Jin Shu didn't say anything, and carried the little horse back to her tent.

That night, time stood still as Jin Shu lit a candle and sat down at her desk, writing something intently.

She doesn't fight battles she's not confident of winning; she always makes thorough preparations no matter what she faces.

To gain status, one must have a strong army; only with horses can one have a voice. This is similar to how modern nations must have substantial armed forces to stand up and speak in the world.

Therefore, Jin Shu did not choose to leave, but simply stayed.

Having finally had the chance to come here, Jin Shu certainly wouldn't let it be in vain.

What she said to Mu Han today was half true and half false. It was true that she could indeed save his horse, but it was false that she was not good at raising horses.

My only experience with horses was at a professional horse farm. The horses there were tamed, unlike the wild horses on the northern grasslands. They would lower their heads obediently to all guests, but the horses there only recognized one master for their entire lives, and were loyal and fierce.

Having already made the boast, Jin Shu naturally couldn't let anyone see through her lie, so she began to learn about horse breeding from scratch.

Jin Shu has a good memory; she can recall most of the miscellaneous books she read in her previous life.

I once saw a thick book in a library in a snowy area. It was handwritten and written by an elderly man who had raised horses for over fifty years. It was a horse-raising guide left behind before his death. Jin Shu saw it while traveling and, because she was interested, she specially learned the local language. She would also ask a professional handwriting expert to help translate the illegible handwriting.

During her 15-day trip, she spent 10 days reading the entire book from beginning to end.

Because the process was difficult, it left a deep impression. Now that time has stood still and all is quiet, Jin Shu can calm down and recall the contents of that illustrated book little by little.

Unlike when she first read the book, Jin Shu was only interested then, and only had a general understanding. She didn't investigate or experiment with many details, and she didn't know their authenticity.

But now Jin Shu treats it as a subject to be mastered, so she has to recall and replicate it before delving deeper into it little by little.

At this moment, Jin Shu was grateful that she had a very clear mind and the ability to remember everything she saw, which enabled her to turn bad luck into good luck no matter what situation she was in.

All night long, the horse oil emitted a reassuring aroma as it burned.

The following day, after nearly two months of heavy snowfall, a gap finally appeared in the sky over northern Xinjiang, and dazzling golden light cascaded down upon this barren and icy land.

Jin Shu, who was asleep by the table, was awakened by the sunlight. She opened her eyes and the first thing she did was look back at the little horse that she had placed next to the stove last night.

The fire in the stove had burned down to just a few scattered embers, and the space under the blanket was empty. Before she could turn around, she felt a light, gentle licking sensation behind her.

Looking back, she saw a white pony standing in front of her, staring straight at her. Its clear, clean eyes seemed to hold a lake of water, making her feel soft-hearted involuntarily.

Jin Shu recognized it as the little horse she had brought back last night. Even Mu Han thought the poor little thing was beyond saving, but now it was standing strong and healthy in front of her, gently nudging her arm with its head.

Looking into those eyes, Jin Shu couldn't help but think of her former companions.

"How about I call you Xiaobai from now on? It's quite a coincidence, my friend is also named Feiyun."

The little horse was quite intelligent, because the first thing it saw after being born was Jin Shu, so it followed her closely.

Jin Shu took it outside. The newborn foal was already almost as tall as Jin Shu. Although it was a difficult birth, its limbs were quite strong and its back was broad. It was easy to tell how strong this foal would grow up to be.

Mu Han, who had just returned from exercising, saw Jin Shu and the little white horse behind her from a distance. His eyes, which had been chilled by the cold air, suddenly softened.

He strode forward and looked at the pony closely for a few moments.

"You saved it."

"Yes, according to the agreement, it's mine now."

"Don't worry, I won't go back on my word. You will be its only owner."

Upon seeing the stranger approach, Xiaobai warily stepped in front of Jin Shu, making a series of warning "huffing" sounds from its nose.

Mu Han couldn't help but smile when he saw this.

"As expected of a seed of ice, it had the courage to protect its master on its very first day of life!"

Hanbing is the father of the four ponies from last night, and also the strongest and healthiest stallion in the entire stable. Thanks to his purebred lineage, these four ponies are born taller and stronger than the other ponies in the stable. In particular, Jinshu's white stallion has strong and powerful limbs, a high head, and a straight and broad back, making it superior to the other three ponies.

“You have a good eye. I haven’t seen such a strong pony in all these years.”

Jin Shu looked at her little white dog with satisfaction and nodded.

"Of course, I told you I'm very good at raising horses."

"Yes, I believe you."

"Since you won't let me leave, then let me raise your horses. In the Central Plains, women's marriages are arranged by their parents, so what you said last night was very offensive to me. I hope you won't say it again next time."

Mu Han pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"If I have offended you, I will change next time, but raising horses is a very hard job. Are you sure you can do it?"

“You can let me try. There are more than forty foals born in this batch. Don’t look at me like I’m a spy. I heard it from the stable handyman last night. You can give them to me and let me take care of them for a year.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Han couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile.

“My horses are fierce and temperamental. Although they are just foals, they have long recognized me as their master. With your size and strength, you want to take care of them? Listen to me, you are just asking for trouble.”

"Then let's give it a try, starting next spring."

As the king of this grassland, Mu Han was arrogant and powerful, so naturally he wouldn't be afraid to make a bet with a woman from the Central Plains.

"You want to bet with me? What are we betting on?"

"A year from now, I can make all these horses obey me. If I can do it, you can give me the horse that recognizes me as its master. If I can't, I will willingly stay and become your queen."

The man narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the woman in front of him who was spouting nonsense. Seeing her serious expression, he couldn't help but smile.

"I don't have much else, but I have as many horses as I want. Since you dare to make such a boast, I'll bet with you that I'll bring your parents over a year from now."

After saying that, the man patted Xiaobai's horse on the back.

Although the strong pony was already able to carry Jin Shu, it still appeared quite thin in front of the tall man.