Chapter 92

"Ha ha! My ministers, please rise! Today, I came uninvited after hearing from Wei Qing that Minister Zhang is testing new horse gear at the stable. Minister Zhang, you won’t blame me, will you?" Liu Che’s face showed signs of fatigue. He had not yet taken personal control of the government, and the power still rested in the hands of Empress Dowager Dou! Empress Dowager Dou believed in the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, emphasizing non-action, and she did not agree with his plan to attack the Xiongnu. Convincing her had taken a lot of effort from Liu Che!

"Your Majesty, these horse gears are just made! Whether they are suitable or not is still uncertain. I intended to invite you after they were fully tested!" Li You quickly explained.

"There’s no such thing as success on the first try!" Liu Che waved his hand indifferently, taking a few steps to the horses, examining the high-bridged saddles and stirrups, and asked curiously, "Minister Zhang, what are the advantages of this horse gear?"

Li You looked around, glanced at Li Guang, and then answered Liu Che, "Your Majesty, Li Weiwei has just tested these horse gears. Perhaps he can explain them to you?"

After receiving permission, Li Guang looked at Li You with gratitude; this was a good opportunity to impress the emperor! He stood up, walked to the horse, and explained the benefits of the new horse gear to Liu Che, "Your Majesty, please look. The stirrups on both sides of the horse not only make it easier to mount but also allow one to sit steadily on the horse without having to grip the horse’s body tightly. Whether it’s drawing a bow or wielding a sword, it can be done effortlessly! Now, look at this saddle. After mounting, you don’t have to worry about it sliding forward or backward..."

Liu Che nodded continuously, "Does that mean with these things, our Han people can compete with the Xiongnu in horsemanship?"

"Yes! Compared to the Han, the Xiongnu excel in horsemanship. With these saddles and stirrups, their advantage no longer exists!" Li Guang said with enthusiasm, "And our Han excel in weaponry. Our bows and swords are far superior to the Xiongnu! Moreover, the Xiongnu have few craftsmen and lack iron tools, so they cannot produce such horse gear on a large scale! From now on, the Xiongnu will no longer be able to harass our borders with their archery and cavalry!"

Liu Che was delighted. He even mounted a horse himself and rode a few laps in the stable to experience the benefits of the high-bridged saddle and stirrups. When he returned, he praised them, "Minister Zhang has truly made a great contribution to the Han! I will arrange for the Shao Fu and the Taifu to gather all the craftsmen in Chang'an to produce them on a large scale! However, the sound of the hooves seemed a bit off just now. What’s the reason for that?"

"Your Majesty, please look!" Li You ordered someone to lift a horse’s hoof, revealing the horseshoe, "With this, the sound of the hooves is much clearer! Your Majesty’s keen observation is truly admirable!"

"Oh? It’s like giving the horse iron shoes. What’s the purpose of that?" Liu Che asked curiously.

"Your Majesty, if a person walks barefoot, their soles will be injured! The same goes for horses!" Li You ordered someone to lift another horse’s hoof without a horseshoe, showing the hoof’s outer layer for comparison, "The horse’s hoof has a thick, hard outer layer. This layer protects the horse from stones and other objects. However, if the horse walks for a long time, this layer will wear off. If the horse continues to travel, it will be injured. With the horseshoe, the wear on the hoof can be reduced!"

"Even if the horseshoe wears out, it can be replaced like a shoe! Moreover, the horseshoe makes the hoof grip the ground more firmly, making the ride more stable!" Li You summarized, "With the horseshoe, the warhorse can travel farther and more steadily, greatly reducing the wear on the horse!"

"Is what the doctor says true?" Liu Che had not yet reacted, but an official from the Taifu asked excitedly! Although the Han did not lack horses like the Song dynasty in later times, horses were still very valuable assets; the price of a warhorse was over 100,000 coins, equivalent to the taxes from 20 households to maintain one warhorse!

One of the main reasons for the loss of warhorses was hoof wear, and the horseshoe that Li You presented could reduce this wear. How could they not be overjoyed by this!

"Indeed! Although the horseshoe is a new invention, it has been deduced by the skilled horse handlers in the Taifu to be very useful!" Li You answered confidently, "Additionally, we have selected 20 horses, 10 with horseshoes and 10 without, and have been conducting comparative tests daily. From the results so far, the horses with horseshoes have shown less hoof wear!"

"Good! Minister Zhang has made another great contribution to the Han!" Liu Che clapped in praise. He understood that the high-bridged saddle, stirrups, and horseshoes would not only greatly enhance the combat capability of the Han army but also save the government a vast amount of money! This was truly a pleasant surprise! "If we win the war next year, Minister Zhang will be the first to receive credit! At that time, I will not hesitate to grant you a noble title!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li You bowed again. Li Guang, standing beside him, looked at him with intense admiration. In the past, Li Guang had accompanied the emperor on expeditions, fighting against enemies and wild beasts, and Emperor Wen of Han had said, "What a pity, you didn’t encounter the right time. If you had been born in the era of Emperor Gaozu, a title of a marquis with ten thousand households would have been no problem!"

Since then, achieving a noble title had become Li Guang’s lifelong goal. Unfortunately, during the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, the court focused on recuperation and lacked the strength to counter the Xiongnu, so he could only keep this dream in his heart. Now, with the war imminent, he saw hope again! He thought to himself, "I must seek more guidance from Doctor Zhang. If Doctor Zhang accompanies the army during the western campaign and guides the way, I am sure to achieve great merit!"

"Minister Zhang! Besides these horse gears, what else have you prepared? Why don’t you show me today?" Liu Che knew that these horse gears were definitely the work of the Taifu and the Shao Fu. The Dian Nong Ling’s subordinates had opened land in the Shanglin Garden to plant alfalfa, grapes, and other crops that Li You had brought back. So, what were the subordinates of the Jiangzuo Dajiang, whom he had requested, doing?

"Yes! Please follow me to the estate!" Li You led Liu Che back to the estate within the Shanglin Garden and entered a heavily guarded room together!

The room was spacious, with only a large object covered by a cloth in the center. Li You walked to the center and lifted the cloth, "Your Majesty, please look! This is the sand table I have created for the region from Hexi to the Western Regions!"

"Ah!" Liu Che was instantly shocked. This was completely unexpected!

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