Chapter 43: Heading to Qingzhou

  Pang Gang looked at the newcomers and said straightforwardly: "I'm a rough man, I don't mince words. The three of you have come to Wang Hai Fortress, I'm overjoyed. But there's one thing that puzzles me, please enlighten me."

  "Please, sir!" The three of them hastily bowed and said.

  "Wang Haibao was just built, and it's not an exaggeration to say that it's a bit shabby. Why would three people be willing to come here and humble themselves?"

  As soon as Pang Gang spoke, the three of them were slightly surprised, and their eyes turned to their good friend Hua Yan. Hua Yan just shook his head helplessly, this hundred-house lord was really direct in speaking, and there was no subtlety at all in what he said or did, unlike the typical officials.

  The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a bit awkward, and Pang Gang didn't urge them on, but instead looked at the three of them with great interest.

  After a while, Meng Qing spoke up and said honestly: "Sir, I was invited by my good friend Yun Ting (Huayan's courtesy name) to come here, as for the reason you mentioned, I really haven't thought about it."

  "Sir, my family is poor and my wife has been bedridden for a long time. I need to earn money to support her medical treatment." This answer was indeed very honest, so honest that it left people speechless.

  Finally, it was Lin Feng's turn. This short and stout man was also very direct. He smiled and bowed to Pang Gang, saying: "I, a humble commoner, have a preference for financial management, but unfortunately, my family has no wealth for me to manage. I heard from Yun Ting that the lord is still short of a financial officer, so I am willing to help the lord with his worries."

  He's even more straightforward, directly asking for money!

  Pang Gang couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Haha... Hua Zan Dian, these few friends of yours are really wonderful people, and they're all more honest than the last!"

  "Sir, I...I..." Huayan couldn't continue, his heart secretly clenched in anger. These few good friends were really not giving him any face.

  Fortunately, Pang Gang did not pursue the matter further and laughed for a while before saying: "Since that's the case, I won't be polite to you either. Meng Qi, the Wanghai Fortress is still short of someone in charge of law enforcement, so you'll temporarily take on the role of a clerk. Lin Feng, since you're interested in wealth and riches, I'm going to set up a workshop today, and after some time, you can go and take office. Zheng Mengcheng, I think you're a loyal and honest person, so you'll be in charge of miscellaneous items within the fortress. As for Hua Zantian, since he recommended you, I'm promoting him to the position of clerk today. What do you all think?"

  "I'm willing to listen to your orders, thank you for your kindness!" The four of them bowed to Pang Gang in unison. Hua Yan suddenly rose from the lowest position of a runner to that of a clerk, which was equivalent to two promotions at once. He was naturally overjoyed. Meng Qi and the others all had their own positions now, bid farewell to being unemployed and had a steady job to make a living. They were naturally also very satisfied. As for Pang Gang, with these few people joining him, some things finally didn't need to be done by himself personally. Everyone was mutually beneficial and happy.

  After arranging their duties, Pang Gang let Hua Yan take Meng Qing and others down, and also instructed the three to bring their families to live in Wanghai Fortress as soon as possible. Pang Gang's concern made Meng Qing and the others very grateful, and they thanked him thousands of times before leaving.

  After Hua Yan went out, Li Xian beside him said to Pang Gang with some worry: "Sir, I have a word that I don't know whether it should be spoken or not!"

  "Li Zhuan Dian, you have something to say, go ahead and speak!" Pang Gang said nonchalantly.

  Li Xian glanced at Pang Gang, gritted his teeth and said: "It's not that I'm jealous of your talent, but it's our good fortune as subordinates to have a superior who is humble and willing to learn from others. However, sir, you've let these newcomers take on this important task all at once, I'm afraid..."

  Li Xian's words were not finished, but Pang Gang already understood his meaning. Meng Qing and the three others were all good friends of Huayan, and they were also recommended by him. Now, if Pang Gang handed over all the logistical matters of Wanghai Fortress to them, it would be easy for them to join forces to deceive their superiors.

  Pang Gang looked at Li Xian and nodded in comfort, no wonder people say "having an old man at home is like having a treasure". Although this Li Xian doesn't know big characters, he's got age on his side, and when it comes to human relationships, he's extremely clear-headed.

  Pang Gang explained with some helplessness: "Now that the Wanghai Fortress is in need of talents, it's just the right time for someone to come and join us. Since someone has come to join us, we can't not use them, can we? Who let us have no other usable people? There are many complicated things inside the fortress, and relying solely on those illiterate rough men is impossible to manage. Many things still need to be done by scholars. As for what you were worried about just now, you don't have to worry, this official has his own arrangements."

  As for Li Xian's worries, Pang Gang didn't care too much. As long as he had a firm grip on military power, everything would be fine. Even if Hua Yan and others wanted to make some small moves, Pang Gang just needed to move his little finger and they would all be finished.

  After handing over some things to Li Xian, Pang Gang was about to set off for Qingzhou. Time waits for no man, the iron mine and cement plant's affairs should be carried out as soon as possible...

  Pang Gang walked in the yard of the Commander's Mansion, with a leading house servant in front. The Commander's Mansion was a military institution and its buildings were built to be quite majestic and imposing, exuding an aura of solemnity and sternness everywhere.

  When he arrived at the side hall door, the house servant asked Pang to wait at the door while he went in to report. Soon the house servant came out and said to him: "Pang Baihu, Commander Zhang is waiting for you in the side hall, you can go in by yourself. Today the commander's mood is not bad, as long as you are careful, everything will be fine."

  The house servant who had received two taels of silver as a tip from Pang Gang was very enthusiastic in directing him, and after thanking the servant, Pang Gang walked into this side hall.

  Outside the cold wind was howling, Song Xing and sat in the side hall, next to him was Pang Gang who had traveled far through the cold wind.

  Song Xinghe glanced at Pang Gang, who was sitting upright beside him, and asked: "Pang Baili, you are not enjoying your life in Wanghai Fortress, what brings you to see me this time?"

  "Sir, I, your humble subordinate, have discovered an iron mine within the jurisdiction of Wanghai Fortress today. Given the shortage of weapons and armor within the fortress, I wish to order people to extract it for use in forging arms. However, due to insufficient silver coins, I am unable to hire enough laborers to excavate the ore and build furnaces to smelt pig iron. Therefore, I have come to borrow money from you, sir."

  "Borrowing money from me?" Song Xinghe and his surprised gaze at Pang Gang, a strange feeling surged in his heart. Since ancient times, only subordinates have bribed their superiors, but he has never heard of anyone daring to ask for a loan from their superior. This Pang Baihu's nerve is really thick!

  "It's exactly so!" Pang Gang said respectfully: "I humbly request that Your Excellency lend me, your humble servant, 1,000 taels of silver. After I have excavated the iron mine, I will repay it to you. I am willing to use 30% of the shares in the iron mine as collateral. If after one month I am unable to repay the silver to Your Excellency, I am willing to accept your punishment."

  As soon as Pang Gang finished speaking, Song Xinghe immediately understood that this Pang Gang was not here to borrow money, but to give him money. As long as a month later, if Pang Gang didn't bring the money, Song Xinghe would rightfully own 30% of the iron mine's shares. Just the annual dividend alone would be quite substantial. Who would have thought that this Pang Gang not only had a way with training soldiers and fighting wars, but also knew how to bribe people in a way that left no handles to grasp?

  "It seems that this Pang Zhicai is quite awake and knows he can't swallow this fat meat alone, so he's come to pull me in. Song Xinghe thought to himself, silver is something that no one would refuse, and he was no exception."

  Considering that the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, believed that all his officials should be men of complete integrity and purity, the official salary was meager, so that nine out of ten people who received government salaries could say with a clear conscience: "I want to embezzle."

  Because if you don't embezzle, you'll have a hard time making ends meet. Song Xinghe was a third-rank official and a commander-in-chief, equivalent to an investigating censor, with a monthly salary of 35 piculs of rice, which translates to 5,600 catties of white rice, quite a substantial amount. However, the Ming dynasty's salary payment system was three parts grain and seven parts paper money. Due to the rampant issuance of paper money during the late Ming period, Song Xinghe could only get his hands on about 11 piculs and two dou of rice, plus less than ten taels of silver. Without embezzlement, forget about wearing silk and satin, having a beautiful wife and concubines, or even just eating meat, he would have to think twice before doing so.

  After glancing at Pang's calm expression, Song Xinghe finally nodded and smiled warmly, "Since Captain Pang has come to me in person, I won't just sit back and do nothing. You can go to the accounting room with the steward later to collect the silver..."

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