Dang, Dang, Dang!
There was another lengthy gong sound.
The game officially begins.
Zhao Zhen and Cao An also stopped talking, stood up and came to the railing, and looked down together.
The two guards behind him were extremely nervous.
One person stood behind him, fearing that Zhao Zhen might fall accidentally.
On the court, the players from both sides came to the middle dividing line. The referee held a Cuju made of bamboo strips and solemnly explained the rules of the game.
Today's Cuju is not as flexible as football.
It is usually made of twelve pieces of fragrant leather, and is filled with rice bran, sand and gravel to increase the weight of the Ju - so-called: it weighs twelve taels!
Then, he raised his hand and threw it vigorously, and the ball flew into the air.
The players from both sides started moving at the same time, running towards the direction where the ball fell. Whoever can get the right to push the line at this moment has the hope of scoring!
boom.
Players from both sides came together for the first collision.
A player dressed in red fell to the ground.
But everyone did not stop chasing, they all bypassed him and continued to fight for the ball.
The man didn't cry out, he just endured the pain and rolled on the ground a few times, then jumped up again and joined the chasing queue.
The rules of Cuju in the Song Dynasty were not that complicated. There were no red cards or yellow cards. As long as you did not intentionally hurt someone or make a deadly move, you would generally not be punished.
That's why such a game is more enjoyable to watch.
A fist-to-flesh collision would result in someone being injured every time.
Some veteran players with dark hearts know how to use the rules to inflict injuries on the opponent. Often, a simple contact can make the opponent fall to the ground.
On the court.
Wang Qi led two team members to form a forward and sprint forward.
The killer's quality is beyond compare. No matter in terms of speed or agility, it is not comparable to ordinary people. He quickly broke into the opponent's back area.
"Brother Seven!"
A player who got the ball shouted, "Go on!"
The ball flew out, forming a big arc in the air, and landed accurately in front of Wang Qi. The latter immediately rushed forward with the ball, so fast that it was impossible to react.
Approaching the opponent's goal, Wang Qi made a forward shovel and kicked Cuju towards the wind tunnel. Unfortunately, the accuracy was slightly off and the goal was not scored!
The blue side reacts faster.
The defender immediately rushed over to steal the ball, took the ball back, and then took a flying long shot and passed the ball steadily to the forward, solving the crisis.
The two sides fought back and forth, and for a while they were evenly matched.
…
Bianhe River, another warship.
Zhao Congyue was playing chess with Tang Qi. The black and white chess pieces were intertwined, making it difficult to separate them.
The servants stood at the front watching the battle, reporting the battle status from time to time.
"Xiao Langjun, the red team shot!"
The servant looked at the field in disbelief and said with lingering fear: "But their accuracy was too poor. After our team stole the ball, we launched a counterattack..."
"So fast?"
Zhao Congyue pinched Heizi and paused subconsciously.
After realizing his gaffe, he immediately changed into that calm and calm look, as if the competition on the field was all clouds and he had already secured the victory!
Hey, why are you pretending to be X?
Tang Qi smiled in his heart, looked up at the audience, frowned and said: "It seems that Cao An has really worked hard this time! I don't know where those six people were found, but I don't have any clues at all!"
Before the game started, Zhao Congyue had already done research on the red team players. Everyone among them has been rigorously screened.
It's a pity that the secret work of the killer organization is not for nothing.
No matter how they checked, they couldn't get any information about the other party... They only knew that the Prince of Chu's Mansion had collected good seeds from the people just to prepare for this competition.
"Another breakthrough!"
The servant said in disbelief: "These people are very powerful! Although their footwork is unfamiliar, their speed is really fast. We can't organize an effective interception at all!"
Wang Qi and others have gone through fifteen days of devil training, plus their own basic skills...
Comparing speed with a killer, isn't that looking for death?
"Go! Let them change their strategy. Stop attacking blindly and pay attention to defense!"
Tang Qi immediately made a judgment and said seriously: "The opponent is fast, but the disadvantage is that their skills are raw. As long as their speed is restrained, they will naturally slow down after a few pulls!"
There's no point in running fast. Cuju is all about endurance.
A game lasts for nearly two hours. Even if you are fast, you can't go at high speed for two hours, right? Then he is no longer a human being, just send the express.
Sure enough, Tang Qi's strategy worked.
After the blue side gradually changed to defense, the red side's speed advantage became less obvious.
Their skills still need to be refined, and they are unable to break through the defense line of the blue masters. They can only keep sprinting on the periphery, and their consumption is increasing.
…
On the ship's roof.
Zhao Zhen was also aroused by the tense atmosphere.
He gripped the railing and said excitedly: "It's really exciting! I have seen Cuju several times before, but those people paid too much attention to the tricks and lost the passion for fighting with real swords and guns."
Performing for the royal family is all about viewing.
Maybe a certain fancy move will be praised by a noble person, and he will jump to the branch from then on.
But this time it’s a competition, and everyone is not here to show off their unique skills, but to see the final winner or loser! As long as you can score goals, everything else is nonsense!
"They will get bonuses if they win, so they will naturally work hard."
Cao An replied with a smile.
Zhao Zhen was indeed attracted: "Bonus? Aren't these people lent to you by Yunsheng?"
"Yes, but..."
Cao An nodded and said with a smile: "Weichen has redeemed their lives and signed a five-year Cuju contract. From now on, these people will all be contracted members of the Cao Chamber of Commerce."
Several novel vocabulary words made Zhao Zhen increasingly interested.
Cao An continued: "Not only do they get basic remuneration, but they also get additional bonuses every time they win a game. The more difficult the competition, the higher the bonus!"
Once a reward system is established, motivation will naturally increase.
Compared with those few compliments that are neither salty nor bland, real money is more convincing.
Zhao Zhen nodded thoughtfully: "That's right! In this way, they will be more active in winning. This is not just a fight for the home team, but also a fight for themselves!"
"but……"
Zhao Zhen frowned and said: "You guys are obviously novices. Their tactics are very strong, but their cooperation is always not tacit enough."
"The officials have a sharp eye!"
Cao An praised them and said with a smile: "These people are just recently recruited folk weirdos. They are very good in physical fitness, but they lack actual combat experience. As long as they compete more often, they can always get better."
"Well, it seems you might actually win this time!"
Zhao Zhen said cheerfully: "Otherwise, if Zhao Congyue really wants to force you to fulfill your promise, I won't be able to protect you!"
From his original intention, he did not want Cao An to leave.
After all, with Cao An in the court, the fighting intensified a lot, which was definitely a good thing for the powerless little emperor.
As Cao An said: Take advantage of the situation!
Zhao Zhen is also facing the same problem now.
Although he wants to take power, he also knows that he is not capable enough. If he rashly enters the field and makes trouble, he will probably be taken advantage of by someone with malicious intentions.
But he doesn't want to be a puppet...
Once Tiangang falls, it will be infamy for eternity!
Even Emperor Xian back then had the guts to take the plunge, let alone Zhao Zhen.
