Chapter 538: Xixi

"By Brocade Pond the blossoms riot in disarray, clouds mass and darken Thunder Peak. Stirred by the mood, I brush the jade zither — clear my heart, and lodge this feeling whole."

At Xixi in Hangzhou, a mild breeze and fine rain were falling. Two women stood gracefully in a waterside pavilion. The one on the left wore a blue stand-collar diagonal-front long gown; the one on the right was dressed in a front-buttoned short jacket, the attire of a maid. Around the pavilion, ponds and lakes encircled them. On the near shore, bamboo and trees screened one another; along the water's edge, reeds grew thickly. A few wild ducks paddled at the fringe of the reeds — the whole scene like a living scroll painting.

"This poem by Yang Yunyou — the young lady has read it so many times already. But the young lady has never met Yang Yunyou, and yet Mr. Wang asks you to write a eulogy for her. I fear the writing will lack true spirit. Isn't this rather forcing someone to do what they cannot?"

The woman in the blue long gown listened and shook her head. "What you have seen of others is only their face; you have not necessarily seen their heart. Some people become soulmates at a single meeting, and there are even those who have never met face to face, yet through poems, lyrics, and paintings they seem to stand right before your eyes."

The maid clapped her hands happily. "So the young lady already has a thread of inspiration! Yang Yunyou rode the crane west many years ago. Separated by the worlds of yin and yang, she has still gained a soulmate like the young lady. If she knew beneath the springs, she would surely be happy."

The woman in blue leaned against a pillar of the pavilion, watching the myriad reeds swaying in the fine rain. Her eyes grew distant as she said slowly, "Weeping for the orchid grass scattered and fallen, pitying the fair one in her twilight. Her face — amid the mist and rain of these desolate hills, one could do nothing but mourn with bitter tears. I wonder whether Yang Yunyou, in the moment of her passing, was truly happy."

"A eulogy is, after all, for the living to read. When the young lady writes it, Mr. Wang will see it and can be without regret." The maid hugged the blue-gowned woman's arm. "Mr. Wang even sent word this morning that an honored guest is coming to Xixi today, and at noon he invites the young lady to join the banquet."

The woman in blue stared silently at the tabletop. The maid tilted her head to look at her and said quietly, "If the young lady is unwilling, surely Mr. Wang would not take offense."

The woman forced a faint smile. "I am but a woman of the wind and dust. I am grateful that Mr. Wang did not disdain me, treated me as a friend of poetry, and allowed me to recover from illness here at Hengshan Villa for so long — sparing us from drifting on the rivers and lakes. Only this past year have I found peace and quiet rest, and my health has shown some improvement. He has an honored guest and invites me to attend the banquet. If I can help the honored guest leave fully content, that will count as a small expression of thanks to Mr. Wang."

The maid tilted her head and looked at the woman in blue. "Has Mr. Wang said anything to the young lady recently?"

"Mr. Wang is a man of generous character. Yang Yunyou passed away more than ten years ago, yet he still asks me to write a eulogy for her. One can see how deeply his feelings run. His heart has long been occupied by someone he thinks of."

"Is it that Miss Lin from Fujian? I heard that Lin Tian Su and Yang Yunyou both made a living selling paintings at West Lake back then. Could it be that Mr. Wang appears to be thinking of Yang Yunyou, but in truth he is thinking of Lin Tian Su?"

The woman in blue smiled. "Miss Lin is a free and easy person, just like this Yang Yunyou — coming and going through the world untrammeled, clinging to nothing, leaning on no one. I envy them, but I still cannot learn to be like them."

The maid was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know whether they were free and easy people. Not everyone must be a free and easy person. The young lady's talent and beauty are matchless in this world — surely there will be a kindred lover for her. A woman must always have a home to return to. But it is certainly not someone like Xie Sanbin. And why does Mr. Wang, knowing full well that Xie Sanbin harbors ill intentions, still let him linger here?"

The woman in blue furrowed her brows and gave a bitter smile, then let out a long sigh. The maid said no more, merely helped her spread out a sheet of Petition Paper and, on the other side, began to grind ink.

The woman did not rush to pick up her brush. Instead, she gazed out at the fine rain beyond the pavilion, lost in thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement beneath the covered corridor to the north. She focused her gaze: it was Mr. Wang and several others, just arrived at the lakeside. The dignified and handsome Mr. Wang sat down on a long bench by the corridor, talking all the while with a young scholar beside him — warm and enthusiastic, yet with a touch of deference. The young scholar had a handsome, refined appearance, but his bearing was remarkably steady and composed; he listened while nodding slightly.

"Could that young gentleman be today's honored guest? Why does he look somewhat familiar?"

The maid turned her head and studied him carefully for a long while. "Why do I also find his face familiar?"

The woman frowned and looked doubtfully toward the young scholar chatting animatedly with Wang Ranming. "We've definitely seen him. Why can't I recall at all?"

"The people who come and go at this Hengshan Villa are all refined gentlemen. He seems very close with Mr. Wang — he must be a rising star among the scholars. Let us think again where we have seen him."

The woman in blue closed her eyes for a moment, as if grasping at a thread of memory, but it always fell just short — she simply could not recall who he was. She had to open her eyes and look again. The scholar was now speaking confidently to Mr. Wang; both their expressions were very genial.

The maid rubbed her forehead. "I can't remember either. What they are discussing must be Mr. Wang's favorite topic — poetry and verse. Perhaps if we listen for a while, we will know."

"Everyone eats their meals on the river. General Pang controls both the Anqing Land Camp and the Water Camp. If he wants the Hui Gang to follow General Pang's rules at the Anqing docks, I feel that — whether it is taking a cut, or making a Donation Tribute to General Pang — it is a matter within reason. The Hui Gang is by no means a bunch of stubborn, unreasonable men."

Beneath the covered corridor, Wang Ranming personally took a teacup and placed it in Pang Yu's hand. A servant then set out a small side table and arranged three or four kinds of pastries on it.

Wang Ranming waved a hand at the waiting servants, signaling them to withdraw. Then, after a pause, he said, "But now this Canal Gang has emerged in Anqing. From Wuhan on the Upper River to Zhenjiang on the Lower River, every dock must follow Anqing's rules. Otherwise, loading and unloading are forbidden — even passing by without docking is not permitted. On the river, they seize boats at will. Of the dozen or so boats the Hui Gang has had seized, more than half were not seized in the Anqing river section. Some of my fellow townsmen have said, is this not somewhat unreasonable? There are even those planning to petition the Censors to submit an impeachment. I have held them all back, saying that perhaps there is some misunderstanding in between. Let me first speak with General Pang, let everyone lay their words out clearly — there is no need for both sides to suffer losses."

Pang Yu picked up a piece of candied fruit and put it in his mouth. Sour and sweet, it was quite delicious — he had no idea where it came from, but judging by Wang Ranming's wealth, it was surely the finest local specialty from somewhere along the river. Wang Ranming was polite, but his words carried a veiled threat. In particular, the Anqing Water Camp seizing boats far from its designated zone was, in the past, a grave taboo at court. In former times, upon hearing such an accusation, military officers would immediately lower their banners and fall silent.

But Pang Yu wore an utterly unconcerned expression. He slowly chewed the candied fruit a few times, swallowed, and after clearing his throat said, "Mr. Wang, your discernment is keen. There are indeed rules on the river from Wuchang to Nanjing, but they are not rules Anqing has arbitrarily imposed. It is because the Roving Bandits are running rampant in Jiangbei. Now the north is in ruins, the common people suffer grievous torment — only the lands south of the Great River still have a path to survival. If we do not strictly clear the river and suppress the bandits, what happens when the Roving Bandits slip across the river? Mr. Wang resides in Zhejiang, but once across the Great River, there is no defensible terrain. When I defend the river, I am in fact defending countless gentlemen and commoners of Nanzhili just like Mr. Wang — and also defending the many people south of Jiangxi and Huguang. Only then can people buy Huai Salt, can they not? Should I not carry out my duties with all seriousness?"

Wang Ranming was momentarily stunned. "You should, only..."

Pang Yu waved a hand and cut him off. "Mr. Wang indeed understands the greater picture. The stretch from Wuhan to before Jiujiang is the river section patrolled by Huguang. Huguang is overrun with Roving Bandits; all Rations and Pay have gone to training Land Battalions. Fang Military Gate, worried that the river defenses are unstable, therefore invited the Anqing Water Camp to come reinforce the river defense. I bear a heavy responsibility — how dare I slacken for even a moment? I can only strictly clear the river and suppress the bandits. The section from Jiujiang to Zongyang is originally the river section under the Anqing Water Camp's jurisdiction. After that is the Digang Water Camp. Some places along the river are also making their own preparations against bandits — places like Wuhu, Pukou, and Hezhou. Preparing against bandits naturally requires both water and land forces; having some military boats is common practice. Everyone is defending the river, and we constantly exchange information with Anqing. We discussed it together: checking only the river surface yields half the result for twice the effort. We must strictly inspect both docks and river surface together. When a boat docks and its people and cargo are inspected, it flies a square flag. Then the military boats on the river need not inspect every single boat — good steel is used on the blade's edge. Only in this way can we prevent the Roving Bandits from slipping across the river. Or perhaps it is that the men below are too zealous in their work. Especially last September, when I went north to rally to the king — being far away, I was remiss in disciplining the Water Camp. This often led people to misunderstand that I was deliberately making trouble. In truth, it was merely that the river clearing was a bit excessive. River defense concerns the lives and fortunes of millions of common people in Jiangnan — a bit of excess is no great matter. That is why I ordinarily do not explain. But with Mr. Wang, I felt an instant kinship, and with Mr. Yushan mediating, I have made a point of explaining it to you, sir. I beg your understanding."

Wang Ranming looked at Pang Yu's eager, smiling face and for a moment found it hard to vent his anger. But the Anqing Naval Force controlled the entire Upper River and Zhongjiang — including both the river surface and the docks — and demanded that all transactions use Silver Notes or Banknotes. The Hui Gang's upstream trade was entirely in Huai Salt. Whether Official Salt or Private Salt, a single boatload represented an enormous sum.

The Big River Bank had only abruptly appeared in Nanjing in recent years, and those Banknotes had only begun to be issued last year. The Hui Gang was not at all willing to exchange real gold and silver for paper. Since the start of spring this year, conflicts between the two sides had gradually increased — which was precisely why he had arranged this meeting with Pang Yu.

Pang Yu shoved everything onto the pretext of clearing the river and defending against bandits, waving that tiger-skin banner with a great flapping sound. Moreover, he merely asked for Wang Ranming's understanding, without the slightest hint that there was room for negotiation.

Wang Ranming observed the guards around the corridor from the corner of his eye. Pang Yu's personal escort troops were indeed different from the ordinary Battalion Commanders one usually saw. If it were an ordinary Regional Commander, the Hui Gang would not have the patience to deal with him like this. But the news that this General Pang had slain Yoto in battle had spread rapidly with the Jiangnan Times, and he was about to be promoted to Anqing Regional Commander. The Hui Gang had no choice but to handle him with care.

Wang Ranming smiled and said, "The General suppresses bandits for the nation — how dare I accept the word 'understanding'? I merely hoped to exchange a few words with the General, so that we might discuss and resolve the entanglements between our two sides without damaging goodwill. Apart from the river clearing and boat seizures, there is also the matter of the Official Loans in Nanjing to discuss with the General together. The Bai Men Silver Bank is the General's enterprise. In business, one might say everyone relies on their own ability. But I have just received word that the Bai Men Silver Bank, a few days ago, lowered the interest on Nanjing's Official Loans by five percent. Your subordinate Liu Shopkeeper even put out word that if the Hui Gang follows suit and lowers its interest, then the Bai Men Silver Bank will lower it by another five percent — no matter how much the Hui Gang lowers it, he will lower it five percent more. This time, it is I who beg General Pang's understanding. If the Hui Gang does not lower its interest by these five percent, all the business will go to the Bai Men Silver Bank. Therefore, we can only follow and lower it. If things truly proceed as Liu Shopkeeper proposes, the two sides will keep competing until there is no profit left before it stops. I am also a member of the Hui Gang, but I mainly deal in the Huai Salt trade and do not engage in Official Loans. It is just that many of my fellow townsmen run silver shops and pawnbrokeries. Knowing that I am acquainted with Mr. Yushan, they thought to avoid ruining an entire line of business over a contest of pride, and so, overestimating their ability, they asked me to mediate."

"The Official Loans in Nanjing are profitable. Previously, the Hui Gang had always handled them, but that does not mean they are fixed as the Hui Gang's. If I wish to do them, I can do them, and how I do them does not require the Hui Gang's permission." Pang Yu paused for a moment, then said, "But in business, one values harmony bringing wealth. The interest on Nanjing's Official Loans can be restored to the original rate. I could even withdraw from the Official Loan business entirely. But the Hui Gang must also give me some benefits in return."

Wang Ranming said politely, "General Pang is a straightforward man. Please speak frankly, without reservation."

"Trade Huai Salt using Banknotes, according to the rules on the river."

Wang Ranming had more or less guessed this. "The Great River Silver Bank takes deposits and pays interest — there must be a source for that. The Times says the funds are all lent to the Great River Shipping Company. The annual trade in Rice and Beans alone on the river amounts to tens of millions of taels. Add in other commercial goods, and issuing ten million in Banknotes would take no effort at all. The interest would be one million taels. The Shipping Company cannot earn that much silver — what will they use to repay it? On what exactly does the General rely to guarantee that we can redeem our silver?"