Chapter 60 Sixty: Awareness of Past Causes
Then, she unconsciously looked to her right. The four members of the Brown Team had re-entered the arena, but had not yet mounted their horses. Wang Yuying's eyes met those of Hugu Xumi at a glance. Though they were far apart, he smiled and nodded, and she nodded back.
On the other side, the four members of the Qing team were walking down the steps and entering the arena one after another. Except for Chu Xiong, they all caught a glimpse of this scene.
Jing Ye's heart sank: It really was the King of the Northern Di.
His eyelids twitched twice because of the soreness in his eyes, and he thought to himself that the Northern Di King was indeed quite good at playing ball, even though they were playing against each other and he had just given him pointers without reservation.
What else could I say?
Jing Ye frowned, but forced a smile at the corners of his lips.
The two people next to him were completely different. Although they didn't look away and witnessed the whole thing, they didn't show their emotions, and their dark eyes revealed no trace of their true thoughts.
After greeting Hugu, Wang Yuying turned to look to her left and was immediately stunned: Aye is also going on stage? He has never played before!
She quickly met Jing Ye's gaze and silently mouthed: Fight well!
The emperor's lips curled into a silent, cold smile, while Zheng Yangzhi calmly withdrew his gaze.
Jing Ye couldn't quite make out which words it was, but he knew it was encouragement, and the gloom that had been lingering in his heart instantly vanished.
Jing Ye nodded vigorously, his lips curving into a wide smile.
Seeing Jing Ye's reaction, Wang Yuying couldn't help but smile.
She withdrew her gaze and followed the eunuch to the viewing area on the left, next to the green tent. Jing Ye stared blankly at the grass and grinned foolishly. The emperor and Zheng Yangzhi's gazes remained fixed on Wang Yuying. Even though she did not meet their eyes, they insisted on watching her until she found her seat, and then, after she sat down, they looked back at Hugu Xumi.
The judge, Zhenduo, announced loudly: "The sun's rays have shifted; the game resumes—"
All eight men on the field leaped onto their horses.
Because the foreign tribe lost the previous round, they still had the first move in the second half. It seemed their team was taking turns playing, and this time the Black Barbarian warrior, who hadn't yet played, took the baton. The colorful ball was thrown, and after only two rolls on the grass, the emperor charged in from the side. Without holding the reins, he simply gripped the horse's flanks with his legs, hooked the ball with his baton in his right hand, then switched to his left, easily intercepting it and shaking off the pursuing Western Qi envoy.
Cheers and shouts of "Long live!" resounded like a tidal wave, echoing through the sky. Xu Heng glanced coldly at Wang Yuying, who was watching the ceremony from the audience. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, she alone kept her lips closed, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, her face indifferent and expressionless.
Xu Heng kept his neck straight and stared back—she wasn't called here to peek at random people; this was the polo match she should be watching.
The Black Barbarian warriors charged forward with great momentum, blocking the way. Xu Heng withdrew his gaze, glanced at the warriors with a flick of his eyelids, then swayed his horse's tail, leaped into the air, and nimbly escaped the warriors by first separating and then reuniting.
He listened to the thunderous cheers from the crowd, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the black-clad warrior was unwilling to give up and turned his horse to give chase, but because he was too big, he could not turn around easily and had already fallen behind.
Xu Heng coldly withdrew his gaze. Another foolish, reckless brute, utterly incompetent and unfit for any great task. He truly couldn't understand how such a reckless man could win a woman's favor. It simply didn't make sense.
Unable to catch up, the Black Barbarian warriors frantically called out in the Black Barbarian language to their strongest warrior, Hugu Xumi: "King Di!"
Hugu also replied in Heiyi language and went up to intercept Xu Heng. At this moment, the best tactic for Xu Heng should have been to bypass Hugu and attack the goal, but Xu Heng tightened his face, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he neither dodged nor avoided, but faced the challenge head-on.
One staff thrust forward, the other wrapped around, instantly hooking together. Neither of them untied, nor spoke, but silently added their inner strength to their respective staffs. The two staffs trembled more and more violently, and the booming became increasingly shrill, until it was a sound like steel files scraping bone. The guests watching nearby felt the demonic sound piercing their ears and penetrating their brains. Not only did their temples throb, but they also felt nauseous and want to vomit.
More and more guests covered their ears tightly.
Xu Heng and Hugu Xumi still wouldn't let go. The colorful ball held between the two staffs visibly deflated, and finally burst open and shattered, its contents flying everywhere.
The referee had to stop the game and replace the ball. During the wait, as if sensing something, Hu Gu turned around and his eyes met Wang Yuying's. She clapped twice to cheer him on.
Hu Guyang smiled.
Xu Heng glanced coldly for a moment, then turned to see the guards sweeping up the fragments of the colorful ball on the grass, which startled the guards, who hurriedly cleaned up the debris.
Zheng Yangzhi lowered his phoenix eyes, secretly glancing at everyone out of the corner of his eye, making sure not to miss anyone who needed to be watched, while holding the reins in his hand, making the horse move as silently as possible to the center of the grassland.
Our dynasty has played over a hundred polo matches with foreign countries. In the past, there were times when the ball was damaged. Later, a rule was established that if the ball was damaged, each side would exchange a player and meet in the central courtyard to compete for the ball again.
Zheng Yangzhi took his place early, while Jing Ye, who was unsure of the other's position, and Chu Xiong, who was not in a position to contest, remained. On the brown team's side, the envoy from Western Qi had arrived at the central government, and both he and Zheng Yangzhi had eyes like hawks, fixed intently on the colored ball in the referee's hand.
The judge tossed the colored ball into the air, and the envoy from Western Qi struggled to raise his golden staff, attempting to seize it with overwhelming force. Zheng Yangzhi, however, reined in his horse and retreated. The envoy struck the ball in mid-air, but the force of the blow sent the ball flying forward. Zheng Yangzhi then hooked the ball with his staff, bringing it back to the ground and gaining possession.
The audience cheered, and Wang Yuying also applauded—the game of Go is all about exchanging skills, praising whoever is better, and to be fair, Zheng Yangzhi's performance was not bad.
She had only intended to pat twice, but then she saw Xu Heng raise his chin again, staring coldly at her hands. So Wang Yuying didn't lower her arms and continued to pat a third and a fourth time.
On the field, Zheng Yangzhi's smile couldn't be contained, overflowing from the corners of his lips and his eyes. He gradually straightened his back, holding the reins in one hand and casually dragging the baton, exuding an air of refined elegance and composure. As he sped along, the stray hairs at his temples brushed against his face, not appearing disheveled, but rather adding a touch of untamed charm and dashing elegance.
Until Hugu Xumi suddenly rode his horse sideways, blocking Zheng Yangzhi's path.
Zheng Yangzhi moved to the left, and Hugu blocked his way from the left.
Zheng Yangzhi pretended to go right, but actually went left. Hugu blocked the left road and didn't fall for it at all.
Hugu used his lightness skill throughout, and Zheng Yangzhi could not match his speed, so he could not break through the encirclement.
Zheng Yangzhi laughed and said, "In order to intercept this humble official, Your Majesty has actually condescended to use the Lightness Skill and Leaping Technique."
As he spoke, he suddenly darted to the right.
"Of course, I value you highly, sir." Hugu Xumi replied with a smile, but immediately remained focused and successfully intercepted the enemy again.
Zheng Yangzhi had no good plan at the moment, so he pulled on the reins and backed away. Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind him.
"Lord Zheng, pass it this way!" Jing Ye waved his arm frantically. He was unguarded here; it was a good opportunity!
His voice was loud and clear, drowning out the sound of the horses' hooves, and could be heard throughout the stadium. Zheng Yangzhi had no choice but to pass the ball to Jing Ye.
Jingye caught it.
After being enlightened by Hu Gu, and combining his observations from the first half of the game, he seemed to be getting the hang of it. Controlling the horse and charging forward are the same; the most important thing is to accelerate and stop quickly, but you need to do more spin and sideways stops. A forehand shot is like a long spear thrust, and a backhand shot is like a counter-attack!
He dribbled past a player from the Browns team. Hokutani Sumi was diagonally in front of him and could have intercepted him, but he smiled and withdrew his staff.
The Black Barbarian warrior and the Western Qi envoy remained in front of the goal. Jing Ye fought against both of them with immense strength. He felt no pain when he collided with the nine-foot-tall warrior. When the envoy tried to intercept him, he leaped over the man's head on horseback, drawing gasps from the audience.
He held the staff like a gun, thrusting it towards the goal. The horse's forelegs rose high, and the colorful ball rolled into the goal.
"Great shot!" Wang Yuying jumped up and clapped her hands. Weren't the previous two shots also scored by A Ye?
Jing Ye looked up at the audience seats and found Wang Yuying in the sea of people. At that moment, he could only vaguely hear her applause.
Jingye's heart was filled with surging emotions.
Xu Heng stared coldly at the smile on her lips.
Wang Yuying no longer looked down at Jingye, nor did she glance at Xu Heng. She watched as the judges raised the blue flag, and the score was one to three, with our dynasty far ahead.
Hokuya was also looking at the flagpole. He then glanced at the water clock and said to his three teammates, "There are probably no more than two rounds left. Let's all work together."
To avoid any unforeseen complications, he had no intention of defeating Shangbang in the capital, but since the outcome was already decided, he might as well ask for one more point.
Hugu spoke up: "I have a favor to ask, I would like to start another game."
The envoys from the three kingdoms immediately handed the staff to Hugu. Before the colorful ball could be thrown, Xu Heng stepped forward to intercept it, and Zheng Yangzhi also circled around to Hugu's back, about to perform another "Two Dragons Emerging from the Water" move. Hugu spurred his horse forward and met Xu Heng's golden staff head-on, their horses narrowly missing each other.
Zheng Yangzhi and Xu Heng exchanged a glance. Xu Heng immediately roared and used his shoulder to clear a path. Zheng Yangzhi was equally ruthless, sweeping his club across. If Hu Gu had reacted even a fraction of a second too late, it wouldn't have been the club that got hit, but his wrist.
Two dragons emerging from the water instantly transform into three dragons vying for a pearl.
But the three dragons were still able to spare a glance at the audience seats.
Only Jing Ye stared intently at the three horses galloping like lightning, kicking up dust and grass. He was thrilled by the sight and couldn't help but thrust his polo mallet in. The three surrounded Hugu and fought like a spinning top.
Everyone, both inside and outside the arena, was stunned. The Black Barbarian warrior was also envious and spurred his horse in. Before long, they all used their inner strength to fight Zheng Yangzhi. The four horses were locked in a fierce battle, and the figures flew about, almost indistinguishable.
In the end, Xu Heng and Hugu Xumi were quick-witted and caught the colorful ball at the same time. Jing Ye saw this a few moments later and was about to help Xu Heng deflect it when he made a feint with his staff.
The Black Barbarian Warrior dodged quickly.
Hugu was initially locked in a stalemate with Xu Heng, but suddenly seemed to realize something and turned around to look back. Because of this momentary distraction, Xu Heng snatched the colored ball and won against Hugu.
Xu Heng then charged forward again, dragging his staff, leaning back almost as if he were hooked upside down on his horse. He then lifted himself up with his golden staff, and the ball drew a perfect crescent-shaped arc in the air, scoring a precise goal.
Because of the immense force, the ball rolled under the fence and continued to spin in place. The imperial horse, too, was moving too fast and continued galloping even after breaking through the goal.
Xu Heng's robes fluttered, and the wind and cheers whistled in his ears, his heart soaring to the heavens with the force of the wind.
He was the final winner. Was she disappointed? He couldn't help but smile and turn to look at Wang Yuying, wanting to see if her expression would become even uglier. He wanted to admire her, but he also hoped to see something else on her face, even just a little, which would be enough to make his heart tremble.
Xu Heng saw Wang Yuying suddenly leap down from the stage, parting the crowd and rushing towards him into the arena. He was startled, then overjoyed, his heart pounding. True love doesn't necessarily require physical intimacy; mutual respect through glances and words is enough. There are so many ways. As long as they can share meals and studies together every day, cherishing each other for the rest of their lives, why worry about losing a little bit of the warmth of holding hands or the joy of being together?
Xu Heng dismounted to greet him.
Wang Yuying ran past him with a worried look on her face. As they brushed past each other, Xu Heng's smile froze. He turned his head in astonishment and saw Wang Yuying completely disregard the chaos of horses' hooves and the whistling of canes on the field. She ran straight to the center of the field and helped up Hugu Xumi, who was lying on the ground covered in withered grass.
Because they were far apart and both had their heads down, Xu Heng couldn't read their lips and didn't know what they were saying.
After a while, Hugu still kept his head down, while Wang Yuying, with her eyebrows deeply furrowed, looked up at Xu Heng. In that glance, besides indifference and impatience, there was also a hint of worry that he might do something to Hugu.
The guards had already reported to Xu Heng that the Black Barbarian warrior had lost his footing and both he and his horse had fallen. Hu Gu had sacrificed himself to save the warrior, pushing him aside, but was himself crushed by the horse. In the nick of time, Hu Gu leaped through the narrow gap in the sky and rolled several times on the horse track. The horse was dead, but the man was fortunate.
"He wasn't injured, so why is she in such a hurry?" Xu Heng thought to himself.
His eyes remained fixed on the "deep affection between husband and wife" sign ahead, feeling that the scenes that had just unfolded were all too familiar. Wang Yuying leaped down from the platform and rushed over, her face full of worry and concern, much like her frantic run across the frozen lake that year. He hadn't seen her so devoted to one person in a long time, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
But as she ran towards Hugu Valley, the worried, headlong figure who turned away without looking back transformed from Wang Yuying into herself. The horse farm gradually blurred, then became clear again, transforming into Fuyu Palace. That year, he rushed to Jiang Mei, helped her up, and embraced her. After hearing Jiang Mei's sobs, he also looked up at Wang Yuying.
Another blue flag was hung on the left pole, and Xu Heng heard a gong sound, signaling the end of the second half of the game. They won a great victory, and he won the championship with three points.
All around him were shouts of "Long live the hero!" but he felt no joy whatsoever.
At this moment, he both wanted Hugu to die immediately and wanted to continue watching, to see how she would gradually drift away and sink deeper into the abyss.
The better she treated Hugu, the more absurdly pleased he felt.
It's like a dull knife cutting flesh. The first cut is excruciating, making you grimace. But after a while, you start to love and even become addicted to the pain.
He knew that this was a kind of atonement that bordered on madness.
Perhaps due to the excessive energy expenditure from polo, Xu Heng's deep-seated pain was about to resurface.
But as the emperor of a superior nation, he still had to personally comfort them. Xu Heng ordered the imperial physician to be summoned while approaching Wang Yuying and Hugu Xumi. Jing Ye had already squatted down beside them, seemingly showing concern for their well-being; he certainly knew how to behave.
The withered grass was soft, but Xu Heng felt as if he were walking on icy needles; every step he took felt like it pierced his heart.
Not far away, Zheng Yangzhi had already walked back to the sidelines. His brocade robe was soaked through, he was almost exhausted, his face, lips and even neck were pale, he was panting, but his phoenix eyes were still unfathomable. When the sweat at his temples rolled into his collar, his hand loosened, and he threw the club into the ball bucket as if it were discarded.
Zheng Yangzhi closed his lips and returned to the middle of the field. As the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, he could not be absent or negligent in matters of diplomacy.
When Xu Heng reached the foot of Hugu Xumi, the imperial physician had already begun to examine the injuries, and Wang Yuying and Jing Ye both stepped aside.
Xu Heng met Wang Yuying's eyes once again, and he kept staring back as long as she didn't look away.
After a while, Wang Yuying turned her head to the side.
Xu Heng then looked down at Hugu Xumi, his lips were suddenly stuck to his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Hugu Xumi spoke first: "Your humble chieftain of a small vassal state is ignorant of etiquette and has ruined the ball game of your superior state. I know my crime is grave and humbly request Your Majesty's judgment."
Upon hearing this, Xu Heng looked not at Hugu but at Wang Yuying, staring at her without blinking, his eyes, nose, and throat all feeling sore.
Xu Heng was about to reply when Hu Gu spoke first: "I am deeply grateful that Your Majesty does not blame me for my mistakes, but instead bestows the grace of Heaven by sending the imperial physician to treat me."
Xu Heng suddenly parted his lips, pulled up the corners of his mouth, and still couldn't make a sound, but he was laughing in his heart, laughing so hard that his chest vibrated, laughing so hard that his heart ached.
He swallowed hard. “Amitabha, now that you have come to court, you are an honored guest. I would not want to see anything happen to you. You also risked your life to save others, and the unexpected incident that occurred on the field has nothing to do with you. I have already ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to do everything in its power to ensure the health of you and all the other envoys.”
Hugu Xumi repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Xu Heng then ordered Zheng Yangzhi, who had come to his side, to clean up the mess. There was no eye contact between the emperor and his subject, but looking at Hugu Xumi and thinking of Wang Yuying watching from not far away, Xu Heng and Zheng Yangzhi both had the same thought in their hearts—to swallow their anger.
Next, the emperor went to comfort the Black Barbarian warriors and two other envoys. All foreign guests present and absent today received compensation.
Upon returning to the palace, he discovered that the white jade pendant at his waist had cracked due to the vigorous horse-riding exercise. The emperor rubbed the crack with his thumb, saying it was alright, he would order it to be repaired and he could continue wearing it.
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