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When Fei Qian arrived at the small hilltop, Yu Fuluo was sitting alone on the ground, tapping the table lightly and humming an unfamiliar song.
The Hu people all seemed to be natural-born singers. Perhaps the vast, open landscape of the great grasslands had cultivated their deep, broad voices. Yu Fuluo's singing was no exception. Though Fei Qian couldn't understand the specific words and phrases, he could still sense, through the melody's grace, Yu Fuluo's deep longing for his homeland.
As the song ended, Fei Qian lightly applauded in praise. "The Chanyu is in good spirits and sings beautifully. The song has a sense of vastness and grandeur."
Yu Fuluo rose to greet him. "Prefect Fei flatters me. It's just a shepherd's song from my homeland, sung casually. Come, please take a seat."
Perhaps because he spent too much time with his flocks, or perhaps because he ate too much mutton, within about three meters of Yu Fuluo, Fei Qian could always smell a strong odor of sheep.
In the Han Dynasty, sheep were generally not castrated.
Or to put it another way, during the Han Dynasty, the genitals of most animals remained intact, except for humans.
As early as the Xia and Shang dynasties, the castration of livestock had already appeared. But ironically, the technique for castrating humans had advanced even further. Humans were the first animals to be castrated on a large scale, the first for which the entire castration process and methods were strictly regulated. There were even specialized rooms for castration, called "silkworm chambers."
Yu Fuluo would never have imagined that Fei Qian, while sitting with him, was thinking about castration techniques. Otherwise, he would have tightly gripped the meat-cutting knife in his hand.
Today, Yu Fuluo was hosting a feast. Naturally, it was the usual three items: cheese, mutton, and fermented mare's milk.
The cheese wasn't refined or filtered. Of course, as a tribal leader, a dignified Chanyu, the quality was somewhat better than average, but only to a limited extent. The lump before them, though not black in color, had probably gone wrong at some stage. Most likely, it hadn't been stored carefully and had picked up some dust. It looked a bit gray, and sometimes one could taste a bit of sand.
The mutton, of course, had the same old flavor—intensely gamey. If someone from a later era was sensitive to the taste of mutton, they would find it nearly impossible to eat most large livestock meats in the Han Dynasty. Beef was best, but cattle weren't something one could eat whenever one wanted. That left mutton, which was extremely gamey, and pork, which was extremely rank. It was a choice between the two.
There were also chickens, ducks, and fish, but those weren't commonly seen either. The main reason was the lack of large-scale farming. They were all sold by individual farmers. Moreover, if a large number of chickens or ducks caught a plague, it was also very frightening.
Fish were available as well. People in the Yangzhou region even liked to eat raw fish. But since fish died as soon as they left water, and there were no means of transport, it wasn't easy for people in remote inland areas and mountainous regions to get fish.
"Chanyu, there will be a period of stability now," Fei Qian said slowly, using a small knife to cut the mutton. The meat on the lamb chops was marbled with fat and lean, offering a good chew. After roasting, it was very fragrant, especially the semi-burnt fat, which burst with flavor between the lips and teeth, truly mouthwatering.
Yu Fuluo was stunned upon hearing this. His thick, dark eyebrows practically shot up. He leaned his upper body forward, unconcerned that his sheepskin robe was rubbing against the greasy mutton on the plate. He stared intently at Fei Qian and said in a deep voice, "What does Prefect Fei mean by this? Do you intend to break your word and go back on it?"
Yu Fuluo had invited Fei Qian to this feast precisely to finalize the specific steps and timing. Otherwise, his heart would remain hanging in midair. But before he could even speak, he heard these words from Fei Qian. Had his experiences over the years not tempered his temperament considerably, he would have already flipped the table.
Fei Qian remained unperturbed. "Spring brings warmth, all things grow. It's the season, Chanyu. You wouldn't want to go to the Southern Royal Court without riding horses, would you?"
Yu Fuluo widened his eyes, then blinked several times as the realization dawned. "This... I hadn't expected... that Prefect Fei would also understand this..." Yu Fuluo was momentarily embarrassed, unsure how to properly evaluate Fei Qian.
Once March passed, as the weather warmed, horses gradually entered their estrus period. This animal behavior would not change according to human will. In May, large-scale breeding behavior would begin. This would continue through July and August, then gradually enter a period of lowered receptivity. Only then would the horses' limited brain capacity regain some rationality, allowing them to distinguish friend from foe and obey their masters' commands.
Otherwise, as soon as a single mare went into heat, all the stallions would go mad. They would bite each other recklessly, regardless of whether the other was on their side or the enemy's. They wouldn't care even if they were bitten open and bleeding, all for the chance to mate once, or several times.
Fei Qian nodded without speaking.
The Han people and the Hu people were, after all, quite different.
The Hu were nomadic pastoralists, living on vast expanses of land. Conflicts between them were generally rare. When they did occur, they were usually like Yu Fuluo's struggle for inheritance or disputes over grazing lands. But the Han people were different. Starting from the Warring States period, conflicts arose throughout the year, from spring to summer, from summer to autumn, from autumn to winter.
To adapt warhorses for prolonged combat and mitigate the troubles caused by seasonal issues, the horses were generally castrated.
Later on, even the horses the Hu sold to the Han were castrated beforehand.
Most of the horses Yu Fuluo had brought south were in their natural state, with only a small number castrated. Now that the season had arrived, even if they set out immediately for the royal court, they would still be in the middle of the season. The horses would be a chaotic mess. How could they fight?
They'd charge halfway, then pairs would turn aside and head into a small grove to have some fun.
Fei Qian cleared his throat.
Yu Fuluo also recalled this matter and scratched his head. He couldn't very well castrate all the horses now. That would be like burning the boats or killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. It was a one-shot deal. If they failed to take the royal court, there would be no follow-up.
"Ah! What is to be done..." Yu Fuluo was genuinely anxious, not wanting to delay a single moment. But practical difficulties lay before him. Without Fei Qian's cooperation, his own strength alone was insufficient. And Fei Qian clearly wasn't about to risk everything he had to fulfill Yu Fuluo's wish to reclaim the royal court. They were merely using each other. Thus, they had to act together; neither could do without the other.
"We're not entirely idle now. Chanyu, look..." Fei Qian stood up and pointed to the land around Pingyang where commoners had already begun farming. Instantly, he wore an expression of deep emotion on his face. This land has been abandoned for a long time. But for the Chanyu's great cause, we have overcome many difficulties. Chanyu, look over there. The canal needs to be dredged of silt and restored to flow. This project is extremely arduous... Though the land is newly plowed, it will soon produce grain. In just half a year, we can begin harvesting, which will provide us with more food reserves... Chanyu, you can see for yourself, the soil needs to be turned, planted, and fertilized. It's dirty, smelly, and exposed to wind and sun. Extremely arduous... Chanyu can appreciate this, yes?"
Yu Fuluo was momentarily stunned. He nodded, then suddenly had a faint, unpleasant premonition.