Chapter 82: The Group

"Mr. Ruan, please follow this humble one this way."

Ruan Dacheng nodded and followed behind Jiang Fan toward the East Garden of the Ye Residence.

The gatehouse of the Ye Family Compound had been burned down. Before the Zhuang Squad moved in, quite a few beggars had been living inside. Now Ruan Dacheng had helped Pang Yu secure usage rights, yet Pang Yu hadn't even bothered to repair the main gate. He simply planted a Zhuang Squad Red Banner in front of the ruined gatehouse and assigned two Runners to guard the entrance.

"Is Squad Leader Pang drilling troops right in the garden? How many hands have you recruited — is the garden still big enough?"

"To answer Mr. Ruan, the first batch recruited was fifty men. After three days of training, seven left of their own accord, and another six were dismissed and sent home by Squad Leader Pang. Today the second batch of fifty has just been assembled. Squad Leader Pang is drilling them now in the East Garden."

Ruan Dacheng waved a hand at Jiang Fan, signaling him to lead the way. Ruan Dacheng had been rehearsing that Female Prince Consort piece constantly of late. Pang Yu had written the script in great detail, but Pang Yu didn't know how to compose melodies. Whenever they hit a longer aria, Ruan Dacheng had to come find Pang Yu so the two of them could run through the singing several times — usually in the garden at Pang Yu's home.

Today Ruan Dacheng had come early and headed straight to the Ye Family Old Residence. He also intended to take a look at the Zhuang Squad's training along the way, though he didn't consider training all that important. As a high-ranking intellectual, he acknowledged Pang Yu's valor, but he did not believe Pang Yu possessed the talent for strategic command. That, he felt, still had to be seen in the civil officials.

When he arrived outside the East Garden, it was utterly quiet within — not at all the scene of roaring battle cries he had imagined. Curious, Ruan Dacheng entered the East Garden.

The old bamboo fence had been completely torn down. The bamboo fence and the stone grotto had been the most artistically evocative spot in the East Garden. Now not only was the bamboo fence gone, even that rockery stone grotto had been dismantled and taken who knows where. Ruan Dacheng suddenly felt a pang of heartache, like the feeling of a delicate beauty hidden away in a boudoir being ravaged by a gang of bumpkins.

Fortunately, Ye Can was certainly never coming back. This property had seen both a death and a fire — in many people's eyes it was deeply inauspicious, and for the foreseeable future it couldn't be sold. If the Zhuang Squad hadn't moved in, it would have been trashed by beggars anyway. So thinking of it that way, Ruan Dacheng didn't feel he had wronged Ye Can.

Inside, the second batch of fifty civilian guards stood in five rows, fairly orderly. This time five men from the first batch were also present, standing in the first row with their backs to the wooden platform, helping to maintain order. On the wooden platform, silver and roast meat were laid out as before.

"How is it that after all these days, they're still drilling standing still? Is this how your squad leader trains troops?"

Jiang Fan nodded with certainty. "This is the second batch. The squad leader says anyone new has to start with standing still."

Ruan Dacheng shook his head. "In battle you have to move to win. Whoever heard of killing bandits just by standing there? Still a young man, after all. Drilling can't be done on a whim. It seems one of these days this old man will have to find an opportunity to give your squad leader a few pointers."

Jiang Fan did not reply. He didn't think for a moment that Pang Yu would listen to Ruan Dacheng.

Ruan Dacheng let his gaze wander, and just then caught sight of Pang Yu's figure emerging from among the standing ranks. Today was the first training day for the second Zhuang Squad batch; they had only just finished assembling, and Pang Yu was pacing back and forth before the Guards.

"Today I meet you all for the second time, and you all know who I am." With a crowd of fifty, Pang Yu didn't have to strain his voice too much. "What you will form is our Tongcheng Zhuang Squad. Today I first tell you: what exactly is the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad…"

"This Squad Leader Pang," a farmer below cautiously spoke up, "could you issue some labor-and-food silver first? My family's waiting on the money."

"From now on, if you wish to speak, raise your hand and inform this official. Only after this official grants permission may you speak. Otherwise, the Whistle Staff will be waiting for you."

"What? Need your permission just to talk? Even the Village Chief or the silver boss don't control people like that."

Pang Yu smiled and nodded, then turned to the others. "The Tongcheng Zhuang Squad is a force of sons and brothers who protect the tens of thousands of common folk of Tongcheng…"

"This Squad Leader Pang, my family still has fields to farm. Could I not come to this Zhuang Squad during the busy season, and go back to the fields during the farming rush? I don't trust my wife with the farm work — she can't handle the heavy stuff. Look, how about we just settle it by the day, alright?"

It was the same man as before. Pang Yu's smile vanished. He waved a hand at the five men in the front row. "Drag him away. Fifty military strokes."

"What'd I do! You people bullying me or what?" The farmer flailed his arms wildly, but one man was no match for five. In a moment he was pinned to the ground.

"I told you just now: you may speak only after this official grants permission. You treated it as wind past your ears. And you resisted the Pacification troops enforcing military law — add twenty more strokes."

The five outstanding members from the first batch were still not very practiced at delivering strokes. Three held down the farmer's limbs while two raised their staves and struck wildly. One of them, swinging at too sharp an angle, brought the staff head straight down onto the ground, where it snapped in two with a crack.

Amid the farmer's agonized screams came the sound of someone counting strokes.

This disciplinary beating had an excellent effect. The rest of the second batch instantly fell dead silent. Just as Pang Yu had imagined, every batch would have some bird sticking its head out to hit the muzzle. This disciplinary beating would become a compulsory lesson for new recruits from now on.

Pang Yu walked slowly past the formation and pointed at the silver chest on the platform. "This silver didn't fall from the sky. Don't think you're here to earn labor-and-food silver. Before you take the silver, I want you to ask yourselves: what have you given in return, to deserve the very blood and fat of the common people?"

The crowd of farmers and porters didn't dare move a muscle, watching the squad leader before them with utmost caution.

"You and I meet today for the second time. This is the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad, a force of sons and brothers who protect the tens of thousands of common folk of Tongcheng. Here, silver will not run short, and you will eat your fill every day. But from now on, you are not going down to the countryside to compare tax grain. The ones you'll deal with are not highway robbers or local bandits, much less petty thieves. You will deal with great outlaws and massive bandit gangs — life-or-death struggles at any moment. They will show you no mercy. And so, when this squad leader trains you — so that you may survive in the future — I too will show you no mercy. If you are not prepared for this, you may leave today, or even within three days. But once three days have passed, you will not be allowed to withdraw at will. This squad leader cannot cut off your heads, but beating a man to death with the rod amounts to the same thing. Each of you had best think this through carefully."

Pang Yu looked coldly across the field. Quite a few faces showed signs of fear. Pang Yu waited quietly. He wanted to weed out the weak-willed at the very start, so as not to waste training resources.

The harshest punishment in his military code was beating with the rod, because the Zhuang Squad was, after all, only a government body, not an army unit — military law could not be enforced. That meant severe punishments like piercing with arrows or beheading could not be applied. But the rod punishment used against yamen runners in the government office was permissible. Pang Yu could carry it out himself. As long as he struck with lethal intent, it could kill a man just the same.

The seventy strokes up on the platform had not yet finished. The farmer was being beaten by the Whistle Staff until he screamed without pause. This type of Whistle Staff was hollow at the tip, far less powerful than the Water-Fire Staff, but the pain to flesh and skin was no less intense.

"Anyone want to withdraw? You may leave immediately." Pang Yu shouted toward the formation.

Two men in the back row timidly stepped forward. After Pang Yu asked their names, he waved a hand, and the two hurriedly ran out the main gate. After that, four more came out one after another. Pang Yu struck all their names from the register.

By now the military strokes were finished. Pang Yu had no intention of keeping this man either. He would give him some money for injury medicine, but he needed this man left on display a while longer, to better intimidate these new recruits.

Pang Yu spoke to the veteran soldier nearest him. "Zhuang Chaozheng, you were an outstanding performer in the first batch. Today you will stand on the platform in this official's stead. If you see anyone move, drag them out and beat them."

Zhuang Chaozheng hurriedly acknowledged the order. He wanted to mount the platform, but wasn't sure if that counted as moving without permission. His body stiffened as he looked at Pang Yu.

"It only counts after you're in position." Pang Yu waved his hand, and only then did Zhuang Chaozheng quickly run up onto the platform.

Pang Yu glanced again at the men in the first row — all of them were those who had performed well in the first batch. They stood facing backward, toward the Guards behind them.

Selecting people with high obedience from the first batch and giving them a degree of authority aligned their interests with Pang Yu's. Having them manage the newcomers allowed the Fast Squad personnel to gradually withdraw from the Zhuang Squad system. If a hundred and ninety-two men came all at once, a large number of Fast Squad people would be needed to help maintain order, and that would infect the Zhuang Squad with many of the Fast Squad's marketplace habits. That was why Pang Yu drilled them batch by batch.

Once Zhuang Chaozheng was in position, Pang Yu bellowed, "Standing still begins! Until I say it's over, whoever dares move gets fifty military strokes!"

With the lesson of the farmer on the ground fresh in their minds, the entire unit stood rigidly at attention upon hearing the command. Pang Yu cast a satisfied glance over them, then hurried over to Ruan Dacheng's side.

"Mr. Ruan, I've kept you waiting long. My sincerest apologies."

Ruan Dacheng waved a hand heartily. "Drilling troops to relieve His Majesty's worries — that is the great matter. This old man is merely an idle woodcutter of the hills. Waiting a while is just waiting a while."

Pang Yu studied Ruan Dacheng's expression carefully. It didn't seem like sarcasm. His interactions with Ruan Dacheng had been fairly harmonious. Aside from Ruan Dacheng deliberately cultivating their friendship in hopes of using Pang Yu's bandit-suppression credentials, Ruan Dacheng's own personality was rather forthright and generous — an important reason as well.

"That the Zhuang Squad could begin drilling at all is entirely thanks to this residence you borrowed for us, sir. The Tongcheng Zhuang Squad must thank you once again."

"A mere lift of the hand, not worth mentioning." After saying this, Ruan Dacheng asked with concern, "The day before yesterday I heard that the Zhuang Squad's bedding, uniforms, and equipment are all still incomplete. If silver is short, this old man can contribute funds to the Zhuang Squad."

"I dare not trouble Mr. Ruan further. This humble one has managed to raise some on his own, enough for the time being."

Ruan Dacheng spoke with earnest gravity. "But Pang Xiaoyou, this old man has some words he must get off his chest. This drilling of troops cannot be just walking and standing. I've watched a few times now — every day these Guards are either standing motionless or lining up and marching back and forth. Pang Xiaoyou, what sort of method is this, exactly?"

Pang Yu warmly guided Ruan Dacheng toward the surviving Orchid Pavilion in the East Garden, speaking as they walked. "The manpower source for this Zhuang Squad of mine is mostly farmers, because farmers are physically strong, hardy, and hardworking, and free of the slick, crafty air of the marketplace. They are, in principle, an excellent source of soldiers. But farmers also have their shortcomings. Because they work in an environment of individual labor, they lack a certain spirit of coordination. Furthermore, under the self-sufficient rural economy, to sustain a household, the farmer who heads the family must engage in over twenty different kinds of work. When switching between these tasks, it's hard for anyone to concentrate, so farmers inevitably develop a trait of laxness. This is not their innate nature, but something shaped by their working environment. Mr. Ruan, if you observe carefully, among that earliest batch, the porters and masons are somewhat stronger in focus, because they have long been engaged in single tasks and are accustomed to obeying their employers."

Ruan Dacheng was hearing someone analyze group behavior from the angle of occupation for the first time. It felt both novel and somewhat hard to accept all at once. "So your mighty army — you just have these farmers stand a bit and walk a bit, and it's done?"

Pang Yu laughed. "Naturally that's not enough. This is only the first step, but it is also the most important step. The best soldier material we can find in Tongcheng is still these farmers. When training them, we must specifically target their previous shortcomings. Standing still seems useless on the surface, but paired with the military rod, it trains their focus and obedience. This is the foundation of discipline. After that comes formation drill, and then team coordination training. Through changing behavioral habits, we tear apart their former social personalities and reshape them into what an army requires. This is the spiritual foundation of a strong army — not a bit of it can be treated carelessly. If this step is done well, later training yields twice the result for half the effort."

Ruan Dacheng's mouth hung open. What Pang Yu said was indeed something he was hearing for the first time. Some of the terminology sounded vaguely familiar yet not quite right. In any case, it was completely different from any military doctrine he had known before. But he was not so easily convinced. After a dazed moment, he asked, "Then, Pang Xiaoyou, once you finish drilling all this standing still and formation marching and the like, what do you drill next?"

Pang Yu gave a mysterious smile. "When the time comes, Mr. Ruan will know."

Ruan Dacheng pointed at Pang Yu and chuckled. "Keeping secrets even from this old man. Very well. In any case, this old man will be staying a while longer to rehearse the opera. I came today precisely to tell you: we've roughly rehearsed up to 'I was but a hairpin and skirt within the boudoir.' That passage of lyrics is far too long. This old man must still run through it with Pang Xiaoyou."

"A thunderclap splits the clear sky — the Prince Consort turns out to be a woman!" Ruan Dacheng hummed the tune and strode off toward the Orchid Pavilion in the East Garden.

Behind him, Pang Yu frowned and muttered to himself, "Right — I still haven't figured out what to train them in next. Swords, spears, bows and arrows? What other weapons did the ancients have?"