Chapter 594: The West Parade Ground: All the Realm's States (Part One)

The West Parade Ground that Zhang Zhao prepared for the polo league was located roughly outside the New Zheng Gate of the Northern Song's eastern capital in history — that is, on the site of the Qionglin Garden, one of the Northern Song's two imperial parks.

Across from Qionglin Garden was the famous Jinming Pool.

In history, Qionglin Garden began construction in the time of Zhao the First and was not finished until Emperor Huizong of Song was about to go study abroad in the Five Nations City.

In the southeast of the garden was piled an artificial mountain several dozen zhang high, with towers and pavilions built upon it; below the mountain were laid paths of brocade stone, and ponds, an archery hall, and a ball court were also opened, all as royal entertainment facilities.

Most of the garden was planted with famous flowers sent as tribute from Lingnan and Jiangnan, and many of the realm's rare stones that Emperor Huizong of Song obtained through his ruinous Flower-and-Stone Convoys were also placed in Qionglin Garden.

But Zhang Zhao did not have that kind of extravagance. Jinming Pool was still being excavated, and the earth and stone dug out were piled into an earthen mound in Qionglin Garden to serve as a command post.

Because on ordinary days, this was the cavalry training ground for the six guards of the personal army and the seven garrisons of the outer prefectures of the imperial guard.

And when polo matches began, this became the dedicated venue for the games.

The ceremony for taking consorts was still in preparation, so Zhang Zhao first invited the envoys of Wuyue, Southern Tang, Ma Chu, Nanping, and Meng Shu, as well as the local magnates who had come from Hebei, to the West Parade Ground to watch the Great Zhou polo matches.

Moreover, this was not open only to the envoys of the various states and to meritorious officials and nobles. The common people of the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, and the Divine Capital, Luoyang Prefecture, could also come in to watch the matches by presenting proof documents issued by their li and fang wards.

This was truly rejoicing together with the people. At this time the population of the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, was only some one hundred eighty or ninety thousand, and because the capital would later be moved to Luoyang, the population was actually still flowing toward Luoyang.

And this West Parade Ground polo-viewing venue, if packed tight, could hold at least ten thousand people, so whenever permission was granted to come watch at the West Parade Ground, it was always a sea of people.

At the same time, nine civilian polo teams from Kaifeng and Luoyang had also been invited. Together with the six guards of the personal army, the seven garrisons of the imperial guard, and the two guard armies of the capital region, they formed a total of twenty-four teams, competing in groups.

This was Sage Zhang's World Cup!

However, the opening match was somewhat unusual, because it was not the expected showdown between the Left and Right Yulin Guards, but a match between two women's polo teams.

As a man from a later age, Zhang Zhao understood better than anyone of this era the importance of the female role in the family and even the state.

Without a mother who was physically strong, magnanimous and brave, and of sound values, how could loyal, righteous, steadfast, and courageous descendants be raised?

Moreover, Zhang Zhao feared even more that the spirit of the Huaxia people would, as in history, slide into the ritual doctrines that served only Neo-Confucianism, and produce again such hair-raising things as women who never left the inner gate or crossed the second gate, and three-inch golden lotuses.

Ritual doctrine is not something that cannot exist — on the contrary, it is extremely important. But nothing should be taken to excess, and one must not go from one extreme to the other.

Therefore, under Zhang Zhao's direction, two women's polo teams, led by the noble families of the Zhou state, came into being.

The leader of the red team was the fourteenth elder sister of Empress Cao Yanxi, the half-sister by a different mother of Cao Yanming, Duke of Ziting Commandery and Construction Commissioner of the Divine Capital — the Fourteenth Lady Cao, Cao Yanying.

This Fourteenth Lady Cao was a fiery one. After her husband's death, she raised her two children alone, was brave and resolute, and was deeply respected by Empress Cao Yanxi.

Zhang Zhao's trusted general, an old hand of the Yuan Cong faction, Luo Yu'er, Regional Commander of Yingyang Garrison and Marquis of Xinxiang, was at this time also courting this fiery imperial relative.

And the leader of the blue team was also a fiery figure, and in appearance clearly bore the features of a western dancing girl.

But no one dared call her a western dancing girl, because her family was an old aristocratic house that had had ties with the Central Plains for five or six hundred years.

This woman was the third daughter of Li Shengtian of Anxi, and the wife of Cao Yanlu, the Kucha Garrison Commander and a bona fide imperial uncle by marriage.

Of course, her most important source of confidence actually came from her special relationship with Zhang Zhao.

Because Zhang the Son of Heaven, Shaoming, actually had no siblings; his only close kin remaining was his maternal uncle, Li Shengtian.

And since Li Shengtian was far away in Anxi, Zhang Zhao placed this affection onto Lady Li, so that Lady Li had almost become Sage Zhang's own younger sister.

Even Zhang Qiwu, Sage Zhang's eldest daughter, who married Zhao Kuangzan, had only been enfeoffed as Princess of Baoding, a princess title using a commandery or county name, but Lady Li had already been enfeoffed as Princess of Hanguo.

Prince of Han was a princely title Zhang Zhao himself had once held, so the meaning of Princess of Hanguo was naturally extraordinary. Zhang Zhao had also bestowed on her the name Zhen, calling her Li Zhen'er.

The appearance of the two women's polo teams immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

Well, of course! A group of long-legged, tall, hot-figured women dressed in men's riding clothes would attract the eye even in later ages.

The moment they took the field, the area around the West Parade Ground erupted in howling, wailing cheers.

The commoners of the Eastern Capital and the local magnates from Hebei, in particular, shouted the loudest and with the most effort.

However, the most eye-catching person on the field was neither Cao Yanying nor Princess of Hanguo Li Zhen'er.

It was a tall, long-legged, heroic-looking little beauty whose face still looked somewhat youthful, but whose figure was already mature.

Uh! Calling her a little beauty was certainly inaccurate, because this girl's looks could only be called regular and heroic, and certainly had nothing to do with being gorgeous.

In the past, with such looks, the commoners of the Eastern Capital would not have bothered to cheer for her, and might even have whispered some gossip in private.

With a bosom that large and a height that tall, a woman with such spirited heroism in her brows and eyes would surely have been called a freakish woman.

But now, washed by Sage Zhang's aesthetic sensibilities, and with the popularity of polo, the commoners of the Eastern Capital — especially the young men — had actually come to find this kind of look quite appealing.

So countless people began asking: whose noble daughter was this?

Even Li Xiaofeng, who had come from the Shu state, had been influenced by this aesthetic after only a few short days, and began asking the subordinate official beside Gao Baorong, heir of the Prince of Nanping.

"This is the eldest daughter of Lord Zhe Deyi, Regional Commander of Yangwu Garrison, Prefect of Fuzhou, and Count of Yunzhong — the granddaughter of Lord Zhe Congyuan, Vice Commissioner of the Shuofang Circuit, Regional Commander of Lingwu Garrison, and Prefect of Lingzhou. She has already been betrothed to Yang Jiye, the Sage's sixth adopted son and Guard Officer of the Left Jinwu Guard."

"Whoa! What fine fortune indeed! What kind of hero must the son raised by such a heroic lady be!"

Li Xiaofeng's aesthetic sense had 'twisted' far too quickly. For a moment he actually felt somewhat envious, thinking how fine it would be if he too could have such a daughter-in-law.

Zhang Lieming's cheek twitched. Whether the son she raised would be a hero or not, he did not know, but this young woman was truly fierce.

She had arrived in the Eastern Capital from Fuzhou ten days ago, and at the time Yang Jiye had been somewhat unwilling.

Of course — accustomed to the gentle women of the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, how could the future Elder Lord Yang like this big northern lass?

But no sooner had a few words of complaint left his mouth than the arriving Lady Zhe overheard them, and immediately flared up. She stormed over and gave Yang Jiye a thorough beating.

In any case, Zhang Lieming did not know whether Yang Jiye had held back, but if it had been him, he certainly could not have beaten this little tigress.

Li Xiaofeng looked at this man who had suddenly shivered, finding it strange, but out of politeness he cupped his hands and asked, "I have been remiss — may I ask the honored secretary's surname?"

Zhang Lieming's face showed a smug expression, but he deliberately put on an indifferent air and waved his hand lightly.

"Since this secretary asks — the surname is Zhang!"

Li Xiaofeng immediately warmed up. To appear in the circles of meritorious officials and yet be somewhat proud of the surname Zhang — needless to say, this was very likely a relative of the Zhou imperial house.

Sure enough, when Li Xiaofeng politely remarked that the secretary bore the imperial surname and must surely be wealthy and noble, the other party showed not the slightest modesty!

"The Zhang surname may be the imperial surname, but it is also a great clan. Of course, I was fortunate in my birth — my father is a cousin of the Sage, and I also call the Sage uncle."

Li Xiaofeng hurriedly lowered his posture even further. "I am but an attendant of the envoy from the Shu state. To unexpectedly make the acquaintance of a relative of the imperial house is truly a fortune of three lifetimes!"

Zhang Lieming sneered inwardly. Attendant of an envoy, my foot. But he was here precisely to string Li Xiaofeng along, so of course he would not expose him, and immediately tossed his head with a swagger.

"What imperial relative? I'm just a rice worm. In making friends, one follows only one's true heart — why bring up such worldly status?"

Li Xiaofeng immediately latched on. His most important task on this diplomatic mission was to sound out the Shao Ming Son of Heaven's intentions in advance.

Now that a seemingly foolish imperial relative had appeared before him, why wouldn't he hurry to build a connection?

"A true hero among men! As expected of a noble kinsman of the Central Plains' great state, so approachable and unassuming.

If the young gentleman does not disdain it, I have here some Jiannan Shao Chun from Shu. I venture to invite the young gentleman to share a drink."

Zhang Lieming had been putting on an air of not wanting to be disturbed, but the moment he heard the name Jiannan Shao Chun, his throat couldn't help but bob, and his eyes lit up, portraying a wine lover with both spirit and form.

Uh! Perhaps it wasn't an act either. Beautiful women, fine wine, fine food — these were originally the greatest loves of me, Deputy Commander Zhang.

At this time, due to the brewing methods, most wine was murky and cloudy, and the alcohol content was also very Schrödinger — you might drink a full belly and still not reach the point of tipsiness.

But Jiannan Shao Chun from Shu had been selected as tribute wine for the court since the early Tang. The Poet Immortal Li Bai even once pawned his fur coat in winter just to drink Jiannan Shao Chun.

This wine had little sediment, was clear and sweet, fragrant to the nose, and what was rarer still, its alcohol content was extremely stable, basically around fifteen to twenty degrees — the finest wine of the age.

With Meng Shu's traffic to the Central Plains obstructed, and the road from Shu to the Central Plains being quite difficult, a single jar of Jiannan Shao Chun in the Eastern Capital was priced so high that even Zhang Zhao was reluctant to bring it out to entertain guests.

Hearing now that there was Jiannan Shao Chun to drink, how could Zhang Lieming hold back? In any case, his task was also to get close to Li Xiaofeng.

Actually, it wasn't that there was no clear, high-proof wine. The distilled liquor Zhang Zhao had tinkered out during his Anxi period was exactly that, but because it consumed too much grain, Zhang Zhao had strictly forbidden the distillation method from leaking out.

Moreover, this wine's alcohol content was too high and wasn't much appreciated. Sage Zhang's aunt by marriage, Cao Yuanxing, had commented on it, calling it: "What sort of cow-horse piss water is this? It only gives one a splitting headache!"

Li Shengtian also complained that after drinking this wine, there was none of the heroic spirit of "a hundred poems per drinking bout" — two cups and one was making a fool of oneself. It really was no good wine.

Only people like Dunzhu and Manxiong liked drinking it.

Over here, Zhang Lieming and Li Xiaofeng — one playing the fool while actually fully prepared in his heart, the other thinking the first was a fool and hoping to extract some useful intelligence from him.

Naturally it was a case of mutual affection... ah! No! Naturally it was a meeting of minds, uh! That doesn't seem quite right either.

In any case, the two immediately became like the closest of friends, drinking Jiannan Shao Chun worth a thousand gold, while beginning to comment on the polo match that had already started.

Competition and confrontation have always been the mainstream of human survival. Without drawing swords or blades, nothing can better arouse the pleasure of this latent part of human genes than athletic sport.

At the start, whether it was the various foreign envoys, the Hebei magnates, or the local Eastern Capital commoners, all attention was focused on the women's bosoms and faces.

Although no one dared to utter lewd words, where the attention was — any man understood.

But once the polo match began, very quickly everyone's attention shifted from bosoms, buttocks, and faces to the match itself.

Because these two polo teams, formed at Zhang Zhao's instruction, were of extremely high caliber. Whether galloping horses, striking the ball, or shielding the ball, they all displayed superb horsemanship.

Among them, Li Jingda of the Southern Tang and Li Xiaofeng of Meng Shu, who harbored other intentions, watched with pounding hearts.

These were not men, nor soldiers, but a group of women — women from the families of the Zhou state's meritorious ministers.

And if the women of Zhou were already so fierce, with such superb riding skills, what level must their fathers, brothers, and sons be at?

If one replaced the polo mallet with a cavalry lance, and striking the ball into the goal with mounted archery — Li Jingda watched until his cheeks twitched. He suddenly realized that if these women were willing to fight to the death, they could count as a decent cavalry squad.

"Bang!" A huge crash rang out, and everyone gasped and stood up, for two horses on the field had collided violently, sending dust flying everywhere.

It turned out the red and blue teams were tied at three to three, and the second half was nearly over. Zhe Saihua from Fuzhou on the blue team spurred her horse in a fierce charge, about to score.

The red team naturally refused to accept defeat. Lady Luo the Fourth, of the Shazhou Luo family, had gone red-eyed and actually spurred her horse directly over to squeeze in, attempting an American-style interception.

What sort of person was Zhe Saihua! A remarkable woman who, though in a woman's body, had ambitions surpassing any man — how could she possibly be afraid!

So under the gaze of the crowd, the two of them, riders and horses, crashed into each other, even knocking the warhorses over.

Zhang Zhao also sprang to his feet. Don't let anyone be seriously injured!

Empress Cao Yanxi, likewise dressed in men's clothing, even jumped up at once, wanting to go check the situation.

But fortunately, before the dust had even settled, Zhe Saihua rolled out of the dust cloud with a tumble. Though somewhat disheveled, she was unhurt.

Seeing that Zhe Saihua was fine, the crowd immediately burst into cheers.

Right after, Lady the Fourth of the Luo family also limped out. Although she had even lost her hat and was hobbling somewhat, not being crushed by a warhorse weighing several hundred jin was a great fortune.

Zhang Zhao let out a long breath of relief, and the crowd also breathed easier.

Zhe Saihua's face was covered in dust, but she paid no attention to her appearance. Instead she pointed angrily at Lady Luo the Fourth and shouted: "You fouled! You fouled!"

Lady Luo the Fourth had twisted her ankle and been thrown heavily to the ground, tears of pain welling in her eyes, but she ignored her injuries entirely and dragged her leg forward as she charged up.

"Clearly it was your poor horsemanship that crashed into me, and you blame me instead?"

Seeing that the two were all right, their teammates all surged forward. What a spectacle it was — the spectators were jeering, some supporting Zhe Saihua, some supporting Lady Luo the Fourth, the arguments blending into a din.

The two team leaders, Cao Shisi Niang Yanying and the Korean princess Li Zhen'er, both rushed up — but not to break it up; these two were about to start shouting at each other.

Zhang Zhao quickly signaled Empress Cao Yanxi with his eyes. He couldn't let these two start fighting.

So amid the chaos, Empress Cao Yanxi, dressed in men's clothing, walked to the center of the field.

The clamor all around died down at once, leaving only the foreign envoys and Hebei magnates lowering their eyes and not daring to look.

But the Eastern Capital commoners had no such concerns. They stood on tiptoe and strained to look, and some even shouted "Ten thousand blessings to the Sage!"

As soon as Cao Yanxi arrived, she separated Cao Yanying and Li Zhen'er. With her left hand she led the limping Lady Luo the Fourth, and with her right hand Zhe Saihua, heading toward Zhang Zhao.

"Erlang, the Luo and Zhe players collided on the field. Neither is seriously hurt, nor are the warhorses, but the match has been disrupted. I ask Erlang to make a ruling."

Zhang Zhao had actually seen the course of events very clearly, and there was long-standing precedent for such rulings, because in later eras, fouls on the field — even malicious fouls like Lady Luo the Fourth's — were far too numerous.

But Zhang Zhao could not rule entirely by the rules as in later eras, because he was the Emperor, and his every move would be scrutinized. The two before him were no ordinary people either.

Zhe Saihua went without saying — the future Grand Dame Zhe. Her eldest brother was a trusted confidant Zhang Zhao relied on heavily, and her second brother was simply Zhang Zhao's adopted son, who had also married the granddaughter of Zhang Huaiqing, Zhang Zhao's cousin-niece.

And Lady Luo the Fourth also had backing. She was the full younger sister of Zhang Zhao's original trusted follower, Shan Zhu'er Luo Shande.

Luo Shande had followed Zhang Zhao west to Khotan at eighteen. When he left, his sister hadn't existed yet; when he returned, there was a full sister twenty years his junior.

Shan Zhu'er had gone to Anxi for five years and returned with glory and wealth. He had no children of his own and wasn't particularly close to his parents. The only thing he could do was pour all his affection onto the sister who, when he returned, was as thin as a big-headed doll — he treasured her beyond measure.

Zhang Zhao pondered for a short while, then personally descended from the high platform. Looking at Lady Luo the Fourth, he asked: "Fourth Lady, why did you block her so recklessly? Were you not afraid of injury?"

Lady Luo the Fourth had grown up before Zhang Zhao's eyes and was very familiar with him. She was not afraid, and after cupping her hands despite the pain in her leg, she answered.

"In reply to the Sage, my elder brother told me: the polo field is a battlefield! The goal behind me is equivalent to the army's commander-in-chief."

Saying this, she pointed at Zhe Saihua. "This is an enemy general. She rides with lance in hand, charging straight at our commander. I am a rear-guard cavalry trooper — how could I let her pass? Never mind injury — even if I died in battle, I would not let her through!"

Damn! Zhang Zhao felt a tingle run through his body at Lady Luo the Fourth's words. Truly a sister into whom Shan Zhu'er had poured his heart and soul! Absolutely brilliant!

At this moment, the human megaphones he had arranged long ago galloped over to tell everyone on the polo field what had happened — otherwise, on a field this wide, with the crowd so noisy, no one not right at the scene could possibly have heard or even seen it.

And the heir of the Prince of Nanping, Vice Military Governor of Jingnan Gao Baorong, was right beside Zhang Zhao. When he heard Luo Siniang speak, he suddenly rose to his full height and cried out, "Magnificent! Splendid! Were she a man, she would be a hero galloping across the realm!"

With that, Gao Baorong walked over, cupped his hands to Zhang Zhao, and asked, "Sage, whose lady is this? So valiant and fierce!"

Zhang Zhao beckoned Gao Baorong over and said with a chuckle, "This is the younger sister of the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Left Divine Guard Army, Yumen Marquis Luo Shande."

"So she is the sister of a loyal and valiant meritorious official — no wonder! Sage, your subject wishes to bestow a rich reward upon this woman, and begs your approval."

When Zhang Zhao heard Gao Baorong refer to himself as "your subject," he was utterly delighted. Nanping might be small, but it was still one of the states.

Moreover, since Gao Baorong had arrived in the Eastern Capital, he had come to pay his respects often, and Zhang Zhao had come to understand his character somewhat. What Zhang Zhao had in mind was to turn Nanping into the Qian Yue of the Northern Song in history — a model for all the states under heaven.

Hearing this, he at once laughed aloud. "Of course you may. Dechang is a prince's heir, so naturally he may bestow rewards."

When Gao Baorong heard Zhang Zhao formally address him as a prince's heir, he too was deeply pleased.

Nanping was a small state; it had not even managed to occupy all the former territory of the Jingnan Military Governor. Apart from its navy, its military was unremarkable — it could not even defeat the prefectural troops of Yingzhou in the Zhou state.

Therefore Gao Baorong had in fact long since given up the idea of preserving the Nanping state. His only concern was: how to step down with dignity?

In truth, for someone in Gao Baorong's position, he understood very well that Zhang Zhao would not let Nanping go.

But to submit, one needed the right moment and the right stepping-stone. Most important of all was how to preserve the Gao family's dignity.

If they met a cruel lord, or a monarch prejudiced against them, the Gao family — more than two hundred members, with many women and rich assets — would, the moment they surrendered, be laying their heads beneath another's blade.

If anything went wrong, how would they keep their lives? How would they keep the women of the family from being dishonored and plundered? How would they keep their wealth? These were all problems.

The root of everything Gao Baorong did was to settle these matters properly. Zhang Zhao calling him a prince's heir was a fine beginning.

As Zhang Zhao approved Gao Baorong's reward, the Nanping attendants he had brought at once presented the gift list and began to chant it aloud.

"Lord Gao Baorong bestows upon the Luo family: fifty bolts of Nanping palace brocade, fifty bolts of Jiangling red gossamer, one hundred boxes of finest rouge and powder, and one set of eight-treasure jadeite jewelry."

This was a grand gesture indeed!

Nanping palace brocade was a superior brocade produced specially by the Nanping princely household; the rest — the red gossamer, the fine rouge and powder, and the jewelry — were all of no small value.

Of course, Gao Baorong also knew how to handle people well. He bestowed quite a bit of brocade on She Saihua as well, only somewhat less than what Lady Luo received.

What little girl does not like beautiful clothes, cosmetics, and jewelry? Even though her feet hurt terribly, Lady Luo still insisted on returning the courtesy to Gao Baorong.

Seeing how well-mannered Luo Siniang was, Gao Baorong grew even fonder of her. He once more bowed to Zhang Zhao and said:

"Sage, the Luo woman is a match for any man and knows propriety and courtesy besides. Your subject is greatly taken with her, and begs the Sage to bestow this woman in marriage upon the Nanping princely household."

Ah! Zhang Zhao nearly gaped. You, Gao Baorong, are only eight years younger than me — twenty-six this year, and you already have sons — and you still want to prey on a little girl like this?

But just as he was thinking of how to refuse, Gao Baorong had already gone on speaking of his own accord.

"Your subject's twelfth brother, Baoying, is fifteen this year, intelligent and courteous, of fine bearing. If he could gain Siniang's support, he would surely one day be a capable officer of the court."

Zhang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. So it was a marriage proposal for his brother! That was more like it.

But at once, Zhang Zhao's heart gave a jolt. He understood that Gao Baorong truly did intend to submit to the state.

Luo Siniang was the younger sister of his trusted fierce general Luo Shande, a noble daughter of the Yuan Cong faction. Gao Baorong wanted his twelfth brother Gao Baoying to marry Luo Siniang, so that the Nanping Gao family could climb into his Yuan Cong faction.

And once they had climbed into the Yuan Cong faction, the Gao family, upon arriving in the Eastern Capital, would not be bullied or looked down upon, and could continue to preserve the family's wealth and standing — or even advance further.

His mind turning over a thousand thoughts, Zhang Zhao looked gravely at Gao Baorong. Gao Baorong also raised his head and met Zhang Zhao's gaze, his meaning plain without a word.

Zhang Zhao drew a deep breath, looked at Luo Siniang, who seemed about to speak, and asked, "Siniang, if you have something to say, say it. This is, after all, your lifelong matter."

Luo Siniang blinked, first looking Gao Baorong up and down. Though he was a bit old and a bit plump, one could tell his foundation was good; presumably his brother Gao Baoying could not be far off either.

Moreover, as a pampered daughter of the Yuan Cong faction, Luo Siniang was not someone beloved by all merely through her brother's favor. She understood basic politics.

At once, Lady Luo tilted her dusty head with a touch of pride. "This slave will heed the Sage. However! Since the Military Governor speaks of his brother as so fine-looking, why not have him come to the Eastern Capital? This slave would like to see him with her own eyes."

"Hahaha!" Zhang Zhao laughed heartily. This Luo Siniang was rather interesting. At once he said to Gao Baorong:

"Then Dechang, write a letter. Have your brother Gao Baoying come to the Eastern Capital."

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