Chapter 572: Fairness

"Local bandits are swarming in the Shandong direction, the Grand Canal has been cut several times, and since June the Roving Bandits have spread throughout Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Henan, breaching seven county seats and destroying countless townships. In the Liaodong direction, the Eastern Invaders have raided Liaoxi, resulting in the death in battle of Regional Commander Jin Guofeng. Between year's end and the start of the next, the Eastern Invaders will likely launch a new medium-scale campaign in Liaoxi. With the Roving Bandits running rampant and the Eastern Invaders wreaking havoc, at this moment of turmoil across the realm, our Anqing Battalion, as the strongest military unit under heaven, should rightfully shoulder heavy responsibilities…"

Pang Yu's voice echoed through the assembly hall. Wu Dacai sat rigidly on the far right of the dais, his face utterly solemn, the very picture of attentive listening — yet in truth, he had absorbed nothing at all.

The Document Team issued similar lecture drafts every month, adjusting them slightly according to the situation, but the content was largely the same. The Clerk Officers were then required to go to each Banner Team and deliver the lecture. Wu Dacai's own literacy was not sufficient to finish reviewing the drafts, but he would always listen to them once and then make some revisions.

The new developments Pang Yu was lecturing about had all been mentioned in the Advisory Room's intelligence briefs. Wu Dacai was a high-ranking officer and received a copy of every brief, so none of this content held the slightest novelty for him.

The officers below all sat perfectly upright; some had focused eyes, but Wu Dacai knew they had not absorbed it either. He turned his head back toward the speaking Pang Yu. Lord Pang's voice was sonorous, solemn, and dignified. Wu Dacai suspected that Lord Pang did not actually want to read it, yet it seemed he had no choice but to do so.

Wu Dacai swept his gaze across the room. He recognized a small portion of the seated officers below, but most he did not know — they must have been promoted before he assumed the post of Deputy Chief Clerk. He needed to have conversations with them; otherwise, he would have no impression of them at all. Those he had spoken with were noticeably more respectful toward him, while among those he had not spoken with, almost no one looked his way.

At that moment, a figure passed before his eyes — a soldier from the Martial Academy had come to pour water. Wu Dacai suddenly noticed that half of this soldier's clothing pocket had been flipped out.

At such an important Military Council, if he went around like that, every General Officer on the dais would see it. In Wu Dacai's mind, this would mean losing face for the Shipai Martial Academy, especially since he would have to pass right in front of Lord Pang. If they were criticized for lax discipline at the Martial Academy, it would be a colossal blunder.

At this critical juncture, with He County Yamen vying for the position of Chief Clerk, Wu Dacai absolutely could not accept a problem arising over such a trivial matter. He immediately began frantically signaling the soldier with his eyes.

Who could have guessed that the soldier, carrying the water kettle, would never once lift his head, focused solely on pouring water? Wu Dacai coughed once. The soldier still did not react, and after pouring, simply turned and left, arriving before Chen Rulie to pour water.

Wu Dacai burned with fury. First, he shot a fierce glare down at Cao Shuban below the dais. This Cao Shuban was someone he had brought to the Martial Academy and was now the manager of the Martial Academy's Document Receiving Office, the very person handling this assembly. Cao Shuban, utterly oblivious, was below quietly arranging something with a soldier.

Wu Dacai did not dare call out. He watched Chen Rulie from the corner of his eye, unsure if he had noticed. Chen Rulie, like everyone else, sat with perfect posture and had barely moved this entire time. While keeping watch, Wu Dacai also observed that soldier's pocket again. It did not seem to be flipped out very much, but it still felt like an eyesore — others could still easily spot it.

Suddenly, Chen Rulie moved. Wu Dacai's heart jolted, but then he saw Chen Rulie lower his head again to look at the distributed documents. Only then did Wu Dacai breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Amid Wu Dacai's anxiety and fear, the soldier made his way along. Pang Yu's resounding voice continued, "Anqing Defense Zone Commander Wang Zenglu, Upper River Defense Zone Commander Xie Zhaofa, Middle River Defense Zone Commander Wang Tiezhu, concurrently serving as Marine Battalion Commander, Northern Defense Zone Commander Zhuang Chaozheng, Mobile Corps Commander Battalion Commander Chen Rulie…"

Wu Dacai wanted to hear all the defense zone-level appointments, but his attention was scattered. The soldier was pouring water for Yang Xueshi, and next he would reach the lecturing Pang Yu. Wu Dacai's entire body went rigid, nearly unable to move, and without realizing it, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Suddenly, the soldier turned and went back the other way — it turned out the kettle was out of water. Another soldier carrying a kettle came over to take over. Wu Dacai's entire body recovered, and he let out a long sigh of relief. Without noticing, his back was already soaked through with sweat — it had nearly been more exhausting than fighting the entire Pure Stream River Campaign.

He remembered the appointments he had just heard, but there was no clarification of the battalion deployments within the defense zones. That was because the Infantry Firearms Battalion had not finished training, so for now they could only make do with the old organization. What Pang Yu spoke of next were the deputy defense zone commander appointments. Wu Dacai paid them little attention — as long as the New Battalion had not finished training, these defense zones were still just empty shells, far less important than battalion commanders.

Then Pang Yu spoke of the necessity of the Infantry Firearms Battalion. Though the people below maintained their seated postures, their eyes began to show animation. Wu Dacai, too, listened intently.

"The Infantry Firearms Battalion is newly established and must draw officers from the old battalions. During this period, our battalion must still fight the Roving Bandits across several provinces. Military system reform is imperative, but it must not hinder military operations and engagements. It requires careful planning and scheduling. For this purpose, a Military System Revision Group is hereby established within the Central Army, to oversee all matters related to the reform — the establishment of battalions, the promotion of officers and soldiers, armor and weapons, barracks, and so forth."

Wu Dacai's heart jolted in shock. He had never heard a word about this so-called Revision Group before, and this group's authority was immense — especially that item about officer and soldier promotions. Its actual standing was far greater than those empty-shell defense zone commanders.

He had received no information whatsoever about this group, which meant the matter had been kept from him. Most likely, he had no part in it. Wu Dacai's fingers picked at splinters on the underside of the table. Pang Yu had spoken with him several times before but had never mentioned this group. Now, hearing that it would oversee military system reform, including officer promotions, its authority was even greater than the Military Office and the Advisory Room — at least during this period.

Back when Yang Xueshi first arrived at the Military Office, the Anqing Battalion was still a Defense Officer battalion, with only three or four thousand men. Pang Yu had simply appointed the officers himself, and the Military Office was like a clerical yamen — no one thought it held any real power.

But now the Anqing Battalion had swelled to ten thousand men. Pang Yu could not possibly manage it all and had no choice but to delegate authority to the Military Office. The military system reform would establish many new Infantry Firearms Battalions. Though not highly regarded, it nonetheless brought a great number of officer positions. Even if the soldiers and officers looked down on the Infantry Firearms Battalion, they would not look down on its officer posts.

The Military Office suddenly became a yamen with real power. Every battalion commander had to deal with Yang Xueshi, fighting fiercely to secure more promotion quotas.

According to Pang Yu's previous style, before settling any matter, he would first consult the relevant people. At the very least, the group leader would be in the know. This group also managed the organization and training of the new battalions. Wu Dacai thought it over and felt he ought to be in it, but he was not certain. He guessed the group leader would be Yang Xueshi — that would be consistent with the Military Office's standing.

Thinking this, he glanced to his left, wanting to see Yang Xueshi's expression, but his line of sight was blocked by Chen Rulie's head. With the officers gathered below and all eyes upon them, it was not convenient for Wu Dacai to crane his neck to look, so he had to suppress this bit of curiosity.

Pang Yu's voice paused briefly. "The group shall consist of the following five members…"

Wu Dacai stopped moving, as if that voice were the only thing in the entire world. Below the dais, there was complete stillness.

"Clerk of the Military Office Yang Xueshi, Clerk of the Advisory Room Tu Shupeng, Staff Officer Yu Zewen, Captain of the Pacification and Control Unit Jiang Guoyong…"

Only one name remained. He did not know whether it would be He County Yamen. Wu Dacai's body went rigid once more. Hearing this, his breathing nearly stopped. Pang Yu's brief pause felt like a hundred years.

"Deputy Chief Clerk Wu Dacai…"

Wu Dacai's fists suddenly clenched tight. He was about to exhale sharply when he suddenly sensed that Chen Rulie beside him was watching him. He immediately controlled his breathing, slowly letting the breath out.

"…Wu Dacai is hereby ordered to temporarily assume the duties of Chief Clerk and appointed as Group Leader of the Military System Revision Group."

The eyes below the dais turned toward him in unison. Wu Dacai had never imagined the group leader would be himself. Hearing the words "group leader," a surge of hot blood rushed straight to his head, and wave after wave of numbness spread across his scalp. His mind went completely blank. His breathing instantly became uncontrollable and burst out with a sharp "pfft."

…

"Move all the tables over here. The Military System Revision Group will conduct its business here from now on. Place my desk over on this side."

Wu Dacai pointed out the spot. This position was toward the inside — he could see others, but others could not see him. He stood there and looked again, making a few minor adjustments.

Documents and stationery were piled up like mountains in the room. A dozen or so soldiers bustled about inside and out, moving things according to Wu Dacai's instructions. Wu Dacai turned his head toward Cao Shuban. "Has the Military Office's officer roster been delivered yet?"

Cao Shuban hurriedly responded, "Replying to Your Excellency, it has been delivered."

"From now on, don't just call me 'Your Excellency' — it makes things seem distant. Address me by my post: Chief Clerk."

"Yes, Chief Clerk, Your Excellency."

Wu Dacai thought for a moment and said, "In this Military System Revision Group, the Infantry Firearms Battalion is the top priority, but it also involves officer promotions. We ought to first establish some rules and procedures to handle things properly."

Cao Shuban, catching his meaning, replied, "Your Excellency is most insightful. This humble one believes that for promotions within existing units, we can simply assign them based on merit and report to the Military Office — no need to start a separate process. The promotions handled by this group specifically refer to the new Infantry Firearms Battalion formations, so they cannot be distributed purely by merit. But that Pang Ding fellow still has to sit in on the proceedings, so we truly do need some rules to handle matters properly. This humble one proposes that we give each battalion a roughly equal allocation. If each battalion submits its recommended candidates, it would not be appropriate to reject them outright. We can discuss them within the group — however many each Thousand-Leader Headquarters submits, admit them in batches to the Martial Academy to study the new battalion drill manual. Those who pass the Examination and Evaluation will be assigned to the new battalion. Once one batch enters the battalion, examine the next batch. The Examination and Evaluation can be conducted right at the Martial Academy… Since Your Excellency is both the group leader and the Academy Director of the Shipai Martial Academy, handling matters will be convenient."

"It's not just about convenience — the most important thing is fairness. Draft a set of procedures based on what you just said." Wu Dacai coughed once. "Hmm, Tang Sheng, bring me the officer roster for the First Division — no, the First Thousand-Leader Headquarters. Yes, yes, this one. Let me take a look. The year before last, he was a Centurion, stationed at Tianning Fortress. Three, three… why is there no 'three' character anywhere in this entire roster? Was he beaten to death?"

Wu Dacai muttered to himself as he looked. Cao Shuban and Tang Sheng beside him were both utterly baffled, having no idea who Wu Dacai was talking about. Neither dared to interrupt.

Cao Shuban waited a moment, then cautiously said, "Chief Clerk, Your Excellency, this subordinate recalls that last year, Lord Pang had half of the First and Second Thousand-Leader Headquarters swapped. Half were led back to Anqing by Yao Dongshan and reorganized there into the First Thousand-Leader Headquarters. After replenishing their strength, they returned to Huguang. Could it be that the person you are looking for happened to be transferred over?"

Wu Dacai concentrated and thought, then hurriedly took the roster of the Second Thousand-Leader Headquarters. Looking carefully, he indeed saw a "three" character, and he recognized the character that followed it too.

"Hmm, so now he's a Centurion in the Infantry Combat Ranger Company directly under the Second Thousand-Leader Headquarters. Heh heh, Wang Zenglu certainly values you." Wu Dacai knew the army inside out. This Infantry Combat Ranger Company was directly subordinate to the Thousand-Leader Headquarters, and its members were generally trusted confidants. Their chances of promotion were far higher than other Centurions — which meant he was very likely to be promoted to Deputy Battalion Commander.

Wu Dacai's finger tapped several times on that name. Cao Shuban beside him, not understanding what this meant, stared fixedly without blinking, afraid of missing any scrap of information.

Wu Dacai patted the roster with immense satisfaction, his finger resting on that name. When he raised his head, his expression softened. "This time, with the new battalions being established, everyone coming over from the old battalions will be promoted one rank. These officers will form the backbone of the army. Whether the military system reform is ultimately handled well or not depends most critically on whether the officers possess both talent and virtue. Only officers who can command the respect of the troops can fight battles. For some who have been reported for misconduct — even reported for committing heinous acts like murder and arson before enlisting — if it hasn't been investigated and verified, it must be verified clearly before any appointment. Likewise, those who have shown disrespect to superior officers, disrespect to the Pacification and Control Unit, disrespect to… Clerk Officers, and have been recorded in the registers — all must be investigated. As long as they dare to submit the names, every single one must be investigated and verified. Of course, this official is someone who values fairness above all. Although the group leader can arrange the order of deliberations, I will hold the bowl level for everyone. What needs investigating will be investigated. Those who are clean will be deliberated upon as they should be, and assigned to the new battalions in the order of passing the Examination and Evaluation. We must not delay the major task of forming the new units."

Cao Shuban suddenly understood. He glanced once more at that name, committed it to memory, and responded, "Your Excellency is fair and incorruptible. This subordinate will certainly investigate and verify everything clearly."

"Also, that Centurion in the Personal Guard Division — what was his name again?" Wu Dacai rubbed his forehead. "Too many matters these days. How the hell did I forget his name? Bring me the officer roster of the Personal Guard Thousand-Leader Headquarters. Find that Centurion from the Second Company. Go through the service records of all Heavy Infantry Centurions. During the rally to the king, he was a Centurion in the First Division Second Company of the Personal Guard. No, that Centurion must have stayed in the Heavy Infantry Battalion. You think just because you're Zhuang Chaozheng, I have no way to deal with him? Cao Shuban, set aside all the recommended candidates from the Second Company. This official wants to review them carefully… Actually, forget it. This official values fairness above all. With so many battalions, I can't single out only the Second Company."

Wu Dacai finished and looked at Cao Shuban and Tang Sheng before him. The two men immediately nodded to affirm the Chief Clerk's fairness. Satisfied, Wu Dacai said, "Set aside all the candidates from the Personal Guard First Division. They look down on the Infantry Firearms Battalion anyway. We'll deliberate on the candidates from the other units first."