Chapter 568: Districts

"Jiang Fan, sit down for now. Pang Ding, pour tea for Jiang Fan."

The room had no large table. Pang Yu was seated behind a tea table, and when he saw Jiang Fan enter he gestured for him to sit beside it.

The tea table was very small. Jiang Fan walked over carefully, and the two sat very close together. Seeing Pang Yu's expression was calm and composed, Jiang Fan's heart relaxed a little more.

Pang Ding brought over a teacup. Jiang Fan immediately stood to receive it. Pang Yu gestured around them. "The Shipai Martial Academy was hastily founded, and the facilities are all extremely crude. Too many people have arrived these past few days, and today everyone will have to stay in the barracks. We can only ask everyone to bear with it."

Jiang Fan glanced around the room. There was almost no decoration. Apart from the tea table, there was only a desk and a few chairs, with some documents laid out on the desktop.

"This subordinate spends the better part of a year on the road. Though it cannot compare to the hardships of Your Excellency's military campaigns, I have had my share of sleeping rough and eating in the open. Our own barracks count as comfortable lodging."

Pang Yu did not continue this topic. He motioned for Jiang Fan to take a seat, then looked at him and said, "The Dark Sentinel Division was founded from scratch with a dozen or so men. In a few years, sentry stations have spread across every region and accomplished many major undertakings for the Anqing Battalion. This official has noted all your years of hard work, and this official also recognizes your ability."

Jiang Fan bowed slightly and stole a glance at Pang Yu's expression. This opening could lead to many possible things next. Pang Yu was seeing him in person, so Jiang Fan was not worried about ending up in Ren Dalang's situation. But he might be retained in his post, or he might be transferred. The greater likelihood was that they were about to discuss other personnel arrangements for the Dark Sentinel Division.

Pang Yu's lips moved, about to continue speaking. Jiang Fan seized this pause to say quietly, "This subordinate does not dare accept Your Excellency's undue praise. I only wish to thank Your Excellency for the grace of recognizing and employing me. Back then, this subordinate was merely a Runner in the Anqing County Yamen, without any outstanding qualities. By great fortune I met Your Excellency, was given an exceptional promotion, and was even more fortunate to be put in charge of the Dark Sentinel Division. For many years I have not dared slacken in the slightest. It is only that my talent is shallow and my learning meager. Although the Dark Sentinel Division has greatly expanded in scale over these years, the oversights and omissions are too numerous to list. This subordinate has also been repeatedly pondering lately how to find and fill the gaps, so that the Dark Sentinel Division may better serve Your Excellency."

Pang Yu thought for a moment, then said, "This Shipai Military Council was originally convened to discuss improvements to the military system. If you have any thoughts on improvements to the Dark Sentinel Division, you may speak frankly without reserve."

Jiang Fan immediately drew a booklet from inside his robe. "This subordinate has often been rushing about various places this past year. In truth, there has been little time for handling affairs and much time for traveling. With nothing to do on the road, my thoughts grew more numerous — thoughts on how to handle the Dark Sentinel Division's affairs well. I have always wished to report to Your Excellency, but with Your Excellency rallying to the king in the north, written material from the Dark Sentinel Division was unsuitable for sending back and forth. That is why I kept it until today, to report to Your Excellency in person."

Pang Yu took the petition paper handed to him, then said to Jiang Fan, "We'll look as we talk. You just speak your piece."

"The Dark Sentinel Division is a military unit under Your Excellency's command. A military unit exists to fight battles — only not battles on the battlefield. Fighting means having enemies. Before, the only open enemy was the Roving Bandits. Hidden enemies in various places were many, and some were neither quite enemy nor quite friend. Whoever could have a vital stake with the Anqing Battalion, the Dark Sentinel Division had to keep an eye on them all." Jiang Fan glanced at Pang Yu, then continued, "Later, as we expanded northward, the Dark Sentinel Division extended to Xuzhou, and beyond that was Shandong — the place the Eastern Invaders ravaged last year. Following them all the way to the Capital, and then entering the Liao Garrison, we gained the Eastern Invaders as another open enemy."

Only Jiang Fan's voice sounded in the room. What Jiang Fan had recounted in this passage was basically the Dark Sentinel Division's achievements: broadly establishing sentry stations and developing an enormous intelligence network.

Pang Ding stood near the door, silent the whole time. Pang Yu leaned back in his chair, listening quietly. Jiang Fan paused, then continued, "In general terms, these past few years we have always moved along the rivers. Every place where we set up a sentry station had an Anqing silver bank and a shipping company. But the sentry stations had few men, and establishing a foothold often required relying on the Canal Gang. Wharves are places where people, money, and goods gather and circulate. Besides helping with coupon issuance, they are also the most convenient for gathering intelligence. In handling affairs everywhere, the Dark Sentinel Division has always had the Canal Gang's assistance. One could say the Canal Gang is the Dark Sentinel Division's Auxiliary. If separated from them, there would be inconvenience everywhere."

Jiang Fan's gaze lifted slightly to look at Pang Yu. "But the Canal Gang and a garrison are ultimately different. A garrison stationed in one place can control an entire region. The Canal Gang relies on the wharves to earn money and can only operate at the wharves. The river waterways are long, and both the Dark Sentinel Division and the Canal Gang have become a Long Snake Formation. Counting from Gucheng, from the Han River to the Great River, and then from the Upper River to the Lower River, it is no less than two thousand li. Last year the Canal Gang entered Huai'an, and this year they gained a foothold around Xuzhou. After the Eastern Invaders' incursion, the northern section of the Grand Canal fell into decay, which is also an opportunity to enter. Counting further, that is another thousand-odd li."

Pang Yu still gave no indication. Jiang Fan paused, then continued, "The Anqing Battalion has many enemies, and also many who are neither quite enemy nor quite friend. The difficulties in handling affairs are even greater. The finer points require capable people to manage them, but at present the Dark Sentinel Division does not have that many capable people. Along this three- to four-thousand-li river channel, with dozens or even a hundred major wharves, every deployment is handed over to a single sentry station supervisor or a single Canal Gang gang master to manage. Communications with the General Headquarters are all on a monthly basis, which cannot help but be clumsy, bloated, and utterly unwieldy. In a whole year, one cannot visit many wharves even once. And when one does visit, one can only observe the surface. How well the local Canal Gang is handling affairs is also seen only in a cursory glance. Everything becomes riddled with oversights."

Pang Yu looked at Jiang Fan and spoke. "Since you have these concerns, what plans does the Dark Sentinel Division have for the future?"

"This subordinate has pondered repeatedly for months and arrived at some shallow views, which I beg Your Excellency to critique. Within this Long Snake Formation stretching thousands of li, there are differences. Whether on the Han River, the Great River, or the Grand Canal, the Canal Gang's control of shipping is the same. But beyond that, the situation in each region is vastly different. From Gucheng to Jiujiang, this actually encircles Huguang, the place most ravaged by the Roving Bandits. The Dark Sentinel Division's emphasis here is on assisting the Battalion Commanders against the Roving Bandits, and the Canal Gang must also coordinate in counter-espionage. This subordinate designates this area the Upper River District. From Jiujiang downstream, this subordinate designates it the Zhongjiang District. This stretch has responsibilities for shipping, Qingjiang, and river defense, and is also a critical segment for coupon issuance. The Dark Sentinel Division must both counter espionage and contend for advantage. Further down to the Lower River, this is the land from which the Ming Dynasty draws its taxes. Here wealth and goods converge, and it is also where the silver banks and Baishun Hall earn their money. Here there are no open enemies, and the principles of handling affairs differ from the Upper and Middle Rivers. This subordinate calls this area the Lower River District. From Yangzhou, the Grand Canal extends further north. From Yangzhou to Xuzhou, the canal route once faced the threat of Roving Bandits, but in recent years bandit incursions have gradually lessened. The area from Yangzhou to Huai'an in particular is extremely prosperous and can still belong to the Lower River District. Past Xuzhou, one leaves Nanzhili. Shandong is a place ravaged by the Eastern Invaders. From here northward, the main enemy is the Eastern Invaders. This subordinate assigns everything north of here to the Northern District. In the future, when we enter Henan, Shanxi, and other places, they will all belong here as well."

Pang Yu's eyes were on the petition paper, but he was listening very attentively, quietly waiting for Jiang Fan's next words.

Jiang Fan's tone was low but very clear. "This subordinate proposes that the Dark Sentinel Division be reassigned by region and divided into four districts: Upper River, Zhongjiang, Lower River, and Northern. Each will have a different emphasis. Each district will have one Dark Sentinel Division supervisor, who will oversee all Dark Sentinel Division matters within the district and concurrently supervise the Canal Gang within the district. Each district can be further divided into several sub-districts, handling different matters locally. In this way, deployment will be flexible and will not cause delays."

"This resembles the Nine Borders' division into garrisons, with the Ji Garrison further divided into Eastern, Central, and Western Joint Defense zones. It can indeed allow for quicker handling." Pang Yu asked directly without looking up, "Then, for the candidates to supervise these four districts, does the Division have any plans?"

"This subordinate's primary recommendation is Ruan Jin. Ruan Jin is an Old Hand from Tongcheng. He handles affairs steadily yet with keen intelligence and vigor. After entering the Dark Sentinel Division, he took charge of counter-espionage. At the time of the Western Camp's renewed rebellion, when Lu Ding fled in secret from Xiangyang, Ruan Jin captured Lu Ding amid the chaos, achieving great merit. This subordinate believes that, in recognition of his merit, he should be promoted to Deputy Battalion Commander of the Dark Sentinel Division, still overseeing counter-espionage matters, concurrently serving as Supervisor of the Upper River District, and concurrently serving as gang master of the Upper River Canal Gang."

Pang Yu's eyes remained on the petition paper, showing no sign of approval or disapproval.

Jiang Fan's gaze shifted, and he said carefully, "For the Northern District, we can use the current head of the Capital Station — Zhang Mazi, whom Your Excellency knows. This man comes from the Tongcheng Constable. He is diligent and reliable. This subordinate recommends him as Supervisor of the Northern District, concurrently serving as gang master of the Grand Canal Canal Gang. The Lower River District is a prosperous region, deeply entangled with the silver banks and gambling houses. It requires an upright and prudent person to oversee it. Academy Director Yuan Zheng of the Academy can fill this post, concurrently serving as gang master of the Lower River Canal Gang."

Pang Yu raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Fan. "Then what of Xu Da'er from the original Nanjing Station? How is he to be placed?"

Jiang Fan hesitated a moment, then said, "The original head of the Nanjing Station, Supervisor Xu, has been tempered by long experience. He can just be transferred to teach practical affairs at the Academy."

Pang Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. In the brief silence, Jiang Fan's hands and feet went rigid.

At last he heard Pang Yu's voice. "Then who will supervise the Zhongjiang District?"

Jiang Fan let out a breath, steadied his nerves, and said, "This humble official recommends himself."

Pang Yu laughed in spite of himself. "Wouldn't that be putting a great talent to petty use?"

"This is also a bit of selfishness on this subordinate's part. I wish to serve on duty at the Anqing General Headquarters and manage the Zhongjiang on the side. Having rushed about away from home so much this past year, I also wish to spend more days at home. In particular, last year I took another concubine. I married her and then went away for this long — I'm about to forget what she looks like."

Pang Yu laughed heartily. "Put that way, this official is about to forget what his own principal wife looks like. It seems I too ought to spend more days at home. This is only human."

Pang Ding behind them also laughed aloud. Jiang Fan's whole body relaxed. He gave an apologetic laugh and said, "That was a joke just now. In truth, this subordinate staying near the Zhongjiang himself is also something I have pondered repeatedly of late."

Pang Yu looked a little curious. "And what is the reasoning behind that?"

"This subordinate has always enjoyed deploying sentry stations in various places. Every time a sentry station is fully deployed, the silver bank and shipping company can follow and establish themselves. The joy in my heart is like helping Your Excellency expand territory. For the sake of that small joy, I always personally handle every sentry station deployment."

Pang Yu's expression softened. He placed the petition paper on the tea table and looked at it no more, leaning back in his chair to listen attentively to Jiang Fan.

"But after the deployments were complete, this subordinate was remiss in supervision and discipline, and often failed to scrutinize the people I employed. The Dark Sentinel Division's Long Snake Formation became clumsy and bloated. Many errors and oversights occurred in between, and many people bungled affairs. This subordinate has been reflecting recently: the Dark Sentinel Division cannot be managed solely as a military unit; it must also be managed like a government office."

Pang Yu gave a slight nod for the first time. Jiang Fan slightly quickened his pace and said, "The Dark Sentinel Division now has over three thousand two hundred men, and the Canal Gang numbers in the tens of thousands. Matters like opening sentry stations already have established procedures. The district supervisors can handle the deployments themselves. As Battalion Commander, this subordinate should manage the affairs of the entire Division and manage the overall situation of this Long Snake Formation. In particular, I must first remedy all the previous errors and oversights. Some of these oversights are extremely critical and require this subordinate's handling even more than opening new sentry stations. Since this year began, we have repeatedly discovered Canal Gang branches in various places engaging in private smuggling for profit, and opening gambling houses and brothels in cities along the river. Over a dozen murders have occurred in disputes with local forces, enraging the local yamens. Local people then come to contest the wharves, and the silver banks and boatmen's guilds are also implicated. This is detrimental to the Dark Sentinel Division's proper work. All Canal Gang operations should return to their proper business, with the Anqing Battalion's overall interests as the priority. This is the first major task this humble man must address."

Pang Yu continued nodding. Jiang Fan went on, "After that, there are some other matters. Although they involve few people, they are matters of fundamental importance. For example, the Anqing Prefectural City silver bank branch — this is where the Land Battalion's pay is issued. It is a critical place. The Dark Sentinel Division discovered something infuriating. Among the refugees from Jiangbei recruited by the Anqing Battalion in recent years, roughly thirty percent came to Anqing alone. Several dozen of them have died in various battles. They had no Family Dependents left behind, yet the remaining money in the silver bank accounts was fraudulently withdrawn by someone."

Pang Yu's brow furrowed slightly. Jiang Fan's tone grew grave. "A matter of such magnitude should have been reported to the Central Army Secretariat at the earliest opportunity. But because it involved only a few dozen people, the people at the General Headquarters could not make a firm decision. This is precisely the lack of capable people I mentioned earlier. As a result, this matter sat at the General Headquarters and only came to light when this subordinate returned to Anqing. Who knows how many more fallen soldiers' assets have vanished in the meantime. This is also a symptom of the Dark Sentinel Division's bloat and sluggishness. This subordinate knows that this matter involves some individuals within the silver bank acting privately, and there must also be people within the military implicated. Liu Ruogu is far away in Nanjing and naturally cannot oversee things so minutely. But when the soldiers of the Anqing Battalion fight and die on the front lines, the assets they leave behind are stolen by petty men sleeping snug in their beds — the depravity and evil of it defy words…"