Love Beyond the Grave

The founding emperor of Great Liang was a general who rose from horseback and had a great love for polo, often joining the games himself for amusement. This tradition was thus inherited by the imperial family, with successive generations of emperors all fond of polo, sparking a fervor for the sport among the noble youths of the Southern Capital. Any noble boy over thirteen who had never played polo would be ridiculed. Although the current Emperor was not as passionate about polo as his predecessors, the enthusiasm of the Southern Capital's nobility remained undiminished.

Today marked the largest polo event of the summer in the Southern Capital, commonly known as the "Summer Wild Play." Noble sons and daughters from the capital flocked to the polo grounds in the outskirts, eager to participate or witness the grand spectacle.

He Simu had finally recovered from her cold in time for the event and accompanied Duan Jingyuan to the spectator stands. The Duan family had a reserved section with an excellent view, close to the field. The sky was clear and the sun bright, allowing every blade of grass on the polo grounds to be seen distinctly from their seats.

Wu Wanqing, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duan family, had also brought Duan Yiqi to broaden his horizons. She discreetly observed the woman named "He Xiaoxiao" by Duan Jingyuan's side—a woman from the martial world. It was said she was Chen Ying's elder sister, visiting from the border to see Chen Ying and staying in Duan Xu's Bright Moon Residence. Duan Xu had always been solitary, keeping the Bright Moon Residence free of servants except for scheduled cleanings. Only after Chen Ying's arrival had he made an exception, allowing her to live with him.

He Xiaoxiao, coming to visit Chen Ying, should have avoided impropriety by staying in another courtyard with her. Yet she had moved into the Bright Moon Residence alongside Chen Ying, which was truly peculiar. Wu Wanqing couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unusual about the relationship between He Xiaoxiao and Duan Xu.

He Xiaoxiao, like the others, covered half her face with a round fan as she spoke with Duan Jingyuan. Suddenly, she turned her eyes and met Wu Wanqing's gaze. The fan concealed most of her features, revealing only a pair of phoenix eyes that held a faint trace of amusement. With a proud yet languid nod, she acknowledged Wu Wanqing.

This understated yet imposing demeanor was particularly puzzling. Wu Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly as she lifted her teacup for a sip. Addressing He Xiaoxiao, she asked, "Miss He, have you watched polo before?"

He Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile. "Yes, though the matches I saw before were quite different. I suppose time has changed the style somewhat."

"Do you play polo yourself, Miss He?"

"No, I don’t usually ride horses."

Just as Wu Wanqing was about to delve deeper into the topic, Duan Jingyuan interrupted. Duan Jingyuan wore a dark blue jacket embroidered with butterflies among flowers, her hair styled in a falling horse bun, her eyebrows painted in the fashionable "mandarin duck" style, and her eyes adorned with teardrop makeup that gave her a delicate, tearful allure. Paired with her stunning beauty, she was a vision of loveliness that captivated all who saw her.

She tugged at He Simu's sleeve and said, "The Southern Capital holds polo matches three times a year—spring, summer, and autumn. Since my third brother started playing, he’s never lost the first round. They had to change the rules so that victory requires five rounds, and even then, my brother just scores the first and steps down. Otherwise, the men of the Southern Capital would have been utterly overshadowed by him all these years. This time, he says he’ll play the full match. Miss He, watch closely—you’ll understand why every girl in the Southern Capital adores my third brother."Duan Jingyuan spoke with evident pride, proceeding to explain the various setups and rules of the polo field to He Simu. Wu Wanqing found herself momentarily unable to interject, forcing her probing to be temporarily set aside.

As He Simu listened to Duan Jingyuan, she thought to herself that while the little fox's sister appeared like a naive rabbit, she still had some cleverness—knowing how to shield her from the probing.

A good child indeed.

Meanwhile, Duan Xu rode onto the field atop his white horse. Dressed in wisteria-purple robes, his hair tied back with a silver-patterned purple headband, he stepped into the gathering of noble youths on the polo field with a faint smile.

"Duan Shunxi?" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"After the misfortune that befell you a few days ago, you shut yourself away. We all thought you were too disheartened to attend this summer polo match."

"Indeed, how do you still have the leisure for the field?"

Duan Xu twirled his polo mallet twice in his palm before replying, "Moping endlessly won't change anything. Today, I'll treat the ball as those Huqi bandits and vent my frustrations on the field."

The noble youths, skilled in polo and well-acquainted with Duan Xu, couldn't help but inwardly sigh at his unusually subdued demeanor. The ever-smiling Duan Xu now seemed far more composed—proof that he had truly been shaken.

Little did they know, Duan Xu was suppressing joy to feign sorrow, and the act was exhausting.

"So today, I intend to play the full match. My apologies in advance," Duan Xu seized the moment to clasp his hands in salute.

The dozen or so noblemen exchanged glances. If Duan Xu played the full match, what chance did anyone else have to win? His opponents would likely not score a single goal. The summer polo match was one of only three grand events each year where everyone brought their finest horses and wore their best riding attire—who wouldn’t want to shine?

Knowing their thoughts, Duan Xu chuckled. "Polo is, after all, a team sport. I’ll only pick this year’s newcomers to join my side. You seasoned players can form your own team—surely you can corner and outmaneuver me alone?"

With Duan Xu putting it that way, they could hardly refuse. Moreover, they were eager to dethrone the "Polo King." If anyone could pressure Duan Xu into conceding even a single goal, it would be a triumph.

The sound of drums echoed across the polo field. Duan Jingyuan tugged excitedly at He Simu’s sleeve. "Miss He, look! It’s starting!"

After a moment of observation, however, she frowned. "What’s going on? Young Master Gu, Young Master Li… why are all the skilled players on the same team? Third Brother’s teammates look so unfamiliar—I don’t recognize any of them. Are they ganging up on him?"

He Simu laughed softly and shook her head. "Who could possibly bully your third brother?"

Duan Xu’s entrance had already stirred quite a commotion. Murmurs spread through the stands as if everyone was eagerly anticipating his performance. Under the golden sunlight, the silver threads on his robes gleamed brilliantly as he circled the field on horseback, stopping to speak with the newcomers on his team. With a pat on their shoulders and a bright, crescent-eyed smile, he rallied them.The match began with the sound of gongs, and a colorful ball the size of a fist was thrown into the center. Players positioned near the goals on either side immediately spurred their horses forward, vying to strike the first shot. As the horses galloped across the field, the difference between Duan Xu and the others became apparent. The young noblemen had all practiced horsemanship since childhood, their postures graceful and their steeds swift as the wind. Yet when racing at breakneck speeds, they instinctively slowed or veered to avoid collisions.

But Duan Xu did not.

From the start, his horse was the fastest, charging toward the center like a gust of wind. Even when a collision seemed imminent, he didn’t swerve. Instead, he pressed his foot into the stirrup and leaned sideways, effortlessly dodging the oncoming rider while swinging his mallet. Amid the flying dust, the ball soared high into the air, struck by his precise hit. In the blink of an eye, he twisted back into the saddle, his balance unshaken—a display of impeccable control and confidence.

"Bravo!"

"General Duan!"

Cheers erupted from the standing spectators near the polo field.

"Look, look! Third Brother took the first shot!" Duan Jingyuan tugged at He Simu's hand, shaking it excitedly.

Duan Xu and his horse moved as one, the steed responding to his slightest command with agility and boldness, never yielding. Off the field, he was like a sword sheathed in its scabbard—playful, harmless, and averse to conflict. But once mounted for polo, that sword was unsheathed, double-edged and unstoppable.

After all, while the noblemen learned horsemanship for refinement and show, Duan Xu had mastered it for survival and killing. Had he ever retreated a single step, he wouldn’t have lived to see this day.

"Don’t shout here. It’s unbecoming," Wu Wanqing chided Duan Jingyuan.

This viewing area was reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles, each seat separated by bamboo screens—offering a clear view while shielding them from the dust of the field. The loud cheers came from the standing spectators below, closer to the action, whose status was evidently less exalted than the Duan family’s. They cheered as they pleased, unrestrained. The distinguished guests seated in this grand pavilion, however, maintained their decorum, applauding with refined restraint.

"But Sister-in-law, I can’t help it!" Duan Jingyuan pouted.

"You promised before we came that you wouldn’t shout from the seats."

"...How about I do what I do every year? I’ll go down to watch. Third Brother is bound to win, and once he does, I’ll come back up."

Wu Wanqing shook her head helplessly and sighed. "You always dress so beautifully, yet every time you say you won’t go down—and every time, you end up covered in dust. Fine, go if you must."

Beaming, Duan Jingyuan stood and pulled He Simu along as they descended the steps. "Hurry, hurry! Let’s go down where we can cheer as loud as we want. I promise you’ll have fun!"

"I don’t particularly want to cheer," He Simu said.

As the four-hundred-year-old Ghost King, she had seen polo matches before. She was long past the age of screaming and shouting.

"How could you not want to cheer? You’ll definitely feel like it soon!"Duan Jingyuan chattered excitedly, almost skipping as she led He Simu down to the viewing platform and blended into the crowd. Just as they settled into place, they saw Duan Xu strike another shot, sending the ball from his half of the field to the opponent's side. His impressive horsemanship drew cheers and applause from the spectators. Jing Yuan immediately let go of Simu’s hand, cupping her hands around her mouth to shout, "Yes! Third Brother! Third Brother, crush them!"

He Simu glanced around at the cheering crowd, their vibrant clothes a dazzling assault on her eyes. In her mind, she swiftly recalled the names of these colors.

Scarlet, vermilion, rosy pink, lilac, apricot yellow, sky blue, deep purple...

Her gaze turned to the field, meeting Duan Xu’s as he looked her way. Astride his horse, his forehead glistened with sweat, his hair ribbon fluttering in the wind, entangled by countless threads of breeze.

The sunlight poured down like a cascading waterfall, setting the gold and silver embroidery on his clothes ablaze, sparkling like gemstones, like flickering embers. His eyes brimmed with light, with her amidst the jubilant crowd, his smile brimming with unbridled confidence.

What colors composed this resplendent scene?

He Simu thought she had learned them—these hues she had only just begun to name. The sky, the trees, the flowers, the viewing platform, the silks and satins adorning the people, his clothes, his horse—she knew them all, yet suddenly, she couldn’t name a single one. These radiant colors converged into this moment, into the vastness of heaven and earth and him. It was as if she had been struck speechless, every word she knew vanishing from her mind.

Amid the waterfall of midsummer sunlight, Duan Xu grinned and raised his hand, extending his thumb and forefinger while curling his middle, ring, and little fingers—a gesture signaling a prearranged tactic to his teammates. The young riders on the field swiftly shifted formation.

In He Simu’s mind flashed the meaning of his gesture—it represented "Bing" among the Heavenly Stems.

Bing—bright, blazing like the glorious sun, like roaring flames, all things illuminated, radiant and visible.

He turned his horse and galloped away, kicking up dust as he maneuvered through a trio of opponents, charging toward the enemy’s goal with the colored ball. Darting deftly through the encirclement, he suddenly—pushed the ball backward. It slipped between the tangled legs of the horses and landed at the stick of a young man from Duan Xu’s team. The youth, perfectly positioned and unguarded, swung his stick and drove the ball into the opposing goal.

The crowd on the viewing platform erupted in fervent cheers, shouting, "First score! First score!"

Jing Yuan yelled, "Third Brother! Brilliant!"

The pounding of hooves sent tremors through the ground, the deafening roar of the crowd seeping into He Simu’s skin through the air and earth, merging into her blood, warming her, setting her aflame, as if she could hear her own heartbeat growing wilder, louder.

A heartbeat unfamiliar yet increasingly familiar, pounding as fiercely as the one in his chest.

Duan Xu’s polo stick arced through the air before he rested it on his shoulder. Turning back, he grinned at her—as if waiting for her praise.He Simu paused for a moment—perhaps not in silence, but simply adjusting to that fervent impulse. Then she too began to laugh, raising her hand high like the mortals around her who had lived mere decades, waving it in the warm sunlight. Her pale red boots lifted off the ground as she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted loudly, "Duan Shunxi! First place!"

That unrestrained, almost burning cry was like a hot wind scattering ice and snow, setting the world ablaze to reveal the light.

The people around her had lived only decades, but she—perhaps she had only truly lived this one moment.

For this stubbornly radiant, recklessly persistent, mad yet luminous—

For the boy she loved, whose life was intertwined with hers.