Chapter Eleven: A Conversation with Huo Qubing

Zhang Bo was stunned.

I haven't even gotten on the ride yet.

After standing in the wind, dazed for a moment, Zhang Bo turned around and headed back toward the farmhouse.

Following these two disappearances, Zhang Bo could now confirm that whether it was Liu Ju, Huo Qubing, or Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, they were all living, breathing figures from history. Therefore, even though he hadn't successfully traveled to the Western or Eastern Han dynasties, his face remained filled with an eager, ready-for-action expression.

His first thought wasn't how to make money from this, but rather how to make amends for certain regrets. Just as Liu Ju and Huo Qubing had their own burdens, the state of Shu Han had its own as well. They had started from almost nothing and eventually carved out a third of the world, yet, regrettably, they never managed to restore the Han Dynasty or return to the old capital.

But things were different now.

The group led by Liu Bei had arrived a thousand years into the future. As long as he provided them with some historical records and a little "future shock," the rise of Shu Han would no longer be just a dream. He didn't waste a moment feeling sad for the "Oh, vast heaven, why are you so unkind to me?" Zhuge Liang, because the "hindsight expert" Zhuge Liang was already arriving on the battlefield.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thinking of such a scene, Zhang Bo almost laughed out loud.

Of course, while resolving these regrets was great, it would be even better if he could make some money in the process. Money! Wu Zhu coins!

In a flash, Zhang Bo sprinted with the speed of a hundred-meter runner, flew back to the farmhouse, reached the corner of the wall under the corridor, and picked up the string of copper coins he had discarded. Since he had now confirmed the identities of Liu, Guan, and Zhang were genuine, these Wu Zhu coins were likely real as well. He had checked the information on Wu Zhu coins online; although they were antiques over a thousand years old, they weren't particularly valuable—maybe eighty or a hundred yuan each—but they added up. The string in his hand had about fifty coins; that had to be worth four or five thousand yuan at least.

Sure enough, antiques were valuable. He might even be able to bring some items back from the Western or Eastern Han dynasties to trade.

No, wait. Antiques like Wu Zhu coins that weren't worth much were fine, but he feared that if he brought back actual cultural artifacts, he’d be doomed if he were caught. He couldn't just blame it on his late grandfather. After some thought, Zhang Bo decided to forget it. It was safer to focus on Wu Zhu coins—though if he could get his hands on some gold, that would be even better.

As for how to make money, Zhang Bo had an idea: he could procure modern goods for them. Even common items like sugar and salt would fetch a good price in ancient times.

The next day, Wednesday, was sunny. Generally, business on Wednesdays was mediocre. Government employees usually had weekends off, and service industries took Mondays and Tuesdays off, so the foot traffic in Qingxing Village was significantly lower on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays compared to the other four days.

Zhang Bo was happy to have the peace and quiet, watering the melons and vegetables in the yard while considering what high-profit items he should sell to the people of the Han dynasties.

Just as he was pondering, Liu Ju and Huo Qubing entered the farmhouse.

"Elder brother."

"Proprietor."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Zhang Bo felt that Huo Qubing was much more affable today than he had been yesterday, even initiating a greeting. If the previous Huo Qubing had kept people at a distance, the current one seemed very approachable, like a neighborly big brother. Moreover, a smile played on his face, as if he had discovered something novel.

"Little Ju, Champion Marquis, why have you returned after only one day?"

"One day? How could that be? Elder brother, we spent ten days in the Eastern Han."

?

Zhang Bo was full of questions. How could ten days have passed? Liu Ju’s group had only left yesterday. Could it be that the flow of time was different? Just like the myths said: "A day in heaven is a year on earth." It was certainly possible.

"Look, Little Ju, to be honest with you, while ten days passed for you in the Eastern Han, only one day has passed for me here."

Hearing Zhang Bo’s analysis, both Liu Ju and Huo Qubing wore looks of astonishment. They couldn't fathom why this was the case.

"Your Highness, I fear we must return to the Great Han. We have no idea how much time has passed there."

"Elder brother, do not worry. I calculated the time spent on the road and found that the time in both Han dynasties is roughly the same, meaning it has likely only been about ten days in the Great Han as well."

Hearing this, Huo Qubing felt relieved.

"Champion Marquis, I assume you have verified the truth of what Liu Bei and his party said?"

Huo Qubing had become quite talkative. "Proprietor, indeed. I never imagined I would actually travel to Xinye, three hundred years after my time."

Zhang Bo recalled the contents of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" he had read during summer breaks. In the twelfth year of Jian'an, when Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times, he was indeed in Xinye.

"Champion Marquis seems to be in an exceptionally good mood these days."

"The proprietor is right. That is because I have gained two tremendous benefits."

Zhang Bo was immediately intrigued. "I wonder what benefits could make the Champion Marquis appear this way."

"Proprietor, have you heard of saddles and stirrups?"

Saddles and stirrups? Although Zhang Bo hadn't used them, he had seen pictures online. "I have heard of them."

"That is the tremendous benefit I am speaking of."

Could saddles and stirrups be such a massive advantage? Enough to make this "Conqueror of the Xiongnu" Champion Marquis look this way?

"This... are saddles and stirrups that beneficial?"

"Proprietor, have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Er, well, no, I haven't."

"The saddles I saw in the Eastern Han were not the flat, ordinary ones, but saddles shaped like arched bridges. I tried one myself and found it to be truly extraordinary; it greatly increased stability. No matter how vigorous the movement, one would not slide forward or backward. As for the stirrups, in the Western Han, one had to jump onto the horse's back or train the horse to kneel, which was undoubtedly dangerous and extremely cumbersome. But with stirrups, it is simple—one only needs to step into them to mount the horse with ease. It undoubtedly greatly increases safety and makes movement much swifter."

As Huo Qubing spoke with glowing eyes, Zhang Bo searched for information on his phone. It was indeed as Huo Qubing said; the earliest high-bridge saddles and stirrups appeared in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. However, the stirrups were different from what Zhang Bo had in mind; they were single stirrups.

"Champion Marquis, the stirrups you saw—were they only on one side of the horse?"

"That is correct."

"I wonder, Champion Marquis, have you considered the idea of installing stirrups on both sides of the horse?"

Huo Qubing looked thoughtful. After a moment, he asked Zhang Bo, "What would be the point of installing them on both sides? Isn't one side sufficient for mounting?"

"Champion Marquis, the benefit of having stirrups on both sides is more than just for mounting; they act as a stabilizer."

"A stabilizer?"

"Think about it. If you install two stirrups, your feet can pass through them. One can maintain better balance on the horse. Furthermore, while controlling the horse, you no longer need to hold onto the mane, freeing your hands. This allows the cavalry to hack and slash left and right, draw bows and shoot arrows, or even engage in combat with long weapons."

Huo Qubing’s expression brightened instantly. He simulated the use of double stirrups in his mind and found that, just as the proprietor said, it was feasible! Moreover, in Huo Qubing’s view, double stirrups had another advantage the proprietor hadn't mentioned: they would allow for mass cavalry deployment. In the Great Han, to become a cavalryman, one’s horsemanship had to be exceptional; any cavalryman was one in a hundred. But with double stirrups, the requirements for horsemanship would be greatly reduced, and an average person could be trained to sit steadily on a horse with just a little practice.

Undoubtedly, the appearance of these double stirrups would elevate the power of the Great Han to a new level.

"Champion Marquis, in fact, besides the high-bridge saddle and stirrups, there is another horse-related implement that I think you would be very interested in."