Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 116

Suoge looked up at his younger sister, his gaze sharp, and nodded slightly with a look of satisfaction. He then respectfully rose and reported to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, my younger sister Ningxiang has volunteered to participate in the competition."

The Emperor laughed heartily and said, "Good!"

Then his gaze shifted to Xi'en on the other side: "My dear minister, who is going to play on your team?"

Before Xi En could answer, a woman behind the beaded curtain in the side hall called out loudly, "Brother, Xi Ri was the one who agreed to try out."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads again to look at the side hall.

From behind the beaded curtain of the side hall, a woman emerged gracefully, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes clear and bright, hinting at wisdom and elegance, yet carrying an unwavering determination that defied all doubt. She exuded an indescribable confidence, her radiance dazzling and irrepressible. Someone in the main hall couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Xi En rose with a smile and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Xi Ri is our sworn sister, and her status is appropriate." "Good!" The Emperor smiled and glanced approvingly at Consort Tian beside him and Imperial Uncle Tian sitting to his left.

Wanyan Gena glanced at her casually, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said with a half-smile, "As expected, the women of this great nation of the Central Plains are extraordinary. To make the competition more interesting, I have a favor to ask."

The Emperor said, "Speak freely. As long as it is reasonable and can increase the fun of the competition, I will definitely consider it."

“In our Jin Kingdom, if a team loses a match, the woman from the losing team is given as a prize to the leader of the other team.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately began to grumble in dissatisfaction. Wanyan Gena calmly continued, "I know that women in the Central Plains adhere to etiquette and rarely show their faces in public, so this is naturally inappropriate. However, since both ladies have participated in this competition, it would be more interesting if there were some stakes involved. Therefore, I have a suggestion: the woman of the losing side must perform a talent show."

Minister Fu, with his small hand, asked, "Is the content of the performance arbitrary?"

“It’s all natural and casual. Xiao Wang just wanted to add some fun to the competition,” Wanyan Gena replied.

Inside the hall, everyone was discussing the matter. Lord Fu looked at the Emperor, who said, "It's not difficult. Let's do it this way."

Lord Fu replied, "Yes."

Tian Xiri had already returned to her seat. Just now, when Wanyan Gena mentioned that the women would participate in the competition, she had a bad feeling. Sure enough, when she later learned that it was the team of Prince Xi and her elder brother playing the game, she already knew what was going on.

In fact, when Wanyan Gena invited her here today, she guessed that something was waiting for her. So she had been staying with her sister, Consort Tian, since she came to the palace. Later, when she entered the palace with Consort Tian, she stayed in the side hall and never left, trying her best not to give Wanyan Gena any opportunity. But what is meant to happen will happen eventually, and she could not avoid it even if she wanted to.

However, her eagerness to step forward seemed to have garnered her a lot of admiring glances. Little did she know that only she knew that Wanyan Gena's scheme was partly aimed at her, and that she had actually dragged others down with her, especially Ningxiang.

Why did Wanyan Gena also drag Ningxiang into this?

Tian Xiri thought and thought, and suddenly something occurred to her, making her secretly agitated. Her fourth brother and Suoge had always had a grudge, and this time it had dragged her and Ningxiang into it. Although the losing side was only performing a show, which was not a difficult task for her and Ningxiang, it was still a humiliation for noblewomen like Ningxiang and her to perform in public after losing a match, both for them and for their brother. The football match, which was supposed to be a fierce battle, was probably not going to end well this time.

Peering through the beaded curtain, Tian Xiri saw Wanyan Gena laughing and drinking, his expression still nonchalant and languid. However, a deeper meaning seemed to creep into his gaze as he occasionally swept over the crowd. Xiri thought to himself: What exactly is Wanyan Gena up to?! I seem to have underestimated him earlier.

However, no matter what he wants to do, it won't be so easy if he offends her.

However, Ningxiang harbored a different plan. Before coming tonight, Wanyan Gena had casually mentioned Cuju (ancient Chinese football) to her. At the time, she ignored him, only overhearing him mutter to himself that Cuju in his hometown was also a form of entertainment for choosing husbands. When men and women played, women could take the opportunity to get close to the men they liked, and even have a chance to get closer to their beloved. So tonight, when Wanyan Gena brought this up, and the Emperor inquired about her elder brother, her first thought was to put her brother in a difficult position; secondly, she also had her own selfish motives, because Fu Jin would also be playing, and if there was a chance to get closer to him… that wouldn't be bad either.

The boast had already been spread, and she couldn't afford to lose face. For three days, Tian Xiri received training from her four older brothers in turn. From morning till night, she didn't have a moment's rest; it turned out that last-minute cramming wasn't so easy after all.

Her eldest brother, Xi'en, taught her the rules of the game; her second brother, Nalan, taught her field tactics; her third brother, Minglu, taught her how to dodge collisions; and her fourth brother, Fu Jin, taught her how to "reach out and pull people up, and extend your legs to trip them up." In her fourth brother's words, "Fifth sister doesn't need to play football. Just go to the Cuju field and raise your hands and extend your legs when necessary." She laughed when she heard this. She knew that because she had crammed at the last minute, her skills were too poor to be of any practical use. As long as she didn't embarrass herself, that would be fine. It seemed that only the few tricks taught by her fourth brother might be of some use. Even so, she still seriously asked her brothers for Cuju skills. After three days, Tian Xiri, standing on the Cuju field, had almost forgotten that she was still a young lady from a respectable family.

She secretly sent Tian Yong to find out Ningxiang's progress. Fortunately, Ningxiang was in a similar situation to her, learning and applying what she learned as she went.

Upon learning this, Tian Xiri secretly gained more confidence. She was certain that no one else would teach Princess Ningxiang the moves her fourth brother had taught her, and that was her advantage. When the time was right, she would strike. What was the big deal about pulling on someone's clothes or tripping them up? After pondering this repeatedly, she seemed to have some confidence in how to help her four brothers win the match.

The fourth day, south of the city.

The final Cuju tournament of the year was held in the Cuju City in the south of the city. The Cuju City was about 15 zhang wide, with high platforms built around it. The Cuju field in the middle was about 10 zhang long and wide, forming a square, with a goal on each of the east and west sides.

This year's competition was different from previous years, and it was especially lively.

It is said that almost all the princes and ministers from all directions have gathered in the capital just to witness this year's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) competition.

Why is this year's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) tournament so highly anticipated? There are three reasons: First, this tournament involves a contest between the Emperor's two most favored young talents, Prince Minglu and Prince Suoge. Many people want to know who will win this significant match. Although these two teams have played in previous years, Prince Minglu and Prince Suoge have never actually participated; only their subordinates have played. This year, however, it is rumored that both of them will personally take to the field, which has fueled everyone's anticipation. Second, it is said that the exceptionally talented Prince Zhen will also participate, and many women want to witness his prowess. Third, this year is the first and only time that two young ladies from prominent families will participate in the tournament: the renowned Tian Xiri and the elegant Princess Ningxiang. Their fame alone is enough to attract all the young gentlemen who want to see them, not to mention the rare and exciting prospect of these two young ladies playing Cuju.

I've heard that no matter if you're a member of the royal family or a high-ranking official, a vote in Jucheng, south of the city, is practically priceless.

This time, because the Emperor will be watching the match in person, the security of the entire Ju City will be entrusted to Xu Yi, the commander of the guards.

And this Xu Yi happens to be Ming Lu's senior brother.

Before the competition, Tian Xiri once again inexplicably received ten thousand taels of silver from her third brother. Although she didn't know where this ten thousand taels of silver came from, she couldn't help but feel once again how incredibly happy she was to be the sister of four older brothers. It turned out that she still hadn't figured out a good way to withdraw the forty thousand taels of silver, so she naturally learned from that experience. Therefore, as soon as she received the ten thousand taels of silver notes, she immediately handed them over to Tian Yong to withdraw them all.

Before going on stage today, Tian Xiri confirmed that Tian Yong had properly brought out the ten thousand taels and placed it in a very secret place, ready for her to enjoy at any time. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel excited, and became even more radiant and energetic!

When the drums and gongs sounded, the five of them lined up in order and entered the field wearing neat green Cuju uniforms.

Wearing a specially made green Cuju uniform, Tian Xiri walked at the back with her head held high, looking particularly spirited. She was tall and slender, her hair styled in a bun and tied tightly with a square scarf. Her eyes were exceptionally bright (she was thinking about the ten thousand taels of silver; how could they not be?), radiating vitality and energy. Her lips were delicately red, her eyebrows naturally arched, her bright eyes and gleaming smile captivated the attention of almost every young man on the field when she suddenly raised her head.

She smiled freely and brightly, and after entering the venue, she stood side by side with the four young masters of Beijing. Her confidence and sunshine were particularly eye-catching.

On the other side, Princess Ningxiang was equally stunning. Compared to Xiri, Ningxiang was less dazzling, but possessed a more delicate femininity. Her every move was slightly shy, and she walked at the very back of the group. However, her unique beauty contrasted sharply with the masculine men in front of her. Even men with a penchant for women would tremble at the sight of such a gentle yet slightly heroic woman. However, the most eye-catching person in her group was not her, but the second-ranking prince, Long Ming, the heir of the Prince of Zhennan, behind Suoge.

The dazzling young man attracted everyone's attention the moment he appeared. This kind of youth seemed born to be the center of attention; he was proud, radiant, and even somewhat arrogant. Yet, because of his extraordinary good looks, it was impossible to dislike him. It was as if he was born to be this way; it felt like such an expression was a natural fit for such a person.

The moment the two teams entered the field, their departure caused a stir among the spectators.

Offstage, the emperor's brother-in-law, Lord Tian, could not hide his pride at seeing his daughter so dazzling. He chatted and laughed with Lord Fu, the father of Minister of Rites Fu Jin, about his daughter in the arena, surrounded by compliments.

Xue Qiyu, who had finally managed to get tickets through her sister, Consort Ning, nearly fainted upon seeing Long Ming. She quickly covered her nose with a handkerchief, silently reminding herself to control her excitement. Otherwise, another nosebleed and fainting would be a minor matter compared to the lifelong regret of missing the prince's football match. But... her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Heavens... why? Why was the prince so handsome? So handsome she wanted to go crazy, so handsome she wanted to scream! Just as she was thinking this and trying her best to suppress her emotions, she suddenly heard the youngest daughter of the Vice Minister of Works beside her scream uncontrollably: "Prince Long! Go! Prince Long, Prince Long..."

At this moment, the young ladies of marriageable age in the audience started shouting one after another, disregarding their image. Some even excitedly threw silk handkerchiefs at Long Ming below the stage, but Long Ming didn't care at all. The ground was immediately filled with colorful silk handkerchiefs.

Standing by the sidelines serving the young ladies, Tian Shuang secretly plotted. Before leaving, she decided to collect as many handkerchiefs as possible. These young ladies' handkerchiefs were precious; it would be such a waste to throw them away. With so many handkerchiefs, she wouldn't need to deliberately sell them. Tian Shuang secretly devised her way to make money.

The match is about to begin, and Xi En goes to draw lots with Suo Ge to determine the venue and who will kick off first.

At this moment, someone on the stage suddenly shouted, "Young Master Long, go for it! Young Master Long!" As soon as the voice rang out, cheers and shouts of encouragement followed one after another.

Hearing the commotion, everyone turned to look at the stage, including Tian Xiri. She couldn't be mistaken, could she? These were all renowned young ladies from prominent families in the capital! Each one of them was usually far more refined than her! How could they seem so wild now? They even dared to throw handkerchiefs down on the spot! Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard someone shout, "Miss Tian! Miss Tian, go for it!" Startled, she thought she had misheard and looked towards the source of the sound in utter surprise. She saw a group of men in scholar's robes waving at her. A surge of excitement welled up inside her, but she feigned slight shyness and politely bowed in their direction. Just as she looked up and gave them a flirtatious wink, seemingly a little embarrassed, she saw a young man fall backward. Could it be...? When did she acquire such captivating charm? Just as she was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, someone suddenly patted her shoulder. Looking up, she saw her brothers laughing at her. Feeling a little embarrassed, she pointed to the stage and said, "Has my charm suddenly increased so much? Someone actually fainted because of one of my flirtatious glances?!" Before she could even think of what to say, her third brother, Minglu, burst out laughing, and her fourth brother, Fujin, laughed even more exaggeratedly, gesturing wildly. Her second brother, Nalan, chimed in with a smile, "Fifth sister looks exceptionally radiant today. It's only natural that they would faint for her."