Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne
Chapter 61: The Benefits of Stirrups

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: The Benefits of Stirrups

When Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren saw Zhao Yao leading a horse back, they quickly asked what he intended to do with it.

Zhao Yao stroked Hei Yu’s face while telling Liang Zhaoyi and the others, "I want to show you something good."

The Fifth Princess stood on the other side, stroking Hei Yu’s neck.

"Tenth Brother, the good thing you mentioned isn’t just Hei Yu, is it?"

"Of course not, the good thing I’m talking about is something else." Zhao Yao continued to tease.

Liang Zhaoyi raised her hand and knocked her son lightly on the head. "Stop keeping us in suspense and show us your good thing."

Yu Meiren laughed and said, "If Yao Yao says it’s something good, it definitely is. Hurry and show us."

Pan Cairen curiously asked, "What exactly is this good thing?"

Zhao Yao gave Tong Xi a glance, and Tong Xi immediately understood, handing a pair of iron rings over to Zhao Yao.

Liang Zhaoyi saw the iron rings in Zhao Yao’s hands and said in slight surprise, "This is the good thing you mentioned?"

The Fifth Princess said, "Aren’t these just iron rings?" She wrinkled her nose a bit disdainfully, "What’s so good about them?"

Yu Meiren asked in surprise, "Yao Yao, do these iron rings have some special quality?"

Zhao Yao raised the iron rings in both hands, saying mysteriously to Liang Zhaoyi and the others, "These iron rings aren’t extraordinary, but I’ll soon make them special."

The Fifth Princess looked skeptical, "Tenth Brother, stop bragging. They’re just ordinary iron rings; they can’t be that special."

"You’ll see in a moment." After Zhao Yao spoke, he handed the iron rings to Tong Xi and then took a belt from him.

He draped the belt over Hei Yu and found it a bit too long.

"Tong Xi, cut five inches off with the scissors."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"No, don’t cut five inches, cut three inches, and leave two inches to attach the iron rings." Zhao Yao instructed, "Make sure to fasten them tightly."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I will fasten them tightly." Tong Xi said, then cut three inches off the belt and used it to loop around the iron rings.

Liang Zhaoyi and the others watched Tong Xi’s actions in confusion and asked Zhao Yao, "Yao Yao, what are you doing?"

"Mother, you’ll find out in a moment." Zhao Yao took the assembled stirrups from Tong Xi and tied them to Hei Yu. "Mother, watch carefully now."

Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren nodded slightly, then widened their eyes and stared at Zhao Yao without blinking.

Zhao Yao lifted one foot into the stirrup and told Liang Zhaoyi and the others once more, "Watch closely, Mother."

The Fifth Princess mocked unreservedly, "What’s the point of watching you place one foot on an iron ring?"

Zhao Yao ignored the Fifth Princess, put a little force on his left foot in the stirrup, and leapt onto the horse. Sitting on Hei Yu’s back, he proudly said to Liang Zhaoyi and the others, "Mother, did you see that?"

Yu Meiren and the Fifth Princess, not understanding, asked in confusion, "See what?"

Liang Zhaoyi and Tong Xi understood, their faces filled with shock.

"Mother, didn’t you see it?" Zhao Yao tapped the stirrup under his foot, "Didn’t you see how I used it to get on the horse?"

Yu Meiren and the others said, "We saw it," then asked in confusion, "We saw you step onto the iron ring to mount the horse. What’s special about that?"

Hearing Yu Meiren and the others say this, Zhao Yao’s adorable face showed an expression of disbelief.

"It’s so obvious, yet you didn’t notice!" These Second Mothers are really too dense.

Pan Cairen retorted, "Should we have noticed something?"

Zhao Yao didn’t want to bother with Pan Cairen and the others any further, turning to look at Liang Zhaoyi, "Mother, did you understand?"

"It’s indeed a good thing." Liang Zhaoyi walked to Hei Yu’s side, looked down at the iron rings beneath Zhao Yao’s feet, and said with delight, "With this, mounting the horse becomes easier."

Seeing Liang Zhaoyi understood, Zhao Yao happily said, "As expected, Mother is smart, understanding immediately." No wonder she’s his mother, "With this iron ring, you don’t need to step onto someone’s back or a stool to mount the horse."

Hearing Liang Zhaoyi and Zhao Yao say this, Yu Meiren and the others finally caught on.

"Indeed, with this iron ring, getting on the horse has become easier."

"It’s not just that benefit." Zhao Yao looked at Liang Zhaoyi and asked, "Mother, did you notice anything else?"

Liang Zhaoyi walked to the other side of Hei Yu, smiling, "With these iron rings, one can sit steadily on the horse, making it much safer than before. Moreover, these iron rings can help soldiers fight better."

"Mother indeed spoke correctly." Zhao Yao said proudly, "As expected of my mother, ever so wise. Unlike you Second Mothers, who didn’t notice at all."

Yu Meiren and the others didn’t expect that ordinary iron rings could be so useful. Their faces were full of incredulity: "This... we were ignorant."

Zhao Yao jumped down from Hei Yu’s back, "Mother, why don’t you give it a try?"

"Alright." Liang Zhaoyi stepped into the stirrup and gracefully mounted the horse. Then, she stood up in the stirrups, gesturing with her hands as if wielding a spear. She deliberately used considerable force, discovering she remained steady.

"Hei Yu, run!" Liang Zhaoyi said, pressing her feet into the stirrups while sitting on the horse.

Hei Yu obediently started running, and Liang Zhaoyi noticed she was sitting more stably than without the iron rings. Soon, she stood up again, asking Hei Yu to speed up, remaining steady regardless.

"Mother, how does it feel?"

Liang Zhaoyi patted Hei Yu’s neck, and Hei Yu obediently halted.

"Very stable, very safe." She said, jumping down from the horse’s back and praised, "These iron rings are truly a treasure." With these iron rings, soldiers’ combat capabilities on horseback would greatly improve.

She reached out and touched Zhao Yao’s head, smiling as she asked, "How did you come up with this?"

Zhao Yao chuckled proudly twice: "Yesterday when I was picking up Second Brother, I almost fell off Hei Yu, suddenly realizing something was missing. Then it occurred to me why there was no place for footing on horseback, and I thought of these iron rings." Because Yu Meiren and the others were present, Zhao Yao wasn’t entirely truthful with Liang Zhaoyi. "I figured with iron rings to step on, I wouldn’t have to worry about falling off Hei Yu."

Yu Meiren pulled Zhao Yao into her embrace and planted several robust kisses on his cute little face.

"Our Yao Yao is so clever."

"Yao Yao is really amazing. If you hadn’t told us, your Third Mother wouldn’t have known these iron rings were so useful." Pan Cairen had never ridden a horse, so she didn’t understand the purpose of an additional set of iron rings on horseback.

"Tenth Brother, since when did you become so clever?" The Fifth Princess wore an incredulous expression, "Weren’t you the fool?"

Hearing the Fifth Princess say this, Zhao Yao glared at her angrily.

"Fifth Sister, I’m only bad at studying, not a fool."

Seeing it was getting late, Liang Zhaoyi said to Zhao Yao and the others: "Let’s have lunch first."

"Your Highness, does Hei Yu need to be returned to the stable?" Tong Xi asked.

"First, unfasten the stirrups and girth, then send Hei Yu back."

"Stirrups? Girth?" Liang Zhaoyi laughed, "These names are quite fitting."

Zhao Yao gave Liang Zhaoyi a look, and she instantly understood.

"Tenth Brother, when you went to pick up Second Brother yesterday, did you hit your head, which is why you’ve suddenly become smart?" The Fifth Princess, while timid in front of the Fourth Princess and others, was quite bold in front of Zhao Yao, her younger brother.

Yu Meiren used chopsticks to knock heavily on the Fifth Princess’s head, scolding with a stern face, "Watch your words; is this how a sister should behave?"

"Exactly, is this how a sister should behave?" Zhao Yao echoed, "Fifth Sister, what good does it do you to insist I’m a fool?"

Liang Zhaoyi lightly poked Zhao Yao’s right cheek with the end of her chopsticks, "Your Fifth Sister was just joking with you."

The Fifth Princess quickly nodded: "Mother, I was just playing with Tenth Brother."

"Even when joking, you shouldn’t say these things." Yu Meiren sternly reprimanded, "Positive words don’t always work, but negative ones might. Don’t say such things anymore." What if Yao Yao actually hurt his brain?

The Fifth Princess was amused by Yu Meiren’s serious demeanor and quickly nodded obediently: "I won’t say it anymore."

Liang Zhaoyi turned to Yu Meiren and said softly, "Little Five was just joking with Yao Yao, there’s no need to take it seriously."

"Sister, I know you’ve always been fond of Little Five, but you shouldn’t indulge her in this. If she continues speaking recklessly, she’ll eventually cause trouble." Yu Meiren continued. She was pleased and relieved to see her daughter becoming bolder and more lively, yet she also worried that her daughter might eventually get into trouble with her words.

Pan Cairen nodded in strong agreement: "Sister Yu is right; you can’t keep spoiling Little Five, or she’ll eventually get into trouble. The best way to survive in the palace is to speak less. Little Five, you’re wrong to keep calling Yao Yao foolish. Yao Yao may not be good at studying, but he’s very clever in other ways."

"Third Mother is right." Zhao Yao said, "As long as it’s not studying, I’m smart in everything I do."

Wait, what about the stirrup affair?

Should I tell Father about it?