Chapter Fourteen: The Strange Mao Wang Family

No matter how troublesome a matter may be, it must eventually be faced. Constantly worrying is not a solution. Although a solid plan had not yet been conceived, at least a direction had been set.

After Zheng Yanqing finished consulting with the others, he returned to his residence. Mao Xiaonian was sitting in the building, reading a copy of the *Thousand Character Classic* under the lamp. As the personal maid of "Banyuanjun," she did not necessarily need to possess extraordinary literary talent, but if she were illiterate, it would become a laughingstock if word got out. Therefore, as early as when Du Ruhui was still at the Bamboo Garden, Mao Xiaonian had begun learning to read and write.

Seeing her reading, Yanqing did not step forward to disturb her and walked up the bamboo stairs on tiptoe. Xiyao and Siyan spotted Yanqing and immediately pounced on him, tugging at his clothes and whimpering as if complaining about something. Lighting the candle, Yanqing noticed that their food bowls were completely empty. Could they be hungry? He took a box of snacks from the bookshelf and tentatively fed them. Sure enough, they were famished; Xiyao and Siyan pounced, devouring the snacks greedily, and then stared at Yanqing with wide eyes, clearly still not full.

"Xiaonian!"

Yanqing felt very strange. Usually, at this time, Xiyao and Siyan were well-fed, and Mao Xiaonian was exceptionally attentive to their care. Why hadn't she fed them today?

Zheng Yanqing called out, but there was no response from downstairs. Frowning, he walked to the staircase and called down again: "Xiaonian!"

Still no response.

Zheng Yanqing walked down the stairs and saw that Mao Xiaonian was still staring at her book. He stepped forward and tapped her on the head.

"Xiaonian!"

"Ah, Young Master, you're back?"

Mao Xiaonian finally snapped out of her daze. Turning to see Zheng Yanqing, she couldn't help but look flustered. She hurriedly tried to stand up but bumped into the desk in her haste. Her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a look of pain crossed her beautiful, delicate face before she steadied herself.

"I came back a while ago..." Zheng Yanqing stared at her, feeling that the young girl wasn't quite herself. "Xiaonian, has something happened?"

"Ah, no, nothing happened. I was just reading and lost track of time for a moment... Young Master, do you have any instructions?"

"You didn't feed Xiyao and Siyan today, did you?"

Mao Xiaonian blushed, keeping her head down, not daring to meet his gaze. Upon hearing his inquiry, she was startled, but immediately looked ashamed. "I... I, I forgot... Young Master, I'll go feed them right now." With that, she hurried out of the building with her head bowed.

Zheng Yanqing watched her retreating figure, feeling puzzled. He was certain that the girl had something on her mind; otherwise, she wouldn't be so flustered. But since she wouldn't say, he couldn't force her. A short while later, Mao Xiaonian brought food from the kitchen to feed the mastiffs on the porch.

Yanqing walked over slowly and hesitated before saying, "Xiaonian, if there is any trouble, tell me. Don't keep it bottled up... Although I am younger than you and don't have much ability, I can at least offer you some advice."

Mao Xiaonian kept her head lowered and let out a soft "Mm" from her nose. It was clear she indeed had something on her mind but was unwilling to confide in him. Yanqing stood there for a while, and seeing her remain silent, he turned and went back up to the bamboo building. Everyone has the right to keep their private matters to themselves. Perhaps in this era, servants had no privacy to speak of, but Zheng Yanqing still chose to respect that right.

After reading for a while, Xiyao and Siyan ran up and curled into their beds. Zheng Yanqing tilted his head to listen; there was no movement downstairs. Presumably, Mao Xiaonian had finished feeding the dogs and had gone to sleep. Looking at the sky, it was getting late. He had to visit the Dou family early tomorrow morning, so he decided to sleep early.

He spread his bedding and crawled in. Usually, Mao Xiaonian would bring a basin of hot water for him to soak his feet, but that was missing tonight... Zheng Yanqing had even found it tiresome before, but now, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Being waited on had become a habit; it seemed that wasn't a good thing either! With this thought, Zheng Yanqing closed his eyes. The bamboo building was pitch black, with only the greenish glint of Xiyao and Siyan's eyes flickering in the dark.

***

At the break of dawn, a wind suddenly picked up.

After daybreak, goose-feather snowflakes began to drift down. This was the second heavy snow since the start of winter, and the intensity was staggering.

After getting up, Yanqing felt a bit cold, so he added a cotton cloak over his clothes.

"Where is Uncle Maowang?"

At breakfast, Zheng Yanqing didn't see Maowang and found it strange. The Bamboo Garden adhered to the principle of three meals a day; although breakfast was simple, it was always served. Yanqing liked drinking soy milk, so he had made a small stone mill in Luoyang specifically for grinding it. A bowl of hot soy milk would keep him energized all day. The Maowang family hadn't initially accepted this habit, but over the past four years, even if they hadn't had it before, they had gradually adopted it. Maowang also liked soy milk, drinking a bowl every morning, rain or shine.

"Old Mao... he went into the city!"

"Into the city?" Zheng Yanqing asked in confusion. "Auntie Mao, didn't Uncle Maowang just go into the city yesterday? Besides, in this kind of weather, why go into the city?"

"Oh, Old Mao said that with the snow so heavy, he was afraid the roads might be blocked in a few days, so he wanted to buy more coal so we wouldn't run out."

The reason sounded sufficient, but Zheng Yanqing didn't quite believe it. He always felt that the three members of the Maowang family were hiding something from him, but he didn't know how to make them answer. After finishing his soy milk, Shen Guang had already prepared the horses. Zheng Yanqing had to go to the Dou family, so he didn't press the matter further.

As he was leaving, he suddenly said, "Auntie Mao, when Grandfather wanted to bring you here, I had no objections. Over the past three years, we have lived together, and I have never treated you as outsiders. If there is any difficulty, just tell me. I don't have much ability, but I can at least offer you some advice. Sometimes, when words are left unspoken, hearts easily drift apart."

Anything should be laid out in the open. The more you conceal things, the easier it is to fade the bond built over these three years.

Auntie Mao was clearing the dishes; hearing this, her hand trembled, and a bowl almost fell to the floor. Yanqing said no more and mounted his horse.

"Brother Shen, I am going to the Dou family to seek help. Just as we discussed yesterday, you go and take a look at the Tongyuan Market."

"Young Master Zheng, rest assured, I have it handled."

Zheng Yanqing whipped his horse and left the Bamboo Garden. The snow was falling heavily, but it didn't last long. By the time he was halfway there, the snowfall began to taper off. When he dismounted outside the Dou residence, the snow had already stopped.

He was in luck; because Dou Wei had caught a slight cold, he hadn't gone into the city today. Upon seeing Zheng Yanqing, he chuckled heartily, leaving Yanqing confused as to why he was laughing.

"Grandfather Dou, what are you laughing at?"

"Haha, I am laughing that our 'Banyuanjun' has grown up... Yanqing, your eye for people is not bad. That girl Pei Cuiyun is not of low birth. Although she is not of the main branch, she is still a legitimate member of the Pei clan. She was quite famous when she was in Chang'an. How about it? Do you want me to help you put in a good word?"

Zheng Yanqing blushed deeply. "Grandfather Dou, you've misunderstood!"

"Hahaha, I hope it is a misunderstanding... By the way, with such heavy snow, why did you run over so early? Is there something the matter?"

Zheng Yanqing then recounted his conflict with Mai Zijhong. Dou Wei was startled, then said with some displeasure, "Yu Julao is getting old and senile; he only comes up with rotten ideas. Yanqing, you must be careful. That boy Mai Zijhong is excellent at *jiju* (polo), and the polo team he leads was already quite famous in Chang'an. It is said that in the last two years, no polo team has been able to defeat them. With the team you've cobbled together, I fear you won't be able to beat him."

"Whether we can win or not, we are blocked here, aren't we? Anyway, there's always a chance in a gamble, and we won't know the outcome without playing a match. But Grandfather Dou, I am currently lacking men, horses, and a place to practice, so I have come to ask for your help."

Dou Wei thought for a moment. "Horses and a venue are no problem. I have over twenty horses in my stables; I will lend them all to you. As for the venue... there is an empty lot south of the Dou family schoolhouse that is idle right now. I can have people clear it up for your use. However, as for manpower, I cannot help you. Fengjie has gone to Shu Commandery, and the children of the other branches may not be suitable... Oh, I remember now, Xiaoxuan will be back in a few days. I will have him help you then. Xiaoxuan's polo skills are not bad; he has played against Mai Zijhong in Chang'an and has experience."

Xiaoxuan was the eldest son of Dou Xian, aged fourteen. However, because Dou Xian was currently stationed in Chang'an, Dou Xiaoxuan was not in Luoyang.

Yanqing said, "Grandfather Dou, you providing the horses and the venue is already more than I could ask for. Please don't force Brother Xiaoxuan into this."

"How about this: I will have my people prepare the horses, and you go ahead and attend to your other business. As for the venue, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until the snow clears to tidy it up. I estimate it can be ready in two or three days; don't be impatient."

Zheng Yanqing thanked Dou Wei again, chatted for a while longer, and then took his leave. By the time he returned, the weather had begun to clear. The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun revealed its face, casting light over the earth.

Yet, Yang Guang's sun did not make Yanqing feel particularly warm. He urged his horse back to the Bamboo Garden, but Shen Guang had not yet returned. Xu Shiji was tending to his mount; seeing Yanqing approach, he asked, "How did it go? Did Lord Dou agree?"

"He agreed, but he needs to renovate the field, so it will likely take a few days."

Xu Shiji said, "Since that's the case, let's not sit idle. Brother Shen hasn't brought the polo mallets yet, so how about I tell you some of the rules and techniques of *jiju*? This afternoon, when Brother Shen brings the mallets, we will officially begin."

As he spoke, he mounted his horse and led Zheng Yanqing to an empty lot outside the Bamboo Garden.

"There are four-man, eight-man, twelve-man polo, and the 'polo battle'... The first three are self-explanatory, but the 'polo battle' is often used in the military, with dozens of participants forming a chaotic melee. By comparison, the first three are safer; the 'polo battle' is somewhat dangerous... because during the match, it is essentially a cavalry engagement, which easily leads to casualties. Therefore, when playing polo, you must watch in all directions and listen to all sides...

"Polo requires that even without a verbal agreement, the team's hearts must be one; it demands that the coordination between team members be as if they were a single person. 'The horse needs no whip, for its hooves are swift of their own accord'—this refers to the relationship between man and horse. I once heard that those who were truly good at polo always had spiritual, precious horses. For thirty days before a match, the team would not disband, eating and drinking together to foster that tacit understanding."

It was clear that Xu Shiji had studied polo extensively, as he spoke eloquently about the various key points. Occasionally, he would perform some polo maneuvers and ask Zheng Yanqing to imitate them. If the imitation wasn't good, he would even make Yanqing practice repeatedly.

At noon, Shen Guang returned! He brought back more than twenty polo mallets made of black-lacquered zhe wood and a basket of wooden balls. The balls were spherical, the size of a fist, and hollowed out inside. When struck by a mallet, they made a hollow sound, like the clashing of weapons. The mallets were made of zhe wood and were about four feet long, similar in length to a long saber. The head of the mallet was shaped like a crescent moon, wrapped in a layer of black rhinoceros hide. Don't underestimate such a simple mallet; a top-tier one could cost dozens of strings of cash. The ones Shen Guang brought back were of high quality. The twenty-plus mallets had cost five hundred strings of cash, intended to accommodate the wear and tear of practice.

"No one was willing to come!" Shen Guang said with some shame. "As soon as I mentioned it to those people, they immediately refused... We are challenging the grandson of the Pillar of State General, and those people have reservations, fearing they might offend General Mai."

"Brother Shen, are you not afraid of offending him?"

Shen Guang laughed. "To eat the lord's salary and solve the lord's worries is my duty. Besides, I, Shen Guang, am a lone man; if I eat my fill, the whole family is fed. What is there to fear? At worst, I'll leave Luoyang and make a living back in my hometown."

He was a very forthright person and a man of his word. Yanqing nodded. "I have already arranged the horses with the Dou family. They will be provided whenever we need them. Brother Shen, why not take a rest today? Tomorrow morning, we will go to the Dou family to select the horses, how about that?"

Shen Guang chuckled. "The Dou family's horses surely won't be bad... I once heard that there are several imperial horses in the Dou family stables that came from the 'Feihuang' Imperial Stables. If Young Master Zheng can borrow those, at least in terms of horses, we won't lose to Mai Zijhong."

"Feihuang Imperial Stables"—to put it in simpler terms, these were the Emperor's own stables. They were filled with top-tier horses... Because the Dou family were imperial relatives, they had received such horses as gifts from the Emperor. It seemed Shen Guang had investigated this very thoroughly.

In the afternoon, Zheng Yanqing and Xu Shiji began practicing swinging their mallets. A single monotonous movement had to be repeated hundreds of times. Xu Shiji said, "Don't think of it as a polo mallet; think of it as a long saber. In fact, the most critical part of polo is the posture of the swing, which requires slow and deep understanding." Simply put, polo boiled down to basic movements: hacking, lifting, pushing, bumping, and slapping. However, mastering these basics was not easy; the key was the coordination between man and horse. Without mastering that coordination, one could not unleash the power of these movements.

Yanqing practiced repeatedly for the entire afternoon until his arms ached to the point of numbness, at which point he finally stopped. After dinner, Yanqing wearily returned to the bamboo building. Just as he was about to step onto the stairs, he heard Mao Xiaonian say softly from behind him:

"Young Master, yesterday, when I was in the city, I saw my brother."