Chapter 43: First Glance at Skill

Torches were lit around the pitch, casting light as bright as day. A dozen polo players were practicing hitting the ball at high speed—this was the most difficult skill in polo. Imagine hitting the ball into the hole from dozens of meters away while running at full speed; it was incredibly hard. Thus, a polo player’s skill level was largely determined by their ability to hit the ball into the hole. Lower-level players could only do it from a few steps or a dozen steps away, while higher-level players could do it from dozens of steps away, even under intense competition.

Gao Lishi’s polo team had finished twelfth the year before, which showed their high level. They were top players gathered by Gao Lishi at great expense from various places. But in Li Qing’an’s eyes, their skill was far inferior to that of the Anxi team.

When the signal was given, one rider galloped forward, and soon a ball flew toward them. Its trajectory was straight and steady. The player on horseback swung his mace and hit the ball into the hole from twenty steps away. But in actual combat, there was no such perfect trajectory for them to strike the ball. Li Qing’an immediately identified the problem in their training—it was too perfect, or rather, too idealized. They were practicing for Gao Lishi’s sake!

“Prime Minister, what do you think? Their skill is decent, right?” Gao Lishi asked with a smile.

“Mm! Not bad. Very precise,” Li Linfu said, nodding and stroking his beard with a smile.

“What do you think, Captain Li?” Gao Lishi noticed a hint of disdain in Li Qing’an’s eyes.

“Their mace-swinging posture is quite good.”

Gao Lishi detected a hint of sarcasm in Li Qing’an’s words. Frowning, he watched the team’s training more closely and gradually saw the issue. Their performance was indeed flawless—running, sprinting, swinging the mace, hitting the ball—it all seemed impeccable. But everyone hit the ball from twenty steps away. Wasn’t there anyone who could go a few more steps?

“Stop!” Gao Lishi waved his hand, and the team’s training stopped immediately. The players gathered around him. “Uncle, please give us some advice.”

Gao Lishi pointed to a white line in the distance. “That’s the thirty-step line. I want you to hit the ball into the hole from thirty steps away. Can you do that?”

The players looked troubled, but none dared refuse. They reluctantly rushed toward the thirty-step line.

Gao Lishi grunted in displeasure and said to Li Linfu, “These brats have never practiced from twenty steps away. If not for Captain Li reminding me today, I wouldn’t have noticed this at all.”

Li Linfu smiled faintly and said, “Lord Gao is fully focused on state affairs, so naturally he won’t pay attention to such details. In fact, it’s the same for me. These past two days, I’ve been considering who should be appointed as Minister of Works. I’m not sure what the Emperor intends…”
At the most unexpected moment, Li Linfu revealed the true purpose of his visit. Such a crucial discussion couldn’t take place in the imperial court, nor was it appropriate to have it in the study—after all, in both settings, both parties would be on guard and unable to speak freely. But having spent time together watching polo training, their relationship had already become much closer. Discussing this matter now would yield much better results, just like discussing business while playing golf today.
Gao Lishi knew Li Linfu would seek an opportunity to ask about this, but he didn’t expect it to happen now. Narrowing his eyes, he chuckled softly and said, “Last night, the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine played chu pu in the palace. They ordered Yang Zhao to keep score. Yang Zhao recorded everything clearly and accurately. The Emperor praised him, saying he had the aptitude to be a minister in the Ministry of Revenue and could serve as a vice minister there.”
Gao Lishi hinted subtly, and Li Linfu immediately understood. The current right vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue was Yang Shenjin, and the left vice minister was Wei Jiansu. If Yang Zhao became a vice minister, it meant one of Yang or Wei would have to give up their position—first the right one, then the left. Gao Lishi’s implication was that the Emperor intended to appoint Yang Shenjin as Minister of Works, which was precisely the outcome Li Linfu feared the most.
By now, over a dozen players had rushed to the 30-step mark, ready to start playing. Gao Lishi glanced at Li Qing’an and smiled again, “Captain Li, is the Anxi Army trained in polo in the same way?”
“Reporting to Lord Gao, the Anxi Army practices polo at night without lights. They must hit all three balls simultaneously while running at high speed, aiming to get one of them into the hole. Reaching the hole from 30 steps away is the basic requirement.”
Gao Lishi was deeply impressed. Hitting a ball out of the hole in the dark, choosing among three balls—how difficult could that be? Though he found it unbelievable, he still decided to give it a try. He immediately ordered, “Turn off the lights and release the three balls.”
The players were in an uproar. One of them finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Lord Gao, how is it possible to hit a ball in the dark from 30 steps away?”
Gao Lishi replied, “I’ll offer 1,000 guan as a reward to whoever manages to hit the ball into the hole!”
With such a hefty reward, brave souls would surely step forward. Though they thought it impossible, the players were still eager to give it a try. Who knew? With a bit of luck, hitting the ball with a stroke could earn them 1,000 guan, ensuring a comfortable life for the rest of their lives.

“The game starts!” Several caddies shouted. Three balls were thrown simultaneously at a polo player on the field. It required sharp eyesight to distinguish the trajectory and color of the balls. Li Qing’an could clearly tell apart the three balls, while Bai Yuanguang, the top polo player in Anxi, could even distinguish four. But the polo player before them clearly lacked such training. In the darkness, with the balls moving too fast, he hesitated for a moment, and the three balls passed by him.

“Next!”

Gao Lishi shouted unhappily. The polo player left the field in shame, and another player stepped forward. He waved his arms confidently, but in fact, playing at night relied heavily on intuition. With three balls thrown at him, this player clearly had experience. He swung his mace and hit one of the red balls with a “bang!” Unfortunately, it was thirty steps too far, and the ball missed the hole by more than ten feet.

In a short while, fifteen polo players took turns on the field, but none of them managed to score. Gao Lishi began to doubt. Normally, his polo players could be considered experts, having trained for years and even finishing twelfth in a major competition the year before last. Even if they weren’t great, at least one of them should be able to score. He glanced at Li Qing’an and said with a dry laugh, “None of these kids are good enough. How about Captain Li shows them what real skill looks like and teaches them there are always better ones out there?”

At that moment, Li Linfu also chimed in with a smile, “I’ll add another 500 guan. Captain Li, if you can do it, 1,500 guan in rewards will be yours.”

“Great! I’ll give it a try.”

Li Qing’an strode toward the field. Gao Lishi ordered a horse and a set of maces to be brought over. Li Qing’an mounted the horse and circled the field once. Then he suddenly leaned forward and hit a ball on the ground. From over thirty steps away, the ball flew straight into the net. This was just him testing his feel and showing off a bit. Gao Lishi nodded and said to Li Linfu, “Prime Minister, this Li Qing’an is indeed impressive.”

“They all fought their way through the battlefields in the Western Regions, so naturally they’re different from the players from the Central Plains. Gao Xianzhi has high praise for this man, saying his archery skills are extraordinary and he’s achieved many remarkable feats. There are over twenty of them here, all said to be heroes from the Battle of Xiao Boli. Gao Xianzhi probably hopes they can receive an imperial reward in person.”

“Heh! It seems Prime Minister knows quite a lot about them!”

“Of course. I’m the governor of Anxi—this is part of my duties.”

“Alright! I’ll talk to the emperor tomorrow. I think he’ll be happy to meet them.”

Both of them stopped talking and watched intently at the course. Li Qing’an had already entered the field. He controlled the speed of his horse, paying close attention to everything around him. Although he had undergone dozens of such night training sessions and his skills were already flawless, this was still a chance to prove himself in Gao Lishi’s residence, so he dared not be the least bit careless.

The dozen or so players nearby watched him with complex expressions. They all knew that Gao Lishi’s sudden change in training methods was likely related to this man. Many of them showed signs of resentment, silently wishing for him to make a fool of himself as well.

At that moment, Li Qing’an suddenly accelerated. When he was still over forty steps away from the hole, the caddy shouted, “It’s your turn to hit!” Three balls were thrown simultaneously from the east, west, and south—extremely fast. Two were side shots, and one was a straight shot. Without hesitation, Li Qing’an twisted his body in the saddle and swung his club at the red ball flying toward him. With a crisp “bang,” the club hit the ball precisely. With a whoosh, the ball flew toward the hole. Amidst gasps of surprise, it dropped into the hole.

“Forty-three steps, one swing to hole!” the caddy shouted. Gao Lishi and Li Linfu couldn’t help but applaud.