At the third quarter of the afternoon, when the court musicians began playing the "Shuhe" melody by the field, Li Yuangui had just parted from Crown Prince Li Chengqian and was making his way to his designated seat in the spectator pavilion.
At the corners of the large bamboo mat, his young servant A-Chen and the cross-dressing maidservant Fen Dui had prepared drinks and fruits for him. Li Yuangui’s throat felt parched and burning, desperate for a bowl of cold water to quench the fire within. From the end of yesterday’s Funeral Ceremony until now, he had barely rested or eaten.
He couldn’t even fathom why the task of “preparing the polo grounds” for that uncle-nephew pair of Tuyuhun princes had fallen upon him again. Tracing it back, the Son of Heaven had originally summoned his eldest son, Chengqian, to handle the matter, as this match was still considered part of the Crown Prince’s assignment regarding the “Tuyuhun assassin.”
Then Li Chengqian had called over his fourteenth uncle, Yuangui, claiming that it was inconvenient for him to run around making arrangements himself—so he delegated all the legwork to his younger uncle while he merely gave orders.
Li Yuangui had initially assumed the polo match would be held at the field behind Purple Void Monastery, as the location was readily available. But Li Chengqian insisted, “All the foreign envoys will be attending—that field can’t accommodate them, and the forbidden garden isn’t convenient.” Li Yuangui found his tone and expression oddly stiff, leading him to privately suspect that His Highness the Crown Prince simply didn’t want outsiders trampling over the place where he had first fallen in love.
If not the Purple Void Monastery’s polo field, where else would be suitable? After some thought, Li Chengqian designated a spot: “Outside the residence of Duke Yang Gongren of Guanguo, a new polo field was built in May. Go check if it’s suitable. It’s also close to the imperial city, convenient for spectators.”
Thus, Li Yuangui had no choice but to obey the Crown Prince’s orders and rush to Duke Yang’s residence under the scorching sun. The Duke of Guanguo and Special Counselor Yang Gongren was the adopted heir of the Sui dynasty’s Prince Yang Xiong of Guan, the elder half-brother of the fifth imperial son-in-law Yang Shidao and Princess Dehua Yang Guan’niang. Yang Xinzhi—Murong Nuohebo—was his own nephew, so hosting the match at his estate was fitting.
The Duke of Guanguo’s residence was also in Xiuxiang Ward, extremely close to the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns where Empress Xiao and the consorts of the Sui dynasty had taken vows, as well as the Benevolent Harmony Nunnery where Yang Buyao was hiding—separated only by a cross-shaped eastern street. South of the street lay the temple complex, while north stood the ducal estate. The Yang family had many descendants, and earlier this year, they had demolished a street-facing stable and converted the courtyard into a polo field for entertaining relatives and friends.
The field was well-constructed, with the rare advantage of allowing spectators on all four sides. To the north stood a three-story pavilion where the emperor and high-ranking officials could sit and enjoy an unobstructed view of the entire match. After inspecting it, Li Yuangui explained his purpose to Yang Gongren. The nearly seventy-year-old duke naturally had no objections and summoned his household stewards to assist Li Yuangui with the arrangements.
He and his team worked at the Yang residence until nightfall, ensuring all security measures for the emperor’s attendance were in place. The next morning, another message arrived from the Crown Prince’s Palace:
The Empress would also be bringing inner and outer court ladies to Xiuxiang Ward to watch the match.
Li Yuangui nearly spat blood… The Empress leaving the palace required not only tight security but also considerations of gender segregation, propriety, and palace protocols. With no other choice, as soon as the night curfew lifted, he rushed back to the Duke of Guanguo’s residence. After much deliberation, they decided to block off both ends of the cross-shaped eastern street for carriages. The Empress and court ladies would enter the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns and ascend the tall building north of the temple, watching the match across the street from above.He was deeply puzzled. The palace rumors said that the Supreme Emperor's state funeral had exhausted the Empress, leaving her in poor health. She hadn't even attended yesterday's Funeral Ceremony to fulfill her duties. Moreover, his second sister-in-law, the Zhangsun clan, was always dignified, composed, and disliked public appearances. Why would she suddenly leave the palace to watch a polo match?
When the sun rose higher, Li Chengqian also arrived from the Crown Prince's Palace to oversee the arrangements. It was then that he learned from his nephew the real reason: the Empress mainly wanted Dehua Princess Yang Guan-niang—whom the court had decided to re-invest as "Princess Xihai" and grant the imperial surname Li—to witness her son's heroic display on horseback. This would also provide an opportunity to counsel and instruct her on how to govern the people and remain loyal to the Tang dynasty after her relocation to Tuyuhun.
"Uncle Fourteen, the mission you've been struggling with—finding the Tuyuhun royal grandson—was actually arranged by my mother," Li Chengqian bluntly told his uncle. Li Yuangui accepted this without a word of protest.
The key figure behind his failure was none other than the former Sui Empress Xiao, who had stubbornly refused to reveal the truth to him and Chai Yingluo but obediently confessed everything to Empress Zhangsun. Now, Empress Xiao resided daily at the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns across the street. When the Empress's entourage arrived in the afternoon, she would also attend to receive them. Li Yuangui secretly hoped the old woman would slip on the stairs, break at least one leg—or better yet, fall to her death.
"The Empress wants Princess Xihai to see her son win," he asked Li Chengqian. "But how can we guarantee that Yang Da—Nuozhebo—will win the match? Yesterday, I already reported to Your Highness that Yang Xinzhi isn't skilled at polo—"
"Why are you worrying about this? Too much free time?" the Crown Prince interrupted. "His Majesty has personally arranged it. How could he possibly lose?"
"Are they tampering with Zun Wang's horse?" Li Yuangui ignored his nephew's harsh tone and speculated. "Or perhaps his food—"
Li Chengqian rolled his eyes. "Do you think His Majesty is as underhanded as you? Yesterday afternoon, I interrogated that Zun Wang brat at the Four Directions Pavilion. He and his chosen white horse were inseparable—eating and sleeping together. He wouldn't even drink water unless it was freshly cut from a whole honeydew melon he prepared himself. He's on guard too!"
"Ha?" Li Yuangui couldn't help but laugh. "That's strange. If he's so clever, why did he act like a fool, abandoning his rightful position as crown prince in his own country to sneak into Chang'an and cause trouble?"
As soon as he said it, he realized his words might have been inappropriate—almost like an insult...
Li Chengqian shot him a glance but didn't take offense, only sneering. "Those who aren't in the position don't understand the burden. Being crown prince isn't so easy. After interrogating that kid, I almost envy him. At least he's lived once according to his own heart!"
As the uncle and nephew inspected the polo field, their conversation meandered. According to Li Chengqian, in the first half of last year, when tensions between Tang and Tuyuhun escalated, Fuyun Khan had sought a marriage alliance for his son Zun Wang, requesting a Tang princess for marriage. It was common for the Han and foreign states to alternate between war and negotiation. The Tang emperor agreed to the marriage but set a condition: the Tuyuhun crown prince, Zun Wang, must personally come to Chang'an to escort the princess.Murong Fu-yun was no fool, of course he refused, and the marriage agreement was called off. However, this news stirred up waves within the Tuyuhun kingdom. Although Zun Wang was the biological son of the current Tibetan queen, he was much younger than his elder brother Murong Shun. For a younger son to usurp the position of the eldest had always been resented by some tribes. Nomadic tribes traditionally admired brave warriors and despised the weak. Rumors spread within the kingdom that Zun Wang was cowardly, afraid to go to the Tang capital to marry a Han princess. The proud and impulsive young Zun Wang flew into a rage upon hearing this and resolved to go to Chang'an to "accomplish great deeds to prove his courage."
His parents naturally refused to allow it, so Zun Wang secretly conspired with the trusted great Sart of Fuqi City, Kang Su-mi's brother, and with his help, slipped away to Chang'an with a few close followers. The Tuyuhun court and tribal administration were loosely organized, and it was only after Zun Wang had been gone for a long time under some pretext that his parents realized something was wrong and hastily sent men to pursue him... The events that followed were already known to Li Yuangui.
In a way, Zun Wang could be considered a contributor to the Tang army's conquest of Tuyuhun. His parents repeatedly dispatched their elite guards to chase after and serve him, depleting nearly half their forces. The remaining troops were even less capable of resisting Li Jing's army. So this was also a story of a willful son bringing disaster upon his parents...
OpenNovel