Chapter 1017: How to Handle the Situation
The atmosphere was thick with tension!
Li Daoxuan, still stepping on Ding Qirui, remained locked in a standoff with the border soldiers.
Lying on the ground, Ding Qirui didn't dare to move a muscle, terrified that any slight motion would provoke this "monster" into killing him. Yet, lying absolutely still for an extended period was exhausting; maintaining a flat supine position for too long made his entire body itch.
His focus began to waver, and he couldn't help but wonder: "My whole body is itching just from lying still. How can he stand there with one foot on me and not itch at all? Doesn't he get tired, standing perfectly still like that?"
Li Daoxuan, however, felt no fatigue whatsoever.
The two maintained their positions—one prone, one standing triumphant. The surrounding soldiers, wanting to intervene but too afraid, remained frozen in their stance. And so, an excruciating half-hour passed in this rigid stalemate.
From a distance, Zhao Bazong and his men watched, utterly dumbfounded.
Three thousand border soldiers stared, bewildered, at the scene unfolding before them.
That peculiar young hero had truly, single-handedly, charged into Ding Qirui's army and subdued him.
This time, they genuinely believed Li Daoxuan. Two days prior, Li Daoxuan had claimed he wasn't stalling for time. Now, it was clear he hadn't been.
The man truly possessed the ability to carve a path through an entire army, alone.
Another half-hour elapsed...
Li Daoxuan suddenly spoke, "They're here! The supply convoy has arrived."
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Just then, scouts from both sides galloped back simultaneously, shouting from their saddles, "A caravan! The caravan is here... A massive caravan, stretching for a mile or two, laden with goods! So many supplies have arrived!"
Zhao Bazong was overjoyed. Ding Qirui and Wang Ji, however, were utterly astonished: *Really? They actually came?*
Both armies turned in unison, peering down the official road to the southeast, eagerly awaiting.
Dust billowed up from the road...
Everyone present was experienced in warfare, and seasoned generals typically possessed a skill known as "reading the dust signs." They could estimate the number of people and horses by the dust kicked up.
With a single glance, they immediately deduced that a massive convoy was approaching.
"They've really come!"
Zhao Bazong was ecstatic. "He didn't lie to us, he didn't!"
As the dust cloud drew closer, everyone could soon make out the details. There were actually two convoys: one was the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory caravan, flying merchant banners. The other was a military supply train, flying the banner of Regional Commander Shi Jian of Yansui.
A junior officer leading the convoy shouted loudly, "Are those the Yinchuan border troops ahead? Stop! Don't fight anymore! Don't fight anymore! I am here by the order of General Shi Jian, Regional Commander of Yansui, escorting a shipment of relief supplies... You won't go hungry anymore! Put down your weapons, and stop fighting!"
Zhao Bazong's three thousand mutinous soldiers erupted in a collective cheer.
Ding Qirui and Wang Ji were still somewhat dazed, but the border troops under their command had also been deprived of their pay for a long time, often going hungry, and hadn't had a decent meal in ages. How could they not be delighted upon seeing this large convoy? They, too, began to cheer.
As both armies cheered in unison, the atmosphere of conflict instantly dissipated.
Only then did Li Daoxuan lift his foot from Ding Qirui. "You can get up now."
Ding Qirui scrambled to get up, but halfway up, he stumbled and collapsed again. Remaining in the same position for so long had left his body numb and stiff.
His attendants from both sides rushed forward to steady him.
Li Daoxuan ignored them, striding purposefully towards the convoy.
The convoy now had two persons in charge: one was the caravan's steward, and the other was a "junior officer" dispatched by Gao Family Village, operating under Shi Jian's name.
Upon seeing Li Daoxuan, both bowed in unison. "Heavenly Lord, the supplies have been urgently delivered as you requested."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Well done. A great merit will be recorded."
Both were delighted.
Li Daoxuan turned his back to the convoy and faced the two factions of border soldiers. "Now, form two orderly lines. You will receive supplies in turns. Anyone who shoves, cuts in line, or disobeys the staff will receive nothing."
The moment these words were uttered, they proved more effective than any military order issued by Ding Qirui.
*Swish, swish, swish*—the border soldiers instantly formed two neat lines.
Ding Qirui fumed silently: *I am the commander of this army! Why are my soldiers obeying him instead of me?*
Wang Ji, however, let out a long sigh. A few days prior, Li Daoxuan had spoken with him, emphasizing that resolving the border army's mutiny required economic solutions. Witnessing the current scene, it was crystal clear: "A mother is one who provides milk; without it, she's an enemy." If the imperial court couldn't quickly ensure food and clothing for the border troops, those soldiers would swiftly become someone else's.
He began to seriously ponder in his mind. *That young hero told me to raise more cattle, sheep, and horses, to utilize the northern grasslands without fear of the Mongols. I really need to take that to heart.*
Soon, the sun had fully set, and darkness descended.
The caravan lit torches and continued to distribute supplies in an orderly fashion.
But Ding Qirui, Wang Ji, Zhao Bazong, and the other leaders of the mutiny gathered together. Both sides regarded each other with stiff expressions.
Li Daoxuan walked among them and sat down. "Alright, let's discuss how to manage the aftermath."
Ding Qirui was the first to speak. "They led troops in rebellion. If there's no proper accounting for that, the imperial court will never let it go."
Zhao Bazong scowled, wanting to hurl insults, but given the current situation, he felt it pointless and remained silent.
Li Daoxuan spoke on his behalf. "If the imperial court hadn't defaulted on their pay, would they have come demanding wages? What kind of logic is it to handle things this way?"
Ding Qirui retorted, "Rebellion is rebellion. Regardless of the reason, rebellion is a capital offense."
Li Daoxuan scoffed. "Tch! I truly can't stand listening to officials using that tone."
The moment Li Daoxuan declared he couldn't stand it, Ding Qirui immediately clamped his mouth shut, terrified of being trodden underfoot again.
Li Daoxuan turned to Zhao Bazong. "You were demanding wages, not rebelling, right?"
Zhao Bazong, though not particularly shrewd, understood that Li Daoxuan was helping him save face. He quickly nodded. "Yes, we were just demanding our pay."
Li Daoxuan continued, "Then the matter is quite clear. Zhao Bazong and his men gathered three thousand subordinates whose wages were overdue, coming to Yinchuan city gates to demand their pay. The numbers were a bit large, but they neither attacked the city nor killed anyone. They merely shouted a few times outside the city. That doesn't violate the Great Ming Code, does it?"
Ding Qirui cursed inwardly: *You're clearly playing favorites! They've even half-built siege weapons; if that's not rebellion, what is?*
As if reading his thoughts, Li Daoxuan said, "Minister Ding, what's the next line after 'Of all evil deeds, lust is foremost'?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Ding Qirui replied, "Judge by deeds, not by intent; if by intent, no one in the world is truly good."
Li Daoxuan nodded. "Precisely. Let's apply that to this situation. Did they attack the city? No, they didn't, right? As long as there was no attack, it doesn't count as mass rebellion, does it? It can only be considered a crowd shouting a few demands."
Ding Qirui was speechless.
Li Daoxuan added, "Minister Ding, as a civil official, you must be very skilled at writing memorials to the throne. If you frame this incident carefully, it can all be smoothed over."
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