Late September.
Imperial Stables.
The weather had turned cool, and the leaves were drifting down, the wide and straight avenues of the Inner Court.
There was not the slightest foul smell in the air, and on both sides of the path, one stable after another gathered together, with rows of steeds lowering their heads to feed—some eating grass, some meat, and even some gnawing on stones.
There were the one-and-a-half zhang tall Qingzhou Male Blood Horses, as well as the short-haired horses that were only half the height of a person, with glossy and well-nourished fur.
"Can this horse be ridden?" Liang Qu pointed at a small, short horse.
"Replying to Lord Xingyi," the Horse Administration Official bowed, "This horse's name is oil-haired horse, and it was a tribute from a small country beyond the frontier more than ten years ago. Its strength is insufficient for carrying adults, but it can carry a child without issue. Its coat is exceptionally smooth and fine.
