Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

Inside a large mansion in Xiuwenfang, a tall young woman with her hair styled in a cloud-like bun stood with her hands behind her back by the window, quietly listening to the report from the female warrior in blue.

"I heard it clearly. The middle-aged man was looking for you, young master, to urge you to get started on the mission as soon as possible."

"What mission?" the woman asked calmly.

"I don't know, I only know that there are still 82 days until the deadline."

The woman sighed softly, "It must have been Zhang Changzong's terms for his release from prison."

The female warrior in blue whispered again, "Also, it seems the young master has moved away."

The woman paused, then slowly turned around. The light shone on her strikingly beautiful face, her skin as clear as snow, with a translucent quality under the sunlight. She had a high, straight nose, delicate eyebrows, and a pair of beautiful eyes as deep as a pool of water, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

She looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, but her gaze possessed a maturity and composure completely out of place for her age.

Where did he move to?

"I don't know. I just went to his residence, but he was already gone, and all his belongings were burned."

"Go find him!" After a pause, the woman added, "He'll definitely be at the Baigongzhai in the South Market and the Xinghua Wine Shop in the West Market."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The female warrior in blue hesitated for a moment, then took out a folded piece of paper from her bosom. She unfolded the paper, revealing a piece of paper with a corner burned off.

"Girl, there's this too!"

"What is this?"

"It was found next to a pile of ashes in his yard. Only a corner was burned, and it was blown to the corner by the wind, so he didn't notice it."

The woman looked at the paper, her beautiful eyes slowly widening as she revealed an expression of disbelief.

"Those who have abandoned me, the days of yesterday cannot be retained."

Those who trouble my mind, today is filled with worries.

A long wind carries wild geese across ten thousand miles; one can enjoy this view from a high tower.

Penglai's writings have the strength of the Jian'an period, and in the middle, Xiao Xie's style is also elegant.

With soaring spirits and boundless thoughts, we yearn to ascend to the heavens and grasp the bright moon.

You can't cut water with a knife; you can't drown your sorrows with a cup of wine.

Life is full of disappointments; tomorrow I'll let my hair down and drift away in a small boat.

Did he write this? Impossible, when did he ever acquire such talent?

But if it wasn't him, then who could it be? This poem is unheard of.

The woman read it countless times before the shock in her eyes slowly faded. She then looked out the window again, hands behind her back, and asked herself, "Life is full of disappointments; tomorrow I'll let my hair down and drift away in a small boat. Xue Wei, what are you worrying about? After all these years, do you still have the right to worry?"

A deep hatred flashed in her eyes, along with a barely perceptible hint of tenderness and reluctance.

...........

Xue Wei woke up in his new home, a small house he bought in Tongjifang two years ago. It covered about three acres and was located right next to the city wall. Opening the west gate, one could see the Tongji Canal.

There is no water gate at the entrance of the Tongji Canal into the city; it is just a gap in the city wall, about 100 meters wide, with earthen slopes on both sides, overgrown with weeds.

Xue Wei discovered a small boat in the courtyard with three wooden wheels. He then realized the true purpose of his predecessor, Xue Wei, in buying this house: to be able to leave the city at any time at night.

It was precisely because of the convenience of being able to enter and leave the city at night that Tongji Ward became famous in Luoyang, notoriously chaotic.

Tongjifang is a ward in the southwesternmost corner of Luoyang, next to the West Market. Xue Wei's first impression of it was that it was a suburban area with all sorts of illegal structures and a dirty and chaotic environment.

The neighborhood was also home to many residents, mostly outsiders, as well as workers from the West Market, and people of unknown origin from all over the world—a diverse mix of people from all walks of life.

Next door to Xue Wei's house was a group of Indians from the Tang Dynasty, both men and women, who spent all day practicing pole climbing and fire-breathing in the yard, staying up all night.

It's annoying and noisy.

Officials and yamen runners were rarely seen in the neighborhood. When trouble arose, people resolved it themselves, either by force or money. The Tang Dynasty did not have the gangs found in martial arts novels, but there were other kinds of gangs: guilds and local cliques.

Guilds are united by shared interests, while hometown cliques are bound together by kinship. These two bonds enable countless vulnerable groups to unite and fight against powerful local bullies.

Tongjifang was home to more than a hundred boatmen who made a living by transporting goods by boat. An old boatman named Chao Sheng was highly respected. He organized the Tongji Boatmen's Association. Whenever a boatman was bullied, Chao Sheng would lead a large group of boatmen to stand up for him.

However, the majority of people in Tongjifang were fellow villagers, numbering over twenty in total. They were mostly organized by county, and fighting over interests and engaging in brawls was commonplace in Tongjifang. Generally, the government would not investigate unless someone was killed and the matter could not be resolved.

Xue Wei didn't have time to experience the unique features of Tongjifang yet. After washing up briefly, he hired an oxcart and hurriedly headed to Xingjin Bridge.

The Luo River divides Luoyang City in two. The imperial palace is located on the north bank of the Luo River, with an island in the middle of the river in front of it. The court built two bridges using the island as support. The bridge to the north is called Tianjin Bridge, and the bridge to the south is called Xingjin Bridge. Officials living in the south of the city had to cross Xingjin Bridge and Tianjin Bridge to enter the imperial palace on their way to court.

Xue Wei spotted Xue Chongjian from afar. He was wearing a green embroidered uniform of the Qianniu Guard, which was described as "embroidered with floral patterns, dressed in green and carrying an elephant."

However, Xue Chongjian was not holding an ivory tablet, but rather a polo mallet.

Xue Wei got off the oxcart, handed the driver some money, and walked up to him with a smile, saying, "What are you doing with that polo mallet?"

Xue Chongjian made a swinging motion, "If you want to see the Emperor, you'll have to rely on this!"

"Can you really meet the emperor through polo?"

"Do you think the emperor is so easy to meet?"

Xue Chongjian sighed and said, "Now the emperor is no longer seeing his ministers. I heard that even the crown prince hasn't seen the emperor for half a year. There are only five ways to see the emperor: either ask the two Zhangs, or ask Shangguan Wan'er, or ask your mother, or ask Wu Sansi, or wait for the emperor to be interested in summoning you. Actually, asking your mother is the simplest and most convenient, but you refuse. So we have to take the fifth option."

"So playing polo is the fifth path?"

"Indeed, the Emperor loves three things the most: martial arts, literature, and elegance. Martial arts is polo, literature is poetry, and elegance is flower appreciation. Therefore, Luoyang has three gatherings: the polo gathering in spring, the flower gathering in summer, and the poetry gathering in autumn. The polo gathering will be held in mid-March next month. The Emperor will summon and host a banquet for the final winner of the polo match. You are the Three Talents Prince, and the solution I have for you is to win the polo gathering next month."

When the emperor sees you, try to make a good impression. If the emperor is interested in you, he will summon you for a private audience, and that will be your opportunity.

"The emperor summoned me alone, what if...?" Xue Wei was a little worried.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xue Chongjian rolled his eyes. "That's your maternal grandmother. Don't overthink it!"

Xue Wei chuckled, "Alright! I'll go watch polo with you."

As Xue Chongjian walked, he explained, "The club's matches will last for three days. It's actually a series of team matches and individual knockout tournaments. The final winners will receive a generous reward and will be summoned by the emperor and given a banquet."

"How many teams are there in Luoyang?" Xue Wei asked casually.

"A few hundred, I guess!"

Xue Wei was stunned. "How can you compare hundreds of items in three days?"

"You asked me how many teams there are in Luoyang, not how many teams are participating. Only twenty teams are qualified to participate. First, there will be qualifying rounds, and then only eight teams will participate in the final competition over three days."

Xue Wei nodded. "I've participated in competitions before?"

Xue Chongjian sighed deeply. "Brother, how could you forget everything? You were a Qianniu Guardian, just like me before. You were a key player in the Left Qianniu Polo Team. Otherwise, how did you get the title of 'Three Absolutes Young Master'?"

Xue Wei remained silent; even he himself felt that his memory loss was somewhat outrageous.