Chapter 659
Ball Game
Chapter 659 Ball Game (Part 3)
"Ah!" Little Hong, the dark-skinned guy, screamed, his dark face glowing red from the inside out. He spread his arms and pounded on Qin Heng beside him: "Ximen, Ximen, quick, quick, take it off!"
Brother Ximen's figure suddenly swayed.
Qin Heng, ignoring the pain, pointed at his opponent and laughed loudly: "Young Master Fu, do you think you're the only ones with tattooed arms!"
Fu Yanei snorted, which was taken as an answer.
"Clang!" The referee opened the ball, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the round ball in mid-air. Gu Baozhu suddenly leaped up from the crowd and kicked the ball above her head, forcibly changing its direction so that it went towards Brother Ximen.
As Brother Ximen ran, hooking his feet around the ball, he unbuttoned his clothes. His body was as soft as a noodle. He dodged left and right, and when he got out of the crowd that was chasing him, his shirt was already tied around his waist, revealing his fair skin. The embroidered pattern, as green as pine trees, meandered down from his collarbone, wrapped around his strong and handsome body, and extended to the part of his waist that was covered.
The field was completely silent until Brother Ximen kicked the ball into the goal, at which point a deafening roar erupted.
"What a beautiful embroidered dress!" the Emperor couldn't help but exclaim.
Empress Lin watched without blinking.
The Ninth Princess exclaimed softly, "This handsome young man has such exquisite tattoos, and he plays football so well. I never knew there was such a person in the capital."
A palace maid hurriedly asked, "Princess, should I go and inquire again?"
The Ninth Princess nodded repeatedly: "You understand my thoughts best. You will be richly rewarded when we return."
The palace maid ran quickly down from the stands.
Who in the world doesn't love beauty?
Even Qin Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, "Great!"
Gu Jinghui had moved to her side at some point, and, overcome with jealousy, gently covered her eyes, saying sourly, "What's so interesting about it? It's just a set of tattoos."
Qin Yuan struggled to pry his hands away, and argued, "I wasn't looking at the embroidery, I was admiring Young Master Qi's demeanor!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinghui released his hands, his cold and stern face softening instantly.
King Qi couldn't help but click his tongue, sniffed, and muttered something in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Gu Jinghui to hear.
"Why is there such a strong sour smell? Whose vinegar jar has been overturned?"
King Tushan asked with a smile, "Really? I didn't smell anything."
After a pause, he asked the Crown Prince, "Does Your Highness know where Prince Jin is? He was absent from such a wonderful polo competition."
The Crown Prince hesitated and said, "Perhaps there is something important to discuss. As long as Da Yue is present, that's fine."
King Tushan pressed on, saying, "I have no idea what task Prince Jin has been assigned. What important matter could he possibly be too busy to attend to on the Empress Dowager's birthday?"
King Qi interjected, "Perhaps he drank too much and passed out in the imperial garden."
The prince laughed and said, "Then it would truly be a romantic death beneath the peony blossoms."
King Tushan smiled meaningfully: "However, today we are admiring chrysanthemums. These flowers are beautiful, but they are also quite desolate."
King Qi said, "Have someone bring that embroidered man up later. How about I reward him with a chrysanthemum hairpin?"
The Crown Prince nodded: "That is indeed an elegant affair. I find his embroidered clothes to be truly beautiful, one in a million."
On the field.
Fu Yanei was so angry he was dizzy. "I haven't even gotten rid of one tiger, and now another leopard has appeared. What kind of logic is this? Heaven is not on my side!"
The tattooed man said, "Then why not drive the leopard?"
Once this kid's tattoos came out, their full-arm tattoos paled in comparison, like fireflies illuminated by moonlight.
Fu Yanei nodded.
Not only did they fail to outmaneuver Gu Baozhu despite their best efforts, but they also accidentally injured several members of their own team. If this continued, they wouldn't even have any substitutes left. As a result, the situation on the field changed once again.
The Emperor was utterly astonished: "Ahem, they went to besiege that embroidered boy again, but they held back a bit."
Empress Lin shook her head: "This team plays without any strategy or method."
Seeing everyone chasing after him, Ximen became playful and moved the ball around the field, passing it from one person to another, making his opponents run all over the field. After teasing them enough, he finally kicked the ball to Gu Baozhu and shouted, "Brother Qi, it's your turn now!"
Gu Baozhu had been standing there for a while. When she saw the ball coming, she got up and leaped up, performing a backflip kick that lifted the ball into the air. Then, she kicked it straight toward the goal.
After this happened several times, the cheering crowd lost interest.
This is one-sided abuse.
Unsurprisingly, Hong team won the second match again.
The emperor sighed listlessly.
"How were these teams chosen? The disparity is too great; there's no suspense whatsoever."
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "If it weren't for sharing the joy with the people and fearing that I might spoil everyone's fun, I would have already returned to the palace to rest."
Empress Lin and the Ninth Princess watched with great interest, their only complaint being that it got dark too early and the lights weren't bright enough to see the embroidered dress clearly.
Qin Yuan said to Old Madam Gu, "It seems that Young Master Qi is more capable. What do you think, Mother?"
Madam Gu commented in a serious tone, seemingly very neutral: "She's just a little small; the child hasn't fully grown yet. She'll be even more charming when she's older."
The tournament is over.
Dark-skinned Little Hong had never been so proud.
His Hong team had never advanced to the second round in previous years.
This year, they marched forward triumphantly, unstoppable and ultimately won the championship.
Dark-skinned Little Hong was laughing so hard his face was covered in tears.
He jumped and danced with several old commune members who had gone from humble beginnings to glory, until an official from the Jingzhao Prefecture notified him to gather the team to receive the prize.
Beside him, Fu Yanei stood there dumbfounded, like a defeated rooster.
The team members hung their heads listlessly.
Although he came in second place, he was truly frustrated.
The official said, "You two teams will go to the platform together to receive your prizes. Team Hong will go first, and Team Fu will go last. It is a great honor for you to have the chance to see the Emperor. When the dignitaries ask you questions later, think carefully before you answer."
“Yes,” the crowd replied.
They marched in procession past the stands, knelt and paid their respects to the Empress Dowager and others, and received rewards and prizes.
Gu Baozhu and Brother Ximen were left behind for questioning.
The Empress Dowager ordered Ximen to come forward, and she stroked and examined the embroidery on his body, marveling at it. She then asked him how old he was and where he had the embroidery done, to which Ximen answered in detail.
The emperor, seeing his handsome appearance, took a liking to him and asked, "Would you like to enter the palace to play polo?"
Brother Ximen hurriedly replied, "This humble citizen does not live in the capital. I make a living by doing small business. I heard that the lanterns in the capital are especially beautiful on the Empress Dowager's birthday, so I came to the capital to see the lantern festival. I have parents, wife and children at home, so I dare not stay long."
The Emperor felt a little regretful, but he couldn't bear to deprive him of his family time, so he said, "It's a real pity. If you change your mind in the future, you can come directly to the Prefect's Office."
Finally, the King of Qi actually ordered someone to send him a plate of chrysanthemums, which he then wore in his turban to enhance his elegance.
After Brother Ximen bowed in gratitude, a palace maid stepped forward and pinned a chrysanthemum to his hair and the side of his handkerchief.
As expected, his character was even more outstanding, and the Ninth Princess stared at him intently.