Chapter 65
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Cheng Yi and Wang Tong’en stepped forward to salute, then began warming up with their respective teams. In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the official match began.
Cheng Yi’s team launched a fierce attack, seizing the initiative right from the start. Wang Tong’en’s team cooperated well, successfully defusing crises each time, and even when they couldn’t, they had the strongest goalkeeper, Wang Tong’en himself.
Cheng Yi was furious, but Wang Tong’en smiled arrogantly, provocatively tossing the ball, “Is this the best you’ve got?”
“I’d like to see if you can catch any ball!” Cheng Yi retorted, throwing down the challenge and turning to initiate a new round of offense and defense.
At this moment, the Third Prince in the stands was the most relaxed, smiling as he asked, “Elder Brother Crown Prince and Eldest Brother, which team do you think has a chance of winning?”
“They’re all quite strong,” Yuan Ye calmly stated, but his gaze was firmly fixed on the field. Unconsciously, his hands tightened on the armrest, betraying the nervousness he felt inside.
The Eldest Prince, however, spoke without reservation, “Naturally, it’s Wang Tong’en’s team. Once Cheng Yi’s team exhausts their stamina, they’ll lose their competitiveness.”
Yuan Ye frowned slightly, showing displeasure. Unable to contain himself, he said, “You can’t say it like that. Each team has its own substitutes; once exhausted, they can replenish with new players.”
“Is the Crown Prince looking to make a bet?” The Eldest Prince challenged, unyielding.
Yuan Ye suppressed his temper and spoke in a condescending tone, “It’s just a discussion, no need to bet on the outcome. However, you two brothers can make a wager, and see who ultimately wins. Whoever wins, I’ll reward them.”
The Eldest Prince raised his chin even higher, and the Third Prince beside him wore a contemptuous smile.
They both knew Yuan Ye wouldn’t gamble.
Since becoming the Crown Prince, Yuan Ye had become more cautious. In any situation that involved winning or losing, even in a small game, he wouldn’t participate unless he had a hundred percent certainty of success.
As if his life depended on not losing to a certain prince.
The Eldest Prince ignored Yuan Ye’s affected demeanor and turned to the Third Prince, saying, “Old Three, care for a wager? Let’s bet on who wins in the end.”
The Third Prince smiled, “I don’t even know what’s going on with Cousin Pei over there, but if Eldest Brother is interested, I’ll take a blind bet and bet on Cousin Pei.”
The Eldest Prince, disdainful of the Third Prince’s roundabout words and trying to save face for himself, said, “Then I’ll bet that it definitely isn’t Pei Jin’s team.”
The smile on the Third Prince’s face stiffened, clearly displeased with the Eldest Prince’s stubborn attitude. “Eldest Brother, you’re targeting me. If you bet like this, it’s unfair.”
The three princes, perched on the elevated platform, engaged in veiled taunts through the match, leaving the officials and scholars accompanying them sweating. It seemed that the relationship among these three was even more precarious than imagined.
On the cuju field, the competition intensified.
Both sides engaged in a back-and-forth, denying each other any scoring opportunities.
It was a fiercely contested match, with neither side giving the other a chance to score.
The duration of the match was an hour. The first team to score three points would be the winner. If the time elapsed without reaching three points, the team with the higher score would claim victory.
“Alright, I’ll bet on Pei Jin losing the next match!” the Eldest Prince declared straightforwardly.
“Who do you think will win?” Xu Wenzhe, watching the match with them, asked Lin Qingyang beside him.
Lin Qingyang stated directly, “Wang Tong’en.”
Xu Wenzhe nodded, “I think so too.”
“Great minds think alike,” a sudden voice came from behind them.
Lin Qingyang found the voice somewhat familiar, turned around, and was immediately astonished. Two individuals stood behind them—Yue Chen in a cyan robe and luxurious attire, and Huo Luo in black martial attire.
“How did Brother Yue and Brother Huo come here?” Xu Wenzhe exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Qingyang immediately greeted them with a bow.
“Isn’t it said that there’s something lively happening at the Imperial Academy? Since we had nothing to do, we decided to come and join the fun,” Yue Chen said with a cheerful smile, glancing around. “Where’s Chu Lishu?”
Asking about the male lead as soon as they arrived, Lin Qingyang suspected that they had come specifically for Chu Lishu. It seemed like supporting characters were destined to revolve around the male lead.
Lin Qingyang pointed in the direction, saying, “He’s over there helping with scoring and timing.”
“Haha, isn’t it a bit beneath his abilities to do this?” Yue Chen chuckled, holding back his laughter.
“He’s not participating?” Huo Luo wondered. He remembered that Chu Lishu had some skills; ordinarily, he should be good at sports.
“Brother Lishu’s health is usually not very robust, and he tends to avoid activities that require continuous physical exertion,” explained Xu Wenzhe. Then, he asked, “Since you’re here, wouldn’t it be appropriate to go to the elevated platform for greetings?”
Yue Chen waved his hand, saying, “No need for that; we’re just here as spectators.”
Huo Luo’s gaze coldly swept toward the elevated platform, but he quickly averted his eyes. His silence indicated a refusal as well.
Soon, the first score appeared on the field, secured by Wang Tong’en’s team. Now Cheng Yi was even more on edge. With intense attacks, he overwhelmed the opponent, quickly securing a point as well.
The tension escalated, and collisions started happening on the field. Ancient penalty rules were not as strict, so even if someone was knocked down, as long as they could get back up, the game wouldn’t stop.
Soon, it was a 2-2 tie, with both teams substituting nearly half of their players. Lin Qingyang felt like he wasn’t watching a football match anymore; it seemed more like rugby.
Even the head master couldn’t bear to watch. Although there were no strict rules, turning cuju into a rough sport seemed uncouth.
During a break in the game, the head master reminded everyone that camaraderie came first, and winning or losing came second.
However, the intensely competitive sides paid no attention. In the final moments, Cheng Yi took a shot, but it was blocked by Wang Tong’en. Wang Tong’en made a long throw, and with seamless coordination, his team initiated a swift counterattack in the last round. This time, Cheng Yi didn’t have enough time to lead his team back for defense.
A goal was scored, and the whole field erupted in cheers.
Wang Tong’en executed a backflip and jumped to embrace his teammates.
“It looks like I made the right call,” the Eldest Prince chuckled, then joined Wang Tong’en in celebrating on the field, loudly proclaiming rewards for their victory.
Yuan Ye sat in his seat with a stiff expression. Although this didn’t signify his loss, Cheng Yi was under his banner, and a defeat would undoubtedly tarnish his reputation. Moreover, this challenge was initiated by Cheng Yi.
Useless things, why show off if there’s no assurance of victory!
Cheng Yi, disheartened and somewhat apprehensive, turned towards the elevated platform. However, he met a pair of eyes suppressing anger. Frightened, Cheng Yi’s legs gave way, and he knelt down on the spot. Eventually, his teammates thought he was fatigued and helped him off the field.
The venue quickly regained composure, and the second round was about to begin.
Qi Yan stood up and delivered an inspiring speech to his teammates, then assigned positions.
Surprisingly, Lin Qingyang was still not in the starting lineup, which puzzled everyone. After all, in the past few days of training, Lin Qingyang’s skill level had reached the middle of the team. Wasn’t this astonishing progress a clear indication of his strength? Logically, he should be on the field.
Xu Wenzhe glanced at Qi Yan in confusion but chose not to voice his inquiry.
Lin Qingyang’s expression remained unchanged. Since Qi Yan was the captain, Lin Qingyang wouldn’t question his decisions. Especially right before going on the field, he couldn’t afford to shake team morale.
Watching the team run onto the cuju field, Yue Chen, seated nearby, expressed his confusion, “Aren’t you playing?”
Lin Qingyang put on a bold face, saying, “Experts usually make their appearance last.”
Yue Chen openly chuckled and then asked Huo Luo, “What do you think?”
“In terms of physical fitness, there’s no difference,” Huo Luo stated plainly.
“Isn’t Xu Wenzhe your disciple? He’s on the field; don’t you want to show some support?” Yue Chen teased.
“Cuju isn’t an individual sport. The one who can single-handedly influence the overall situation and turn the tide…” Huo Luo suddenly seemed to recall something and stopped abruptly.
Lin Qingyang, who was listening to their conversation, couldn’t understand why Huo Luo stopped so suddenly and looked at him with confusion.
On that handsome and rugged face, a sense of desolation appeared, as if he had fallen into some memories.
Lin Qingyang looked at Yue Chen, who just wore a smile and turned his gaze to the cuju field, calmly saying, “There are people like that.”
Both of them kept their eyes on the cuju field, not specifically focusing on any individual player, as if looking through these people into a distant past. Those moments were once the simplest and happiest in their memories.
The situation on the field didn’t reach the same level of deadlock as the previous match. Under Pei Jin’s command from the sidelines, their performance was stunning, securing a point almost effortlessly shortly after stepping onto the field.
The gap in strength was glaringly evident at this moment.
Not only were the spectators outside the field keenly aware of it, but those on the field also understood it clearly. Heads drooped in discouragement. In contrast, Pei Jin’s team was full of high spirits, with Pei Jin herself sitting on the sidelines, leisurely sipping tea, a faint smile on her lips. It was as if everything was under control, with calm confidence as she awaited the outcome.
On the elevated platform, the Third Prince couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, looking at the Eldest Prince beside him. “With Cousin Pei around, there’s really nothing to worry about. Even the weakest team can be led to the strongest performance by him.”
The Eldest Prince snorted indifferently, seemingly unfazed.
Below, Huo Luo directly addressed Lin Qingyang, “It seems you don’t need to go on; this game will end quickly.”
Lin Qingyang hadn’t expected it to end so soon. “Is there no way to turn it around?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Yue Chen suddenly smiled. “Isn’t Xu Wenzhe still there? Besides, Qi Yan doesn’t seem like a fool either.”
Lin Qingyang looked on in confusion. He saw Yue Chen suddenly pointing to a player on the field who was performing the worst. It seemed like he wasn’t even chasing the ball, running around in a confused manner. However, in this chaotic situation, the player somehow prevented Pei Jin’s team from securing the second point as quickly as expected.
“What’s going on?” Huo Luo frowned.
Yue Chen explained with a smile, “When he just entered the field, Qi Yan whispered in his ear for quite some time. The time it took to score the first point was too short, and many people didn’t understand it. That player hadn’t found a suitable interference angle yet. But if you look now, he’s completely off track from the entire team. It’s not evident from this angle, but from another perspective, you’ll see that although he’s on the field, he’s always blocking Pei Jin from our sight.”
Lin Qingyang instantly understood, “Qi Yan had him block Pei Jin’s view outside the field while using hand signals to give commands?”
Yue Chen chuckled, “Although he can’t block everyone, as long as the sight of some players is obstructed, the overall coordination falls apart.”
Lin Qingyang scrutinized more closely and indeed noticed that several members of Pei Jin’s team were consistently a few beats behind, disrupting the overall rhythm.
“Interesting, very interesting. I didn’t expect Qi Yan to be so cunning. Even if that kid Pei Jin is exceptionally intelligent and comes up with formidable strategies, he can never execute them to their full potential. Without Pei Jin’s command, the team became scattered.”
“Despicable!” Huo Luo couldn’t help but exclaim.
“This is strategy. Strike the snake at seven inches, and capture the thief by capturing the leader. No matter how much Pei Jin had thought ahead, he probably never expected someone would grab him by the neck from the source. It’s like using a pawn to capture someone else’s general. He’s probably infuriated, but it’s his fault for not considering how sharp Qi Yan’s mind is.”
Just as he spoke, Xu Wenzhe and Qi Yan launched an attack together, actually finding an opportunity and scoring a point.
Meanwhile, Pei Jin on the sidelines turned livid with anger, her entire being standing up. Her attendants beside her looked like they wanted to rush forward and teach the person who was flaunting in front of them a lesson.
On the elevated platform, the Third Prince was equally infuriated. What was initially a sure win had turned into a passive situation. “What… what’s going on?”
They hadn’t grasped the situation yet, but the head master beside them chuckled and stroked his beard, explaining.
“How can this be! Doesn’t this count as a violation?” the Third Prince couldn’t help but exclaim.
“What? External support from the sidelines isn’t considered a violation, but blocking it is?” the Eldest Prince scoffed. “Third Brother, it seems your cousin Pei isn’t as capable as you think. If he were on the field himself, he wouldn’t be in such a passive position. Sometimes it’s better not to show off too much.”
Even if the Third Prince was usually eloquent, at this moment, he didn’t know what to say and could only swallow his pride.
“No need to worry, Third Brother. After all, the basic strength of the two teams is similar. Pei Jin’s team may not necessarily lose,” Yuan Ye, who had lost to the Eldest Prince earlier, didn’t want to see the Eldest Prince continue to revel in his victory. He preferred this round to end with Pei Jin winning, setting the stage for a second round between the Eldest Prince and the Third Prince without external and counter-external support.
Without the support and counter-support, the teams reverted to the most primitive form of the game. When both sides were evenly matched, it truly came down to timing.
It was evident this time that the goddess of luck wasn’t on Qi Yan’s side. The opponent swiftly broke through, securing the second point for Pei Jin’s team. Despite losing Pei Jin, the entire team gradually regained its momentum.
With just one more point needed for victory, Qi Yan’s side naturally started to panic.
At this moment, Qi Yan requested a substitution.
Amidst the puzzled gaze of the entire arena, Qi Yan approached Lin Qingyang, patting him on the shoulder. “It’s your turn! You’re my secret weapon!”
Lin Qingyang stood up in surprise and chuckled, “When did I receive this title? I wasn’t aware.”
“Going for a skilled player from the backfield, huh?” Yue Chen laughed. “Captain Qi, you really are bold and daring. Is this substitution a good idea at this point?”
Qi Yan wiped some sweat from his forehead, his face serious. “I don’t know.”
“What?” Both Yue Chen and Huo Luo looked at Qi Yan in surprise.
Qi Yan looked helpless. “When we were registering players, Chu Lishu suddenly came up with an idea. Originally, I was going to let Qingyang go in directly, but Chu Lishu said that to beat Pei Jin, I must achieve two things.”
“The first one is to block Pei Jin’s external support, right?” Yue Chen asked in surprise.
Qi Yan nodded, “And the second is to keep Qingyang off the field for now and bring him in when it’s crucial. Chu Lishu said Qingyang would be our secret weapon.”
After Qi Yan finished explaining, all three of them simultaneously looked at Lin Qingyang, who inexplicably blushed. Did he really have such remarkable skills? How did the male lead come to this conclusion? Suddenly, the pressure felt overwhelming.
Yue Chen quickly understood, but Huo Luo and Lin Qingyang still seemed hesitant to believe it.
After a few words, it was time for Lin Qingyang to go on stage. Sneaking glances at Chu Lishu, Lin Qingyang curiously asked Qi Yan, “Why did you listen to his arrangement?”
“At first, I certainly didn’t want to listen, but at that moment, you didn’t see the way your cousin looked at me. It was as if he had some magical power, and I couldn’t help but nod in agreement. It’s strange to think about it now, as if following his words would guarantee success. However, he was right about half of it; the rest is up to you,” Qi Yan explained.
Watching Lin Qingyang take the field, the stands erupted with the loudest skepticism since the beginning of the match. Despite Lin Qingyang recently seeming to mend his ways and showing improvement, this was the realm of cuju, after all!
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