Chapter 34: Rainbow Robes (I)

The weather in Guanzhong gradually turned hot, and the people of Chang’an had long shed their thick coats for lighter garments. They sat in teahouses in groups, chatting about family matters and palace intrigues. Though it was only June, the scorching sun baked the earth mercilessly, turning the drinks spilled on the stone slabs into mist in no time, carrying with it a rich aroma. The vendors selling plum juice by the roadside were very busy—this icy drink, priced at one copper coin per bowl, was perfect for quenching thirst in the heat. Whether you were a wealthy young master or a hardworking laborer, who couldn’t afford a copper coin? According to industry insiders, this was called “promoting saliva production and attracting wealth,” a phrase meant to bring good fortune. The wealthy lords, of course, preferred not to go out and endure the heat, instead sitting in rattan chairs in their backyards, sipping chilled plum juice served by their servants, feeling refreshed. As for the wise emperor of the Daming Palace, he had already moved to the cooler Xingqing Palace with his imperial concubine to escape the heat, enjoying lychees transported from afar from Lingnan, surrounded by beautiful women and talented scholars—a true paradise on earth.

Li Kuo had gradually emerged from the shadow of his “forced marriage.” With Zhou Wucui as his new friend, his life became much more colorful. With this chubby boy’s help, he had slowly come to understand what it took to be a hermit: an unyielding will, a low-key and cautious personality, and an attitude of absolute obedience. After the master returned from his travels, introduced by this younger brother, Li Kuo met this great scholar. To his surprise, the master was quite satisfied with him and immediately allowed him to proceed to the assessment phase. Of course, as Wucui said, life went on as usual—studying when needed, riding horses when required, composing poems when appropriate, and sipping tea at other times. Whether to pursue official positions or join the army depended entirely on his own choice.

Having promised Pei Xingchen to join a polo match, Li Kuo would set aside time every afternoon to practice outside the city with his classmates. Although Zhou Wucui was quite chubby, he also loved this national sport of the Tang Dynasty. After some coercion and persuasion, he naturally joined Li Kuo in going out and coming back together. Unfortunately, a tribute student’s family suffered a sudden misfortune—their grandfather passed away suddenly in Shu, forcing them to rush back to Jiannan for the funeral, leaving the team short of a member. Though Wucui really wanted to take his place, he had to give up out of respect for his status as a tribute student. Li Kuo then thought of his close friend Zhang Yanji. After inviting him, the young Zhang patted his chest and promised to live up to everyone’s expectations, ensuring that the enemy troops would not even get a chance to breathe. Zhang Yanji was renowned for his riding and archery skills in Chang’an, which made Li Kuo extremely happy. Soon, any misunderstandings between the two were completely resolved, and they returned to their once-close relationship.

Sitting leisurely in the manor on the outskirts of the city, Zhang Yanji narrowed his eyes and casually put a bunch of plump, attractive Gaochang grapes into his mouth, then stretched out contentedly. It was a day off every ten days, and Zhang Yanji certainly wouldn’t miss the chance to relax. He arrived early at his own manor, using polo practice as an excuse to enjoy some leisure time. Although his grandfather had confined him for a while after an incident on the outskirts of the city, Zhang Yanji promised never to cause trouble again. But as time passed, the young man reverted to his carefree attitude and would sneak out to the outskirts whenever he could. Although Minister Zhang was annoyed, he was too busy with official duties and knew his son’s wild nature, so he chose to turn a blind eye.

Under the soothing sunlight, Zhang Yanji gradually felt drowsy. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard the annoying voice of his maid, Xiao E.
“Young master, young master, there’s a friend of yours looking for you. I told him to wait in the front hall.”
His nap was interrupted, and Zhang Yanji replied irritably, “Why make such a fuss? Coming to bother me with something like this. With such a loud voice, who will dare to marry you? Can’t you see I’m taking a nap? Just say I’m not here!”
“Oh.”
Having been scolded for no reason, Xiao E frowned and turned to leave.
But Zhang Yanji seemed to remember something suddenly. He sat up abruptly, slapped his forehead, and asked urgently, “Is his name Li Kuo? Hurry and invite him in!”
No sooner had he spoken than a handsome young man in casual short clothes, with a fair face and bright eyes, strode into the backyard. He casually tied his hair back with a hairpin and wore a lake-blue sweatband around his waist, highlighting his well-proportioned and tall figure. It was indeed Li Kuo.

Zhang Yanji pulled his arm back from behind his back, scratched his head, and said, “Brother Kuo, why did you come so early? Weren’t we supposed to go to the palace for polo in the afternoon?”
Li Kuo shook his head helplessly and joked, “Just now I was betting with Wuzei that Young Master Zhang must have left the city to enjoy himself at his family’s estate and forgotten about the polo match. But Wuzei didn’t believe it, saying no one would miss such a good opportunity. It seems he still doesn’t understand our Young Master Zhang—how could we possibly guess what a nobleman like him is thinking?”
After being teased by Li Kuo, Zhang Yanji’s face turned red with embarrassment. He quickly pleaded, “Brother Kuo, it’s my fault. But I definitely won’t hold back the rest of us. Please at least save some face for me in front of the servants, okay?”
Seeing his friend’s embarrassed state, Li Kuo held back his laughter and cleared his throat lightly. “Hmm, then let’s head into the city right away. We’d better reach Danfeng Gate before noon so we can meet up with Wuzei and the others.”
Zhang Yanji agreed repeatedly, ordering Xiao E to prepare the horse while changing into casual clothes.
Over the past month, Li Kuo had been in high spirits. After learning that he was going to participate in the polo match, Brother Nan generously gave him a Turkic-style gray horse. Because of its grayish-blue coat and elegant demeanor, Li Kuo gave it a refined name—Qingfeng.
Li Kuo untied the reins from the wooden pole in the stable, and Qingfeng came over to its master, snorting noisily as it licked the boy’s left hand playfully. Li Kuo gently stroked Qingfeng’s mane and patted it a few times as a reward. Qingfeng shook its mane contentedly and let out a long neigh.
Zhang Yanji said jokingly, “They say good horses understand human language. It seems Qingfeng has already become one with you—probably no one other than you can ride it.”
Qingfeng seemed to understand Zhang Yanji’s words. It took a few angry steps toward him, spraying white mist from its nostrils and making a humming sound.
Zhang Yanji instinctively stepped back a few steps and said, “Look, look! This beast really understands human speech.”
Li Kuo shrugged and said, “Why argue with a horse? Hurry up and let’s go into the city.”
Zhang Yanji shrugged and said nothing more. He led out his beloved black horse from the stable and lightly jumped onto its back.
“Brother Kuo, do you think your Qingfeng is faster or mine, Pilie, is faster?”
“We’ll know once we compare them.”
Outside the Zhang family’s estate, two dots—one green and one black—faded into the dark blue sky, raising clouds of yellow sand.

Kicking the ball, also known as ball games or polo, was very popular in this dynasty. (Note 1) Due to the inheritance of the culture of the previous Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty was characterized by an open society and a martial spirit throughout the country. Even scholars who studied classics and history had some knowledge of horseback riding and archery. Against this cultural backdrop, polo undoubtedly became one of the three most popular sports, alongside fighting games and football games. Fighting games were mostly for entertainment among the common people regardless of social status, while football games were popular among the lower classes. Polo, on the other hand, was the only sport truly accepted by the upper class. After all, achieving good results in polo required a fine horse—so where could those struggling in the lower classes find such a horse?

By the time Li Kuo and Zhang Yanji arrived at Shengye Fang, it was nearly noon. They quickly handed their horses to the staff who came to take care of them and strode into Anxing Inn. The polo match they were participating in used an eight-player double-door format, with each team having eight players, a total playing time of forty minutes, and the team with more goals winning. The current emperor, being highly capable and wise, loved polo and included it as one of the training exercises for the army. To celebrate the birthday of the imperial concubine, the emperor, pleased, decided to hold a polo match in her honor. Thus, the soldiers returning to the capital from the Hexi region under the command of Göshu Han met with the scholars from the Imperial Academy to hold a polo match for the emperor and the concubine.

Besides Li Kuo and Zhang Yanji, the Imperial Academy team included members such as Pei Xingchen and Chen Runzhi, all from prominent families. The group agreed to have lunch together at Anxing Inn in Shengye Fang before going to the palace. Guided by the staff, they turned left and right until they finally saw the other six members in a corner on the second floor. After bowing in apology, they sat down at the table at the urging of the others. Perhaps due to their excitement, these usually polite young men were now discussing tactics and strategies enthusiastically, with hardly anyone paying attention to the delicious food. When everyone was present, Chen Runzhi pressed his hand downward to signal silence. As the noise gradually subsided, he cleared his throat and said, “We are competing here representing the Imperial Academy and the scholars. Although our opponents are the soldiers from Hexi, we must not bring shame to all scholars in the land!”

Seeing no objections, Chen Runzhi nodded in satisfaction and said, “Now I will finalize the positions. Li Kuo and Pei Xingchen, you will continue to play as border generals. He Rui, Cao Yu, Yu Dongwei, and I will serve as middle-ranking officers, while Zhang Yanji and Dai Jinjie will switch to playing as rear guards. (Note 2) Are there any objections?”

Zhang Yanji tried to stand up and argue his case, but Li Kuo firmly pressed down on his shoulders. Bowing to Chen Runzhi, Li Kuo said with a smile, “It’s up to Brother Runzhi to decide. For this match, we must work together as one and pool our efforts!”
Note 1: Ji Ju refers to polo, which was very popular during the Tang Dynasty. I’m describing it in detail here because this polo match is related to Xiao Qi’s future development.
Note 2: Well, these terms are my own creations, inspired by modern football, to represent positions like forward, midfielder, and defender. If you can’t find them anywhere, please don’t be surprised.