Chapter 101: The Battle of Dragons and Tigers (Part 1)

During the polo tournament in the seventh year of Tianbao, the most anticipated match was the fierce confrontation between the Anxi Army and the Fanyang Army. Three years earlier, the Anxi Army had suffered a narrow defeat, and the insulting words spoken by Cai Xide, a general of the Fanyang Army, had led to a violent clash on the polo field. The Anxi Army left a deep impression on the people of Chang’an by vowing to avenge this defeat within three years.

Three years later, both armies entered the capital with great strength. The Anxi Army swept aside the Jiannan Army’s polo team with a score of 12 to 1, demonstrating their dominance, while the Fanyang Army also eliminated the Lingnan team 9 to 2 in their first match, showing their formidable strength.

Thus, the encounter between the two armies on the ninth day of the first lunar month sparked unprecedented enthusiasm among the people of Chang’an, becoming the biggest highlight since the start of the polo tournament. To witness this exciting battle, not only polo fans from various counties under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture flocked to Chang’an but also those from nearby provinces such as Fengxiang, Huazhou, Shanzhou, and Qingzhou. Inns across Chang’an were filled to capacity, and every public place, including taverns and brothels, was filled with discussions about the upcoming battle.

The extraordinary enthusiasm of the people of Chang’an caught the attention of the Ministry of War. To ensure the quality of the match, the ministry temporarily changed plans and allowed the commanders of the Anxi and Fanyang armies, who were heading to Jianghuai, to set off one day later, so that both armies could compete with their full strength.

This polo tournament even caught the attention of Emperor Li Longji. He issued an order to hold the match at Chang’an’s largest polo field, the Chongye Fang Polo Field. To prevent a crowd of polo fans from overwhelming Chongye Fang early in the morning, the gates were left open on the night of the eighth day of the first lunar month, and the Jinwu Guard and patrol units were tasked with maintaining order.

Starting from noon on the eighth day, countless polo fans flocked to Chongye Fang to secure good spots. As the night went on, more and more people gathered, filling the polo field with thousands of fans who brought blankets and bedding to spend the cold night. On the eve of the match between the Anxi and Fanyang armies, many people in Chang’an would stay awake all night.

After sending his son back to Youzhou, An Lushan, the governor of Fanyang, made another special trip to Chang’an. For him, the match against the Anxi Army was not just a polo game; it was also a test of military strength, a unique form of competition in horseback riding and archery.

Since Shi Siming lost a pot-throwing game to Li Qing’an at Yang Huahua’s birthday banquet, An Lushan had never placed such emphasis on a match as he did today.

In the afternoon, a pre-match meeting was held in An Lushan’s residence in Chang’an, presided over by him personally.

An Lushan, his advisor Yan Zhuang, Shi Siming, the leader of the horseball team, Cai Xide, the deputy leader, and another key player, Yin Ziqi, attended the meeting.
“I’ll tell you all why this match is so important. If we win, it will prove that I, An Lushan, am skilled at leading troops and that we have many talented archers and riders. Now that Wang Zhongsì has been captured, the positions of military governors in Hexi and Longyou are vacant. It’s very likely that people will be transferred from Shuofang or Longyou. That way, my chances of becoming the military governor of Shuofang or Hedong increase significantly. So, we must win—failure is not an option. If we win, I’ll grant everyone promotions and generous rewards. But if we lose? Well, don’t blame me, An Lushan, for being merciless.”
An Lushan’s tone was extremely strict. His gaze swept over everyone before stopping on Shi Siming’s face. In the last pot-throwing competition, he had been humiliated by Li Qing’an. If he lost again this time…
Shi Siming understood what An Lushan was thinking. His face burned with embarrassment as he quickly bowed and said, “General, please rest assured. We will definitely not lose this match.”
At that moment, Yan Zhuang laughed. “General Shi, high morale alone isn’t enough. We need strategy.”
He then said to An Lushan, “I went to watch the match between the Anxi Army and the Jiannan Horseball Team the day before yesterday. Their strength has improved greatly since last time. Especially with Li Qing’an joining them, the Anxi Army is no longer the same as it was three years ago. General, with all due respect, our Fanyang Army’s horseball team is now slightly inferior to theirs.”
“Mr. Yan, don’t boost their confidence too much,” An Lushan said.
Cai Xide spoke unhappily, “I’ve also watched their training. Both sides have our strengths. I admit their archery skills are slightly better, but we’re superior in controlling horses. We have the most powerful Youzhou Cavalry backing us, and with the general’s personal command, we’re far stronger than them, who are outnumbered.”
An Lushan waved his hand decisively. “Mr. Yan has a point. A horseball match is essentially a battle between two armies—open tactics are key, with covert strategies as a supplement. If we can win tomorrow, we must use any means necessary.”
After saying that, he turned to Yan Zhuang and said, “Mr., I’ll leave this matter to you. Whatever money you need, I’ll give it. Whatever troops you need, I’ll provide too!”
Yan Zhuang smiled triumphantly. “General, rest assured. It would be rude not to reciprocate. Last time, we were tricked by that young general. This time, I’ll make the Anxi Army taste my ‘Triple-Loop Decisive Strategy’.”
…

The Anxi Reporting Office was already under strict surveillance. The Wanian County Patrol Camp specially dispatched 300 men to patrol around the office’s walls, preventing anyone from approaching. Gao Lishi also pulled 50 highly skilled bodyguards from his residence to reinforce the security at the Reporting Office.

To ensure victory in this competition, orders were issued within the Anxi army prohibiting anyone from leaving the office or receiving guests. Everyone stayed inside, resting and awaiting tomorrow’s decisive battle.

As night fell, Duan Xiushi hurried to Li Qing’an’s room. Li Qing’an was discussing the trip to Yangzhou with Li Fei Shouyu. Upon seeing Duan Xiushi enter, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Is Lord Cheng still a bit worried?”

Duan Xiushi nodded and sighed slightly. “The lessons from three years ago were too harsh. We must be cautious this year.”

“What exactly happened three years ago?” Li Qing’an, unaware of the details, asked curiously.

Recalling what had happened three years ago, Li Fei Shouyu said resentfully, “During that competition, Cai Xide hid a hidden blade in his boot, which wounded the legs of my horse and Bai Yuan Guang’s horse. Although we changed horses, they weren’t as agile as ours. Bai Yuan Guang missed two shots he should have scored, leading to our defeat. The two armies then fought fiercely on the polo field, injuring many people. This year’s competition is even more crucial. I’m sure the Fanyang army will resort to despicable tactics again.”

“Shouyu is right. We did neglect things three years ago. We must not fall victim to ambushes this time.”

Duan Xiushi glanced at Li Qing’an. “Seventh Brother, what do you think?”

Li Qing’an replied calmly, “We won’t be despicable, but we won’t be noble either. As long as we plan thoroughly, understand the rules well, and leave An Lushan with no chance to counterattack, we can even make him suffer the consequences.”

Duan Xiushi was overjoyed and quickly asked, “Seventh Brother, please explain in detail.”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “The best way to deal with An Lushan is to stay calm while he acts recklessly. Let him use his schemes, while we remain composed. If they are distracted, we can stay focused and use our momentum to overwhelm their army.”

“Seventh Brother is spot on!”

Li Siyeh walked in smiling and said to the three of them, “If they use schemes, they’ll only gain a small advantage. If we fight fairly, we’ll gain a greater one. With strength against weakness, we will surely win this battle.”

“I’ve thought of at least twenty preventive measures.”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly. He wrote a note, rushed to the door, and handed it to the head of the bodyguards sent by Gao Lishi. “Please give this note to Lord Gao. Tell him I really need his help this time.”

The Jinzouyuan was equivalent to today’s office in the capital, usually managed by specially assigned officials from various regions. The Anxi Jinzouyuan was no exception—its administrators and several assistants were low-ranking officials sent by the Anxi Protectorate. However, laborers such as stablehands, cooks, and night watchmen were hired locally. Although the Anxi Jinzouyuan had strict security measures preventing outsiders from entering, its own laborers were not covered by these restrictions.

The Jinzouyuan covered a large area and had several laborers dedicated to cleaning, as well as a gardener. This gardener, surnamed Hu, was simple and honest, not very talkative, which earned him the nickname “Hu Mutou.” He was from Gaoling County in Jingzhao Prefecture. After the Jinzouyuan was set on fire, he took leave to return to his hometown, coinciding with the New Year, so he didn’t return until the evening of the eighth day.

Since he was part of the Jinzouyuan, the soldiers patrolling the area didn’t trouble him. After searching him, they allowed him to enter the Jinzouyuan.

“Hu Mutou, why did you return only today?” asked Luo Canjun, the administrator of the Jinzouyuan, somewhat unhappily.

“Master Luo, I just heard that the house had been repaired, so I set out early this morning. Please forgive me.”

“Never mind. The three wintersweet trees in the right courtyard didn’t bloom this winter, which is strange. Go take a look!”

“I’ll go right away!”

Hu Mutou hurried to the right courtyard, where the stables and kitchen were located. Behind the kitchen was a well from which water was drawn for cooking and watering the horses. The stables were under strict surveillance, with seven or eight spies lurking nearby. Since the warhorses of the cavalry were kept there, extra caution was needed.

Hu Mutou didn’t go to the stables. Instead, he went to the three wintersweet trees and examined them carefully. From afar, Wang, the cook, poked his head out of the window and laughed, “Hu Mutou, did my cooking fumes damage the trees?”

“No, they’re infested with pests.”

“I’ll water them.”

Hu Mutou seemed particularly talkative today. He picked up a wooden bucket from beside the wall and hurried toward the well. When he arrived, he glanced around—no one was there except Wang, who was smiling at him from the window.

“Wang, why are you smiling?”

“I’m smiling because you’re watering the trees instead of getting rid of the pests.”

“What’s so strange about that? It’s early spring; naturally, we need to water the trees more. I’ll deal with the pests later.”

As he spoke, Hu Mutou drew a bucket of water. He glanced at Wang and, after sniffing, laughed, “Wang, what has burned?”

“Oh! I’m cooking.”

Chef Wang hurried over to check the fire. By then, there was no one else around. Hu Mutou lowered his head, and the soft headscarf he was wearing fell into the well. Hu Mutou’s heart pounded with anxiety. He rushed back to the tree with the bucket, poured a bucket of water, dropped the bucket, and left. His task was done; now he needed to leave the palace quickly to enjoy the large sum of money he had earned that day, so he wouldn’t have to be a gardener anymore. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the east courtyard, a long, strong hand suddenly reached out from behind the door and grabbed his neck. Then, He Lou Yurun’s cold voice was heard: “You idiot, what did you throw into the well?”