The hunting operation in the morning had already obtained enough prey. It was not finished at noon, so there was no need for prey in the afternoon. However, it was a good idea to catch some alive and bring them back. Moreover, in the case of heavy snow, it was easier to catch prey alive. The limbs of the prey would be trapped in the snow, so it was much easier to catch prey than usual.
When the snow accumulated to one foot, the movement of small animals with short legs, such as rabbits, would be greatly restricted. When the snow accumulated to more than two feet, even wild animals with long legs would find it difficult to move freely in the snow. Once the snow accumulated to more than three feet, even the largest prey would be greatly restricted in the snow. Moreover, it would consume a lot of energy. If the snow was relatively dense, it would be better, but if the snow was not dense, it would be even more difficult for wild animals to move.
Snow would become a huge obstacle for wild animals to run, and it would consume a lot of their physical strength. Humans could use skis, and snow would become a huge help for human movement. As a result, the advantage of humans in hunting would be extremely obvious, and the small animals in the wild would be in big trouble.
Using snow to catch prey alive was not a patent of humans. In nature, there were also some smart hunters who would use snow to hunt. Moreover, the harvest was not ordinary. This kind of wild animal was the smart little fox. This animal actually had the ability to identify the position of the rodents under the snow. Then, it jumped up and broke through the snow to capture the rodents. To put it simply, it was catching animals like mice in the snow.
When hunting, they would first listen carefully on the surface of the snow. If they heard that there were animals like mice under the snow, they would immediately get ready. They would adjust their body position and use the force of their retreat to jump into the air. Then, they would jump down, break through the snow, and capture the small animals.
Because the snow was very thick and hard, this difficult hunting skill required the fox to use all of its body weight, and it could only be used when hunting in deep snow.
The reason why this kind of little fox could succeed in hunting was that its body weight was relatively light, and the hardness of the snow was moderate, so it could walk smoothly on the snow without falling into the snow. After discovering the prey, the fox could use all of its body weight to break through the moderate hardness of the snow and capture the prey.
In other words, the hardness of the snow met the needs of the fox. If the snow was too soft, it would make it difficult for the fox to walk. If the snow was too hard, it would make it impossible for the fox to break through the thick layer of snow. Thus, it would not be able to catch prey. Both conditions must be met at the same time for the fox to catch the prey it wanted.
The snow that could support a fox to walk freely on the snow was relatively hard. Even if a rabbit came, it could walk freely on the snow. It would be more difficult for humans to catch it.
However, the newly fallen snow in the suburbs of the capital of the Tang dynasty was very hard. Even the rabbit, which was much lighter than a fox, would be trapped in the snow. Otherwise, the guards would not be able to catch the rabbit so easily.
Generally, the hardness of the snow was related to the time of the snow. The snow that had just fallen was generally very soft, and even small animals would be trapped in it. But as time passed, the snow would slowly harden, especially at the top of the snow. It would form a very good hard layer similar to an ice sheet, and the formation of this hard layer was related to the irradiation of the sun.
For example, when it snowed at night, the quality of the snow was very soft. But during the day, under the illumination of the sun, the snow on the surface would melt. But because the temperature was too low, the small amount of melted snow would quickly freeze again. Thus, a lot of snow particles would be welded together, forming a hard layer of snow with a certain degree of strength.
The strength of this hard layer of snow was related to the local climate. Some were very hard, and some were relatively soft. For example, the snow under which the little fox hunted was a kind of hard layer of snow. The fox could walk gently on it without stepping on the layer of snow. But as long as it jumped into the air with all its strength and then suddenly swooped down, it could break the hard layer of snow and catch the prey under the snow.
The snow near Chang 'an City was newly fallen, and there was not much time for it to melt and freeze again. Therefore, the hardness of the snow layer was relatively low. If the surface area of the ski was not large enough, it would definitely sink into the snow. And Ang Lee also considered this point, so the ski was not only long but also wide, it was wider than the foot. Therefore, the control of direction was much worse, and the flexibility was naturally greatly reduced. But in order to not sink into the snow, this sacrifice was still very necessary.
The most important factor that determined whether an object would sink into the snow was the pressure of the contact surface. It was not that the heavier the object, the easier it would sink into the snow. Needless to say, the weight of a rabbit was very light, but the rabbit's legs were too slender. Therefore, it was very easy for it to sink into the snow. Needless to say, the weight of a gazelle was many times that of a rabbit, but the size of its feet was not much bigger than a rabbit, so it was easier for it to sink into the snow. The human's feet were wider, but their weight was not much bigger than a gazelle's, so the pressure on the snow was relatively smaller. After wearing the ski, this pressure could be directly reduced by dozens of times. Even in the fluffiest snow, it would not sink too deep. The front of the ski was slightly tilted up, so that a little bit of sinking into the snow would not have any impact on the continuous sliding of the ski. Thus, it could allow people to ski faster than the running speed of wild animals.
The most important point of using the ski to chase prey was to dive from a high place. In this way, the speed advantage of the ski could be fully displayed. If they were to ski from a high place, it would be very awkward. They would not be able to catch up with the prey at all. Therefore, when the smart prey saw the ski hunter, they would run to a high place. In this way, they could get rid of the hunter's pursuit.
It was a pity that most wild animals were stupid. They only thought that running down would save more effort, and they could even roll in the snow. However, running up was very difficult. They were more willing to run to a low place, but they did not consider that when they were going down the slope, the speed of the human skiing would be far faster than them.
In addition, the terrain in the wild was undulating. One moment it was uphill, and the next moment it was downhill. If they encountered such terrain, they might be able to pull away from the human when they were going up the slope. However, as long as they reached the downhill terrain, the human could quickly catch up and catch the prey.
Catching prey was the job of the guards. After lunch, what Ang Lee wanted to do was to continue teaching the two girls how to ski, and then play with them happily. Of course, he did not forget to make the delicious dish of boiled mutton eggs. When they went back, he asked Li Yu to bring it back.
After skiing for a while, Li Yu was a little tired, so he stopped to rest. Ang Lee also rested with him. The considerate guard quickly brought two folding stools, which were the folding stools invented by Ang Lee.
After sitting down, Ang Lee looked at the two girls who were still practicing skiing and said, "Look at how happy they are. They should come out to play more often. This way, they can live more happily."
Li Yu looked at the two sisters who were becoming more and more skilled at skiing. After a moment of silence, he said, "The rules in the palace are very strict. How can I bring them out to play often? Moreover, this king has more than these two sisters. There are many more. There are also many daughters of the imperial uncles. There are hundreds of them. I can't bring all of them out to play! Just this time, it was because they begged me that I took them out of the palace. Fortunately, their status is not high. No one will care if they are not in the palace for a while. "
"Ai! This is really a pity! Ordinary people envy the nobility of the imperial family, but they don't know that the children of the imperial family also have their sufferings. At least, they don't have much freedom. They have to stay in the palace all day. Wouldn't this suffocate them to death? It's too painful! "
Ang Lee shook his head again and again. He felt that the people in the palace lived too bitterly, especially the women in the palace. Their lives were especially miserable. They didn't even have the most basic freedom. It was better for ordinary peasant women to live freely.
When Li Yu heard this, he agreed wholeheartedly. Everything about the royal family was good, but they had too little freedom. He was still considered free now, but his father was not as free. He had to stay in the palace all day long, and even when he wanted to go out, he had to think twice before making a decision. His life was too unfree. Even Li Yu had to bring enough bodyguards with him every time he went out. It was very difficult for him to do anything by himself, and it was only in the past few years that things had gotten better.
"Assistant Minister Li is right. The palace is not a good place. It's suffocating to stay inside. It's better to be outside! The sky is full of snow, and there is fresh air everywhere. If we build a few huts in the forest, it will be very comfortable to live in! Unfortunately, it's impossible for me in this life. I'm destined to not be able to escape from the palace. "
Li Yu said helplessly.
"Yes! If one day, Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon ascends the throne, he will really be unable to leave the palace. Even if he comes here to enjoy the snowy scenery, he will need at least a few thousand people to follow him! "
Ang Lee said.
"Assistant Minister Li, why are you talking nonsense again? This prince has never thought of becoming the emperor. Grandpa Huang is healthy, so there's no need to think about it."
Li Yu seemed a little scared and didn't dare to casually talk about this topic.
"There's only the two of us here, so there's no harm in talking about it. Anyway, only you and I know. No one else will know. Have you really never thought about it?"
Ang Lee asked tentatively.
"Actually, I have thought about it occasionally. However, ruling the world is not an easy task. This prince is worried that I won't be able to do it well! I don't dare to have extravagant hopes. "
Li Yu said softly.
"No one is born to rule the world. Many abilities are slowly trained. Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon must have confidence in yourself. I believe that you will be a good emperor in the future."
Ang Lee said with certainty.
"I will be a good emperor in the future. Really? How can Assistant Minister Li be so sure? "
Li Yu looked at Ang Lee curiously.
Ang Lee smiled and said, "If I say you can, then you can. Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon only needs to be a good imperial grandson. In the future, let nature take its course. No one can take away the throne of Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon."
Ang Lee was naturally very clear about the succession of the throne of the Tang dynasty. However, this was under the premise that historical conditions did not change. Now, many things had changed. As a result, it was really hard to say whether Li Yu could still become the emperor. However, Ang Lee hoped that this guy could become the emperor because he was a very good person. After becoming the emperor, he would also be a good emperor.
"Well! Let nature take its course. No matter who becomes the emperor in the end, I don't care. If it's my turn, I will do my best to be a good emperor. "
Li Yu said.
"Well, that's right. Don't pursue too much and don't avoid it. This is what Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon should be like."
Ang Lee was very satisfied. When he looked up, he saw that the two little girls had fallen one after another.
Skiing was not something that could be mastered in two or three days. For beginners, they could fall at any time. Falling in the snow was also a process of exercise. For learning how to ski, there were only benefits and no disadvantages.
"Look at them. They fell again. They don't look like girls at all."
Li Yu said with a smile.
"Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon is generally a spoiled girl who becomes unruly and acts like a boy. But according to Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon, the two little girls have very low status. The Crown Prince almost never cares about them. They occasionally do embroidery with the palace maids. If no one dotes on them, they should be very gentle and timid. How can they be like men?"
Ang Lee asked doubtfully.
Li Yu frowned and thought for a long time, then said, "Assistant Minister Li is very right. They are very obedient in the palace. They are the standard gentle girls. Even when they talk to the low-ranking palace maids, they have never spoken loudly. They are only a little presumptuous in front of me. But I don't spoil them! I often yell at them. Assistant Minister Li also saw it. "
"Haha! That's right. Although Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon yells at the two little girls, it is also a kind of love! It is the love of an elder brother to his younger sister. Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon, think carefully. Although you often scold them, have you deliberately made trouble for them? Also, after scolding them, have you helped them or given them benefits? Occasionally, when you have good things that you don't need, will you give them to them? "
Ang Lee seemed to understand everything and asked.
Li Yu heard and thought carefully for a moment. He smiled and said, "Assistant Minister Li is right! Although I often scold them, I take good care of them. I remember that when I was young, I would give them delicious pastries that I couldn't finish. Of course, there is a reward. They ate my pastries, so they have to do something for me. At least, they have to compliment me or let me scold them. Now that I think about it, it is quite interesting. "
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