Chapter 61 Stirrups and Saddles, Appearing Ahead of Schedule (Revised)
Li Mu's face was very dark!
Lian Po's face darkened even more!
They had previously mocked Li Yao for overestimating himself, thinking he could defeat seasoned soldiers with thirty useless imperial guards.
Now, the results of the cavalry duel between the two sides are in.
On their side, all one hundred soldiers on the battlefield were 'killed in action'.
On the Imperial Guard's side, none of the thirty soldiers were killed in action; only some suffered minor injuries.
This result was a huge slap in the face for them.
They never expected that they would lose so badly.
However, what they were even more curious about was how Li Yao had managed to do it.
As soon as the competition ended, Li Mu and Lian Po couldn't wait to jump off the platform and rush to the training ground.
Li Yao, Shan Rou, and Zhao Zhi exchanged a glance, smiled, and followed together.
Previously, Li Mu and Lian Po had already noticed that the Imperial Guards' equipment was somewhat different.
So, as soon as they rushed into the training ground, they began to study the warhorses ridden by the Imperial Guards and the weapons they used.
First, they studied a pair of stirrups hanging on either side of the saddle.
Of course, they didn't know that this thing was called a stirrup, because stirrups hadn't appeared at that time. Stirrups only started to appear in the Central Plains around the Western Han Dynasty.
The stirrup is a groundbreaking invention in human history.
As one Western expert pointed out, "Few inventions are as simple as the stirrup, yet few have such profound historical significance. The stirrup applied animal power to close combat, uniting cavalry and horses as one."
Indeed, the invention of the stirrup made warhorses easier to control, connected man and horse as one, and freed the hands of the rider. Cavalrymen could ride and shoot at the same time, or swing left and right on their horses to perform military maneuvers such as slashing and hacking.
Seeing Li Mu and Lian Po studying the stirrups with curiosity, Li Yao explained, "These are called stirrups. Their function is self-evident, and I'm sure you two prime ministers have already figured it out."
Indeed, Li Mu and Lian Po were both veterans of the battlefield. As soon as they saw the stirrup, they knew its function and saw its advantages.
Lian Po clicked his tongue in amazement, saying, "I never imagined that such a small stirrup could solve the major problem of cavalry fighting on horseback."
Li Mu was also amazed and said, "Grand Tutor Li is truly a genius. We never thought of such a simple yet ingenious stirrup. A small pair of stirrups can prevent soldiers from falling off their horses and greatly increase their combat effectiveness."
Then, Li Mu and Lian Po fixed their gazes on Gao Qiao's saddle.
By this time, saddles had already appeared.
However, at this time, saddles were basically padded saddles, which were just a cushion so that people wouldn't feel any discomfort when they sat on them.
There are generally two difficulties in riding a horse.
Firstly, it's uncomfortable because a horse's spine is very high, and riding it directly can feel quite uncomfortable, causing pain in certain areas, and the horse itself will also be uncomfortable.
Secondly, it is unstable, with no support in front or behind, and no foothold on the ground, making it prone to swaying from side to side.
Padded saddles, to some extent, solve the problem of discomfort when riding a horse.
However, the problem of an unstable horse ride cannot be solved by a padded saddle.
The Takahashi saddle can solve this problem well, and it also further solves the problem of discomfort when riding a horse.
Moreover, the combination of the Takahashi saddle and stirrups perfectly solved the problem of instability while riding.
At this time, the high-bridged saddle did not appear. It was not until around the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Wei and Jin Dynasties that the high-bridged saddle began to appear in the Central Plains.
It can be said that the Takahashi saddle is also a great invention in the history of cavalry, and its role and influence are no less than those of the stirrup.
Lian Po and Li Mu touched the saddle of the high-bridged horse, their faces showing expressions of amazement.
This ingenious design perfectly solved the previous problems of horseback riding.
They all knew that without stirrups and high saddles, cavalrymen, straddling their horses, could only avoid falling off when the horses were galloping by holding onto the reins or mane and squeezing the horse's belly with their legs.
But this method is very unreliable!
Firstly, riding a horse for a long time can easily lead to fatigue, and secondly, it is difficult to use a bow and arrow effectively while on horseback.
In close combat, cavalrymen cannot use swords and spears at will. Missing slashes or thrusts, or the clash of weapons, can cause cavalrymen to slip off their horses at any time.
However, stirrups and high-bridged saddles perfectly solve these problems.
They never expected that Li Yao would create two things of such great significance.
These two items can definitely boost the cavalry's combat effectiveness by several levels.
Lian Po couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Grand Tutor Li, you are truly brilliant! You actually managed to come up with such ingenious horse tack."
Like Li Mu, Lian Po no longer addressed Li Yao as "Grand Tutor" at this moment.
Previously, they had not recognized Li Yao as the Grand Tutor.
At this moment, they were completely convinced and fully accepted Li Yao's identity as Grand Tutor.
Li Mu couldn't wait to mount his horse and try out the two new horse tack.
Li Yao reminded him, "Prime Minister Li, you can mount your horse using the stirrups."
Li Mu was overjoyed. He hadn't realized that stirrups had this function; they were so practical.
So Li Mu stepped into the stirrups, mounted his horse, flicked his whip, and the warhorse neighed and galloped away.
Lian Po couldn't resist any longer and excitedly said, "I'll give it a try too!"
As he spoke, he imitated Li Mu, stepped into the stirrups, easily mounted the horse, and then rode away.
Li Mu and Lian Po were as excited and thrilled as if they were riding horses for the first time, and they kept making all sorts of fancy moves on their horses.
On a whim, the two even engaged in a horse-riding duel.
Zhao Zhi, standing behind Li Yao, exclaimed, "I never expected the two prime ministers to be so excited and thrilled!"
Li Yao laughed and said, "Of course, they are all veterans of the battlefield, so they naturally know that these two new horse tacks will bring about earth-shattering changes to the cavalry."
Seon-yoo nodded and said, "Yes, I was just as excited and thrilled when I first rode a horse with stirrups and a high-bridged saddle."
Li Mu and Lian Po rode for a long time before finally returning on horseback.
As soon as he dismounted, Lian Po exclaimed excitedly, "This is exhilarating! This is truly exhilarating! I have never ridden a horse so freely since I started riding!"
Li Mu shared the same sentiment and excitedly said, "If all the warhorses in the army were equipped with these two types of horse gear, our cavalry's combat effectiveness would be greatly enhanced."
Lian Po quickly said, "Grand Tutor Li, I want to equip all the warhorses in my army with these two types of horse gear."
Li Yao laughed and said, "Please don't panic, my two prime ministers. We have another, even more impressive item to look at!"
Chapter 62 Master Craftsman Li Yao, Horseshoes and Ring-Pommel Sword
Is there an even more amazing item?
Li Mu and Lian Po were both stunned. Stirrups and high-bridged saddles were already very powerful. What other items could be more powerful?
Li Yao smiled mysteriously and gestured to the Imperial Guards soldiers beside him.
The soldier understood and immediately lifted a horse's leg, turned up the horseshoe, and showed it to Li Mu and Lian Po.
"Huh? What is this?"
Both Li Mu and Lian Po were surprised.
They noticed a crescent-shaped object on the horseshoe, which appeared to be made of iron.
Li Yao explained with a smile, "These are called horseshoes. They not only protect the horses' hooves, but also help them grip the ground more firmly to prevent slipping and falling."
After Li Yao's explanation, both Li Mu and Lian Po's eyes lit up. They never expected that Li Yao would even consider such a detail.
With horseshoes, warhorses could fight for extended periods, even on long-distance raids.
Moreover, the service life of a single warhorse will be greatly extended, which can solve the problem of warhorse shortage.
This horseshoe may seem insignificant, but its function is extremely important.
Lian Po said excitedly, "Grand Tutor Li, I, Lian Po, rarely admire others, but this time I have to admire you. You are simply too clever; you even managed to come up with such an object."
Li Mu also said excitedly, "Yes, Grand Tutor Li, you are truly a genius! These three horse tack items are all amazing and can greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the cavalry. In the future, Great Zhao will surely become stronger, and Grand Tutor Li should be credited with the greatest contribution."
Li Yao smiled and waved his hand, saying, "You two prime ministers are too kind. Now I'd like to look at another item."
"besides?!"
Lian Po and Li Mu exclaimed in unison.
Could this Grand Tutor Li be a 'divine craftsman' who has created so many astonishing objects?
Li Yao nodded and said only two words: "Weapons!"
Li Mu and Lian Po immediately came to their senses.
They were just stunned by the amazing effect of the stirrups, the high-bridged saddles, and the horseshoes.
For a moment, I completely forgot that the weapons used by the Imperial Guards were also extremely powerful.
Li Yao looked at a soldier of the Imperial Guard and ordered, "Bring two swords over so that the two prime ministers may take a look."
The soldier responded loudly and quickly brought two knives, which he respectfully handed to Li Mu and Lian Po.
Li Mu and Lian Po took the swords, their expressions becoming unusually solemn.
The knives they held were longer than their swords.
Near the tip of the blade, it is slightly curved, and at the end of the handle, there is a metal ring.
This was the first time they had ever seen a knife of this design.
In fact, this type of knife was created by Li Yao by combining the embroidered spring knife and the ring-pommel knife.
Its blade is in the shape of the Embroidered Spring Blade, and its handle ends with the ring pommel of the Ring Pommel Blade.
The reason for using a ring pommel is that it can both balance the weight and be used to attach a rope around the wrist to prevent the knife from slipping out of the hand.
Li Yao explained, "This kind of sword is called a ring-pommel sword, which is best suited for cavalry to fight on the battlefield."