The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Upon returning to the command tent, Cheng Yaojin couldn't wait to break the seal on the wine jar. His personal guards quickly set out several wine bowls on the table. The aroma of the wine was so strong that Qi Guoyuan and Li Ruhui's mouths were practically watering. They didn't hold back in front of Cheng Yaojin and immediately stepped forward to pick up their wine bowls and gulp down the wine.

"How is it?" Cheng Yaojin didn't rush to drink; instead, he asked excitedly.

"Good wine! What the Duke said is true. This time, the Duke has indeed gained a huge advantage from His Majesty! The Tang Dynasty has many famous generals, but apart from the Duke, who else can gain even the slightest advantage from His Majesty!" Qi Guoyuan wiped his mouth with his hand and couldn't help but praise.

Li Ruhui smiled and echoed, "The Duke is incredibly brave in battle, and in terms of strategy, he is only slightly inferior to His Majesty. We must keep this boy and train him well. We must not let him go out and tarnish the Duke's reputation until he has developed a body of steel and mastered all kinds of martial arts."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Dan felt a headache coming on. Although he also wanted to strengthen his frail body, when he first entered the army camp, the training he saw consisted of hundreds of soldiers fighting and brawling with wooden weapons. Leaving aside the effectiveness of such training, he feared he wouldn't last a day before being beaten into a mentally impaired state. Just as he was about to bring up the matter of making medicine for the Empress, Cheng Yaojin laughed heartily, contentedly picked up his wine bowl, and took a large gulp.

"I do need a messenger to travel to and from Chang'an daily to deliver messages to the soldiers guarding the city. However, His Majesty has ordered that Xianzi must be physically fit, so his training cannot be neglected. He must be proficient in archery and horsemanship, and his intelligence gathering and infiltration capabilities behind enemy lines must also be up to standard. I am entrusting him to you. If you do not achieve results within a day, you will be punished by being forbidden from drinking alcohol for a day!"

Qi Guoyuan and Li Ruhui thumped their chests loudly: "The county magistrate is clearly a promising talent. With morning practice in archery and horsemanship and afternoon practice infiltration, he will surely be transformed in a few days!" The three of them were only concerned with their own drinking arrangements, acting as if Changsun Dan did not exist.

Cheng Yaojin was relieved: "Let him team up with that kid Du He."

Li Ruhui squinted his eyes: "Excellent! The Cai Gua team is sure to produce a famous player in the future!"

Changsun Dan hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise until he heard Du He's voice, at which point he felt a little relieved. Li Chengqian was the most enthusiastic about the rebellion, and even when he was beheaded, he remained arrogant and fearless. He was a typical example of someone with guts but no brains, a genuine good-for-nothing. Teaming up with him wouldn't be too difficult.

Seeing Changsun Dan's ever-changing expression, Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, "Boy, I have always treated the descendants of meritorious officials well, and you are even better. You should know that even Qin Huaidao has to empty my chamber pot every day."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Dan's lips twitched. Compared to Qin Huaidao, he was indeed inferior. Although he bore the titles of Emperor Taizong and the Empress, he was ultimately just an unloved illegitimate son of the Changsun family. Moreover, this troublemaker didn't play by the rules at all. He immediately put on a fawning smile.

"The Tang Dynasty has many famous generals, but His Majesty has only entrusted the task of training the Imperial Guards to the Duke. This is tantamount to entrusting the safety of the entire Chang'an to the Duke. I am so fortunate to be able to train in the Zhenbei Army Camp. I will obey the Duke's orders without question."

Qi Guoyuan slapped Changsun Dan hard on the shoulder: "Good lad, I won't drink this bowl of wine for nothing. Come on, let's go pick out a horse!"

As for riding a horse, Changsun Dan had no choice. If he couldn't learn, it would be difficult to even return to the city. He could only obediently follow behind Qi Guoyuan. Along the way, many soldiers glanced at him. The soldiers who could be personally led by Zuo Guoyi Duwei were almost all sons of officials who came and went. Some of them even had higher ranks than the generals who led the troops.

Whenever Changsun Dan made eye contact with someone, he would nod in acknowledgment. Those who didn't know better would assume he was there for an inspection. Approaching the stable, Qi Guoyuan spoke frankly and openly:

"You may choose freely, sir. All the horses here are top-quality military horses. Once selected, they cannot be changed."

Changsun Dan had no idea how to choose a horse, so he could only slowly look at them as he went. These horses were indeed all plump and strong, and it was impossible to tell which was better. Changsun Dan had almost lost his life to Fang Yi'ai's jujube horse last time, so he had no interest in these tall and big horses. He had almost finished walking around and still hadn't found a suitable one.

Qi Guoyuan kindly remarked, "Further ahead, there are some old and sick horses that are about to be phased out."

Changsun Dan thought to himself, "Old horses are good. They run slowly and are safe. I'm not really here to be a cavalryman, so what's the use of such strong horses?" He simply sped up and walked forward.

Sure enough, the further they went, the thinner the horses became, and their spirits seemed to wane. Near the end, a thin, chestnut-colored horse caught Changsun Dan's attention. Because it was so thin, its legs appeared unusually long. While the other horses were burying their heads in their fodder, even swishing their tails and snorting after eating, this horse remained motionless, like a taxidermied specimen. Changsun Dan pointed at the horse:

"I'll choose this one."

Qi Guoyuan was taken aback, thinking that this magistrate of Wannian County did indeed have some mental issues. No wonder the Duke praised him for occasionally displaying extraordinary talent; after all, it was only occasional. Among these hundreds of horses, any one could be picked blindfolded and far superior to this one, yet he had gone to great lengths to choose the worst one. After all, this kid was quite skilled at brewing wine. Qi Guoyuan then added a special note:

"This horse can't eat much feed every three to five days, but it hasn't starved to death yet. I'm afraid it should be disposed of in a few more days. Is the county magistrate sure he wants to choose it? Although the Duke has put you in the vegetable and melon team, there are still horse riding competitions. The reason why Qin Huaidao has to empty the chamber pot every night is because he lost because of his horse."

For some reason, Changsun Dan recalled a perfect score college entrance exam essay from his previous life from the horse's eyes: The death of Red Hare, moreover, Qi Guoyuan said that if he hadn't chosen it, he probably wouldn't have escaped death.

Changsun Dan nodded seriously: "This is it."

It was impossible to empty the chamber pot; as long as Cheng Yaojin still wanted to drink his homemade wine, Changsun Dan grabbed a handful of fodder, opened the wooden door, and placed the fodder under the horse's mouth.

"Brother Ma, it's better to live a wretched life than to die. Once you've tasted this, you'll follow me from now on, and I'll drink with you, and drink the best wine!"

The horse seemed to understand Changsun Dan's words. It stuck out its tongue, tucked the hay into its mouth, raised its front legs, stretched its tail into a straight line, and then let out a long neigh, with tears welling up in its eyes.

Changsun Dan smiled and hugged the horse's head: "Brother Ma, I'll take that as a promise. From now on, you'll be called Red Hare. We'll train our bodies together and accompany me to dominate the battlefield and kill enemies."

Qi Guoyuan heard this and felt a chill run down his spine. This useless horse was strange; it was the first time in years that he had seen it so excited. It really was a perfect match between man and horse.

Changsun Dan untied the reins: "Red Hare, eat up. Once you're full, we'll go to the training ground."

Red Hare was already skin and bones, having not exercised for a long time. It almost fell after taking only two steps, but it bravely stood up, stuck its head into the manger, and began to eat heartily.

Qi Guoyuan stared wide-eyed. This kid was too monstrous! Countless grooms had tried every possible method to get it to eat even a single bite of feed. If it weren't for the Duke's repeated requests to wait a little longer, the military command would have disposed of it long ago. But unexpectedly, this kid's words made it obediently listen!