This morning, I spent ten minutes on the phone (first call was to the travel agency referenced above, then Hainan Airlines, then 4 more numbers) toward the end of solving the mystery at hand; here's the scoop:

8441 3156; they can definitely sell tickets on Deer Air to Lijiang. Moreover, the lady that answered the phone told me that 40% discounts are available most days. That's 1410 + 130, which is really quite reasonable; plus the nonstop is two hours faster than the MU direct flight.