CALID Chapter 71

Polo

The founding emperor of Daliang was a general on horseback who loved watching polo and occasionally took to the field himself for amusement. This tradition was passed down through the royal family, and several generations of emperors were fond of polo. This sparked a craze for polo among the aristocratic youths of the southern capital. Any noble boy over the age of thirteen who claimed to have never played polo would be subject to ridicule. Although the current emperor was not as enthusiastic about polo as his predecessors, the passion for polo among the nobility of the southern capital remained undiminished.

Today was the biggest polo event of the summer in the southern capital, commonly known as the “Summer Wild Play.” Officials’ children and young ladies from prominent families all flocked to the polo field on the outskirts of the city, eagerly awaiting the event either to participate or to spectate.

He Simu’s cold had finally cleared up before this day, and she arrived at the observation platform of the polo field accompanied by Duan Jingyuan. The Duan family had reserved seating with an excellent view close to the field. On this sunny day, every detail of the polo field could be clearly seen from their seats.

Duan Jingyuan’s sister-in-law, Wu Wanqing, also brought Duan Yiqi to gain some worldly experience, silently sizing up the woman named “He Xiaoxiao” beside Duan Jingyuan. It was said that she was Chenying’s sister, who came from the frontier to visit Chenying at the Duan residence, staying in Duan Xu’s Haoyue Residence. Duan Xu usually kept to himself, and Haoyue Residence was only cleaned regularly, usually without any servants staying there. It was only after Chenying’s arrival that he made an exception to live with Chenying.

He Xiaoxiao came to visit Chenying and should have stayed in another courtyard to avoid suspicion, but instead, she moved into Haoyue Residence with Chenying, which was quite odd. Wu Wanqing always felt that the relationship between He Xiaoxiao and Duan Xu was not ordinary.

He Xiaoxiao, like them, used a round fan to cover her face while speaking with Duan Jingyuan, suddenly turning her eyes to meet Wu Wanqing’s. The fan covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of phoenix eyes that expressed a faint smile. She nodded at Wu Wanqing proudly and lazily, as a greeting.

This casual yet oppressive atmosphere was particularly confusing. Wu Wanqing’s eyes flashed, and she took a sip of tea before speaking to He Simu, “Miss He, have you watched polo before?”

He Simu nodded and smiled, “Yes, I have, but it didn’t look like this before. I suppose it’s been a while, and things have changed a bit.”

“Do you play polo, Miss He?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t ride horses in my daily life.”

Wu Wanqing was about to delve deeper into this topic when Duan Jingyuan interrupted. Duan Jingyuan was dressed in a dark-coloured embroidered brocade jacket with butterfly patterns, and she had styled her hair in a horse-tail bun. Her eyebrows were drawn in the most fashionable mandarin duck style, with a touch of teardrop makeup at the corners of her eyes, complementing her beautiful appearance.

She shook He Simu’s arm and said, “There are three polo matches in the southern capital each year in spring, summer, and autumn. Since my third brother started playing, he’s never lost the lead. Others had no choice but to change the rules; you need to win at least five leads to claim victory. My third brother would just win a few leads and then retire. Otherwise, over the years, these men in the southern capital would be too embarrassed to hold their heads up. This time, my third brother said he’s going to play the whole match. Miss He, you watch closely. You’ll understand why all the girls in the southern capital admire my third brother.”

Duan Jingyuan spoke proudly and began to introduce He Simu to various configurations and rules of the polo field. Wu Wanqing found herself unable to interject for the moment, so she temporarily shelved her probing.

As He Simu listened to Duan Jingyuan, she couldn’t help but think that the little fox’s sister, though appearing like a little white rabbit, still had some cunning tendencies, knowing how to deflect the probing questions for her.

She’s a good kid.

Meanwhile, Duan Xu rode his white horse onto the field. He was dressed in a vine purple outfit, with his hair tied back and a silver-patterned purple headband. He walked into the midst of the aristocratic youths on the polo field with a faint smile.

“Duan Shunxi?” someone exclaimed in surprise.

“You suffered a great calamity a few days ago and stayed indoors. We thought you’d be very down and might miss this Summer Wild Play.”

“Yeah, why do you still have the leisure to come to the polo field?”

Duan Xu twirled the mallet in his hand a couple of times before replying, “Brooding all day is not a solution. Today, I’ll treat the ball as the bandits and band together with my heart’s grievances on the field.”

The group of aristocratic youths who were proficient in polo were all quite familiar with Duan Xu. Seeing his expression, they couldn’t help but feel that the usually cheerful Duan Xu seemed much more stable now, as if he had suffered a setback.

Little did they know, Duan Xu was actually struggling to conceal his joy behind a facade of sorrow. It was truly exhausting.

“So today, I want to play a full match. I apologize to you all in advance,” Duan Xu said with a cupped fist salute.

The ten or so noble young men looked at each other. With Duan Xu wanting to play the full match, where would there be any room for others to win? It seemed that his opponents would not stand a chance. At the Summer Wild Play, everyone would bring their best horses and wear their finest riding attire. Who wouldn’t want to stand out in this event that only occurred three times a year?

Duan Xu knew what they were thinking and chuckled, “Polo is ultimately a competition between teams. I’ll just pick the newbies who joined this year to be on my team. You skilled players can form your own teams and come after me, surround and intercept me, won’t that work?”

With Duan Xu’s words, they naturally couldn’t refuse anymore. They were eager to try and pull Duan Xu down from his position as the “Polo King.” If anyone could compete with Duan Xu and win even a single point, it would be a remarkable feat.

The sound of drums echoed across the polo field, and Duan Jingyuan pulled He Simu’s sleeve excitedly. “Miss He, look! It’s starting!”

She observed for a moment before furrowing her brows. “What’s going on? Gu Gongzi, Li Gongzi… Why are all the skilled players on the same team? And I don’t recognize anyone on my third brother’s team. Are they bullying my third brother?”

He Simu chuckled and shook her head. “Who could bully your third brother?”

Duan Xu’s entrance into the field caused quite a stir. Whispering voices emanated from the stands by the field, indicating that everyone was eagerly anticipating his performance. In the golden sunlight, the silver threads on his clothes sparkled brightly. He circled the field with his horse, saying something to the children in his team who were participating in the Summer Wild Play for the first time, patting their shoulders with a smile in his eyes.

As the drums sounded to start the match, fist-sized coloured balls were thrown into the midfield. The players from both sides immediately galloped towards the centre of the field, attempting to gain an advantage and strike the first goal. The difference between the others and Duan Xu became evident when they truly galloped. The young noblemen had been practicing riding since childhood, displaying graceful postures and elegant demeanour. Their horses were also swift and agile, but they were somewhat afraid of collision or friction at such high speeds. Subconsciously, they would slow down or evade.

But not Duan Xu.

From the very beginning, his horse was the fastest, charging into the field like a gust of wind. Even if he was about to collide with others, he didn’t flinch. With a slight push on the stirrup, he leaned to let others pass by, simultaneously swinging his mallet. Amidst the flying dust, the coloured ball was hit high into the air by him. In the blink of an eye, he returned to the saddle with stable footing. It was such exquisite control and confidence.

“Well done!”

“General Duan!”

The people near the standing platform close to the polo field erupted into cheers.

“Look, look! Third Brother scored the first goal!” Duan Jingyuan shook He Simu’s hand excitedly.

Duan Xu and the horse seemed to be one, with the horse always coordinating its movements with his. He was as agile as his horse, never yielding. While he usually appeared harmless and playful, like a sword in its scabbard, once he entered the polo field, the sword was unsheathed, sharp and unstoppable.

After all, while the young noblemen learned riding for self-cultivation and showing off, Duan Xu learned riding for survival and combat. Even if he took one step back, he wouldn’t survive to this day.

“Do not shout here, it’s improper,” scolded Wu Wanqing, educating Duan Jingyuan.

On this observation platform, all were high-ranking officials and dignitaries. Bamboo curtains separated each seat, providing a good view without getting dirtied by the dust from the polo field. The loud cheers came from the standing observation platform near the field below, where the spectators obviously didn’t have the same noble status as the Duan family, so they cheered as they pleased. Sitting on this magnificent observation platform, the nobles appeared much more dignified, and their applause was elegant and appropriate.

Duan Jingyuan said with a wince, “Sister-in-law, I can’t help it.”

“You promised before coming this time that you wouldn’t shout loudly from your seat.”

“…How about I go down like in previous years? Big Brother is definitely going to take the lead. I’ll come up after he does.”

Wu Wanqing shook her head helplessly and sighed, “You, every year you wear such beautiful clothes, and every time you say you won’t shout, but in the end, you still end up going down and getting dirty. If you want to go, then go.”

Duan Jingyuan stood up with a cheerful smile, pulling He Simu along as they walked down the steps. She said as they walked, “Hurry, let’s go down. We can shout however we want down there, I guarantee you’ll have fun!”

“I didn’t plan on shouting,” He Simu said.

As a dignified ghost king of over four hundred years, she was well past the age of screaming and cheering.

“Why wouldn’t you want to shout? You’ll definitely want to later!” Duan Jingyuan said excitedly, almost skipping as she led her down to the lower observation platform, blending into the crowd. Just as they settled in, they saw Duan Xu once again hitting the ball, sending it from his half to the opponent’s, his beautiful horsemanship eliciting applause from the crowd. Duan Jingyuan immediately let go of He Simu’s hand and shouted loudly, “Great! Brother! Brother, defeat them!”

He Simu looked around at the crowd shouting like Duan Jingyuan. Their colourful clothes clashed against her eyes, and she quickly named these colours in her mind.

Crimson, scarlet, royal purple, slate blue, apricot yellow, sky blue, amaranth…

Her gaze turned to the field, meeting Duan Xu’s eyes. He rode on his horse, sweat soaking his forehead, his headband fluttering in the wind, intertwined with countless strands of wind.

The sunlight was so intense it cascaded down like a waterfall, making the golden and silver threads on his clothes sparkle like gems, like sparks. His eyes brimmed with light, filled with the sight of her amid the lively crowd, his smile buoyant and proud.

“What colour is this vivid painting?” He Si Mu wondered. She had just recently learned these colours—the sky, the trees, the flowers, the spectator stand, the silk and satin on the people, his clothes, his horse—she knew them all yet suddenly couldn’t name any. These bright colours combined into this moment, into the vastness of the world and him, left her speechless, as if all words had vanished from her mind.

Duan Xu smiled under the waterfall of summer sunlight, raising his hand. His thumb and index finger stretched out, while his middle, ring, and little fingers curled to form a gesture, a tactic agreed upon with his teammates. The young riders on the field shifted their formation accordingly.

The meaning of his gesture flashed through He Si Mu’s mind, symbolizing “Bing” in the heavenly stems.

“Bing,” which means to illuminate, like the blazing sun or the intense firelight, illuminates all things, making them bright and visible.

He turned, spurred his horse into action, dust flying. Amid a triple assault, he charged towards the opponent’s goal with the ball, weaving through the encirclement and then, suddenly—he pushed the ball backward. The ball passed beneath the crisscrossing legs of the horses and landed right by a young teammate’s mallet. Unopposed and in the best position, the young man struck the ball into the opponent’s goal.

The crowd in the spectator stand erupted into cheers, shouting, “First score! First score!”

Duan Jingyuan also shouted, “Third brother! Brilliant!”

The pounding of hooves made the entire field tremble, the people around emitting deafening noises, the vibrations seemingly permeating He Simu’s skin from the air and the ground, melting into her blood, making her warm, boiling, as if she could hear her increasingly bold heartbeat.

The unfamiliar yet increasingly familiar heartbeat, pounding violently like the heart in his chest.

Duan Xu’s polo mallet drew an arc, resting on his shoulder, as he turned to smile at her, as if waiting for her praise.

He Simu was quiet for a moment—or perhaps not quiet, just adapting to the fervent impulse. Then she smiled too, raising her hand high like the mortals around her who had lived only for decades, waving it in the warm sunlight. With her red boots lifting off the ground, she cupped her hand to her mouth and shouted loudly, “Duan Shunxi! Well done!”

That ecstatic shout, burning like fire, as if a hot wind blew away the ice and snow, illuminating everything in fiery brightness.

Those people around her had lived only for decades, while she perhaps only lived for this moment.

For this boy connected to her life, stubborn, bright, dedicated, reckless yet radiant—

The young man she loved.