To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Wang Ben had long been unable to contain his eagerness.

He wasn't even wearing armor, just his court robes, as he strode towards his warhorse.

Unlike usual, the groom didn't need to squat on the ground as a stepping stone. Wang Ben took a deep breath, grabbed the reins with his left hand, and stepped into the iron ring with his left foot.

With a sudden burst of strength from his right leg, he used the stirrups for support and sat firmly on Takahashi's saddle.

"So stable!"

As soon as he sat down, Wang Ben's eyes lit up.

In the past, when riding a horse, you had to grip the horse's belly tightly with your legs, and your inner thighs would ache terribly after just a few steps.

But now, all the weight is borne by the stirrups beneath their feet!

"drive!"

Wang Ben gently squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and the warhorse let out a long neigh and galloped wildly across the square.

The warhorse sped up, and the gale blew Wang Ben's white beard backward.

In the past, at this speed, he would have had to cling tightly to the horse's back and grip the reins tightly with both hands to avoid falling off.

But at this moment!

All the civil and military officials surrounding the square, including the First Emperor Ying Zheng, witnessed a scene that would shock them for the rest of their lives.

On the back of the galloping warhorse, Wang Ben actually let go of his hands!

He not only loosened the reins, but also stomped his feet hard on the stirrups, his thighs suddenly straightened, and he actually stood up on the galloping horse!

"That felt great! That felt so good!"

Wang Ben laughed heartily in the wind on horseback, his hands outstretched, making a series of motions in the air, such as drawing a bow and shooting an arrow.

As the warhorse swayed, his body moved, but his feet remained firmly planted in the stirrups.

As if walking on flat ground!

"Whoa!"

The warhorse suddenly stopped at the edge of the square. Wang Ben used the saddle of the horse Takahashi to block the impact, and his body only leaned forward slightly to dissipate the huge inertia, leaving him unharmed.

The surrounding civil and military officials all gasped in astonishment.

"That's amazing! Although General Wang is old, his horsemanship has become even more superb! He's even more steady than those Huns who grew up on horseback!" A civil official couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Immediately, a military officer beside him excitedly corrected him loudly: "Nonsense! It's not that General Wang's horsemanship is superb, it's the assistance of those two iron objects! Didn't you see where the old general's feet were?"

"With this... the infantry of my Great Qin will be no less skilled in horsemanship than the Xiongnu!" Another general's eyes were bloodshot and his voice was trembling.

Seeing Wang Ben jump off his warhorse with a face full of ecstasy, the other generals present could no longer contain themselves.

"General Wang, let me give it a try!"

"Get out of my way! I'll go first! I want to see if it's really that amazing!"

"Your Majesty! I request permission to give it a try!"

The generals, who usually paid great attention to etiquette in the court, disregarded their image and pushed forward, eager to be the first to mount the horse and try it out.

Seeing the military officers blushing with excitement, the civil officials standing to the side were completely dumbfounded.

Is it really that amazing?

It's just two metal rings, isn't it?

The Qin Dynasty valued martial prowess, and although these civil officials mainly handled government affairs, they had all learned to ride horses, though their riding skills were not particularly proficient.

Seeing the military officers praising it so highly, the civil officials were also itching to do the same.

"Ahem... Generals, please wait a moment, let this old man also give it a try."

The Imperial Household Steward Zong Yu steeled himself and stepped forward.

They just impeached Zhang Fan, but if they can prove that this thing isn't that useful, they might be able to save face a little.

With the help of several grooms, Zong Yu awkwardly put his feet into the stirrups.

At first, he seemed quite inexperienced, swaying unsteadily, which drew snickers from the surrounding officers.

However, as soon as the warhorse began to trot, and Zong Yu instinctively put both feet firmly in the stirrups, the astonishment on his face froze instantly.

He discovered that he, a frail scholar who only knew the basics, no longer had to worry about falling off his horse!

That steady feeling was like being nailed to the horse's back.

With renewed courage, Zong Yu gradually loosened one hand and even imitated Wang Ben by slightly standing up on the horse.

"This...this...amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Zong Yu was so excited on horseback that he shouted and yelled, not even bothering to straighten his official hat which was askew.

When he dismounted, his legs were still weak, but his eyes were full of amazement.

If I were to impeach Zhang Fan now!

It's because I'm being unreasonable!

Hey!

He knelt down before Ying Zheng with a thud, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! This old minister is guilty! This old minister was short-sighted! The Immortal Master Zhang Fan has offered such a divine weapon, which is enough to change the military balance of the world!"

With this, even if we lose 30,000 people, or even more, it would be an immense achievement!

"Your Majesty, I implore you to immediately mobilize all the nation's blacksmiths to forge stirrups and saddles and send them swiftly to the northern frontier!"

The civil officials all looked on with disdain upon hearing this; Zong Yu, that old scoundrel, was getting more and more shameless.

They were just impeaching him, and now they're praising him to the skies!

I would never stoop to associating with someone like that!

Ying Zheng stood on the high steps, looking down at the extremely excited ministers below, and then turned to look in the direction of Gaoque Pass to the north.

His eyes reflected the vast landscape of the Qin Empire, and he smiled slightly.

"Zhang Fan, oh Zhang Fan, how many more surprises can you possibly bring me?"

Ying Zheng took a deep breath, abruptly drew his Tai'a sword from his waist, and pointed it straight at the sky.

"By imperial decree! Have all blacksmiths in the country work day and night to forge this three-piece set!"

"The day our Qin cavalry is fully equipped will be the day we sweep across the grasslands, annihilating the Xiongnu!"

……

at the same time.

The northern border, beyond Gaoque Pass.

The sky was somewhat overcast.

Thirty thousand Qin infantrymen were arranged in neat square formations, heavily armored, with long spears standing tall.

The army has been assembled and is ready to break camp and leave the pass at any time.

Zhang Fan rode a warhorse, gazing at the boundless wilderness ahead. Fusu rode beside him.

"Report!"

A scout galloped from the front, reined in his horse in front of the formation, and knelt down on one knee.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! The vanguard has scouted the area fifty li ahead. No trace of the main Xiongnu army has been found!"

The scout paused, then continued his report: "However, the nearest wolf tribe suddenly broke camp early this morning. They're driving their cattle and sheep westward!"

"west?"

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Fan frowned slightly, feeling a bit puzzled.

Logically, after the Xiongnu suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Gaoque Pass, the best option for these small and medium-sized tribes on the border to avoid the Qin army's advance should have been to flee north and retreat into the depths of the desert to seek the protection of the royal court.

Instead of heading north, the Grass Wolf tribe migrated west, which defies common sense.

Fusu pondered for a moment, then turned to Zhang Fan and asked, "Teacher, the Grass Wolf Tribe isn't far from us. They're carrying cattle, sheep, and supplies, so they can't travel fast!"

Should we shift slightly westward, pursue them directly, and take down this tribe as our first battle after leaving the pass?

Zhang Fan looked at the sheepskin map in his hand, shook his head, and decisively refused.