Chapter 551: A True Hero

On the official road at Shipai Town in Anqing, people crowded thick as weaving, a clamor rising everywhere — the army that had rallied to the king was returning to its garrison at Shipai.

Northwest of Matang Lake, a scattering of thatched sheds spread out; this place was relatively quiet — it was Pozidun Fort, under the jurisdiction of Anqing Battalion.

These several hundred thatched sheds were built by lashing reeds onto bamboo poles; intersecting paths still remained among the sheds, and at the center of Cross Street stood the best house in the fort, with mud-brick walls surrounding the cluster of sheds.

Over a hundred women stood by the roadside, staring blankly at a scrawny, scab-headed man in front of the thatched house; many women whispered among themselves, and some even laughed quietly, sizing the scab-head up and down with mocking eyes.

Tan Laizi, luggage in hand, twitched at the corner of his mouth and reached out to push open the door of the mud-brick house, only to find it actually had a lock hanging on it.

Not a single one of the fort's managers was around; lifting his eyes to scan the crowd of women surrounding him, Tan Laizi broke out in sweat on his forehead.

After an awkward silence of a few moments before the mud-brick house, Tan Laizi suddenly spun around and roared furiously at the circle of women, "What are you crowding around Tan Ye for — is all the work in the fort done? You think just because Lord Pang isn't in Anqing you can stop working? In broad daylight, not a single manager is here — if an assignment comes to press grain levies, dispatch transport, or clear the roads, who's going to take it? Delay military affairs and I'll have every one of your heads chopped off."

At the words "Lord Pang," the watching women all startled and instinctively stepped back, the circle instantly widening considerably. Tan Laizi's morale soared; he strode forward a step, jabbed a finger at the women before him, and raged on, "The Household Office sent Tan Ye here precisely to see how you lot do your work — no wonder the yamen says to disband Pozidun. With the way you carry on, I say it ought to be disbanded and done with. The deputy fort chief, the instructor, the clerk — all absent. Tan Ye will personally report the state of these managers to the Household Office, to Lord Pang. Tan Ye can still deal with the underlings — where are the Chiefs of Ten and the Team Leaders? All of you, step forward for Tan Ye!"

At once, some women in the crowd turned and left; the circle instantly disintegrated. Those who remained also retreated several paces, watching this scab-head warily.

After the encircling crowd dispersed, Tan Laizi let out a breath and began sizing up the women who had stayed nearby; those who were passable to the eye, he tried his best to memorize their faces. Back when he had managed these people, it had still been called the Women's Camp — too short a time, his memory very hazy; a fresh record was necessary.

Just then, two women came hurrying up the main road from the north; the one in the lead was none other than Yuan Pozi, whom Tan Laizi recognized.

Unlike other fortified villages, Pozidun Fort had not been allotted land, so its station had never been fixed.

It was first settled at Susong, where they followed the work of building the city wall; after Susong began brick-facing, they moved on to Taihu, again doing odd labor for city construction.

After the great battle at Susong, the Roving Bandits in the surrounding area no longer dared come to Anqing, and Taihu had been at peace for all this time — but building on a sandy soil foundation was truly difficult, and the city wall was still unfinished. The Taihu region could no longer sustain the effort, so the great city-building project had to be halted.

Once the infrastructure project stopped, the Women's Camp's rations and pay could not keep up, and resettlement became a troublesome problem. Those women in the Western Camp's Women's Camp who had some status — such as the wives and concubines of General Officers, High Shines, and Precious Banner Bearers — had long since been screened out and sent to Zongyang. Those who remained were all of low status; because they had mingled in the bandit camps, most of the Native Folk were unwilling to marry them, yet they could not simply be killed.

The vast majority of other fortified villages had previously been single Servants, and they could barely support themselves as it was; if so many single women were sent there, livelihoods could not be sustained, and it would stir up no end of trouble — the fort chiefs could not manage it.

So the Household Office had the Women's Camp stay at Taihu for two months, cutting supplies as much as possible and not placing them under Watch and Control, thinking to force these women to run off on their own. If not many were left by then, they could be merged into other fortified villages. In the end, after two months, only twenty or so had run off, most of them attaching themselves to nearby Native Folk; the total was still over seven hundred, too many to disperse among the other fortified villages. In the end, they were relocated to Shipai Town.

The current acting deputy fort chief was precisely this Yuan Pozi, now walking over. Her face was all hard, fleshy scowls. She had been promoted by Tan Laizi back in Erlang Town and had served as deputy fort chief for the past two years; the previous fort chief had already been transferred away by the Household Office.

She had suffered greatly in the Western Camp, so this woman treated others with considerable harshness. That very night in Erlang Town, she had wanted to beat and kill the other women; later, when Tan Laizi left his post, this woman had been cold in word and manner and had not even come to see him off.

As Yuan Pozi approached, their eyes met; Yuan Pozi recognized Tan Laizi, and both warily sized each other up.

Tan Laizi knew this woman's temperament. Now that he had instead become a Dun Household member under her, he had no idea how she would deal with him, and his heart was deeply uneasy. But he suddenly noticed a hint of evasiveness in her eyes — not so fierce and vicious, even somewhat meek.

In the lightning-flash instant of those last two steps, the one hundred billion neurons in Tan Laizi's brain fired at furious speed, calculating just how much information about himself Yuan Pozi had likely grasped, to produce such a look.

Two steps later, Yuan Pozi halted before him. Tan Laizi put on a cold expression but said nothing, his eyes closely tracking Yuan Pozi's reaction.

Yuan Pozi's gaze wavered twice, and she said cautiously, "Tan… Old Master, this time you've come, this time, is it, well…"

Tan Laizi raised his right hand slightly, stopping her. From that fragment of speech, he was certain she had received orders from the Household Office — but the orders were likely very terse, leaving Yuan Pozi unable to grasp the situation.

In the past, at Qianshan's Second Fortified Village, he had often dealt with people from the Household Office. Although the Household Clerk had been sidelined, that was by the official clerk appointed by Pang Yu; as an institution, the Household Office was still a powerful one that managed affairs. Those clerks looked down on the bandit men and women of the fortified villages, often giving offhand orders without explaining the whys and wherefores; contradictory and vague commands were common. The fort chiefs dared not ask too many questions and could only rely on their own interpretation — and when errors occurred, they got a vicious scolding. Tan Laizi swiftly grasped Yuan Pozi's situation: she knew he had become a Dun Household member, but not how he had become one.

This time, the Household Office had issued two letters of appointment. First came the order from the Central Army Secretariat: the Household Office appointed him fort chief, then changed it to Dun Household member. The matter of his capture involved the Pacification Squad and the Document Team, while Jiang Guan's Roving Bandit spy case involved the Dark Sentinel Division — in the end, it turned into two orders from the Household Office. With so many agencies involved, the Household Office would not have written it out so clearly; add to that the earlier report in the Great River Times, and Yuan Pozi simply could not make sense of it.

Now sure of his ground, Tan Laizi unhurriedly swept his gaze around. After a long moment, he said coldly, "Everyone along the whole Great River knows that Tan Ye came back this time with a fat pile of silver. Yuan Pozi, are you wondering why Tan Ye has still come to this Women's Camp?"

Sure enough, Yuan Pozi, her rhythm now controlled by Tan Laizi, immediately leaned in and said, "This old woman is muddled — so is Tan Ye the fort chief, or is it, well…"

"Tan Ye has come this time with an order token signed by Mr. Yu of the Central Army Secretariat and issued to the Household Office — a formal appointment as fort chief."

At the mention of the Central Army Secretariat, Yuan Pozi's expression changed, and her manner grew much more respectful.

"You know how Tan Ye caught Lord Pang's eye? It was back in Xuzhou, when the great army was short on grain and that Magistrate made things difficult for Lord Pang. The moment Tan Ye saw it, his temper flared. Others feared the stones hurled from the city walls — not Tan Ye. I stood below the wall and argued for three whole days, moving the gentry and commoners of the entire city, and bought the urgently needed army grain. Go ask anywhere in Xuzhou — who doesn't know of Tan Ye from Anqing?" Tan Laizi clasped his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised. "Lord Pang promised it himself in front of all those people — he settled that Tan Ye would be the Pozidun fort chief. But after returning to Anqing these past few days, Tan Ye has heard many managers in the yamen saying that the people of Pozidun Fort are lazy and averse to work, and that every few days someone runs off — better to disband it outright and distribute them to the other fortified villages. Mr. Yu of the Central Army Secretariat has already been persuaded."

Tan Laizi paused deliberately; both Yuan Pozi and the other woman showed tense expressions. Only then did he continue, "It was precisely because there was so much loose talk in the yamen that Tan Ye went to speak with Mr. Yu. I said that a fortified village, if it's kept, must always have some use — that way, no one can say anything. But Tan Ye always thinks of not making things difficult for Lord Pang. I said, don't make me a fort chief for now — Tan Ye has never cared about official posts. As long as the assignment gets done properly first, what does it matter if I come to this fortified village as a mere Dun Household member? Let me first see just what state this Pozidun is in, whether it truly ought to be kept. That Household Clerk absolutely refused at first, saying that Tan Ye's post as fort chief was personally decided by Lord Pang and no one could change it. Tan Ye wrangled with him for three days before he grudgingly agreed to let me be this Dun Household member."

Yuan Pozi put on a look of sudden enlightenment, as if a puzzle that had vexed her for years had been solved. She promptly fished out a string of keys and made to open the door; Tan Laizi waved his hand, telling her to speak right there in front of the door.

"Yuan Pozi, tell me: what assignments does the fort handle now? How is it that people are saying this fort would be better off disbanded?"

Yuan Pozi said anxiously, "Old Master Tan, you mustn't listen to the nonsense those yamen people spout. Pozidun came to Shipai last year precisely because the cavalry battalion here has so many animals. Before those cavalrymen left, there were over five thousand head; later, when they went off to war, the Stable Office people kept buying more — no telling how many they bought. In any case, the Relay Couriers from Chizhou have sold off all the post-horses and relay horses; they've all crossed the river to Anqing. Besides horses, there are mules and donkeys aplenty too. The amount of forage needed is enormous, and it's the Women's Camp that's been drying and supplying it — never once shorting the cavalry battalion. I don't know which office in the yamen is wagging their loose tongues, but Old Master Tan, now that you've come, this slave's heart is at ease. You must speak to Lord Pang — Pozidun has never delayed its work; it's better to keep it."

Tan Laizi put on a swaggering air before the crowd of women, while Yuan Pozi wore an ingratiating look. She leaned in and said in a low voice, "It's hard on you, Old Master, to still keep Pozidun in your thoughts. This slave still remembers your preferences clearly. Now this Pozidun has some income after all; food and clothing are not lacking, and as for women, even less so…"

Tan Laizi gave a dry cough and said, "Tan Ye is a proper man — no need to speak of such things; just see to them quietly when the time comes. As for Lord Pang's side, Tan Ye will naturally go and speak; you needn't worry. In these next Two Days, bring the fort's accounts of Rations and Pay for this official to review. Summon all the Banner Chiefs and Team Leaders for Tan Ye to inspect their… to question them. So many women depend on this fort for their livelihood, and those yamen people want to disband it with a few empty words — where is everyone supposed to go and make a living? Who knows what ill intentions they harbor. Tan Ye cannot abide injustice most of all; with this official here, you needn't worry."

Yuan Pozi and the other woman thanked him profusely. Only then did Tan Laizi step aside from the door. Yuan Pozi produced the key, unlocked it, and Tan Laizi walked in to take a look — still rather crude, not matching the conditions at Qianshan's Second Fort.

He went straight to the seat behind the writing desk and sat down. His gaze flicked toward the doorway; Yuan Pozi took the hint, closed the door, and stood before the desk, respectfully waiting for Tan Laizi to speak.

"Tan Ye, now, is a man who cherishes old ties. Coming to this Pozidun was out of good intentions. But some people here are still rather unreasonable, and, well…" Tan Laizi's expression grew grave as he lowered his voice. "If any of these women come after Tan Ye to beat him, you must come help — you must not let them get their hands on me."

"This old woman will certainly come, Lord Tan, rest assured."

"It's precisely because I'm not assured. Back in Erlang Town, when two women were chasing Tan Ye, instead of blocking them, you ran right along with Tan Ye — what was that about? Made me think three women were chasing me."

Yuan Pozi tilted her head. "Old Master Tan, don't be afraid of these women. Of the two who chased you, one was already beaten to death back in Erlang Town. Now there's only one left in the fort, and this old woman has thoroughly tamed her."

Tan Laizi gave a dry cough. "Tan Ye is not afraid. You think Tan Ye couldn't beat them? Don't talk about two women — at Hezhou, Tan Ye cut down eleven Roving Bandits with his own hands. And this time in Jizhou, with one fire he burned over ten camps of the Tartars, killing tens of thousands of Tartars. Go ask anywhere in Jizhou — who doesn't say Tan Ye is a true hero? Would I be afraid of two women? It was that I didn't want to create killing karma. If it were just two, I could have killed them, barely — but killing three, that would be a bit much, offending the harmony of heaven, you understand? Hmm. That's why I was forced to jump into the river to spare their lives. What fear is there in that?"

Yuan Pozi was about to reply when suddenly they heard wave after wave of cheers erupting in the distance. Yuan Pozi said cautiously, "Could it be the cavalry have returned to camp?"

"The cavalry came together with Tan Ye. Pozidun must handle its assignments well — today, you must supply sufficient forage." Tan Laizi glanced outside. "They've seized quite a few more horses in the north. The Household Office says it will allocate silver to build new barracks. From now on, there will be even more cavalry here at Shipai, and they'll need even more forage — the Women's Camp must be kept."

……

On the official road heading west from the Prefectural City, the midday scorching sun beat down on the road surface; in the distance, the air above the road shimmered and steamed unceasingly.

By the roadside stretched boundless golden Rice Paddies; at noon, few farmers were out working. The long cavalry column marched along the River Channel of the Wan River.

"So this is Shipai?" Mandar wiped the sweat from his forehead. "How come it feels like sitting on a heated brick bed? How is anyone supposed to live through days like this? It's worse than Xuanfu."

Beside him, Yang Shisan snorted. "With all this rice here, there's certainly no lack of food — much better than Xuanfu. If you miss Xuanfu, you go back. I'm not going."

Even as he spoke, he kept glancing back repeatedly, checking whether that woman had kept up. Qin Jiuze said nothing, letting the sweat stream down his forehead, merely using his eyes to study this unfamiliar land called Shipai.

Of the three walled counties within Anqing's borders, Huaining and Tongcheng were both situated toward the east, while Wangjiang lay right by the Great River, crisscrossed by ponds and rivers that made travel inconvenient. Susong, Taihu, and Qianshan were all along the mountain fringe, and none had city walls; moreover, those areas had suffered from Roving Bandit incursions, making logistics rather difficult.

Geographically, Shipai lay at the center of Anqing, surrounded by grain-producing regions and with river transport connecting it to the Prefectural City. In years past, large quantities of grain had been shipped from here via the river for trade, making it a superior garrison site both geographically and logistically. As soon as Pang Yu took control of the Anqing Garrison Battalion, he made Shipai the hub of Anqing Defense; thereafter, the Cavalry Battalion Commander's headquarters was stationed here. After the Anqing army went out on Military Expedition last year, in addition to the New Courage Battalion, a Preparatory Division was also newly established here.

Many Family Dependents of the cavalrymen had come to the roadside; some had run to the Prefectural City to greet them and then followed them back from the Prefectural City to Shipai, but these were all men — fathers, brothers, and the like. As they drew nearer to Shipai, women who had come a long way to welcome them also appeared by the roadside, in clusters and groups; upon spotting their own men, they wept and shouted.

Yang Guangdi, following behind Qin Jiuze, pointed at the expanse of water to the left and called out, "Qin Shu, over there is Matang Lake. I used to fish here before. In these next Two Days, I'll catch some for you all to eat at home."

Qin Jiuze forced out a faint smile. Mandar kept wiping sweat and asked Yang Guangdi, "How come there's water everywhere in this Anqing? Can cavalry only run on the official roads?"

"Post roads, official roads, Pedestrian Roads — all can be traveled," Yang Guangdi said earnestly. "You have to cross the water too. I told you on the way — once we reach Anqing, you have to pass the Floating Crossing assessment before you can get the Scout Cavalry Badge."

"I truly can't swim. Talk to Company Commander Chen for me — can I skip the Floating Crossing test? I've fought all these years without knowing how to swim."

"Company Commander Chen himself had to take the test three times before he got his badge. If you don't get your badge, you don't get full pay."

Manda'er irritably tugged open his collar. A horn sounded up ahead, and Yu Lao'er went racing past with a shout. The camp gate appeared before them. Everyone fell silent and filed through the gate like fish.

Inside was an enormous drill ground. The cavalry's various companies assembled separately while the officers began their addresses. The area outside the drill ground was already packed with family dependents, all watching their own men with eager eyes, waiting for dismissal so they could return to the barracks.

For now, the Thousand-Leader Headquarters and the various companies' mounted scouts were combined, to make it easier for Chen Bin to train them on the march back. The mounted scouts assembled on the west side of the drill ground. Manda'er and the others all dismounted, handed their horses over to the auxiliary troops, and fell into formation.

Company Commander Chen came before them. Yu Lao'er shouted, "Company Commander present — attention!"

Everyone lifted their heads and stood at attention. Company Commander Chen strode before the formation, swept his gaze across the ranks for a moment, then said loudly, "On this rally to the king, the mounted scouts were the first to set out from Tongcheng, the first to enter the field, the first to scout enemy movements, and the first to cut down Tartars. At Linqing, Thirty-Li Post, Tongcheng Post, Dong'e, Wangzhuang, Taiping Fortress — the mounted scouts fought in every single battle on the march to the king. Vanguard going out, Rear Guard coming back, and the last to return to Anqing."

In the ranks, Yang Guangdi lifted his head. He had already spotted his elderly mother waiting in the crowd. His lips kept trembling, but his gaze returned to Company Commander Chen.

"Some mounted brothers have died. Some old brothers have died. But the mounted scouts will not die. Without the mounted scouts, the army cannot march, cannot engage the enemy. Every man here is an elite of the Anqing Battalion. That is why the mounted scouts, like the Artillery, draw the highest pay in Anqing."

Chen Bin raised his voice. "We draw the highest pay, so we must have combat skills higher than the rest. We've returned to Anqing, but the Roving Bandits and the Tartars are still out there. The mounted scouts must be more numerous and stronger than before. Today is a happy day — we're home. All mounted scouts are on leave for five days. Those with wives, go home and make babies. Those without, go home and find a wife. Once you're back in camp, there is only one thing to do: train hard, and Treading White Destroying Edge!"

Everyone in the ranks shouted in unison, "Train hard, and Treading White Destroying Edge!"

Having spoken, Company Commander Chen nodded to Yu Lao'er. Yu Lao'er was now Deputy Company Commander. He stepped before the formation and said loudly, "Those going home, remember to come to camp tomorrow at noon to collect your combat rewards. Dismissed!"

A roar erupted across the drill ground. The crowd cheered and surged toward the camp gate. Left behind were a few dozen Border Army men already selected for the mounted scouts — these men had nowhere to go and could only stay in the barracks.

While stationed at Ji Garrison, they had recruited several hundred Border Army cavalrymen. In Chen Rulie's opinion, these men were all better suited to be mounted scouts, but they would have to wait until after the expansion. However, many of these Border Army men were old soldiers with slick habits, not fit to be directly incorporated into the Anqing Cavalry. For now, they were temporarily organized into a provisional company, with those who passed training and discipline being called up to the Anqing Cavalry in batches.

After military discipline training en route, over fifty had been selected for the mounted scouts. Together with the recruits taken on along the way, the mounted scouts of the entire Cavalry Chief-of-a-Thousand Department had been restored to over two hundred men.

These men were all northerners, without a single relative or connection in Anqing. Even Yang Shisan, who had brought his family dependents along, was not yet settled and likewise could only stay in the camp.

Yang Guangdi waved to his mother and remained by Qin Jiuze and the others. Company Commander Chen came over to them first. "In a few days, we'll arrange the mounted scout assessment. Pass it and you'll get full pay. You gentlemen have superb combat skills — I'm not the least bit worried. The only thing is the Floating Crossing item. A cavalryman must first know how to handle himself in the water."

Manda'er puffed out his chest. "I've been wanting to learn to swim for ages. Just had no one to teach me."

Company Commander Chen nodded. "While we were in Anqing, we asked some Marine Corps brothers from the Martial Academy to come. They'll be here tomorrow and guarantee they'll have you swimming in three days. Old Qin, Yang Shisan — you'll all learn together."

Manda'er said happily, "Company Commander, don't worry. We'll definitely learn. Treading White Destroying Edge."

Yang Shisan also voiced his commitment. Beside them, Qin Jiuze coughed twice and let out a long sigh.