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In later times, Fei Qian had been influenced by widespread online notions that during the Three Kingdoms period, neither high-backed saddles nor double stirrups—two critical innovations—existed, nor was there anything like horseshoes, an invention that would endure through the ages.
He had once fantasized that if he could travel back to the Han Dynasty, gather a troop of cavalry, equip them with these innovations, and then sweep across the world, invincible.
But upon actually arriving in the Han Dynasty, Fei Qian discovered that these items already existed in this era, albeit not in the fully refined forms of later times. They were clearly in their embryonic stages.
Stirrups, for instance: the Han used ropes and wood, while the Hu employed leather straps. Iron stirrups were absent, and the reason was simple—iron was heavier and more expensive than wood or leather.
As for single versus double stirrups, well, ancient people were far cleverer than modern assumptions gave them credit for.
The Hu not only had stirrups but also used multiple thick leather straps to secure their saddles, forming a "卅" shape. When necessary, the Hu would hook their feet into this leather structure to stabilize their bodies, which was the secret behind their ability to perform tricks like hiding beneath their horses.
For the Han, stirrups were often made of rope and wooden sticks, some even just simple rope loops without sticks. Yet, double stirrups had already appeared.
These rudimentary stirrups had been widely used since the time of Emperor Wu of Han. From his reign onward, cavalry became increasingly prominent, evolving from a reconnaissance auxiliary to a primary combat force. In multiple campaigns against the Xiongnu, Han cavalry traveled thousands of miles to battlefields far from home. Without stirrups, relying solely on leg strength to grip the horse would have been exhausting, even for the toughest riders. Staying in formation would have been challenging, let alone fighting effectively.
Saddles followed a similar logic. While not yet the fully developed high-backed saddles of later eras, Han saddles already featured a concave design that provided some front-and-back support, though not as pronounced as in later times.
As for horseshoes, they were a project Fei Qian could potentially refine later, as they hadn't yet reached a mature form.
What existed were wooden "shoes," not horseshoe-shaped but more like wooden clogs for horses. Four small holes were drilled into the wood, matched with four holes in the horse's hoof, and tied together. These were called "wooden clogs."
In the Bingzhou region where Fei Qian currently resided, most roads were flat, with few rocky surfaces, so iron horseshoes weren't yet a necessity.
As for the future… that could wait.
Ma Yan slowly urged his horse forward, advancing alone for a short distance. Without looking back, he raised his long spear in his right hand, his posture upright, as solid as a mountain, exuding an aura of boundless valor.
Ma Yan shouted, "Veterans of Bingzhou, form ranks!"
A soldier rode up behind him, responding loudly, "Zhang of Heyin, Wuyuan!"
"Chang of Dacheng, Shuofang!"
"Li of Chengle, Yunzhong!"
…
No further words were needed. In these simple responses, the Bingzhou veterans stepped forward from the ranks, calling out their hometowns as if summoning the names of their loved ones.
They were calm, as if preparing not for a battle but for a leisurely journey, carrying an air of ease and confidence.
They were silent, like unyielding stones. Though their numbers were not great, they stood together like a thick, impregnable stone wall.
They quietly tied the ropes of their ring-handled sabers to their wrists, waiting in silence, gazing at the figure standing before them—the man whose presence was as steadfast as a mountain.
Ma Yan lowered his raised spear and charged forward!
No battle cries were needed, for they required no slogans to spur them on.
No war drums sounded, for the thunder of their hooves was the most stirring rhythm of all.
The wind howled.
The horses neighed.
Yet they remained silent, like a landslide cascading from a mountaintop—lacking thunderous noise but possessing the momentum and power to engulf everything in its path.
The two sides clashed, with only one chance for the Xiongnu to loose their arrows. In their panic, the arrows they fired were sparse and poorly aimed, mostly targeting Ma Yan. With a flourish of his spear, Ma Yan deflected them effortlessly, rendering them ineffective.
Ma Yan felt the wind rush past his face, his blood surging within him. Observing the Xiongnu's loose, chaotic formation charging toward him, he let out a faint, disdainful smile. Adjusting his horse's direction slightly, he plunged into their ranks like a razor-sharp awl.
A Xiongnu on his right let out a wild shout, too late to stow his bow. He hurled it at Ma Yan to free his hands for his saber.
Another Xiongnu on his left raised his saber high, preparing to strike as their horses passed.
With a flick and shake of his spear, Ma Yan redirected the thrown bow, smashing it into the face of the Xiongnu on his left with a crack. The man reeled backward, falling from his horse. Ma Yan then thrust his spear, catching the Xiongnu on his right, whose saber was only half-drawn. The spearpoint slashed across the man's neck, spraying a mist of blood as he collapsed from his mount.
Ma Yan was the sharpest point of this awl, and his spear was the lethal tip of that point. The Xiongnu's loose formation was like layers of thick cloth—resisting as best it could but ultimately futile.
Since arriving in Beiqu, Fei Qian had equipped these veteran soldiers with the finest gear, replacing their old leather armor with finely crafted iron scale armor, complete with arm guards and helmets, greatly enhancing their protection.
The overlapping iron plates of the scale armor, made from high-quality materials, offered both resilience and strength. In this era, especially against the Xiongnu soldiers, this was a blatant display of metallurgical superiority.
The Xiongnu's scattered arrows bounced off the iron scales, sparking faintly before falling to the dust. Their sabers struck the armor but couldn't penetrate, producing only a harsh scraping sound before glancing aside. The superior equipment emboldened the Bingzhou veterans, while the Xiongnu grew increasingly demoralized with each failed strike.
The Bingzhou veterans surged forward like a flood, following Ma Yan's lead, tearing through the Xiongnu formation and widening the breach. Like an awl or a sharp blade, they pierced the Xiongnu, leaving them bloodied and scattered.
The sound of hooves echoed, shattering the valley.
The Bingzhou veterans fought with increasing ferocity. Though outnumbered by the Xiongnu, under Ma Yan's leadership, they pressed the enemy relentlessly!
Watching the scene, Fei Qian felt a surge of pride well up within him.
These were the true veterans of Bingzhou!
This was the cavalry of the Han!
This was the iron cavalry of the Han Dynasty, which once roamed the northern and southern slopes of the Yin Mountains, leaving the Xiongnu crying for mercy!
*****
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