Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 138 Feeding the Horses
Li Xian thought of a suitable place for Liu Jianjun to relax his mind.

The next day, early in the morning, Li Xian dragged Liu Jianjun out. Liu Jianjun, who had just woken up, seemed to still be grumpy and mumbled something under his breath.

But Li Xian pulled him toward the stables, saying, "We'll need the horses later."

Liu Jianjun seemed to remember something, and suddenly snapped out of his daze, asking a series of questions: "Riding horses? Where are we going? Why are we riding horses at the stables? Taiping and the others haven't arrived yet. Why are you bringing the horses up so early?"

Li Xian laughed and said, "You must have heard the saying that a horse won't get fat without night grass, right?"

Liu Jianjun nodded: "So you have to feed them grass at night to make them fat, right? It's already early in the morning, isn't it?"

“Actually, it’s not just at night,” Li Xian said with a smile and shook his head. “Horses are different from people. They need to be fed every moment, especially when they are about to have a lot of exercise. Jinghong is a good horse, and so is your Xuanchong. I don’t trust the servants at the State Guest House to feed it.”

Liu Jianjun nodded as if he understood: "Whirlwind Charge".

The stables didn't smell good, and Liu Jianjun covered his nose as soon as he arrived, but Li Xian didn't seem to care.

In fact, people who have spent a lot of time with horses will naturally get used to their smell.

There were guards at the gate who were specifically responsible for watching over the horses. When they saw Li Xian coming, they simply bowed but did not offer to help lead the horse.

These are experienced guards who know that if their masters want to use the horses, they will instruct the servants to fetch them. But if the masters come to the stables themselves, they are definitely not there to feed the horses, but to check on them.

Li Xian arrived at the manger where Jinghong was. Jinghong seemed to recognize him and snorted at him.

Li Xian walked over and patted its head. Jinghong immediately lowered its head and rubbed its head against Li Xian's palm to show affection.

"Good horse!"

Li Xian couldn't help but praise him.

There was a large amount of hay piled up next to the stable. Li Xian walked over, called Liu Jianjun, and said, "We're going on a long journey later, so we need to choose this kind of hay. Fresh hay is fresh, but it can cause bloating in horses, especially hay cut early in the morning when there's too much dew on it."

Li Xian grabbed a rake from the side, rummaged through the haystack, picked out some sheep grass, and said, "I don't know what this grass is called, but horses like to eat it."

Liu Jianjun watched Li Xian pick grass with surprise and said, "I didn't realize you knew so much. I used to think you were just a bookworm who only knew how to study."

Li Xian chuckled and shook his head: "These are just things that spoiled brats know how to do. It's better to read a few books and be more practical."

There were no bamboo baskets or wheelbarrows specifically for transporting hay in this stable. It seemed that people who came here to feed the horses simply carried the hay into the manger. Li Xian was wearing his regular clothes, which he had just changed into, so he didn't carry the hay directly. Instead, he gathered a large circle of dry hay with both hands and walked towards Jinghong.

Then he separated a strand and placed it near Jinghong's mouth.

Liu Jianjun was watching from the side.

As Li Xian felt the tugging sensation from Jinghong's tongue as it swept away the hay, he smiled and said to Liu Jianjun, "Spin..."

"Whirlwind Charge".

"Whirlwind Charge is a good horse. Such a horse is worth a thousand pieces of gold in the horse market. Taiping is willing to take it. You must feed it yourself and build a bond with it so that you can become one with the horse."

Liu Jianjun appeared very suspicious, but he followed Li Xian's example and pulled off a large bundle of hay. He then hugged it to his chest, went to the Whirlwind Charge, and tentatively grabbed a handful of hay and put it near its mouth.

Li Xian turned his head and instinctively exclaimed, "Watch out!"

Liu Jianjun was stunned for a moment, and then he saw the Whirlwind Charge snort at him, spraying a spray of saliva all over his face.

Li Xian couldn't help but chuckle: "Indeed, it's a fine horse with a natural talent."

Liu Jianjun wiped his face with his sleeve and said irritably, "I kindly fed it grass, and it spat all over my face. What kind of good horse is that?" Li Xian laughed and explained, "If you had fed the horse like that, a dull horse would have bitten your hand to pieces. Whirlwind Charge could tell you weren't good at riding, so it snorted to remind you!"

Li Xian walked over, grabbed a handful of hay, and placed it horizontally in front of the Whirlwind Charge, saying, "This way, your hand won't get caught when the horse pulls the hay."

Liu Jianjun then approached with a suspicious look and began feeding the horses, mimicking Li Xian's actions.

This time, Cyclone Charge didn't spit on him again; instead, he squinted his eyes and looked like he was enjoying himself.

Li Xian said with a smile, "At this time, you can touch its cheek. When you are about to gallop, you just need to bend down and stroke its cheek with your palm, and it will understand what you mean."

Liu Jianjun clicked his tongue in amazement, carefully placed his palm on Whirlwind Charge's cheek, then gradually relaxed it, exclaiming, "Wow, that feels great!"

Then he looked at Li Xian and asked, "Where are we going later?"

"Let's go to the horse market!"

"Horse Market?"

"Yes, Ma Ju."

Liu Jianjun jumped up immediately, his eyes wide with horror: "Me? Playing polo? Someone who can't even ride a horse properly?"

“I started riding horses with horse football.” Li Xian fed the last handful of hay to Jinghong, smiled at him, thought for a moment, and then said, “We’re not going to the proper football fields in palaces or noble homes, but to the football field next to the horse market. That’s the real fun place.”

"How much fun?"

"There, all sorts of people mingle. There are the most unruly wild horses, the most cunning horse traders, and wandering riders and outlaws from the Western Regions, the Turks, and the Abbasid Caliphate. Playing polo there is not only about ball skills and horsemanship, but also about courage, ruthlessness... and of course, money."

This time, Liu Jianjun's eyes lit up slightly: "Silver?"

“Well, there are quite a few people who bet a thousand dollars on a single game of polo. If you can win one game, it’s enough…” Li Xian paused, then switched to the value that Liu Jianjun cared about most: “enough to buy a dozen Hu women.”

"She went!" Liu Jianjun exclaimed excitedly, but then hesitated, "Didn't they say Taiping was looking for us? Would she go to a place like that? And Wan'er..."

"Don't worry about them. Taiping has been an excellent rider since childhood, even Li Xian can't compare to her. As for Miss Shangguan... she serves as a lady-in-waiting in the palace, so her riding skills are naturally excellent. In short, they are all better than you," Li Xian said with a smile.

"last question."

"Ok?"

"Ma Ju's team is a bunch of people, right? Just the four of us?"

"Taiping will definitely bring people with him."

"Ok?"

"Yesterday, Taiping was summoned back by the soldiers of the Imperial Guard. Today, Taiping is going out, and the Empress Dowager will definitely send the most elite soldiers of the Imperial Guard to protect her."

Liu Jianjun looked surprised: "Wow, Xianzi, you even thought of that?"

Li Xian shook his head bitterly and said, "It's not that I considered it, it's just... this is how I've lived my whole life."

……

(End of this chapter)