The Golden Hairpin

Zhou Ziqin's horse Xia Xia was gentle by nature, and in a moment of carelessness, it was kicked by a black horse from the Defense Division. Xia Xia cried out in pain and bolted to the side, nearly throwing Zhou Ziqin off.

"Despicable! Who attacks another person's horse?" Zhou Ziqin shouted.

Huang Zixiang, who was defending at the time, involuntarily glanced in his direction upon hearing his cry.

Meanwhile, Wang Yun, who was facing her, paid no heed to the others scrambling for the ball and instead drove his horse straight toward her with full force.

Na Fusha, well-trained as it was, reared up on its hind legs at the last moment, pivoting half its body to the right and narrowly avoiding the collision.

Yet, in the split second their horses passed each other, Wang Yun leaned in close to Na Fusha.

Almost no one noticed them. The crowd at the sidelines was cheering loudly as Prince E, Li Run, darted out from the side and struck the ball from the hands of Imperial Consort Wei Baoheng, sending it flying across the field.

All eyes followed the ball as it soared halfway across the pitch. Zhou Ziqin was just climbing back onto his horse, while Zhang Xingying snapped back to attention and chased the ball toward the undefended goal.

Amid the excitement, only Li Shu Bai's gaze lingered on the other side of the field. There, Wang Yun and Huang Zixiang's horses stood close together near the ignored goal.

Huang Zixiang urged Na Fusha to turn and leave.

But Wang Yun spurred his horse to catch up, staying just half a length behind her. Even in the clamor, she could hear his low voice from behind:

"I heard my betrothed, Huang Zixiang, was unmatched in polo in Shu."

Huang Zixiang paused, tightening the reins.

Cheers erupted as Zhang Xingying scored an effortless goal.

Wang Yun seemed indifferent to the outcome. His voice, calm and almost icy, reached her again:

"You see, the field is so chaotic. It would be so easy for an accident to happen. If I were to 'accidentally' loosen your hair, or..."

His gaze lingered on her face—her sweat-dampened hair clung to her skin, the yellow powder smeared unevenly by perspiration, making her look dust-covered. Yet beneath it, glimpses of smooth, delicate skin could still be seen.

"...or perhaps, tear your outer robe?"

What she had feared had finally come.

Huang Zixiang bit her lower lip unconsciously before turning to face him. "Forgive this servant's ignorance, but I don't understand what Commandant Wang means."

He ignored her words, staring straight at her as he demanded, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"What did the Wang family do to wrong you..." Wang Yun slowly lowered his polo mallet, enunciating each word, "...that Huang Zixiang would rather kill her entire family than marry me?"

Two or three horses galloped past them as another round of offense and defense began.

Zhou Ziqin shouted, "Chonggu, hurry back to defend!"

Prince Zhao, Li Rui, laughed. "Wang Yun, you're not threatening Chonggu into throwing the game, are you? Look how pale he is."

Wang Yun turned and called back with a laugh, "Of course not. I was just so impressed by his skill that I wanted to arrange a private match."

Then, lowering his voice so only she could hear, he added, "Tonight at sunset, I expect you at my residence."Huang Ziyao unconsciously tightened her grip on Nafusha's reins, the leather leaving a deep, pale mark across her palm.

His gaze challenged her, his mallet tilted slightly toward the ground.

Finally, she bit her lower lip and gave a slight nod.

A cold smile flickered at the corner of Wang Yun's lips before he turned his horse and rode away.

Li Shubai stood and signaled to the referee.

The players on the field were puzzled by the sudden pause, only to see Li Shubai crook a finger at Huang Ziyao.

She urged her horse toward him. After playing in the scorching summer heat, her chest heaved violently, sweat pouring down her face. After all, she was a woman—her stamina couldn’t match a man’s, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her.

Li Shubai, already changed into a red polo uniform, called for Die’e to be brought over. He mounted swiftly and said, "Substitution."

Huang Ziyao was stunned.

Without even glancing at her, Li Shubai cast a cold look at Zhang Xingying, who was watching nervously from the sidelines. His voice was icy. "With stamina like this, you still dare to push yourself?"

Silent, Huang Ziyao looked up at him on horseback and handed him her mallet.

Against the blinding sunlight, his face was obscured in silhouette, leaving only his eyes gleaming like stars. His voice, neither loud nor soft, brushed past her ear: "Helping someone I expelled—you’d better have an explanation for me later."

Huang Ziyao felt her heart skip a beat, but Die’e was already impatient, charging onto the polo field.

The moment Prince Kui, Li Shubai, entered the game, the tide turned instantly. The deadlocked score quickly widened—neither Wang Yun nor the imperial son-in-law could hold him back.

Die’e was fierce and unstoppable, a black lightning bolt tearing across the field. Amid the swirling dust, Li Shubai in his crimson robes swung his mallet with effortless grace, scoring and passing with ruthless precision, leaving no room for mercy.

Wang Yun exchanged a wry smile with Wei Baoheng. "Prince Kui’s momentum is too strong. We have to intercept at least one ball to blunt his edge—only then will we have a chance."

Wei Baoheng nodded. The two flanked Li Shubai, signaling three others to join them, attempting to block his advance.

Surrounded by five players, Li Shubai remained unfazed. He glanced back at Prince Zhao in silent coordination, then with a subtle flick of his mallet, sent the ball skimming perfectly through the tangle of twenty hooves, straight to Prince Zhao.

"Steal it!" Wei Baoheng roared, about to give chase, when Li Shubai leaned down, his foot hooked in the stirrup, his body extending like a swallow in flight. With a swing of his mallet, he intercepted Wei Baoheng’s mid-swing, redirecting it with a twist that sent the ball veering forward instead.

The ball narrowly missed Wang Yun’s horse and flew toward Zhang Xingying, who was galloping ahead.

Zhang Xingying, agile and quick to react, managed to stop the ball at the last possible moment and sent it straight into the goal.

"Bravo! Fourth Brother rarely plays polo, yet he’s been hiding such skill! And that young man who scored—his reflexes are sharp, his technique excellent!" The Emperor applauded in admiration.

Princess Tongchang had already sprung to her feet, calling out from the sidelines, "A-Wei!"

Wei Baoheng hastily dismounted and hurried toward her.Princess Tongchang sat back down in her chair, merely lifting her eyelids to glance at him. "Weren't you always boasting about how skilled you were at polo? Today, I finally got to see it for myself."

Wei Baoheng, chastened by her words, could only force an awkward smile. "Your Highness is right. My performance today was indeed lacking..."

"Niece, can't you see? A'Wei was holding back to avoid embarrassing us in front of His Majesty," Prince Zhao interjected as he came over for a drink, attempting to smooth things over. "Come now, men's polo matches are best watched from the sidelines. Too much chatter might stir up dust, don't you think?"

Princess Tongchang shot him an irritated look and replied dismissively, "Indeed, Uncle. Please go easy on the imperial consort as well."

The players dismounted to rest, leaving their horses on the field. Die, full of energy, aggressively provoked the other horses, forcing them to huddle in a corner. The sight drew laughter from everyone, even those who had just lost the match forgot their frustration.

Huang Zixiang helped serve tea and water to the group. When she turned, she noticed Wei Baoheng staring at the ground. Amidst the swirling dust and scorching sunlight, his face was ashen, his jaw clenched so tightly it contorted into a twisted line.

Sweat trickled down his face, making Huang Zixiang think he might lose control at any moment. Yet, just as a drop fell onto the back of his hand, he flicked it away sharply—as if discarding his dark expression along with it—and resumed his usual smile. Accepting the teacup from her, he said, "Thank you. You played exceptionally well."

"Chonggu truly is impressive," Prince E agreed with a smile.

Zhou Ziqin chimed in, "If you run with me along the Qujiang Pool every morning, I guarantee you'll be unbeatable in Chang'an within a year!"

Li Shubai replied flatly, "She doesn't have the time."

His words instantly chilled the lively atmosphere, leaving everyone silently sipping their tea. Only Zhou Ziqin tried to salvage the mood: "Hahaha, of course, no matter what, no one could ever surpass Prince Kui..."

No one paid him any attention.

After resting for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Prince Zhao rallied the group. "Let's continue."

Everyone remounted. As the referee's red flag waved, the horses neighed and charged toward the opposing side. Suddenly, one of the horses let out a pained cry, its front legs buckling as it collapsed to the ground.

It was Wei Baoheng's black horse, which had fallen mid-gallop. Caught off guard, Wei Baoheng was thrown violently into the mud. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp—he curled his body and rolled forward two or three times to dissipate the impact, sparing himself any broken bones.

The entire field erupted in commotion. Princess Tongchang leapt to her feet and rushed onto the polo ground.

Even the Emperor and Consort Guo hurried over. The players had all dismounted and gathered around Wei Baoheng.

Li Shubai immediately ordered the defense division's medic to be summoned. After resetting Wei Baoheng's dislocated arm and examining him thoroughly, the medic announced, "The injuries aren't severe—nothing has harmed the bones."

Princess Tongchang, eyeing the scrapes on Wei Baoheng's face, asked, "Will there be scars?"

"That depends on recovery. Some people scar more easily, which could be troublesome..." the medic quickly replied."If you can't heal him properly, you know the consequences!" Princess Tongchang said coldly. "I won't have a disfigured consort!"

"Ah, Linghui..." Consort Guo frowned slightly and called her name helplessly.

But the Emperor declared, "The princess's words are as mine. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes," the military physician stammered, trembling like a leaf and barely able to stand.

Wei Baoheng held his forehead and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. The match isn't over yet."

"You still want to continue? You nearly lost your life!" Princess Tongchang exclaimed angrily.

"I think we should stop here for today," Wang Yun said, his gaze shifting to Li Shubai.

Li Shubai handed his polo mallet to Huang Zixiao and said, "Let's end it here. We've had our fill of enjoyment."