"Ah Jun... bro, wake up, breakfast is ready—hey, still lazing in bed? That's not like him..."
"Maybe he's just exhausted from these past few days... Stop yelling, let's go eat first and let Ah Jun rest a bit longer!"
—Hmm? Who's calling me? Is that Xiaoxi, and Ning'er's voice too... Hehe, little dimples, hello, we're finally meeting... Haha, really? You've been looking forward to this too... Hey, why are you covering half your face? I can barely see you... Ah, where are you going? I'm right here... Hey, wait, you like eating this too... Haha...
"Bro... Bro! Wake up... Yikes, what's wrong with him? He's even drooling?"
"Ah Jun... Uncle Li is already here. If we're any later, we'll be late!"
—Little dimples, hey, where are you? Why did you disappear? Hmm... Lan'er? Oh, it's Ning'er!
"Huh? Why are you guys in my room... What time is it?"
"I'm telling you, bro, what were you doing? You were drooling in your dream—were you... dreaming about her?"
"Ah Jun... It's 9 o'clock. We agreed to meet His Majesty at 9:30, and Uncle Li has been waiting for ages!"
"Oh no! Sorry, I overslept. Give me a moment!"
"Xiaoxi, Ning'er... What do you think His Majesty wants us here for—could it be... horseback riding?"
"Yeah, it's pretty strange. From Uncle's expression, he seems to be up to something..."
"Shh!"
The rare relaxation and timely correspondence had let Ah Jun sleep a bit too well—of course, mainly because the dream was too beautiful to leave. Soon, the children followed Uncle Li and quickly arrived at yesterday's agreed location: the racecourse north of the palace. Upon arrival, one word summed it up: huge! Two words: ridiculously huge! Three words, well... everyone can imagine for themselves.
In short, the royal grandeur, aside from luxury and sophistication, came down to sheer size—on that boundless artificial grassland, horses galloped joyfully. Combined with the blue sky, white clouds, and brilliant sunshine, it truly felt like being on a nomadic prairie.
—Sky vast, earth boundless, wind sweeps grass low, revealing cattle and sheep... Great grassland, milk fragrant, Yili dairy's fine reputation spreads far!
Faced with this scene, Ah Jun suddenly recalled a line from a TV commercial—quite fitting, except this place didn't produce milk, only bred fine steeds.
On the grassland, the royal horses were happily running and training, all of them premium specimens—according to Uncle Li's introduction, each had dedicated caretakers and ate specially prepared food, so grazing was merely a post-meal snack. Moreover, these horses had undergone special conditioning to only graze to the standard line—the mowing height—so they even saved on lawn mowers.
Even Xiaoxi couldn't help but marvel at this level of frugality, more extreme than his own mother's, and truly killing two birds with one stone. The creative inventor really should work as their family's professional manager—though he also knew they couldn't afford it, since that person was the Empress!
"How come those horses look just like Tangbao?"
"Hai... No surprise, most horses here are Ferghana breeds, best suited for military use. But I've heard there are some more precious steeds that not only have more personality but each has special abilities—like the legendary top-tier white moonlight among horses, the Chitu sweating blood horse, truly the cream of the crop! But we probably won't get to see the good horses..."
"Young Master Xiaoxi is right—prized horses are delicate, treasured by the royal family, so naturally they need extra care!"
The children wandered with Uncle Li, chatting while observing, still ten minutes before the appointed time—so everyone remained at this vast racecourse, appreciating the rare spectacle, listening to Xiaoxi's endless chatter explaining the unique features, quite pleasant indeed!
Speaking of this little chubby guy, despite mediocre grades and tiny eyes, knowing nothing but eating and gaming, he had these tidbits down pat—even Ah Jun, the bookworm, admired him greatly.
Of course, Xiaoxi's wonderful lecture occasionally earned Ning'er's slight approval, naturally giving him more energy—the so-called working with self-satisfaction.
"His Majesty and the Empress, arriving! The Princess and Prince律, arriving!"
"Yo, children, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Your Majesty, Your Highness!"
"Mm!"
"Why is he here too—hmph... All because of that guy, I couldn't even sleep in properly!"
After a while, the hosts finally arrived at the racecourse right on time, same as usual—only the amiable His Majesty chatted warmly with everyone, while the Empress still wore a stern face, staring at Ah Jun and the others. The little princess, naturally, lost her smile upon seeing Ah Jun, turning her face away, glaring with pursed lips, condemning the boy with her eyes, though she looked somewhat drowsy.
—Hmm... Actually, she looks rather cute like this! Is she not used to waking up early? Ah... True, Yun'er also loves sleeping in on weekends... Sigh, poor thing!
"Ah Jun... Bro, oh my! Look there—ah, what's... what's going on? Did the sun clock in from the west today... Oh, but it doesn't seem like it..."
"What are you muttering about?"
"Hey, how is your 5.0 vision worse than mine—over there, see? That's what I just mentioned, a sweating blood horse!"
As for Ah Jun, naturally the same old story—spacing out again. Only after Xiaoxi called him did he look in that direction—there, not far away, a trainer in royal work clothes was leading horses toward the children.
The lead horse looked quite handsome, with a scholarly air, pure white coat, tall stature over seven chi high, neither fat nor thin—could this be the famous Chitu... perhaps?
"Sigh... Ah, wrong, haha... Guess my vision's a bit off after all. That seems to be Qianli—Ning'er, look, that's His Majesty and the Empress's mount, the Qianli treasure horse—thanks to you guys, we're really opening our eyes today!"
"Xiaoxi... Seems like more than one horse? Look behind..."
"Huh? Oh... I know, haha, forgot to turn on the hidden frame magnification, no wonder there's no optical zoom—mm... Okay, now I can adjust vision to 5.0—uh... Really is, what's going on!"
Mm, children are children—seeing rare things, always so curious. But what made Xiaoxi even more curious was suddenly three treasure horses arriving. What for? The sun's still in the east!
"Come, come, children, try them out first, get used to them—later, I'll take you to the Skyhorn Royal Aviation Center and have the air force escort your Spring Festival journey home!"
—Oh, so this is why His Majesty invited us today... Mm, he's really kind, so warm and thoughtful and easy-going, not putting on any airs, just like a family uncle... Sigh, under the same roof, how can the two sages be so different... Empress, why keep looking at me so sternly, is she still angry at me from before... Mm, the little princess isn't wearing much today, that skirt's quite short, isn't she cold? Girls can't freeze themselves for beauty's sake, easily accumulates into chronic problems, should I...
"Hey... What are you looking at, staring at me again!"
"Mm... Oh, no—it's very cold today, your skirt's so short, easy to catch a chill..."
"How could that be, I'm wearing tights—wait, where are you... looking, you pervert! Watch out or I'll gouge your eyes..."
"Enough!"
"Mother... Hmph, a good woman doesn't fight with men—Brother Lu, come with me to see Jiying later, haven't visited it in so long!"
—Why did I blurt that out again? Sigh, meddling, now it's even harder to explain... Need to find a way to clarify this, hmm... Forget it, deal with it later!
Though well-intentioned, given the existing prejudice, Ah Jun's words and actions once again offended the girl—so the little princess's original calm was shattered, and they quarreled again.
Fortunately, the Empress intervened, so she had to give up. Then she pulled Yuwen Lu, preparing to leave Ah Jun's sight—out of sight, out of mind. This young lady's in a good mood, too lazy to bother with you!
So Yuwen Lu, after nodding to Ah Jun and the others, also prepared to leave—though he too felt Ah Jun's behavior was indeed somewhat improper, Yuwen Lu was more mature inside, so he could at least somewhat understand Ah Jun's good intentions and instinct.
"Come! Tianji, explain to the children!"
"Yes—Holy Maiden, please mount. This is the steed specially prepared for you!"
Trainer Tianji brought three horses total, and now before Ning'er was a light blue treasure horse called Frost Descent—its build was slightly smaller but most spirited, with fur reflecting a faint blue halo, slender figure, blue tail and mane, plus a pair of upturned, cold phoenix eyes. Overall, it gave off a cool, ethereal feeling, perfectly matching the Holy Maiden's temperament!
"Come, Xiao Jun, try this horse..."
"Me? Mm... Thank you, Your Majesty, but I don't know how to ride!"
"Ha! So he can't even ride a horse—what a failure!"
"Hey, don't gloat!"
"Oh! I see... Mm, that's even better, come!"
Just as Ning'er approached her treasure horse to familiarize herself, His Majesty suddenly came before Ah Jun—only, due to this child's physical condition, he'd never ridden a horse himself, and now suddenly needing to practice made Ah Jun a bit hesitant.
—Really want to try, have read so much instructional material, know the general steps, should be able to put into practice... But this horse is so tall, and I've never ridden one. What if something happens and I fall? What if the horse doesn't obey, how would I deal with it? And how do I even mount...
"Hey, could it be you really haven't ridden a horse before... Brother Lu, look at him, haha!"
"Hey..."
"Xiao Jun, why not try? This horse is quite special..."
"Oh! Ah Jun, I got it—hai, what's going on here—turns out it's not Qianli!"
"Mm... Not bad actually, but you're only half right—though it's not Qianli, it can still travel a thousand li..."
"Really? It can travel a thousand li a day? How come besides that treasure horse, there are others that can too... Can't tell at all!"
"Mm... It's per year—Xiao Jun, it's called Little Qianli. Don't judge by its thin limbs, average build, small eyes, and bald head... Ouch!"
At this moment, seeing the child somewhat dazed, the considerate His Majesty personally led the horse over, quietly encouraging Ah Jun while introducing the horse before him.
Just as His Majesty was carefully explaining details, the horse beside them seemed displeased—Little Qianli swished its tail, lightly swatting the narrator's rear a few times. It looked as if it understood human language, reminding the speaker about word choice.
"Oh my, but it's the truth! Okay, okay... Children, this Little Qianli, though quite ordinary, has one excellent advantage—anyone who can't ride horses, as long as they have it, guaranteed safe practice and quick learning!"
Then His Majesty continued patiently explaining, hoping to dispel the child's inner doubts—here, the royal family bred many special horses, including one type specifically for beginners. As long as you rode them, not only was it safe and stress-free, but they would also guide you through practice to master techniques and become entry-level riders. And Little Qianli was the top student among these horses, though they weren't good at long-distance running, being used to leisure!
"So, want to give it a try?"
"Mm... Thank you, Your Majesty, I'd like to try!"
"Good! Come, Tianji, familiarize the children!"
"Yes!"
"Mm... Sigh, Uncle, what about me?"
Under His Majesty's explanation and support, Ah Jun gradually opened his heart and gathered courage to try the challenge—and at this moment, the Holy Maiden had already successfully mounted her horse preparing to ride, clearly not a beginner!
However, there was still one problem—the talkative Xiaoxi standing aside had obviously been overlooked. Right now he stood there dumbfounded, suddenly his small eyes narrowed, only then thinking of himself.
"Wait... Where's my horse?"
"Yours... Your horse is right there!"
"Haha... Hey! What, forgot your own horse!"
"Ah! Where? Oh... Huh? It's that one, right, the horse I rode before—but... I don't want it!"
After everyone's prompts, Xiaoxi finally found his horse—though he really didn't want to face this reality, it was indeed his former mount called Dougeng, now grown up.
This horse, though not large in build, was quite sturdy, chubby, somewhat resembling Xiaoxi. Yellow skin, dense brown fur, only the tail and legs a bit short, but fortunately the head was large—big mouth, big ears, big nose, except the eyes a bit small.
And speaking of these eyes... They weren't just ordinarily small, practically identical to Xiaoxi's eyes—to use a precise metaphor, if Xiaoxi had two thin lines, then his mount's eyes were about the size of mung beans, small and round. Overall, both had an irresistible comedic quality. This pairing was simply perfect.
Sure enough, even Ning'er, that ice queen beauty, couldn't help covering her mouth with a smile upon seeing this. Though Ah Jun looked normal on the surface and understood Xiaoxi's feelings, inside he couldn't stop churning, so he squinted his eyes, pretending calm while holding back, tears flooding his eyes.
If his own companions were like this, needless to say about others.
Of course, the little princess especially—she laughed heartily, looking quite relieved. At this moment, Ah Jun inadvertently discovered that willful little girl had suddenly become an adorable young girl again. How nice!
Of course, this pairing inevitably made one suspect the Empress deliberately gave Xiaoxi these "small shoes" for her daughter's sake—but fortunately, Xiaoxi was big-hearted. If it's funny, so be it—he was used to it anyway. Especially seeing the little fairy's delighted expression made it all worthwhile.
"Giddyup... Whoa... Ouch!"
Then, with trainer Uncle Tianji's assistance, Ah Jun learned while practicing theoretical knowledge, then refined it to form insights suited to himself—at this time, Ning'er led the way, Ah Jun followed, and they began training on the grassland.
Among them, Ning'er was the most skilled of the three, her coordination with Frost Descent very harmonious, just like longtime partners. Whether speed or technique, both amazed the others.
As a newcomer, Ah Jun was much weaker—because he was very nervous at first, adapting more slowly. This child's expression was blank, eyes scattered, but working very hard to coordinate... Of course, this scene greatly pleased the little princess watching from the side. Seeing Ah Jun's timid appearance, more than half her anger dissipated.
However, the trainer accompanying Ah Jun, Tianji, was different. He seemed very relaxed. Though he indeed said nothing, from that satisfied expression and nodding gestures, one could see he seemed quite approving of this poorly-performing child...
—Mm, young man, promising, I'm optimistic about you! Seems the child of destiny gets special treatment wherever he goes...
Of course, how could we not mention Xiaoxi in this trio? Only, this kid's mount looked sturdy but was actually fat, plus Xiaoxi's own tonnage, so movement speed was very slow, even slower than newcomer Ah Jun.
Though Xiaoxi tried hard urging the horse, Dougeng just seemed very casual and leisurely—this made Xiaoxi lose all face. The little princess watching from the side was already laughing so hard she started rubbing her belly.
So that poor mount naturally became Xiaoxi's focus of complaints.
—Sigh! Humans, with such beautiful scenery, why compete with others? Let's just take a stroll, get some air, then go back to eat and sleep, how leisurely...
Whew, so tired... Stayed up late last night having heart-to-hearts with Penggeng, really exhausted!
Hey, I say buddy, how come you're getting heavier? Don't you know I'm working hard? Still muttering there. Ever heard the story of the tortoise and the hare?
Speaking of the horses' emotional intelligence, Dougeng and Tangbao were really neck and neck—and their fates seemed similar too, both carrying unbearable burdens yet suffering like mutes eating bitter herbs! Of course, it wanted to speak, but people had to understand. Not to mention someone as thick-skinned as Xiaoxi.
"Let's go, Brother Lu. Let's find Jiying—it's too boring here now!"
"Mm..."
"Speaking of which... That child is really quite clever... Just practiced this little while and doesn't need Tianji watching anymore!"
At this moment, His Majesty and the Empress watching from the side kept their eyes on Ah Jun's movements. As the child continuously improved, the Empress's gaze remained consistent—still very stern, whether demanding too much of Ah Jun or just unable to stand seeing him do well. Anyway, His Majesty watched happily, praising all the while.
Of course, Ah Jun didn't disappoint the royal grace. With the trainer and horse's help, he successfully refined original knowledge points into his own horsemanship experience through practice—and just as Xiaoxi was about to catch up, Ah Jun patted once and shouted, whoosh, taking off running!
—What the heck, I just barely caught up.
As the dust kicked up by Little Qianli slowly dispersed, behind Ah Jun, one could see a pair of lines like eyebrows and two things like mung beans for eyes, staying there, watching longingly, both envious and helpless.
—Hey, isn't it said persistence is victory... Look how fast they're running, then look at you. Not even as fast as me walking!
"Wow, this running feeling, so exhilarating!"
Though Little Qianli's current speed wasn't fast, for little Ah Jun who had never ridden a horse before and didn't dare try, it was already quite enjoyable—because he not only gained a new skill but also broke through his inner shackles.
Of course, as Ah Jun's little coach, the horse was also very happy—after all, Ah Jun was light, his attitude gentle, and he didn't treat them as mere mounts.
More of a feeling like friends, because from the start, like Ning'er, he would first interact with the horse, get familiar, have heart-to-hearts.
—In this regard, Ah Jun was quite skilled. No wonder so many small animals liked him.
"Hmph... Running so slowly, what's there to be happy about—hey, dare you race again!"
"Huh? Oh... Better not. I just learned, definitely can't compare to the Princess's horsemanship..."
"Really? Afraid of me..."
"Afraid of you? We're too lazy to compete with you!"
"What... Duan Muxi, how are you still the same coward as before? Haha, scared now!"
"Hey... What are you saying, who's scared of who—come on, let's compete... Right? Um... Well, I'll listen to Ah Jun!"
However, some people just couldn't stand seeing Ah Jun doing well—shortly after he became proficient, the little princess had returned from the stables with Yuwen Lu, leading a white steed that matched the princess perfectly. Just looking at it, the temperament already exuded nobility.
That horse indeed looked extremely beautiful. The picture of it with the little princess was quite pleasing to the eye!
Of course, Ah Jun's sincere praise brought no benefit, but rather because of so-called excessive attention, provoked the girl.
Only, surprisingly, the little princess's expression changed from initial displeasure to suddenly brightening—and the strange point was this: logically, she wouldn't give the boy a good face, yet after stopping, she lowered her head with a smile, humphed, then actually turned to challenge Ah Jun and the others...
For this, Ah Jun firmly resisted. Not to mention horsemanship ability, he feared more complications later that would make the Empress explode—besides, he'd witnessed the little princess's temper yesterday... So at this moment, he politely declined the girl's challenge.
However, as Ah Jun's good brother, Xiaoxi couldn't tolerate others mocking his bro, let alone those insulting words—then, that little chubby guy impulsively made the decision for everyone... Naturally stopped immediately by Ah Jun, but too late.
Because Xiaoxi's action played right into the little princess's hands—the girl was clever, using provocation to successfully shake Xiaoxi. Then next came step two: strike while the iron's hot...
Then the little princess smiled lightly and gave Ah Jun two choices—either accept the challenge, two rounds, just win one and past grudges wiped clean!
Or admit cowardice... Not competing was fine too, but required the boy to publicly kneel and apologize for yesterday's improper behavior!
—Such humiliating terms... Who could tolerate this? No one!
Xiaoxi was first to disagree, and Ning'er also protested. As for Ah Jun, now stuck between a rock and hard place. Though he really didn't want more conflict or to be enemies with the girl, in fact, some problems couldn't be avoided.
So Ah Jun could only reluctantly choose to face it. Then, deciding to accept the challenge, he had to give his all. Because Big Sister told him, in competition must use full strength—that's the greatest sincerity toward opponents!
"Mm... Alright then!"
"Good... Hmph, just wait and see. Today this princess will make you lose completely convinced!"
The match was still judged by His Majesty and the Empress, assisted by trainer Tianji. Two total speed races, one-on-one, no technical obstacles. Racers circled the track once, hitting the finish line, mainly competing on speed—of course, there were many tricks involved.
Like starting burst, mid-section pulling endurance, sprint power accumulation and timing... All very important. Even if you're an expert with a treasure horse, you might not beat an old partnership—but the core problem was, the little princess and Yuwen Lu's abilities were no joke, while Ah Jun's side only had elite Ning'er, a bit unbalanced.
Only, since it was now two rounds and Ah Jun's side just needed to win once for victory, so opportunity existed. But this naturally became Ah Jun's worried difficulty—what to do?
Seems winning one round is hard—their horsemanship is definitely good, but we only have Ning'er who can fight. Me and Xiaoxi... Sigh, can't have Ning'er run both rounds!
—Mm, right, I've got it...