanting had already received a preliminary report before crossing the river. Now, upon confirmation, he was still somewhat stirred. He crouched before the corpse and scrutinized it carefully, then picked up the Mountain Pattern Armor to inspect it. Pang Yu signaled the guards to bring over Holben's bow and Waist Saber.

Although a elite guard Standard-Bearer Commander was not the equal of a Meile Zhangjing, his actual status within a banner was very high. Now that they had obtained the body, it was an indisputable major merit. The only regret was not capturing the Recognition Banner.

Pang Yu pointed nearby. "The one behind is a Jalan Commander of the Plain Red Banner. There are also two True Yi company Zhangjing, one Red Banner Mongol company Zhangjing, and one Taiji each from the Naiman and the captured Chahar — all confirmed by captives."

Sun Chuanting walked slowly along, examining the several heads and sets of armor and weapons laid out behind in turn. He praised, "The Anqing Battalion intercepted the returning army. This single engagement is truly a Victory unmatched in decades."

Pang Yu hurriedly said, "This defeat of the rebels was not something the Anqing Battalion could accomplish alone. It relied entirely upon your skillful disposition, sir, and upon the Household Retainers of the various participating garrisons fighting bravely to kill the rebels. The cavalry units of Lintao, the Provincial Commander's Standard Troops, and the Capital Battalion attacked most fiercely. The Jurchen Slaves left corpses strewn across the fields. When my battalion collected them, it was hard to distinguish, and perhaps we gathered some that other garrisons had slain. I dare not monopolize such great merit. I report this inside information to you first, sir."

Sun Chuanting looked at Pang Yu. The lowest-ranking rebel officer laid out before them was a company Zhangjing, which in the past would have been a great merit, let alone a Jalan Commander and a elite guard Standard-Bearer Commander. When crossing the river earlier, Sun Chuanting had still been pondering how to distribute the military merits and worrying that Pang Yu would be displeased. Now Pang Yu was actually taking the initiative to share these battle merits, and primarily with Sun Chuanting's own trusted men, even including Cao Bianjiao on the north bank.

Pang Yu, of course, would not do this unconditionally. Sun Chuanting waited patiently for him to speak.

After a moment, Pang Yu spoke. "Sun Doutang, my scouts have detected and learned that the Tartars' Right Route commander, the Bordered Red Banner's Banner Lord Beile Yoto, was wounded by my battalion at Tongcheng Post. His injury later worsened, and he has died in Jinan."

Sun Chuanting turned around in astonishment. "There is such a thing? Is it certain?"

"We have interrogated captives. They all say that Yoto has indeed not been seen for a long time, and that the one in charge is the Bordered Red Banner's Beile Dudu. The Tartars, fearing a loss of military prestige, told all the General Officers in the camp that he died of smallpox."

Pang Yu's words mixed truth and falsehood, but the meaning was clearly conveyed. Sun Chuanting naturally understood.

But this news was too significant. Sun Chuanting was first astonished, then his brow furrowed in silence. Pang Yu knew that Sun Chuanting needed time to digest this information before he could decide how to use it.

Regarding the confirmation of military merits, the Ministry of War held absolute authority. By principle, it was rigorous, but it often compromised according to the circumstances. For example, when the Qing army had swept south previously, the Ministry of War had held its nose and acknowledged multiple Victories to placate the surging public opinion at court.

This was also beneficial to the Ministry of War. With the Qing army having entered the border and rampaged through two provinces this time, Yang Sichang had long been utterly beleaguered. From top to bottom, everyone needed this Meritorious Service. The only difference was to whom this head would be credited.

But a Meritorious Service involving the slaying of the enemy commander was more complicated still, because without the corpse, there was no proof. If the Ministry of War acknowledged it, the Emperor would certainly learn of it, and one had to guard against him taking it seriously.

The Ministry of War would first need to confirm how much truth there really was to the information, and only then consider whether to compromise.

Sun Chuanting could probably guess that Yoto had not died of severe wounds, but confirming a death in battle was advantageous to him. As long as the Ministry of War acknowledged it, then Yoto was killed in battle. Slaying the enemy commander in battle was enough to offset all the faults he had committed since taking office.

The risk for Pang Yu was whether this Meritorious Service would be given to him. Once the news spread, every garrison would try to find a way.

Sun Chuanting here was the first hurdle. As long as this Commander-in-Chief of Relief signed and reported it, it would confirm that the merit was earned at Tongcheng Post. Only the Anqing Battalion had fought there, so no one else could snatch it away. Then, if the Ministry of War compromised, the Meritorious Service would be Pang Yu's.

The current difficulty was that Yoto's death from illness was merely intelligence, yet they wanted to make it the greatest merit since the Eastern Affairs began. If Sun Chuanting rashly reported it, as long as the Ministry of War acknowledged it, the Emperor would certainly know. If it were ultimately proven false, it would be a severe blow to the court's authority. The Emperor would surely vent his anger on Sun Chuanting, and the effect of this Victory would be more than half nullified. If Liu Yuliang then added insult to injury, the situation would reverse again.

Furthermore, there were other battalions among the forces rallying to the king, some of which had not participated in the Battle of Yongding River. If the distribution of battle merits was too skewed, those who had gained not an inch of merit would rise up en masse to attack. Sun Chuanting also had to consider this carefully.

Pang Yu thought for a moment, then continued, "What I think in my heart is very simple. In this Battle of Yongding River, the corpses, armor, and weapons are present. The participating garrisons and battalions naturally have their merits, needless to say. Previously, at the Battle of Tongcheng Post, the soldiers of Anqing fought bravely and slew the Tartars' Right Wing false commander, only failing to secure the corpse. If, because of that, the merit is not verified, it cannot help but chill the hearts of brave men who serve the nation."

Sun Chuanting stared at the heads on the ground. Pang Yu's meaning was very clear: all the great merits here would go to the participating battalions, to be distributed by Sun Chuanting as he saw fit. The condition was that the Decapitation Merit for Yoto be confirmed as Pang Yu's.

"Doutang, sir, this subordinate has heard that Liu Guangzuo has been taken into the Wuqing County jail."

Sun Chuanting nodded firmly. "Before noon, he was still fighting on the north bank... Previously, the Imperial Approval on Liu Zhongtang's Impeachment Memorial came back, ordering Liu Guangzuo's immediate Execution Before the Troops. At the time of this great battle, I thought it extremely inappropriate. Before coming here, I argued forcefully with Liu Zhongtang and managed to have him first detained in the county office for Watch and Control."

"If Liu Guangzuo had a hundred Decapitation Merits, perhaps the Ministry of War could be made to retract the order?"

Pang Yu looked up at Sun Chuanting. He did not know the extent of the conflict between Sun Chuanting and Liu Yuliang. Previously, Liu Yuliang had impeached Liu Guangzuo, and the court had just ordered his execution. Giving Liu Guangzuo a great merit now would put Liu Yuliang over the fire.

Sure enough, Sun Chuanting's expression was hesitant. Now, with the great merit of Yongding River, he could use the opportunity to repair relations with Liu Yuliang, or he could seize the chance to bring him down. Each had its own considerations. The biggest concern was striking but not toppling him; if they tore all face apart, Liu Yuliang would be his mortal enemy from then on.

Pang Yu turned and signaled the guards. Immediately, someone unfurled a large banner. Sun Chuanting looked over with some puzzlement.

Pang Yu walked to the Recognition Banner and said, "Reporting for the Doutang's knowledge: this is the Recognition Banner of the Plain Red Banner's Banner Commander. That banner's Banner Commander, Du Lei, was pursued and attacked by my battalion while crossing the river at Yangcun. He was severely wounded and fell into the water; his life or death is unknown. The Recognition Banner was captured by me."

Sun Chuanting picked up the Banner Commander's banner and examined it carefully. Pang Yu had spoken very flexibly. Sun Chuanting guessed in his heart that the Banner Commander was most likely not dead, but capturing the Recognition Banner was still an extraordinary battle merit. It at least proved that the enemy's Central Army had been routed, and it was indeed possible that the Banner Commander was wounded or killed.

This battle merit was second only to Yoto's, and it was well-founded. The Ministry of War would certainly acknowledge it. As long as this great merit was given to Liu Guangzuo, Liu Yuliang's earlier Impeachment Memorial would become a joke. Then Sun Chuanting could easily bring down Liu Yuliang, or at least gain control over the military orders of the forces rallying to the king.

Sun Chuanting did not commit. He waved his hand, signaling Pang Yu to withdraw. "Allow me to think."

Pang Yu retreated several steps back, stopping only when he reached the courtyard wall. Pang Ding, who had been waiting by the wall all along, leaned in and whispered, "Young Master, why are we giving away so many Tartar General Officers just to contend for a Head-Hunting Merit with no corpse in sight?"

"If we don't want to stay in the Nine Borders, these battle merits would have to be given away anyway." Pang Yu tilted his head and lowered his voice. "Whether court officials or common folk, what do they love to hear most? Compared to several hundred heads, slaying a general and capturing a banner has far better spreadability. A headline in the Jiangnan Times: 'Vice General Pang of Anqing Slays Jurchen Slave Commander in Battle — The Greatest Merit Since the Eastern Affairs Began.' That can spread far and wide for a long time. This is crucial for us. This edition must be printed ten times over!"

Pang Yu turned his head back after speaking. Ahead, Sun Chuanting stood alone at the cannon emplacement where the wall was breached, gazing at the starry array of fire beacons to the north, lost in thought about who knew what.