Chapter Thirteen: Wei Qing's Shock

Although Liu Ju wished to stay a while longer at the countryside inn, he knew that this journey had already taken many days, and if he did not return soon, his mother and father would begin to worry.

“Brother, I must take my leave.”

After exchanging a respectful gesture with Zhang Bo, Liu Ju departed from the inn.

Climbing out of the cave entrance, Huo Qubing dusted off the dirt on his clothes and, turning to the visibly excited Liu Ju, said,

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must hasten to report to the Empress and His Majesty.”

“Brother, aren’t you coming with me?”

Huo Qubing shook his head.

“I intend first to visit our uncle’s residence to inform him of the news about the cavalry’s three essentials, then I shall proceed to see His Majesty.”

Liu Ju naturally knew who their uncle was, for their uncle was the same person to both brothers.

Marshal and Grand General, Marquis of Changping, Wei Qing.

At Wei Qing’s headquarters, he was pacing back and forth in the inner chamber, staring thoughtfully at a map hanging on the wall.

The borders of the Han Empire seemed restless once more; Yizhixie Chanyu appeared to be stirring, a troubling development for the Han.

“Uncle, uncle!”

A swift figure stepped hurriedly into the room.

Wei Qing looked at the rushing Huo Qubing with a smile and a scolding tone.

“Qubing, you are now the Han’s Marshal and Cavalry General. Why are you still so hasty? But your timing is perfect—I have matters to discuss with you.”

Huo Qubing, smiling sheepishly, shook his head.

Though Wei Qing was his uncle, to Huo Qubing—who had grown up without a father—Wei Qing was like a father figure, and since childhood, he had regarded him as an idol.

“Coincidentally, uncle, I have some earth-shattering news for you as well.”

Earth-shattering news?

Wei Qing looked at Huo Qubing with some surprise.

He knew the boy’s temperament; although spirited, he was always pragmatic and rarely exaggerated.

Thus, Wei Qing put aside his own concerns for the moment and wished to hear what this great matter was.

“Qubing, speak. What is this earth-shattering news that has unsettled the Han’s Marshal and Cavalry General so?”

“Uncle, in recent days, I traveled with the Crown Prince to the Han Empire three hundred years in the future.”

?

Though Wei Qing had cultivated a calm temperament able to withstand the gravest dangers, hearing that startled him.

He knew that Huo Qubing and the Crown Prince had left Chang’an recently, destination unknown, but he had never worried for their safety.

With Huo Qubing by his side, Liu Ju was safe.

Yet to claim they had traveled three hundred years into the future was almost unbelievable.

No one would believe such a tale.

“Uncle, I understand your disbelief. I was skeptical at first as well. But once I show you what we brought back, you will believe me.”

Huo Qubing’s words encouraged Wei Qing to listen further.

“Uncle, I brought back three things: first, a high-arched saddle; second, stirrups; and third, horseshoes.”

Wei Qing knew what a saddle was, but had never heard of a high-arched saddle.

As for stirrups and horseshoes, they were utterly unknown.

Of course, Huo Qubing did not intend to keep Wei Qing in suspense and proceeded to recount all the details he had learned.

As Huo Qubing explained, Wei Qing’s expression grew increasingly astonished.

Having once served as a cavalryman in the Princess of Pingyang’s household and familiar with horses, Wei Qing understood the profound impact these items could bring to the Han.

Starting with the high-arched saddle, the Han’s current saddles were flat. While not bad, they paled in comparison to the high-arched type.

When riding into battle, a rider’s body undergoes violent motion. To remain steady, one must grip tightly with the legs, which consumes great energy and quickly causes fatigue.

But the high-arched saddle, with its raised front and rear, allowed the rider to sit firmly without squeezing the legs, preventing swaying and greatly conserving energy.

With this energy saved, cavalry endurance would vastly improve.

The stirrups complemented the saddle perfectly. Not only did they save effort, but they also enhanced force application.

Whether shooting arrows at a distance or fighting hand-to-hand, stirrups provided even greater advantage than the high-arched saddle alone.

However, the simplest yet most astonishing innovation was the horseshoe.

Although the Han had driven the Xiongnu west of the Qilian Mountains and secured abundant pastures for horses, ongoing wars meant horses were still in short supply.

The greatest cause of horse loss was hoof damage.

Nearly twenty percent of horses in every battle were lost due to hoof injuries.

But Huo Qubing’s idea of outfitting horses with protective footgear was a revelation.

Wei Qing immediately grasped the value of horseshoes.

Such a simple invention would drastically reduce warhorse loss, greatly extending a horse’s service life.

Looking at his nephew with satisfaction, Wei Qing nodded approvingly.

Yet recalling Huo Qubing’s earlier claim about traveling three hundred years into the future, Wei Qing couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Such a notion sounded... implausible.

In the end, Wei Qing chose to believe Huo Qubing’s account.

After all, his nephew had said the Crown Prince had accompanied him.

“Qubing, have you reported this to His Majesty?”

“Uncle, I came straight to your residence upon return to share the cavalry’s three essentials; I have yet to report to His Majesty.”

Hearing this, a worried expression crossed Wei Qing’s face.

At this point, Wei Qing stood at the pinnacle of Han authority—rarely did anything unsettle him so.

“Qubing, next time, such important matters must be reported to His Majesty immediately.”

Seeing the confusion on Huo Qubing’s face, Wei Qing elaborated.

“Though we are both powerful, remember to act with discretion. Even I, as Marshal and Grand General, tread carefully, because we are imperial relatives by marriage.”

Huo Qubing instantly understood.

In the Han Empire, imperial relatives by marriage were as fearsome as tigers—and history showed no good endings for such families, whether the Lü, Bo, Dou, or Wang clans.

“I understand, uncle.”

Seeing Huo Qubing grasp his meaning, Wei Qing smiled warmly and patted his shoulder.

“Very well. Let us go to the palace to meet His Majesty. Perhaps the Crown Prince is there as well. You can then recount your journey to both His Majesty and me.”