Chapter 46: Judging Horses

The gatekeeper’s warning was perhaps well-intentioned, as people from Kansai were always keen on taking advantage of others in every possible way.

Li Po, however, simply treated it as wind passing his ears and decided he would never use this side door again.

After walking through two small groves and bypassing a military training ground, they finally reached their destination.

Before them stood rows of houses. As they drew closer, the gamey, pungent odor in the air gradually grew stronger. Without needing to guess, Li Po knew this was the county government’s stable.

The impression the place gave Li Po was rather desolate, with hardly a soul in sight.

In the distance, two figures could be seen circling a horse, poking here and inspecting there. No matter how one looked at it, they seemed somewhat wretched.

Yet, a single glance told Li Po that they were appraising a horse. Third Uncle from the mountain stronghold was an expert at tending to horses and had taught Li Po for several years. Combined with the fact that Li Po had ridden horses before and understood some knowledge of equine taming, Li Po could honestly say he was a genuine horse groom.

Appraising a horse was not all that profound. It involved two main actions: looking and touching. It was quite similar to how doctors of this era diagnosed illnesses, with inherited knowledge and personal experience each accounting for half, leaving no other shortcuts to follow.

Once they saw these two clearly, the gatekeeper’s pace noticeably slowed. Then, looking rather reluctant, he led Li Po and Li Chun closer.

By this time, Li Po and Li Chun could also see the pair pacing around the horse clearly. One was quite old, with gray hair. Although his face was etched with deep ravines, it was still evident that he had once been quite striking; in his youth, there was no telling how handsome he might have been...

The younger one was only in his teens, looking about the same age as Li Po. He was the one who had been circling the horse.

No one knew what he had just said, but quite abruptly, the old man raised his hand and dealt him a slap. Even from a distance, Li Po felt as though he could sense the old man’s fury.

Full of vital energy, the old man bellowed, "You little brat! After teaching you for two years, even a block of stone should have blossomed! Damn it, say it again—how old are its teeth? I didn’t hear clearly. Speak up, speak up..."

As he spoke, he seemed to grow increasingly irritated and casually delivered another blow to the youth’s face.

This time the force was even greater, knocking the teenager down onto his backside. The boy could no longer hold it in and burst into tears with a wail.

At this, the old man flew into an even greater rage, stepping forward to kick him twice. "Dammit, crying again... We Yuans shed blood and never tears! How did a spineless wretch like you end up in our family? You’d be better off being reborn as a girl instead..."

A pure Kansai accent, roaring in anger, was indeed somewhat frightening.

The gatekeeper’s facial muscles twitched, presumably silently lamenting his bad luck, while Li Chun instinctively gripped the sleeve of Li Po’s robe.

After a moment of hesitation, the gatekeeper instantly plastered on a smiling face, braced himself, and cupped his fists. "Elder Yuan, Elder Yuan, calm your anger. A new recruit has been sent to fill the vacancy. Master Li of the courtyard asked me to bring him to you."

He casually pulled Li Po forward, introducing him to the old man like a peddler. "His name is Li Po, from Kansai. I’ve brought him right to you."

The old man glared irritably at the gatekeeper, gave a flick of his hand, and shooed him away as if swatting a fly.

Then, rolling his eyes, he sized Li Po up twice, before kicking the teenager on the ground and scolding, "Useless, you're all useless! Get up at once, aren't you ashamed?"

Wiping away his tears and sniffling, the boy scrambled to his feet. He must have been quite accustomed to being beaten, as tear tracks still stained his cheeks. Yet, he immediately rolled his eyes to inspect Li Po and Li Chun, his gaze filled with curiosity mixed with a hint of pity.

With his mouth drooping as if everyone owed him a fortune, the old man casually pointed at the warhorse nearby, which had been rather agitated by all the commotion. "Appraise it. You'd better have something sensible to say, or don't expect to earn your keep here. You're barely more than a fledgling, yet you want to make a living at this trade? Have the hairs on your birth-mark even grown in properly?"

The old man possessed quite a fierce temper, and as he spoke, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes once more.

Li Po thought to himself that he was truly unlucky to have run into such a stubborn old codger; his days here would certainly not be peaceful.

However, he did not lose his nerve. Looking around, he walked over to a stack of forage in the distance and grabbed a handful of alfalfa. This was a horse's favorite food; chopped up and dried, it had become an almost indispensable feed for horses during the winter.

Watching him make the trip back and forth, the old man grunted twice but remained silent.

Thus, Li Po began to show off. As he walked back, he instructed Li Chun, "When approaching a horse, never come from its flank or rear. Approach from the front, and it's best to make a little noise so it knows you're coming."

"Because a horse's vision isn't very good and it generally can't see people clearly, but its ears are sharp. The moment you speak, it knows someone is approaching. Look, it's peering at us, but actually, it can't see us very well; it only hears the sound of our voices."

"At times like this, don't be afraid. A wild-tempered horse would have already bolted by now. Since it hasn't moved and hasn't blown any snorts, it means it has already been tamed. We are strangers to it, so we should first feed it something. As the old saying goes: 'To take, one must first give.' That's the logic behind it."

As he spoke, he extended his hand toward the horse's mouth.

Catching the fragrant scent, the horse immediately leaned forward, sniffed, and began to munch on the feed.

"See? Once it eats our food, it's obliged to be cooperative. At this moment, we can stroke it."

Li Chun let out a sudden chuckle, but immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and glanced nervously at the old man beside them.

The old man, however, had his eyes wide open in astonishment. Having raised horses for decades, such basic common sense naturally wouldn't surprise him. What felt somewhat surreal was that this half-grown boy had actually brought a young apprentice along, staging a scene of a strict master teaching a pupil right before his very eyes.

His expression clearly betrayed a burning question: What on earth is wrong with this world?

Li Po continued his lesson. "Horses are clever and have sharp noses, so when you pet a horse, start with its muzzle so it can get used to your scent. Its ears are sharp too, so murmur a few words near its ear to let it remember your voice."

With that, he leaned close to the horse's ear, gently stroking its neck while whispering a few murmurs.

"Look, now it's much more docile and willing to be close to you. Judging by this, you could even mount it and ride it for a few laps right now..."

"Come, let's check its teeth first."

Prying open the horse's mouth to inspect it, Li Po furrowed his brow slightly. "A good horseman can tell its age just by looking at its teeth. That requires years of accumulated experience, so don't rush to learn it. Well, your big brother's skills aren't quite up to par either, so he can only tell that this horse is roughly around three years old."

"Judging by its frame and body length, this mare is exceptionally well-suited for riding, and it probably runs quite fast. For its height, it's certainly not short. And look at its coat color—it's undoubtedly a Hexi horse without a doubt. But... as a warhorse, it can only be described as mediocre."

"It's too thin and hasn't been well-cared for. Look at how the corners of its mouth are worn bare, and the marks from the bit are very deep. The person who rode it previously was certainly not a skilled rider. And look at these hooves—they're starting to split. This horse is far too sensitive to sounds. On a battlefield, whoever rides it is simply courting death..."