Chapter 540: Surprise Attack

Under Pang Yu's astonished gaze, the woman called Liu Yin gave a slight smile. "Brother Pang has perhaps been too busy with military affairs to remember. Some years ago, on a certain day upon Taihu, a colleague of Brother Pang's was going about his usual shipping business, leading a group of underlings in a black-canopied boat, when he rammed and damaged the hull of my painted barge. To prevent my people on board from inspecting it, he lied about being a fortune-teller and talked a lot of nonsense. I was so dizzy and disoriented at the time, I had no chance to think of anything else. Whether the Eight Bandits fled in panic or not, I do not know, but this colleague of yours certainly fled in panic very quickly. Just now Brother Pang spoke of integrity and responsibility — tell me, did this colleague of yours, acting in such a manner, live up to integrity and responsibility?"

Pang Yu stared blankly for a long moment. A vague, blurry impression seemed to surface. In his daze, he pointed at the woman. "You're the three... let me think."

Liu Yin said forthrightly, "The divorced concubine of the Chief Minister's residence is indeed this humble woman, also a woman of the wind and dust adrift in the rivers and lakes. That day, that person disguised himself as a fortune-teller and spouted a load of nonsense. At the time, I truly thought he was sincerely trying to console me. It was not until evening, when the boat began to leak, that I suddenly saw the truth."

Hearing "divorced concubine," Pang Yu finally remembered the incident on the lake. He hastily lowered his pointing finger and coughed. "Is what the young lady says true? Did it really damage the boat? That day, I was so intoxicated by the young lady's peerless beauty, I was completely unaware..."

"Though I am a woman, I am still reasonable. That day, I was wearing a veil; you could not see my face, so naturally there was no such intoxication. The breach in the hull was right at the waterline in front of you, clearly visible from your boat. You all fled without a word, and we sailed on unaware. It was not until evening, when the boat began to list, that we discovered the cabin was taking on water. When Brother Pang was fleeing, did it not occur to you that the boat might leak and sink, and that everyone on board might die a terrible death?"

"That point of impact was at least a foot above the waterline. It wouldn't have leaked. It must have been somewhere else..."

"Then Brother Pang admits he saw it. Indeed, it was a foot above the waterline. But how does Brother Pang know the crack did not extend all the way down to the waterline?"

Pang Yu wiped his forehead. "The average depth of Taihu is less than six feet. The young lady's painted barge, sitting there, wouldn't have..."

At this point, Pang Yu looked up and saw Liu Yin's expression was unfriendly. He had no choice but to soften his tone. "That day, it was also the boatman's carelessness. I scolded him for it afterward. With such a big lake to travel on, why did he have to steer straight into the young lady's boat? The boatman also knows he was wrong. But the boat was indeed hired by me, so the accidental collision is naturally my responsibility to bear. That is the meaning of responsibility. I have always felt ashamed in my heart. It is a great fortune to be so fated to meet Miss Liu again here in Hangzhou, giving me a chance to make amends."

"That boat took two months to repair. Tell me, how do you intend to compensate me?"

"Brother Liu, how about this: whatever the repair costs were, I will compensate in full. The lost wages for your attendants, compensation for the fright — I will pay it all. Please, young lady, just name the sum."

Liu Yin tilted her head and looked at him. "If you are a rich man, then you should pay more. If you are poor, I will not ask you to pay anything. You are no shipping merchant at all. Tell me honestly who you are, and then I will decide how much compensation to demand."

Pang Yu had Ruan Dacheng with him this time, and still had to meet Zhang Pu and Zhou Yanru later. He did not want too many people to know. He casually replied, "My identity is confidential and cannot be disclosed. Young lady, just name the sum directly."

"If you won't say, I will simply go ask Mr. Wang."

"Mr. Wang knows his limits. He won't tell you."

Liu Yin looked up at Pang Yu. "Mr. Wang only met you today, but he has known me for a long time. He will certainly tell me."

"There are some things a man simply won't tell a woman."

"This humble woman actually already knows who you are. Mr. Wang already said it just now."

Pang Yu said in astonishment, "When did Mr. Wang say it?"

"He addressed Brother Pang as General. This humble woman has already guessed the gist of it."

Pang Yu said with a perfectly calm expression, "That is because my courtesy name is Jiangjun — meaning 'Gentleman of the River,' indicating that I am a man who values integrity and responsibility above all."

"Then the name truly does not match the reality." Liu Yin looked at him with a slight smile. "Do you really think women are so ignorant? I didn't know the Eight Bandits back then — do you think I still don't know who they are now? You came from Zhongjiang, so you are most likely from Anqing. To make the Eight Bandits flee at the mere rumor of your approach, to make a capable man like Mr. Wang turn away other honored guests, to have Hengshan Villa, Buxi Garden, and Suixi Retreat all reserved solely for Brother Pang, to the point where even your surname was inconvenient to change — I would guess Brother Pang is none other than Pang Yu, Vice General of the Anqing Cavalry Camp, who just recently slew the Eastern Invaders' commander in battle."

Pang Yu's heart skipped a beat. Maintaining a calm exterior, he gave a dry laugh and cleared his throat. "It is merely a shared surname. I am just a boat runner. Brother Liu would do well not to make reckless guesses."

"This humble woman did not wish to make such a guess. Does Brother Pang know why?"

"Why?"

"General Pang's reputation is indeed very resounding. Whenever it is mentioned, the gentlemen of the Restoration Society are full of praise. The Jiangnan Times alone is a great deed benefiting the realm. This Liu has also long admired it. When the Eastern Invaders invaded last year, whenever this servant thought of the people of the north displaced, I could only hate that, being a woman, I could not kill the bandits. Fortunately, the General stepped forward, slew the slave chieftain Yoto in battle, and then immediately joined with the Restoration Society to expel the Eunuch Faction together, which made this humble woman admire General Pang even more deeply."

Pang Yu hurriedly said, "Brother Liu, let me explain. This Jiangnan Times was previously run by the Restoration Society. I merely provided some convenience. The public denunciation was not..."

The woman looked at him sideways. "Then you admit you are Vice General Pang of Anqing."

Pang Yu stared blankly. Earlier, he had been gaining the upper hand in negotiations with Wang Ranming. In his excitement, he had let his guard down for a moment and suffered this woman's surprise attack. A flurry of blows had left him still unable to recover his wits.

"Even if the General admits it, this humble woman still finds it hard to believe. The newspaper wrote that when the great army of Anqing reached the area of Tongcheng Post, the Eastern Invaders' ambush troops rose on all sides. Just when the army's morale was wavering, the General alone swore to stand his ground to the death. Wielding a pair of eighty-jin axes, he bellowed and fought fiercely. Inspired by the General, the troops' morale soared, and they followed the General as he cut through the Eastern Invaders' central army. The slave chieftain, terrified, tried to flee, but the General hurled a great axe through the air, and the slave chieftain's head was instantly separated from his body. The great Eastern Invader army then collapsed." Liu Yin raised her head and scrutinized him carefully for a moment. "Upon reading that, my admiration for the General grew even more. I imagined a figure like Cheng Yaojin, or at the very least Li Helmet. But meeting Brother Pang today, you do not look at all like someone who could send a battle-axe flying. This servant originally believed quite firmly in what the newspaper reported, but now I dare not fully believe it."

Pang Yu waved his hand. "The newspaper is generally in line with the facts, though sometimes the details are slightly exaggerated, I admit. That Cheng Yaojin and Li Helmet are both terribly crude. Who uses battle-axes in war? I am an Imperial Academy scholar who cast aside the brush for the sword — at the very least a Yue Fei or Wang Yangming."

"Then if General Pang does not use battle-axes, what weapon do you use?"

"Yue Fei used a long spear. I am also skilled with the long spear."

Liu Yin, however, paid no attention at all to what weapon he used. She turned her head and continued on her own. "Weapons are ultimately minor details. Originally, in this humble woman's heart, General Pang was a great and honorable man. I never imagined he was that same scoundrel from Taihu that day. That is why this humble woman did not want to guess you were General Pang from Anqing. But the truth is as it is — such is the way fate toys with people."

Pang Yu coughed and said, "Brother Liu, for your discernment: fighting wars and being honorable have little to do with each other. I can indeed be considered a famous general of this era."

Liu Yin nodded, a rare gesture. "As expected, the General speaks reason. Thinking back carefully, Brother Pang already had the bearing of a famous general that day."

As Pang Yu stared in astonishment, Liu Yin said coolly, "The Art of War states: a general must possess wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. Thinking back to that year, when Brother Pang rammed the boat, you remained calm in the face of danger and devised a ruse in an instant to fool my entire boat, ultimately making a clean getaway — that can be called wisdom. You said you would flee in panic, and flee in panic you did — that can be called integrity. Though we were strangers passing by, you still took the time to console a woman of the wind and dust like me — that can be called benevolence. With a single small boat, you dared to ram my flower barge head-on — that can be called courage. Everyone on your boat obeyed the General's orders, and seeing the boat damaged, not one of them uttered a word — that can be called strictness. It is fully evident that Brother Pang is indeed a famous general of this era. No wonder you can send the Roving Bandits and Jurchen Slaves scattering like fallen flowers and flowing waters."

Pang Yu's mind could not process this for a moment, and he did not know how to argue. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Wang Ranming returning, walking in this direction. Pang Yu and Wang Ranming were still in the middle of negotiations; he absolutely could not let his opponent learn of such an embarrassing matter. He glanced left and right, then stepped closer. "Brother Liu, let us discuss something."

Liu Yin tilted her head and looked at him. "Discuss what?"

"I will pay you more silver. Do not mention the boat collision to Mr. Wang."

"I only met you today, but I have known Mr. Wang for a long time. I will certainly warn him to be careful in befriending you, this general of wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and strictness."

Pang Yu said gravely, "It is not for my own sake. Telling him would be bad for Mr. Wang."

"This humble woman feels certain the General owes Mr. Wang a great deal of silver and fears Mr. Wang learning of such past conduct. But I would still like to hear Brother Pang's explanation."

Pang Yu said carefully, "I owe silver to many people, but not to him alone. It is Mr. Wang who is currently facing a difficult matter, one that involves his very life and fortune, and he can only rely on my help. Just now, I already agreed to help him. If you tell him about this matter, he might think me unreliable. Then, thinking it over and over, he might lose his composure, and in the end, it could cost him his life."

Liu Yin looked at him with some doubt. Pang Yu pointed at himself. "Think about what I do. I just returned from killing the slave chieftain. There is a mountain of affairs under heaven waiting for me to handle. If not for Mr. Wang's major issue, I would not have delayed even a single day to come to Zhejiang."

By now, Wang Ranming was getting closer and closer. Pang Yu looked at Liu Yin with an expression full of sincerity. Liu Yin studied him for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Has the young lady agreed?"

Liu Yin, however, fixed her gaze on him and smiled. "In light of Brother Pang's past misdeeds, this humble woman originally did not believe you. But the General's anxious concern just now was written all over his face, and this humble woman now half-believes. Allow me to think it over before I give the General an answer."

At that moment, Wang Ranming arrived nearby. Hearing the word "General," he assumed Pang Yu had already told Liu Yin his identity. He said directly, "Wang has already made the arrangements. I invite General Pang to set out for an excursion on the lake."

He then turned to Liu Yin. "Would Brother Liu be willing to come along?"

Liu Yin glanced at Pang Yu and said, "Since Mr. Wang invites, naturally I will come along."

Wang Ranming smiled and immediately ordered the servants to prepare.

Pang Yu had no idea whether Liu Yin believed him or not. But with Wang Ranming accompanying them here, it was inconvenient to continue his painstaking efforts to persuade Liu Yin. He had no choice but to walk and talk with Wang Ranming as they headed out. The roadside not far along the winding corridor was already lined with carriages and horses.

Pang Yu's guards were quickly ready. All twenty-plus men had brought their horses, wearing neat conical hats and rain capes, standing solemnly in the fine rain. Not a single one looked around or spoke.

Yan Guan had already prepared a raincoat. Pang Yu reached out to take it. Liu Yin happened to walk by at that moment. She stopped in front of the carriage and asked Pang Yu, "Brother Pang, a commander of an entire army, why do you also use oilcloth made of hemp?"

"Military equipment emphasizes toughness and durability, but cost must also be considered. Hemp oilcloth is not as light and comfortable as silk oilcloth, but it is the most commonly used among the common people. It is convenient to procure, reasonably priced, and better at keeping out heavy rain. In the Anqing Battalion, officers and soldiers are treated as one; we eat and wear the same things. Naturally, I use it too."

Liu Yin glanced at the oilcloth and smiled. "Does the General have a spare oilcloth?"

Pang Yu handed over the oilcloth in his hand. "If Brother Liu does not disdain the crudeness of military gear, this one is for you."

Liu Yin received it with both hands, then turned to Wang Ranming beside her. "I must trouble Mr. Wang. With the world-renowned General Pang here, your brother also wishes to experience a taste of armored warhorses."

Wang Ranming said in a low voice, "Brother Liu is still recuperating. It would be better not to get wet in the rain."

"In knowing one another, what matters most is fulfilling each other's nature. Sir, in your dealings with your younger brother, is this not indeed the case?"

Wang Ranming laughed heartily at this and gave a few instructions to a servant nearby. The man left at once and returned moments later leading a mount. Liu Yin had already put on her bamboo hat and draped a hempen oiled rain-cloak over herself, waiting beside her own horse. Her maid was wiping water stains from the saddle with a kerchief, stealing a glare at Pang Yu whenever she had a free moment.

Pang Yu had not understood a single word of their exchange and had no idea what they were talking about, but seeing this woman about to ride a horse while wearing an army-style oiled rain-cloak struck him as rather unconventional — the first time he had seen such a thing since arriving in the Ming dynasty — and his curiosity grew all the more.

At that moment Ruan Dacheng also arrived. Unwilling to show his face in public, he had not come out all morning. Because of the recent Public Denunciation incident, Qian Qianyi also did not want anyone to know he was traveling together with Ruan Dacheng, so Wang Ranming had already sent him off to the shore of West Lake earlier.

Wang Ranming had arranged a separate horse-drawn carriage. As Ruan Dacheng was getting in, Liu Yin spotted him too. Earlier Pang Yu had heard her speak of driving out the Eunuch Faction and had worried she might cause trouble if she saw Ruan Dacheng, but this Liu Yin apparently did not recognize Ruan Dacheng and showed no unusual reaction.

Pang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Just then Wang Ranming walked over. He had put on a bamboo hat and was also preparing to accompany Pang Yu on horseback. With progress made in their business negotiations, his manner had grown even more cordial.

Over on the other side, Liu Yin mounted her horse with her maid's help and sat in the saddle looking quite the part. Pang Yu smiled at the sight and prepared to mount up and set off himself. At that moment a servant came hurrying over, stopped before Wang Ranming, and said in a low voice, "Master, that Xie Sanbin somehow got word and has come chasing over from the west courtyard. He says he wants to follow along to Buxi Garden."

Wang Ranming raised his head rather awkwardly to glance at Liu Yin. Pang Yu followed his gaze and saw Liu Yin's face darken beneath her bamboo hat.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, Liu Yin suddenly cried out loudly, "Brother Pang, there are pursuers coming! Let us have a contest and see who reaches Buxi Garden first."

With that, she tugged the reins and her mount immediately broke into a trot, heading off through the fine rain in the direction of West Lake. (Note 1)

……

Note 1: In the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign, Liu Rushi was convalescing at Huizhou salt merchant Wang Ranming's Hengshan Villa. The first few pieces recorded in Liu Rushi's collected letters were written in the early part of that twelfth year, and her elegy for Yang Yunyou was also composed during this period. During this time, Xie Sanbin pursued Liu Rushi unsuccessfully; apart from spreading slander and malicious rumors everywhere, he repeatedly chased after her with relentless pestering. Liu Rushi had no choice but to ask Wang Ranming to find her another secluded place to hide. This matter is recorded in the fifth letter of Liu Rushi's collected correspondence.

Furthermore, according to later records, Liu Rushi knew how to ride a horse. When she arrived in Nanjing, she entered the city on horseback, bearing a sword.