Chương 95: Teaching Liu Bian to Ride a Horse

Dian Wei chuckled and asked, "Brother, should we bring weapons?"

"Why bring any weapons? Let's teach the kids to ride horses!" Liu Ce laughed.

Dian Wei said while munching on his food:

"Brother, I'm an expert at teaching horseback riding! Back in Zhuojun, I could ride a donkey like it was flying!"

Liu Ce patted him on the shoulder and couldn't help but laugh:

"That's right, that's right, E Lai riding a donkey, that's truly amazing."

Half an hour later, Liu Ce changed into a black brocade robe, tied a jade belt around his waist, rode a horse, and headed towards the North Palace with Zhao Yun and Dian Wei.

Upon arriving outside Zhuolong Garden, Liu Ce thought to himself:

"Holy crap, this garden is huge... If this were modern times, how much would it cost per square meter? Wait, what am I thinking? Calm down, calm down..."

A eunuch was already waiting at the door.

The eunuch's eyes lit up when he saw Liu Ce:

"Your Highness, the Marquis of Champion, have finally arrived! His Highness has been waiting anxiously, circling the stables three times already!"

Liu Ce dismounted and tossed the reins to Dian Wei:

"You two wait here, don't wander off. Especially E'lai, don't go near anything you see."

Dian Wei scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Brother, what are you saying? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Zhao Yun silently added insult to injury: "You are!"

Liu Ce followed the eunuch inside.

Along the way, he marveled at the pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water.

"Although this emperor is incompetent, his aesthetic sense is quite good..."

Just as I was lost in thought, we arrived at the stable.

Prince Liu Bian was there, dressed in a bright yellow, narrow-sleeved riding outfit, holding a gold-inlaid horsewhip in his hand, circling around a white horse.

The horse was pure white except for a dark mane on its back, which looked like ink had been splashed on it, making it very majestic.

"Your Highness, this horse was specially selected by the Imperial Stud; it is very docile."

The Imperial Guards standing nearby smiled obsequiously.

Liu Bian, however, was somewhat timid, and withdrew his outstretched hand:

"It... it really won't kick people?"

No, it won't.

Liu Ce's voice came from behind.

Liu Bian turned his head, his eyes lighting up:

"Royal Uncle!"

He had just bowed when Liu Bian quickly stepped forward and grabbed him:

"Uncle, you've arrived! No need for formalities! Father said we're family, no need for such formalities!"

Liu Ce rolled his eyes inwardly: "Damn it, so many people are watching. If I don't bow, am I supposed to wait to be impeached by those old men in the Censorate tomorrow for 'being arrogant and disrespectful'?"

He smiled and said, "Rituals must not be abandoned, rituals must not be abandoned."

Standing beside him were seven or eight eunuchs, four Imperial Guards, and an official who looked like a member of the Court of Imperial Stud. They all kept their eyes down, pretending not to hear the prince's words.

Liu Ce looked at Liu Bian up close. He seemed quite energetic, but the timidity in his eyes was hard to hide.

"Uncle! Will this horse really not kick people?" Liu Bian asked again, his palms sweating as he gripped the whip.

Liu Ce chuckled: "Your Highness, don't worry. If this horse dares to kick you, we'll eat horse meat tonight."

The imperial guards nearby quickly stepped forward and held the reins:

"The Marquis of Champion is joking... Your Highness, rest assured, this horse has been raised in the Weiyang Stable for three years and is extremely docile. Even His Majesty has ridden it several times."

Liu Ce walked over, took the saddle pad from the eunuch, and personally laid it on the horse's back.

"Your Highness, come here." Liu Ce supported Liu Bian's waist and gently lifted him up, steadily helping him onto the horse's back.

"Look, it's up here!" Liu Ce helped him straighten the reins.

Liu Bian sat on horseback, his body a little stiff.

Seeing this, Liu Ce smiled and patted the horse's neck:

"Relax. Riding a horse is like holding a sword; the more panicked you are, the more it can sense it. Here, hold the reins like this..."

He demonstrated the action of loosely gripping the reins:

"Like squeezing a freshly peeled egg, if you squeeze too hard it will hurt the horse, and it won't want to walk anymore."

This metaphor amused Liu Bian.

He tried to do it, and it was much easier, though his body was still stiff.

"Yes, that's it."

Liu Ce led the horse slowly, pointing as he went:

"Your Highness, shift your weight forward, don't lean back... Yes, that's it."

Keep your ankles straight, and as the horse walks, you sway with its steps. It's like walking up and down steps on a veranda, a bouncy, rhythmic motion.

Liu Bian was nervous at first, but when he heard Liu Ce say "walk up the steps," he couldn't help but laugh.

With that smile, he relaxed a bit and tried swaying to the rhythm of the horse.

"Hey, that's it!" Liu Ce encouraged, "That's it! Your Highness is clever, you get it right away!"

The horse seemed to understand human nature, its steps becoming increasingly steady as it strolled leisurely through the garden.

The Imperial Guards standing nearby quickly began to flatter him:

"Your Highness is truly intelligent! It takes ordinary people three to five days to learn before they dare to walk alone, but you've mastered it in just half an hour!"

Liu Ce thought to himself, "Come on, this horse is as docile as a sheep, anyone could ride it steadily... But this kid does have some talent, his sense of balance is pretty good."

After walking around the horse farm a few times, Liu Bian's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

A eunuch trotted over and handed over some honey water:

"Your Highness, would you like to rest for a while? This servant just warmed some honey water to soothe your throat."

"No rest!" Liu Bian waved his hand, gently squeezing the horse's belly with his calves.

"Uncle, can I make it walk faster?"

Liu Ce nodded: "Slow down and increase the speed, make sure it's steady first. Remember, riding a horse is like being a person, you have to stay calm."

These words were quite profound, and Liu Bian nodded as if he understood but not quite.

As if it understood the command, the white horse quickened its pace slightly, and its snow-white figure, adorned with bright yellow riding attire, began to trot slowly through the garden.

The wind blew Liu Bian's hair, and he smiled so much that his eyes narrowed.

"Uncle!" Liu Bian called out, turning around, "Once I've learned how, how about we go hunting together at Shanglin Garden next time?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce thought to himself, "By the time you've almost mastered it, I should be heading back to Youzhou to manage my territory... I should avoid getting involved in the mess in Luoyang as much as possible."

But he still smiled gently: "Alright, once you can ride steadily, your royal uncle will take you to hunt the fattest deer, and then we'll roast the venison!"

"Really?" Liu Bian's eyes sparkled.

"A ruler's word is law!" Liu Ce patted his chest to assure him, since "ruler" referred to the emperor, not him.

This scene of "harmony between uncle and nephew" was clearly seen by two people hiding behind the artificial hill at the other end of the garden.

He Jin stroked his beard and said to He Lian beside him:

"Sister, you might be right. Letting Bian'er spend more time with Liu Ce might actually be a good option for them in the future."

He Lian was wearing a light blue casual dress today, her hair was loosely tied up, and she only had a gold hairpin inserted in her hair.

She gazed at the two figures, one large and one small, in the distance, a smile on her lips, but her eyes never left Liu Ce.

She watched as the tall man patiently led the horse, occasionally looking up to talk to Liu Bian on horseback.

Sunlight shone on his profile, outlining a clear contour.

The dark brocade robe accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, while the jade belt cinched his waistline...

He Lian suddenly felt her cheeks getting hot.

She recalled that night at the Changqiu Palace family banquet, when His Majesty got drunk…

But the more she did this, the more her thoughts grew wildly.

The deep palace is so lonely.

Hearing her brother's words, she simply hummed in response.