Chapter 133: Are You Blind?

"You must be visiting here for the first time."

The horse-tending official glanced at Zhao Zhen and his entourage. Aside from the Imperial Guard tokens, he did not recognize a single one of them.

Of course he didn't. Zhao Zhen never had to personally come to the imperial stables to fetch a horse to ride; since they had never crossed paths, how could the official possibly recognize him?

Yet, looking at it another way, no matter how wild the horse official's imagination ran, he would never have guessed that his lack of recognition wasn't due to Zhao Zhen never having ridden the horses here, but rather because the man standing before him was the Emperor himself.

Therefore, the horse official was far from enthusiastic; he merely refrained from showing outright annoyance. After all, in this imperial stable, everyone except His Majesty came here essentially to take advantage of the Sovereign. Theoretically speaking, they were not even supposed to be hosted.

"Come, come, I know the horses here like the back of my hand," Zhao Zhen introduced.

Horse official: *Such a showoff.*

"If you want to choose a horse, just ask me," Zhao Zhen added.

Horse official: *Utterly shameless.*

This was just a minor interlude. Since the horse official kept these thoughts to himself, no one else knew, which unfortunately detracted a bit from the amusement.

"Oh, this place is truly breathtaking!"

Cao Jinhua had never seen a real grassland before. Walking on the lush green turf and gazing at the boundless horse ranch stretching all around, she exclaimed in wonder.

In the distance, amidst the breaking morning mist, horses grazed leisurely on gentle knolls, while a few dairy cows sprawled lazily at the foot of the hills, occasionally accompanied by the faint neighing of a steed. The vast, emerald-green meadow was adorned with these livestock, brimming with vibrant vitality. A fiery red sun hung over the pasture, and the expansive, rolling earth reflected a sea of green stretching as far as the eye could see. There were no towering buildings, no civilian dwellings, no shops, and no clamor; there were only the scattered residences of the horse-tending officials dotting this ocean of green. In such an immaculate environment, one's spirit was indeed lifted, washing away the hustle and bustle of Bianjing as if one had stepped into a paradise far removed from the mortal world.

To be able to construct such a vast horse ranch in the suburbs of Bianjing was no longer merely a matter of money—it was a matter of royal sanction. Yet, Shen Shi cared not a whit about any of this.

If Zhao Zhen wanted to put on airs, let him. For an emperor to try this hard to act like an ordinary person, minor flaws could easily be overlooked.

Encouraged by Zhao Zhen's earnestness, his companions played along graciously, all going to select the mounts he designated. Moreover, the horses in the imperial stables truly recognized him and showed not an ounce of fear.

However, the horses Zhao Zhen picked were all spirited, fiery steeds, which deeply worried the horse-tending official. He had seen plenty of these young scions from aristocratic families; they all fancied themselves true equestrians who refused to ride anything less than a fierce mount. But how could unbridled horses ever be handled by the likes of them?

If someone took a tumble, both he and the horses would be in deep trouble.

Yes, he was talking precisely about the man who had been offering the most eager recommendations—Zhao Zhen.

"This fiery one here is the gentlest mare in our stable. Even the Emperor himself has ridden her," the horse official noted keenly. Despite Zhao Zhen's glib and confident talk, the man bore no resemblance to an actual rider. Thus, the official deliberately recommended a docile creature.

"You call this the gentlest horse?" Zhao Zhen's expression shifted the moment he heard those words.

Originally, he had been looking at this red mare with great enthusiasm, even intending to stroke her—after all, she was indeed a mount he had ridden before. But back then, what had the people in the palace told him?

They had claimed she was the "finest" horse in the imperial stables, not the "gentlest."

Blaze was indeed gentle, showing not the slightest reluctance when someone offered her feed. When Cao Jinhua tried it out, the mare stretched out her long tongue and scooped it right up in one swift motion.

Zhao Zhen's expression darkened even further as he glared daggers at Chen Lin—to think this old eunuch had been deceiving him all along.

"Esteemed patron, would you care to select another? We have Mongolian ponies and Shetland ponies suitable for youths."

Sensing Zhao Zhen's dissatisfaction, the horse official quickly offered other options. However, the underlying premise remained unchanged: every single horse recommended was one unlikely to cause trouble.

"No need," Zhao Zhen waved a hand.

He was not an arbitrary tyrant. While he was furious that he had always been given gentle horses to ride, he also understood that Chen Lin had only been looking out for his safety.

A gentleman does not stand under a tottering wall. That had always been his guiding educational principle.

Seeing Zhao Zhen refuse, the horse official was taken aback. Who comes to a place like this and refuses to ride, especially a man?

He attempted to explain, "Sir, the fine steeds here are all very docile, especially the ponies. They are quite small, and you won't run into any trouble riding them."

Right now, his only concern was that Zhao Zhen might insist on a fiery horse. That was the last thing he wanted to see, for wild horses could inflict severe injuries.

Judging by the large retinue protecting Zhao Zhen, his background was clearly extraordinary. Forget about a fall; if the man was even frightened, the consequences were more than the official could bear.

Chen Lin and Zhao Zhen's guards observed the horse official's conduct and thought it exceptionally prudent and measured. This was His Supreme Majesty, after all; safety naturally had to come first.

As for Shen Shi and Cao Jinhua—Shen Shi's expression remained unreadable, but Cao Jinhua was having the time of her life!

*Hee hee, so what if he's the Emperor? Now he's stuck riding gentle ponies just like anyone else.*

She felt all the frustration of being pushed around by Zhao Zhen wash away in an instant. It was far more refreshing and soul-soothing than gazing upon the boundless emerald meadows.

Zhao Zongjing felt much the same way, though he was far more restrained, not nearly as obvious or audacious as Cao Jinhua.

"I said, no need."

Why did the horse official insist on rubbing salt into the wound? How could Zhao Zhen possibly be happy?

Yes, a gentleman does not stand under a wall about to collapse; riding fiery horses carried risks, and he understood that. But could the man stop bringing it up over and over again?

It was like the saying about fields that could never be plowed to ruin versus oxen that worked themselves to death.

It was a profound truth with a fine cautionary moral; no one could deny it. But when someone kept repeating it—and kept repeating it to a man whose pride was already hanging by a thread...

What on earth were they trying to imply?

"I want a fiery horse! The fiercest horse you have!"

A man could never admit to being inadequate.

Seeing this, the horse official had no choice but to shut his mouth, though a flicker of contempt crossed his eyes.

"If you want the fiercest horse, isn't it right behind you?" The horse official gestured toward Shen Shi's mount.

The official couldn't help thinking that this old patron loved putting on airs, bringing his pretense all the way to the imperial stables.

What was he trying to do? Imply that the imperial horses weren't even as good as the ones from his private estate?

Though the horse official was loath to admit it, such was indeed the reality.

Zhao Zhen turned around and was almost amused to the point of rage.

The very purpose of his trip was to use the imperial horses to outshine Shen Shi's steed, but with the horse official making such a remark, there wasn't even any need for a comparison. He might as well just concede defeat.

"Do you not have any horses here fiercer than those?" Zhao Zhen demanded.

"Truly, there are none finer than the ones the patron has brought," the horse official answered honestly. Besides, the official harbored his own hidden agenda: let the man put on his airs, let him soar, and hopefully get himself in over his head and clear out of here quickly.

If he had the time, he might even head over to the Ministry of Revenue official's son; perhaps he could still curry some favor there. He had been meaning to change this horse-tending post anyway.

*Ahem...* That was the advantage of a familiar face. A minister's son was someone worth desperately sucking up to. Everyone wanted a promotion; everyone wanted a better job.

As for the true master of this ranch, His Majesty Emperor Zhao Zhen? Apologies, but he had never laid eyes on him. The name held no weight—at least not right now.