Chapter 85

The role of the high-bridged saddle is to fix the rider longitudinally, allowing the rider to draw a bow or thrust with a weapon forward. However, the rider still finds it difficult to exert force to the sides. Imagine a person standing on the ground attacking to the side; the best stance would be to spread the legs in a lunge, with the leg and foot on the same side as the attack bearing the force, and also pushing down on the ground. If the ground is stable, the attack will be effective; if the ground is soft, it will be impossible to exert force.

However, for cavalry on horseback, with no ground to step on, all the force must be applied to the lower legs, which must tightly grip the horse's flanks—this is extremely difficult, as the force relies on friction rather than a push. Over time, stirrups were eventually invented to address this issue.

Stirrups can fix the rider from the side—though not as securely as a high-bridged saddle, as continuous use can chafe the rider's buttocks. However, when the rider needs to exert force to the side, the role of the stirrup becomes immediately apparent. When Taishi Ci first saw the stirrups, he immediately recognized their usefulness. Why? Because without stirrups, even when shooting to the side, one must first draw the bow longitudinally and then twist the waist. With stirrups, the rider can use the force from the stirrup to directly draw the bow to the side and even twist the waist to shoot backward.

The same applies to side combat. By stepping into the stirrup, the rider can transfer downward force to the entire saddle and harness, though it is still not as effective as standing on the ground. However, it is much more powerful than just using the lower legs to grip the horse's flanks.

The inventor of the stirrup and the exact time of its invention are still debated in academic circles. However, the earliest known hard stirrup (not a soft loop for mounting) was found in the tomb of Feng Sufu, a general of the Northern Yan dynasty in the Liaoxi region during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. According to historical records, the earliest stirrups appeared in northeastern China no later than the late 4th century, and the inventor was either the Xianbei or the Goguryeo.

Of course, in this altered history, Xun brought the stirrup forward by two hundred years. In this life, the first person to use the stirrup was Xun himself, followed by Jia Ba who found it interesting but did not understand its true benefits, and then Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci had been using the stirrup for a long time and had thoroughly understood its performance. Although he did not abandon his two-handed weapons in favor of one-handed weapons, he was well aware of the significant advantages one-handed weapons could offer when used with stirrups.

So, during the duel with Sun Ce, when he was at a disadvantage, he instinctively drew his sword, stepped into the stirrup, and delivered a powerful overhead strike. Sun Ce blocked with his halberd, but felt a tremendous force transmitted through the halberd—on the ground, such an attack would have been manageable, but on horseback, the force was so great that he could no longer grip the horse's flanks. He let out a cry and slid off the horse.

If Sun Ce had taken the opportunity to slide off the horse and dismount, he might not have been injured—the horse is not very high. However, he tried to block the attack, and the combined force of Taishi Ci's strength and his own counterattack caused him to fall off the horse with a thud, nearly breaking his spine. His halberd flew out of his hands, and he groaned in pain, his mind becoming hazy.

I had tested his strength before, so how did it suddenly become so great, as if he were attacking me on the ground? Could this boy have been holding back?

In a normal battle, when an enemy general falls off the horse, soldiers would rush to capture and bind him. If the situation was unfavorable, they might cut off his head to prevent him from being rescued. Therefore, a general must not fall off the horse, as it often means certain death. However, there were only three people present, and Xun had no intention of acting as a soldier. He alone could not hold Sun Ce. If Taishi Ci still had his spear, he could have finished Sun Ce off, but he only had a ring-pommel sword, and from horseback, the tip of the sword could not reach the ground.

Of course, Taishi Ci did not intend to kill Sun Ce. After just a few rounds, he had already noticed that Sun Ce's strength, horsemanship, and weapon skills were comparable to his own. This boy was shorter and at least five years younger, yet he could match him in combat. Could he have started training in the womb? Or did he have a natural talent far surpassing his own? Taishi Ci felt a sense of mutual respect and decided to dismount, use his sword to control Sun Ce, and then ask about his background—how could there be such a great general under Yuan Shu?

However, just as he was about to dismount, he suddenly stopped and listened. Indeed, it was not his imagination or the wind; he heard the sound of galloping hooves in the distance, as if several riders were approaching. Xun also heard it and guessed that they were Sun Ce's followers, possibly including Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zhou Tai—though Zhou Tai might not have joined the revolution yet. Knowing the situation was dire, he quickly climbed out of the ditch and ran to Sun Ce's horse, pulling the reins: "Let's go!"

Xun, accustomed to riding with stirrups, and with Sun Ce's tall horse, tried to mount by grabbing the saddle and kicking with his legs, but he slid off. Taishi Ci quickly dismounted: "You ride mine."

There is an emotional bond between a great general and his horse. Taishi Ci must have communicated something to his horse, as Xun mounted it and it immediately ran fast and steady without any resistance. Sun Ce's horse, however, tried to resist, but Taishi Ci, with his strength and agility, leaped up, grabbed the reins, and the horse, feeling the tight grip, submitted.

The two rode north for three or four miles until they heard no more pursuit, then slowed down. Xun clasped his hands in gratitude: "Thanks to you, Ziyi, for saving my life. Otherwise, I would have died at Lumen Pavilion today!"

Taishi Ci asked why he was alone and being pursued, as he was supposed to be delivering supplies to Cao Cao's camp. Xun, embarrassed to admit he had fled, said that the enemy was strong and all cavalry, and after a few rounds of combat, his soldiers were either dead or scattered, forcing him to retreat.

Taishi Ci then asked, "The general who called himself Sun Bo Fu from Wu, do you know him?" Xun replied, "He is the son of the late General Sun Wen Tai." Taishi Ci nodded in agreement: "A tiger father indeed has a tiger son!"

The two exchanged pleasantries, and Taishi Ci asked Xun what he planned to do next. Xun said he had lost all the supplies and dared not go to Cao Cao's camp, so he would return to Chengyang first. Taishi Ci suggested that Xun gather more supplies in Chengyang and that he would help escort them to the front. Xun shook his head: "Although Ziyi is brave, Chengyang has no usable troops. If we encounter Sun Ce again, you alone will not be able to handle multiple opponents, which would be dangerous."

Taishi Ci laughed and explained the combat situation in detail, concluding that today he was unarmored, but next time, he would be fully equipped and seek another battle with Sun Ce to determine the winner. Xun glanced at him, thinking that even with Sun Ce's scale armor, he might not be able to afford it, and without it, Taishi Ci would likely still be no match for him.

After riding for a while, they dismounted to rest. Xun, being opportunistic, quickly searched Sun Ce's saddlebag and found only a good bow and a quiver of arrows. The rest—extra clothes, food, water, and a few hundred coins—were almost nonexistent. Xun angrily thought, "You are a general's son, why don't you carry more gold, jewels, pearls, or even a credit card?"

In frustration, he took Sun Ce's water and food and ate heartily—Taishi Ci also took some. After resting, they remounted and rode for over four hundred miles, reaching Dingtao by the next morning. Xun said he needed to inform Governor Cao about the lost supplies, so they would enter Dingtao first.

As they approached the city, Taishi Ci shaded his eyes and exclaimed, "What's this? When I passed through Dingtao, the city walls were all red flags. Why are they all black now?"

Xun, with poorer eyesight, could not see the flags clearly and was increasingly puzzled. Taishi Ci added, "The flags with writing have very few strokes, not like 'Cao' or 'Han'... It seems to be a 'Lu' character..."

Xun, upon hearing this, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head!

——————————I am the dividing line of advice——————————

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