“The Four Lines of the White Rabbit” are from the Later Han yuefu poem “Ancient Song of Beauty,” also known as “Ancient Song of Sorrow.” Though it contains only a few words, it is lingering and plaintive, easily resonating with listeners. Jessica Bolton paid no heed to issues of plagiarism or piracy, and recited it offhand. The two women had never heard such moving lines before. The Foster Family savored their meaning carefully, becoming entranced for a moment, while The Miller Family was moved to tears.

Suddenly, both women cried out in surprise. It turned out that His Highness the Crown Prince, disregarding all decorum, had, in broad daylight and in front of the maids and servants, picked up the two sisters and strode toward the bedchamber—this was the legendary “indulgence in broad daylight”! Not long after, the lingering sounds of passion echoed from the bedchamber, but fortunately, all the servants had already tactfully withdrawn.

A few days later, General Wucheng David Carter paid an unexpected visit, inviting His Highness the Crown Prince to go hunting in the eastern suburbs. Jessica Bolton had long wanted to meet this future brother-in-law and King Wucheng, the nation’s defender, so he gladly agreed.

The two of them, accompanied by a group of household guards, galloped on horseback all the way to the cloud fields of the eastern suburbs.

“Your Highness’s strength is astonishing—at Feiyun Pavilion you replaced beams and pillars, at Xianqing Hall you dragged nine oxen backwards; truly unmatched under heaven.” David Carter slowed his mount, cupped his hands in salute to Jessica Bolton, and said, “What I did not expect is that Your Highness’s riding skills are also so superb—controlling your horse at full speed as if walking on level ground. I am truly ashamed.”

At this time, cavalry was already being widely used in warfare, differing somewhat from the chariots of history. The riding skills of the Quanrong of the western frontier were especially formidable, earning them the title “people of the horse,” somewhat akin to the Xiongnu of the Han dynasty. (After all, the protagonist was reborn in a parallel world, not a strictly historical one.)

“Haha! General, you flatter me. I merely have some brute strength—how could I compare to your exceptional martial skills?” Receiving David Carter’s praise, Jessica Bolton was naturally delighted. “Just now, I was riding at full speed, yet you kept up with ease behind me. I suspect that if not for my status as Crown Prince, you would have left me far behind.”

“Your Highness need not be modest. I only benefited from my mount.” David Carter patted the five-colored divine ox beneath him. “This ox is an ancient and rare breed, quite extraordinary. I acquired it by chance while campaigning with the Grand Tutor against rebels. It can travel a thousand li a day without tiring. Yet Your Highness can keep pace with an ordinary horse—now that is true skill!”

Jessica Bolton shook his head and pointed to the object beneath him. “Actually, it’s not my ability, but the marvelous use of this item.”

Chapter 10: The Crown Prince Hunts the Eastern Suburbs with Beauties

David Carter looked and saw that beneath His Highness was a leather pad. He hadn’t expected that what he thought was a mere decorative “ornament” would have such a function. The Crown Prince’s feet were also fitted with a pair of small, exquisite bronze items. The combination of these two things undoubtedly allowed the rider to control the horse more securely and freely.

The earliest saddles were invented by the Assyrians, but were quite simple—just a soft pad. The practical wooden high-bow saddle was first invented by the nomads of Central Asia. Before saddles, shooting arrows from a galloping horse was extremely difficult, as the rider had to grip the horse’s belly tightly with both legs to maintain balance, while also drawing the bow with both arms and aiming as best as possible. Even for nomads raised on horseback, this method of combat was inefficient and hard to execute. The best solution was to stop the horse to shoot, or simply dismount. When the high-bow saddle came into use, it provided longitudinal stability, allowing the rider to shoot forward while galloping. However, due to the lack of lateral support, shooting to the sides or turning to shoot behind was still dangerous and likely to cause a fall. It was not until the invention of the stirrup that this situation changed.

The stirrup, a device for the feet when riding, hangs from the saddle’s straps on both sides. With it, cavalry could free their hands and perform various actions on horseback more easily. Only then did the history of human warfare truly enter the era of the invincible cavalry. According to research, the earliest stirrups were found in the Northern Wei period of China in the 3rd or 4th century AD, and the earliest verifiable saddles in China date to the late Eastern Han. For the Shang dynasty, saddles and stirrups were absolutely inventions ahead of their time. When Jessica Bolton made the saddle and stirrups, it was on a whim, but today he had deliberately brought them out to show David Carter.

David Carter came from a family of generals, had served in the army since childhood, and was well-versed in military affairs. With a brief explanation, he immediately understood the principle and function of the saddle and stirrups. His face lit up with delight, and he dismounted from the five-colored divine ox, kneeling before Jessica Bolton: “If the treasures Your Highness has made could be widely used in our Shang army, the combat power of our cavalry would more than double. In future battles against the Quanrong, who excel at riding and guerrilla warfare, we would have a great advantage. I beg Your Highness for permission.”

Jessica Bolton had already intended to win over David Carter, so he quickly dismounted to help him up and gladly agreed. Seeing David Carter treasure the items so much, he secretly laughed: Brother-in-law, there are plenty more “treasures” to surprise you with!

After this incident, the relationship between Jessica Bolton and David Carter grew much closer. The two mounted their horses again, loosened the reins, and rode along, chatting happily. Suddenly, one of the household guards behind David Carter interjected, “His Highness is unmatched in strength, but how is his archery? Today is the perfect chance to witness Your Highness’s divine skill!”

“How dare you! Such insolence!” David Carter was startled and quickly shouted back. When he saw who it was, his expression changed dramatically: “You… Hurry up and fall back!”