Chapter 65

As the first rays of dawn leaped out from the clouds, the first drumbeat of the day resounded from the Chengtian Gate, atop the city wall in front of the Taiji Palace. The drumbeat spread quietly, followed by the successive drumbeats from the drum towers along the north-south streets. As the drumbeats rippled outward from the inner city to the outer, the imperial palace, the inner city, and the market districts gradually came to life. At the same time, the morning bells of the temples in Chang'an began to ring, blending the stirring drumbeats with the deep, resonant bell sounds, instantly awakening the entire city of Chang'an to welcome the rising sun from the eastern horizon. The once quiet streets began to fill with passersby, some walking slowly, others in a hurry, and the noise gradually rose, enveloping the city of Chang'an.

Suddenly, a clatter of metal was heard from a distance. The passersby turned to see a chestnut warhorse, like a flame, sweeping in from afar. The hooves clattered as if to shatter the cobblestone road, and the horse galloped through the crowd on the street at lightning speed.

In Chang'an, such a scene was not uncommon, so after the horse passed, the passersby continued with their own affairs. Only some idle old men would gather to watch the passing horse and speculate on what might be happening.

It was neither the first nor the fifth day of the month, so there was no need for the emperor to attend court today. The regular officials of the Zhongshu and Menxia offices had already begun their daily duties.

In the inner chambers of the palace, the great emperor had just woken up from his gentle boudoir.

"Doesn't Second Son have any state affairs to handle today?" As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard a familiar voice. The beautifully dressed lady smiled gently and put on her clothes.

"A few major matters have been arranged, and the minor ones can be handled by the officials of the Menxia and Zhongshu offices. It's rare to have a day off, so I'll spend the day with you, Guanyinabi. What do you think?" The imposing figure suddenly stood up and, in a somewhat domineering manner, lifted the beautifully dressed lady into his arms, causing her to exclaim in surprise.

Before he could speak, a sudden urgent report came, followed by hurried footsteps. The great emperor frowned and released the lady.

"Second Son, state affairs are important. There's an urgent report. I'll help you dress." The beautifully dressed lady began to dress him. A moment later, the imposing figure, full of authority, appeared in the hall outside.

Behind the eunuch stood a dusty soldier. As soon as he saw the emperor, his armor clanked, and he knelt down, presenting an urgent report.

An urgent report from the army? Even as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the accursed Turks are invading again?

The eunuch took the report from the eunuch and turned to present it to the emperor. The emperor took it, carefully checked the seal, and then opened it to read the contents.

"Your subject Qu Tugong reports: ..." Just reading the first few words, Qu Tugong? Not the border, but Luoyang! What has happened in Luoyang?! Li Shimin was startled and quickly continued reading.

With a "slam," Li Shimin closed the report and abruptly stood up from the imperial throne, startling the eunuch beside him. He took three large steps to the soldier and asked excitedly, "Where is the warhorse?"

"Your Majesty, the warhorse is at the palace gate." The soldier, not daring to look directly, knelt on one knee and lowered his head to answer.

"Wang De, go with this soldier and quickly bring the horse!" Li Shimin's voice was agitated as he turned to the eunuch and shouted, "Also, summon Wu Ji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and Li Ji to see me!"

The eunuch complied and hurriedly left the palace.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the palace, his face a mix of surprise, uncertainty, and joy, looking quite conflicted.

"Second Son? Why are you so agitated?" A gentle voice came from behind. Li Shimin turned to see Empress Changsun approaching, helping him straighten his disheveled collar. There were no outsiders present, so Empress Changsun came from behind.

"Guanyinabi, Duke Jiang of Luoyang has submitted a report. Someone in Luoyang has invented a horseshoe, nailing iron shoes to the hooves to protect the horses from weapons and prevent damage. Duke Jiang says he had soldiers throw weapons on the ground and let the horseshoed horses gallop over them, and also had them charge over a field of sharp stones. The hooves showed no wear at all!" Li Shimin said excitedly, rubbing his hands and handing the report to Empress Changsun. She read it quickly and was also shocked.

Li Shimin, who had led troops since his youth and was ennobled for his military achievements, had personally led armies to pacify the land, defeating thirty-six rebel kings and seventy-two warlords. He knew the importance of horses in the army and the biggest problem with horses was hoof damage. Once a horse's hooves were damaged in battle, the rider would be left to die. A horse could be replaced, but a seasoned warrior could not. In every battle, about 60-70% of the horses were lost due to hoof damage, so even with an abundance of horses, it was never enough. Moreover, the best horses were not in Central China, making the Tang cavalry weaker than the Turks. But if the horseshoes were as effective as Duke Jiang's report suggested, the problem of hoof damage would be solved. If every Tang horse had horseshoes, more horses would survive each battle, and the cavalry's combat effectiveness would be greatly enhanced! How could this not be exciting?

Soon, a report came from outside. Li Shimin walked out and saw a soldier leading a chestnut warhorse, kneeling on one knee. "The warhorse is here, please inspect it, Your Majesty! I rode from Luoyang to Chang'an, following the orders of the general to choose a path with sharp stones to test the hooves."

The soldier turned and lifted the horse's leg. Li Shimin looked down and indeed saw an iron shoe on the hoof, with no signs of wear.

"Bring me a soldier! Throw weapons on the ground! I want to test it myself!" Li Shimin shouted.

The surrounding palace guards quickly followed his orders, drawing their swords and placing them on the ground. Li Shimin snatched the reins from the eunuch, stepped into the stirrup, and leaped onto the horse. The horse neighed, and Li Shimin pulled the reins and spurred the horse to gallop over the weapons.

Meanwhile, Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and Li Ji, summoned by the emperor, hurried to the palace. They heard the clashing of weapons and immediately rushed in. They saw the ground strewn with swords and a chestnut warhorse galloping over them, the clashing sounds coming from the horse's hooves. They saw the emperor on the horse.

They quickly bowed to the emperor. Li Shimin dismounted and, before speaking, burst into laughter. The others breathed a sigh of relief, sensing that something good had happened. They smiled and saw Changsun Wuji bow and ask, "Why is Your Majesty so pleased?"

As expected, Li Shimin waved to the eunuch to present the report. "Gentlemen, read this. It's a report from Duke Jiang in Luoyang. After reading it, you'll understand why I'm so delighted!"

Changsun Wuji took the report, read it, and then closed it, exclaiming, "If this invention works, it will greatly benefit our soldiers! It will greatly benefit them!"

Hearing that it would greatly benefit the soldiers, Li Jing and Li Ji exchanged glances. Changsun Wuji handed the report to Li Jing, who read it with Li Ji. After reading it, both were excited. Li Jing said, "Your Majesty, our Tang cavalry is brave and skilled, but in every battle, the loss of horses is more severe than the loss of soldiers. This is because cavalry must charge and turn, causing hoof wear. In battles with the Western tribes, the desert and gravel are particularly damaging to hooves. With these horseshoes, our cavalry can charge across the desert without fear of hoof damage. If we are to fight the Turks, this invention is essential! Your Majesty, who invented this? I request that they be heavily rewarded!"

"Such an invention should indeed be rewarded! Hahaha, with these horseshoes, the destruction of the Turks is imminent!" As an emperor who had fought in battles, Li Shimin knew the importance of horseshoes for cavalry, so he was overjoyed. He turned to Fang Xuanling, who had just finished reading the report, and asked, "Fang Xuanling, how should I reward this person?"

"Your Majesty, this Xia Hongsheng... why does it sound familiar?" Changsun Wuji looked thoughtful and asked.

"Hehe, it's no wonder it sounds familiar. Has Lord Changsun forgotten the salt-making method?" Fang Xuanling smiled. "Previously, the county magistrate of Luozhou submitted a report about a talented person named Xia Hongsheng, who invented a method to extract salt from salt mines. I reported this to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty ordered the Yumen garrison to test the method. The report was drafted by the county magistrate of Luozhou, co-signed by Yan, the Secretary of the Chancellery, Xu Jingzong, and Xu Xiaode, the county magistrate of Que County in Luoyang, so I remember it well. Additionally, Xu Xiaode submitted a report to the Menxia office, presenting a very convenient counting method, which he said was obtained from a classmate, also named Xia Hongsheng. The counting method is indeed convenient, and I have already handed it to the Hongwen Pavilion for testing. I planned to report it to Your Majesty after the tests."

"The salt-making method?" Li Shimin was surprised and then realized, "I remember being as happy as today when I heard about the salt-making method. Since it was a significant matter, I had to be cautious, so I ordered the Yumen garrison to test it. If it really works, the Yumen area will become a new salt field for the Tang Dynasty, and our people and soldiers will no longer suffer from a lack of salt! I didn't expect that soon after, Xia Hongsheng would solve another age-old problem for me! Hahaha... Such a talented person should serve me. Come!"

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