Chapter 658
Ball Game
Chapter 658 Ball Game (Part Two)
Madam Gu commented quietly, "She played really well; this child is just like her father."
Qin Yuan clapped and cheered from the side.
There was another dragon on the field, namely Brother Ximen. Because the opponents were all pestering Gu Baozhu, it was easy for him to win, and he scored a goal in no time.
"Good ball!"
The Ninth Princess jumped up and clapped her hands in celebration.
"Ahem," Empress Lin reminded her.
The Ninth Princess quickly straightened her hairpin, sat down gracefully, and fawned over the Empress Dowager: "Grandmother, please try this fruit, it's delicious."
The drum band guarding the goalkeeper's side started playing gongs and cymbals.
"Hong team gets off to a winning start! One victory!"
Young Master Fu clenched his fists and pounded the ground, exclaiming, "How could this be! How could this be!"
The tattooed man quickly stepped forward to calm her down: "Young master, please calm down. It's just a coincidence. We were all focused on that kid and didn't expect someone else to benefit from it."
“Yes,” Fu Yanei shouted, clenching his fist and looking up at the sky, “It was just a coincidence. Brothers, let’s go again.”
This time, the troops split into two groups: one group pursued and intercepted Gu Baozhu, while the other group outflanked Brother Ximen.
Gu Baozhu ran all over the court with the ball, which seemed to be glued to her boots. Her bright blue headband fluttered in the wind, and her jet-black hair caught the eyes of the girls.
The Ninth Princess bit her finger and whispered, "So handsome, so incredibly handsome."
Judging from the young master's build and age, he seems to be about the same age as me. If I could have such a young gentleman by my side, and spend my days playing football together in the countryside, how happy I would be.
"Go and find out about this young man's background."
The palace maid beside the Ninth Princess flattered, "Yes, this boy's ancestors must have been blessed with good fortune to have won the princess's favor."
"Go quickly, stop talking nonsense, and keep your voice down so as not to disturb the Empress Dowager."
Brother Ximen slipped past his opponent and stood at the best shooting position, shouting, "Qi Gu, quickly kick the ball to me!"
Gu Baozhu performed a somersault kick, crashing into the pursuing opponents. The ball flew towards the position occupied by Ximen. Just before it arrived, Ximen, offside, headed the ball, which then bypassed the goalkeeper at a tricky angle and suddenly darted into the goal.
"Hong team wins two!"
The music started again.
The crowd erupted in screams, making it impossible to tell whose name was being shouted.
Young Master Fu let out another wail: "How could this be? How could this be!"
The tattooed man hung his head dejectedly: "I didn't expect this new helper to be so strong. I thought that as long as I could hold that kid back, we would lose everything. What a blunder. Where did they find this guy?"
"Stop talking nonsense and figure out a way to take one down, or we'll be utterly humiliated today!" Fu Yanei shouted viciously.
Everyone was exhausted from Gu Baozhu's constant running around, and they all said, "Let's rest first and then discuss this further."
"Okay!" Fu Yanei raised his sign, indicating to the referee that halftime was needed.
The referee struck the gong twice and announced, "Team leader Fu requests a rest. The match is suspended for now. Everyone should take a break."
Gu Baozhu coughed, looked at Fu Yanei with disdain and grinned wickedly, making Fu Yanei's hair stand on end.
Qin Heng walked over and whispered, "Well done, the Ninth Princess's people are coming to ask about you."
As he spoke, he nudged Gu Baozhu's shoulder with his own and chuckled mischievously.
Gu Baozhu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Brother Ximen was swarmed by Brother Hei Pi Xiao Hong and others, who surrounded him and showered him with words of admiration. Su Su, sent by Li Xingshou, circled around the outside but couldn't squeeze in at all.
Seeing this, Li Xingshou began to play his flute on the high platform. The clear, melodious sound of the flute filled the air, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. Brother Ximen stopped to listen carefully and softly whistled in response. Fu Yanei watched this, his resentment growing stronger, but there was nothing he could do.
The tattooed man advised from the side, "Young master, these two are quite strong. They are definitely no match for Captain Hong's group. But these two are difficult to deal with. Why don't we just settle for a solid game of polo?"
“…Yes, yes,” another tattooed man chimed in, “Even if we lose, we’re still second place, so the prize money is still pretty good.”
Black smoke was hissing from Fu Yanei's body.
These two tattooed arms were not to his liking.
However, the disparity in strength is obvious.
Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but no one could come up with a good solution.
Fu Yanei glared at the person opposite him, his nostrils flaring as if they could breathe fire and smoke: "You're right, no matter what, there will always be a runner-up at the bottom, but I can't stand not venting my anger today."
"Then let's do everything in our power to deal with that kid surnamed Qi, so that he won't step on our heads after he gains power."
This pleased Fu Yanei, who nodded and said, "That's settled then. You just need to show off your skills, and I'll take responsibility for anything that happens. I don't want my share of the prize money; you can take it and divide it among yourselves. I'll also add another fifty taels of silver to cover it."
Under the reward, there must be a brave man.
The tattooed players were full of fighting spirit and came out of nowhere to target Gu Baozhu. Many times, Gu Baozhu had to pass the ball to others to deal with the endless tackles and smashes.
With no one stopping him, Brother Ximen naturally ate one ball after another without any hesitation.
In the first round, Hong's team won without any suspense.
The spectators outside the stadium booed loudly.
The Ninth Princess was so angry she gritted her teeth: "What is this all about? A perfectly good match has been turned on by some young man. Is this a grappling match or sumo wrestling? It's not ball game at all."
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "That young man is indeed good-looking. He must be a martial artist, and his skills are not bad."
The Emperor turned to Gu Jinghui and asked, "This lad is quite skilled. How does he compare to you, my dear minister?"
Gu Jinghui couldn't help but laugh a few times and said, "He can still hold his own for a few moves."
The Emperor laughed heartily: "If it were you, my dear minister, these people would have been beaten down by you long ago."
Gu Jinghui shook his head: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. The army often uses Cuju and Jiju for training. The competition field is not the same as the battlefield. There are still rules to follow when competing."
His Highness the Crown Prince said listlessly, "Now all these people are fighting over a young man, but they can't gain any advantage at all. It's not interesting to watch at all."
The emperor doted on his son and immediately ordered the old prince: "Send someone to tell the referee that if things continue like this, the competition should be canceled."
Old Wang responded and left.
Before the start of the second set, the referee announced the new rules and gave a stern lecture to the players on the opposing team.
Fu Yanei had completely lost his fighting spirit.
They were panting heavily from exhaustion but hadn't harmed anyone in the slightest, yet they had displeased the Emperor, who then issued a decree.
But we can't not compare.
Suddenly, a tattooed man had a plan: "We may not be as skilled as him, but we have other ways to surpass him."
Fu Yanei's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What?"
The man with the tattooed arm raised his strong, muscular arm and said, "Young master, you really have a bad memory. We've been competing all this way, and everyone here loves our tattoos."
After thinking about it, Fu Yanei realized that this was a possible solution, so he decided to give it a shot.
"Okay, let's do it this way."
So they made an excuse that they were too hot from running, took off their outer clothes, and revealed their tattoos by going shirtless, which immediately caused screams from the audience.
The screams emboldened Fu Yanei and his entourage to stride confidently into the arena.