MLMD -Chapter 47 Observations Upon Leaving the Pass

For Jiangnan, October was merely the beginning of autumn, mild and pleasant. For Shanxi, however, the month already carried a chill in the air.

On the morning of October 21st, Yue Yang, fully prepared, led a thousand soldiers disguised as ordinary guards along with several hundred carriage attendants. Together with over two hundred large carts, they departed from the Yue family estate, heading north alongside the Li family convoy.

Mounted on his horse, Yue Yang looked ahead with a faint, almost imperceptible reluctance in his heart. When Yu Ling learned that Yue Yang was going to do business beyond the pass, the gentle girl had secretly cried several times. As for the lively Yu Long, she was even more difficult—upon waking that morning, she clung to Yue Yang incessantly, refusing to let him go. In the end, Yue Yang had to coax her patiently before she finally relented.

Thinking of this, Yue Yang rubbed his slightly sore lower back and couldn’t help but feel a tinge of emotion. Knowing he would leave today, the previous night, the two sisters had been uncharacteristically clingy. Even usually gentle and shy Yu Ling had pursued him repeatedly. Women, once they gave themselves completely to a man, could change entirely.

Yue Yang’s motion of rubbing his back was noticed by Li Yuan, who rode alongside him. With a smiling face, Li Yuan asked: “Nephew Yue, last night must have been quite… ‘tiring,’ huh? Young people may have strong bodies, but even I need to watch myself. Everything has its limits—cross them, and your body will pay the price. So you should take care of yourself!”

“That old fool!”

Yue Yang was inwardly torn between laughter and exasperation. This man had once been timid when he submitted to Yue Yang, but now he acted like a seasoned rogue. Didn’t he fear that Yue Yang might lose his temper?

Not wanting to waste more words, Yue Yang rolled his eyes and asked: “Master Li, at your age, why go personally beyond the pass? Don’t you have three sons at home? Why not send them instead?”

Yue Yang’s words seemed to hit a nerve. The formerly smiling face of Li Yuan stiffened, and he quickly composed himself. After a moment, he glared helplessly at Yue Yang and said: “You know the reason, so why call me this old, humble man?”

“Ha ha ha…”

Yue Yang laughed heartily. Li Yuan had three sons and four daughters, a seemingly large family, yet every household had its difficulties. His eldest son, twenty-seven, disliked business and spent his days with frivolous friends. His second, twenty-one, a titled scholar, was focused on the imperial exams and uninterested in trade. The youngest, fifteen, was too young to shoulder responsibility. Thus, whenever business required traveling beyond the pass, Li Yuan, approaching fifty, had to go personally. Yue Yang’s teasing comment likely made Li Yuan feel quite frustrated.

Once done laughing, Yue Yang casually asked:

“All right, back to business. You Li family sells so many goods beyond the pass each year—what exactly are these goods?”

Li Yuan’s eyes narrowed with caution.

“Why do you ask? Could it be your Yue family plans to switch trades and enter the border market long-term?”

“Not at all. Just curious,” Yue Yang replied, noticing the wary expression. He understood immediately: rivals in trade were always cautious. If the Yue family interfered, the Li family’s profits could be affected.

“What’s there to fear?” Yue Yang said, smiling wryly. “I’m not interested in border trade, only in obtaining some horses. At most, a few transactions. And I’m not competing in furs, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Li Yuan mumbled: “That’s hard to say. You’re ruthless; what wouldn’t you dare do? Didn’t you drive the Wang family away not long ago?”

At the mention of the Wang family, Yue Yang’s cheerful expression darkened.

“They tried several times to kill me. Our feud cannot be reconciled. It was only because they were sensible that they left Yingzhou so quickly this time—otherwise, more than just a few would have died. And that Wang Chenglin… he dared attempt to kill me at the Wan Hua Lou. This grudge will be settled eventually!”

Yue Yang’s grim tone sent a chill down Li Yuan’s spine. Only now did he remember: this young man had, just months ago, slaughtered bandits mercilessly. And all this time, Li Yuan had dared to speak freely with him, even benefiting from him, yet had not been destroyed—truly a stroke of remarkable luck.

Li Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, gave a sheepish smile, and fell silent.

The convoy traveled without incident and reached Datong, a key Ming stronghold in the northwest, by the following morning.

Datong, a renowned town throughout Chinese history, had in the Tang Dynasty served as a crucial route connecting Chang’an to northern tribes. By the Ming Dynasty, it had become a heavily fortified town guarding the northwest. Its walls were high, its rivers deep, built to withstand attacks. Yet years of peace had left the city prosperous.

Even Yue Yang, accustomed to the hustle of modern cities, was impressed. The wide streets, enough for four carts side by side, were filled with bustling traffic, and pedestrians crowded the avenues, a scene that spoke of a major city.

“Impressive, isn’t it? Stronger than Yingzhou, right?” Li Yuan asked, noting Yue Yang’s astonishment.

“Stronger? It’s overwhelmingly stronger! No wonder this is a key border post,” Yue Yang said, inhaling deeply.

Li Yuan smiled: “About forty to fifty percent of Shanxi’s merchants are here. Prosperity is inevitable. If we weren’t pressed for time, I’d take you out tonight to see the women of Datong—guaranteed you’d be enchanted!”

Yue Yang smiled faintly: “No rush. With silver in my pocket, I can go anytime. Right now, the question is how we transport all these goods beyond the pass. The official market is closed, you know.”

Hearing this, Li Yuan laughed heartily: “Hah! Nephew, you don’t have to worry about that—leaving the pass is my responsibility!”

“Really?” Yue Yang’s curiosity was piqued. But it wasn’t until the third day of the journey that his doubts were answered.

At 10:00 a.m. on the third day, the convoy reached a checkpoint called Zhenchuan Fort. Upon entering, Yue Yang was stunned: several sizeable merchant convoys were lined up, waiting to exit the pass. Scanning them, he estimated that each convoy had anywhere from dozens to hundreds of carts, all heavily laden. Some wheels were deeply sunk into the grass, evidence of the cargo’s tremendous weight.

Nearby, a dozen soldiers in red “mandarin duck” armor leaned lazily against the walls, watching the carts pass. Strangely, no one was inspecting the vehicles.

Yue Yang whispered to Li Yuan: “Master Li, what’s in these carts? Why are they so heavy?”

Li Yuan smiled lightly: “Ironware. Some even carry armor and weapons. Heavy, naturally.”

“What?”

Yue Yang’s eyes widened in shock. “Armor and weapons? They’re brazen! Selling to the enemy openly? Are these guards idiots?”

“Shh! Quiet!” Li Yuan pressed a finger to his lips and looked around nervously. “You really are naive. Selling armor and weapons? Give them enough silver, they’d sell even their own fathers! And this trade isn’t new—these soldiers have all been bribed long ago. You’re only noticing now!”

Yue Yang was flustered. He hadn’t expected a frontier garrison to be so corrupt. Soldiers, sworn to defend the nation, were turning a blind eye to blatant smuggling. Were these still Ming soldiers? If the Manchus or Tatars attacked, could this checkpoint even resist—or alert anyone?