Chapter 468: Not a Dog Tartar?

Anyone who had carefully studied the maps knew exactly how strategically important the new capital of the Ming Dynasty was. There were nine key border towns in the Ming’s frontier areas—Liaodong, Jizhou, Xuanfu, Datong, Yulin, Ningxia, Gansu, Taiyuan, and Guyuan—most of which were built to defend against the Mongols. Beijing itself was only a little over a hundred miles away from the Mongol territories. Despite being surrounded by several layers of Great Wall fortifications built since the early Ming Dynasty, the heart of the Ming Dynasty still lay in a strategically critical position very close to the front lines.

Zhang Yue had even heard Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, personally explain one of the main reasons for moving the capital to Beijing: to prevent future generations from becoming too complacent in the south, where generals might prove incompetent and unable to resist the Mongols, leading to a repeat of the Song Dynasty’s repeated retreats southward. Thus, the emperor needed to guard the country’s borders. Although Zhang Yue believed such measures could only provide temporary protection, not eternal security, he still admired Zhu Di’s boldness. After all, constant vigilance was better than the comfort and prosperity that came at the cost of neglect.

Xuanfu was only 350 miles away from the capital, and with steady riding, one could reach it in a day. But this time, Zhang Yue was transporting firearms, gunpowder, and large quantities of other military supplies. Since water routes were not feasible, donkeys and mules were used, along with carts pulled by laborers, which slowed down the journey significantly. Beyond Juyong Pass, aside from small villages, larger settlements were either military garrisons or command posts, all under military control. Along the roads, there were also fields that had just been harvested by the military.

Although Lu Feng came from humble origins, he had lived a comfortable life for years. The slow pace of the journey, with frequent stops in the wilderness when villages were missed, and the fact that the delicate snacks brought from the capital couldn’t serve as meals, made him impatient. Even though he didn’t have to share meals with the soldiers and laborers, the slow progress frustrated him after just seven or eight days.

That night, they camped in the wilderness again. After arranging all the defensive measures, Zhou Bailing slowly made his way toward his own tent. As he approached, he saw his personal guards sitting around a campfire about ten steps away from the tent. One agile guard was grilling some wild game caught during the day. Zhou Bailing casually ordered, “Once it’s ready, send some to Lord Lu and Messrs. Zhang and Yu. They’ve been eating dry rations all along the way; they probably can’t handle it. Add plenty of green salt and seasonings—don’t skimp!”

“My lord, Eunuch Lu sent someone early to say not to disturb them, so they must have already fallen asleep in the carriage! As for Lord Zhang and Lord Yu, they are both in your tent. Lord Zhang already instructed that one should be shared with you later. This roasted pheasant is his specialty; don’t worry about the seasonings— it will be delivered to the tent right away!”
“Smooth-talking! Just one word from me, and you cause so much trouble!”
Zhou Bailing snapped a joke and then hurried into the tent. Seeing Zhang Yue and Yu Qian calculating the time using a map, he stepped forward with a smile and said, “Lord Zhang and Lord Yu, don’t worry about the schedule. I’ve traveled this route from the capital to Xuanfu countless times. Besides, we’re using the postal roads, and with the dry weather now, there’s no way we’ll be delayed. We’ll reach Bao’an Prefecture by tomorrow night, and from there, it will take at most another two or three days to reach Xuanfu. We still have two days left before the deadline set by the emperor.”
These days, Zhang Yue had been reading books in the carriage in his free time and often came to talk to Zhou Bailing after dinner. Now, he turned around with a smile and said, “With your guarantee, we’re much more at ease. After all, the military weapons and gunpowder need to be stored along the way once they reach Xuanfu—they’re extremely important, and no mistakes are allowed. By the way, I just talked to Brother Tingyi, and I heard there are many Mongol spies in the Xuanfu area. Is that true?”
“That’s absolutely true. Otherwise, why would elite troops from the capital always have to accompany shipments of grain, pay, and weapons?”
Zhou Bailing gestured for Zhang Yue and Yu Qian to sit down, then sat down himself. He unbuckled the water bag from his waist, took a big gulp, and wiped his mouth before explaining, “In places like Xuanfu and Datong, it’s been a long-standing rule to use military law instead of civil officials, so almost everyone there is a military household. The military garrisons are mostly concentrated there, and those living in villages are actually military households. So if spies enter, they usually avoid those areas and wander around. If they encounter a lone soldier or an official without many guards, in addition to gathering intelligence, they might also commit murders or assassinations.”
Yu Qian was from the south of the Yangtze River and was visiting Xuanfu Town for the first time. Hearing this, he immediately asked, “Are the Mongols that bold? Why do we rarely hear about this in the court?”

“What’s reported is just a fraction of it. If it’s more or less the same, the military headquarters often underreports it.” Zhou Bailing didn’t mock Yu Qian for his scholarly temperament. Waving his hands indifferently, he said, “Although the Tatars and Oirats have submitted to our dynasty, there have been minor border disturbances every year over the years. These spies are just minor issues. Besides, we have Chang’an Garrison to the north and Yanqing Prefecture to the west. Our troops here are all elite soldiers who have at least experienced one northern expedition—no one would dare attack us.”
“The Mongols are accustomed to the cold and can launch attacks even in heavy snowstorms, not to mention the current weather. They need to stockpile food for winter, so they inevitably raid to the south. Moreover, everything we transport are necessities for the army, so we can’t take it lightly.”
Seeing Zhang Yue bring up this topic, Zhou Bailing nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry, Lord Zhang. I’ll take care of this. This time I’ve brought 150 gunners, 150 swordsmen, plus 200 cavalrymen—all top-notch elites. I’ve already arranged for night patrols. I also personally inspected the laborers; fortunately, none have fled this time.”
“Lord, the pheasants are ready!”
“Come in!”
At that moment, a voice from outside the tent came. After getting permission, someone lifted the curtain and entered, holding two roasted pheasants with golden-brown skin oozing oil. Skillfully, he spread oil-paper on a small wooden table and placed the pheasants on it. Zhou Bailing waved his hand to signal him to leave, then smiled at Zhang Yue and Yu Qian, saying, “We’re heading to the front lines this time, so there’s no room for luxury. We can’t possibly bring cooking utensils with us. I’m sure you’ve grown tired of eating dry rations. Why not try the skills of our soldiers?”
Yu Qian was still looking for chopsticks, but Zhang Yue, following Zhou Bailing’s lead, tore off a thigh from one of the pheasants without hesitation. Usually, he was picky about food at home, but now he wasn’t afraid of the heat. He bit into it, and the delicious, tender, and fatty meat turned into a flame in his mouth. By the time he managed to swallow it, his mouth was numb.
“There’s Sichuan pepper in it!”
“Haha, Lord Zhang, so you’ve eaten Sichuan pepper before?” Zhou Bailing, with oil dripping from his mouth, mumbled, “One of my guards moved here from Sichuan, and that’s how everyone fell in love with it. Eating it in autumn and winter can ward off the cold, so I always have them buy more whenever I enter the city. Now it’s in use—otherwise, it would be bland.”

Although Zhang Yue ate heartily, Yu Qian simply couldn’t eat in that way. So he waited until Zhou Bailing brought over chopsticks before picking up a chicken wing. The spiciness made him sweat profusely, and his tongue could hardly move. He dared not try such an unusual flavor again and could only watch helplessly as the two burly men across from him feasted heartily, while he reluctantly gnawed on dry food. After filling his stomach, Zhang Yue planned to leave, but before he could stand up, the curtain was suddenly pulled open by a bodyguard.
“Sir, the scouts have caught a Tatar!”
A Tatar had been caught!
This news instantly turned the relaxed atmosphere in the military tent tense. All three of them stood up almost at the same time. Zhou Bailing stepped forward quickly, asked a few questions in a low voice, then waved his hand to send them away before turning back to explain, “I told them to bring him in and interrogate him before taking any action.”
Zhang Yue thought he wasn’t as experienced in battle as Zhou Bailing, so he naturally had no objections. Yu Qian also knew his place and nodded immediately. Neither of them remembered there was still an official accompanying the army. Soon, several bodyguards brought in a disheveled man, roughly forcing him to kneel on the ground and pulling his hair to make him look up.
Zhou Bailing didn’t even glance at the man and asked directly, “How did you catch him? How did you know he was a Tatar?”
“Sir, the three of us went out in groups to scout the area. We found him sneaking around. When we asked him questions, he kept talking in a bunch of incomprehensible Tatar words, so we brought him back. He’s very strong. It took all three of us to finally subdue him.”
“If I hadn’t eaten my fill, none of you could have held me down!”
Zhang Yue, who was observing this so-called Tatar man, frowned when he suddenly spoke in Mandarin. Although his Mandarin was fluent, his accent was stiff, as if he rarely spoke it. Before he could ask any questions, Zhou Bailing ordered the bodyguards holding the man’s arms to back off, his tone softening immediately.
“Are you a Tatar or a Han?”
“I’m not some damned Tatar!” The man struggled to get up as soon as he was no longer restrained. After being beaten severely earlier, he finally managed to stand upright, puffing out his chest. “I’m a Han. It took me three months to escape from Khulag Khishun!”

Although Zhang Yue knew that both the Oirats and Tatars harassed the borders every year, abducting many civilians, and that many strong men fled back from the Mongol Yuan regime each year, it was his first time seeing it with his own eyes. Observing the burly man’s tattered cotton jacket and ill-fitting shoes, he gradually dismissed the suspicion that the man might be a spy, but he didn’t speak rashly.
“Since you’re a Han, why didn’t you join those garrisons at the border?”
The burly man was stunned by Zhou Bailing’s blunt tone, but soon his eyes reddened: “Several of us fled together. Some insisted on going to the border to join them, and now their heads are hanging on the city gates! With war coming, there are spies from the Mongol Yuan everywhere. They say it’s better to execute a thousand innocents than let one escape!”