Chapter 36: Rainbow Robes (III)

“A knife is pressed to your neck—how can you still care about righteousness and morality? Killing one person is killing; killing a hundred is also killing. If you don’t want to be killed, you must kill others.”
Those words from Wu Zui echoed in the youth’s ears once again, stirring tumultuous emotions within him. He absolutely could not lose this match! With one hand gripping the reins tightly and the other holding the racket, he raced along the right sideline at full speed. Why should the officers from Hexi Military Academy treat him arrogantly? Why should the Imperial Team lose to those soldiers? Humans aren’t animals—there’s no need to judge worth based on birth or status! Though surprised by the youth’s sudden burst of strength, the soldiers from Hexi quickly formed a defensive line under Zhang Shouyu’s command. A short, burly soldier on a jujube-colored horse charged toward Li Kuo’s left side, while a defender from Hexi’s left also rushed over. In an instant, the two of them trapped Li Kuo in the middle, leaving no room for him to breathe. Yet Li Kuo wasn’t panicked. With a fierce swing of his forearm, he sent the rattan ball flying forward. This unusual move left the two soldiers stunned. A cold smile appeared on Li Kuo’s lips as he pulled the reins hard with his left hand, forcing Qingfeng to turn away from its original direction! But the youth didn’t stop. Leaning slightly forward and tapping the horse’s belly, he maneuvered past the burly man and caught the rolling rattan ball. The skillful maneuver between man and ball was truly spectacular, drawing cheers from all around!
In no time, Li Kuo broke free from the encirclement, racing across the vast plain like a cavalryman from the northern deserts. Zhang Shouyu frowned and ordered someone beside him, “Tu Laosan, go stop that brat—use any means necessary!”
After a brief pause, Deputy Captain Zhang added, “Don’t hurt him!”
“As ordered!”

Tu Laosan saluted from atop his horse and immediately chased after Li Kuo ahead. Probably riding a large-blooded Persian horse, he caught up with Qingfeng in just thirty steps. When he was half a horse’s length away from Qingfeng, Tu Laosan actually grinned at the youth. His yellow teeth, covered in grease, disgusted the youth, who quickly sped up even more. When the distance between their horses narrowed to one body length, Tu Laosan seized the opportunity and sharply pulled back the reins. The Persian horse, startled, immediately reared up and let out a loud neigh. Tu Laosan struck its rump hard with his riding stick, causing the horse to instinctively step on Qingfeng’s left rear leg. At that moment, Qingfeng was on its hind legs, and the full weight of the horse pressed down on its legs—unbearable! Li Kuo heard a crack as the horse’s bones broke, and then he and Qingfeng were flung to the right front. The youth never expected his opponent to deliberately harm him, but he still did his best to hit the rattan ball back at Chen Runzhi, who was moving forward to catch it, despite being unbalanced. A smile appeared on the youth’s lips as he defiantly raised his head at Tu Laosan before crashing along with his horse onto the side wall. Although Tu Laosan successfully blocked Li Kuo’s attack, his tactic cost him dearly. Though the Persian horse knocked Qingfeng over, it relied on its full weight. Although it managed to avoid falling at that moment, it could no longer turn and gallop away. Tu Laosan cursed as he watched Chen Runzhi easily catch the rattan ball and move forward steadily. After controlling the ball, Chen Runzhi didn’t seek glory and passed it to Cao Yu on the left side after just a dozen steps. Cao Yu also didn’t cling to the ball and passed it to Yu Dongwei, who had moved up from the back, before the soldiers from Hexi rushed to snatch it. After several passes, only Zhang Shouyu was left defending in the back of Hexi’s team. The well-organized Hexi team had been torn apart by those young men! Zhang Shouyu was filled with anger. He didn’t understand how his carefully trained soldiers could be defeated by a bunch of inexperienced kids, nor how Hexi’s impregnable defense could be breached with just a few passes. But none of that mattered anymore. Those kids had no one left to support them, and with their own strength, they could surely take down the rattan ball! Yu Dongwei, however, seemed unaware of the danger ahead and continued to drag the stick while holding the ball. Just as the two horses were about to collide head-on, Yu Dongwei swung his stick and sent the rattan ball soaring into the air.

Everyone held their breath as they saw a black stallion charging toward them from twenty paces away. At the moment the shuttle landed, Zhang Yanji swung his club with all his strength. The club traced a beautiful arc through the air and, to everyone’s astonishment, perfectly spun into the goal.

“Phew!”

Zhang Yanji let out a sigh, waved his club provocatively at Zhang Shouyu, then rode straight toward Li Kuo. The hard kick from the previous horse seemed to have injured Qingfeng’s limbs; now, the grayish horse lay on the yellow soil field, neighing loudly. Fortunately, Li Kuo was thrown off when Qingfeng fell, otherwise the weight of the heavy horse could have had disastrous consequences for him. Li Kuo seemed unharmed, aside from a few scratches on his right arm and cheek. Seeing Zhang Yanji approaching on horseback, the young man slowly got up, supporting Qingfeng.

“Brother Kuo, are you okay? Those villains from Hexi were completely outwitted by us—what a satisfying victory!”

Unwilling to let his friend worry, Li Kuo forced a smile and said, “I watched the whole thing. You all worked well together—no one stuck to the ball, just smooth passes!”

Zhang Yanji proudly raised his head and said, “Of course. We’ve practiced passing for so long—how could we give them any chance?”

After a brief pause, Young Master Zhang gritted his teeth and said angrily, “But those villains went too far. They even dared to attack people in front of His Majesty! If we had known, we would never have let Brother Kuo go and disrupt their defense.”

Li Kuo shook his head gently. “You still don’t understand. There are things men must face.”

With an injured player, the game came to a halt. Out of caution, the court official went to check the young man’s injuries before going to the emperor to ask for his decision. Normally, polo games often involved physical contact, so injuries were inevitable. In the warrior-oriented Tang Dynasty, games usually continued unless the injuries were severe. But the repeated provocations by the Hexi soldiers could no longer be justified as mere collisions—they were outright provocations.

Li Longji frowned. According to the reports from the court officials, Li Kuo had clearly been deliberately knocked down. Although the young man wasn’t seriously injured, if he didn’t take action, it might dampen the morale of the soldiers. But right now was a time when troops were being deployed against Tubo, and if the culprit was punished harshly, there might be dissent among the army. He had just appointed Geshu Han as the military governor of Longyou, yet this man had caused him such a big problem, which angered Li Longji greatly. He had always known about the brutality of the border troops, but he hadn’t expected them to be so arrogant. If they dared to commit violence in the imperial gardens, what would they do at the borders?

Just as Li Longji was about to explode in anger, he saw Geshu Han bow down before him, weeping and saying, “Your servant, Geshu Han, has failed to discipline his subordinates and thus failed to live up to your imperial grace. Please allow me to bring the culprit back to the camp and punish him severely.”

Li Longji found it amusing. Geshu Han was quite good at reading people’s minds—he stepped forward even before Li Longji spoke. But it was fine; since his attitude was good, Li Longji could be lenient. Still, he needed to put on a show to discipline this barbarian. After thinking for a moment, Li Longji waved his hand and said, “I have always taught you to treat others with courtesy as an expression of respect for the teachings of the sages. Our Tang Dynasty governs through propriety and virtue. How can the behavior of your men resemble that of the personal guards of a military governor? Deliberately harming others, being arrogant and domineering—aren’t they no different from bandits and robbers? Have they taken my words as mere wind in their ears, thinking I’m kind enough to be deceived?”

“Your servant is terrified!” Geshu Han replied, covering his face with his hands and trembling. “I have always followed your orders in governing the army and the people, treating the people of Hexi as my own. It’s just that I’ve been too busy with military affairs and haven’t had time to supervise these trivial matters, allowing them to develop such arrogant and domineering habits. From now on, I will discipline them strictly to repay your kindness in recognizing my abilities.”

Li Longji snorted lightly and said, “I only hope you remember today’s words. Soldiers and generals exist to expand territory and protect the people. If they use their achievements to oppress the people, they are no different from traitors and rebels, and everyone has the right to punish them!”

After a brief pause, Li Longji continued, “There’s no need to blame those border troops too harshly. Tell them to save their strength for fighting the Tubo people. Once you capture Dafechuan and Lhasa, I will personally celebrate your victory!”

“Your servant obeys!” Geshu Han bowed again and replied respectfully.

By combining kindness with authority and putting on a proper show, both the emperor and his subject were pleased. Li Longji was very satisfied—Geshu Han was a sensible man who could fully grasp his intentions. He didn’t care about the injury of a few soldiers; as long as the Hexi Army could conquer Dafeichuan for him, he wouldn’t hesitate to bestow high ranks and honors.

The Tang emperor gave a few more instructions to the court officials nearby, then resumed chatting and laughing with Consort Yang.

“By the emperor’s decree, Li Kuo, a court official and guest of the crown prince, is brave and resolute, serving as a model for the young talents of our Tang Dynasty. He is promoted to Xuanjie Xiaowei as an encouragement.”

The court official proclaimed the emperor’s grace loudly to everyone. His voice carried far, far away…

Note 1: Geshu Han belonged to the Geshu tribe of the Western Turks. Emperor Xuanzong trusted the Turks, believing them more loyal than the Han people. As a result, half of the ten military governors were Turks.

Note 2: Dafeichuan: located in the Qieji Plain southwest of Gonghe County in present-day Qinghai. The Tang Dynasty’s disastrous defeat at Dafeichuan in 670 marked the full rise of the Tubo people. It wasn’t until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, under the leadership of famous generals like Li Wei, Wang Zhongsì, and Geshu Han, that the situation improved, and the Tang forces advanced westward to Qinghai Lake and beyond. Thus, the Tubo people remained a constant threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Note 3: A title for military or civilian officials. Established in the Tang Dynasty, it ranked as the eighth rank, upper tier.