Chapter 83: Mounted Runners

"Could it be that my military genius has already run dry this quickly?"

Inside the Fast Squad duty room, Pang Yu rubbed his forehead, muttered this to himself, then looked up at the several subordinates across from him.

"Which of you knows what organization the roving bandits use, what equipment, what their personnel composition is, and what kind of tactics they employ?"

He Xianya, Jiang Fan, Ruan Jin, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment, having no idea why Pang Yu would suddenly ask such a question. They usually heard plenty of news about the roving bandits, but it was all about movements or rumors — never information about the bandits themselves.

"This subordinate has heard that among the roving bandits there are many post station runners and relay couriers. They're called 'roving' bandits for a reason — they have lots of horses, all riding around and roaming everywhere."

Pang Yu praised Ruan Jin, who had spoken. "Mm, the information you gave is good, and the analysis is fairly reasonable. Pay more attention to such things from now on."

He Xianya, seeing Jiang Fan about to speak, hurriedly cut in first. "I've heard that among the roving bandits there are quite a few surrendered government troops, all carrying official-made weapons. They don't dare engage the imperial court's main army in battle, but when they run, every man has a horse, so they run faster than the court's main army."

Pang Yu nodded again and noted it down. What Jiang Fan had been about to say was much the same as He Xianya's — they were all analyzing from the word 'roving' in roving bandits, plus a bit of hearsay.

Seeing no one else had anything to add, Pang Yu shook his head and sighed. "This afternoon I went to the Military Office to discuss matters with Clerk Shen. I asked whether the Military Office had any intelligence on the roving bandits, and he told me he knew nothing. I find it strange — since the roving bandits are a great enemy of the court, and Nanzhili may well be threatened by them, why don't the Ministry of War and the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's yamen compile and distribute enemy analysis, combat defense manuals, and that sort of thing? All they do is tell every locality to be on guard, but they send out nothing of practical use, nor do they allocate any silver for drilling troops. How do they expect the localities to defend themselves?"

After speaking, he tossed his brush onto the table. "The Military Office has not a shred of information on the roving bandits. All they know is that one warning sent by Anqing Prefecture in the spring. Right now, we don't even know where the roving bandits are. I know nothing at all about the roving bandits — how am I supposed to train the Zhuang Squad with any focus?"

Pang Ding scratched his head. "Isn't drilling troops always done the same way? How does it have anything to do with the roving bandits?"

"What the hell do you know? If it were a rabble like Huang Wending's bunch, we could just give every man in the Zhuang Squad a shao bang and put them down with one hundred ninety-two white cudgels. The roving bandits rampage across the realm — they're certainly more formidable than rioters like Huang Wending. If I don't know their methods, the troops I painstakingly drill may not be fit for purpose." Pang Yu covered his face, thought for a moment, then lowered his hands. "From what you've all said, the roving bandits seem to be light cavalry — speed is what matters most. But they move in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Surely they aren't all cavalry. Where would so many horses come from? So what kind of troops should I be drilling? I only have infantry."

Pang Yu looked up at the several men. "Which of you knows how light and heavy infantry should be deployed..."

Halfway through, Pang Yu saw the same blank expressions on their faces again and wisely stopped. "I'll handle the Zhuang Squad matters myself. From now on, the Fast Squad needs to specially train a few mounted runners. If intelligence says the roving bandits are in Henan, dispatch mounted runners toward Yingzhou and Lu'an Prefecture to scout — even entering Henan if necessary. If they say the roving bandits are in Huguang, dispatch mounted runners toward Susong, Taihu, and Huangmei to scout. We have to rely on ourselves and gather as much intelligence on the roving bandits as we can. We can't remain as ignorant of their movements as we are now."

The several subordinates exchanged glances. This assignment was no cushy job — it already exceeded the scope of a constable's duties. So they all played dumb and kept silent. Knowing Pang Yu's habit of seizing any opening, whoever carelessly responded might well end up saddled with this task.

Pang Yu waited a moment, and seeing that no one was indeed taking the bait, realized his subordinates had grown shrewd too. He had no choice but to clear his throat and continue. "Now let's discuss Fast Squad matters. The Fast Squad has absorbed twenty-three men from the former Zhuang Squad, and with the newly recruited quota, the total is fifty. Among these, there are some I won't keep. Once recruitment is complete, every six months, four ordinary runners must be eliminated. But this squad leader will also provide a way out — runners and auxiliaries can rotate between each other. Auxiliaries who perform well will be promoted to runner; those who perform poorly will first be demoted to auxiliary. If an auxiliary still performs poorly, they'll be kicked out. This applies to everyone. If you can't handle the tasks assigned to you, someone else will do them, until someone satisfies me."

The men each swallowed hard. This squad leader always had ways to force people to work. Now that they had finally waited for the formal appointment of squad captains, he still didn't forget to apply pressure first. It sounded as though even if you became a squad captain, you could be replaced at any time if you didn't perform well. And none of them dared doubt that Pang Yu could do it, because now County Magistrate Yang fully supported Pang Yu, the County Vice-Magistrate and Chief Clerk were also on quite close terms with him, and Tang Weimin of the Household Office was practically in his pocket. In the realm of yamen runners, his authority was absolute.

"There are currently fifty formal runners, divided into four squads. The First Squad is the Capture Squad, which accompanies this squad leader in operations and remains on duty in the Runner Room during normal times, responsible for guarding the county yamen. Its captain is set: Jiao Guozha. The Second Squad is the North City Squad, responsible for patrols, arrests, and pursuing criminals north of Scarlet Blossom Gate Street within the city, as well as guarding Scarlet Blossom Gate, Dongzuo Gate, North Arch Gate, and Yimin Gate. The captain of the Second Squad..."

Pang Yu paused briefly, whetting their appetites. The several subordinates all waited for the formal appointment, fixing their eyes intently on Pang Yu, unwilling to miss a single word.

"Ruan Jin is credited with the highest merit in the operation to capture Old Zheng. This squad leader keeps his word. I appoint Ruan Jin as captain of the Second Squad."

Ruan Jin let out a long breath. After all his efforts these days, he had finally obtained the captain's post he had been hoping for. He had wanted to stay composed, but he truly could not hide his delight, the corners of his mouth ceaselessly threatening to curl upward. Jiang Fan and He Xianya both stared at him enviously. At least he could rest easy now, while the two of them still had to wait.

"The Third Squad is the South City Squad, responsible for patrols, arrests, and pursuing criminals south of Scarlet Blossom Gate Street, as well as guarding the south city gate and west city gate. The Fourth Squad is the Mounted Runner Squad, responsible for patrols, arrests, and pursuing criminals within the county borders, and also for gathering intelligence beyond the county borders." After speaking, Pang Yu waited a moment, then said, "Between these two squads, let's discuss the Fourth Squad first. Is there anyone willing to volunteer to lead the Fourth Squad?"

A silence fell over the room. Pang Yu raised his eyes to observe the subordinates across from him. Although nominally the squads were of equal rank, because the jurisdictions they administered differed, there were practical distinctions. Of the two remaining squads, the one with the richest pickings was the South City Squad. Although the Mounted Runner Squad couldn't manage matters inside the city, mounted runners' wages and rations were originally higher, and Pang Yu had also made some adjustments, adding subsidies for traveling out on arrests, so the income was decent too — but overall, it was still not as good as the South City Squad.

So Pang Yu himself was uncertain. He asked about the Fourth Squad first, and his target was also very clear.

Of the people present here, Ruan Jin was already set for the Second Squad. Pang Ding was newly arrived, and his ability wasn't sufficient to manage a squad. That left He Xianya and Jiang Fan. He Xianya had just been promoted from auxiliary. Pang Yu had designated He Xianya as deputy captain but would leave the corresponding captain position vacant — in practice, he would serve as captain.

Both Jiang Fan and He Xianya remained silent. They understood Pang Yu's intent: he had essentially repackaged the task of investigating roving bandit intelligence mentioned earlier and bundled it together with the Mounted Runner Squad. This also showed that Pang Yu truly took this matter seriously.

As the two pondered, they kept stealing glances at each other. But if either of them spoke up now to take the Mounted Runner Squad, that would be voluntarily yielding the South City Squad. The south gate was the most prosperous part of Tongcheng. And while the mounted runners' wages and rations were high, there were no other clear sources of profit, plus they would have to shoulder the pursuit and arrest duties for the entire county — both arduous and more dangerous. By comparison, it was certainly far worse. But judging from Pang Yu's attitude, he placed extreme importance on the mounted runners. If one managed the mounted runners well, one could earn Pang Yu's greatest favor — that was a benefit on another level.

He Xianya's gaze shifted back and forth between Pang Yu's and Jiang Fan's faces. Both men's minds were racing, and for the moment, the choice was indeed somewhat hard to make.

Pang Yu was also observing these two. This was a moment to observe his subordinates' character and traits — a choice between two was sometimes harder than a choice among many. Ruan Jin and Pang Ding, though it was no concern of theirs, watched the two with the mood of spectators, relaxed and amused.

"If no one volunteers, then we'll set aside the Mounted Runner Squad for now and first decide the captain of the South City Squad. Is there anyone who volunteers to be captain of the South City Squad?"

As soon as Pang Yu finished speaking, Jiang Fan and He Xianya were stunned again. Just now, no one had stepped forward for the Mounted Runner Squad. Now it was the turn of the South City Squad, a plum post. If one volunteered, it would seem too mercenary, and Pang Yu might very well refuse to give it. But if one didn't contend for it, one feared the other would snatch it away.

In the silence, He Xianya was extremely nervous. His mouth dry and tongue parched, he began to pant heavily, and his hands trembled ceaselessly.

Before he could decide, Jiang Fan suddenly stood up. He Xianya's whole body jolted. He wanted to speak first, but Pang Yu had already waved a hand at him. "Jiang Fan stood up first. Let him finish, then you can speak."

With that, Pang Yu fixed his gaze intently on Jiang Fan. He Xianya, a step too late, had lost the initiative. Filled with regret, he knew the South City Squad captain post had already flown away.

Jiang Fan bowed to Pang Yu, then looked at him steadily and said, "This subordinate volunteers to serve as captain of the Mounted Runner Squad. I hope the squad leader will grant me this opportunity."

He Xianya looked up in astonishment. On Jiang Fan's profile, his expression was resolute and composed.

"Jiang Fan, stay a moment."

Once He Xianya, Ruan Jin, Pang Ding, and the others had withdrawn from the room, Pang Yu took out some shredded tobacco, shared a portion, and he and Jiang Fan each lit up, puffing clouds and blowing smoke.

"Regarding this Mounted Runner Squad — what are your thoughts?"

Jiang Fan said respectfully, "This subordinate was thinking: mounted runners ride like the wind, coming and going. Whether for making arrests or gathering intelligence, this is something foot runners can never match. Inside the city, foot runners may be more convenient, but once you leave the city, you cannot do without mounted runners. Maintaining one mounted runner costs as much as three foot runners — that alone shows how important mounted runners are. This subordinate will do his utmost to help the sir manage the Mounted Runner Squad well."

Pang Yu nodded. "You're right to think so. Mounted runners are like cavalry on the battlefield. Within the county borders, traveling by horse can reach anywhere within a day — something foot runners absolutely cannot do. Whether for arrests or transmitting messages, you can only rely on mounted runners. But mounted runners aren't only responsible for outside the city. In arrest operations inside the city, if the Capture Squad is short-handed, the mounted runners must also participate."

Jiang Fan did not shirk. "Before, there were ten mounted runners. After the civil unrest, the sir dismissed several. Now only four are usable."

"Recruit up to twelve, with six attached auxiliaries. Anyone who can ride a horse will do. Pick the good ones and bring them for me to look over. For now, you can start thinking: from what sort of people would it be suitable to recruit?"

"This subordinate thinks the foremost requirement for mounted runners is riding. Those who have served as post station runners or relay couriers are more suitable. Grooms from various prominent households would also work. These people all know how to ride and how to care for horses. When selecting, we'll use the same method the sir used to select the guards."

Pang Yu smiled. "Post station runners and relay couriers are indeed suited to be mounted runners, but you won't be able to select them the way I did. Post station runners and grooms are all people who scrape by in the marketplace, and they've traveled widely and seen much. Their street-smarts are no less than those of hangshang or green-skins. It would be very hard to select them by the guards' standards. Just select them by the foot runners' standards — just add the ability to ride a horse."

Jiang Fan acknowledged, "This subordinate will remember. It's just that foot runners' wages and rations have risen from six taels to twelve taels. Mounted runners' wages and rations were previously sixteen taels and eight mace. Will they also be increased somewhat?"

Pang Yu understood the implication in Jiang Fan's words — he wanted to double the mounted runners' wages and rations as well. But since he was the Mounted Runner Squad captain, it was only proper for him to fight for his subordinates' interests.

So he lightly tapped the table and said, "The previous sixteen taels and eight mace in wages and rations included fodder silver. Now, give them two taels per month, with fodder silver and bonuses separate. Auxiliaries get half. Your wages and rations will be thirty-six taels per year, with bonuses separate."

Jiang Fan's face was first full of shock, which then turned to delighted surprise. Calculated this way, the compensation far exceeded his estimates. This would make recruiting much easier.

Pang Yu wasn't worried about setting the wages and rations a bit high. Without a monthly salary system as a foundation, there was no way to strengthen management. And Pang Yu wasn't concerned about balancing income and expenses — a county seat this large could certainly afford to support a little over two hundred yamen runners.

After letting Jiang Fan be excited for a moment, Pang Yu spoke again. "You must pay close attention to gathering intelligence on the roving bandits. The primary requirement for intelligence is reliability. There are many rumors about the roving bandits in the streets and markets. You must first analyze the information the mounted runners gather from various places yourself. The intelligence you report to me must have a certain degree of reliability. Otherwise, if the intelligence is wrong, it will affect judgment — and that could mean many lives."

Jiang Fan grew slightly tense at this. He was silent for a moment, then said, "This subordinate has already been thinking about it just now and already has some ideas."

Pang Yu was surprised that he already had some ideas so quickly. Before today, Jiang Fan hadn't known which squad he would be captain of, yet in this short time he already had some ideas — this showed he had made various preparations.

"Oh? Let's hear them."

"This subordinate's first step will be to collect the court's dibao. The dibao are more reliable than marketplace rumors. The county yamen's Document Receiving Office has some, but they are likely far from complete. I can go search at the Document Receiving Section in Anqing Prefecture. From the dibao, we should be able to discern some clues. The second step is as the sir said: send men out in separate directions toward Huguang and Henan, following the places the roving bandits have passed through to gather information — especially towns and cities that the roving bandits breached. Those places will certainly have many survivors, and the information obtained from them will be more reliable."

After hearing this, Pang Yu felt his personnel arrangements had been appropriate. Jiang Fan surpassed He Xianya in initiative, and he was the most suitable candidate to manage the Mounted Runner Squad.

But as for what specific intelligence was actually needed on a military-style entity like the roving bandits, Pang Yu himself wasn't entirely clear either. It was simply out of his previous work habits — whether dealing with assets or negotiation counterparts, he always gathered as much information as possible and studied it carefully.

Pang Yu was very satisfied that Jiang Fan had taken the initiative to accept the Mounted Runner Squad today. He prepared to develop some personal rapport with this subordinate and spoke to ask Jiang Fan, "I haven't yet asked Captain Jiang — what family do you still have at home?"

Jiang Fan replied in a low voice, "My father and mother are both in good health. My father previously served as a foot runner as well. This humble one simply replaced him in coming to the Fast Squad."

"So you come from a constable family." Pang Yu smiled. "No wonder you handle constable affairs so skillfully. But our Tongcheng Fast Squad will differ somewhat from the old ways. Some of the mounted constable's work will certainly be new, and you'll need to use your own head to learn it. Not only must you learn new duties yourself, you must also think about how to do the old ones better. Just now you came prepared regarding the scouting matter — that was very well done. With you managing the mounted squad, I can rest easy."

"Whatever task the Squad Leader assigns, this humble one will do his utmost to accomplish it."

Pang Yu fixed his gaze on Jiang Fan and said, "Losers talk about doing their utmost. I would rather hear you say that the task is already done."

Jiang Fan's mouth went dry. Whenever he was with Pang Yu, pressure could descend at any moment. He could only bow his head and say quietly, "Yes. This humble one will definitely accomplish whatever task the Squad Leader assigns."

"Now that's right." Pang Yu stood up and stretched. Jiang Fan hurriedly rose to accompany him.

Before the stretch was finished, Pang Ding's head appeared in the doorway.

"Squad Leader, the Zhuang Squad has finished digging that long trench you wanted."

"So fast. As expected of farmers." Pang Yu glanced at the sky. "Nearly lunchtime. Perfect."

Jiang Fan's face was full of confusion. Pang Yu had ordered the Zhuang Squad to dig a long trench, with ramps at both ends, the excavated earth piled up on both sides. At its center, the trench was six chi deep. Yet Pang Yu never said what the trench was for.

Pang Yu said to the bewildered Jiang Fan, "You go handle the mounted squad's affairs. This Squad Leader is off to drill the troops."