The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Red Hare also became excited and galloped away. Du He and the others could only see a circle of crimson shadows. Changsun Danru was like being on a giant wave. With each wave, he was thrown back and forth. Although his stomach was churning, he always managed to regain his balance just before falling off the horse.

From the moment Changsun Dan picked up the horse, Qi Guoyuan never stopped talking. Although he didn't set up any obstacles or ask him to dismount and pick up the spear, the truth was not what the Duke said. He couldn't ride a horse at all—not only could he ride, but he was riding that useless horse! He rode it with the spirit of a man and a horse in a frenzy, and he also rode it with a tacit understanding between man and horse.

"Is this kid really Changsun Dan?"

Du He was puzzled.

Chai Lingwu was even more suspicious that there was something wrong with his eyes. Even if his grandfather, Chai Shao, rode this skinny horse, he certainly wouldn't be able to ride it with such momentum. But judging from the first few laps of slow trotting, Changsun Dan was swaying left and right, which didn't seem like he knew how to ride a horse. There was only one explanation: the horse was in control of everything. But that was too incredible!

The brigade commander under Li Ruhui was originally the most capable junior officer in the Zhenbei Camp. In every military exercise, his soldiers had the highest win rate in the entire camp, whether it was attacking cities, archery, or close combat. At this moment, he was also watching intently with a burning gaze, but he was not looking at the people, but at the horses.

Although Li Dejian was young, he already showed some of the qualities of Li Jing:

"Commander Pang, ever since I entered the camp, this horse has been half-dead and no one can drive it. They say a good steed chooses its master, but why did it choose a useless person just like itself?"

Pang Lütou's eyes were urgent, and he was so gripping of the leather on the whip that it was almost wet with sweat.

"This horse is named Lieyang. It was originally the warhorse of Duke Zou, Zhang Gongjin. Unfortunately, Duke Zou died young and entrusted the horse to Duke Lu before his death. He said that if there was a war, it should continue to fight, and if there was no war, it should live out its days with the army. So, although no one could train it in the past few years, the Duke kept it. If it had not chosen a new master today, it probably wouldn't have lasted much longer."

Yuchi Baolin's hand trembled: "During the Xuanwu Incident, Duke Zou single-handedly closed the gates to repel the enemy and held off two thousand elite soldiers from the Eastern Palace. If it weren't for him buying time..."

Chai Lingwu also shuddered: "My grandfather often said that Duke Zou made a great contribution to what happened that day, but I never imagined that he loved horses so much... No wonder Duke Lu always had people train such a useless horse..."

Although Changsun Dan felt a little dizzy, he gradually grew to like the feeling of being tossed about like on the crest of a wave. However, worried that Red Hare wasn't ready for prolonged exercise, he quickly called out:

"Alright, alright, you can stop now..."

Red Hare raised its head, let out a long neigh, and came to a steady stop, as if all the longing and sorrow that had been building up in its heart had poured out.

Changsun Dan hugged the horse's neck, patted it gently, and whispered, "I am just like you, one of the loneliest people in the world. From now on, we will stay together and never leave each other."

Cheng Yaojin stood not far away, with Cheng Chumo beside him, and said casually, "Grandpa, do you believe me now? I told you that kid was very strange. I saw him die with my own eyes that day at Yuxian Tower..."

Cheng Yaojin, on the other hand, looked excited: "Send someone to inform His Majesty that Gongjin's Lieyang will not die."

Changsun Dan dismounted, still excited: "General Qi, how was my riding?"

Qi Guoyuan naturally knew about Lieyang, and even more so about its importance in the eyes of Duke Lu. He had initially thought it wouldn't last more than a few days, but seeing it today, even in its hunger state, still so magnificent, he dared not burden it further and could only reply:

"From now on, you only need to ride for an hour each day. Once the horse has grown a bit better, we can add obstacle training. With your current physique, you'll probably have trouble even drawing a bow. You should go find Commander Pang first."

Li Tai had been lying in bed for almost two hours, his stomach growling with hunger. He got up and peered out the window. He saw only a few soldiers walking around outside, and the door was locked from the outside. The only drinkable item in the room was a large wooden bucket of water. Li Tai drank a ladle of cold water, which calmed him down a bit. He paced around the room, his mind racing:

It's only the first day, I have to be patient. Grandpa is watching too. But my stomach is acting up, rumbling incessantly. I turned around and leaned against the window to look at the sun. What time is it? Isn't dinner ready yet?

Roasted venison, steamed bear's antler, sashimi, crab claws, and bird's nest soup flashed through Li Tai's mind. He swallowed hard, a cold glint in his eyes, and lay back down on the bed. Only twenty-one days! Changsun Dan! Who gave you the courage to look down on me like this?

Changsun Dan tied Red Hare to the stable in the training ground. The other seven horses were all plump and strong, with shiny coats, and looked extraordinary. They were even better than the military horses he had seen before. They were probably brought from home. Moreover, the troughs were full of high-quality horse feed such as beans and oats, and even some salt was mixed in.

Changsun Dan scooped up a large handful of feed from each manger and poured it in front of Red Hare, clapped his hands, and said to the horses:

"I'll borrow a little first, and I'll pay you back double tomorrow."

Qi Guoyuan broke out in a cold sweat on his temples. This kid's behavior was nothing like that of a county magistrate.

Cheng Yaojin laughed heartily: "Interesting. This kid's pure heart is much better than his pretentious father."

Chai Lingwu pointed at Changsun Dan, his round, chubby face revealing a pair of big eyes:

"Look at this! Is this still the cowardly Changsun Dan? He dares to steal food from his horse in broad daylight, right in front of us?"

A barely suppressed smile appeared on Pang Lütou's dark face.

Du He frowned: "He really is different now. He used to be absurd, and now he has a bit of a sinister air about him."

Changsun Dan wiped his backside with his hand, then walked towards the group with a smile. Seeing that they were all staring at him blankly, he quickly bowed to Pang, the head of the troops.

"Changsun Dan has come to report for duty. It is truly an honor to serve under Commander Pang."

His attitude was sincere, and his words earnest. Du He and the others felt another chill; after only three days apart, this young man had become hypocritical and pretentious.

Pang Lü nodded coldly: "You've come at the right time. We're currently training in close combat. You'll be paired with Du He from now on."

Memories of these people flashed through Changsun Dan's mind. Apart from the older one and the two younger ones, he still recognized them all.

Although Du He was his classmate and only two years older than him, Du He was a brainless brute in history, and he was at least 1.8 meters tall and much stronger than him. He was definitely no match for Du He now.

Changsun Dan's eyes darted around, and noticing that among these people, only Li Dejian was slightly thin, he immediately pointed at him and said:

"Commander Pang, I just arrived today and haven't learned any fighting techniques from you yet. Can I be in his group?"

Li Dejian raised his sun-darkened face, rubbing his hands together excitedly. He had been sidelined for many days, and apart from Qin Huaidao, no one was willing to fight him. It was rare that this newcomer had chosen him at first glance.

The group burst into laughter, and Cheng Chuliang stretched his neck out, laughing just like the goose.

Changsun Dan thought to himself, "Laugh, a wise man doesn't suffer a loss he can avoid!"

(Thanks to reader 20201112200527400 for the seven monthly tickets. As a new writer, having support gives me a lot of motivation. Thank you!)