Chapter 569: Battalion Commander

"... The Wuhu Battalion is a military unit from another jurisdiction. Its rations, pay, and various expenses rely on Your Excellency for support, though the court also allocates a portion of its military funds, similar to the Tongcheng Standard Troops Battalion and the New Courage Battalion. However, that unit's receipt of pay is not like in Anqing, where all transactions go through the Silver Bank. According to the information this humble officer has received, there have been times when rations and pay allocated by the Grand Coordinator Yamen never entered the Wuhu Silver Bank. This year, what can be verified amounts to roughly thirteen hundred taels, give or take. This was done privately by men below. These several individuals all keep secondary residences in Wuhu, and most of the silver was exchanged for Banknotes to earn interest. Guo Fengyou and the Pacification Commissioner were not yet aware of this; I fear it stems from lax oversight. In this matter, this humble officer also bears fault. Because that battalion in Wuhu often coordinates with our division, and the Canal Gang relied on their help to gain a foothold, after receiving this information, I did not report it upward, nor did I notify Guo Fengyou. I was afraid of offending the general officers in the Wuhu Battalion and making cooperation difficult — this was my own selfish motive at work. All of the above items were compiled during the Dark Sentinel Division's public discussion and represent areas requiring vigorous improvement going forward. They are already in the submitted document just now, for Your Excellency's detailed consideration."

Jiang Fan had been speaking for half a quarter-hour and had expended considerable saliva; only now did he lift his teacup and take a sip.

Pang Yu absorbed a great deal of information. He paused a moment to collect himself. Jiang Fan had mainly accused the Silver Banks and Shipping Companies in various locales; some of the behavior, in Pang Yu's view, was utterly preposterous.

That Jiang Fan would denounce so many people from the Silver Banks and Shipping Companies all at once also showed that he could not have just learned of this recently; he must have been accumulating this for a very long time, only there was no need to bring it out before. At the very end, he dragged in a Guo Fengyou, while repeatedly stressing that Guo Fengyou himself was not implicated. It rather seemed like he was pulled in to make up the numbers and provide cover, lest Pang Yu suspect him of specifically targeting the Silver Banks.

Pang Yu picked up the submitted document and flipped through it again. The Wuhu Battalion issue was written at the very end, its content roughly matching what Jiang Fan had said, only with the personnel listed in detail. Of the five men, three were originally from Anqing; only two were Wuhu locals. Thirteen hundred taels — neither too much nor too little — served perfectly as cover.

"Jiang Squad Commander, you handle affairs with diligence. These matters, this official will deal with. As for the Dark Sentinel Division's own shortcomings, since they have been identified, you, Jiang Squad Commander, must also deal with them. The improvement strategy you just mentioned is also correct: you must focus on the Anqing Battalion's proper business." Pang Yu set down the register and looked up at Jiang Fan. "What is the Anqing Battalion's proper business? Before, it was protecting the territory and bringing peace to the people. If it were only about protecting Anqing, then our current forces are sufficient. No Roving Bandits dare enter Anqing, and the Eastern Invaders are still far away. There would be no need to revise the military system. We could lie back on high pillows without a care, peacefully awaiting peace under heaven."

Jiang Fan knew Pang Yu was getting to the main point. This time he dared not interrupt, and sat respectfully in his seat with a listening demeanor.

"Can we afford to lie back on high pillows?" Pang Yu sat up slightly. "The rations and pay used by the Anqing Battalion mostly come from outside Anqing, relying on trade and deposited silver along the Great River and the Grand Canal. If we lie back peacefully in Anqing, from Huguang to the Lower River, the Roving Bandits will exterminate the population and sever the trade routes. Without a population, there is no market. To whom would the commercial goods of Jiangnan be sold? And in Huguang, who would grow grain to sell to Jiangnan? Without the Anqing Battalion, the Eastern Invaders will continue to ravage the North, annihilating the markets along the Grand Canal, leaving behind an empty Great River and an empty Grand Canal. Without incoming rations and pay from outside, the Anqing Battalion will be defeated without a fight and disintegrate on its own. Therefore, we have no room to rest our heads on high pillows. These sources of our rations and pay are not within the Anqing Battalion's defense zone. The government troops of various regions cannot be relied upon; we can only rely on ourselves. The Anqing Battalion's proper business is to protect the territory and bring peace to the people, but not just the single prefecture of Anqing. Wherever our rations and pay come from, those are the places we must protect. Any force that threatens these places is an enemy of the Anqing Battalion, whether they be Eastern Invaders, Roving Bandits, Local Bandits, Salt Bandits, or the gentry. The Dark Sentinel Division's primary task is to join with other military units to deal with these enemies."

Jiang Fan immediately replied, "This subordinate understands. The Dark Sentinel Division will strictly obey."

"During this recent expedition north to rally to the king, we fought alongside the Border Army of the Nine Borders. The general officers each harbored selfish motives. The Household Retainers of the border garrisons possess fighting strength, but their numbers are too few to be of great use. The rest of the interior troops are far inferior. These forces are insufficient to bring peace to the realm; the common people cannot count on them. This time, our Anqing Battalion is reforming its military units precisely to recruit soldiers and buy horses, to help various regions defend against bandits and suppress rebels. We will inevitably need to be permanently stationed in various places, which will make us a Guest Army. As you said, if we continue with the previous arrangements, we will certainly become bloated and sluggish. The Dark Sentinel Division's division by geographic region coincides perfectly with this official's overall plan for pacification."

Pang Yu's tone was very calm, but what he meant was that even the court's most elite Border Army was nothing special. From what Jiang Fan knew, Pang Yu was being slightly polite; it was mostly just because their cavalry was not as numerous as the Border Army's.

The implication in Pang Yu's words just now was that he would no longer heed the court's troop quotas and battalion designations. The Anqing Battalion was going to expand its forces to control a broader area.

In Jiang Fan's impression, Pang Yu had been relatively cautious before this. He mostly obeyed the orders of civil officials like Shi Kefa and Zhang Guowei, dealt with the various yamens along the river strictly according to the rules, rarely clashed with local yamens, and was especially careful in Nanjing. Even when relying on the Nanjing Garrison, he did not offend other yamens. The military units all remained within the court's battalion designations, and everything was conducted within the bounds of the rules.

After returning from rallying to the king this time, Jiang Fan clearly sensed that Pang Yu's own objectives and style of conduct were changing. The military system revision at Shipai was merely a manifestation of this change.

From Pang Yu's words just now, the largest part was his disdain for the court's strength. Jiang Fan had not gone to rally to the king, but he could imagine that Pang Yu, through the accompanying Government Troops, had seen the court's weakness. Those Government Troops had collapsed for a thousand li in the face of the Qing army, while the Anqing Battalion had defeated the Qing army twice, making the contrast in strength even more stark.

These factors determined Pang Yu's adoption of a new style of conduct, and perhaps this was also the intent Pang Yu most wished to convey to the Dark Sentinel Division today.

Jiang Fan bowed slightly. "The general officers of the various garrisons and battalions are incompetent; naturally, those with ability should replace them."

Having said this, he raised his eyes to look at Pang Yu and continued in a lowered voice, "The Eastern Invaders run rampant and the Roving Bandits swarm up. It is not only because the general officers are incompetent, but also because corrupt and venal officials run amok, leaving the common people with no means of livelihood. This subordinate believes that it is not only during the suppression of the bandits — even after Your Excellency has exterminated the hordes of bandits, the common people will still need to rely on the Anqing Battalion."

Pang Ding by the doorway had his hands tucked into his sleeves. He raised his eyes to look at the two men conversing. Just a few years ago, both of these men had been part of the yamen's Three Squads. That "common people with no means of livelihood" — they themselves had certainly played no small part in it. Now Jiang Fan spoke with righteous solemnity, and Pang Yu, listening across from him, accepted it with perfect composure, both acting as if they had been a breath of the Pure Stream within the yamen back then.

There was also an implication hidden in Jiang Fan's words. The Anqing Battalion was going to expand its forces this time, and Pang Yu intended to dispatch them to various regions. Given the Anqing Battalion's past battle record, the Roving Bandits would eventually be pacified. What use would these externally stationed units serve then?

The three people in the room were silent for a moment. Pang Yu calmly spoke, "Ever since the Western Camp rebelled again, the Central Plains have once more become a seething land. The Eastern Invaders' incursions will absolutely not stop here. The realm's turmoil still shows no sign of ending. Jiang Squad Commander, your deep foresight is correct. Some matters can be discussed again when peace is restored under heaven. For now, we focus first on suppressing the bandits and repelling the invaders. For the sake of the Anqing Battalion's proper business just mentioned, this official will also delineate defense zones to prevent bloating and sluggishness. The Dark Sentinel Division and the Canal Gang are also part of the defense zones. In addition to receiving orders from the Dark Sentinel Division's office, they will also receive orders from the Military Council within the defense zone, coordinating with the defense zone's military units in combat. The Canal Gang previously made its living at the docks. Apart from gathering intelligence, they helped the Silver Banks and Shipping Companies issue Banknotes and conduct business. This was originally what this official required of the Canal Gang, but at present, this is no longer sufficient. Previously, when our battalion went to the Fengyang Governor's Jurisdiction, Huguang, Shandong, and other places, the local yamen defense troops guarded against us as if we were bandits. Provisions were supplied intermittently, forcing us to rely on ad-hoc purchases. Troop movements were often hampered by this. In the future, with military units spread across various regions, the Canal Gang must coordinate support, preparation, and transport of provisions. The docks will be Anqing's supply depots."

Jiang Fan hurriedly rose and said, "This subordinate accepts the order."

This time Pang Yu did not gesture for him to sit. He himself stood up and said, "For the Anqing Battalion, the Central River Section is especially critical. This stretch connects the upper and lower reaches. The Silver Banks and Shipping Companies depend on the shipping of the Central River Section. Most importantly, Anqing is located here. The Anqing Battalion's might shakes all directions; these two words are bound together with the military unit. Anqing is the foundation. If this place is lost, the Anqing Battalion's reputation will be utterly destroyed, and all its enterprises will plummet. This place cannot be lost. Just now, you volunteered to take charge of the Central River. I assume you also understand its critical importance."

"This subordinate is dull-witted. I only knew this place was important, but did not think as deeply and far as Your Excellency."

"In the past, during the pioneering days, we had few men. Positions were set according to the division system. Because of that, you have always been a Company Commander, one rank lower than those Battalion Commanders. After the military system revision, many people will be promoted to Battalion Commander. The gap would then be even greater."

This time, Pang Yu gave Jiang Fan no chance to interject. Almost without pause, he continued, "These years you have toiled and honed your skills, helping the Anqing Battalion achieve illustrious military merits. This official recognizes it, and so do all the departments and battalions. The Dark Sentinel Division is being upgraded to the Dark Sentinel Battalion. You are promoted to Battalion Commander, commensurate with your contributions to the Anqing Battalion."

When Jiang Fan looked up, his face was full of astonishment. Previously, the Dark Sentinel Division was neither quite a yamen nor quite a military unit. Because it controlled the Canal Gang, it wielded enormous resources and power, but internally it was only a division-level entity. Jiang Fan was merely a Company Commander; someone like Ruan Jin was only a Centurion. Compared to those Battalion Commanders, they were far inferior, always a notch lower when dealing with others. That was why Jiang Fan sometimes preferred not to deal with the military units.

He had never imagined that the Dark Sentinel Division would be promoted two full ranks at once. He stared blankly for a moment before saying, "This subordinate is overwhelmed with trepidation."

Pang Yu gently patted him on the shoulder. "The improvement strategy you outlined just now, this official mostly agrees with. But just now you said that the Dark Sentinel Battalion is spread across rivers and waterways, a single long snake stretching for thousands of li, with over three thousand personnel, not to mention the Canal Gang, whose numbers are beyond count. You must manage the overall situation of the Dark Sentinel Battalion; you cannot confine yourself to one locality. It is correct for you to remain in Anqing, but do not personally manage the Central River Section. This section is the most critical and is also the key point for counter-intelligence. Since you recommended Ruan Jin to take charge of counter-intelligence, this official proposes that Ruan Jin remain stationed in Anqing, taking charge of the Dark Sentinel Battalion's affairs within the Zhongjiang Defense Zone, while also concurrently overseeing the Canal Gang in the central section, dealing with those River Bandits, Salt Bandits, and the like. This will free your hands to manage the overall situation of the Dark Sentinel Battalion."

Jiang Fan was momentarily stunned. He had not expected Pang Yu to propose this modification. Before he could formulate a response, he heard Pang Yu continue, "The Upper River Defense Zone is an area of frequent combat. For the supervisor there, you will separately recommend another capable candidate. As for the other several candidates you recommended just now…"

Hearing this, Jiang Fan quietly awaited Pang Yu's decision, especially the part concerning Xu Da'er.

Pang Yu paused for a moment, then said, "This official deems them suitable. They will assume their posts after the Military Council."

Jiang Fan hesitated briefly, then bowed to Pang Yu and said, "This subordinate strictly obeys the general's order."