Chapter 57: Pang Squad Leader

By the twenty-fourth day of the intercalary eighth month, Huang Wending had been executed for several days, and the civil unrest had nearly vanished like smoke. Of the core rebel faction of over two hundred, roughly seventy had been killed, another seventy-odd captured, and several dozen remained at large.

The gentry faction, led by the Fang Family, had won a complete victory, but the entire gentry class had suffered heavy losses in this uprising. Many great families had fled with their entire households to Anqing Prefecture and still dared not return to Tongcheng.

The various families' properties — pawnshops, grain shops, residences — had mostly been burned and looted. The household slaves kept by the gentry had scattered and fled almost entirely. Judging from the list of names on the copper cauldron used by the captured rebels for their rituals, the number of household slaves who had joined the rebels was not small — not only people like Zhang Ru, but even the household slaves of Ye Can, Wu Yingqi, and Fang Xiangqian.

These household slaves betrayed their masters from within, colluding with the rebels inside and out, allowing the rioters to easily breach each family's gatehouse and then precisely and efficiently plunder each family's wealth. After the rebellion was suppressed, only a small fraction could be recovered.

Thus the gentry's victory was very limited. Many gentry were still in a state of shock, and only a very few had begun to take revenge against the rioters' family dependents.

Shops inside and outside the city gradually reopened, but business on the streets was slack, nothing like the bustle of former days. The only thriving trade was in shops dealing with funerals and burials. The rioters killed by the Da Hang that day had all been collected as corpses by their families. Over these past few days, households in and around Tongcheng were holding funerals from time to time, and the county seat was shrouded in a pall of gloom and misery.

The county yamen, meanwhile, began to resume operations. Some of the Xuli who had fled during the uprising returned to the yamen to work. Yang Fangzao directed this inefficient yamen, cautiously handling the aftermath of the pacification.

The prison of the Tongcheng County Yamen was overcrowded. This time, the Da Hang had grabbed over seventy people in one sweep and sent them all to the South Prison. According to the division of duties, all interrogations were to be completed by the county yamen, and until the interrogations were finished, they were all to be held in the South Prison.

The family dependents of those prisoners gathered daily near the Eight-Character Wall to seek news, often reaching a scale of over a hundred people. This gathering posed a new hidden danger: if these dependents were incited by someone to stir up trouble, the yamen's Xuli would likely have to flee in panic once again.

So recently, Yang Fangzao had been under great pressure. To bolster his own confidence and intimidate those who might secretly harbor ill intentions, he specially promoted the Runner Pang who had shaken Tongcheng with his fame.

The seemingly valiant Pang Yu had, in reality, not even dared to return home these past few days, staying instead at the County Vice Magistrate Office under the pretext of protecting the County Vice-Magistrate. Only today, after receiving his new appointment, was he obliged to come to the county yamen and begin the first day of work at his new post.

…

"Pang Squad Leader, this way please. I prepared your seat of honor early this morning." Ruan Jin, who had once gone to the countryside with Pang Yu, was exceptionally enthusiastic. "The chair has been replaced — it is absolutely not the one old Li sat in."

Pang Yu nodded repeatedly with his hands clasped behind his back. The "old Li" Ruan Jin spoke of was the former Li Squad Leader, who had held the post of Fast Squad Head for two or three years. According to Jiao Guozha, he had skimmed quite a few benefits. From the moment Old Zheng beat Yue Ji to death, Li Squad Leader had not had a moment's peace — pressed by superiors, harassed by the gentry. Later, once he saw that Huang Wending and his men were playing for real, he was so frightened he dared not come to the yamen again.

For personnel at the level of yamen runners and clerks, the Clerks of each office could decide whether to keep them or not. Yang Fangzao, as the honored magistrate of a county, could appoint and dismiss squad leaders at any time and naturally would not let Li Squad Leader continue to manage the Fast Squad. The extraordinarily valiant Runner Pang had leaped through the dragon's gate like a carp, rising in one bound to become Tongcheng's criminal arrest captain.

But this meant his Silver Chest assignment in the Household Office would likely fall through. Pang Yu did not know whether it was worth it or not, but Yang Fangzao had not sought his personal opinion, so whether he was willing or not, he had to take charge of the Tongcheng criminal arrest team first.

Today, six people had come to the Fast Squad. During this uprising, the department Yang Fangzao detested most was the Fast Squad. Originally, the Fast Squad should have been the main force for patrolling and apprehending criminals, yet not only could they not catch the culprits, once the rebellion broke out, each one fled faster than the next, and even half the horses were stolen.

The Fast Squad could not relieve the Honorable Magistrate of his worries in the slightest, leaving the dignified chief official of a county with neither force nor eyes and ears, making Yang Fangzao and the County Vice-Magistrate look like two fools kept in the dark by all sides. Both superiors felt they had lost face.

Of the six who came today, there were two Mounted Runners and four Foot Runners — all quick to read the situation. Seeing that the uprising was about to be quelled, they immediately returned to the county yamen to resume duty.

After taking his seat, Pang Yu touched the armrests of the chair — fine peach wood, wiped perfectly clean. It was clear Ruan Jin had put thought into it. This man, though fierce-looking, was extremely docile before superiors, always wearing an ingratiating expression. So both Li Squad Leader and the Household Office were very fond of him, always assigning him good errands, and Ruan Jin's chances of buying license tickets far exceeded those of other Runners.

The Runner Room was directly opposite the Yamen Runner Room. By office area, it was much larger than even the Household Office, with three bays of rooms in total. Yesterday afternoon, Ruan Jin had tidied up an entire room for Pang Yu. This was generosity at the public's expense — surely no Runner would dare say he had arranged too large a space for the squad leader.

Ruan Jin was only half a day quicker than the others in this, but in Pang Yu's estimation, he had taken a great step ahead, winning right at the starting line.

All six stood before the desk, but Pang Yu remained seated, unmoving. In the past, when Foolish Pang the Second worked across the way in the Yamen Runner Room, no one thought much of him. But after someone had suddenly opened his mind, the things he did grew more astonishing one after another — especially charging alone into Yunji Temple, killing over twenty rebels, and even bringing back their heads.

Now that he had even become the Fast Squad Head, no one in the yamen dared to underestimate him anymore. At this moment, with him saying not a word, the six were quite uneasy.

Pang Yu let them worry for a good while before finally opening his mouth. "In this uprising, many in the county yamen feigned compliance while opposing in secret, and some even openly or covertly sided with the rebels. The common people view us Xuli as incompetents, disgracing the face of the court. The Honorable Magistrate wants me to carry out a thorough purge. Where anyone involved in colluding with the rebels is concerned, I, Pang, will show no mercy." Pang Yu's face was utterly stern. The six below dared not even breathe heavily, afraid of incurring this squad leader's displeasure — lest he behead them too.

"Regardless of how the previous squad leader did things, the Runners I, Pang, want must first and foremost dare to shoulder responsibilities. Those fence-sitters who waver between two sides are not the people I want. Honorable Yang has granted me full authority. In the Fast Squad, whether Mounted Runner or Foot Runner, retention or dismissal is decided by my word alone. And I do not look at whether one has paid the appointment fee — so long as one possesses both talent and virtue, even an Auxiliary may serve as a Mounted Runner. If one's virtue is lacking, even if one has paid the fee, do not dream of slipping into my Fast Squad."

The six men bowed their heads and lowered their hands, not daring to meet Pang Yu's eyes — Ruan Jin included.

Since the Wanli era, most yamen runners were no longer from the service register; the vast majority were commoner households who had paid to fill the posts, and it had long since become a profession. Yamen runners held a low and debased status in the yamen, shouted at, beaten, and cursed by officials and clerks as a matter of routine. Their official wage was only six taels of silver on paper, but in reality, they got at least over a dozen taels, still surpassing that of ordinary commoners, and their social status was higher than that of average people. If Pang Yu did not retain them, these men would immediately face a problem of survival.

Pang Yu stood up and walked over to the six, pacing along the line as he spoke. "But to any who dare to shoulder responsibilities, I, Pang Yu, will never stint on rewards. Not only will I not take a single copper coin of your wages, there will also be additional Regular Silver as bonuses. So long as you have ability, your annual silver will be no less than that of the Xuli in the Household Office."

The Mounted Runner at the end looked up cautiously at Pang Yu. His eyes were quick and bright. In a low voice, he asked Pang Yu, "But the Household Office only provides the Fast Squad with wages — they have never given Regular Silver. Where will the squad leader find the source for that silver?"

"That is my affair. If I, Pang, cannot deliver, you may well treat my words as wind past your ears." Pang Yu raised one hand. "But if you take the silver, you must handle matters as I, Pang, say. My words are orders and must be carried out to the letter. Anyone who cannot do this, I, Pang, will expel from the Fast Squad at any time. When that time comes, do not blame me for being heartless."

The Mounted Runner lowered his head and said, "Understood."

Pang Yu swept his gaze over the six. At least three of them had appeared at the scene of the gentry house raids, Ruan Jin included — it was just that Pang Yu had worn a face cloth, so they had not noticed him.

"Everyone here, having come to the yamen to serve while the uprising was not yet quelled, clearly shows you are people who scrupulously fulfill your duties and will surely be the pillars of my Fast Squad in the future. But Magistrate Yang is deeply disgusted by the matter of Xuli siding with the rebels. If any of you happened to inadvertently appear where rioters were gathering, you may come to me privately to explain. Once I am clear in my mind, I will naturally cover for you."

After Pang Yu finished speaking, he carefully observed them. Five of the six had uncomfortable expressions, showing that the mass base of the Tongcheng Uprising was indeed broad. At the most chaotic time, probably every adult and child who could walk had gone to take part — Pang Yu included.

His purpose in having these men come clean to him was to first get a small hold on each of them, gaining a psychological advantage that would make future management easier, and also to see whether they were honest with him. From his recent dealings with the Xuli, Pang Yu felt that merely currying favor with these yamen runners was not very effective; it had to be a combination of kindness and authority.

"I, Pang, am newly appointed as squad leader. With the uprising just quelled, the Fast Squad's first priority is to do its proper duty: patrol, apprehend criminals, and pacify the locality. We must accomplish a few major deeds, both to repay the regard of the Honorable Magistrate and the County Vice-Magistrate, and to give back to our homeland by settling the people's hearts." Pang Yu looked at the men seriously. "But the first matter to handle today is to disperse those people gathered at the gate. The Honorable Magistrate does not wish so many people to congregate on County Front Street, yet he does not want a violent clash with them. Is there anyone among you who will volunteer?"

The six men all stared at Pang Yu, their expressions shifting. They seemed somewhat eager to try, yet also somewhat hesitant.

"In the future Fast Squad, I, Pang, will divide it into several Squads. Each Squad will have one Team Leader, with an annual wage of twenty-four taels of silver." The six men raised their heads, a fervent gleam appearing in their eyes. Pang Yu paused, then continued, "But this Team Leader position is not given casually. It must be held by the capable. And what is capability? It is the ability to relieve one's superiors of their worries."

The Mounted Runner who had first asked a question stepped forward. "This humble one is willing to try."

Ruan Jin also stepped out, but before he could open his mouth, Pang Yu cut him off. "Brother Ruan's courage is commendable, but you are half a step too late. Next time, you must be more decisive."

Pang Yu turned to the Mounted Runner and smiled slightly. "I do not yet know how to address you."

"This humble one is Jiang Fan!"

……

Before the Eight-Character Wall, a chorus of wailing rose. Dozens of people sat clustered on the ground. Among them, over a dozen had come to claim heads, likely from six or seven households. They all knew each other in daily life, each having had a family member beheaded and placed on that cart. They had arranged to come together to retrieve the corpses. The others had come to seek news about their imprisoned family dependents. Add in some onlookers, and the crowd before the Eight-Character Wall was dense and packed.

Six Runners, carrying Waist Sabers, slowly stepped out from the main gate and approached those family dependents. The wailing stopped at once. The dependents, not even pausing to wipe away tears, scrambled to their feet and retreated several steps. The surrounding crowd also quieted considerably, no longer noisy and clamorous.

Jiang Fan addressed them loudly, "Report the names of your various families. Do you wish to retrieve corpses or to see the prisoners?"

The family dependents were all extremely cautious. They waited a moment, and when no one spoke, a man at the back finally ventured, "Bai An is my second younger brother… he's been arrested and is in the South Prison. I wanted to bring him some food and also ask what his crime is. There's also…"

Without waiting for the others to give their names, Jiang Fan said directly to Bai An's elder brother, "That works out perfectly. Our Fast Squad was just about to seek out Bai An's residence. We'll trouble this Brother Bai to lead the way."

"This… I only came to get some news. Why does the gentleman want to find his residence?"

Jiang Fan cut him off. "Bai An took part in plundering the households of Wu Xianghuan, Ye Xianghuan, Xiucai Lou, and others, and also extorted money from the gentry and prominent families of Tongcheng. Although he has been detained in the South Prison, the silver and coin have not yet been fully recovered. The Fast Squad is under orders to recover it in full. If it is insufficient in the rioter's own home, it may also be hidden in the homes of relatives and friends. This Brother Bai should know all of Bai An's relatives and friends. We'll trouble you to lead the way as we search house by house. When the time comes, the yamen will certainly have a reward."

"I… I don't know them." Bai An's elder brother had never imagined such an outcome. He hastily retreated, saying, "I'm not his real brother. I just felt sorry for him and came to ask on his behalf. I don't know anything else, nor do I know Bai An's other relatives and friends."

As he spoke, he backed away. If the yamen runners really grabbed him to lead the way, searching the homes of relative after relative, he would never be able to face his kin and friends again. And it was even more likely they would search his own home — his own family's silver was also silver, and when the time came, how could he clearly explain it wasn't dirty money?

Jiang Fan called after him, "This Brother Bai, don't be in a hurry to leave. The matter hasn't been settled yet."

Bai An's brother dared not linger. In a flash, he melted into the crowd and vanished.

Jiang Fan turned to the others in the clearing. "All those detained in the South Prison must be interrogated by the Punishment Office. The Arrow-An-Ning Branch Surveillance Circuit will also come in person to hear the trials. They will certainly not be wronged. It is only human nature for you, fellow townsmen, to worry about your kin and friends, but gathering here may be unwise. If the Circuit Intendant of the Branch Surveillance Circuit sees this and believes there are still people intending to stir up trouble, he may resolve to make an example of them, and might well pass a heavier sentence, which would instead harm your kin and friends in prison. You would be doing them a disservice. Once the trials are over, notices will be posted. If you are anxious for news, you may leave your addresses with me, brother. I will personally come to your door to deliver the news, which is far more convenient than crowding here. Come, come — is there anyone willing to leave an address?"

Jiang Fan stepped closer. How could those relatives and friends dare leave their addresses with the yamen? They all feared the yamen runners would later come to their doors to search for dirty silver and drag them in as well. They waved their hands one after another, retreating outward, as if afraid that lagging behind would get them caught by Jiang Fan.

The five Runners behind him also spread out, asking the commoners for their addresses one by one. The people in the clearing scattered and fled. In the blink of an eye, the dense crowd had become sparse and scattered.

Satisfied, Pang Yu emerged from the main gate. Dispersing the crowd like this, without any shouting about killing or fighting, was indeed a good method. In a moment, he could go and claim credit from Yang Fangzao.

The six Runners were still questioning people one by one. By the time Pang Yu walked into the clearing, the commoners had fled, with barely a few remaining.

Jiang Fan now came before an old woman. She was plainly dressed, likely a commoner from the city — many Green-Skin families were just like this.

Her face was haggard, tears still hanging on her cheeks. "This Constable, I've come to ask about my son's corpse — can it be returned to this old body? He's been dead for days now; if we don't hold the funeral soon, I fear he'll start to rot."

"Auntie, what was your son's name?"

"Aiya, he was called Gu Xiaowu." The old woman choked up for a moment, wiped away her tears, and went on. "He was a runner too, you know. Back when he was in the Household Office, families everywhere wanted to arrange a match for him. It's all because his father died early, and someone got him transferred to the Runner Squad. Ai, each day worse than the last, and he stopped listening to this old body's words. In the end, his head and body lie in separate places. When this old body sees his father in the afterlife, how am I supposed to explain…"

Having spoken, the old woman seized Jiang Fan's arm and broke into wailing sobs.

Jiang Fan was remarkably patient and only offered quiet words of comfort. Seeing this, Ruan Jin strode over, ready to pull the old woman away.

Pang Yu stepped forward two paces and shook his head at Ruan Jin. Once Ruan Jin had withdrawn, Pang Yu patted the old woman's hand and said, "Auntie Gu, there's no need to be anxious. He must wait until head and body are both accounted for before he can be laid to rest. Those bodies are all still at Yunji Temple. The Chizhou Troops are leaving today; originally we planned to bring the coroners to Yunji Temple tomorrow to collect them. But since Auntie Gu is so worried, this Pang will go to Yunji Temple tonight. By early tomorrow morning, Gu Xiaowu's remains can be returned to you, Auntie."

Hearing this, the old woman dropped to her knees with a thud and wept, "My thanks to this Constable, a kind-hearted man…"

Pang Yu quickly said to Jiang Fan, "Help her home. Come back soon — we leave for Yunji Temple immediately."

With that, Pang Yu turned without a backward glance and strode back into the county yamen.

……

The setting sun slanted westward. At the foot of Yunji Temple mountain, two carts were about to depart, each carrying three headless corpses. Pang Yu, with Pang Ding beside him, stood on the mountain path silently watching Gu Xiaowu's headless body among them.

This was the second batch taken away today; over ten bodies still remained in the temple. Pang Yu had learned early this morning that the Chizhou Troops were withdrawing, and had volunteered to bring the coroners to collect the corpses — and also to confirm whether the Chizhou Troops had indeed left.

Naturally, no one contested him for such a miserable errand with no profit in it. Pang Yu had brought six men from the Fast Squad and two coroners. It looked like they would be busy another full day tomorrow before all the bodies could be transported.

"Squad Head, are you not returning to the county seat with us?" Ruan Jin asked with concern.

"I don't trust those Chizhou Troops. His Excellency Yang gave specific orders — I am to investigate all the way to Liantan and confirm that the Chizhou Troops have left Tongcheng county's borders. This is precisely the Fast Squad's duty." Pang Yu sighed. "If I go back today, I'll have to retrace this whole stretch from the county seat tomorrow. Better to find an inn near Guache River and stay the night, then head directly to Liantan tomorrow. That saves twenty li of travel."

"Then this humble one will stay and keep the Squad Head company."

Pang Yu's face was expressionless. "The civil unrest in the city has only just been quelled. There may still be remnants in hiding. All of you return to Tongcheng. Stay inside the county yamen tonight, and make absolutely certain of His Honor and the County Vice-Magistrate's safety."

"This humble one…"

"What I have spoken is an order."

Ruan Jin promptly shut his mouth. Once the coroners had secured the corpses, the six Fast Squad men mounted their horses one after another — this was one advantage of having fewer men now: everyone had a horse, and the Foot Runners had all become Mounted Runners.

Pang Yu watched the corpse-laden carts disappear down the Official Road, then slowly walked back up the mountain to Yunji Temple with Pang Ding.

The felled cypress trees on Yunji Temple's mountain path had been partly cleared by the Chizhou Troops, but most remained. Yet Pang Yu found the climb effortless. Reaching the summit, he entered the main hall.

Pang Yu slowly sat down in the doorway leading to the Side Hall, right on the floorboards. The stone slabs in the hall were still mottled with bloodstains — the Chizhou Troops had clearly never cleaned up.

Pang Yu drifted into a trance for a time, sitting in place until the sky had gone completely dark. Pang Ding lit two torches inside the hall. The mountain wind swept through the chamber, making the flames flicker and sway unceasingly.

"Young Master, I've found that dung ladle. It's dark now, and He Xianya has arrived — he's guarding the mountain path outside the courtyard gate. I've searched the temple again; there's truly no one hiding. Let's begin."

Pang Yu stared at a bloodstain on the opposite side — that patch of blood had a splattered look to it, the very spot where Gu Xiaowu had met his death.

"Young Master?"

"Let's go." Pang Yu wiped a hand across his face and forced himself up with effort. Each taking a torch, the two exited the hall through the rear door and reached the cesspit outside the Lay Practitioners' House.

By now, Pang Yu was utterly indifferent to the vile stench. He impatiently planted his torch, picked up the dung ladle from the ground, and probed to the bottom of the cesspit. He scooped up a heavy load with effort, carefully lifted it, and dumped it onto the bank — a black, foul mass mixed with excrement and urine.

Pang Ding poked at it a few times with a bamboo twig, then cried out in a low voice he could barely suppress, "The hidden silver is still here! The Chizhou Troops didn't find it!"

He picked up a basin of water he had prepared and splashed it over with a whoosh. The viscous, clinging filth was washed away, revealing several ingot-shaped silver pieces beneath. In the torchlight, they gleamed with a faint, ghostly metallic luster.