Chapter 75: The New Magistrate

A withered leaf drifted down, landing in the small pond beneath the rockery in the front courtyard. Sunlight slanted across the stone slabs, casting the shadows of the old tree's bare branches. A Drunken Elder Chair sat in the shade of the pavilion, a pair of feet gently swaying atop the footstool before it.

Pang Yu lay in the pavilion with narrowed eyes. He reached for the wine bowl on the small side table, took a sip, set it down, then popped a few fava beans into his mouth — crunch, crunch — chewing slowly.

Late September in Tongcheng brought crisp autumn air, the most pleasant season of the year. Pang Yu sat in the courtyard, thinking of nothing, emptying his mind completely. He savored this feeling immensely.

This small courtyard Tang Weimin had given him was previously Liu Xiucai's secondary residence. Liu Xiucai had also been planning to flee, so he sold his properties at low prices. It was said he later encountered Fang Yingqian in Anqing and, somehow persuaded by Fang Yingqian, returned to Tongcheng. Liu Xiucai could not reclaim this secondary residence, but he and Fang Yingqian went and bought other properties, taking advantage of the vacuum left by the departing gentry to snap up plenty of bargains.

Though the man's character was nothing special, the courtyard design of this secondary residence showed some taste. Since few people lived in a secondary residence, its layout differed from ordinary homes — the entire outer section was a garden. Though not large, it was artfully arranged, and Pang Yu most enjoyed resting his mind in the pavilion by the pond.

"Young Master, when do you reckon I could buy my own courtyard outside?"

Pang Yu opened his eyes. Pang Ding sat across from him in a Folding Chair. This type of chair was actually better suited for resting than the Drunken Elder Chair and was lighter in weight. When wealthy households traveled, they often strapped Folding Chairs onto horses for resting along the journey.

"When you're done sitting, wipe that chair clean. Young Master will need it when receiving the official." Pang Yu narrowed his eyes again. "As for buying a house, wait a while longer. When everyone in the Fast Squad can earn silver, it won't be so conspicuous."

Pang Ding paused, tilting his head to look at the pond. "Then how come Jiao Guozha can buy one, and a three-section compound with gardens on both sides at that? I heard it cost over five hundred taels. The neighbors are gossiping, saying his money came from shady sources."

"You only look at Jiao Guozha. Why didn't He Xianya go buy one?" Pang Yu glared at Pang Ding. "Get a little silver and you forget who you are. Where did our silver come from? It was all paid by those gentry to that man surnamed Huang. If the truth ever comes out and the gentry show up demanding we return it, can a few constables like us hold them off? Then we'll see what you do."

"Then why are you living in this new courtyard?"

"You dog!" Pang Yu flew into a rage, leaping up and smacking Pang Ding's head repeatedly. "Comparing yourself to Young Master now? This courtyard was a gift. Who can trace that back to the silver?"

Pang Ding clutched his head and muttered, "Then why did Jiao Guozha get six thousand and I only got one thousand taels? He didn't come up with any ideas either — the kind who wants to run at the first sign of trouble in the mountains. Why should he get six thousand? That last three thousand was just for watching Wang Guohua. Wang Guohua's legs were already broken anyway; I could have guarded him too."

Pang Yu kicked Pang Ding hard in the shin. Pang Ding yelped and pulled his leg up onto the Folding Chair.

"I said never mention this again. Afraid others won't find out?"

After venting some anger, Pang Yu no longer felt like resting. He picked up the wine bowl from the side table and took a sip, then turned to see Pang Ding huddled in the Folding Chair, still wearing a defiant look.

Pang Yu took out his Tobacco Pipe and tobacco, lit it himself with the Tinder Pouch, took a couple of puffs, and lay back comfortably in the chair. "Tell Young Master, what's been said in the Fast Squad lately?"

"Plenty, of course. Young Master, you ordered everyone to report for duty on time, but Jiao Guozha and Clerk Shen's nephew only show up for roll call. Everyone in the Fast Squad is saying, why does even the squad leader have to stand duty while Jiao Guozha gets to go to the gambling den? Who's really the squad leader — Jiao Guozha or you?"

Pang Yu said nothing. From the look of it, Pang Ding had locked horns with Jiao Guozha, dragging him into every issue. Aside from Jiao Guozha, the Fast Squad's personnel were growing increasingly complicated, and managing them was no easy task for Pang Yu.

As soon as Tang Weimin returned yesterday, he hinted that he hoped Pang Yu could place two relatives in the Fast Squad. Pang Yu was still racking his brains over it. Tang Weimin's relatives would certainly need official posts — if they were just Auxiliaries, Tang Weimin wouldn't have needed to ask. So Pang Yu would have to dismiss two of the current men to make room. Zhang Clerk from the Punishment Office and a clerk from the County Deputy Magistrate's office had also come with requests. This was exactly what was giving Pang Yu a headache.

According to the county office's personnel authority, each office's Clerk held hiring power over their own office. Except for senior clerks, who could not be arbitrarily appointed or dismissed, scribes, Auxiliaries, and runners were all at the Clerk's word. But they still needed scribes to handle the work and couldn't fill every post with relatives and friends. The easiest place to place people was among the Three Squads Bailiffs, since it required little skill. Now that the office knew Tang Weimin supported the Fast Squad and that the Fast Squad might earn more in the future, everyone wanted to place their relatives and friends there — even those previously in the Runner Squad wanted to transfer over.

However, with the New Magistrate about to take office, Pang Yu had used this excuse to stall the matter for now. Once the New Magistrate arrived, he would see if he could secure more posts.

The county office had been frantically busy lately, so those offices hadn't pressed the matter. The aftermath of the pacification was not yet settled. The autumn grain collection had already been delayed for some time and required extra shifts. Now the handover between the old and new County Magistrates was involved, and every office had plenty to transfer. The most important naturally involved the offices with more assets: the Household Office, the Works Office, and the Military Office. The Fish-Scale Map, the Yellow Register, the Complete Book of Taxes and Corvée, Official Fields, School Fields, Stores and Societies, granaries, the prison, litigation files — everything had to be checked and verified item by item.

The Rites Office, meanwhile, had to organize the gentry, elders, and others to prepare the formal official reception ceremony. Every office had its tasks. Pang Yu, who days earlier had been run off his feet arresting and interrogating people, was now idle instead, because the Fast Squad dealt with almost no documents and had few assets.

"Back when no one else would help, Jiao Guozha came and partnered with Young Master — that was delivering charcoal in a snowstorm. As for the silver, the one thousand taels you got that day was a bit little. When you marry in the future, Young Master will give you another thousand. Don't mention the Yunji Temple matter again. Mention it once more, and I won't give you that thousand. And don't ask about Jiao Guozha's affairs anymore either. Young Master has his own plans."

Pang Ding's face immediately lit up with joy. Pang Yu knew he had now soothed all three helpers from that day. The Yunji Temple matter was essentially concluded, but hidden dangers still remained.

Pang Yu rubbed his forehead, pushing those vexing matters from his mind. Just as he was about to resume resting, he heard someone speaking behind him.

"Yu'er, sleeping in the pavilion again?"

Pang Yu quickly stood up and said, "Just resting a moment. I like the openness of the courtyard."

After speaking, Pang Yu glanced up. His cheap mother and father were both there, each carrying a bundle, the wooden sticks of incense and candle ends poking out.

"Mother and Father are going out again?"

His mother nodded anxiously. "Of course. Today we're going to visit a few more Monasteries to pray to the bodhisattvas. Think about it — in the one month we were gone, you killed over thirty people. Those were people, not cats or dogs, and you even cut their heads off... Mother always fears those vengeful spirits haven't been taken away and will one day come back upon you."

His father gave a dry cough and said, "Some say you took those bandits' silver. Is it true? If it belonged to their families, you should return it to their Family Dependents. Though they were rebels, their families still need to live."

"I took no silver." Pang Yu bowed. "Your son is a Constable, pacifying chaos for the people. How could I take their silver? This courtyard was also a reward from the Household Office. There is no dirty silver to buy it with. Father may rest assured and live here."

His mother also urged, "Yu'er's father, why not come back and live here? This courtyard is much larger than the old one. It's so empty it's eerie."

His cheap father grunted but said nothing more. Ever since returning, he had not stayed in this new compound, still living at the original Medicine Shop. Though he claimed it was to watch over the medicinal ingredients, Pang Yu knew he had heard the rumors and felt some unease.

"Mother is right. Once these busy days are over, I'll go to the south gate and buy a few Maids to bring back. Let Mother taste what it's like to be served, and make the house livelier."

"Aiya, that would be fine too." His mother immediately beamed. "I always used to hear Aunt Xu talk about how it is in wealthy households. She was nothing more than a Flower-Arranging Woman back then, just got a glimpse inside. Once our family buys a few more Maids, we'll have her come over and see."

"See what?" His father glared at them both disapprovingly. "Those who sell themselves with a blade of grass stuck in their hair are all wretched souls. How can you bear to buy them just to mistreat them?"

His cheap mother lowered her head. "No one said anything about mistreating them. Every day at the south gate, people sell themselves. If we don't buy them, someone else will. Maybe they'd be worse off than if we bought them. If we treat them well, that counts as doing a good deed."

"Back then, Pang Ding was picked up from the roadside — that's what you call a good deed. Buying people is no good deed. Our Pang family is not allowed to buy people. We can only hire workers."

His father spoke with finality and headed out the door first. His mother shot Pang Yu a meaningful glance and hurried after him.

Pang Ding sidled over. "What's the Master doing? Why isn't he happy now that our family has money?"

Pang Yu smiled. "He can only accept earning money by selling medicine. But Father always means well for us. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left that Medicine Shop — his very lifeblood — to spend all day praying to gods and buddhas."

"Then Young Master, you can't buy Maids after all." Pang Ding licked his lips. "You'll have to wait until you marry and split the household. Once you move out, then you can buy Maids."

"Marry and split the household... I heard Aunt Liu came by yesterday."

Pang Ding lowered his voice. "The Madam said Aunt Liu is willing to offer fifty taels now."

"Aunt Liu's pretty shrewd, offering fifty taels now..." Pang Yu rubbed his chin. "Should I just marry the Liu family fairy and be done with it?"

Before he could think it through, the courtyard gate banged. Ruan Jin hurried in and came before Pang Yu. "Squad Leader, the New Magistrate arrived in Anqing yesterday. He sent his name card to visit Prefectural Office tomorrow to see Pi Yingju. Jiang Fan has already found their lodgings — not at the Prefectural Office's Official Residence, but at an inn not far from the Prefectural Office."

Pang Yu sat up with a jolt. "Has the Tongcheng Document Receiving Office received word?"

"The Anqing Prefectural Office's Personnel Section has already sent someone toward Tongcheng, but they're traveling slowly. They probably haven't received it yet."

"Report to Mr. Yu. Tell him we're going to Liantan to Pacify the Locality. You two go get the horses. We leave immediately. We'll stay in Liantan tonight and must reach Anqing tomorrow."

Anqing Prefecture lay between the Dabie Mountains and the Yangtze River, with geographical barriers to both north and south. Anqing geographically controlled both water and land routes. Due to its unique geographical position, it had always been a strategic stronghold on the Yangtze River. Whenever war unfolded along the Yangtze, Anqing was a place that had to be contested.

At the end of the Yuan dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang had once fought over Anqing. Later, the Xiang Army besieged Anqing for a full two years, with both sides committing hundreds of thousands of troops. In the end, the Taiping Army was defeated, and Nanjing lost its upstream barrier, shifting into a passive strategic defense from then on.

Because it lay deep in the interior, Anqing's strategic importance was not apparent for most of the Ming dynasty. Only during the Rebellion of the Prince of Ning did Anqing play a crucial containing role. The Prince of Ning, who had come with great momentum, was delayed at Anqing, and Wang Yangming seized the chance to destroy his base. The rebellion failed just forty-three days after it began.

Pang Er Shazi knew none of this. To him, Anqing was nothing more than a place name. When he arrived outside the Anqing Prefectural Office, he merely regarded it as Pi Yingju's official headquarters.

After the pacification, Pi Yingju had also come to Tongcheng and cordially received Pang Yu twice. This minor runner had quelled the chaos single-handedly, stabilizing Pi Yingju's precarious official position. Later, Pang Yu had also smoothly handled the Detailed Report matter, so Pi Yingju's impression of Pang Yu was very good. But that did not mean he would necessarily grant Pang Yu an audience.

This time, Pang Yu had used the pretext of bandits in Liantan to reach the County Boundary, pretending to learn of the New Hall Master's arrival only upon reaching the boundary, and then deciding on the spot to rush to Anqing to receive the official. It was not an official dispatch, so Pang Yu did not plan to request an audience right away.

Pang Yu turned to Jiang Fan and asked, "Is there any more detailed information?"

Jiang Fan lowered his voice. "Magistrate Yang is staying at Fuyu Inn. He has with him one man who seems to be an Advisor, two servants, an old woman, and one more person of unknown background."

"What do you mean, unknown background?"

"He came together with Magistrate Yang and the others, and he's staying at the same inn, but he doesn't eat with them, and when he goes out, he goes out alone."

Pang Yu gave an "oh," then turned to the several Fast Squad men around him and asked, "So what's your guess — what is that man doing?"

The men looked at one another, at a loss. Pang Yu shook his head and said to Jiang Fan, "The people in the Personnel Section of the Anqing Prefectural Office are well-informed and experienced. Go make some inquiries — see if they know that man's identity."

Jiang Fan hesitated. "I'll go right away, but I don't know anyone in the Personnel Section."

Pang Yu looked at the others. In every pair of eyes he saw the same shrinking reluctance. He sighed inwardly. The men under him were all low-level runners. When it came to the dealings of the marketplace and the streets, they were thoroughly adept, but the moment anything touched a higher level, they were completely in the dark. That Jiang Fan had managed this much in Anqing was already better than expected.

"Spend a little more silver and you'll get to know them. When handling affairs, don't be afraid to spend silver."

With that, Pang Yu led the group toward Fuyu Inn. As they walked, he asked He Xianya, "What about that Wang Chaofeng?"

"He didn't dare send word to Wang Dazhuang. The matter of his younger brother setting the fire at Pan Yinglou's house — the confession is in our hands. Wang Chaofeng has stayed hidden in the inn these Two Days, not daring to go out."

Pang Yu nodded. As long as they could defeat the Runner Squad, they would have met the minimum requirement. Fuyu Inn was not far from the Prefectural Office, and soon the group caught sight of the inn's main gate.

While they were still some distance from the inn, Jiang Fan lowered his voice. "Squad Leader, the one just about to go out — that is Magistrate Yang."

Pang Yu quickly raised his head to look. Four people were emerging from the gate. In front was a tall boy of only about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a black Green Robe. His frame was so thin that the robe seemed to hang on him like it was draped over a rack. Behind him was a middle-aged man of about forty, wearing a white Daoist Robe, his bearing extremely steady and composed. After him came an old man in his fifties, his face full of wrinkles, and last, a short-coated young man in his twenties.

"The one in the middle must be Magistrate Yang," Pang Yu said to himself, convinced the middle-aged man was the County Magistrate. He nodded and was about to step forward to pay his respects.

"Wrong, Squad Leader." Jiang Fan caught hold of Pang Yu and quietly pointed at a different person. "That one is Magistrate Yang."

Pang Yu blinked and stared at the genuine County Magistrate, nearly frozen on the spot.