Chapter 78: First Appointment

"Yang, newly appointed Magistrate of Tongcheng County, Anqing Prefecture, on official business. It is hereby decreed that this county shall assume office on the first day of the tenth month, proceeding from Anqing to Tongcheng to take up the post. The receiving Clerical Scribes and all yamen runners shall await at the Liantan county boundary; they are not permitted to come out far to greet. The arriving runners shall not hire substitutes; the execution of duties must be strict and clear. The yamen buildings shall each be repaired and put in order, and must be kept clean; extravagance is not permitted. The handbook of matters under the purview of the Six Offices' sections must be delivered in advance by the clerks of each office for inspection; errors will not be tolerated and shall be investigated. The required porters and horses shall first be dispatched with a notice of instruction. For this purpose, it is directed that the Military Office be notified, and the respective clerks and scribes shall strictly comply, one by one, with the numbers of porters, horses, and sedan chairs listed below; violations or errors will not be tolerated and shall be investigated. Listed as follows: one large sedan chair, one medium sedan chair, two riding horses, three carrying frames, three palm fiber covers. All other personnel — drill soldiers, trumpeters, umbrella bearers, yamen runners, ceremonial attendants, and various other functionaries — shall all follow established precedent and await at Liantan.

This notice must reach the recipient. The above decree is directed to the Clerical Scribes of the Six Offices accordingly. Issued on the first day of the tenth month of the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign. Deadline: to be surrendered on the day of assuming office."

Yang Erming set down his brush and blew on the paper, waiting a moment longer for the ink to dry slightly. What he had written was the Red Edict of Arrival, which would soon be sent ahead to the Tongcheng County yamen to inform them of the time he would assume office. Even earlier, he had already sent an Arrival Notice to Tongcheng, so that the Tongcheng side could prepare the handover procedures in advance.

The Advisor turned and said to Pang Yu, who was waiting, "Pang Squad Leader may send someone back to Tongcheng shortly to inform them that Magistrate Yang will arrive at the county boundary on the first day of the tenth month."

Pang Yu bowed in acknowledgment, then asked, "Does Magistrate Yang have any family dependents still coming to Anqing to assemble? Does your subordinate need to leave someone behind in Anqing to wait?"

Yang Erming shook his head. The Advisor said to Pang Yu with an amiable expression, "For the time being, no one else is coming. Once His Honor is settled in Tongcheng, we will send someone back to Sichuan to bring some family members. His lordship's books from before are also still in Sichuan; when the time comes, we can dispatch someone to Anqing to receive them."

Pang Yu surveyed the room. The luggage was extremely simple. Most likely, Yang Erming had not returned to Sichuan after passing the Presented Scholar examination, and had proceeded directly to his post once a vacancy was filled.

Through these two days of contact, he had also gained some understanding of the relationship between this Advisor and Yang Erming. The Advisor's surname was Sun; he was a relative of Yang Erming's and had previously served as an Advisor in Chongqing. He had only rushed to the Capital after learning that Yang Erming had passed the Presented Scholar examination. Probably Yang Erming's family also knew that this County Magistrate was too young, and hiring an outsider as an Advisor would be unreliable; they could only find a relative from their own family to be more secure.

Yang Erming suddenly looked up and asked Mr. Sun, "Is that Mr. Huang still coming with us to Tongcheng? Should we prepare a horse for him?"

Mr. Sun hesitated. Before he could answer, Pang Yu replied in a low voice, "His Honor's friend, Mr. Huang, has already returned to the Capital."

Yang Erming and the Advisor both revealed expressions of surprise. Over the past two days, that Huang Yuntao had been pressuring them, hoping they would take out a new Eight Deduction Three Percent loan from Qingyuan Money House. Calculated that way, Yang Erming would incur an additional five hundred taels of debt, so they had consistently refused. Now that Pang Yu suddenly said Huang Yuntao had left, it naturally astonished the two men.

"Before he departed, he entrusted this humble one to deliver a letter to His Honor."

Pang Yu handed an envelope to Mr. Sun. Mr. Sun opened the envelope slightly and immediately saw the Borrowing Contract inside.

Mr. Sun's expression shifted subtly, then immediately returned to normal. He glanced twice at Pang Yu before passing the envelope to Yang Erming.

Seeing that the envelope had reached Yang Erming's hands, Pang Yu took advantage of the moment before Yang Erming opened it to read and said in a low voice, "This humble one will first hand the Red Edict to the mounted Runners so they can send it back to Tongcheng ahead of time, giving the county yamen more time to prepare."

Yang Erming looked up at Mr. Sun. Seeing Mr. Sun nod, he said to Pang Yu, "Then please, Pang Squad Leader, send out the Red Edict first."

Pang Yu bowed, took the Red Edict of Arrival, and withdrew. Outside, he handed it to He Xianya and instructed him to have a mounted Runner handle it.

Then Pang Yu waited in the hallway outside the Tian-Character Room. It was relatively quiet inside Yang Erming's room, but Pang Yu knew the two men were certainly discussing matters in hushed tones. Because this was a grand gift of two thousand taels. In places like Suzhou-Songjiang, the Canal Transport administration, or the Salt Administration, this might be commonplace, but in Anqing, it was considered quite extraordinary.

After a moment, the door creaked open. As soon as Mr. Sun stepped out of the room, he saw Pang Yu waiting in the hallway.

"Would Pang Squad Leader care to take a walk with me?"

Pang Yu hastily followed behind Mr. Sun. The two men exited the inn and began strolling casually along the main street. Pang Yu understood that this Advisor was worried about the inn being crowded and full of loose talk; outside on the street, they were instead surrounded by strangers, with no need to fear eavesdropping.

"We were delayed somewhat longer in Anqing this time. Because assuming office in the ninth month is inauspicious, we had to wait until the first day of the tenth month. I hope Pang Squad Leader does not mind."

"This humble one would not dare. Whatever arrangements His Honor and Mr. Sun make, this humble one will comply without exception."

Pang Yu replied politely. He also recalled that he seemed to have once heard Tang Weimin say that assuming office in the first, fifth, and ninth months was somewhat unlucky. At the time, Tang Weimin himself had wanted to delay until the tenth month. Everyone said so, yet no one could explain the reason. Pang Yu had thought back then that this only applied to clerical staff; it turned out Circulating Officials were the same.

Mr. Sun turned his head and saw Ruan Jin following at a distance far behind. He could not help but smile and say, "These Runners are truly loyal and devoted to Pang Squad Leader."

"In truth, this humble one has not held this Squad Leader position for long. It is merely that I have no selfish motives, so they are willing to work for me."

Mr. Sun gave an "mm" in response. He was preparing to get to the main topic and, with a hint of guardedness, turned to Pang Yu and asked, "When Mr. Huang left, he did not bid us farewell either. Did he entrust you to convey any message?"

Pang Yu knew this Advisor had come to probe the details. What he most wanted to know was what demands Pang Yu had, so he could then see whether they could be met.

"Mr. Huang said that since the civil unrest in Tongcheng was recent, he was somewhat afraid to go. But his personal speculation was that the reason for the civil unrest was that the local militia had not been properly inspected. If there had been loyal and courageous men leading the Zhuang Squad, the unrest would have been quelled early on."

Mr. Sun suddenly understood. So Pang Yu wanted the Zhuang Squad. He immediately asked, "What is the authorized strength of the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad?"

"One hundred and ninety-two."

It seemed Mr. Sun was very clear on local yamen affairs. He did not ask who the current head of the Zhuang Squad was. An appointment like Squad Leader was nothing more than a single word from the County Magistrate.

The Militia Squad Silver currently being collected was apportioned within the land tax and collected in full annually. Each man's wages and provisions were six taels of silver. For one hundred and ninety-two men, that amounted to over a thousand taels per year. The actual number of men in the Zhuang Squad was only twenty or thirty; the rest were Empty Payroll slots, most of which had been divided up among the various offices. Now that Pang Yu had presented a grand gift of two thousand taels of silver, he naturally was not after the empty slots, but wanted the actual Zhuang Squad wages and provisions.

Mr. Sun roughly calculated: three years of Zhuang Squad silver amounted to over three thousand taels. Pang Yu stood to profit.

Pang Yu continued, "This humble one personally experienced the Tongcheng civil unrest. The rioters initially numbered only twenty-eight, and they were all a motley mob. In reality, at the time, only a dozen or so able-bodied young men were needed — not even requiring swords or spears, just one White Cudgel per man — and the unrest could have been quelled. How did it end up nearly shaking half of Nanzhili? I heard it even alarmed the Cabinet and the Emperor. This humble one feels rather indignant at heart. Investigating the root cause, the Fast Squad and Zhuang Squad existed in name only at the time. Although Magistrate Yang Fangzao was diligent in his duties, even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice, and the situation ultimately became irreparable."

"Then what is Pang Squad Leader's opinion? How should the Zhuang Squad be managed?"

"In this humble one's view, Tongcheng enjoyed a century of peace. Since it has suddenly suffered upheaval, the yamen must also be different from before. If the Fast Squad and Zhuang Squad were combined, patrolling, apprehending criminals, and Pacifying the Locality would essentially be one and the same task, yet the deployment of manpower would be more flexible. In this way, fully utilizing the manpower of both squads, and then rigorously training them, they would certainly become Magistrate Yang's capable right-hand men."

Mr. Sun shot a glance at Pang Yu. He now fully understood Pang Yu's demand: he alone wanted to be both the Fast Squad Head and the Zhuang Squad Head. No wonder he was willing to invest such a large sum.

He did not directly agree to Pang Yu's request. He merely nodded slightly and said, "The Zhuang Squad does need to be inspected. But whatever rules the yamen had before cannot be altered hastily. Can Pang Squad Leader understand this?"

Pang Yu understood that he was talking about the wages and provisions silver. One hundred and ninety-some men could certainly not all be supported by Pang Yu alone. What the various offices had previously divided up, Pang Yu intended to take back a portion. But wanting to take it all back was probably truly too difficult. Mr. Sun was also unwilling to disturb the original rules.

He could only say to Mr. Sun, "This humble one will discuss it with the various offices and will not cause any trouble."

Mr. Sun paused in Strategic Patience for a moment, then said, "On this journey south, Mr. Sun and His Honor traveled down the Grand Canal. Along the way, we heard news of the Roving Bandits. We heard they have re-entered Henan and have even appeared in the southeastern region of Henan. Mr. Sun discussed it with His Honor. Originally, we intended to properly inspect and organize the Zhuang Squad. The Squad Leader naturally must also be a robust and valiant man. As for the candidate... Mr. Sun will return and discuss it further with His Honor."

Pang Yu knew that Mr. Sun had already agreed here. The last sentence was practically an explicit indication. He quickly pulled a fifty-tael Silver Note from his sleeve and passed it over. Mr. Sun glanced at it and, as a matter of course, tucked it into his bosom.

The two men parted at the entrance of the inn. Pang Yu remained outside. Ruan Jin came up from behind and said ingratiatingly, "Has Squad Leader settled everything with that Mr. Sun?"

Pang Yu gave an "mm." Ruan Jin said, somewhat puzzled, "But if we're talking about earning silver, our Fast Squad is still the better earner. The gambling dens, grain shops, pawnshops, and brothels in the city — all these places now belong to the Fast Squad. With the various offices deducting from that six-tael wages silver, the Zhuang Squad is definitely a losing business. Why is Squad Leader so determined to take the Runner Squad?"

"Having more manpower is always good. The Zhuang Squad has an authorized strength of nearly two hundred men. If we have that many men, whether it's household slaves, clans, or the gentry, none can match us in actual strength. We could completely control every trade in the county seat. Moreover, the Zhuang Squad also controls the city gates. Inside the city, we'd be the ones calling the shots." Pang Yu looked at the inn's main gate and smiled. "Besides, the Zhuang Squad is the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad. Zongyang Town also needs militia."

Ruan Jin put on an expression of sudden Understanding. Pang Yu lowered his voice and said, "There's another critical reason. Lately, I've heard the term 'Roving Bandits' far too many times. They're always talking about tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand — even a few thousand is considered small. It took so much effort just to put down Huang Wending's hundred or so men, and here they come in the tens of thousands. What will we do then? So I figure, if they come, I damn well better have some preparations."

"So this Zhuang Squad is being prepared for the Roving Bandits? But Squad Leader has never trained a Zhuang Squad before..."

"No, I haven't." Pang Yu clapped a hand on Ruan Jin's shoulder. "But I'm damn well willing to put in the work. If only one man in Tongcheng is to be chosen to lead the Zhuang Squad, I'd rather trust myself."

At the county boundary of Liantan Town, over a hundred clerks and yamen runners stood outside the postal relay station.

Yang Erming's carriage had just arrived there from Anqing. The young County Magistrate stepped down from the carriage and only met and spoke with the County Vice-Magistrate and the Chief Clerk.

Zhou County Deputy and Chief Clerk Xu were somewhat dumbfounded facing this middle-school-aged youth. The other clerks and yamen runners were even more so, whispering among themselves, their gazes toward Yang Erming tinged with mockery.

The conversation among the few officials quickly concluded. Clerk Shen of the Military Office led Yang Erming to the carriage prepared by the county yamen.

Once Yang Erming was seated securely, Clerk Shen handed over a thick "Handbook of Information." This handbook was first compiled by each office, then consolidated by the Military Office. It detailed all the business involved in the handover for every office of the county yamen, listed comprehensively within.

This was a regulation set by Zhu Yuanzhang in the early Ming. According to the requirements of the "Information Required for Appointed Officials Assuming Office," there were a total of thirty-one items for the handover between old and new officials. Later, as it became more refined, clerks were required to submit the "Handbook of Information" during the handover to facilitate item-by-item verification.

After Yang Erming accepted it, the carriage set off. He said nothing and simply began paging through it attentively inside the carriage.

Pang Yu rode on horseback behind Yang Erming's carriage. When he passed Wang Dazhuang, Wang Dazhuang glared at Pang Yu with a hostile expression. He knew Pang Yu had once again gotten ahead of him, and for the next few years, there would be nothing he could do about Pang Yu.

Pang Yu smiled cheerfully and paid him no heed. Throughout the journey, whenever Yang Erming had any matter, he always had Pang Yu convey the message; he was already clearly Magistrate Yang's trusted confidant.

Because the journey was long, the party rested for a night at a postal relay station along the way. Early the next morning, they continued on their way, arriving at the Tongcheng County Seat only after noon.

Yang Erming was still in civilian clothes at this moment. According to the Rule of the time, a newly appointed official had to enter the city through the east gate, taking the Opinion of "purple Qi coming from the east." The Zilai Bridge built outside Tongcheng's Dongzuo Gate also carried this same symbolism.

After entering the city, Yang Erming still could not go directly to the yamen. Instead, led by the Household Clerk, he went to Tongcheng's City God Temple.

In the Ming dynasty, the first step for a newly appointed official was usually to pay respects at the City God Temple. Yang Erming could only follow this Rule. Under the guidance of the Rites Office Clerk, after reverently offering sacrifices to the spirits, he finally changed into his official robes.

After completing these procedures, Yang Erming at last arrived before the Tongcheng county yamen. Officials, clerks, gentry, runners, and instructors lined up along the Corridor outside the Ceremonial Gate, stretching all the way beyond the Eight-Character Wall.

Pang Yu stood at a spot just outside the Da Gate and craned his neck to look inside. All six Gate Leaves of the yamen's Ceremonial Gate were thrown open. The Rites Office had already prepared an incense altar inside the Main Hall. Yang Erming needed to walk through the Ceremonial Gate, then face the imperial palace and give thanks for imperial grace before the incense altar.

Everyone around fixed their eyes on this minor. Facing this scene, Yang Erming was probably still a bit nervous; his complexion was faintly flushed. He adjusted his official robes in front of the Eight-Character Wall, paused briefly for a moment, then Yang Erming raised his head and puffed out his chest, striding Da toward the Tongcheng county yamen.