Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 175 The Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match between the Jin and Song dynasties officially begins.

Seeing Lin Chong looking worriedly at the blueprints on the table, Du Shiniang gently patted his shoulder and said, "Brother Lin, we've been preparing for tomorrow's football match for so many days, you don't need to worry! We've also figured out what might happen tomorrow from the Jin Kingdom based on fragmented intelligence, my sworn brother..."

"Shi Niang, be careful, walls have ears. I know you're trying to comfort me, I just want to familiarize myself with the palace's defenses. Don't overthink it!" Lin Chong put his hand to his mouth to signal Du Shiniang not to say anything more. He was confident about tomorrow's Cuju match.

"Brother Lin, I believe in you. But if we have to change players tomorrow, could you let me play on the football field?" Du Shiniang pleaded with Lin Chong.

"No! Didn't the advisor say long ago that you weren't allowed to play in the Cuju match against the Jin women?" Lin Chong refused Du Shiniang with a firm tone. Du Shiniang pouted in dissatisfaction. Lin Chong smiled and pulled the woman into his arms, coaxing, "Shiniang, be good tomorrow and don't think about playing Cuju. Just cheer us on from the sidelines."

Du Shiniang was helpless, but she still had an ominous premonition. She felt that something big would happen during tomorrow's Cuju match, but when she asked Lin Chong and Wu Song several times, they both gave her the runaround, saying that this Cuju match between the two countries was a matter for the imperial court and that they had promised Shen Daoyuan that they would not reveal their actions.

The next day, the Jin delegation, accompanied by their female Cuju (ancient Chinese football) team of more than twenty people, swaggered into the palace. Emperor Huizong of Song invited officials of the first rank and above to the palace to watch the Cuju match between the Song and Jin dynasties, including Gao Qiu and his son, Xiao Minghao, Ning Weizhi, and other officials.

More than a month has passed since the great fire at the Imperial Palace Cuju Field. Emperor Huizong of Song ordered the field to be repaired, and it has once again regained its lush green appearance. The viewing platform was a temporary bamboo shed, but it was covered with a canopy and had curtains around it to provide shade and wind protection. The officials and Jin people sitting on the platform found it very comfortable.

Before the Cuju match, Xiao Minghao arranged for beautiful women from the Song Kingdom to perform songs and dances, along with fine wine and food, making some members of the Jin Kingdom delegation and a group of Song Kingdom officials feel that they were there to enjoy themselves, not to watch some tedious Cuju match. However, Liu Guangyu's reading of the match agreement and rules brought them back to their senses. They knew that the stakes for today's Cuju match between the two countries were three border cities of the Song Kingdom.

A football match between the two countries couldn't be without a referee. The Song Dynasty chose Gao Can as the referee, while the Jin Dynasty undoubtedly chose Yelü Wen, as he was more suitable than anyone in the Jin delegation in terms of rank and status. Lin Chong and Mohat, as the coaches of the women's football teams of the two countries, were personally received by Emperor Huizong of Song. Lin Chong knelt before the emperor and suddenly made a request:

"Your Majesty, I would like to request that Your Majesty personally inspect the two Cuju balls to be used in this competition. I wonder if Your Majesty would be so kind as to grant this humble request?"

Yelü Wen knew that Lin Chong was afraid they would tamper with the football like they had done at the Jin Kingdom's post station last time, secretly replacing the ball with a fake one. However, he had already warned Mohat and the others the night before not to tamper with the football, so he wasn't afraid of Lin Chong's request to inspect the football today.

Emperor Huizong pondered for a moment. He felt it inappropriate for him to inspect the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) between the Song and Jin dynasties. Fortunately, he had invited Master Mingfang of Xiangshan Temple to watch the Cuju match that day; he was a reclusive master, and it would be more appropriate for him to inspect the Cuju. Therefore, Emperor Huizong replied to Lin Chong's request:

"Today I have invited Master Mingfang from Xiangshan Temple to watch the women's Cuju match between our dynasty and the Jin dynasty. I think it would be more appropriate for Master Mingfang to inspect the Cuju balls used in this match."

Lin Chong and Yelü Wen exchanged a glance. They both felt the Sage's suggestion was very appropriate. Master Mingfang was a monk, and monks were free from worldly desires and interests, so they should be the most impartial people. Therefore, they all voiced their agreement. Gao Can, seeing this, merely curled his lip in disdain. Because only he knew Master Mingfang's true identity.

Master Mingfang was recommended by Emperor Huizong of Song to examine the Cuju ball used in the competition between the Song and Jin dynasties. He dared not neglect it. He picked up the Cuju ball and carefully examined the leather stitching inside and out. He also gently tapped the surface of the Cuju ball a few times and found that it was hollow inside, which was consistent with the lightweight design of the Cuju ball.

However, Master Mingfang was still not at ease. He threw the red and white Cuju ball forcefully onto the ground, and after it rolled for a while and stopped, he bravely stretched out his foot and kicked it. The Cuju ball landed at Gao Can's feet, and Gao Can's lips curled into a smile as he forcefully kicked the Cuju ball towards Lin Chong.

After seeing that the Cuju ball had been carefully examined and tested by Master Mingfang and found to be normal, Emperor Huizong, Lin Chong, Yelü Wen, and others were relieved and began the game.

To ensure fairness, Emperor Huizong of Song and Yelü Wen agreed that each country would send one referee to supervise the players on either side of the Cuju field. The Jin dynasty chose an official under Yelü Wen, while Emperor Huizong naturally appointed Gao Can for the Song dynasty.

After everything was prepared before the match, Liu Guangfu stood beside Emperor Huizong of Song and said in a sarcastic tone, "Today, the Cuju match between the Song and Jin dynasties officially begins. Please, female Cuju players from both countries—enter the field." He deliberately drew out the last two words, trying to project an air of home advantage. Emperor Huizong glanced at Liu Guangfu with an appreciative look.

First to enter were the visiting team, the Jin Kingdom women's Cuju players. There were five of them, with Hasalawa as captain, leading her four teammates onto the field. The five women were dressed in dark red Cuju uniforms, with the cuffs and hems of their tops tightly bound, and their waists tied with belts. Their hair was styled in high buns, simply secured with wooden hairpins.

Their football uniforms had a large "金" (Jin, meaning gold) embroidered on the back with gold thread, and their heads were also bound with gold ribbons embroidered with their names, all in Jin script, which the Song officials couldn't understand. These five Jin women were tall and strong; their brisk walking indicated they were all very physically capable. Their boots were black, mid-calf designs, completely covering their broad feet.

After witnessing the impressive skills of the Jin women's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) players, the Song officials were stunned when they looked at their own Song women's Cuju team. The women, led by Consort Luo—Du Rushuang, Chai Nianci, Pan Jinghe, and Zou Xiaoyan—all appeared slender. Although their Cuju uniforms were similar to those of the Jin women, differing only in color (they wore a deep purple), Du Rushuang and her companions seemed much smaller and thinner than the Jin women, and their legs appeared long and slender.

Some officials wondered if the four female Cuju players brought by Lin Chong were dancers from the Zixiang Pavilion rather than Cuju players. Other officials looked at Consort Luo and saw her arrogant expression. Recalling the Cuju match in the palace where they had lost to the Jin women, they had an ominous premonition that history was about to repeat itself.

"Why do the women's football uniforms of the Jin Dynasty look so similar to the uniforms of our dynasty's women's football team?" Emperor Huizong asked Gao Can and Lin Chong in bewilderment.

Du Shiniang followed behind Lin Chong. Upon hearing the Emperor's words, she quickly approached him and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I had modified the women's usual Cuju (ancient Chinese football) attire before the competition. Unfortunately, the designs were stolen by Jin spies, which is why they are wearing Cuju uniforms similar to ours today. However, Your Majesty, if you look closely at the belts and collars of our women's Cuju uniforms, especially Consort Luo's, you'll see that the belts are fastened with copper buckles, making them less likely to come undone while running. As for the collars, I modified the original high-necked design, changing it to a slanted, lower collar for better ventilation."

Upon hearing Du Shiniang's words, Emperor Huizong immediately summoned Consort Luo to his side. He pulled the woman around and carefully examined the waistline and neckline design that Du Shiniang had mentioned. "Brilliant! Du Shiniang, your modification of this Cuju (ancient Chinese football) uniform is truly ingenious. Guards! Reward Du Shiniang with three hundred taels of gold."