Chapter 96 Meeting at the Summit
Upon hearing this, Ru Mo immediately held an ebony golf club steadily in both hands and bowed to present it to him.
On the other side, Yangjin also stood up from her seat and took her own polo stick from the Tibetan attendant behind her.
The two women stood side by side in the main stands, not saying a word, but their eyes were filled with undisguised competitive spirit.
Someone in the side stands noticed their actions and shouted.
"Princess Chang is about to make her appearance!"
The voice wasn't loud, but the crowd in the stands erupted in cheers after hearing it!
The somber atmosphere caused by Daqi's loss was instantly ignited.
The officials stood up one after another, disregarding their decorum and craning their necks to look around, their eyes fixed intently on the main grandstand.
The young men and women forgot their earlier disappointment and excitedly pulled at each other, discussing loudly.
"Is Princess Chang going to personally participate?"
"Who are we going to fight? Are we going to fight that Crimson Princess?"
"My goodness! We can actually see the Princess and the Tibetan princess playing ball today!"
The crowd at the edge of the field cheered, their previous silence long forgotten.
As everyone knows, Princess Li Yuanzhao was particularly skilled in riding and archery.
In terms of horsemanship, almost no one in the entire Great Qi Dynasty can beat her.
Princess Chizun of Tibet was a renowned female general who won countless battles.
Horsemanship and combat skills are genuine abilities honed on the battlefield.
The duel between these two women is much more interesting than the group of men from before!
Before long, two fine horses stood in the center of the arena.
The most eye-catching figures were the two owners on horseback.
Princess Li Yuanzhao, the patron princess of the Great Qi Dynasty, was dressed in a black riding outfit with a red-gold belt around her waist and an ebony polo stick held diagonally in her hand.
She sat there on her horse, not saying a word, yet she inspired a sense of submission in everyone.
Princess Yangjin of Tibet, dressed in a moon-white Hu-style robe, appeared even taller and more imposing, her black iron staff planted firmly on the ground.
A slightly arrogant smile played on her lips, and her whole being exuded the wildness of a warrior.
The two men were vastly different in size; one resembled a bear, and the other a tiger.
But the majesty and imposing presence emanating from their very bones were remarkably similar, on par with each other.
Lin Xuean had already strode to the center of the arena. He glanced at the princess with admiration in his eyes before making a loud announcement.
"The one-on-one polo match between the Eldest Princess and the Crimson Princess shall now begin!"
As he finished speaking, a servant tossed the crimson polo ball high into the center of the field.
Almost the instant the polo ball left their hands, Li Yuanzhao and Yangjin simultaneously spurred their horses forward.
The cheers from the stands erupted again, louder than ever before, almost lifting the roof off the stands.
Li Yuanzhao was the first to approach, his polo mallet precisely blocking the polo ball, ready to unleash his power.
Yangjin swung his club horizontally, and with a crisp "clang," he forcefully deflected the ball to the other side.
"What a quick reaction!" someone in the stands exclaimed.
Yangjin spurred his horse to chase the ball, displaying the fierce spirit of a grassland warrior as he charged straight at the Qi goal.
Li Yuanzhao remained calm and composed. He squeezed his legs tightly around the horse's flanks, and the horse suddenly turned around, catching up from the rear. With a gentle flick of his mallet, he blocked the ball in front of him and struck it toward the Tibetan goal.
The two players went back and forth on the field.
Li Yuanzhao excels at winning through skill, employing flexible and varied cueing techniques, sometimes lightly flicking the ball and sometimes making a sharp turn to intercept.
Yangjin, relying on her strength and speed, delivered each shot with tremendous force, forcing Li Yuanzhao to frequently dodge.
After a stalemate lasting half an incense stick's time, Li Yuanzhao finally found an opening.
Yangjin spurred his horse slightly off course to intercept the polo ball.
She immediately accelerated, her mallet striking the polo ball with great force. The crimson polo ball grazed the edge of Yangjin's mallet and landed steadily in the Tibetan goal.
"Princess! You've won first place!!" The shouts of the announcer pierced the arena.
Yangjin remained completely calm, reined in his horse, and raised his polo mallet at Li Yuanzhao.
The next time, Yangjin launched an even fiercer attack, and the polo ball barely had a chance to hit the ground under her stick.
Li Yuanzhao tried to stop her several times, but she forced him back with brute force.
Just as the polo ball was about to fly into the Daqi goal, Li Yuanzhao suddenly bent down, grabbed the saddle with one hand, and stretched out his polo stick with the other, barely managing to deflect the ball back.
Before she could adjust her posture, Yangjin had already arrived on horseback and struck the ball into the goal with her staff.
"Princess Chizun! You win!"
Cheers erupted from the stands once again.
This time, people seemed less focused on the Great Qi and Tubo, and more on the excitement of the exciting matches.
The ensuing contest became increasingly intense, almost turning into a back-and-forth battle of "you score one goal, I score one goal."
Li Yuanzhao used his agile riding skills to score another point.
Yangjin then used his explosive power to forcefully tie the score.
Yangjin broke through the defense with his speed, but Li Yuanzhao used precise cueing to save the ball from in front of the goal line.
As the sun gradually set, the shadows cast by the players on the sidelines stretched long. The two remained evenly matched, with the score stuck at nine to nine.
"It's the last ball!"
"The moment that will decide the winner is about to arrive, I'm so excited!"
Amidst the murmurs, the attendant tossed the ball again.
This time, Yangjin took the initiative, galloping closer on horseback and striking the polo ball hard with his mallet. The ball was so fast that it almost left a blur as it hurtled towards the Daqi goal.
Li Yuanzhao rode closer, and upon seeing this scene, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
She knew that intercepting it in the usual way was impossible.
Yangjin's strength was too great; the ball made a sharp, whistling sound as it went through the air, and it was simply unstoppable.
The next moment, Li Yuanzhao made a surprising move.
She suddenly released the reins, put her feet on the saddle, and stood up straight, standing firmly on the galloping horse!
The stands fell silent instantly, everyone holding their breath and staring at the black figure.
Yangjin was riding over when he saw this scene and was stunned for a moment.
She was large and strong, and was already half a head taller than Li Yuanzhao when riding on horseback.
But at that moment, Li Yuanzhao stood on horseback, his gaze instantly suppressing her.
Before Yangjin could react, Li Yuanzhao had already raised his bat, hooked the ball, and then, taking advantage of his height, delivered a powerful downward strike!
"Smack!"
The crimson polo ball was struck and spun high into the air, flying over Yangjin's head and landing precisely in the Tibetan goal.
"It's in! The Princess has won!"
Someone yelled, a sound that was heart-wrenching.
The cheers from the stands erupted again, more enthusiastic than ever before.
Li Yuanzhao slowly sat down and gripped the reins again.
She turned her head to look at Yangjin not far away, and said calmly, "You flatter me."
Yangjin's gaze fell on the polo ball in the goal, then she turned around, her face showing undisguised admiration.
She rode up to Li Yuanzhao, her voice full of sincerity.
"I admire the Princess's skills."
"I accept defeat wholeheartedly," she added, her eyes showing no trace of defeat, only the exhilaration of meeting a worthy opponent.
In Tibet, few could surpass her in horsemanship and courage. Today's battle with Li Yuanzhao was quite exhilarating.
As the sun sets, two women stand side by side, surrounded by cheering crowds.
Just then, Li Yuanzhao suddenly spoke, his voice slightly lowered so that Yangjin could hear him clearly.
"I wonder if Princess Yangjin has ever heard the ancient saying of the Great Qi Dynasty, 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?'"
Upon hearing this, Yangjin's pupils contracted slightly, and he turned his head to look at her.
She not only heard it, but also understood its meaning.
But she remained outwardly calm. "I have heard of it, but I wonder what the Princess means by bringing this up so suddenly?"
Li Yuanzhao's gaze swept over the Tibetan envoys in the distance, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning.
"You have the ability to command thousands of troops and hold the most elite military power in Tibet, so why should you listen to the orders of that incompetent Zanpu?"
Although she didn't finish her sentence, Yangjin instantly understood her unspoken meaning.
She never expected that her schemes were unknown even to her closest subordinates, yet this princess of the Great Qi, thousands of miles away, had revealed them directly.
The king is old and nearing the end of his life.
His children, raised deep within the palace, all saw her as a thorn in their side. If they were to ascend the throne, the first person they would eliminate would undoubtedly be her, who held military power.
So she had planned it all along. Once she returned from Daqi, she would launch a rebellion under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," catching them completely off guard.
As for this peace negotiation, the reason she readily agreed to the various harsh conditions imposed by the Great Qi was simply to exchange for a stable border.
As long as the Great Qi doesn't take the opportunity to invade, she can free up her hands to focus on dealing with the chaos within Tibet.
Li Yuanzhao seemed to see through her thoughts and continued, "What do we care about changes in your country's internal affairs or who becomes the Zanpu? As long as Tibet continues to pay tribute every year and there is no war on the border, why should we care who sits on the throne?"
Li Yuanzhao also had her own plans. If Tibet fell into internal strife, it would naturally be unable to harass the borders of Daqi. With fewer battles, she could naturally concentrate on dealing with the succession struggle.
Even if Yangjin had the ability to ascend to that position, her ascension would ultimately be illegitimate, and the nobles of Tibet were not to be trifled with.
This internal strife will likely continue for many years without ceasing. If she were to send troops to Tibet after ascending the throne, it would only be beneficial and harmless.
The two, each with their own thoughts, reached a secret understanding at this moment.
Yangjin looked at Li Yuanzhao, and finally a genuine smile, one of mutual appreciation, appeared on her lips.
“The Princess is a straightforward person. In that case, let’s meet at the summit.”
"Let's meet at the summit." Li Yuanzhao nodded in response.
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