Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Zhen Mi was quietly discussing the details of the trip and the alliance with the old innkeeper when a sudden commotion erupted from the front of the convoy, a cacophony of chatter intertwined with the anxious neighing of horses. The commotion instantly interrupted their conversation. The two exchanged a puzzled glance, hurriedly stepped out of the carriage, and hurried to the front of the group to investigate.

Pushing aside the crowd of servants, Zhen Mi looked up and saw, halfway up the mountain, a tall, majestic white horse, neighing loudly. The horse was snow-white, without a single stray hair. In the sunlight, it looked as if draped in a layer of silver gauze. Its posture was sturdy and upright, its hooves firmly planted on the rock, a majestic presence. Its clear, resonant neigh echoed through the valley, as if it were telling them something, or perhaps even signaling for help.

The old shopkeeper showed a look of surprise. He pulled Zhen Mi aside and whispered, "Miss, look at that white horse. It's so majestic and rare. There are too many variables when we go to Yizhou to form an alliance this time. If it doesn't work out, if we can bring this precious horse back, Lord Yuan won't be angry even if he wants to. After all, he will definitely like such a fine horse."

At this point, the old shopkeeper sighed slightly, his face full of worry. "Besides, you've secretly come out again this time. The Yuan family will definitely be unhappy. If you bring this BMW as an apology, maybe it can calm Mr. Yuan's anger. Otherwise, I'm really worried that they will take this opportunity to cause trouble and harm our Zhen family."

The old shopkeeper made up his mind and immediately beckoned the bearded man over. The man's name was Wang Meng. He was a strong man with thick arms and strong build. He was usually in charge of guarding the caravan and was a fearless man.

"Wang Meng," the old shopkeeper said solemnly, pointing to the white horse halfway up the mountain. "Take a few skilled men with you and go capture that BMW for me. Be careful not to injure it. If you can bring it back safely, you'll be rewarded."

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng grinned, revealing a huge white tooth, and rubbed his hands excitedly. "Boss, just wait and see! It's just a horse. I'll definitely bring it back to you intact." With that, he turned and shouted, instantly gathering five or six equally strong guards. These men had traveled extensively with the caravan, facing many dangers. Now, each of them was holding a rope and a lasso, their eyes gleaming with excitement, as if the divine horse was already in their pocket.

They climbed cautiously along the rugged mountain path, discussing their plan to capture the horse as they went. Wang Meng walked in front, his steps steady and powerful, each one firmly planted. He kept his eyes fixed on the white horse, never daring to relax for a moment. As they drew closer, the horse seemed to sense danger, its previously leisurely demeanor becoming alert. It pawed its hooves restlessly and neighed, as if warning the uninvited guests.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Zhen Mi frowned slightly as she watched the guards gradually approaching the white horse, feeling a sense of unease. Although she understood the old shopkeeper's intentions, she didn't know why she felt that this horse was so mysterious that things might not go smoothly.

Wang Meng and his entourage, determined to capture the enemy, gradually approached the white horse. But when they were within ten paces, the horse suddenly charged, raising its front hooves high and stamping with all its might in the air. Its movements were so swift and powerful that the wind whistled. Several guards at the forefront were unable to dodge and were struck hard by the horse's hooves. They instantly fell to the ground with screams, clutching their wounds and groaning in pain.

Wang Meng was shocked and annoyed by this. Unconvinced he couldn't subdue the horse, he called out to his companions to try again. But the white horse seemed frantic, its eyes wide open, its mane bristling with rage. It would kick and bite anyone who approached. After several attempts, several of the guards were injured, leaving them limping and sulking in frustration. Strangely, even as the others retreated, the white horse didn't flee. Instead, it stood still, neighing with a hint of anxiety and dissatisfaction.

The old shopkeeper looked at the injured guards, feeling unwilling to give up. With a wave of his hand, he ordered Wang Meng to organize another capture operation. This time, Wang Meng and his men learned from their mistakes and tried to flank the white horse to distract it. However, the white horse was extremely alert and nimbly turned to counterattack. Not only did they fail, but they were kicked again and left in a state of disarray. However, no one expected that as the group dejectedly walked down the mountain, the white horse would abandon its previous resistance and slowly follow them down the mountain.

The old shopkeeper looked at the guard who came back limping and looking frustrated, then looked at the white horse following behind. He couldn't help but frowning, his face full of confusion, and sighed heavily: "Hey, this is strange, why is this horse so weird? It refused to let us get close before, but now it follows us on its own. It's really hard to understand." He scratched his head, his eyes full of confusion, paced back and forth thinking, trying to make sense of this strange behavior, but his mind was like a tangled mess, and he couldn't figure out what the horse's intention was.

The white horse strolled toward the center of the group, its pace seemingly leisurely, yet it carried an unstoppable aura. The guards nearby, recalling the painful experience of being kicked, were terrified and dodged left and right, no one daring to approach.

Seeing the white horse heading straight for the old shopkeeper and Zhen Mi, the old shopkeeper's expression suddenly changed, his face filled with tension and worry. Without thinking, he quickly used his slightly aged body to block Zhen Mi's way, his voice trembling with urgency, "Miss, please move aside! Don't let this beast hurt you!" He spread his arms as if to use his body to build an impenetrable defense for Zhen Mi, his eyes fixed on the white horse, constantly on guard against any possible attack.

The white horse gave a slight push, and the old shopkeeper stumbled and was pushed aside. He was shocked and wanted to step forward to protect Zhen Mi again, but he was stunned by the scene before him.

The white horse slowly approached Zhen Mi. Its enormous stature frightened her so much that her face paled, her legs weakened, and she dared hardly move. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, as if it was about to burst through. However, the white horse did not make any aggressive moves. Instead, it nudged Zhen Mi affectionately with its head, its movements gentle and coquettish, as if seeking support and showing great intimacy.

Seeing this, Zhen Mi's nervousness eased slightly. She mustered her courage, slowly reached out her hand, and gently stroked the white horse's neck. The horse didn't resist. Instead, it squinted its eyes in comfort, rubbed its head even more cheerfully, and its mane trembled gently with Zhen Mi's caress, appearing extremely docile. At this moment, silence fell all around. Everyone held their breath, watching this bizarre scene without blinking. The old shopkeeper's face was filled with disbelief, muttering to himself, "What...what on earth is going on?" The caravan's guards also looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and shock. No one had expected that the white horse, which had just been so wild and defeated everyone, would now be so docile and affectionate towards Zhen Mi.

The crowd quickly surrounded the interaction between the man and the horse, their heads crowded together, their eyes wide open with surprise and confusion, and sounds of amazement came one after another.

Wang Meng watched Zhen Mi's affectionate interaction with the white horse, and he felt an itch in his heart. He couldn't help but muster up the courage to move forward, put on an ingratiating smile, and reached out his hand, wanting to stroke the white horse's shiny, smooth mane. Unexpectedly, before his hand even touched the horse's fur, the white horse, as if enraged, suddenly raised its front hooves high, and with a whirring sound, kicked Wang Meng fiercely. Wang Meng couldn't avoid it in time, and like a kite with a broken string, he was kicked far away and fell heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

The people around were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Some laughed so hard they could barely stand up, their hands on their knees, tears on the verge of flowing; others laughed so hard they collapsed, slapped their thighs, and kept shouting, "Brilliant!" Wang Meng climbed up from the ground, his face dusty and grimy, mumbling as he brushed the dust off himself: "How can this horse judge people by appearances? The lady is as beautiful as a fairy, yet it's so docile, and we men won't even get close. How infuriating!" As soon as these words were spoken, everyone laughed even harder, and the tense atmosphere in the caravan instantly dissipated, filled with a unique sense of ease and joy.

The old shopkeeper came close to Zhen Mi, frowned, looked at the white horse with worry, and whispered: "Miss, look at this white horse, it has a complete saddle and is obviously owned by someone. But it is very smart and its behavior is so strange that it is really hard to understand. I don't know what it is planning. What should we do if its owner comes looking for us? This is a rare and excellent war horse. If the generals in the army get it, they will surely be ecstatic. I am afraid that in order to get this horse back, some big trouble will be caused, and we can't afford it." He paced back and forth, with his hands behind his back, and looked around from time to time, as if the mysterious owner of the horse would appear at any time.

Zhen Mi was filled with confusion, her brows furrowed as she stared at the majestic yet strange white horse before her, completely at a loss for what to do. The horse was strange in every way, its behavior difficult to predict, yet it was also extremely affectionate towards her, nudging her skirt from time to time, as if to act coquettishly, or as if to urge her on.

Just as Zhen Mi was filled with confusion, the white horse slowly bent its limbs and knelt on the ground. Its head kept moving closer to her, rubbing against her clothes and armor, and a soft, low moaning sound came from its throat. Zhen Mi was surprised and subconsciously took a half step back, her eyes full of hesitation. "What...what does this mean?" She carefully studied the white horse, seeing that it had no malicious intentions, but rather was extremely eager. Suddenly, she realized, "Look at this, is it trying to get me to ride it?"

Zhen Mi steeled herself and bravely sat astride the steed. As soon as she was firmly seated, the horse neighed and leaped to attention, its four hooves turning briskly, steadily carrying her forward.

The old shopkeeper watched anxiously, his face flushed red as he shouted, "What are we going to do? This horse is actually trying to kidnap someone!" He stamped his feet and hurriedly ordered the guards, "Quick! Follow us and see what this horse is up to!"

The guards immediately drew their weapons and trotted after it. But the white horse, as if sensing a threat, turned its brisk pace into an agitated one. If the guards even approached, it would raise its front hooves high and neigh anxiously, demonstrating its resistance. The guards, fearing to get too close, could only follow from a distance, maintaining a tense distance.