The polo ground to the northeast of the traveling palace was fifty zhang long and fifteen zhang wide, with double goal posts at each end. It had a surrounding enclosure and viewing stands — a standard polo field. The two competing sides were each called a ‘team,’ the term implying friendly competition. The match had no time limit. Both sides defended and attacked on horseback, racing and striking, driving the ball into the opponent’s goal. Scoring was tallied by goals scored, and the side that first reached three goals would be the winner.

The Emperor naturally would not appear on the viewing stands, but aside from him, nearly every other person connected to the two competing sides had come to watch. Crown Prince Li Chengyu and the Dongluo prince were even seated side by side in the best-positioned central viewing area, occasionally exchanging a few words and laughing while they waited for the match to begin. The atmosphere between them looked quite cordial on the surface.

Yet this was only an appearance. Every single person on both sides of the competition — on and off the field — understood perfectly.

There was no such thing as ‘friendly competition.’ There was only ‘you lose’ and ‘I win.’

The news of the consort of Prince Duan and the Prince of Qin’s consort leading a team to compete against the Eastern Di princess Baochi in a polo match had, thanks to the noise and commotion the Eastern Di princess had stirred up the previous night, spread through the camps and become the topic on everyone’s lips. By today, even the imperial guards, the Feathered Forest Guards, and ordinary soldiers all knew about it. Those who couldn’t get inside the grounds had gathered outside, climbing trees to seize high vantage points, hoping to witness this rare spectacle with their own eyes.

Li Xuandu had not yet entered the polo ground. Still some distance away, he could already hear from that direction a thunderous wave of shouting.

He was no stranger to this kind of atmosphere.

In his youth he had swung his mallet and galloped in the sweat of such roaring, clamorous grounds, intoxicated by it, forgetting to return to the palace even as night fell.

But in this moment, this same atmosphere made him suddenly tense.

He truly could not imagine — he had been away only one night, and she somehow had found the nerve and the skill to get on a horse and swing a mallet in a polo match. It was a sport that demanded high standards in horsemanship, technique, and physical fitness. Even setting aside physique for women’s polo, just the horsemanship and technique alone — could she handle it?

And since this was a real competition, with two nations involved, the confrontation was sure to be fierce. What if she accidentally fell from her horse? Yesterday, someone like Prince Duan had him nearby to save the situation.

And who would be there for her?

Li Xuandu’s heart clenched tighter and tighter. He was angry, and more than that, he was worried.

Though he didn’t like this particular consort, he had never wished for her life. After all, she was no great villain — just a young woman whose heart had gone astray.

The physical fatigue and discomfort had long since vanished. He urged his horse forward and quickly arrived at the entrance.

The entrance to the polo ground was surrounded three layers deep by onlookers. He dismounted and rushed over, pushed his way through the people blocking the front, and squeezed inside.

Upon entering the polo ground, the clamor assaulting his ears grew even louder. Within the noise were the sound of horses galloping and the thud of mallets striking balls, along with the rising and falling cries and shouts of women.

Li Xuandu ran to behind the viewing stands and stopped in a corner. His gaze swept past the people in front, searching through the figures and horses crossing and galloping on the polo field, and almost at the very first glance, he found her.

It wasn’t that her attire was particularly striking.

Today she wore a narrow-sleeved purple outfit specially made for polo, with a headwrap that tucked all her hair completely away, and a pair of black leather six-seam boots on her feet. Her dress was no different from anyone else on the field.

What allowed him to pick her out from the crowd with a single glance was her bearing.

She was actually sitting firmly astride the red horse Han Rongchang had given her, polo mallet in hand, urging her horse at speed. Weaving through several red-clad Eastern Di servants who were trying to block her, she intercepted a ball flying toward her from the opposite side, let it rest on the mallet head for a moment, and then leaned her body in a swooping motion and struck.

The ball traced an arc through the air and was delivered steadily toward another purple-clad servant ahead of her.

This pass, precise and graceful in its execution — though the ball was intercepted again by the opposing side immediately after and no real threat to the goal was formed — had already earned a chorus of cheers from the soldiers watching from all around.

Li Xuandu watched that single figure in purple galloping through the dust-filled air, his gaze momentarily fixed. He didn’t even notice Ye Xiao approach until the man softly called ‘Your Highness,’ and only then did he come to himself.

He quickly glanced at the score on both sides and discovered the red-clad side had already scored two goals while her purple-clad side had only one. He immediately interrogated Ye Xiao about the state of the match.

Ye Xiao had been assigned by him to secretly follow the Princess Consort these past few days and had been in the field from the start, so he knew the full course of events and reported accordingly.

Shortly after the match began, one of the consort’s servants had exploited the opposing side’s lapse and scored the first goal. Then the Eastern Di princess also scored one, and the two sides were temporarily tied.

Unexpectedly, not long after, the servant who had scored the first goal was meeting the Eastern Di servant head-on in a horse-to-horse struggle for the ball and received a foul move: the opposing player used the advantage of her more powerful build to body-check her off the horse. She was injured and had to leave the field, replaced by a backup servant of somewhat lesser skill.

Having lost a key player, the purple side fell into a defensive position. Despite the consort of Prince Duan holding steady at the back, after a fierce struggle they conceded another goal, leaving them one behind.

In other words, the opposing side needed just one more goal to claim victory in the match.

Li Xuandu glanced at the people around the viewing stands.

Having taken the lead by one goal, the Dongluo and Eastern Di people were all relaxed and at ease, the prince even chatting and laughing with Crown Prince Li Chengyu.

It was evident that Li Chengyu was straining to conceal his emotions but consistently failed to achieve the same ease as his counterpart. He appeared slightly tense, dealing with the conversation perfunctorily, his gaze always tightly following a certain purple figure on the field.

Li Xuandu knew who he was watching. At that moment a sharp feminine cry reached his ears. He turned his gaze back to the field to find the situation had changed again.

Pu Zhu had once more intercepted the lacquer-red ball as it flew back and forth through the air, then passed it to a teammate and immediately urged her horse forward, sending the consort of Prince Duan a signal they had agreed upon the night before.

The consort of Prince Duan understood perfectly. She received the ball passed from a servant and fed it with her mallet to Pu Zhu ahead.

Unexpectedly, this ball was not sent toward her side but flew high into the air, soaring over everyone’s heads, directly at the space above her.

This caught the pursuing Princess Baochi and the others trying to intercept and counterattack completely off guard.

Before they could react, the ball had already flown to the space above her. She was seen to suddenly soften at the waist, her whole body arching backward to lie flat on the horse’s back. She swung her mallet and, with a rare high-difficulty backward overhead strike, sent the ball directly into the opposing goal.

Purple scored again!

Tied at two each.

The entire field erupted into jubilation. The imperial guards, Feathered Forest Guards, and soldiers who had been lucky enough to get inside to watch were each and every one of them ecstatic, and the cheers they let out nearly lifted the ground from beneath their feet!

The consort of Prince Duan was thrilled but dared not let her guard down, commanding her side to continue giving their all to contest the final — and most critical — point.

Princess Baochi’s expression grew grim. She fixed her gaze on Pu Zhu and called out loudly to her servants in her native tongue: ‘Keep your eyes on her! If she gets the ball, use the method I taught you and knock her off her horse! Absolutely do not let her stop us from scoring!’

‘Glory belongs to the Kunlun God!’

She finally bellowed at the top of her voice.

The red-clad servants seemed injected with some magic drug in that instant — every one of them with reddened eyes, clenching their teeth and fighting ferociously.

The purple side dared not let their guard down either. The two sides charged back and forth, horses weaving and crossing, feminine battle cries rising without cease, the small ball struck back and forth through the air in all directions, the two sides contesting fiercely, a deadlock developing.

The whole field fell quiet at this point. No one made a single sound. All had clenched fists, eyes riveted on those galloping, mallet-swinging figures on the field.

Pu Zhu knew she had become the opponent’s primary target. If she tried to hold the ball at this point, it would actually backfire. She signaled a warning to the consort of Prince Duan.

The consort also saw the difficult position she was in and immediately gave the secret signal for the other servants to take turns holding the ball to relieve pressure on her.

With the ball out of her hands, the red-clad women stopped focusing on her, leaving only one to guard against her while the rest chased the ball.

Pu Zhu played a supporting role for a moment, waited for the right opening, caught a ball the consort of Prince Duan had intercepted, and with left and right lateral strikes, carried the ball pushing forward. She shook off the blocking of several opponents and charged straight for the goal.

Seeing this, the purple servants were anxious beyond measure. Under Princess Baochi’s barked commands they came charging after her. Two servants stationed at the back as defenders also came racing over from the opposite direction, pinching her front and back. One closed in and swept her mallet across.

Pu Zhu had played this sport extensively in her previous life and knew all the dirty tricks on the polo field. She could see that this servant was trying to strike her horse’s eyes.

This move was ruthless to the extreme.

If a horse was injured in the eye, it would often go berserk, and once it went berserk it became unmanageable, very possibly throwing the rider off its back.

She and the little red horse had already bonded over these past few days and had a mutual understanding.

She leaned low over the horse and, along a gap at ground level, continued pushing the ball forward, while simultaneously hauling up the reins sharply, making the horse nimbly sidestep the attack.

Taking advantage of the moment the two horses crossed paths and the spectators’ view was blocked, she swung her mallet back and jabbed the end of the mallet head hard at the opposing player — landing squarely on the woman’s ribs.

That servant took the blow and showed an expression of pain, doubled forward and bent at the waist. The polo mallet in her hand lost its grip and fell to the ground.

Pu Zhu had already left her behind, chasing after the ball rolling ahead. She lined up the angle and was about to swing her mallet for the final shot into the opposing goal when a powerful figure came galloping in from the side, cutting her off.

Princess Baochi had caught up with her. The two came face to face at close quarters!

She showed not the slightest intention of pulling up. She came charging straight on.

Pu Zhu understood in an instant.

She was going to use the same old trick — using the advantage of her powerful build to ram her, just as she had done before.

In terms of physique, Pu Zhu knew there was no way she could withstand her no matter what.

At this split-second critical moment, a thought flashed through her mind. She shouted in the foreign tongue at Princess Baochi, already charging toward her: ‘The Kunlun God will surely not look favorably upon what you’re doing!’

The Eastern Di woman froze for an instant.

Pu Zhu then broke into a brilliant smile and said: ‘Victory will ultimately belong to our Li dynasty!’

The princess finally understood what had just happened. She gnashed her teeth and was about to continue — to ram her and knock her off the horse — but it was too late.

Pu Zhu had already taken advantage of the brief moment while she was stunned and burst out of the blocked zone. Her mallet caught up with the red ball.

She leaned down low, both feet locking tightly around the stirrups, half her body hanging out along the horse’s side, and swung her mallet hard.

With one strike, the ball flew up from the ground, traced a perfectly straight red streak through the air, and shot straight toward the corner of the goal ahead.

At this moment, the entire field fell utterly silent. Countless eyes all followed that ball through the air.

‘Block it! Block it fast!’

A desperate shriek came from behind her. Several red-clad servants gave chase with all their might, but how could they possibly catch up with this ball hurtling at full speed through the air?

By the time the red-clad women finally reached the goal, the ball had already flown in at a tricky angle into the corner of the goal, striking the net strung behind it.

Purple scored again — a third goal.

Three goals: victory.

After a single beat of silence, the field suddenly erupted in a tremendous cheer.

They had won — though it had been a hard-fought match, tense and thrilling, but ultimately a clean victory!

Pu Zhu was wildly excited in that moment.

In her previous life she had accompanied Li Chengyu through countless polo matches, but she had never once felt proud and exhilarated like this because of a victory.

Her clothes were soaked through with sweat, and hot blood surged through her body. In the thunderous roar of cheers, she vaulted off her horse and rushed at once toward the consort of Prince Duan to celebrate. But just as she dismounted, the headwrap on her head was snagged by the saddle, the wrapping went askew and fell to the ground, and a full head of blue-black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist.

Amid the flush of rouge and green, a beauty upon a dappled horse in her pomegranate-red skirt.

If there were a peerless beauty in this world, she could surely be no other.

The two groups of onlookers reacted very differently.

Princess Baochi’s face was iron-dark. She stared fixedly at the ball that had flown into the goal as if she still couldn’t believe the result.

The expression on the Dongluo prince’s face also became strained. The Eastern Di and Dongluo people who had been so arrogant a short while ago now all fell into silence.

The Dongluo prince took his leave under some pretext and left in a hurry. Crown Prince Li Chengyu laughed with great pleasure, but very quickly he stopped laughing. His gaze followed tightly after the figure still in the field, both eyes unblinking.

Yao Hanzhen watched the purple-clad figure still joyfully celebrating with the consort of Prince Duan in the field, then stared at where Li Chengyu’s gaze was fixed. A faint thread of resentment gradually rose in the depths of her eyes.

Han Chijiao and Huaiwei, who were present, were in a state of wild joy. The two of them stomped their feet repeatedly and bellowed at the top of their lungs, barely stopping short of shouting themselves hoarse.

Noble Consort Hu and Li Lihua also wore broad smiles.

Noble Consort Hu was finally able to account for herself to the Emperor.

Li Lihua no longer had to worry about being blamed by others.

If they had lost, and the Emperor had been displeased, she was the Emperor’s imperial elder sister — but even so, explaining herself would not have been easy.

Now that they had won, it was fine.

She couldn’t help looking over at Xiao Shi.

Xiao Shi’s face wore a stiff and strained smile. She rose quickly, took her attendants and maids, and hurried away.

The smile at the corner of Li Lihua’s mouth deepened. Her gaze moved to the Southern Commander Shen Yang.

He stood beside a row of soldiers at the edge of the viewing stand who were maintaining order. His face bore no expression. As if sensing Li Lihua’s gaze, he looked over. Li Lihua sent him a meaningful, suggestive glance — but saw him look right through it, turn, and leave. She felt somewhat deflated.

Her initial interest in this man had been partly because she genuinely liked his youth, good looks, outstanding ability, and distinguished career — but also because she was growing increasingly dissatisfied with Han Rongchang’s attitude toward her, feeling disappointed and wanting to take revenge on her husband. And there was also the factor of Xiao Shi constantly competing with her and stealing the spotlight.

Thinking of how thoroughly Xiao Shi had been shown up today, Li Lihua’s heart felt immediately gratified.

Amid the roar of cheers filling his ears, Li Xuandu stood behind the crowd at the corner of the viewing stands and watched her.

He saw Noble Consort Hu and the Princess Imperial rise with smiles and go to meet her. She was surrounded by people as they left, and the group seemed to be heading in the direction where he was standing.

He suddenly realized with a start that he was still covered in blood and filth, a complete mess.

Several nearby soldiers, recovering from the ecstasy of celebrating the victory, finally noticed him. Looks of hesitation crossed their faces, as if they weren’t quite sure they recognized him.

Li Xuandu turned and quietly left, just as he had come.

The Emperor was also very pleased with the outcome of this match. He sent someone to give Princess Consort Baochi a gift of silks and satins as a gesture of consolation. On this side, not only did he command Noble Consort Hu to host a celebratory banquet for the consort of Prince Duan, the Prince of Qin’s consort, and the others who had distinguished themselves, he also held a banquet for the escorting civil and military officials.

Li Xuandu returned to his own tent.

He had not publicized his experience of fighting the brown bear alone through the night. In truth, even Han Chijiao and the Khotan prince and the others merely thought he had encountered a bear and been injured, surviving through sheer luck.

He treated his arm wound himself, bathed and changed his clothes, then went through the celebratory banquet bestowed by the Emperor as if nothing had happened. When he returned at dusk, he was utterly exhausted. He lay down and closed his eyes and drifted into a drowsy sleep.

His past dreams had almost always been connected to events that had happened when he was sixteen years old.

But this time, the scene in the dream was completely different.

He dreamed of the falcon terrace tucked in a corner of the prince’s residence.

Moonlight as cold and clear as water fell upon a stretch of crumbling walls and dilapidated terraces. He walked alone through a small path swallowed by overgrown weeds, rounded a section of tumbledown wall, and wandered to the jade steps leading up to the falcon terrace. At the top of the steps, two intimate shadows were intertwined. He watched from a distance and saw that the two figures were both in disarray — the man had pressed the woman down upon the cold, hard steps. The woman’s pair of jade arms were tightly wrapped around the man’s shoulders and would not let go, her alluring eyes like silk, then she parted her lips lightly, and with her pearly teeth lightly bit the man’s Adam’s apple, her bewitching manner beyond description.

She was audacious to this degree, and not only that — her slender fair hand even reached out toward him, caressing his masculinity…

He could no longer restrain himself. Right there in the dream he released himself, his whole being seeming to soar skyward and arrive at the very pinnacle of ecstasy. And at this very peak, Li Xuandu snapped awake with a start.

He opened his eyes abruptly to find himself still lying on the bed inside the tent. Everything a moment ago had been nothing but a dream.

The heart in his chest was still racing wildly, dense as drumbeats urging soldiers to battle. Sweat poured from his forehead and back without cease, while beneath his clothing — which had at last found relief in the dream — something cold and damp now clung to the cloth.

The exhilaration of the dream quickly faded, leaving him feeling dejected and hollow. As if on cue, Luo Bao entered the tent carrying a lamp, took one look at the scene, gave a start, and stopped.

Li Xuandu still lay on his back, only closing his eyes. His brows bore a faint, faint trace of weariness. A moment later he spoke in a low, subdued voice: ‘What hour is it?’

‘The first quarter of the first night watch. It has grown dark outside.’ Luo Bao said quietly. Seeing him say nothing further, and letting his eyes sweep over his master’s clothing that showed some staining, he tentatively asked: ‘Shall this servant help Your Highness change?’

Li Xuandu let out a low sound of assent.

Luo Bao immediately set down the lamp, brought water, and after Li Xuandu had changed, seeing him lie down again with his face turned inward, motionless, Luo Bao thought of what had just occurred. Knowing perfectly well what it meant, and thinking that the Prince of Qin had been out here for over half a month without having been intimate with the Princess Consort, he couldn’t resist making the solicitous suggestion: ‘Your Highness, shall this servant go invite the Princess Consort to come…’

He finished speaking, held his breath and waited — and heard the Prince of Qin grit his teeth and say in a muffled voice: ‘Get out.’

Luo Bao gave a soft ‘yes,’ dared not say another word, and scurried nimbly out.

The tent was left with him alone.

Li Xuandu lay with his eyes closed, quietly savoring the various details of the dream just past, and then recalled her radiant, soaring appearance on the polo field that day. When the image of her lying back on the horse and swinging her mallet to strike the ball floated into his mind, he drifted off into thought again.

He hadn’t expected that the waist of that woman — so slender a single hand could encircle it — actually concealed such supple and resilient strength.

The more he thought, the more it seemed he was growing restless and overheated again.

She had made such a great spectacle of herself today — things must still be quite lively over there right now.

Li Xuandu felt increasingly hollow and lonely within himself, and the tent also felt stifling and unbearable in its heat. He was just thinking of getting up and going outside for some air when from beyond the tent he faintly heard the sounds of Luo Bao speaking with a young woman.

Li Xuandu’s heart gave a slight skip — but very quickly, his brow furrowed faintly.

It was merely some unfamiliar young woman from somewhere.

Luo Bao entered shortly after, a smile on his face. He placed a food box on the table and reported: ‘Your Highness, the consort of Prince Duan has just sent food, along with a message of thanks to Your Highness for saving Prince Duan yesterday.’

Li Xuandu sat up, draped in his robe, lazily leaning against the cushions. He said nothing at first, was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked: ‘Did you ask about Prince Duan’s leg injury?’

Luo Bao paused, shook his head, and said with remorse: ‘This servant was negligent and forgot to ask.’

Li Xuandu said: ‘Help me change my clothes. I’ll go pay my respects to Imperial Uncle.’