Chapter 593: The Bigger Picture

In the eastern wing of a small courtyard not far from Shangxin River Wharf in Nanjing, Cui Yongda held a blank-covered booklet, murmuring softly under his breath.

Second Locust lay on the bed, but he was not sleeping; he had propped his upper body up with a quilt bunched behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the other secret sentries in the room.

Those men were spread around the room, all looking at Second Locust with unfriendly expressions.

A burly man stood up, walked over to the side near Second Locust's head, and suddenly kicked the bed frame with his foot.

The bed frame immediately began to shake, making creaking sounds. Second Locust sat up on the bed, turned his head, and glared fiercely at the burly man. The burly man acted as if he noticed nothing and continued kicking the bed frame. Another secret sentry nearby also joined in, forcefully kicking the other end of the bed frame, making it shake violently.

Second Locust jumped off the bed and shouted at the burly man, "Kick it again and I'll kill you!"

The burly man was not afraid at all; instead, he kicked even harder. The other secret sentries also gathered around, looking as if they were about to gang up on Second Locust.

At that moment, a coquettish voice came from the doorway, "Oh my, who has made our Second Chief so angry?"

Hearing the voice, Cui Yongda immediately put down the booklet and stood up. Xiao Liu, his face painted with rouge, waved a hand at him. "Captain Spit, you work too hard. We're out on assignment, no need for so many formalities."

Seeing Xiao Liu enter, the other secret sentries in the room finally dispersed, but they still looked at Second Locust with fierce eyes.

Xiao Liu walked into the room, and a waft of fragrance immediately filled the air. He first glanced at Second Locust, then took a step closer to Cui Yongda and said with a slight smile, "Brother Spit, what a pity. Our secret sentry camp has expanded from an academy to a full battalion, with official posts aplenty—a truly bright future ahead. The document recommending your promotion to Banner Commander from Lord Yuan was already drafted, and now it's been withheld."

Cui Yongda smiled but said nothing more.

"And all of you," Xiao Liu turned to the other secret sentries, his gaze sweeping over them like flowing water, "when the merit assessments for the previous assignment came down, each of you was originally due for a promotion. Now, under the Mutual Responsibility System, you've been fined one month's pay, must recite the Military Law one hundred times, have your leave for this ten-day period canceled, are barred from promotion for three months, and probationary posts will not be made permanent. The posts won't wait, so they'll just have to go to people from other companies. That woman had over a thousand taels in Banknotes on her, which included a share for all of you—all blasted away by that one Fire Lance shot. Ah, all dragged down by those damned Local Bandits."

Second Locust raised his head. "Who are you calling damned Local Bandits?"

"Second Chief, please don't misunderstand." The delicately featured Xiao Liu shot a glance at Cui Yongda, then twisted his waist and sidled up to Second Locust, his face blooming into a smile. "I am, of course, talking about you."

Second Locust stared back at him. "Don't think I don't know. You're just a Household Slave from Macheng who surrendered to Cao Cao's camp on his own and was captured at Susong. You were just captured a bit earlier, that's all. What are you..."

Xiao Liu put his hands on his hips. "So what if I came out of Cao Cao's camp? I was captured earlier than you, so I became a Deputy Centurion, and you're still a Squad Leader. And now, you're not even a Squad Leader anymore."

Second Locust's cheek twitched. He stared at Xiao Liu and said, "I heard that your master from the Macheng household was the most depraved, keeping dozens of young catamites. When the mood struck him, he'd do anything, and few of them lived past twenty. Could it be that even a monster like you couldn't endure it and was forced to join the Local Bandits? Tell me, what kind of moods did your master have?"

The smile on Xiao Liu's face slowly faded. He looked coldly at Second Locust and said, "Damned Local Bandit, you'd better not fall into my hands in the future."

Second Locust looked coldly back at him. "And you'd better not fall into my hands either."

Xiao Liu gave a cold laugh, then his expression vanished. Suddenly, he swung his hand violently at Second Locust's face. A sharp slap rang out.

Second Locust recoiled a step, his eyes blazing with ferocity.

Xiao Liu, however, showed no fear. Instead, he stepped forward, pressing right up to Second Locust. "I am the Deputy Centurion of this Company. When you meet a superior officer, you must first address them as 'Sir'."

The teammates around them drew closer, all looking at Second Locust with ill intent. This Roving Bandit had provoked public anger; with just a word from Xiao Liu, everyone present looked ready to beat him up together.

Cui Yongda stepped over to stand beside Xiao Liu and said to Second Locust inside, "If I were you, I wouldn't provoke anyone right now."

"Cui Yongda, don't come here playing the good guy." Second Locust looked at Xiao Liu. "I belong to the Second Unit of Zhongjiang, not your Third Brigade."

Even as he spoke, he still retreated two steps.

"Transferred from the Second Unit, but when reporting to a superior, you still follow our unit's reporting rules. You still haven't called me 'Sir.' Do you want another slap?"

Xiao Liu spoke as he drew closer. Second Locust retreated another step, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Suddenly, someone at the door said, "Cui Yongda, Lord Yuan summons you."

Xiao Liu turned to Cui Yongda. "Captain Spit, go quickly. Perhaps you can still keep your post as Team Leader."

Cui Yongda hurriedly followed the messenger to the main house in the rear courtyard. Yuan Zheng was already waiting inside, dressed entirely as a traveling merchant. Without waiting for Cui Yongda's formal greeting, he said directly, "Yu Huai is not dead yet. The bullet hit his left arm. The arm is certainly lost; whether his life can be saved is still unknown."

Cui Yongda let out a soft breath of relief. Yuan Zheng took a step inside the room. "I warned you all long ago that assignments in a place like Nanjing require particular caution. This was a capture mission. The operational rule is: if they don't use blades or guns against us, we don't kill. The capture of this woman was arranged by Lord Jiang. Now it has caused such a commotion. Yu Huai has wide connections in Nanjing's scholar-official circles; Zhou Biao and Liu Shensi are already rallying support within the Restoration Society, wanting to stir up public opinion. If we can't suppress it, I will have to swallow my pride and go to the council to beg the Silver House and Newspaper Office for help, incurring another favor. If this turns into the kind of public outcry like the Public Denunciation against disorder, and word reaches Lord Pang's ears, forcing Lord Jiang himself to step in and quell it, then my culpability will be great indeed."

"Your subordinate performed poorly and is willing to bear full responsibility. I request punishment, my lord."

"You are the Team Leader; when your men make mistakes, you naturally share the blame. I am your superior officer; what I must bear, you cannot bear for me." Yuan Zheng finished coldly, stood in the room for a moment, and then said, "This capture was originally not meant to be recorded. Now, leaving no record is impossible. Complete the operational documents for the earlier action. Give Second Locust the lowest evaluation and report it to the battalion's Central Army. Send him back to Zhongjiang."

"Understood." Cui Yongda kept his head lowered, saying nothing superfluous.

"Zhou Biao and Liu Shensi want to stir public opinion, but they have only empty words, no witnesses or evidence. I won't let them build it up easily, though it does indeed add considerable trouble. Your group cannot remain in Nanjing for the near term, to avoid further complications." Yuan Zheng paused briefly. "Shandong is short on personnel. You will first go to the Xuzhou listening post for temporary station and await reassignment."

Shandong was overrun with Local Bandits this year; everyone in the secret sentry battalion knew it was a miserable assignment no one wanted. Being transferred from Nanjing to Xuzhou was, in reality, a form of punishment. Without a moment's hesitation, Cui Yongda said, "Your subordinate accepts the order."

Yuan Zheng's tone softened. "Since your days at the academy, I have always thought highly of you. In our line of work, mishaps are unavoidable. In the future, you must still carry out your duties boldly."

"This student has failed his Academy Director. In the future, I will certainly handle assignments meticulously and never allow such oversights again."

Yuan Zheng walked up to him. "You must always remember, this is the secret sentry battalion. We are in the business of beheadings. That means not only do we behead others, but others will behead us. When you go out on assignment, you must always keep the bigger picture in mind and attend to every detail. Where more effort is required, you must never skimp on even a bit of effort."

Cui Yongda looked up at Yuan Zheng. "This student thanks the Academy Director for his instruction."

"The Household Office petitions: This month, one female criminal went missing from the first Fortified Village at Shipai and was promptly recovered. Investigation reveals that due to the recent influx of various outsiders at Shipai, the Fortified Village is difficult to Watch and Control. The Household Office, for the sake of security, specifically requests that this female criminal be transferred to the Zongyang secret sentry battalion academy for Watch and Control."

In a small courtyard at the southwest corner of the Shipai Martial Academy, a clerk briefly read the petition in his hand. He looked up at Mr. Yu. "Sir, since they say she went missing, she should simply be recovered. Why mention Watch and Control..."

Mr. Yu waved his hand, signaling the clerk not to continue. He took the Petition Paper, read the rest himself, and then casually handed it back to the clerk. "Forward to the secret sentry battalion's Central Army for a response. If they are willing to accept this woman, let the Household Office coordinate with them directly. No need to submit another petition."

The clerk was somewhat puzzled but still folded the Petition Paper, wrote Mr. Yu's instructions on it, and placed it aside. Another clerk placed the petition into a basket labeled with the words "Secret Sentry Battalion."

As the Anqing Battalion grew in scale, official correspondence increased more and more. Pang Yu was often away leading troops, so not everything could go to the Military Council. Most matters went first to the Document Receiving Office; those requiring the Regional Commander's handling were then forwarded to the Study. The majority of minor matters were handled by Mr. Yu and then sent back to the Document Receiving Office, which distributed them to the various departments.

Apart from this, some documents from the secret sentry battalion, the Advisory Room, and the Silver House were reported directly to the Central Army, bypassing the Document Receiving Office.

When Pang Yu was away from Anqing, the Central Army Secretariat generally remained at the government office. But this time, since Pang Yu was to stay for a period, the Secretariat had followed him here.

At that moment, a clerk came over and said, "Lord Pang has returned."

Mr. Yu acknowledged this, picked up a stack of documents from in front of him, waited for Pang Yu to enter, and then followed him into the Regional Commander's Direct Office.

Before the guards could bring tea, Mr. Yu had already handed over a letter. "This is a reply from Regional Commander Yang."

Pang Yu opened it and read; his expression immediately relaxed. He looked at Mr. Yu and said, "Yang Sichang handles matters reliably. The Xuzhou Regional Commander post is about to be settled. Have Zhuang Chaozheng prepare to proceed to Xuzhou. All offices and battalions are to prepare the Armor and Weapons and equipment for the Xuzhou troops. Depart immediately upon receipt of the official letter of appointment."

Mr. Yu immediately noted this down. Pang Yu felt a surge of excitement. He stood up, paced around once, and then sat back down. He said to Mr. Yu before him, "With the Xuzhou Regional Commander settled, Yang Sichang has accomplished one of the things he promised us. We must also fulfill what we promised him. Have the Advisory Room issue the Order Token for the Huguang mission."

"I will forward this to the Advisory Room immediately." Mr. Yu then handed over another petition. "Regarding the item of purchasing cannons for Cao Bianjiao, the workshop has assembled twenty cannons. On the artillery side, Ceng Yiyun has volunteered to go to Liaodong as an instructor, preparing two instructor gun crews of ten men, plus three groups of two each for Gunpowder, Carriage, and Cannonball Casting, totaling sixteen men. The matter of transporting the cannons remains unresolved. The Advisory Room's response notes that Shandong is swarming with Local Bandits, making both land and water routes unsafe. Furthermore, cannons are instruments of national military power; a private transfer between two battalions without Ministry of War authorization is vulnerable to impeachment by the Remonstrance Officials. They suggest transport by sea via the Shipping Company. I have already requested a response from the Shipping Company."

Pang Yu silently calculated the time. "Zhang Shuangwei hasn't even bought the sea vessels back yet. Relying on them probably won't be fast enough."

"The Shipping Company has responded that they can handle the transport."

Pang Yu was somewhat surprised. Mr. Yu continued, "They responded that they have seven Sand Ships available on the Lower River, fully crewed with Sailors. As long as you give the order, my lord, the Shipping Company can carry it out."

Pang Yu had not expected the Shipping Company to move so quickly. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Have the Shipping Company plan carefully. Distribute the load across several ships."

Advisor Yu set down the petition and reached for another volume. Pang Yu spoke to him again, "Have the silver for purchasing seagoing ships over at the shipping company side disbursed early. Let Zhang Shuangwei draft a plan on the scale of a full fleet."

Advisor Yu quickly noted it down, then said to Pang Yu, "There is another matter also involving the shipping company — the matter of the Wusong General Command. Xu Strengthening has gone with Zheng Circuit Intendant to Beixia Pass in Tongcheng. This is not a matter convenient for correspondence. A man was sent with a verbal message to his advisor, but it is unknown when he…"

Just as he reached this point, a guard came in from outside and said in a low voice, "My lord, General Commandant Xu is at the Prefectural Academy battalion gate requesting an audience. Whether to…"

Pang Yu froze for a moment. He had not expected that Xu Strengthening, a man with the titular rank of full General Commandant, would actually travel all the way from the Prefectural City to Shipai to request an audience with Pang Yu, a mere Interior Regional Commander.

"Invite him in… no, I will go receive him." Pang Yu stopped mid-sentence, rose, and headed straight for the battalion gate on his own.

Spotting Xu Strengthening from a distance, Pang Yu quickened his pace to the gate and signaled Yan Guan to go assist with registration.

Without waiting for registration, Xu Strengthening, already impatient, stepped forward ahead of time to meet him, tightly grasping Pang Yu's arm.

"Brother Pang." Xu Strengthening's eyes were red-rimmed. "This time at Beixia Pass, the moment I ascended the pass fortress, the first thing that came to mind was nothing else — it was that year rushing to reinforce Anqing, the first time I fought shoulder to shoulder with you, my worthy younger brother, right at Beixia Pass. In a blink, how many years has it been."

At this point, Xu Strengthening could not help but choke up before he could continue. Pang Yu had not expected this either. He had previously wanted to use Wusong Town to develop maritime transport, scheming to help Xu Strengthening be promoted to the formal Wusong General Commandant, but he had not imagined Xu Strengthening would be this emotional.

Calculating carefully, it had already been five years since Xu Strengthening rushed to reinforce Anqing. In between, he had been briefly transferred away to suppress the Taihu water bandits once, and then made a trip to the Nanjing Mausoleum, but both times he was transferred back not long after. Pang Yu sometimes mistook him for Anqing's own local troops.

In the past, Pang Yu had not wished for him to leave, because Anqing lacked soldiers. The Wusong Troops were no good at battle, but they had no problem with city defense. Now, after the Anqing Battalion expanded its forces, the Wusong Troops' role had become negligible, yet Wusong's role was beginning to grow important.

Seeing the soldiers around casting sidelong glances, Pang Yu hastily pulled Xu Strengthening along toward the drill ground.

"This brother also remembers clearly. From that time at Beixia Pass onward, you and I, brothers, have faced life and death together for how many years now. In my heart, I still wish to campaign across the battlefields with you, elder brother, yet I always feel it is unjust for you. The court's use of men cannot be to seize an honest man and use him ruthlessly. You, elder brother, are not in a position to speak of it yourself, but this brother cannot pretend not to know. That is why this thought arose. Still, I must first ask for elder brother's opinion."

Xu Strengthening held Pang Yu's left arm with both hands, as if afraid he would run off. Pang Yu naturally understood. Xu Strengthening was a Vice Town Commander, but he might not necessarily secure the Wusong General Command. These years in Anqing, though he had done little of real substance, he had not caused any major blunders either, and he had basked in the reflected glory of the Anqing Battalion, sharing somewhat in the merits, his name frequently appearing before the Ministry of War.

With battles raging everywhere under heaven now, if the Ministry of War happened to get the impression he was capable in battle, sending him to the north to serve as a Regional Commander was also a strong possibility — something Xu Strengthening was absolutely unwilling to do. So although he could be promoted, his prospects remained very uncertain.

Wusong Town was Xu Strengthening's old nest. It lay in the wealthiest region, free of war and chaos, where he was familiar with everyone above, below, and all around. It was Xu Strengthening's first choice. The current General Commandant was also due for rotation, but there were many contenders for this post.

And as for Pang Yu's current influence, Xu Strengthening naturally knew it well. If only Pang Yu were willing to step forward and help him maneuver, his chances would greatly increase. So the moment he received word, he had rushed back to Anqing without delay. Hearing Pang Yu was at Shipai, he had hurried to Shipai without stopping, precisely to settle this quickly. At this moment, his two hands could not help but grip tighter and tighter. The two men walked across the drill ground just like this.

"This elder brother came to this Anqing — in a blink, five years already. This elder brother has spent a lifetime in armor, yet these five years, fighting local bandits, fighting water bandits, after water bandits fighting roving bandits, even those Eastern Invaders, I fought them too." Xu Strengthening spoke with emotion. "This facing life and death — worthy younger brother, you are no outsider, I will speak truthfully to you. This elder brother was in truth unwilling, yet it is precisely in such moments of life and death that one knows a man's heart. These five years in Anqing, this elder brother has gained nothing else, only gained you, General Pang, this worthy younger brother. I originally had two blood brothers too, but well, those were given by father and mother, no choice in the matter, truly a source of worry. Yet it is precisely this brother, General Pang, who every time I think of him, feels closer than my own blood brothers."

Xu Strengthening freed one hand and made a show of wiping his tears. Pang Yu, his arm held by him, could not conveniently turn his head to see whether he was truly shedding tears, but at least the gesture was complete.

"This elder brother truly cannot bear to leave — not because I still wish to fight battles, but solely because you, worthy younger brother, are still in Anqing."

Pang Yu hurriedly played along. "This brother too cannot bear to part with you, elder brother. But I have heard that this year the Suzhou-Songjiang region is not as peaceful as in years past. Wusong Town guards the fertile lands, the very source of the realm's grain tax. If chaos breaks out, the rations and pay for our Anqing Battalion will be gone as well. It truly requires a veteran commander seasoned in many battles to hold the garrison. Elder brother going there is precisely the best of both worlds. After thinking it over and over, I could only take the liberty of recommending you to the court. I must ask elder brother to set the greater good above all."

Xu Strengthening furrowed his brow, as if undergoing a fierce inner struggle. He abruptly raised his head to look at Pang Yu. "A fine 'set the greater good above all.' This is the lofty righteousness with which you, worthy younger brother, have considered things on this elder brother's behalf. This elder brother still falls far short of you, worthy younger brother. Even if I can no longer bear to part with you, I can no longer betray this lofty righteousness. Then let it be settled thus — the greater good above all."

Pang Yu turned his head to look at Xu Strengthening. His right hand clasped the hand with which Xu Strengthening was gripping him, and with equal emotion he said, "The greater good above all."