Chapter 59 Nine Consecutive Strikes at the Soil
Lord Zheng doesn't know martial arts. Will he be able to withstand the tall and strong barbarians later?
Because Zheng Yangzhi had helped him, Jing Ye couldn't help but worry for Zheng Yangzhi. He tried to convince himself: knowing martial arts doesn't necessarily mean you can play polo, like himself; and playing polo doesn't necessarily require martial arts skills, like Lord Zheng.
I might even have to ask Zheng Yangzhi for advice on ball skills later!
Then she thought, if Lord Zheng isn't like this later, so easily broken, she would protect him more.
Lost in thought, Jing Ye unconsciously slowed his pace. As soon as Qing Fu finished speaking, he gave Chu Xiong a wink, and Chu Xiong took two steps ahead of Jing Ye and stepped onto the Vermilion Bird Banner.
With only one spot left, Jing Ye panicked and, without thinking twice, rushed to the banner.
The emperor, mounted on his horse, slightly lowered his chin and slowly scanned his team of teammates. After glancing at them one by one, he expressionlessly ordered the eunuch to lead the three men to change their clothes.
The three of them entered a separate tent. The young eunuch offered to serve Jing Ye, but Jing Ye shook his head so hard it was almost doubled: "No need, no need, I can do it myself!"
The young eunuch acknowledged and stepped aside. After Jing Ye removed his armor, he handed him a narrow-sleeved blue brocade sleeve. Jing Ye put it on, and then the eunuch handed him sheepskin arm guards. The style was different from that of a warrior's arm guards, and Jing Ye wore them backwards. The eunuch noticed and had to correct him: "General, you should wear them like this."
Jingye suddenly realized, "Thank you, sir!"
Realizing he had left in a hurry and hadn't had time to ask Yuan Wancheng, he asked the eunuch, "Sir, what are the rules of this polo game?"
The eunuch gasped. He'd never seen a pig run, but he'd eaten pork. Had General Jing never watched polo before?
It was so absurd that I didn't know how to begin.
Even Zheng Yangzhi, who was fastening his leather belt in the next tent, paused upon hearing this.
Jing Ye scratched his head sheepishly. For people like them, life on horseback meant iron armor and blood, and their lives were like duckweed on the battlefield. They either gained fame or lost their lives. They never thought they could wear fine clothes and ride fine horses, lightly waving golden staffs, while away the time and find joy on a small ball.
"Polo is generally played between two teams of four, two as forwards and two as defenders. The forwards attack, the defenders defend, and the defenders feed the ball to the forwards." In fact, there is also a customary rule that the emperor must be the forward, and the other three teammates must feed the ball to the emperor as much as possible to help the emperor break through the opponent's goal. The one who scores is the most outstanding.
The eunuch didn't mention interpersonal relationships or social etiquette, but only told Jing Ye the basics.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir." Jing Ye took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into the eunuch's hand.
The eunuch thanked him and accepted the turban. When he handed him the turban, he added, "If the polo match is serious and the collisions are intense, a warrior's helmet is necessary for protection. But today's match is a friendly one, so this stiff turban is all you need."
After putting on the turban, Jing Ye nodded and made a note of it as well.
He changed his clothes and came out of the tent, only to find that he was the last one; the other two were already waiting outside.
Jing Ye quickly apologized, "I'm sorry to have kept you both waiting."
The tight-fitting jersey accentuated Zheng Yangzhi's waist, and his blue brocade robe made him resemble a pine tree, tall and slender like bamboo, with a sharp nose and slightly upturned phoenix eyes that exuded natural charm. Jing Ye couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, thinking to himself that this was the kind of unrestrained elegance that could never be learned.
The three walked together toward the stadium. Zheng Yangzhi spoke slowly beside Jing Ye: "The stadium is like a battlefield. This battle concerns the prestige of our nation. We can only win, we cannot lose."
Jing Ye was taken aback: Is such a small polo ball really that important?
He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but the words ignited his inner passion, and then it dawned on him: Zheng Yang's ambition wasn't on the football field, but on the nation! He was fighting for his country! Protecting his country with his life!
Thinking of his previous petty speculations, Jing Ye couldn't help but feel ashamed. He also thought that he couldn't just focus on testing the Northern Di King later. He was too proud to be a hero and too attached to personal feelings. He had to put bringing glory to the country first.
Jing Ye unconsciously followed Zheng Yangzhi and walked quickly, leaving Chu Xiong gradually alone.
Jing Ye leaned closer to Zheng Yangzhi, almost whispering, "Lord Zheng, to be honest, this is actually my first time playing polo—"
"This must never be said again!" Zheng Yangzhi said solemnly, his expression and tone serious. "If our opponents hear this, it will boost their morale and diminish our own."
"Yes, yes, that's why I'd like to ask you to teach me."
Zheng Yangzhi looked ahead and said, "If you really don't understand tactics, just pass the ball to me when you get on the field."
Jing Ye nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, thank you for helping me, sir!"
Upon arriving at the field, the three men returned the salute to the emperor before mounting their horses. The emperor, also gazing ahead at the vast field, did not even glance at the three men, and calmly ordered: "General Jing and I will lead the vanguard; the rest of you shall guard the national gate."
Chu Xiong and Zheng Yangzhi responded in unison.
On the field, two teams, one in green and one in brown, stood silently facing each other.
The judge loudly proclaimed: "In polo, skill is the measure of victory. Anyone who intentionally causes a collision or secretly injures another, regardless of rank, will be immediately expelled as a warning to others. Today, let us raise this dignified formation and the upright banner!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards planted several flags on the sidelines and erected two empty poles in the center, each three zhang taller than the flags.
After the matter was concluded, the emperor smiled warmly and said to Hugu Xumi's team from afar, "I am the host, and you are all guests from afar. Today, the first strike should be given to the guests."
This demonstrates our nation's reputation as a land of etiquette and its virtue of benevolence.
Hugu Xumi bowed with his staff raised, saying, "I humbly request Your Majesty's instruction."
Having said this, he gripped his staff and spurred his horse forward like a streak of brown lightning, dodging the emperor and advancing along Jingye's path. Jingye stood firm—only victory was permitted, defeat was not an option!
Seeing that Hugu was swinging his staff to the left and his horse was also turning to the left, he focused all his attention on intercepting to the left. But Hugu's staff and ball separated, the ball went to the right, and the horse also turned around. In a flash, the ball and the man flew past Jingye.
Before they had gone more than a few feet, a golf club swept across the colorful ball and Hugu Sumi's golf club with the force of wind and thunder. Hugu glanced at the person holding the club and saw that Zheng Yangzhi's eyes were like torches, and he and his horse were as one, without the slightest hesitation.
Hugu Xumi smiled and said, "I didn't expect Lord Zheng to come and play polo."
Zheng Yangzhi narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, his smile warm and gentle, like a spring breeze: "This humble official is in charge of the Imperial Secretariat and is also in charge of the Imperial Guest by imperial decree. How can I sit idly by and watch the ceremony during this polo match?"
"Lord Zheng is very sensible and has the bearing of a great nation!" Hugu replied, but his hands and eyes remained focused on the polo ball, trying to dribble past Zheng Yangzhi just like he had dribbled past Jing Ye.
Zheng Yangzhi had already seen through the plan. With quick eyes and hands, he guarded the area closely, not letting go of any of Hugu's balls, men, or horses. However, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "This polo match is an ancient ritual, a competition of gentlemen. It is to emulate the elegance of the Orchid Pavilion and not to care about winning or losing."
Despite this, Hugu Xumi tried to force his way through again, and Zheng Yangzhi once again swung his club to block him, using all his strength. The two clubs collided with a metallic clang, and sparks flew everywhere.
The colorful ball was carried backward by the wind and thrown into the air, where it was finally caught by the Western Qi envoy behind Hugu.
Zheng Yangzhi smiled brightly and spoke with gentle elegance: "The golden staffs intertwine, not for the sake of shattered jade, but for the sake of clear sounds. It is not about determining who is superior, but about wishing to share in the glory with Your Majesty."
Hugu Xumi's smile finally froze for a moment, then he calmed down and nodded as if in approval: "Lord Zheng is absolutely right. It is a pleasure to see everyone displaying their talents and having a great time."
He lifted the reins, ordering the horse to reverse, and went to receive the ball passed by the Xiqi envoy. The ball returned to Hugu's Sumeru staff.
He didn't change his strategy and continued to attack as before. Zheng Yangzhi looked thin, but he was as tough as an iron barrel when he defended. It seemed that he still couldn't get past him. Suddenly, Hugu Xumi swung his staff in mid-air. Zheng Yangzhi was quick-witted and his staff clearly hit the ball, but he couldn't stop it. The ball was as fast as an arrow and went straight into the goal.
The referee tied a triangular brown flag to the empty pole on the right.
Zheng Yangzhi's face was gloomy. He knew perfectly well that Hugu had used his internal strength and added true energy, but he couldn't say anything. Hugu's previous attacks and retreats were polo tactics of using slowness to overcome speed.
Xu Heng, on the other side, was gazing into the distance. He knew a bit more than Zheng Yangzhi—Hu Gu's swing move was called "Meteor Chasing the Moon," originally a hidden weapon technique, but it was used on the polo field.
Chu Xiong went back inside the goal to retrieve the ball. He was supposed to feed it to the Emperor, but seeing that the Emperor was far away while Jing Ye was close, he was afraid that the ball would be intercepted by the opponent and the mistake would be attributed to him. So he swung his stick to feed the ball to Jing Ye.
As soon as Jing Ye received the ball, he immediately passed it back to Zheng Yangzhi.
Chu Xiong's eyes clearly showed surprise, while the other two remained calm. Zheng Yangzhi glanced quickly at the opponent's goal before turning to look at the Emperor. Their gazes met briefly in mid-air before quickly shifting away, never to meet again.
The emperor and Zheng Yangzhi's horses ran in a crisscross pattern. Zheng Yangzhi made a diagonal pass, Xu Heng rushed up to receive the ball, then passed it to Zheng Yangzhi, who then passed it to Xu. They shifted positions and, amidst the thunderous sound of hooves, the two exchanged no words or gestures, yet they were able to make precise cuts and passes.
They didn't know when they had observed the situation, but they all coincidentally avoided Hugu Sumi and attacked the envoy with the worst ball skills.
Zheng Yangzhi brandished his staff and swayed his horse to attract the attention of the envoy, while Xu Heng moved left and right, also employing the feint attack technique of Hugu Xumi, and then scored with a single swing of his staff.
The moment the goal was scored, the guests watching from all sides shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and cheers surged like a tidal wave, shaking heaven and earth. Among them were knowledgeable football fans who praised the Emperor and Zheng Shaoqing for their exquisite passing and movement, their perfect teamwork, and their perfect understanding as if they were one, breathing in and out in unison, which enabled them to unleash the legendary move "Two Dragons Emerging from the Water," a move not seen for many years.
A triangular blue flag is tied to the left side, so it's no longer an empty pole.
When it was the foreign team's turn, Hugu Xumi didn't try to dominate the field. This time, he led the team's least skilled envoy to guard the left flank, supporting each other while passing the ball to his right-wing teammates. As the defender was about to pass to the vanguard, the emperor spurred his horse to intercept, scooped forward with his staff, and hooked the ball forward, first feinting at the vanguard, then attempting to feint at the defender. The defender was a warrior from the Black Barbarian Kingdom, unusually strong, standing nine feet tall, with a body like a wall, and outstretched his arms to block. Jing Ye, not far from the emperor, understood the situation, spurred his horse forward, turned his back, and used his body to block the Black Barbarian warrior.
The Black Barbarian Warriors' defensive tactics were disrupted, forcing them to engage in a direct physical battle with Jing Ye. Taking advantage of this, the Emperor bypassed the two, entered the deserted territory, and rode alone for a thousand miles to score another goal, adding insult to injury.
This move is called "winning with speed," and it's the same tactic as the "using slow to defeat fast" strategy that Hokugu Sumi used earlier—the two extremes of Yin and Yang.
The crowd roared and cheered like thunder, rolling onto the field from all sides.
Another blue flag is tied to the left pole, making the number of flags exceed that of the brown flags.
Suddenly, the gong sounded, the judge raised the flag, and announced: "The water clock has run out of time, and half the game is over. Gentlemen, please rest for a moment, and wait for the horn drums to sound again before we continue the battle."
Then we took a break.
The group dismounted and went to the decorated tent to rest.
Hugu Xumi slowly walked over to the Qing team, placed his right palm on his chest, and smiled, "Your Majesty's polo skills are as graceful as a startled swan or a dragon in flight."
The emperor also laughed: "Amitabha is also a master of man and horse as one, his skill is divine."
Hugu bowed and said, "Your Majesty flatters me."
Just then, Zheng Yangzhi brushed past Hugu Xumi from behind, and Hugu turned around and praised with a smile: "Lord Zheng is not to be outdone."
Zheng Yangzhi immediately raised the corners of his lips: "Your Majesty's praise is a great honor for me."
Jing Ye walked behind Zheng Yang, listening to everyone's conversation, and unconsciously memorized these polite phrases.
Hugu Xumi turned his head again and took the initiative to talk to Jingye. This time, he even suppressed a bit of his smile: "General, you are quite strong. In the second half, you might as well try to touch the ball with your staff more often. In fact, the offense and defense on the field are similar to the marching and fighting of an army."
Jing Ye himself was also starting to realize that playing ball was like fighting a war, and he was pondering it when he heard this. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your inspiration, Your Majesty!"
Given their different statuses, they said no more and followed the emperor and others as they ascended the steps to exit the venue.
Qingfu, who had been waiting for a long time, handed the emperor a handkerchief. The emperor picked it up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Only when he was far away from Hugu Xumi did he casually order, "Call her to come and see."
Aside from Qingfu, all the teammates around him heard it.
*
Ministry of War.
Wang Yuying closed the list of successful candidates for the provincial examination that she had just finished browsing. Among them, Zhao Dingrong, a candidate from Liangzhou, had the best score. Next in line were Bi Pan from Yizhou and Zhang Dacheng from Huainan.
Of the three, two came from humble backgrounds. Although Zhang Dacheng's ancestors had contributed to the rise of the new dynasty, that was a hundred years ago. Now, three generations back, they were destitute.
This year, the number of students from impoverished backgrounds who failed the exam increased by 40% compared to last year.
This is unusual.
Liao Qing entered and bowed: "Sir, did you summon me?"
Wang Yuying nodded: "Sit down. I want to ask you, during this year's inspection, did anyone try to use a different method to embezzle public funds?" She had already inquired beforehand and learned that last year, a prominent family had tried to bribe officials to ensure the admission of a member of their clan. The examiners in that year had made many connections and turned a blind eye, allowing the member to make it all the way to the provincial examination.
Then, at this crucial moment, Inspector Liao Qing refused to accept the bribe and even reported the matter, incurring resentment and causing trouble from powerful families. In the end, the emperor protected Liao Qing.
“If you have any difficulties, you can tell me directly,” Wang Yuying continued.
Liao Qing kept his lips closed for a long time before speaking softly: "His Majesty knows that the superior is upright and honest, and fears that there may be obstacles, so he purged all the evil spirits for the superior early on, without any tolerance. In fact, the superior was more strict in supervising the examination this year than you thought, and there was not a single case of embezzlement."
Wang Yuying lowered her head and remained silent.
A moment later, an eunuch came from outside the door to announce the imperial decree: "Lord Wang, His Majesty has decreed that you must go to Beiyuan immediately to watch the vassal envoys play polo."
After a moment, Wang Yuying took a breath and stood up: "Then I'll go first."
Liao Qing cupped his hands in greeting.
Wang Yuying then followed the eunuch out of the palace to the North Garden. As they got closer, they heard the clamor of drums and saw the erected canopy. She couldn't help but recall the two times she had seen it before.
One win and one loss.
Our dynasty has a century-long history of playing polo against foreign lands, with both victories and defeats. This is a dignified battle, a display of ritual and music, emphasizing style over victory. The General of the Western Expedition, who was observing the battle, remarked: "The true men of our Celestial Empire, victory and defeat are but trifles; they fight with fervent passion on the battlefield, living up to their lofty stature!"
Even with an imperial decree, one must remove their weapons before entering. Wang Yuying turned sideways to unfasten her sword and hand it over. Without glancing into the arena, four pairs of eyes from the two sides of the colorful pavilions simultaneously turned towards the doorway. Some glanced coldly, others smiled, all hoping she would turn around and look at them, and more or less wanting to know who she would seek out first.
"Alright, we can go now." As soon as the guard finished speaking, Wang Yuying turned around and strode through the doorway. She first looked at the central flagpole and saw that the current dynasty had one more blue flag than brown flag, giving it a temporary lead. She couldn't help but smile.
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