Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 326 The Horse Gallops at Great Speed
"Here comes the little pony!"

Li Daozong's loud voice carried from afar, tinged with a hint of reluctance and complaint: "Little brat, why are you in such a hurry? Are you afraid I'll forget?"

"He even sent someone to the Court of State Ceremonial to urge them. Do I seem like the kind of person who would be stingy?"

Behind him followed several servants, who carefully led three small foals, which were covered with thick velvet cloths, obviously to keep them warm.

Two hours ago, when Wen He sent someone to deliver a message, Li Daozong wondered if the kid was so eager to collect the debt that he even carried the land deed for the land in Huayuan County with him.

"I promised you two horses, and today I brought an extra one. Isn't that generous of me?"

As soon as he stepped into the workshop courtyard, he was hit by a wave of sweltering heat, which made him frown.

Despite it being the dead of winter, the clanging of hammers could be heard coming from a nearby thatched hut. Several burly men with bare arms were swinging hammers, sweat dripping down their dark backs and forming small puddles on the ground.

Just as he was wondering, he turned his head and glanced at the shed not far away.

Wen He and Yan Lide were sitting around a brazier, with a boy in cloth clothes beside them. All three of them were holding a crescent-shaped piece of iron and their eyes were all looking in his direction.

The first batch of iron took almost four hours to smelt.

Eight hours in total.

And that's already considered an extremely fast speed.

Even Yan Lide couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "That's incredibly fast!"

There's nothing we can do about it; it's a technological limitation.

It's already quite good that such an earthen blast furnace can produce a batch of iron in four hours.

An hour after the first batch of iron came out of the furnace, the blacksmith began to work on it.

And that first batch of iron has now become the horseshoe in Wen He's hand.

"We could hear the prince's voice from a great distance."

Wen He smiled and stood up.

"Didn't I just tell you to send someone to deliver it? Why did you have to come all the way here yourself?"

When Li Daozong saw the features of the young man in plain clothes, his heart skipped a beat.

Isn't this His Highness the Crown Prince?

Why are you dressed like that?

However, after a moment's thought, he quickly realized what was going on.

It must be that the little child doesn't want His Highness to reveal his identity.

So he chuckled twice, quietly cupped his hands in greeting to Li Chengqian, and then bowed to Yan Lide.

Then he turned to Wen He and said, "I'm worried that those servants have poor taste and will waste good things."

He then winked at the servants, signaling them to bring the colt closer, and personally lifted the velvet cloth.

"Look at these teeth and this physique. They are all carefully selected from the Western Regions. Although they are not fully grown yet, they are the best seedlings among thousands."

Yan Lide quickly stepped forward to bow, then turned to Wen He and said with a smile, "Jiaying, the horses have arrived, shall we begin?"

He was still clutching a horseshoe sample in his hand, looking rather anxious.

"it is good."

Wen He chuckled. He knew that Yan Lide had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The little ones were probably seeing this for the first time. They shrank their necks and hid behind the servants, their bright black eyes darting around, looking rather clever.

He turned to Li Daozong and brandished the iron weapon in his hand.

"Your Highness has come at the perfect time. It's a good opportunity for you to see for yourself whether this thing is worth your three fine horses."

"what is this?"

Li Daozong finally noticed the object in his hand. The crescent-shaped iron plate had several small holes drilled in it, and the edges were polished quite smoothly. It didn't look like a weapon or a farming tool.

"horseshoe."

Wen He succinctly uttered three words, then pointed to the strongest of the three foals: "Let's choose this one, I like it."

Just now, when he approached, the black horse took the initiative to come closer and blew a warm breath into his palm, its wet nose making his palm itch.

Wen He didn't like horses with light-colored coats. The other two horses had whitish manes and looked a bit less spirited. But this black horse had glossy, smooth coats like satin and looked very clever.

Li Daozong gripped the heavy piece of iron in his hand, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

He quietly moved to Li Chengqian's side, and seeing that the craftsmen around were busy, he lowered his voice and asked, "Your Highness, what exactly is the little boy doing? He's holding this piece of iron against the colt. Is he going to shoe the horse?"

"The gentleman said... he wanted to put shoes on the horse."

Li Chengqian imitated him, whispering in his ear with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty on his face.

"Ok?"

Li Daozong's eyes widened instantly, and he almost lost his voice. "Put shoes on a horse? Has he lost his mind? Horse hooves are so precious, and these iron plates are so hard. If you nail them on, won't you ruin the horse?"

He grew up in a military camp and had seen countless warhorses abandoned because of injured hooves, so he knew how delicate hooves were.

Let alone iron blocks, you have to be careful even walking on gravel roads. Wen Jiaying actually wants to "put shoes" on the horse? That's unheard of!

But then he glanced at Yan Lide not far away, who was rubbing his hands together and pacing around, his eyes fixed on the horseshoe in Wen He's hand, shining it as if he had seen a rare treasure. The wrinkles at the corners of his mouth were wide open in a smile, and he kept muttering, "Quick! Bring that newly made wooden frame from the stable! And prepare some fine files and nails!"

His excited expression, as if he wanted to do it himself, made Li Daozong uneasy again.

Who is Yan Lide?

The Minister of Works, who is in charge of all construction in the country, has seen all sorts of ingenious objects.

If this horseshoe were truly absurd, why would he take it so seriously?

"Could it be... that there's something special about this piece of metal?"

Li Daozong stroked his chin and re-examined the crescent-shaped iron artifact.

The edges were polished fairly smoothly, and the inner curve really did look like it was fitting a horseshoe. Several small holes were evenly drilled on it, presumably for fixing.

Just as he was pondering this, Wen He had already directed the craftsmen to lead the black colt to the wooden frame.

An experienced blacksmith first took out a soft measuring tape and carefully measured the size of the foal's hoof. Then, he took a file and carefully polished the horn on the bottom of the hoof, his movements as gentle as if he were taking care of some precious treasure.

"You see, the outermost layer of keratin on a horse's hoof is actually similar to our fingernails. Regular trimming is actually healthier. Most of the wear and tear on horses comes from their hooves. By protecting them with horseshoes, wear and tear will not occur."

"All you need to do is replace the horseshoes regularly."

Wen He's voice came over, as if she was explaining to Li Chengqian, or as if she was speaking to everyone present.

"The curvature of this horseshoe is cast in the shape of a horseshoe, so nailing it on won't hurt the horse; on the contrary, it will protect the hoof."

Li Daozong listened with some skepticism, then leaned closer to take a closer look.

The blacksmith placed the horseshoe on the colt's hoof, and it fit perfectly, as if it were meant to be there.

"Don't worry, Prince Rencheng. Once it's nailed on, you'll know after the foal walks around a couple of times."

Yan Lide noticed his doubts and patted his arm with a cheerful smile.

"Jiaying's brain is full of ideas that can really surprise people."

That's true. Weren't gunpowder and crossbows invented by little kids before?
If this thing really works, then the loss of warhorses in the Tang Dynasty will be reduced even further.

This is a great achievement!

Li Daozong was in shock.

Li Chengqian watched with exceptional focus, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the hammer in the blacksmith's hand.

When the first nail pierced the iron shoe and gently tapped into the hoof horn, he instinctively held his breath, fearing that the colt would whinny in pain.

Strangely, the black colt merely flicked its tail and didn't react much.

This is exactly how Wen He used to watch horse shoe repair videos on her phone.

“This is strange…” Li Daozong muttered to himself, his hand stroking his beard stopped.

Wen He smiled as she looked at him.

If the colt were to walk a few steps on the gravel road later, Li Daozong would probably stare so hard his eyes would pop out.

Some things are better left unexplained; seeing them with your own eyes is far more effective.

The blacksmith worked quickly, and in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, all four horseshoes were nailed on.

He loosened the wooden frame and patted the colt's neck: "Go ahead, give it a run."

The black colt first tentatively lifted its four hooves, seemingly trying to adapt to its new "shoes".

Then he took two small steps and paced around the open space, his footsteps making a crisp "tap-tap" sound on the stone slabs, which sounded more steady than before when the iron palms were nailed on.

Li Daozong's eyes gradually brightened, and he took two steps forward, wishing he could hold the colt's hooves up to his eyes and examine them closely.

"Hey, hey, that's a horse." Wen He reached out and stopped him, pointing to the foal's restless pawing forelegs.

"If it kicks you, you'll be bedridden for at least ten days to two weeks."

Although this foal is not very big, its hooves have considerable force, and being hit by one is no joke.

Li Daozong curled his lip, clearly not taking those words to heart: "You little brat, you underestimate me."

He looked the colt up and down, then smacked his lips.

"But this horse is really too short. I'm afraid people will laugh their heads off if I ride it out."

As he pondered, he suddenly caught sight of Wen He out of the corner of his eye. His eyes lit up, and he reached out and pushed Wen He towards him, saying, "You go, you go, go and try riding it."

Li Chengqian, standing beside him, stared wide-eyed, his small hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.

He wanted to ride a horse too!

Mr. Ke always said he was too young and his bones weren't strong enough, so he resolutely refused to let anyone touch the horses.

Looking at that little black horse swishing its tail, his feet were itching.

"Ugh……"

The young crown prince sighed secretly, and just as he turned his gaze away, he heard Wen He shouting from the other end, "I can't do it!"

"What are you afraid of?"

Li Daozong patted his chest and assured him, then tugged at the horse's reins.

"This little pony is gentle, it will be fine if you walk slowly."

"Besides, I'm leading the horse."

“I’m carrying a load on my shoulders!” Wen He retorted irritably.

Li Daozong was somewhat confused.

What is the connection between leading a horse and carrying a load?
Wen He was too lazy to explain; he was feeling quite intimidated.

He had ridden with others a few times before, but when it came to riding on his own, he always felt like he had no foothold and was afraid of falling flat on his face.

Li Daozong was amused by him and gestured towards Li Chengqian with his lip: "Only you and this young man can ride this pony. If you don't ride it, are you suggesting he ride it?"

Wen He was taken aback and followed his gaze to Li Chengqian. He saw that Li Chengqian's eyes were shining brightly and his little face was full of anticipation, looking like he was eager to try.

Li Chengqian's heart was in his throat, and he wished he could respond immediately.

He had actually practiced riding in the East Palace many times in secret, and he already knew how to ride!

But the next moment, Wen He refused decisively: "That won't do! He can't ride a horse right now! I'll do it!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already rolled up his sleeves, adopted a tragic and heroic posture, and moved step by step toward the colt.

Are you kidding me? Let Li Chengqian ride a horse?

He wasn't allowed to ride a donkey until he grew up.

Li Daozong was taken aback by his reaction, but then he realized what was happening.

This kid is worried that something might happen to His Highness the Crown Prince.

He glanced at Li Chengqian, whose face was full of disappointment, and then at Wen He's resolute expression, and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Look at your pathetic self, do you think I'd let you fall while I'm holding the reins?" As he spoke, he personally led the foal to Wen He and had someone bring over a small stool.

"Step on this and sit tight. It'll be more stable than riding in a horse-drawn carriage."

Wen He hesitated before stepping onto the horse's stool, then hurriedly climbed onto the horse's back. As soon as she was settled, she gripped the horse's mane tightly, her body as stiff as an iron plate: "You'd better hold on tight, don't let go!"

"I know."

Li Daozong suppressed a laugh and slowly walked forward, pulling on the reins.

"See, isn't this quite stable?"

The little black colt seemed to know that someone was riding on its back, and it walked slowly, its hooves making a crisp "clattering" sound on the ground, with the dull echo unique to iron hooves.

Wen He was so nervous that her palms were sweating. After walking around for a couple of times and finding that it wasn't bumpy, she gradually relaxed and even dared to look down at the horseshoe.

Just as Wen He was about to nod, the little black foal suddenly snorted, as if trying to speed up.

He was terrified and clung tightly to the horse's neck, yelling, "Slow down! Slow down! Li Daozong, stop it!"

"Hahahaha!"

Li Daozong laughed so hard he almost fell over, and stood there watching the spectacle with his arms crossed, showing no intention of helping at all.

Yan Lide, who was standing to the side, turned pale with fright and tried to stop him in a flurry, but was blown back by the wind generated by the colt.

Li Chengqian jumped up in shock, pointing ahead and shouting, "Quick! Stop it! There's a pile of rubble over there!"

Startled by his shout, Li Daozong, who was still laughing, snapped back to reality. The smile on his face vanished instantly, and he rushed forward, shouting urgently, "Grab the reins! Keep it steady!"

"Li Daozong, you son of a bitch!"

Wen He on horseback was indeed panicked at first, but seeing that he was about to rush into the pile of rubble, he forced himself to calm down.

He gripped the reins tightly, gripped the horse's belly firmly with his feet, and leaned forward slightly, trying to match the rise and fall of the horse's back.

"Turn around immediately!"

Li Daozong had caught up and reached out to grab the horse's mane, but the colt pulled him forward a few steps.

Unexpectedly, Wen He did not do as he was told. Instead, he took advantage of the foal's acceleration and rushed straight into the path covered with gravel.

This road was originally prepared specifically for testing horseshoes. The original plan was to have people lead the horses slowly along it, but unexpectedly, they are now galloping in!

Yan Lide was so frightened that he gasped sharply, clutching his chest and nearly collapsing to the ground.

If the horseshoe breaks or Wenhe falls, he might as well forget about being the Minister of Works!

But the next moment, the scene before them left them speechless with astonishment.

The little black colt ran steadily on the uneven gravel road, its hooves flying as it trod. When its horseshoes stepped over the sharp stones, they made only a crisp "click" sound, without any sign of slipping or stumbling.

Although Wen He was still trying to control the direction, the speed did not decrease at all.

The wind whistled past my ears, carrying the sharp sound of metal colliding with stone, and an unprecedented feeling of exhilaration rushed from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

He couldn't help but shout: "My horse gallops swiftly like the wind, my bowstring twangs like thunder, I'll accomplish the king's task and win fame before and after my death! How exhilarating!"

Before he finished speaking, he simply let go of one hand and slapped the horse's rump hard to make the foal run faster.

"These horseshoes are truly amazing!"

Li Daozong stared wide-eyed, then turned and shouted at his servants.

"Someone! Bring my horse here! Quickly! Nail these iron plates onto it too!"

He looked at the few spare horseshoes piled up beside him, his voice trembling with excitement.

Yan Lide, who had just calmed down, suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "What a fine poem! What a wonderful 'Horse gallops swiftly like Lu Bu's Red Hare'! Although it's only half a poem, it already exudes boundless heroic spirit. Quick, bring me paper and pen, I want to write it down!"

He ran briskly toward the government office, not even noticing that the hem of his robe had been caught on a nail.

The two men, one busy leading the horse and the other busy writing down the poem, completely forgot about Li Chengqian, who was squatting on the ground.

The young prince squatted in the snow, his chin resting on his small hand, staring longingly at Wen He on horseback, his envy almost overflowing.

"Ahem!"

As soon as she dismounted, the biting cold wind pierced through her clothes, and Wen He couldn't help but shiver.

Fortunately, Yan Lide was prepared and had someone bring over a bowl of steaming ginger soup, the aroma of ginger mixed with the sweetness of brown sugar wafting over.

"Hey kid, how did you come up with the idea for a horseshoe?"

Li Daozong rode over on his newly shod warhorse, its hooves clanging crisply on the stone slabs, his face beaming with excitement.

"I figured it out with my brain."

Wen He took a sip of ginger soup, which scalded her tongue, and gave him a disgruntled look.

"If you hadn't let go just now, would I have almost been thrown out?"

"You little brat, why are you blaming me?" Li Daozong laughed even harder.

"If it weren't for my intervention, how could you have learned so quickly? Back when I was learning to ride a horse, I broke two ribs before I finally mastered it."

That's absolutely true.

The thrilling experience just now did allow Wen He to instantly grasp the knack of horseback riding, just like when she learned to ride a bicycle.

But it also terrified him so much that he almost lost his soul.

Wen He looked at him, gritting her teeth, and said, "Then I really should thank you!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

Li Daozong waved his hand and pulled on the reins to leave.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll go to the palace now to report the good news to His Majesty."

Wen He waved her hand impatiently: "Let's go, let's go... Wait, where are you going?"

Li Daozong seemed not to hear him, and spurred his horse on, shouting "Giddy up!"

He spurred his horse and rode out of the courtyard, his black cloak drawing a clean arc in the wind.

"The Prince of Rencheng has left already?"

Yan Lide had just come out of the government office, holding a scroll in his hand, when he saw Li Daozong's figure disappear around the street corner, and he was somewhat surprised.

"Minister Yan, are you... writing something?" Wen He noticed the scroll in his hand and curiously leaned closer.

Yan Lide smiled and nodded, then spread the scroll out on the stone table under the corridor. On the Xuan paper, the brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, revealing the half of the poem "Po Zhen Zi" that Wen He had just recited.

The ink is rich and the brushstrokes are powerful, making one's heart flutter.

"I will certainly remember Jia Ying's excellent work."

Yan Lide looked on with admiration, his fingers gently tracing the characters.

"Although it is only half a poem, it already has the power to swallow mountains and rivers."

Wen He stared at the calligraphy, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

This is Yan Lide's own handwriting!
The Yan brothers were already renowned calligraphers; if this piece of calligraphy were to be passed down to future generations, it would undoubtedly be a national treasure!
"Um, Minister Yan, this calligraphy..."

Wen He blinked and tentatively reached out to take it.

Yan Lide had written this specifically to give to him, and upon seeing it, he rolled up the scroll without saying a word and handed it to him: "Jiaying, if you don't mind, please accept it."

"No problem! No problem!"

Wen He quickly took it and carefully tucked it into her bosom, afraid of breaking the corners.

Seeing how much he cherished him, Yan Lide couldn't help but laugh and said, "I'm hosting a banquet at Qingfeng Tower later, and I'd like to invite Jiaying to join us as well, to celebrate today's events."

"Qingfeng Tower?"

Li Chengqian, who had been silent all along, suddenly popped up, his eyes sparkling.

"Sir, may I go?"

Wen He and Yan Lide were stunned. They looked at each other, their smiles frozen.

What kind of place is Qingfeng Tower? It was the most famous den of iniquity in Chang'an.

That is, the legendary brothel.

Taking the prince to that kind of place...

Wen He imagined the scene when Li Shimin found out and couldn't help but shudder.

I'm afraid His Majesty will whip me and hang me on Chengtian Gate.
Inside the Liangyi Hall.

Today, the generals of the Ministry of War and the Twelve Guards are all present.

Li Shimin summoned them because of the previous internal division within the Turkic Khaganate.

"Your Majesty, I believe that since the Turks are in internal strife, we should take this opportunity to send troops to attack them!"

The speaker was Hou Junji.

Since Li Shimin ascended the throne, he has been idle at home for too long.

Although he obtained the title of Duke, he has not even managed to become a general of the palace guard.

If His Majesty hadn't summoned him today, he would have wanted to find an opportunity to enter the palace.

"No."

The ailing Qin Qiong immediately shook his head and said, "Now that the heavy snow has blocked the roads, even the Turkic cavalry dare not go south. If we rashly launch an attack, I'm afraid, cough cough cough."

He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly started coughing.

Cheng Zhijie, who was standing nearby, quickly brought him a bowl of water.

Hou Junji, upon hearing this, was quite displeased: 'A dying man dares to contradict me? If I hadn't killed Jiancheng and Yuanji, you wouldn't even be able to enter Xuanwu Gate!'

Although he was dissatisfied, he naturally dared not say such things aloud.

"Uncle Bao, don't be anxious. I understand this principle. But is there anything we should do at this time?" Li Shimin stroked his beard and asked.

"Your Majesty."

Suddenly, Changsun Wuji spoke up: "I believe we can subdue the enemy without fighting. I think it would be better to issue an edict to appoint Yinan, the leader of Xueyantuo, as Khan, and let the Turks fight among themselves."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's lips curled up slightly.

The man before him, Changsun Wuji, was his true strategist.

"Alright, then let's have Fuji submit a memorial at tomorrow's court meeting. However, we must not let our guard down in Hebei, Hedong, and Longyou. We must find a way to quickly replenish the horses that were previously lacking."

Changsun Wuji is currently the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so he is involved in this matter.

After the Battle of Huizhou, the Turks suddenly tightened control over horses, prohibiting the sale of even a single horse to the Tang Dynasty.

Nowadays, even if the border troops have money, they can't buy horses.

Although the Tang Dynasty had its own horse farms, such as in Longyou, they could only be self-sufficient.

After the Battle of Huizhou, most of the warhorses were used up.

Not only those that died in battle, but also those whose hooves were worn out had to be eliminated.

If there is a war, it will be difficult to replenish the warhorse reserves to the front line with the current reserves.

However, since His Majesty had given the order, Changsun Wuji, as a subject, responded without the slightest hesitation.

"The minister obeys the order!"

"His Majesty!"

And just then!
Suddenly, a member of the Imperial Guard rushed in with a hurried report.

"What happened?!"

Inside the Liangyi Hall, even Changsun Wuji, one of the twelve generals of the guards, wore a grim expression.

(End of this chapter)