Top-notch Little Horseman

Yunheqiao sat in a grand chair, one hand resting on the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface.

"Commander Chen, you mentioned earlier that there was a stable boy who knew how to manage horses. I'm asking you very seriously, did you personally witness him managing the horses?"

Chen Baiquan stood with his hands at his sides and said calmly, "Reporting to the General, I did indeed see it with my own eyes."

Upon hearing this, Yunheqiao paused, staring intently at Chen Baiquan, and asked, "What's that person's name? How old is he? How much do you know about him?"

"Reporting to the General, this man is named Ye Chen, in his early twenties. He is a veteran of the cavalry and a captain of the horse herding squad. I have not inquired about his other details."

Yunheqiao frowned, stood up and paced back and forth a couple of times, his boots making a dull thud on the blue brick floor.

"A horseman in his early twenties..." he repeated to himself, then suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Baiquan.

"Commander Chen, I'll ask you one honest question: do you think this man can cure the warhorse?"

Chen Baiquan bowed slightly and clasped his hands, saying, "General, I dare not make a definitive conclusion, but it is an indisputable fact that he cured all the warhorses of the Third Cavalry Battalion."

He didn't directly answer whether he could cure the warhorse, but the meaning behind his words was clear.

The choice should still be left to Yunhe Bridge.

Yunhe Bridge remained silent for a moment, then, as if having made a decision, waved his hand and said, "Commander Chen, return to the horse camp immediately and bring Ye Chen to see this general!"

"We absolutely cannot let any more warhorses die. Go and come back quickly; every day of delay means several horses will die!"

"If you handle this matter well, I will give you a great credit."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Chen Baiquan replied without hesitation; this was an opportunity for him.

If this matter succeeds, he will also gain some credit, and Yunheqiao will even owe him a favor.

Just then, the door to the side hall was pushed open from the outside, and a burly general walked in.

He crossed the threshold with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the Yunhe Bridge before settling on Chen Baiquan, a smile playing on his lips.

The smile was faint, but Yunheqiao felt incredibly uncomfortable seeing it.

Jin Yunhai, a general with ten thousand men, once competed with Yunheqiao for the position of commander-in-chief, but ultimately lost.

The two men were extremely incompatible, but when he heard that Jin Yunhai's warhorse was sick, he was overjoyed, and it gave him renewed hope.

Upon learning that Yunheqiao had summoned Chen Baiquan, he naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip by and immediately came over.

"General," Jin Yunhai said calmly, "I was taking a walk in the corridor just now and happened to pass by here. I overheard you talking to Commander Chen."

"If I've heard correctly, General, you're asking Commander Chen to find that stableman who can manage horses?"

Yunhe Bridge puffed out his cheeks. What do you mean by just passing by? That's complete nonsense!

That kid is just restless!

"General Jin!" Yunheqiao's voice was somewhat cold: "I was just asking Chen Baiquan about the situation of that horse herder. The warhorses in the army have contracted a disease, and we really can't afford to delay any longer."

"Oh?" Jin Yunhai raised his eyes slightly and said, "But I seem to remember that in the main hall, Chen Baiquan mentioned the matter of that horse herder managing the horses. What did you say at the time...?"

Yunheqiao knew that he just wanted to scold him. A subordinate was being disrespectful to his superior. Did he really think he had no temper?

"Jin Yunhai! Shut up!" Yunheqiao roared.

"Warhorses are crucial to border defense. More than three hundred fine horses are lying in the stables, dying off in batches every day. This general is naturally very worried!"

"If that stable boy can truly cure it, I, the general, will naturally invite him; I will not give up even the slightest chance!"

"I have no time to argue with you about this. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave!"

Jin Yunhai looked stunned, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately didn't say anything.

Since Yunheqiao has said such a thing, if he continues to nitpick, he will be at a disadvantage.

After thinking for a moment, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and withdrew.

Yunheqiao withdrew his gaze and looked at Chen Baiquan, saying, "General Chen, I will have my deputy, Luo Kai, go with you."

"Bring the man back so I can take a look at him first. As for the horse management, we'll talk about that later."

"Yes," Chen Baiquan bowed and left.

Luo Kai, who is 1.7 meters tall and has a lean build, is holding a mahogany spear.

After receiving Yunheqiao's order, he immediately led his cavalry squad of ten men to the Third Horse Camp of the Right Guard with Chen Baiquan.

"Commander Chen, you've seen that horse herder. Do you think he can cure the warhorse?"

"This..." Chen Baiquan thought for a moment and said, "General, I dare not make a rash judgment, but that man's knowledge of equine diseases is indeed far beyond that of ordinary veterinarians."

Luo Kai nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and said, "I understand. If he has the ability, I can transfer him to my cavalry camp."

"Let's go! I really want to see if he's really capable!"

Regardless of whether they have real skills or not, we must bring them back first.

In Yunheqiao's own words: Find the person, and bring them back by any means necessary, and do it quickly!

If they refuse to come, we'll kidnap them! We'll bring them back even if we have to take them by force!

Right now, we must rush to the Third Horse Camp of the Right Guard Post and see the person first.

......

Third Horse Camp.

When Zhao Shaojun returned, it was just dawn.

He hadn't slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, but he was very excited.

He slipped into the inner room, where Liang Kun was sitting in a grand chair drinking tea.

"Sir, I've reached an agreement with them..."

He lowered his voice and said, "We agreed to take action at noon today. The subordinate has already given instructions: only kill the men, leave the woman alive."

"Now we're just waiting for you to make your heroic appearance and save the day, then we can have a perfect ending."

Upon hearing this, a smile slowly appeared on Liang Kun's lips. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good! Call Zhang Dahu first. We'll set off for Huangchen Pass in an hour!"

……

An hour passed quickly. Liang Kun, along with his two lackeys Zhao Shaojun and Zhang Dahu, came out through the side gate and led their horses along the official road toward Huangchen Pass.

Unbeknownst to them, in the stable outside the side gate, a hunched figure was crouching behind a pile of hay.

This man was none other than Uncle Lao Gen. He sensed something was wrong when he saw Zhao Shaojun sneak in through the back door.

He pretended to bend down and sift fodder, but his ears were perked up.

Although Zhao Shaojun and the others spoke in low voices, he still managed to hear some of the information.

"Make your move at noon... at Desolate Dust Pass... kill the men... spare the women..."

Upon hearing these words, Uncle Laogen trembled, and the hay in his hand almost fell to the ground.

They're going to kill people, to kill Ye Chen and his group at Desolate Dust Pass!

Only after the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance did he stand up from behind the haystack and hurriedly run towards Hong Chengye's house.

At this moment, the only person who can save Ye Chen and the others is the deputy shepherd, Hong Chengye.