Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

It's illegal for ordinary people to wear inner armor while playing polo, but everyone knows it and nobody bothers to investigate. It's a gray area; if the people don't complain, the authorities won't pursue it.

However, it is indeed illegal for civilians to wear armor. If someone with ulterior motives reports it and the law enforcement takes it seriously, they will really be in deep trouble.

Chen Xuanli was furious. "Imperial Censor Wan, what are you doing?"

Wan Guojun glanced at it coldly. "Someone reported that a civilian was hiding armor. I have a duty to investigate!"

"If anyone should be investigating, it should be the county government. What does it have to do with the censor?"

Wan Guojun snorted, "The other party is the Earl of Pingyang County, there's nothing wrong with me intervening!"

Chen Xuanli gritted his teeth and said, "Let's talk about it after the match!"

Wan Guojun pulled out his imperial censor's token. "General Chen, please do not obstruct the censor from enforcing the law, or I will impeach you!"

At this moment, Xue Wei gently pushed Chen Xuanli away, "General Chen, Imperial Censor Wan is just enforcing the law normally, we shouldn't make things difficult for him."

"Hmph! Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Xue. Please remove your clothes and let me examine your nails!"

Xue Wei smiled proudly, took off his warrior robe, revealing a silver-threaded garment that shimmered in the light.

Everyone was stunned. After examining it for a while, Wan Guojun concluded, "This is silver armor!"

Xue Wei smiled faintly, "This is not armor, it is clothing, it is a burial garment, a silver-threaded garment that costs six thousand strings of cash. The Chuigong Law clearly stipulates that officials of the sixth rank and above can wear pure silver clothing. I am the Earl of Pingyang County, a fourth-rank official, and I have the right to wear silver clothing."

The tent erupted in laughter. Wan Guojun's face flushed red and then paled. He could only clasp his hands in apology and say, "I'm sorry!"

He turned and left with several officials.

Chen Xuanli breathed a long sigh of relief, patted Xue Wei's arm, and said, "Brother, you're amazing! I admire you!"

Xue Wei knew perfectly well that his ex-wife Yuan Min was the most capable. She had considered everything for him, and with her by his side, he, the transmigrator, had much less to worry about.

…………

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums sounded, and the second round of the match began.

Wu Chongxun quickened his pace and whispered to Wu Jizhi, "He's prepared. He'll make his move in this round. If we drag it out until the next round, he won't have a chance. Strike his ankle."

Wu Jizhi nodded and immediately replaced the polo cue with a brass one. Polo cues are usually made of high-density wood, which is sturdy and lightweight. The official regulations only specify the size, but not the material. As long as you can lift it, using an iron polo cue is not against the rules.

No one would use an iron club; your arm would ache after just a few shots. But if it's for a special purpose, that's a different story.

Today, Wu Chongxun didn't care about winning or losing the match. He wanted to give Zhang Changzong an explanation, so he had to break Xue Wei's leg. He wouldn't dare to do it normally, but today was his best chance.

The game resumed, and Chen Xuanli made a long shot, sending the polo ball out in a long line, directly in front of Xue Wei. Xue Wei spurred his horse forward and swung his bat to shoot. Logically, Wu Jizhi, the opponent's backline player, should have appeared in front of him to block his shot, but there was no open space in front of him and he could not see Wu Jizhi. Xue Wei immediately realized the danger.

He didn't throw the ball, waiting for his opponent to make a move. Sure enough, there was a whooshing sound, and a heavy object struck his calf and ankle hard.

This is the only loophole in the silver-threaded inner armor. Although it protects the ankles when worn, it will naturally pull up when the person is riding a horse, exposing the ankles, regardless of what kind of pants they are wearing.

Xue Wei was prepared. Just as the bronze polo mallet was about to hit his ankle, he suddenly took his foot off the stirrup and lifted it up. "Clang!" The bronze mallet struck the stirrup hard, and Wu Jizhi's hands went numb from the shock. The bronze polo mallet flew out of his hands.

Xue Wei swung his stick back and struck Wu Jizhi's right ankle with precision. "Crack!" Wu Jizhi's right ankle bone was shattered.

Wu Jizhi screamed and fell off his horse.

The change was so sudden. Everyone present saw Wu Jizhi's actions and thought Xue Wei was doomed. Unexpectedly, a twist occurred, and Wu Jizhi screamed and fell from his horse.

The stadium fell silent. Everyone in the stands stood up, dumbfounded. Princess Taiping and Yuan Min also stood up abruptly, watching the scene with bated breath.

Xue Wei, however, remained calm and composed, raising his hand and striking the polo ball into the hole...

Injuries are common in competitions; the only difference is the severity. Officials immediately rushed over and carried the groaning Wu Jizhi away on a stretcher.

Wu Chongxun rushed over, supporting the stretcher, and asked anxiously, "Second brother, how are you?"

Wu Jizhi cried out in despair, "Big brother, that bastard broke my leg!"

"Get him to the hospital immediately!"

Wu Chongxun immediately shouted in a panic, and Wu Jizhi was immediately carried away.

Wu Chongxun suddenly looked up at Xue Wei, only to see Xue Wei staring at him coldly, his gaze sharp as a knife. A nameless fear suddenly arose in Wu Chongxun's heart; this Xue Wei was not the Xue Wei of the past.

..........

The match ended in a one-sided affair, with the Zuo Qianniuwei Polo Team ultimately defeating the Wu Clan Royal Team 8-2 to win the championship of the polo team competition.

Xue Wei didn't go with the team to celebrate their victory. Instead, he got into Yuan Min's carriage, and Yuan Min asked nervously, "Did you break Wu Jizhi's leg?"

"It's not just a simple interruption; he'll be using crutches for the rest of his life. His time as a Plum Blossom Guard General is over. There's no such thing as a lame general in the world."

"I'm a little worried that Wu Sansi won't let this go!" Yuan Min said anxiously.

Xue Wei kissed her pretty cheek. "Your man isn't reckless. Look at this!"

He took a sandalwood box out of Yuan Min's bag, opened the lid, and placed a gold medal in her hand.

Yuan Min looked down and her beautiful eyes widened instantly. The four words "as if seeing the Emperor's face" burned into her eyes like fire.

"What...what is this?" Yuan Min asked in a trembling voice.

"This is the incarnation of the emperor, and also the knife given to me by the emperor. In other words, I broke Wu Jizhi's leg in the capacity of the emperor. If Wu Sansi dares to come, I will break his leg in the same way."

Yuan Min suddenly hugged Xue Wei tightly, her face full of excitement, and said, "My man is the most powerful person in the world!"

…………

At the Liang Prince's residence, Wu Sansi glared angrily at his eldest son, Wu Chongxun. "You made such a crucial decision without consulting me, ultimately ruining your brother's life. How am I supposed to explain this to the Emperor?"

Wu Chongxun knelt on the ground and gritted his teeth, saying, "That Xue Wei is audacious and reckless. He is just a commoner, yet he dared to injure the Left Plum Blossom Guard General. We can request the Dali Temple to arrest him."

"Bullshit!" Wu Sansi retorted angrily, "Do you think he can be manipulated so easily? Why doesn't Zhang Changzong dare to do it himself and instead sends you to do it? There's something behind this that you can't see, do you know that?"

"I know that with Princess Taiping protecting him, he dares to act recklessly!"

Wu Sansi, heartbroken and indignant, cursed, "You! You're a complete political idiot! Why did Zhang Changzong let you take action? Wasn't this clearly inciting conflict between Princess Taiping and the Wu family? Once Princess Taiping is no longer neutral, who will protect the Wu family when Li Xian ascends the throne?"

Wu Chongxun remained unwilling to give up. He stubbornly insisted, "Perhaps Father is right, but Princess Taiping protecting the Wu family is a matter for the future, while offending Zhang Changzong is a matter for the present. If we don't give him face, he won't let me off the hook!"

"Your brother has already paid a heavy price for his pride, what more does he want? I'll talk to him about this, you don't need to worry about it. Also, I'm giving you one last warning, don't mess with Xue Wei again, he's not as simple as you think."

Wu Chongxun was taken aback. "Father, is there any news?"

Wu Sansi nodded slightly. "Shangguan Wan'er wrote to me at noon, she suspects that the Emperor has already given the Hidden Guard's gold token to Xue Wei."

"Ah!" These words struck Wu Chongxun like a thunderbolt, shattering his dream of becoming a hidden guard in an instant.

After a pause, Wu Sansi finally revealed another secret: "It was actually the Emperor who ordered me to throw Xue Wei into the Blackwater Prison."