Chapter 47

The weather in October can be considered a perfect transition into autumn for the Jiangnan region, but for Shanxi, it already starts to feel a bit chilly by then.

On the morning of October 21st, Yueyang, who had already made all the necessary preparations, led a thousand soldiers disguised as ordinary guards and several hundred cart drivers with over two hundred large carts, and set off from the Yue family estate with the Li family's convoy heading north.

Yueyang, riding on a horse, felt a faint, almost imperceptible reluctance as he looked ahead. After learning that Yueyang was going to do business beyond the border, the gentle Yu Ling secretly cried several times, and the lively Yu Long was even more emotional, hugging Yueyang tightly in the morning and not letting him go. Yueyang had to do a lot of talking to finally calm her down.

Thinking about this, Yueyang tapped his slightly sore lower back and couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental. Knowing he was leaving today, the two sisters, Ling and Long, seemed to have transformed into different people last night. Even the usually gentle and shy Yu Ling clung to him several times. Once a woman gives her heart and body to a man, she can change completely.

Yueyang's action of touching his waist was noticed by Li Yuan, who was riding a horse beside him. With a smile, Li Yuan asked, "Nephew Yue, you must have had a very 'tiring' night, right? Although young people have good health, you still need to take care of yourself. Everything should be done in moderation; once you exceed the limit, your body will easily have problems. So, it's better to take it easy!"

"This old man who doesn't respect his elders!" Yueyang felt a bit amused and exasperated. This guy used to be very cautious when he was submissive, but now he acts more like an old slickster. Does he not fear a falling out?

Not wanting to continue this nonsense, Yueyang rolled his eyes and asked, "Lord Li, you're already this old, why do you have to go out on this trip yourself? Don't you have three sons? Why not let them go instead?"

Yueyang's words seemed to hit a nerve with Li Yuan. His originally smiling face stiffened, and he quickly composed himself. After a while, he reluctantly glared at Yueyang and said, "You know the reason, so why do you have to bring it up to embarrass me!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Yueyang burst out laughing. Li Yuan has three sons and four daughters, seemingly a large family, but as the saying goes, every family has its own troubles. Li Yuan's eldest son is 27 years old, his second son is 21, and his third son is 15. In theory, the two adult sons should be able to help Li Yuan, but as the saying goes, every family has its own troubles. Li Yuan's eldest son dislikes business and spends his days with a group of friends, his second son is a scholar who is preparing for the imperial exams and has no interest in business, and his third son is too young. Thus, every time he goes out to do business, Li Yuan, who is nearly fifty, has to do it himself. Hearing Yueyang's jest, Li Yuan must have felt quite depressed.

After laughing, Yueyang asked as if it was a casual question, "Alright, let's get serious. I heard your Li family trades a lot of goods beyond the border every year. What are the main items?"

"What do you want to know for? Are you planning to switch to long-term business beyond the border?" Li Yuan's eyes immediately showed a hint of caution.

"Not really, I'm just asking." Seeing Li Yuan's cautious expression, Yueyang naturally understood his concerns. As the saying goes, competitors are enemies, and the Yingzhou Prefecture is not that big. If the Yue family also gets involved, the Li family's business will be significantly affected.

"What are you afraid of?" Although Yueyang could understand Li Yuan's reaction, he still felt a bit amused and exasperated. "I have no interest in doing business beyond the border; I just want to get some horses. I'll only do it a few times, and I won't compete in the fur trade. What are you afraid of?"

Li Yuan grumbled, "That's hard to say. You're a ruthless and cunning guy. What wouldn't you do? Didn't you drive the Wang family away?"

Mentioning the Wang family, Yueyang's originally smiling face immediately turned serious. He said calmly, "The Wang family has tried to kill me several times. The enmity between us is irreconcilable. This time, they were smart enough to move out of Yingzhou Prefecture so quickly; otherwise, they would have lost more than just a few people! And that Wang Chenglin, who dared to try to kill me at the Wanhuajiu, I will settle this score with him sooner or later!"

Yueyang's chilling voice made Li Yuan involuntarily shiver. At that moment, he suddenly remembered that the young man in front of him was the one who had killed the bandits a few months ago. He had not only dared to talk freely with him these days but also hadn't been destroyed after taking advantage of him. His luck was not just a little good!

Thinking about this, Li Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiled awkwardly, and said nothing more...

The journey was uneventful, and the convoy arrived at Datong, a major town in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty, by the morning of the second day.

Datong, a famous town throughout Chinese history, was a key route from Chang'an to the northern tribes during the Tang Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, it had become a major defense stronghold in the northwest. After many generations of repairs, the walls of Datong were high and deep, as solid as iron. However, there had been no major wars for many years, so the city was very prosperous. When Yueyang entered the tall and thick walls of Datong with the convoy, even he, who was used to the prosperity of modern cities, was secretly amazed. The streets, wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side, were bustling with vehicles and pedestrians, showing the grandeur of a major city.

"How about it? Is this better than Yingzhou?" Seeing Yueyang's surprised expression, Li Yuan, who had calmed down, smiled and asked.

Yueyang took a deep breath and said, "Not just better, it's much, much better! This place truly lives up to its reputation as a border stronghold!"

Li Yuan sighed, "Yes, about half of the merchants in Shanxi are concentrated here. It's hard not to be prosperous! If we weren't in a hurry, I would take you to experience the charm of the girls in Datong tonight. I guarantee you won't want to leave!"

Yueyang smiled, "That's not urgent. As long as I have money, I can go whenever I want. The problem now is how to get all these goods out of the border. After all, the mutual market is closed by the court!"

Hearing this, Li Yuan laughed, "Ha ha ha... Don't worry about that, nephew. Getting out of the border is my responsibility!"

"Really?" Yueyang couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical, but his doubts were quickly resolved on the third day after they set out.

At noon on the third day, Yueyang and the convoy had already arrived at a checkpoint called Zhenchuan Fort via a narrow official road. Just as they entered the checkpoint, Yueyang was stunned by the scene in front of him. This small castle was filled with several merchant convoys, each of considerable size, waiting in line to pass through the checkpoint. Yueyang quickly estimated that each convoy had dozens to hundreds of large carts, making the scale quite grand. Moreover, he noticed that some of the cart wheels were deeply embedded in the grass, indicating that the carts were carrying heavy loads. By the city gate, over ten soldiers in red mandarin duck battle robes were lazily leaning against the wall, watching the carts pass by. What surprised Yueyang was that no one was checking the carts as they passed through the checkpoint.

Yueyang quietly asked Li Yuan, "Lord Li, what are these carts carrying? Why are they so heavy?"

Li Yuan smiled lightly, "These carts are carrying iron goods, some even armor and weapons. How could they not be heavy?"

"What?"

Yueyang was shocked, "Armor and weapons? They have such audacity! How dare they privately trade with the enemy! Are the soldiers at this checkpoint blind?"

"Shh... be quiet!" Li Yuan quickly put his finger to his lips, looked around nervously, and then said in a low voice, "You really are naive. Selling armor and weapons is nothing; they would sell their own fathers for money! And this trade has been going on for a while; the soldiers here, from top to bottom, have been bought off. You only found out now?"

Yueyang was utterly bewildered. He never imagined that the checkpoint of a border stronghold could be so corrupt, and that the soldiers, who should be protecting the country, would turn a blind eye to such blatant smuggling. Could these checkpoints still serve as a defense and warning if the Manchus or the Tartars attacked?

PS: By the way, there's a Dream Cup event going on at起点 (Qidian) right now, just below the book cover. You can vote for Atop, and don't forget to cast your recommendation votes too!

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