Chapter 10: The Intuitive Manifestation of Talent

The next day

Morning

Quyuan Street

Xu Minghua rose early and went to the courtyard where the stables were located.

In the courtyard, a crippled stable hand was tending to the horses.

The gaze he cast upon the horses was gentle, as if looking at his own children.

Hearing someone approach, he did not move his posture, remaining wholly focused on serving the horses.

"My Lord."

The voice was coarse and hoarse, as if squeezed out from within the throat, resembling the final breath before death; no wonder he rarely spoke, for this voice alone was frightening enough.

Xu Minghua looked at the man before him; in this state, no one could possibly recognize his original appearance.

"The Commander of the Xiang Division has acquired another horse farm in the Hetao region and lacks an experienced horse steward."

"My Lord, there is a family named Ai in Zhending Prefecture whose clan members' skills in assessing and raising horses are no inferior to mine; I only ask that you do not mention me when recruiting them."

"Over the past year, under the pretext of seeking fine mounts, I have made inquiries. A Military Commander of the Gao Yuhou rank in Xuzhou once saw an exceptionally divine dragon steed, said to be a tribute gift Marquis Dongchang prepares to present to Your Majesty."

Hearing Xu Minghua's words, the stable hand stopped the movements of his hands, while something unknown surged in his single eye.

"I only know it is a dragon steed, but could not ascertain its color."

"Thank you, My Lord, for worrying over my affairs. Back then in Haizhou, I was ambushed and robbed of my divine steed; although I had prepared in advance, donning servant's clothes to feign death and escape, only now after all these years has this sliver of news emerged."

"Your actions back then were so meticulous they commanded admiration; I never could have imagined you would meet with disaster."

"Heh, thinking on it now, I was merely an actor on a stage, turned into a joke by others."

Xu Minghua hesitated, having tried to persuade him countless times before; he paused a moment then said:

"Recently there has been some turmoil in the north; various armies are about to prepare for war, so henceforth I will rely on you to keep a closer watch over things."

"Very well! Yet the title of Marquis Marquis Yongyi was won through military merit; how is it that there is not a single experienced horse steward? If not for my arrival, you would have to rely on purchasing even a decent horse."

"The only daughter of the former Marquis Marquis Yongyi, my aunt who married into the Sheng family, loved playing polo since childhood; she took the skilled horse steward as part of her dowry, leaving none behind in the household."

The stable hand smiled with a hint of mockery.

He replied hoarsely, "You, this Marquis Marquis Yongyi, are truly getting a bargain."

Xu Minghua said nothing more.

After finishing breakfast, Xu Minghua went out, returning home only by evening; he ate with the family then went to bed early.

Early the next morning, Xu Minghua departed Jingcheng.

Before leaving, he spoke at length with his wife, Wu Da Da Niangzi; Xu Xu Zaijing, awakened by the noise, overheard some of it: instructions to Sun Shi that should she truly encounter a major matter she could not decide, besides consulting her natal parents, she might also seek the opinion of the stable hand in their own stables.

Sun Shi, being of martial general stock herself, and knowing that stable hand had helped her select a fine horse and was thus a capable man, naturally heeded her husband's words.

Xu Xu Zaijing also knew that a master trusted even by his father resided in their family stables.

Thus, whenever Xu Xu Zaijing had free time, he would take the small bow and arrows his father gave him and go near the chicken coop adjacent to the stables.

He did not mind the strong odor within the stables.

Though the arrows lacked metal heads, they still possessed some lethality,

and from time to time chickens and ducks suffered Xu Xu Zaijing's 'accidental injuries'.

On this day, as Xu Xu Zaijing practiced archery near the stables again, a foal born just a few days prior in the stable was struck in the nose by one of his arrows,

"Neigh-whinny!"

Feeling pain at the tip of its nose, and being young, never having tasted a whip nor been broken in, the foal, spotting the culprit responsible for its pain, suddenly charged straight at Xu Xu Zaijing.

Xu Xu Zaijing was only four years old; knocked down by the little horse, he would suffer no serious harm so long as he did not strike vital areas like the back of his head.

Therefore, the stable hand glanced and saw that the ground behind Xu Xu Zaijing was flat and soft, devoid of stones or other hard objects, so he did not worry excessively.

However, the female attendants serving beside Xu Xu Zaijing were terrified out of their wits; yet most of them, raised in luxury and more delicate than even the legitimate daughters of humble households, could muster no reaction whatsoever.

What made the stable hand's single eye stare straight and his heart shake with shock was that Xu Xu Zaijing actually grabbed the foal by the neck with one hand and wrestled it to the ground.

Both the courage shown in facing danger without fear and the strength used to overthrow the foal filled him with astonishment.

Xu Xu Zaijing had long been aware of his own strength; holding the foal's neck with one hand, he pinned it down so it could not rise.

He released his grip only when it ceased struggling.

Once released, the foal no longer frolicked wildly but affectionately rubbed its head against Xu Xu Zaijing's sleeve.

"Aiyo, Zhang Sanlang, you must not come here again in the future; hurry back to Young Lady Wu Da Da Niangzi's quarters."

Speaking thus, the female attendants lifted Xu Xu Zaijing and carried him away, leaving the foal alone in the open space, watching that terrifying human cub being taken off.

"Young Lady, Young Lady, please forgive our offense."

Sun Shi was embroidering together with her daughters; hearing the attendants' cry, she raised her head,

while the eldest sister, Xu Xu Pingmei, looked at Xu Xu Zaijing, whose clothes were stained with mud,

"Little Brother, have you been rolling on the ground again?"

Xu Xu Anmei also showed a look of curiosity.

The attendants set Xu Xu Zaijing down and hastily knelt on the ground, saying,

"Young Lady, forgive our offense; just now we failed in our duty of care, and Young Master the Third nearly got trampled by a horse."

Upon hearing this, Sun Shi's expression changed; she stood up and exclaimed, "What!!!???"

"You all!!!" Sun Shi hurried over, embraced Xu Xu Zaijing, and examined him from head to toe several times.

"Mother, it was the foal just born; I pressed it to the ground with one hand."

Sun Shi breathed a sigh of relief and asked the attendant,

"It was a foal?"

"Yes."

"Make it clear next time."

The female servant bowed her head and said,

"Yes, Wu Da Da Niangzi."

"Did Young Master Jing really topple a small horse with just one hand?"

"Yes, Wu Da Da Niangzi; that small horse charged at the Third Young Master, and the Third Young Master toppled it with a single hand," the female servant said, her face also showing astonishment.

Sun Shi looked at her own son in some disbelief.

"I heard Father say that our Sun family ancestors possessed divine strength; could it have been passed down to you?"

Xu Xu Pingmei said with some curiosity,

"Mother, does Little Brother truly have such great strength? Let me arm-wrestle him."

Saying this, she put down the handkerchief she was embroidering and walked over to Xu Xu Zaijing.

Sun Shi also wished to see her son's strength.

The sister and brother spread out their limbs over a tea table.

Unwilling to admit defeat, Xu Xu Pingmei used both hands, yet Xu Xu Zaijing did not even furrow his brow.

Xu Xu Anmei did not believe it and took her turn; even when she exerted every ounce of her strength, Xu Xu Zaijing still had the presence of mind to yawn.

Seeing the smile in his own mother's eyes, Xu Xu Zaijing hugged her leg and said,

"Mother, does this mean I have tamed that small horse? May I ride it?"

"You are still young; if you fall off the horse, you will be badly injured! No!"

"Mother, look how great my strength is; Mother, could you have the household servants make a saddle? For my birthday, I don't want anything else, okay? Please, Mother~"

As he spoke, Xu Xu Zaijing shook his mother.

If you feel anything is awkward or find typos, esteemed readers, please point them out promptly.

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(End of Chapter)