Yinchuan had, since ancient times, been one of the Ming Dynasty's most critical frontier garrison towns.
On paper, the Ming court stationed more than thirty thousand border troops in this region. At a glance, that number sounded impressive, even reassuring, but in reality those soldiers were scattered across ten cities and over a hundred fortresses. Once divided up, each stronghold was left with only a few hundred men, barely enough to hold the walls, let alone project strength.
The Salt Lake region was the most famous part of Yinchuan, renowned for its vast pastures and for raising horses and sheep.
Within this region alone stood ten military fortresses, scattered like stars across the land, guarding an immense and desolate expanse.
The trade caravan dispatched by Liu Maopao finally arrived at Yinchuan's Salt Lake area, its carts coated in dust, its horses weary from the long journey.
Accompanying the caravan was a sightseeing Mass-Produced Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Everyone knew that Salt Lake tan sheep were a famous delicacy. The moment Li Daoxuan heard that Liu Maopao was sending a caravan to Yinchuan, he promptly invited himself along.
For the sake of tasting tan sheep, he did not use an embroidery avatar, nor a cloth doll, nor even a Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun. Instead, he brought out a Mass-Produced Dao Xuan Tianzun, because only this form could actually eat.
Originally, the caravan was meant to be led by a steward Liu Maopao had hired at great expense, a man seasoned in trade and negotiation. However, once Li Daoxuan joined the group, command of the caravan naturally shifted entirely into his hands. The steward was reduced to little more than an errand runner and assistant. Far from feeling slighted, the man was secretly overjoyed. To be able to remain so close to Dao Xuan Tianzun for such a long journey, who could say whether he might one day be remembered in the divine heart?
"Dao Xuan Tianzun," the steward reported respectfully, "the military fortress ahead is Dingbian Fortress, the southeasternmost stronghold of Yinchuan."
After a brief pause, he added, "I just asked a local. There are four hundred border troops stationed there, and they are said to be… quite fierce."
Li Daoxuan nodded slightly. "Show them the written order Shi Jian obtained for us, and speak politely," he instructed. "Do not rely on our connection to Shi Jian to act arrogantly or disrespect the soldiers."
The steward nodded vigorously. "Understood. Your subordinate has also watched the film A Small Soldier of the Dalinghe Border Army and deeply understands that every frontier soldier deserves respect."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "It is good that you understand that."
The steward hurried off to make arrangements and returned not long after, grinning. "Everything has been settled."
The caravan continued forward and soon arrived beneath the walls of Dingbian Fortress.
The border troops had already verified the written order. Upon learning that the caravan was connected to Shi Jian, the Regional Commander of Yansui, they treated the group with noticeable respect.
In recent years, Shi Jian had vigorously pacified northern Shaanxi, suppressing bandits and engaging in repeated clashes with Mongol forces. His achievements had earned him the genuine respect of most frontier soldiers.
Thanks to him, Yinchuan had not suffered Mongol harassment for a long time, and the soldiers were deeply grateful. Naturally, they extended that goodwill to anyone associated with him.
The soldiers waved and smiled as the caravan passed through the gates.
Yet Li Daoxuan did not see joy in their expressions.
What he saw instead was exhaustion.
These border troops were thin and malnourished, their cheeks sunken, their bodies bony beneath their armor. Their equipment was worn and patched, their appearance wretched to the extreme.
Li Daoxuan frowned and turned to the commanding bazong. "Commander, it seems your supplies here are… rather insufficient."
The bazong looked embarrassed and let out a long sigh. "Alas. Our military pay has once again been in arrears for over a year."
In the early years of Chongzhen's reign, Lao Nanfeng and his branch of the border army had rebelled precisely because their military pay had been withheld for three years. Later, when Hong Chengchou assumed the post of Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, he had gone to great lengths to scrape together the back pay and pacify the troops.
Yet now, after several years of apparent calm, by the ninth year of Chongzhen's reign, military pay was once again being delayed.
Li Daoxuan frowned more deeply. "Lord Hong has no money to pay you?"
The bazong shook his head helplessly. "Lord Hong is doing everything he can, but even the cleverest man cannot conjure something from nothing. If the court does not allocate funds, where can he find the money to pay us?"
Li Daoxuan turned to the steward beside him. "Take some grain from our provisions. At the very least, make sure the soldiers in this fortress can eat one full meal."
The steward hesitated and whispered, "The grain we brought is meant for trading for wool. If we give it to the soldiers, we will have nothing left to trade."
Li Daoxuan furrowed his brow. In the next instant, his consciousness shifted back to Gao Family Village, appearing upon the embroidery on the chest of Second Steward Tan Liwen. Without wasting time, he gave his instructions. "Immediately organize a transport team and deliver a large batch of supplies, especially grain and cloth, to the Yinchuan border garrison. Allocate part of it to replenish the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory caravan using village treasury funds."
"As you command," Tan Liwen replied without hesitation.
Li Daoxuan shifted back again and said calmly to the steward, "Distribute the grain without concern. The missing supplies will soon arrive from the village treasury."
"As you command," the steward responded.
The caravan members moved at once, unloading sack after sack of grain from the carts and handing them over to the soldiers of Dingbian Fortress.
These border troops, whose pay had been withheld for over a year, had lived in misery, often going hungry and in extreme cases even selling their children to survive. Now, a caravan had suddenly arrived and delivered grain directly into their hands.
It was enough to move men to tears.
The news spread rapidly throughout the fortress.
Not only the soldiers on duty, but also those resting off duty rushed over as soon as they heard. Soon after, the soldiers' wives, children, and elderly parents followed, the crowd swelling as it surged toward Dingbian Fortress.
"A caravan has come!"
"They gave us grain!"
"Heaven above, what kind-hearted people!"
"I've never seen such good people in my life."
"I heard they're neighbors of General Shi Jian."
"So they're General Shi's people. No wonder they're so generous."
Below the fortress walls, cooking pots were set up everywhere, and the sound of boiling food soon filled the air.
Smiles finally appeared on the weary faces of the border troops.
Li Daoxuan, however, felt a deep unease settle in his heart.
The Ming court was truly incompetent. If funds were scarce, they could have delayed the salaries of high-ranking officials, but withholding the pay of frontier soldiers was tantamount to inviting catastrophe.
Alas.
He knew that such thinking was futile.
From ancient times onward, whenever the economy faltered, the imperial court never reduced the income of high officials. Instead, it squeezed even harder from the lower classes.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, a sudden commotion arose. From the northwest official road, a fast horse galloped into view. The rider was clearly carrying urgent news and knew he would be questioned at the fortress gate. To save time, he began shouting from afar.
"Urgent military intelligence! Dingbian Fortress, do not obstruct me! Urgent military intelligence! Seven border fortresses in Yinchuan have mutinied! The rebellious soldiers are attacking Ningxia Prefecture! Urgent military intelligence! Dingbian Fortress, do not obstruct me!"
With a shout like that, who would dare stop him?
The soldiers hurriedly pulled open the wooden gates, clearing a path.
The messenger spurred his horse and thundered through the fortress, vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
The soldiers of Dingbian Fortress stood frozen, exchanging bewildered looks before turning toward their bazong.
The bazong himself stood stiffly for several breaths before finally letting out a heavy sigh. "A few days ago, Bazong Zhao from Dashapu Fortress secretly came to drink with me. As we drank, he cursed the court, complaining that his military pay had been withheld and that he could no longer endure it. I did not take it seriously at the time."
He paused, his expression bitter. "Now I understand. He was testing me. If I had joined him in cursing the court that day, he would have invited me to join the mutiny."