Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 182 The Jin people deny their debts

"Our ball just now clearly went into your football goal's baseline. Even though the football fell apart, you can't deny it. Everyone saw it!" Lin Chong shouted, arguing with Mohart.

Mohat's translator answered for him: "The football is broken, so the result of the match cannot be counted. Besides, the football was inspected by that monk you had before the match. Now that the football has a problem, you can't blame it on our Jin Kingdom. Who knows if you deliberately sabotaged the match because you're afraid of losing and having to give us those three cities?"

"You Jin people rigged the football match and now you want to deny it? Don't forget you're in the Song Dynasty palace!" Du Shiniang chimed in, supporting Lin Chong as he sternly addressed Mohart.

"Don't talk nonsense! We didn't tamper with the Cuju ball!" Hasalawa argued. "I admit that I used a fake ball when I played Cuju one-on-one with Du Rushuang at the post station, but you checked the Cuju ball before the match this time and it was clearly fine. You can't slander our Jin Kingdom women's Cuju team."

The high-ranking official quickly stepped forward to mediate, saying, "Gentlemen, please don't quarrel! Du Shiniang is right. We are now in the palace, and everything is decided by His Majesty. Arguing here won't solve anything. Why don't we let His Majesty make the decision himself?"

Du Shiniang thought Gao Can's words made sense, so she quickly pulled Lin Chong aside and winked at him, urging him to cooperate. She didn't believe that Emperor Huizong of Song would help the Jin Kingdom instead of his own country. Lin Chong immediately understood Du Shiniang's implication, so he stood up and said to Wu Song, "Brother Wu, you protect the football goal and the broken football. Gao Can and I will invite the Emperor to come and see for himself so he can make a decision."

Wu Song readily agreed with a "good," and stood before the Jin Kingdom's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) gate like a guardian deity, preventing the Jin people from causing trouble. He was determined to protect the broken Cuju ball. Seeing Wu Song's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, the crowd dared not approach the Jin Kingdom's Cuju gate any further.

Mohart knew that the high advisor wanted to invite Emperor Huizong of Song to the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) stadium. He said disdainfully, "The result of the match needs to be recognized by representatives of both Song and Jin. You send your emperor, and I will send our envoy, Lord Yelü, to watch. Who's afraid of who?"

So, Gao Qiu invited Emperor Huizong of Song to the Jin Dynasty's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) goal, and Moha also brought Yelü Wen to inspect the site. Before arriving, Emperor Huizong specifically instructed Gao Qiu and Pan Rongjie to accompany him. He crouched down, frowning as he carefully examined the shattered pieces of the cuju ball. Five or six pieces had clearly fallen into the Jin Dynasty's goal line. Pan Jinghe's cuju ball must have truly crossed the Jin Dynasty's goal line before disintegrating. Lin Chong and the others were right; this goal should be ruled valid for the Song Dynasty.

Yelü Wen, of course, also realized that Pan Jinghe's shot had gone into their own Cuju goal, but he couldn't admit that his women's Cuju team had lost; he had to speak up for his countrymen. So Yelü Wen took the initiative and tentatively asked Emperor Huizong, "Your Majesty, did you think Miss Pan's shot just now really go into our Cuju goal?"

"Of course! Could Ambassador Yelü not have seen that six pieces of the Cuju ball fell within the baseline of your Cuju goal? Pan Jinghe's kick just now went in by sheer luck, and our women's Cuju team won by one goal." Emperor Huizong said with delight, glancing at Pan Rongjie beside him with approving eyes.

"The football is broken! A goal can't be ruled valid just because of the fragments!" Yelü Wen protested loudly. Mohat quickly echoed, cursing in the Jin language, "The football is broken, it absolutely cannot be considered a valid goal! Don't think you Song can convince us by bringing out the emperor. We don't accept this!"

"Yes! We don't accept this!" Hasalawa shouted, pulling at the female football players.

"You have to admit it, whether you like it or not. We did score that goal just now," Du Shiniang said, arguing with Hasalawa, hands on her hips.

“You Jin people are treacherous! You cheated on the football match and now you want to deny it! That’s unethical!” Pan Jinghe shouted to defend himself.

“We really don’t know why the football ball suddenly exploded in mid-air,” Yin Xue explained to Du Rushuang calmly.

Du Rushuang glared at Yin Xue and said to her, "Just because your female football team didn't tamper with the football doesn't mean your coach, Mohat, didn't. And what about the rest of your Jin Kingdom delegation? Can you guarantee they didn't tamper with the football during the match?"

"You...you have no evidence...don't slander our people," Hasalawa said angrily, pointing at Du Rushuang and Du Shiniang.

Thus, led by Du Shiniang and Hasalawa, the football players from both the Song and Jin dynasties began arguing fiercely. Emperor Huizong of Song was furious; he hadn't expected the Jin people to actually try to deny it. He hadn't even sent Ning Weizhi to investigate the incident of the football exploding, and these women were already arguing. How annoying!

"Gentlemen, please calm down! The agreed time for the Cuju match between the Song and Jin dynasties has expired. Please move to the viewing platform and sit down to discuss the outcome of this Cuju match." Gao Can instructed the imperial guards to separate the female Cuju players from both countries, and he stood between the two teams, speaking loudly.

By this time, Emperor Huizong and Yelü Wen had already returned to their seats. Du Shiniang, Hasalawa, and the others could only follow them to the front of the stands, where they lined up in two rows to respectfully await Emperor Huizong's imperial edict regarding the match results.

Upon hearing that Emperor Huizong of Song had already prepared pen and ink, Yelü wondered if Emperor Huizong intended to force a verdict of defeat for the Jin women's football team. "How can this be? I will never sign the imperial edict regarding the result of the match between the two countries!" he thought. So he stood up and protested, "Your Majesty, if you insist on acknowledging Miss Pan's goal in football, I will absolutely not sign the imperial edict regarding the result of the match between the two countries!"

Seeing Yelü Wen's firm tone, Emperor Huizong hesitated for a moment, then picked up his pen. At this moment, Ning Weizhi stood up and said to Yelü Wen, "Ambassador Yelü, I have read the historical records of previous dynasties. There is a record of a similar incident during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, in a court football match where the football ball broke and fell into the enemy's goal. Emperor Taizong ruled the goal valid. Similarly, during the Liang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period, the King of Liang played football against the delegation from the Nanzhao Kingdom. The Liang football ball broke and fell into the Nanzhao goal, and the King of Liang also ruled the goal valid. Why is it that today, your Jin Kingdom denies similar incidents? Do you intend to oppress our Great Song Dynasty?"

"Lord Ning, is what you just said true? Do you have any proof?" Yelü Wenzhi thought that Ning Weizhi was making things up and he didn't believe him and wanted to see the evidence.

After listening to Ning Weizhi's descriptions of two cases of Cuju balls breaking in historical records, Pan Rongjie suddenly recalled seeing similar examples in the historical records of previous dynasties. He couldn't help but admire Ning Weizhi's knowledge of the historical records of previous dynasties and her extraordinary memory.

Pan Rongjie then stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I recall having read about the two cases from the previous dynasty that Lord Ning mentioned. I would like to personally retrieve the historical records and show them to Ambassador Yelü, so that the Jin people may be convinced of their defeat.”

Yelü Wen glanced at Pan Rongjie, thinking that Pan Rongjie was an imperial censor, and his words were far more reliable than Ning Weizhi's. A little flustered, he whispered a few words to his personal guard, Bai He. Bai He immediately turned and followed Pan Rongjie to retrieve the historical records.

Emperor Huizong, seeing that Ning Weizhi's account seemed plausible and that Pan Rongjie claimed to have historical evidence, allowed Pan Rongjie to search for proof. He considered the Pan father and daughter to be great contributors to the Song Dynasty, and Pan Jinghe's goal was the key to the victory between the Song and Jin dynasties. Once Pan Rongjie found the historical records, he planned to promote him and reward Pan Jinghe and Ning Weizhi handsomely. He added, "I've heard these two are getting married after the football match; I'll send them plenty of wedding gifts."

After returning from the Cuju field, Consort Luo, Chen Jinhuan, sat down beside Emperor Huizong of Song. She noticed that the emperor seemed to be deep in thought, resting his chin on his hand. Little did she know that Emperor Huizong was contemplating the wedding gifts for Pan Jinghe and Ning Weizhi, and assumed he was worried about the outcome of the Cuju match between the two countries. So she gently patted the emperor's shoulder and said softly, "Your Majesty, please don't worry! I believe in Lord Pan and Lord Ning; we did indeed win the Cuju match against the Jin women's Cuju team today."