Chapter 61: The Fog

"This lowly one confesses everything. I beg the official lords to lower it a little."

Old Zheng spoke in a feeble voice to the Runner before him, but the moment his words left his mouth, they were drowned out by a clamorous din.

The Inner Prison held over fifty rebels, all of them from Huang Wending's faction. Most had once suffered oppression at the hands of Old Zheng's gang. Confined for days, bored and filled with dread, many now felt an inexplicable excitement watching Old Zheng being tortured. The prison was a chaos of noise.

After dragging him back to the Inner Prison, Pang Yu asked nothing and simply strung him up at once. Two hemp ropes bound his thumbs, suspending him at a height where only his big toes could touch the ground.

The hemp ropes cut into his thumbs with searing pain. If he wanted to ease the pain in his thumbs, he had to brace his weight on his big toes. His two big toes had to bear his full weight while controlling his balance, and naturally they could not hold for long. Soon his big toes and ankles would also erupt in agony, forcing him to switch the load back to his thumbs.

It was either his fingers hurting or his toes hurting. For the better part of an hour, Old Zheng was trapped in a state of constant shifting. Though he quickly found a balance point, letting his fingers and toes each bear a share, the final result was that his fingers and toes all hurt together. As time dragged on, the pain grew more and more intense.

He was merely a household slave who usually swaggered through the market streets, no steadfast martyr. In less than half an hour, his spirit collapsed. In the end, he was nothing more than a common thug.

"This squad leader doesn't need you to confess anything. The day you beat Yue Ji to death in the street, the whole street was full of witnesses. You can be convicted without saying a single word." Pang Yu watched Old Zheng with keen interest from the side. "The young master is hanging you simply for revenge. You've offended no small number of people in this yamen. If the young master makes you suffer, plenty of people will cheer."

Old Zheng felt a touch of despair. Those two hemp ropes now seemed like the most terrifying instruments of torture in the world. He could no longer endure the pain in his body. He had originally thought the yamen's punishments were limited to the plank, the Standing Cage, and the like. He did not know much about the Cangue Bed, and had not feared it either.

When they first strung him up, he had been utterly indifferent. What use could two hemp ropes possibly be?

But after an hour, if Pang Yu had asked him to confess anything, he would have confessed even his ancestors eighteen generations back. What drove him to despair now was that Pang Yu demanded nothing of him, only sought to torment him for revenge.

"This lowly one is in pain! My fingers are about to snap! Official lord, spare my life!"

"If it didn't hurt, why would I hang you?" Pang Yu consoled him in a calm tone. "Brother Zheng, don't be impatient. The thumb joints are very sturdy. Two thumbs can easily bear a body's weight. They won't snap off. At worst, hanging too long will cut off the blood and they'll die."

Old Zheng threw his head back and wailed twice. Pang Yu was utterly at ease, further accentuating his position of dominant control. This was the advantage of a punishment that used body weight: once set up, the interrogator barely had to exert any effort. Universal gravitation would finish the rest of the work. The execution could last as long as one wished.

"I originally thought you could hold out for two or three hours. Brother Zheng, you're a bit of a disappointment. Your brother here still has some other novel toys I haven't even used yet. How about Brother Zheng summons up a bit more stubborn spirit?"

"Squad Leader Pang, spare my life! This lowly one won't be stubborn anymore. This lowly one buried two hundred taels of silver, two pairs of gold bracelets, and a gold-inlaid jade hairpin beneath the wall at Yue Injury An. I'll give them all to Squad Leader Pang. I only beg Squad Leader Pang to loosen the ropes."

"Stop!" Pang Yu tapped Old Zheng's forehead. "I say, Brother Zheng, you can't speak so loudly about such secret matters. Someone else will take the silver. Whatever else you can tell me, say it quietly. Especially any entanglements within the yamen. If what I hear pleases me, I'll loosen the ropes for you."

By now, Old Zheng's entire body was drenched in sweat. His fingers and toes ached to the point of numbness, his strength nearing its limit. Seeing that Pang Yu was finally making a reliable demand, he would agree to anything as long as the ropes were loosened. He spoke recklessly, without restraint: "This lowly one will tell all. Wen Lao Er in the Archive Repository — you can find him for Fei Sa Gui Ji. Tian Shu Shou in the Household Office — he always informed me wherever License Tickets were issued, so our Mace Zhuang could send people. Yuan Granary Inspector at the Reserve Granary — the granary stores were all sent out to be sold at outside Grain Shops. One belongs to our Wu Residence, the other to Fang Xiangqian. Yuan Granary Inspector would give a cut to Clerk Zhao and Vice-Magistrate Tang in the Household Office..."

Pang Yu interrupted in a low voice, "Wait. I distinctly heard the name Clerk Zhao."

Old Zheng caught himself, as if suddenly understanding something. He stopped speaking and merely panted heavily.

"I can tell Brother Zheng this: Clerk Zhao cannot save you."

Old Zheng hung his head, staring at the floor, desperately bracing himself with his toes. His body trembled ceaselessly as he fought against the agony from his hands and feet. Sweat poured from his forehead like rain.

Pang Yu was in no hurry. He had all the time in the world. He waited patiently for a moment longer. Old Zheng slowly raised his head and looked at Pang Yu. "I am both a murderer and one who stirred up chaos. You cannot save me either."

"I can't save you right now. But this Inner Prison is now guarded by my Fast Squad. As long as you do as I say, I can guarantee you'll suffer less. Otherwise, if your brother here runs through all those novel toys with Brother Zheng, your days won't be very interesting."

Pang Yu was not deceiving him. Tongcheng's prison had never held so many prisoners before. During the uprising, the Jailers had scattered. If the prisoners rioted and broke out, the county yamen had no way to suppress them. Yang Fangzao had no choice but to have the Fast Squad and Zhuang Squad help guard the South Prison. The most important Inner Prison was guarded by three men from the Fast Squad, which was why Pang Yu could now come and go as he pleased.

"Brother Zheng beat a man to death, but you held no lethal weapon in your hand. There is still a chance for redemption. Even an ant clings to life; one must always try. But if Brother Zheng does not know when to advance or retreat..." Pang Yu pointed at the prisoners in the surrounding cells and lowered his voice. "These men are all from Huang Wending's faction. The grudges between you and them could not be told in a day and a night. Pang here doesn't need to act personally. I only need to throw you into a cell with them, and Brother Zheng won't live to see that chance for redemption. When the time comes to appear in court, Brother Zheng will know what to say."

In the Runner Duty Room, Pang Yu closed the window facing the Corridor and exchanged information with Tang Weimin in hushed tones.

"Brother Pang, newly appointed, struck at once and captured Du Fangming and Old Zheng. One could call it a great satisfaction to all. The whole city sings your praises. The undercurrent of unrest from days past has vanished without a trace. The County Magistrate has been full of praise for Brother Pang these last two days."

Pang Yu still felt a touch of pride. In the past two days, he had successively arrested Du Shu Shou from the Punishment Office and Old Zheng.

Du Fangming, a mere clerk, was easy to catch. Pang Yu did not arrest him inside the yamen. He deliberately waited until Du Fangming was at home to seize him, then paraded him back to the South Prison with great fanfare. The commoners along the road all cheered in praise, and Pang Yu basked in considerable limelight.

Capturing Old Zheng was even more effective. The most convenient route from Yimin Gate to the county yamen would have been direct, but Pang Yu deliberately made a detour outside the city walls, entering through the busiest South Gate so the entire city would know.

Both Old Zheng and Du Shu Shou were figures of immense public outrage. By striking at these two, the people's spirits soared. Popular sentiment now lay entirely with the county yamen, allowing Yang Fangzao to escape a perilous situation. Able to solve his superior's troubles, the County Magistrate naturally regarded Pang Yu with special favor. Squad Leader Pang's prestige in the yamen was unrivaled.

"It was all because you, Tang, and the others gave me face that this lowly one could get things done smoothly." Pang Yu leaned in and lowered his voice. "Old Zheng has been dealt with. When the time comes in the Main Hall, he will naturally implicate Clerk Zhao."

Tang Weimin's eyes flickered. "The clerks from the Arrow-An-Ning Branch Circuit have already arrived. They will certainly be present in the hall to hear the trial. Once Old Zheng's words are spoken, Clerk Zhao will have no room to maneuver and will most likely be removed from his post. However, for Tang here, there remains one difficulty."

"What difficulty?"

"For the position of Clerk, the predecessor must recommend a successor. Right now, we are only forcing Clerk Zhao to step down. How to make him recommend Tang here — that is the hardest part."

Pang Yu said in surprise, "Is it not appointed by a superior?"

Tang Weimin stared at Pang Yu oddly, equally astonished by Pang Yu's lack of common knowledge.

Though Pang Yu had never heard of it, this was indeed how clerkships worked in the Ming Dynasty. It was the unwritten rule of the clerk market. If Clerk Zhao left his post, he would recommend a successor. That successor would give Clerk Zhao a payment, a payment called Ding Shou Yin. This made the succession of a clerk akin to a business transaction, requiring a formal document and a witness.

For a lucrative post, competition would be fierce, so it often went to the highest bidder. Ding Shou Yin had a long history. Although the imperial court had strictly forbidden it, the bans ultimately became mere formalities. In the end, the court was forced to accept reality and allowed Ding Shou Yin to become a rule of the clerk world.

By the late Ming, this clerk market was already very standardized. For some lucrative departments, such as the Yan Yun Si or the Fengyang Grand Coordinator Yamen, the Ding Shou Yin for a clerk could reach as high as several thousand to ten thousand taels.

And they would eventually earn that silver back, because when they left their post, they could also sell it to the next person.

"If Clerk Zhao is charged with a crime, Tang here would indeed have a chance to fill the vacancy. But if the Circuit Inspector Yamen appoints someone else, then you and I will have sewn a wedding dress for another. So it's best to have Clerk Zhao recommend Tang here."

Pang Yu thought it over carefully. In truth, Tang Weimin was probably worried about being implicated himself, since he and Clerk Zhao had been rather close. That was why he repeatedly demanded that Pang Yu only have Old Zheng report minor crimes.

"Then this matter can only be planned by you, Tang. If there is anything this little brother can help with, just tell me at any time."

Tang Weimin nodded and stood up. "Brother Pang, just focus on Old Zheng's side. As for the matter of the Ding Shou recommendation, Tang here will handle it himself. But these next few days, let's you and I move about less, lest Clerk Zhao grow suspicious. If he finds out it's you and me scheming behind his back, and in a fit of anger lets someone else take the Ding Shou, then things won't be so pleasant."

Pang Yu hurriedly stood as well. Just as he was seeing Tang Weimin to the door of the Duty Room, Mr. Yu was about to enter.

Pang Yu quickly invited him in. Mr. Yu entered the Duty Room without ceremony and sat himself down. He had been in frequent contact with Pang Yu lately. He had helped Pang Yu settle the matter of adding his name to the Detailed Report, and Pang Yu had Zhou Yueru deliver generous gifts twice. Their relationship had grown increasingly close.

Mr. Yu said directly to Pang Yu, "The County Vice-Magistrate sent Yu here to inform you: in a quarter hour, Squad Leader Pang is requested to come to the Main Hall to discuss matters."

"Is there some important business?"

Mr. Yu frowned. "This matter is neither big nor small. It concerns discussing the aftermath with the Tongcheng gentry. The most critical part is to determine the cause of the uprising, so a proper report can be made to the Anqing Prefecture."

"So that's it." Pang Yu pondered for a moment. Mr. Yu had mentioned this matter before, but Pang Yu had not paid attention recently, because he had experienced it personally and the cause seemed obvious.

Such a huge disturbance had occurred in Tongcheng that it had already reached the Emperor's ears. Naturally, the causes and consequences had to be clearly explained; it could not be muddled, lest the Chongzhen Emperor accuse the local officials of shirking their duties.

But when he truly thought deeply about it, Pang Yu realized the matter was not so simple. First, how would the local government define the nature of the incident? Was it rebellion or mere troublemaking? Civil Unrest or a Slave Revolt? Commoner brawling or Local Bandits disturbing the peace? Each definition led to a different method of handling the aftermath, different severity in convicting the offenders, and different assessments of merit.

Once the nature was determined, it had to be reported immediately to the Anqing Prefecture, so that the Grand Coordinator and Regional Inspector could also report back to the Emperor, avoiding another passive situation.

Therefore, as soon as Yang Fangzao had stabilized the situation, he immediately began working on this matter. The gentry had contributed to quelling the unrest and were the primary victims; the county yamen naturally had to consult with them first.

Mr. Yu rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, his face full of exhaustion. "The clerks from the Arrow-An-Ning Branch Surveillance Circuit Intendant's yamen and the Nanjing Bing Bu Ti Tang Guan have already arrived in Tongcheng. Wang Gongbi has not returned to Chizhou; he is still stationed in Anqing and could come to Tongcheng at any time. On this matter of defining the nature, everyone wants to stick a foot in. If we delay a few more days, I fear it will only become more difficult."

Pang Yu said in surprise, "The unrest has been quelled. Why do these officials seem even more concerned now?"

"It's all because the River Patrol Admiral Ma Shiming reported the Tongcheng Uprising to the Emperor ahead of time. According to information from the Anqing Prefecture, what Ma Shiming mentioned most in his Memorial to Throne was the household slaves of the local gentry. Yin Deng, Old Zheng, and their gang had many household slaves, and even Huang Wending's troublemaking faction had quite a few household slaves. Now, although the unrest has been quelled, Magistrate Yang is in a very difficult position. He doesn't know how to define the cause, fearing that if it implicates the gentry, it will be hard to wrap things up."

"So what are the various views now on the cause of this incident?"

Advisor Yu pondered and said, "Some scholars in Tongcheng believe it was caused by the spread of the Shan Shan Liu Fen, and should be defined as local bandits rising up in response to the Roving Bandits — that is the rebellion theory. Among the gentry, some call it a popular uprising, some call it a private feud, and so on. Magistrate Yang believes it was a Slave Revolt orchestrated by cunning and treacherous household slaves."

Pang Yu noted that none of these versions implicated the gentry. Even Yang Fangzao's Slave Revolt theory only mentioned the cunning of the household slaves, without touching on the gentry who kept them. Judging by the composition of Huang Wending's rebel faction, any of these definitions could actually fit. As long as the masters were not implicated, there should be little disagreement between the yamen and the gentry over the definition — at most, it would be a technical issue.

But Advisor Yu's brow remained furrowed. Pang Yu probed, "Is Advisor Yu facing some difficulty?"

"Indeed." Advisor Yu glanced back over his shoulder, then leaned in and lowered his voice. "Yesterday, as soon as that Nanjing Bing Bu Ti Tang Guan arrived in Tongcheng, he demanded that Magistrate Yang define the cause of the uprising as gentry allowing their slaves to commit evil and oppress the common people."

Pang Yu was slightly startled. This Nanjing Bing Bu Ti Tang Guan had only just arrived, representing the Nanjing Ministry of War — even the Grand Coordinator could not control him. And a view like 'slaves committing evil' would certainly meet with firm opposition from the Tongcheng gentry.

Yang Fangzao and Pi Yingju would not support this definition either, lest they offend the large number of slave-holding gentry across Anqing. As Local Officials, they often relied on the cooperation of the gentry class to carry out administration.

"I have also heard," Advisor Yu continued, "that Grand Coordinator Zhang Guowei and Regional Inspector Li Youdang have both sent Advisors to Anqing. It is unclear whether they will come to Tongcheng."

Pang Yu could not immediately sort out the reasoning behind all this, especially the sudden appearance of the Nanjing Bing Bu Ti Tang Guan. He did not know whom this man truly represented. The crux of defining it as 'slaves committing evil' was not the Slave Revolt itself, but the gentry. That he had put forward this argument as soon as he arrived was clearly no casual suggestion.

In an instant, forces from every side had converged on Tongcheng. The definition of a seemingly trivial incident had suddenly become treacherous and unfathomable. At Pang Yu's current level, he could not obtain enough information to analyze it, and naturally could only be utterly baffled.

Pang Yu shook his head, abandoning the futile effort, and returned to the original topic. Carefully, he asked Advisor Yu, "In the past, I was never called to the Main Hall to discuss official business. Why am I suddenly asked to sit in today?"

"Magistrate Yang said that Pang Squad Leader rendered the greatest service in quelling the rebellion and knows the origins of the unrest best. For this matter of defining the cause, he wants Pang Squad Leader to also participate in drafting the Detailed Report. It must be completed as soon as possible."

Pang Yu's mouth fell open. The forces involved this time were even more numerous than at Yunji Temple. Back at Yunji Temple, Pang Yu had at least held an intelligence advantage; this time, he had no advantage whatsoever.

He felt as if a dense fog lay before him, and somewhere within that fog was a great pit, waiting for this squad leader — who appeared to be riding high — to step right into it.

Advisor Yu had also been assigned to handle this matter and was already utterly exhausted over the past Two Days. He had drafted the Detailed Report seven or eight times, and often before he could finish, new changes would arise, forcing him to scrap it and start over.

The two dared not delay too long. Several gentry members were already passing through the Corridor — the meeting was likely about to begin.

Pang Yu patted his head and walked out with Advisor Yu. Just as he stepped onto the Corridor, he suddenly sensed something. He looked up to the left and saw Fang Zhongjia striding down the Corridor, his gaze coldly sizing Pang Yu up.