Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 181 Pan Jinghe's Eagerness to Show Off Causes Trouble

As expected, after the football match resumed, Zou Xiaoyan reverted to her previous passive state, neither actively trying to win the ball nor moving around much, simply returning to her role as a defender in front of the Song state's football goal. Du Shiniang knew that Gao Can had spoken to Zou Xiaoyan, and she guessed that Gao must have threatened Zou Xiaoyan; she didn't want Zou Xiaoyan to be in danger. However, this left Du Shiniang somewhat isolated and helpless.

Meanwhile, on the field, Luo Fei's mind was filled with the image of Ning Zhanyan being pinned against the red city wall. It would be a lie to say she wasn't worried; her thoughts were in turmoil, and her steps were unsteady. Du Shiniang, observing Luo Fei's reaction on the football field, naturally didn't push her too hard. However, on the Song Kingdom's football team, only she and Pan Jinghe remained who could calmly face the challenge.

Pan Jinghe was extremely jealous when she saw Zou Xiaoyan score a goal and receive five hundred taels of gold. Zou Xiaoyan was just a discarded woman; why should she score in such an important Cuju match while she was relegated to a supporting role on the Cuju field? She had trained so hard before; she was determined to score a goal today, no matter what. She wanted to prove herself in the last palace Cuju match and show that she wasn't just good at scoring own goals, but could also score impressive Cuju goals.

Pan Jinghe's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) skills were clearly the worst among the five, including Du Shiniang. Both Khasalawa and Mohat had instructed the other members of the Jin Dynasty women's Cuju team not to pay too much attention to Pan Jinghe. It was precisely because of this that Pan Jinghe, closely following behind Du Shiniang, had her chance. Du Shiniang, constrained by the mist, dared not look directly at this woman who possessed witchcraft, while Khasalawa pressed closer, and her stamina gradually began to wane.

Du Shiniang was a few years older than Du Rushuang and Miwu, and her physical strength was not as good as theirs. Just as it was about to be snatched away by Hasalawa, Pan Jinghe quickly moved closer to Du Shiniang and picked up the ball from the other side.

Having received the ball, Pan Jinghe quickly turned and sprinted towards the Jin Kingdom's Cuju goal, like a wild horse unleashed, her momentum fierce. Ning Weizhi's heart raced as she watched, thinking to herself that her woman was truly formidable. Among the Song Kingdom's spectators was Pan Jinghe's father. Because his daughter was playing Cuju, Emperor Huizong of Song granted him special permission, despite his rank being lower than that of high-ranking officials like Gao Can, to attend the Cuju match between the two countries.

Pan Rongjie, an imperial censor, watched the match with great focus and attention. He even took out brush, ink, and paper to sketch the battle situation and exciting moves of both sides. When he saw his daughter, Pan Jinghe, dribbling the ball and turning rapidly, a look of pride appeared on his face, and he immediately picked up his brush and sketched this scene. Then he picked up his brush again to draw the exciting moment when his daughter would shoot. Whether Pan Jinghe's shot would fly into the Jin Kingdom's goal or not, he felt it was worth drawing and keeping as a memento for the future.

Pan Jinghe was unaware of her fiancé and elderly father's expectations of her. She simply used a powerful "Wind-Swaying Lotus" move, leaping high into the air and kicking the football into the Jin Kingdom's goal. To be on the safe side, she specifically checked the color of the ribbons on the goal; the red ribbons belonged to the Jin Kingdom, while their own goal had blue ribbons.

While Pan Jinghe was playing football, a strange gust of wind suddenly appeared. The wind, seemingly from nowhere, blew fiercely and aggressively, carrying fine yellow sand particles that choked her, causing her to cough a few times. Her eyes reddened, and her hair became slightly loose. The wind also loosened the silk sash around her waist, making it seem as if it might fall off at any moment.

Everyone held their breath at the sight. Ning Weizhi, disregarding her image, rushed towards the football field to help Pan Jinghe fasten her belt. Meanwhile, Pan Rongjie's brush slipped from his grasp and fell onto the rice paper, spreading ink smudges. Du Shiniang stared intently at the football ball Pan Jinghe had kicked, her mouth agape in tension.

However, the football ball kicked by Pan Jinghe did not shoot into the Jin Kingdom's goal. Instead, it curved slightly and fell in front of the goal. At the moment of landing, the previously unremarkable football ball suddenly bounced out three gleaming silver blades.

The first blade flew towards the obese Jin woman who was trying to block Pan Jinghe's shot, cutting the back of her hand; the second blade flew towards Pan Jinghe, who reacted quickly and raised her knee to block it, cutting her right knee; the third blade flew towards the left side of the Cuju goal, and Wu Song dodged it with quick hands and eyes, and the blade landed on the edge of the Cuju field.

The Song officials in the stands were so frightened that they shouted, "How could this be? Master Mingfang clearly examined the football in the game just now, and there was no trick inside!"

"Why are three blades flying out of the football ball when the game is almost over? Who threw these hidden weapons?"

"This is outrageous! It must have been the Jurchens who tricked us!"

"Could that bald monk Mingfang be a spy for the Jin people? Has he been bribed?"

Emperor Huizong and Liu Guangyu were both startled. Hearing the heated discussion among the officials, Emperor Huizong was so angry that his face turned purplish-red. He slammed his hand on the table in front of him and asked loudly, "What exactly happened? Where is Master Mingfang? Where is he? Quickly let him explain to me."

Liu Guangyu hurriedly approached the observation platform of both the Song and Jin dynasties, but no matter how he scanned the area, he could not find Master Mingfang. Liu Guangyu quickly reported to Emperor Huizong of Song: "Your Majesty, the monk Mingfang has disappeared. He may have fled after the scandal broke. I will order the imperial guards to search all parts of the palace and seal off all palace gates to capture the monk Mingfang."

"Yes! Quickly issue my decree to seal the palace gates. Also, suspend today's football match between the Song and Jin dynasties!" Emperor Huizong roared angrily at Liu Guangyu and Gao Can. Because Chen Ge had gone missing, Gao Can had been temporarily in command of the Imperial Guards for the past two days.

"Summon Ning Weizhi and Lin Chong. He is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Have him investigate the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) used in today's match to see if it was also that damned ghost ball. Lin Chong is also familiar with ghost balls, so have him confirm this as well." Emperor Huizong issued another decree. Liu Guangyu hurriedly had a eunuch fetch Ning Weizhi.

Seeing that Pan Jinghe had injured her knee, Ning Weizhi was carefully bandaging the wound herself, while gently comforting her: "Xiaohe, were you scared? I think you must have triggered the mechanism of the football when you kicked it. Luckily, the blade didn't cut too deep, and your knee is just a superficial injury."

Pan Jinghe sobbed softly, leaning on Ning Weizhi's shoulder and saying aggrievedly, "Ning Lang, my football shot just now went into the Jin Kingdom's goal and bounced back, but when it landed, I saw that it had already crossed the Jin Kingdom's goal line. You have to get justice for me! The Jin Kingdom people set a trap on the football during the game, which almost cost me my life."

"Xiaohe, don't worry! If your ball really did go into the Jin Kingdom's Cuju goal, I will definitely seek justice for the Great Song and for you. As for the traps the Jin people set in the Cuju match, I will investigate them thoroughly and report back to His Majesty." Ning Weizhi gently patted Pan Jinghe's back to comfort her.

Pan Jinghe was deeply moved, but insisted that Ning Weizhi examine the ghost ball in front of the Jin Kingdom's Cuju goal, now reduced to metal fragments, to prove that she had scored that goal—a goal worth five hundred taels of gold, not five taels of silver. Aside from the gold reward, there was also the matter of her dignity; she had almost lost her life to score that goal.

Furthermore, Pan Jinghe's move was the result of Ning Weizhi's meticulous study of numerous Cuju (ancient Chinese football) technique books. Although this man had little Cuju experience, he was skilled in reading and investigation, and he managed to deduce the Cuju technique "Wind Swaying Lotus" from the books, which he then taught to Pan Jinghe. Pan Jinghe lived up to expectations, actually using this technique he had taught her in the Cuju match between the Song and Jin dynasties.

Ning Weizhi led Pan Jinghe to the gate of the Jin Kingdom's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) stadium. At this time, Lin Chong was squatting on the ground arguing with Mohat of the Jin Kingdom, while Wu Song, Hasalawa, Gao Can, Du Shiniang, and others were watching the commotion from behind them.