Chapter 35: Rainbow Robes (II)

The competition venue was chosen at the Nan Yuan training ground in Xingqing Palace. Since the Emperor was fond of the spring waters in the Furong Garden, a connecting wall was built between the north and south areas (Note 1). Exiting Chunming Gate and traveling swiftly along the imperial road along this wall, one could reach the Furong Garden in less than half an hour. Thus, whenever the Emperor wished to go on an outing, he could simply travel incognito with a small entourage, without the need to announce his arrival throughout the city.

The Nan Yuan training ground was located on a gentle slope right next to Chunming Gate. The Emperor placed great importance on martial arts; although the Tang Dynasty had enjoyed peace for a long time, he still frequently inspected the Yulin Army at the training ground. The ground was square, with bluestone walls twenty feet high (Note 2) built along three of its sides. To the north, there was a wide and tall platform, upon which a three-story wooden pavilion had been constructed. The inscription “Mingxuan Hall,” written in the Emperor’s own hand, had been transcribed into gilded characters and engraved on a paulownia wood plaque, hanging high in the center of the hall to proclaim the Emperor’s supreme authority over all lands.

It was nearly the third watch of the day (Note 3). Colorful flags fluttered on the three outer walls, adorning the training ground with splendid beauty. On both sides of the Mingxuan Hall stood two large banners embroidered with bright yellow dragon patterns, rustling in the strong wind to proclaim the supreme authority of the imperial family. Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty sat at the center of the Mingtang, looking down proudly at all those below. Though nearly seventy years old with gray temples, he never admitted aging. Indeed, what in this world could make such an imperially majestic ruler bow his head? He had suppressed Empress Wei and executed Taiping, thus ushering in the prosperous Kaiyuan era, spreading the fame of the Tang Dynasty far and wide and bringing nations to pay homage. It was all because of him, Li Sanlang. Li Longji narrowed his eyes, gazing down at the multitude and at his realm. He stubbornly straightened his slightly hunched back, a barely noticeable cold smile playing on his lips. To the right of the emperor sat the peerlessly beautiful Concubine, who, due to the sweltering weather, had abandoned her elaborate dress, wearing only a goose-yellow sheer robe that revealed her smooth, creamy skin. She seemed in high spirits today, lazily leaning against the couch, popping a Gaochang grape into her mouth from time to time and offering a gentle smile to her Sanlang. To the left of the emperor, Crown Prince Li Hen sat upright, bowing his head respectfully and obediently. All these grand festivities were nothing but torment for the heir to the Tang throne; Li Hen always felt as though his father was watching every move he made. Throughout the banquet, he dared not relax even slightly, often returning to the Eastern Palace with the back of his robe soaked through. Clearly dissatisfied with the crown prince’s restraint, Li Longji snorted lightly and stopped paying attention to his timid son.

Both teams of players had entered the field, lining up and dismounting to pay their respects toward the Mingtang. Seeing this, the ceremonial officer bowed toward the north, seeking the emperor’s approval. Clearly impatient, Li Longji waved his hand impatiently, signaling that the match should begin immediately.

The musicians and performers standing on either side began beating drums and ringing gongs. Amid the thunderous drumbeats, the polo match was about to start.

Li Kuo tightened his clothes and mounted his horse along with the others. The young man took out the dark ink-black polo stick left to him by his grandfather and stared at it for a long time. The stick was extremely old, said to have been used by his grandfather during the Kaiyuan era. It seemed as though the young man could see his grandfather swinging the stick on horseback, his hearty and innocent laughter… At this moment, the lacquer on the carved stick had long faded away, its mottled surface telling tales of time and helplessness. Yet Li Kuo couldn’t bear to discard it—it had been used by his grandfather; it had always been with him!

After the three signals of encouragement, the race officially began. Strong and handsome horses neighed loudly and snorted at both ends of the Southern Garden training ground, filling the area with a strong scent of gunpowder. A sound of a bronze gong rang, and an attendant standing nearby handed the wooden mace to Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty. Li Longji stood up, walked to the side of the palace building, and threw the mace with all his strength. As a frontier general, Li Kuo rightfully took on the task of capturing the mace. Clutching the horse’s belly tightly with both legs, he swung the mace and charged at the falling imperial mace. At the moment the mace landed, Li Kuo leaned forward and swung his mace to meet it. At the same time, a soldier from Hexi rode a yellow horse and rushed over. Just as Li Kuo was about to capture the imperial mace, the soldier tapped the horse’s belly lightly. The horse, startled, let out a loud neigh and leaped up, using its momentum to knock Li Kuo’s black mace aside. Unexpecting such despicable tactics, Li Kuo shouted, “Who are you? Why act so unscrupulously?” The soldier from Hexi laughed loudly, waving the golden imperial mace he had seized, and said, “Your grandfather is none other than Zhang Shouyu, the deputy commander of Hexi. By the time you were speaking, you would have already been killed dozens of times by the Turks on the battlefield. I advise you to go home and nurse instead of embarrassing yourself here.” Zhang Shouyu despised the wealthy young men of Chang’an deeply; in his eyes, they were nothing but good-for-nothing people relying on their ancestors’ wealth. Since Li Kuo had dared to talk about rules with him, he naturally classified Li Kuo as one of such people. Still young and impulsive, Li Kuo’s cheeks turned red with anger as he shouted, “Don’t get too confident! It’s not yet certain who will win!” Chen Runzhi spurred his horse forward, pulled at Li Kuo’s sleeve, and signaled the young man not to act rashly and lose his composure. Li Kuo took a deep breath, and his mind gradually cleared. He must not be provoked by his opponent; he had to prove his strength with action!

The soldiers from Hexi coordinated perfectly; once they gained possession of the ball, Zhang Shouyu took charge of organizing the attack. He nudged his horse’s flanks to maximize its speed, shifting his weight forward and racing almost along the sideline. Zhang Yanji and Dai Jinjie, waiting nearby, rushed forward in an attempt to cut off the ball from both sides. Unexpectedly, Zhang Shouyu fell to the left side of his horse, peeked out from beneath it, and with a swift swing of his baton, passed the ball neatly to another soldier from Hexi on the right. Before Zhang Yanji and Dai Jinjie could understand what had happened, Zhang Shouyu had miraculously returned to his horse. A clever move behind the stirrup was met with loud applause, and he glanced back at Li Kuo with disdain.

“Don’t chase the ball—keep an eye on your own man!”

Chen Runzhi panted heavily, holding a crimson baton and shouting orders loudly. Only then did the two realize what was happening and hurried to reposition for defense. But it was too late—the backline of the Guozijun team had already been breached. By the time Chen Runzhi rushed to the backfield to block them, the soldier had already passed the ball back to his teammate. That soldier swung his arm with force, and the shuttlecock undoubtedly went straight into the goal. The entire tactic was simple yet effective—just three passes to break through the Guozijun team’s defense, truly impressive. Ge Shu Han, watching from the palace balcony, was overjoyed and cheered loudly. Li Longji frowned slightly. Although both teams were his subjects, he truly preferred to see the Guozijun team win. That team represented the powerful families of Guanlong and the elite of Chang’an; if they lost badly to the soldiers from Hexi, his reputation would suffer. Seeming to sense what her third son was thinking, the imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, “That border soldier from the Guozijun team must be Li Kuo, the official whom Your Majesty appointed just the other day, right?”

Li Longji remained silent, muttering an “Mm” in frustration. Yang Yuhuan wasn’t annoyed and laughed lightly, covering her mouth. “Would Your Majesty like to make a bet with me? I bet the Guozijun team will win in the end, and that young Li will avenge his earlier defeat.”

Interested by her words, Li Longji asked, “My dear, how can you say that? The strength of both sides became clear in just that one match. If nothing goes wrong…”

Before Li Longji could finish, Yang Yuhuan tapped his lips gently. “Will Your Majesty dare to bet?”

Fully intrigued by Yang Yuhuan, Li Longji laughed heartily. “Fine, I’ll bet. Do I really have anything to fear from you?”

Yang Yuhuan smiled gracefully. “If your third son loses, he must write a poem as a gift for me.”

“What if I lose?”

“Ugh, everything belongs to you anyway.”
Yang Fei’s cheeks flushed red, revealing her shy demeanor.
On the field, the members of the Guozǐ team felt a deep sense of shame. They could clearly sense the disdain and contempt in the looks those hooligan soldiers cast at them, as if they were nothing but good-for-nothing scum.
Zhang Yanji spurred his horse to Li Kuo’s side and whispered, “Brother Kuo, stay calm. Use the tactics we practiced before. I don’t believe those hooligans can crack such a sophisticated strategy!”
Li Kuo nodded slightly before tapping his horse’s side. Seeming to sense his master’s displeasure, the horse let out a long neigh and galloped away, quickly leaving the soldiers from Hexi behind. The horse’s hooves pounded against the yellow earth of the training ground, raising clouds of dust and producing a deafening noise. It reminded one of messengers racing at top speed to report military news, of scouts returning with vital intelligence and fulfilling their mission, and of the gentle, charming smile of a beautiful woman arriving on horseback…
Note 1: Jiacheng: After Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, he changed his former residence, Xingqing Fang, to Xingqing Palace. To facilitate his trips to court and outside, he built an additional wall along the east city wall, creating a passage between it and the original wall for the emperor’s exclusive use—this was Jiacheng.
Note 2: During the Tang Dynasty, one chi was equivalent to 30.7 cm today, so 20 chi was roughly 6 meters.
Note 3: Weishi: Also known as Riji, Rizheng, etc.—it refers to the time when the sun is in the west (from 13:00 to 15:00 Beijing time).
Note 4: Zhang Shouyu: A famous general under Ge Shu Han. Zhenwei Fuyi: A rank in the sixth tier of the official hierarchy.