Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

In the Plum Blossom Guard interrogation room, Wu Jizhi stared intently at Xue Wei, who was tied to a wooden post, his face extremely grim. Tonight's mission was only half completed; Xue Wei had been captured, but Yuan Min had escaped. He didn't know how to explain this to his brother.

However, Yuan Min was not his task; his only responsibility was to capture Xue Wei and break his leg. If Yuan Min failed, his elder brother should not blame him.

Wu Jizhi had just been appointed Left General of the Plum Blossom Guard, and he didn't have many confidants or high prestige. Otherwise, he could have broken Xue Wei's legs on the way and wouldn't have needed to come to the interrogation room.

Xue Wei said coldly, "General Wu, the Emperor has specifically ordered me to participate in this year's polo competition. If I miss the third elimination match this morning, the Emperor will definitely inquire about the reason. General Wu, how do you plan to explain this?"

Wu Jizhi had already received instructions from his elder brother beforehand. He smiled with a hint of sarcasm, "The Plum Blossom Guard is just doing their job. They won't hurt you or stop you from playing polo. However, you were injured when you jumped from the fourth floor. It seems you broke a leg! I'll have the doctor set your bone. Don't let yourself become a cripple."

He gave a wink, and a soldier dressed as a doctor slowly walked up with a short iron rod, staring at Xue Wei's calf. Xue Wei's heart tightened. This bastard was going to break his calf. He couldn't help but feel anxious. Why wasn't his mother here yet?

The soldier slowly raised the iron bar, and at the critical moment, a stern shout rang out: "The Emperor's golden token is here! Stop right there!"

Li Lingyue rushed in like a gust of wind. She had people in the Plum Blossom Guard, and she went straight and accurately to the interrogation room.

When the executioner saw that the person who came was Princess Taiping, he trembled with fright and quickly retreated.

Wu Jizhi was also startled and stepped forward with a fawning smile, saying, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"

"Explain why you arrested him?"

Wu Jizhi chuckled, "We received a report from the Copper Guard that Xue Wei appeared in the Twelve Palaces on the morning of Wu Liankun's death. He was suspected of murder, so we brought him back for questioning."

"Where's the evidence? Who are the witnesses? Where is the physical evidence?"

"This... is still under investigation. Right now, it's just a routine inquiry. If Xue Wei doesn't admit it, we won't make things difficult for him and will release him directly."

"Still under investigation!"

Li Lingyue sneered, raised the imperial gold tablet and said, "Xue Wei is my son, and Yuan Min is my daughter-in-law. I warn you and your brothers, if you dare to use despicable means again, I will do the same. I guarantee I will be more ruthless and vicious than you, and I will make sure that you brothers are childless. If you don't believe me, just try me."

With a wave of her hand, several guards came forward and untied Xue Wei. Xue Wei stretched his limbs and smiled at Wu Jizhi, saying, "Since I have the Emperor's gold token, I don't need to go through any formalities."

Wu Jizhi was intimidated by Princess Taiping. His face darkened, and he remained silent.

Xue Wei followed Li Lingyue and walked quickly outside.

As soon as they stepped out of the Plum Blossom Guard gate, Yuan Min, who was waiting outside, jumped off the carriage, rushed up, and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. She pounded his chest, crying, "You big jerk, why didn't you come with me? Why did you have to take such a risk?"

"I'm fine, aren't I?"

Li Lingyue stepped forward and coughed lightly. Yuan Min felt embarrassed and let go of Xue Wei.

Li Lingyue calmly said to Xue Wei, "I saved your life today, and you'll have to repay that favor later!"

Xue Wei nodded. "Thank you, Mother!"

Li Lingyue laughed and ruffled his hair. "Silly boy, come to the court with Yuanmin! The game starts in half an hour."

Xue Wei and Yuan Min boarded the carriage, which started moving and headed towards Qinghuafang.

Li Lingyue watched the carriage drive away, her brows furrowed. Since her son was released from prison, he had been embroiled in the power struggles of the court, which was her biggest worry. Her son was not yet able to protect himself, so how would he deal with so many people's open and covert attacks in the future?

.........

Inside the carriage, Xue Wei coaxed Yuan Min for a long time before finally calming her down and making her understand why she didn't jump down into the escape tunnel.

"They have five hundred Plum Blossom Guard soldiers. Even the most secluded room will be searched. They're here to arrest me. If they catch me, they'll have no reason to search the building anymore, and you can escape to inform your mother. If we're both caught, no one will be there to inform her, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

Yuan Min knew that Xue Wei was right; the two of them had to separate, and one of them had to go and deliver the message. However, the thought of how he had jumped from the fourth floor to lure away the Plum Blossom Guard in order to save her still made Yuan Min feel extremely sad.

"Old Xue, I don't want this to happen again. So many people have died."

"Did Pang Jinmei also die?"

Pang Jinmei was another female warrior of Yuan Min, but Xue Wei did not see her.

Yuan Min nodded gently, her eyes reddening. "She died on the second floor. She went to investigate after hearing the commotion and was ambushed by assassins. Xiao Hong and Xiao Huan are also dead. She was only ten years old!"

Xue Wei remained silent. In the end, it was because he was powerless and helpless that they dared to act so recklessly against him and Yuan Min. Relying on his mother alone was not enough; he had to stand up for himself. Never before had Xue Wei so desperately wanted to have a knife in his hand to protect himself and his family.

He silently made up his mind that he had to win these polo matches, and he had to let Wu Zetian see his abilities so that she would hand him the sword.

The carriage arrived at the gate of Qinghuafang. There were many people, and the carriage slowed down.

Yuan Min suddenly said, "Should I start calling you Wei Lang instead?"

"No!" Xue Wei laughed. "Just call me Lao Xue. I like that name. It's real, warm, and down-to-earth."

"Alright! Since you like it, I won't change it. You chose it yourself, so don't regret it later."

"No regrets!"

Xue Wei has no regrets at all. The nickname "Old Xue" makes him feel like he's not in the Tang Dynasty anymore, but has returned to the future. His parents call him "Little Xue," his mother calls his father "Old Xue," and the club members also call him "Old Xue."

The carriage arrived at the Qinghuafang Polo Field. Yuan Min handed him the polo mallets, shook his hand, and said, "Play well, I'll be waiting for you!"

"It'll take a long time, why don't you go to the restaurant to rest? I'll come find you there later."

"I'll wait for you here!"

Yuan Min showed her stubborn side, "You're not going to let me leave first this time!"

Xue Wei smiled wryly. Is it impossible not to bring up old grievances?

Yuan Min suddenly kissed him quickly on the cheek, then shyly pushed him away, saying, "Go on! Go on! What are you dawdling for, you grown man?"

The soft touch melted Xue Wei's heart. He jumped off the carriage, clenched his fist and waved it, then turned and strode into the stadium.

Yuan Min watched his retreating figure and muttered, "What a complete fool!"

Yuan Min was perfectly clear-headed. Xue Wei said that they separated so that someone could deliver the message, but Yuan Min knew that he was actually trying to save her. He would rather be captured by the Plum Blossom Guards than let himself fall into Wu Chongxun's clutches.

At this moment, Yuan Min finally believed that the selfish and heartless Xue Wei of the past might really be dead, and that this was a reborn Xue Wei.

...........

Today's polo knockout tournament uses a points system, and players are ranked according to their total points, with only the top 100 advancing.

You hit ten balls in total. You get points for hitting them and no points for missing them. You can choose between sixty or ninety steps. Hitting a ball in ninety steps gets you ten points and hitting a ball in sixty steps gets you five points.

Then there are some deductions, such as one point for glancing at the edge and going into the hole, and two points for hitting the edge and bouncing into the hole.

Finally, there's the time limit. You have to hit all ten balls within a set drumbeat. Once the drumbeat stops, you have to stop. This is the most brutal part, and many people fail because they get nervous from the drumbeat.

Because the polo knockout stage is held across ten different stadiums, the final rankings are determined by tallying all players' scores, so the results won't be known until the next day.

Xue Wei drew number 54, which is pretty good; he can finish the game sooner.

Hundreds of polo players sat on the bench in turn. Some were so nervous that their legs were trembling, while others tried to appear calm. Xue Wei remained silent. He neither trembled nor pretended to be calm. A strong belief in victory gripped his heart. If he couldn't even make it into the top 100, how could he possibly win first place?

Time passed slowly, and contestants went up one after another, only to leave one after another. Some were overjoyed, but many more wept bitterly.

Xue Wei finally heard the examiner call out the numbers: "Next up is number 53. Number 54, please get ready!"