On the huge field, players from Liangzhou and Bingzhou constantly clashed with strength and skill in their struggle for that small ball.

The fierce competition on the field drew cheers from tens of thousands of spectators in the stands.

Watching the players' fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude on the field, even Liu Hong in the VIP box was thrilled and kept cheering.

In Cuju (ancient Chinese football), while winning and losing are important, what's even more important is the spirit of never giving up until the very end.

As time went on, the game became increasingly intense, and the atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak.

At this moment, with 25 minutes left in the game, the players from both sides gathered in the center of the field, exerting all their strength to fight for the ball, trying to be the first to break through the opponent's goal.

A player from Bingzhou snatched the ball in the chaos and then ran quickly toward the Liangzhou team's goal through the gaps in the crowd.

"Quick, stop him! If he scores, I'll send you all to the suicide squad..."

Seeing this, the coach of the Liangzhou team also got angry and yelled loudly at his players.

Hearing their coach's roar, the Liangzhou players trembled and hurriedly used all their strength to chase after their opponents.

This coach from Liangzhou was none other than Tian Yan, a former subordinate of Duan Jiong, and he truly had the authority to send these players to the suicide squad.

Under the threat of death, the Liangzhou team players quickly caught up with their opponents and won the ball outside the penalty area. They then gathered together and launched a counterattack against the Bingzhou team. The Bingzhou team players who tried to stop them were all knocked aside, and they seemed poised to break through the goal.

"Haha~, good, charge! If we score, everyone gets a thousand silver coins, plus ten Western Region women!"

Seeing his players getting closer and closer to the opponent's goal, Tian Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Upon hearing the promised reward from Tian Yan, the Liangzhou team players seemed to be injected with adrenaline, their eyes red as they rushed forward.

Soon, a burly man from Liangzhou, controlling the ball, rushed to the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot. The ball whistled past the goalkeeper and flew straight into the Bingzhou team's goal.

Goal!

"Liangzhou team will win!!"

In an instant, a deafening cheer erupted in the stadium, and the spectators supporting the Liangzhou team were even more excited, clutching their tickets.

Betting on football arose the moment Cuju (ancient Chinese football) first appeared.

However, in order to prevent gambling from affecting the fairness of the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) matches, Liu Hong transferred all betting odds to the Investigation Department, and even the Cabinet and the Royal Family were not allowed to interfere.

Anyone found to be running a private betting operation can be arrested by the Detective Agency and sent directly to the border to do hard labor.

Thanks to the strict control of the Investigation Bureau over the past few years, all the gambling dens, large and small, have long been completely wiped out.

Furthermore, the Detective Agency stipulated that each person betting on football could only place a maximum bet of one silver coin, as a matter of entertainment.

This allows viewers to enjoy the game while spending money to support their favorite team, thus immersing themselves in the game.

Inside the private box, Zhao Yun, clutching a ticket for the Liangzhou team, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Huh? Brother Yun, did you bet on Liangzhou to win?"

Hearing Zhao Yun's laughter, Lü Zhenxiu frowned.

Zhao Yun was slightly taken aback: "Uh... I think the Liangzhou team is much stronger than the Bingzhou team in terms of physique and lower body strength, so naturally I'll bet on the Liangzhou team to win..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yun saw Lü Zhen's unfriendly gaze and quickly shut his mouth.

Seeing this, Lü Zhen rolled her eyes at Zhao Yun: "I don't care, but my brother values ​​the Bingzhou team a lot. If he finds out that you, his junior brother, actually bet on the Liangzhou team to win, what do you think he'll do?"

"What...what should we do?"

Upon hearing Lü Zhen mention Lü Bu, Zhao Yun swallowed hard and asked blankly.

Lü Zhen grinned: "He might use his halberd to teach you a lesson..."

"Uh, it can't be that bad!"

Zhao Yun's lips twitched. It was just a bet on a ball, why did he have to make Lü Bu use his halberd?

Although his master said that Zhao Yun might be no weaker than Lü Bu in the future, that is, after all, the future.

Zhao Yun is still young, while Lü Bu is nearing his peak. In terms of both strength and skill, Lü Bu completely overwhelms Zhao Yun.

Liu Hong, standing to the side, smiled and shook his head: "Alright, Zhen'er, whether it's the Bingzhou team or the Liangzhou team, they are all teams of our Great Han. We shouldn't distinguish between them anymore!"

"I know, brother. I was just trying to scare Yun-ge!"

Upon hearing Liu Hong speak, Lü Zhen chuckled and let Zhao Yun off the hook, then turned her attention back to the match.

Just as Zhao Yun was feeling down, Dian Wei, who was standing next to him, reached out and patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder with a hint of sympathy on his face.

Seeing this, Zhao Yun became even more frustrated and turned around to continue watching the match with full concentration.

Shortly after, a gong sounded in the stadium, signaling the end of the match. Liangzhou team ultimately won by a narrow margin of 1-0.

Putting down his binoculars, Liu Hong looked at Cai Yan and said, "It's getting late, let's call it a day!"

"Yes, young master!"

Cai Yan gave a soft reply and then followed Liu Hong outside.

Soon, the group left the stadium and boarded a carriage to return to the Cai residence.

Inside the carriage, the two young girls, Lü Zhen and Dong Zhen, were excitedly discussing the previous competition.

Cai Yan sat quietly beside the two maids without saying a word, her mind only replaying Liu Hong's words to her in the private room: "Enter the palace to admire the stars."

"Does he like me and want me to enter the palace?"

Recalling the way Liu Hong looked at her back then, Cai Yan felt a moment of distraction, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Huh? Sister Zhaoji, are you hot? Why is your face red?"

Turning my head, I saw two little girls who had stopped their discussion at some point and were looking at me with wide, curious eyes.

"No...it's nothing, I'm just feeling a little unwell!" Cai Yan quickly shook her head and explained.

"wrong!"

Despite Cai Yan's attempt to cover up her mistake, Lü Zhen remained unconvinced, her eyes fixed on Cai Yan's flushed cheeks.

"Sister Zhaoji, you look exactly like my sister-in-law when she first met my brother. Are you thinking of getting married?"

Cai Yan was taken aback: "Huh? Zhen'er, don't talk nonsense, I... how could I think of such things!"

Lü Zhen rolled her eyes: "Tch~, tell me, do you want to marry the Emperor?"

"I……"

Upon hearing this, Cai Yan instinctively wanted to deny it, but the words stuck in her throat.