Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 140 Playing Polo

Then, Li Xian heard Liu Jianjun mutter to himself, "It's obvious that the horse rental fee and venue fee are ridiculously expensive compared to other places. If they win, they'll be exempt from the fees; if they lose, they'll make even more money. These businessmen... they're incredibly shrewd!"

Li Xian smiled and shook his head: "Losing is losing, it's just a little money, we don't care about that."

Then he spurred his horse forward and shouted at the foreign merchant, "Should we attack the single gate or the double gate?"

The merchant was taken aback, realizing they were together, and quickly replied with a smile, "Shuangmen!"

"Alright, we'll take it!"

……

The polo field had a special changing room. Li Xian, Liu Jianjun, and several selected guards changed into tight-fitting Hu clothes, put on riding boots, and tied on knee pads.

Taking advantage of this moment, Liu Jianjun asked from the side, "What are single-door and double-door?"

"The single goal is the one in the middle of the field. We and that Hu people team are fighting for one ball and attacking this goal. The scene is chaotic, with a lot of collisions, and it is more difficult. You are not good at horseback riding, so it is too dangerous."

"But a double goal is simpler, with one goal at each end of the field, and a larger running area. We have the Swift Strike and the Whirlwind Charge, with power far exceeding that of ordinary nags. The larger the field, the more obvious the advantage."

Li Xian fastened his knee pads, then picked up a golf club from the side and tossed it to Liu Jianjun: "This is a golf club, also called a moon club, used for hitting the ball."

This time, Liu Jianjun swung his golf club a couple of times and suddenly realized, "Oh, golf on horseback plus football!"

Li Xian gave him a disapproving look, already used to Liu Jianjun's strange nicknames, and instructed, "You're not good at horseback riding, so you and Taiping will stay behind the goal and I'll lead the Jinwu Guards to charge."

"We'll see!" Liu Jianjun shook his head dismissively.

Seeing Liu Jianjun's careless manner, Li Xian thought for a moment, then his tone became more serious as he reiterated, "If you really fall off the horse, roll off immediately, making sure you don't fall under the horse's hooves. Protect your head, and you'll get used to it after a few falls."

Liu Jianjun looked unconvinced.

……

After changing into their uniforms, Li Xian and the others came out of the dressing room. He and Liu Jianjun rode at the front on their tall Ferghana horses, followed closely by Taiping and Shangguan Wan'er. Behind them were eight Jinwu Guard soldiers who had also changed into their uniforms and were riding rented dwarf horses.

As soon as I stepped out of the passage, a deafening roar hit me like a heat wave.

Liu Jianjun exclaimed in a low voice, "Wow, so many people are watching the game?"

The wooden stands surrounding the simple earthen stadium were packed with people of all ages and genders, all excited, waving their arms and shouting at the top of their lungs.

Li Xian heard them all seemingly calling out the same name at the same time: Zuo Zuo Mu.

Li Xian whispered, "Of course, building and maintaining a polo field like this is extremely expensive. The money from renting horses alone is not enough. There must be gambling dens in this place. They charge a fee for watching the game and make a huge profit from betting on the game. That's their biggest source of income."

"That 'Zuo Zuo Mu' must be the favorite in the betting game."

Just then, Taiping suddenly spurred his horse, urging it past Li Xian and Liu Jianjun, and galloped towards the spectator stands.

Her bright red Hu-style skirt stood out against the swirling yellow dust, instantly attracting everyone's attention and eliciting gasps and whistles.

Countless people gasped in surprise, but Taiping remained unfazed. Grabbing a small cloth bag, he vigorously flung copper coins toward the audience, handful after handful.

The coins rained down, causing a frenzy of scrambling among the crowd, and the cheers rose even higher.

Knowing that Liu Jianjun would be curious, Li Xian explained with a smile, "This is called spreading good fortune. We scatter some copper coins so that everyone can share in the joy. It's also a way to bring good luck and ensure that we have a smooth ride later and that no one falls off their horse and gets injured."

After scattering the coins, Taiping turned his horse around triumphantly, which drew cheers from the audience for Li Xian's team.

Liu Jianjun gave Taiping a thumbs up. Before the commotion caused by the rain of copper coins had completely subsided, a burly man of Central Asian descent acting as referee on the sidelines banged a gong loudly.

"clang!"

The crisp sound of the gong instantly drowned out the noise, signaling the start of the competition.

Both riders urged their mounts on, moving closer to the center of the arena.

Li Xian led the four Imperial Guards, who spread out in a fan shape. Liu Jianjun, Taiping, and Shangguan Wan'er, as arranged by Li Xian, stayed slightly behind and guarded their own goal area.

Li Xian then spotted their opponents, led by a Turkic man with a full head of fine braids and sharp, hawk-like eyes. He was presumably the "Zuo Zuo Mu" that the audience had been calling out.

Behind him followed eleven muscular, dark-skinned Hu riders. Their horses, though not as magnificent as the legendary steeds, were still agile and skillful, clearly seasoned veterans of the battlefield.

He's a formidable rival.

In a brief moment, Li Xian had already judged their approximate strength by their positions. Zuo Zuomu was definitely the strongest among them, like the arrowhead of an arrow. If he could defeat him head-on, his chances of winning would be much greater.

After all, Liu Jianjun was still a burden in his team.

The cheers of the crowd, Zuo Zuomu's sharp eyes, and the neighing of the horses beside him made Li Xian's long-dormant heart begin to beat.

Once upon a time, he was a figure cheered by thousands at the polo field. However, since becoming the crown prince, he has been learning all sorts of rules and etiquette, busy with social engagements and scheming.

but,
so what?

He's just a Turk. Emperor Taizong destroyed the Turkic Khaganate back then. The Turks of today are nothing more than evil spirits crawling out of the ruins of the past.

The rhythmic hooves of the horse beneath him pulled Li Xian back to reality.

The will to fight is boiling.

The descendants of the Li Tang dynasty were not allowed to lose to the Turks, not even in a game like polo.

A vermilion wooden hollow ball was tossed onto the white dot in the center of the field.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, leaving only the muffled thud of horses' hooves pawing the ground and the suppressed buzzing from the stands. Li Xian took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on Zuo Zuomu across from him.

He could feel the slight tension in the muscles beneath his hindquarters; this intelligent warhorse also sensed its master's fighting spirit.

"Left left wood! Left left wood!"

The shouts from the stands grew increasingly unified and fervent, almost creating an invisible pressure that enveloped Li Xian.

Suddenly, Zuo Zuomu moved!

Instead of charging directly at the ball, he spurred his horse forward with a sudden thrust of its belly. The horse, like an arrow released from a bow, did not charge at the ball, but galloped along the center line in an almost provocative manner. Its sharp gaze swept over Li Xian and the Imperial Guards behind him, and finally even swept over Liu Jianjun's backfield with a hint of contempt.

This is a demonstration, an arrogant declaration of home advantage.

"Golden Guard!"

Li Xian gave a low shout, not loud, but with an undeniable command: "Push forward and take the ball!"

……

(End of this chapter)