Andrew Thompson felt a slight sense of relief—so it was just about writing poetry, nothing more. He smiled and said, “To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I’ve actually never played polo before.”

John White was quite surprised in his heart—never played polo? That was almost unbelievable. But his expression didn’t show it; instead, he smiled cheerfully and said, “With such remarkable archery skills, Seventh Young Master, it’s truly a waste if you don’t play polo. If you’re willing, we can practice polo together—how about it?”

“I’d be more than happy to, as long as Brother White doesn’t mind that I’m inexperienced.”

John White laughed heartily, spurred his horse forward, and from a distance, they could hear him say to another person, “Cheng Gong, he agreed.”

At this moment, Brian Foster leaned in and whispered to Andrew Thompson, “This John White is actually the top polo player in Anxi. Last year, he led the Anxi team to compete in Chang’an and won third place for the Tang Dynasty. I think he’s jealous of your archery skills and wants to humiliate you in polo.”

“Xiao He, don’t talk nonsense!”

Eric Brooks scolded from the side, “Men of Anxi are all upright and honorable—none of that petty-mindedness you’re thinking of.”

Andrew Thompson just smiled without replying. In fact, he was quite interested in trying out polo.

Chapter 10: Encountering the Young Lady Again

Kucha has always been the economic and transportation center on the southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, and one of the strongest states among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. In the twenty-third year of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan reign, the Anxi Protector-General Guo Xiaoke attacked Yanqi to the south and defeated the Turks to the north, recapturing Kucha from the Turkic army in one fell swoop.

The Turkic armies in Shule, Khotan, and other places all surrendered at the first sign of trouble. All the lost territories south of the Tianshan Mountains were recovered by the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong ordered Guo Xiaoke to move the Anxi Protectorate from Gaochang to Kucha, restoring the old system from the Han dynasties. At the same time, he officially established the four garrisons of Kucha, Yan Camp, Shule, and Khotan, all under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate. A hundred years have passed since then.

Although the Anxi Protectorate has experienced ups and downs over the past century, it has always remained firmly under the control of the Tang Dynasty. The post of Anxi Jiedushi (military governor) was established, with 24,000 troops stationed there. Relying on a five-tiered military structure of garrisons, cities, forts, outposts, and beacon towers, a tight defensive system was built, with Kucha as the center, guarding the vast lands of the Western Regions.

Currently, the Grand Protector of Anxi is the Tang Chancellor Li Linfu, who holds the post concurrently. The Anxi Jiedushi is Fumeng Lingcha, and Gao Xianzhi serves as the Deputy Protector of Anxi. The commander of all troops in the four garrisons is the second most powerful figure in Anxi, commanding a personal guard of five hundred men.

Andrew Thompson was one of the officers in this personal guard. The position of “yajiang” was a military rank, a junior officer. In a sense, it was not an official court position but a temporary commission. Since Anxi was far from Chang’an, any meritorious service had to be reported up the chain of command, and it often took more than half a year for a response. So Gao Xianzhi appointed him as a yajiang as a temporary reward for his military achievements.

Although Andrew Thompson’s promotion was envied by the garrison soldiers, in reality, he didn’t have much to do. When Gao Xianzhi traveled, he would serve as his bodyguard; when Gao Xianzhi was in Kucha, Andrew Thompson had plenty of free time—practicing riding and archery, playing polo, and occasionally getting leave to go into town for some fun.

That evening, Andrew Thompson and a few colleagues arranged to drink at the “Central Plains Tavern.” Kucha City, the capital of the Kucha Kingdom, was twice the size of Bahuan City, with a much larger population, dense shops, and bustling merchants—a truly prosperous and lively place. The tavern they visited was run by a Han Chinese, with two floors, packed with guests and thriving business.

Drinking with Andrew Thompson were three others: one was John White, another was Paul Turner—both, like Andrew Thompson, held the rank of yajiang. The last had a higher military rank than the others, named George Price, a trusted general under Gao Xianzhi.

In fact, all of them were famous generals of the Tang Dynasty. When Andrew Thompson was a child, he had read stories of Paul Turner’s fearless defiance of the powerful. If it had been a few months ago, he might have been amazed and moved, but now he no longer felt that way. Who knows, perhaps a thousand years from now, his own name, Andrew Thompson, would also be inscribed in the corridors of history.

“Seventh Young Master, I never expected you to have such extraordinary polo talent. After practicing for such a short time, you’re already among the experts.”

The speaker was Paul Turner, himself a polo expert. Last year, he represented Anxi in the Chang’an tournament—in today’s terms, he was the captain of the Anxi polo team. When Andrew Thompson first arrived in Kucha, he hadn’t even touched a polo stick, but after just a few dozen days of practice, he could already compete with them, which impressed them greatly.

“Come! Seventh Young Master, let me toast you.”

Paul Turner raised his cup and clinked it with Daniel Thompson’s, then smiled and said, “With your current skill, after another year of practice, the title of Anxi’s top polo player will surely be yours. When we go to the capital for the polo tournament the year after next, the championship will be in our pocket.”

“To the capital!” John White, having had a bit to drink, lost his usual composure. He slapped the table hard and said with resentment, “We must defeat the Fanyang army polo team and avenge last year’s loss by that one arrow.”

At this, George Price drained his cup in one gulp. “You guys are always talking about polo, polo. You should be thinking about how to seize the chance to earn military merit in battle.”

He was in a bad mood, having drunk several cups in silence. His emotions surged, and he couldn’t help but sigh, “A real man only lives a few decades in this world. Year after year passes, and I’m already thirty-two. When will I finally get to fight a real battle, achieve immortal merit, and win honors for my wife and family?”