Lu Yuan picked up the sheet of paper from the royal desk and held it before Lu Cangqiong again, pointing at the curved piece of iron in the drawing. “Father, don’t judge it just because it looks ugly.”
Tracing the curved shape of the Horseshoe with his finger, Lu Yuan explained, “When warhorses travel long distances, their hooves wear down extremely quickly. After running a few hundred kilometers, their hooves can crack. Once that happens, the horse is practically useless.”
“But if we nail this layer of iron onto the hoof, the problem of wear and tear will be completely solved. The horse will be able to run farther and longer without damaging its hooves.”
Lu Cangqiong remained silent, his gaze fixed firmly on the drawing.
Lu Yuan moved his finger downward and pointed at the sketch of the Saddle beside it. “Now, let’s talk about this. Father, think about it. What do the cavalrymen of our Great Yong Empire rely on when riding?”
“They have to clamp the horse’s belly tightly with their legs, hold the reins with one hand, and wield a saber with the other. That severely limits a cavalryman’s combat ability.”
Lu Yuan tapped the raised curve at the side of the Saddle twice with the shaft of the brush. “This is called a stirrup. One hangs from each side of the Saddle, and the rider places his feet inside them.”
“Once the rider sits down, his center of gravity becomes stable, freeing both hands. A cavalryman can wield a weapon with both hands, draw a bow and shoot, or turn around in the Saddle.”
“When charging into enemy ranks, the rider will practically be welded to the horse. Even the enemy will have a hard time knocking him off.”
Lu Yuan put down the brush and stepped back half a pace. “Father, you’ve commanded armies for half your life. I don’t need to tell you how many lives these two things could save on the battlefield, do I?”
The hall fell silent.
Lu Cangqiong held the sheet of paper and examined it from every angle three times.
He was an Emperor who had conquered his realm on horseback. He had fought countless battles and had personally seen what happened when warhorses became crippled from damaged hooves. He had also witnessed the horrifying sight of cavalrymen losing their balance during a charge, falling from their horses, and being trampled to death.
Horseshoes, stirrups, and Saddles.
Put all three together, and saying they could double the combat strength of cavalry was not an exaggeration. If anything, it was an understatement.
Lu Cangqiong swallowed hard. When he raised his head again, the way he looked at Lu Yuan had completely changed.
“Zhou Fu,” Lu Cangqiong called.
Zhou Fu hurried forward and replied, “This servant is here.”
Lu Cangqiong asked, “What do you think?”
Zhou Fu took the drawings and glanced over them. A smile immediately spread across his face. “Your Majesty, the principle behind putting shoes on horses is simple and obvious. Speaking of which, something this simple has existed right under everyone’s noses, so how has no one thought of it in hundreds of years?”
Lu Yuan curled his lips. “They’ve all studied themselves stupid. All they know is how to bury their heads in the Four Books and Five Classics. Who would bother paying attention to something this trivial?”
“And those capable enough to think of things like this have no way of presenting their ideas to the throne.”
Those words made Lu Cangqiong’s old face flush with embarrassment.
However, there was little he could do about it. Ever since the royal examination system had risen to prominence, this was simply how things worked.
It was not something he could easily change.
Lu Yuan reached out, snatched the drawings back from Zhou Fu, and pushed them toward Lu Cangqiong. “Hurry up and have someone send these to the Military Equipment Directorate. Tell them to make a set according to the drawings and test them. If they really work, you can praise me afterward. If they don’t, Father can have me beaten with the paddle, and I’ll accept it.”
Lu Cangqiong suppressed the excitement on his face. Clearing his throat, he tried to restore the dignified bearing of an Emperor. “Zhou Fu, take these to the Military Equipment Directorate. Have Wang Ke personally supervise the work. They must be made before the end of today and sent to the training grounds for testing on a horse.”
He carefully folded the drawings, tucked them into his sleeve, and hurried out of the hall.
The doors closed again.
Lu Cangqiong turned around and looked at Lu Yuan, who was still sitting on the dragon throne. His expression immediately darkened. “That immortal only gave you these things?”
“That’s right.”
Lu Yuan leaned comfortably against the backrest and answered with complete confidence, “This was the first time, so these were all he gave me. The old immortal said there would be plenty more in the future.”
Lu Cangqiong’s voice rose slightly as he pointed at the dragon throne. “Then why aren’t you getting up already? Is that somewhere you should be sitting?”
Lu Yuan did not budge. “Father, my legs have gone numb. Let me rest for a moment.”
“You…”
Lu Cangqiong drew a long breath and turned his face away.
Lu Yuan was secretly delighted.
‘This old man is as cunning as a monkey. Just moments ago, he was confidently insisting that I was talking nonsense. The instant the drawings appeared, he changed his tune and started treating them like treasures.’
If Lu Cangqiong refused to give him even this much room to test the waters, negotiating what came next would be even harder.
Lu Yuan remained seated for another moment before leisurely rising from the dragon throne and dusting off his robe.
Lu Cangqiong returned to his seat behind the royal desk and stared intently at Lu Yuan. “Was that really all the old immortal told you?”
“Of course.” Lu Yuan rolled his neck. “He only told me two things. First, whenever Lu Yuan continues the family line and sleeps with a woman for the first time, the immortal will grant him a reward. Second, the Great Yong Empire is an Empire Blessed by Heaven’s Mandate and will prosper for 10,000 generations.”
Lu Cangqiong’s gaze darkened slightly, as though he were carefully weighing something in his mind.
After a moment, Lu Cangqiong finally spoke, “So you’re saying that because you consummated your relationship with Su Yuling, the immortal rewarded you with the drawings for the Horseshoe and Saddle.”
“Exactly.”
Lu Yuan nodded emphatically. “That’s precisely how it works.”
Lu Cangqiong asked, “But did the old immortal say what kind of woman it has to be?”
The moment Lu Yuan heard that question, his spirits soared. “Father, you’ve asked exactly the right question.”
Lu Yuan stepped forward and lowered his voice. “The old immortal did mention one requirement. The woman must possess both good character and good looks. Most importantly, she has to be beautiful. If she isn’t beautiful, the immortal won’t pay any attention to you, and you won’t receive anything.”
Lu Cangqiong stared at Lu Yuan for a full 9 seconds.
“I strongly suspect you added that condition yourself.”
Lu Yuan shook his head furiously. “How could I possibly have the courage to falsely convey the words of an immortal? Those were the old immortal’s exact words. I’m merely repeating them faithfully.”
Lu Cangqiong said nothing, but he did not believe a single word.
Lu Yuan was his own son. The moment the brat stuck out his backside, Lu Cangqiong already knew exactly what kind of shit he was about to take.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan lowered his head slightly, feeling somewhat guilty.
‘Damn it. This old man really is as cunning as a monkey. I almost gave myself away.’
In his previous life, Lu Yuan had read plenty of transmigration novels. Dressing up the usual system-reward routine as an immortal appearing in his dreams was hardly difficult for him.
However, he absolutely had to force the “beautiful” requirement into the conditions.
Otherwise, this old bastard might become so desperate for rewards from the immortal that he would casually grab some palace maid and send her over. If that happened, Lu Yuan really would be reduced to nothing more than a breeding stallion.
After several seconds of silence, Lu Cangqiong picked up his vermilion brush and wrote a character on the memorial before him. “I approve of the matter concerning Su Yuling.”
Lu Yuan froze, then asked in surprise, “What?”
“I can agree to your marriage with Su Yuling.”
Before Lu Yuan could celebrate, Lu Cangqiong changed his tone and continued, “However, whether you can actually make it happen depends entirely on your own ability. I won’t intervene with the Earl of Yongning. You’ll have to speak to him yourself.”
“If Su Yuling agrees, I’ll issue a royal decree granting you the marriage.”
“But if she refuses, this matter dies with you. You are never to mention it to anyone.”
A broad grin spread across Lu Yuan’s face as he cupped his hands. “Thank you, Father! If there’s nothing else, I’ll just…”
“Get lost.”
“Gladly.”
Lu Yuan grinned, turned around, and walked away.
The seed of this immortal story had already been planted today. From here on, all he needed to do was prove it step by step.
When the time came, as long as this cheap father of his was not an idiot, the position of Crown Prince would eventually be his.
At that thought, Lu Yuan could not help humming a cheerful tune as he descended the steps.
Outside the hall, beneath the covered corridor, Lu Cheng was still lying on a stretcher.
The sunlight fell directly on Lu Cheng’s face, which was wrapped almost entirely in bandages, leaving his forehead drenched in sweat.
The wounds beneath the bandages itched unbearably. He desperately wanted to scratch them, but he could not reach them.
Two young eunuchs stood beside the stretcher, their necks tucked in as they dozed off. Neither of them even bothered to look at him.
“Hey! You damned servants!”
Lu Cheng was furious. His voice came out hoarse as he cursed, “Move this stretcher into the shade! The sun is practically blinding me. Can’t you see that? Are you sitting on your damn eyes?”