Chapter 204: I, The Emperor, Strike the South Mountain Retirement Home with My Fists! (1 / 2)
Before beginning the official task of compiling history, the compilers decided to give Xu Yanmiao a special training session.
“Come, Xu Lang, let me ask you: As a historian, you need to record the following event. The emperor received a wild horse that remained unruly for three years. A general volunteered to tame it and succeeded in just 100 days. When the emperor asked how this was achieved, the general replied that he trained the horse by depriving it of water and teaching it to follow human commands.”
Xu Yanmiao pondered for a moment before picking up his brush.
After two years of adapting to his work environment, he was now relatively proficient in classical Chinese.
“The emperor acquired a wild horse, but it could not be ridden for three years. A general claimed he could tame it within 100 days. The emperor allowed him to proceed, and he succeeded. Upon inquiry, the general said, ‘By depriving the horse of water, it learned to obey humans.’”
The compiler read this and was pleasantly surprised. “Xu Lang, despite being new to historical documentation, you’ve already grasped its essence! Not bad at all. Historical records should always strive for brevity. Just this line—‘The emperor acquired a wild horse, but it could not be ridden for three years’—is enough to surpass 90% of historians!”
Xu Yanmiao’s eyes gleamed. “Thank you, sir!”
The compiler blinked, puzzled. “Why are you thanking me?”
Embarrassed, Xu Yanmiao chuckled. “Earlier, I heard you mention that you’ve been working on the previous dynasty’s records for ten years. I was worried my arrival might inconvenience everyone.”