Because Qing'er was closest to An Ke, she was the first to notice An Ke's actions. Looking around and making sure no one was watching, she quietly leaned close to An Ke's ear. "An'an, what's wrong? Are you sleepy?"
An Ke hadn't expected Qing'er to notice her actions and was momentarily speechless. But seeing that Qing'er had already prepared an excuse, she readily accepted it. "Yes, I'm just a little sleepy. The sun is so nice, it feels warm and cozy on my skin, and I'm even feeling a bit sleepy. Haha!"
"If you want to sleep, you can simply tell the Empress Dowager to let you return to Cining Palace first." Qing'er glanced in the direction of the Empress Dowager. As long as An Ke spoke up, whether it was the Empress Dowager or the Emperor, they would allow her to return to the palace first.
"It's okay, I'm just sleepy for a bit. Let's go back together after this game." He was only trying to suppress a laugh because he remembered that classic line from back then, but he didn't really want to leave.
"Okay, if you're really sleepy, I'll go back with you." Qing'er patted An Ke reassuringly.
"Okay, I understand, Sister Qing. Don't worry, I definitely won't wrong myself." An Ke squeezed Qing'er's hand back.
Seeing that Anke's eyes were fixed on the competition field again, Qing'er gradually relaxed and turned her attention to the field.
But then, another unexpected incident occurred on the field. Due to inertia, Ruyi from the imperial kitchen fell face-first onto a small table, which pinned her down. Looking at the Empress Dowager's expression, one could see she looked extremely conflicted.
Yes, the reason the Empress Dowager originally stopped this competition was to prevent men and women from touching and colliding with each other. And yet, this accident happened halfway through. The Empress Dowager must be feeling quite conflicted.
When the members of the Gege team saw Ruyi fall, two of them rushed over to help her up. At first, they didn't lift her up, which resulted in further injury to Xiaozhuozi. After Ruyi got up, Xiaozhuozi patted himself, as if to say he had also been taken advantage of and had been groped.
The Empress Dowager, engrossed in the game, chuckled and exclaimed, "So young ladies can play ball too, and play it so interestingly! Unbelievable, simply unbelievable!" Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the Emperor naturally laughed even more heartily.
Just as the ball was about to go into the goal, it was blocked by Ruyi and Jixiang. One blocked it with his chest, and the other with his backside. Then it was back to the chase, kicking the ball back and forth.
Little Swallow was getting a little anxious and forgot the rules of the game. Seeing the ball on Little Mosquito, she grabbed Little Mosquito's braid.
Seeing this, Anke couldn't help but feel sorry for Xiaowenzi; being pulled by the hair really hurts.
Such an obvious foul was something Benjamin couldn't protect even if he wanted to, so he immediately blew his horn. "Little Swallow, foul!"
Although Little Swallow felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look Benjamin directly in the eye, she still relentlessly retorted, "I didn't break the rules! Where are your eyes?"
“Little Swallow, go back to your team. Respect the referee, obey the referee. Have you forgotten your promise? Go back.” Benjamin was very fair and impartial at this moment.
Even if Xiao Yanzi was angry or resentful at this moment, it was no use. She had promised to hold the competition, and she had said to obey the referee. Words that cannot be spoken do not count.
The ball was already at Yongqi's feet. Seeing this, Xiaoyanzi wanted Ziwei to try the same trick again. But that tactic had already been used, and it was bound to fail. Besides, it was Erkang, not Yongqi, who showed Ziwei any tenderness. So, this tactic was naturally useless.
Yongqi hesitated for a moment, then kicked the ball hard. Without Ziwei's obstruction, the ball went straight into the back goal. Undoubtedly, this point belonged to the A-Ge team.
The Emperor was pleased when the princes' team scored, and the princes behind him were even happier, cheering and jumping for joy. The princes' team members on the field also roamed around cheering.
Immediately afterwards, the third match began. Ruyi brought the ball to the side of the Age team's goal and took a shot, but unfortunately it was blocked by goalkeeper Liu Qing.
Seeing this, Little Swallow also started "moral blackmail." "Liu Qing, you're really not being fair! We're brothers, how can you side with Fifth Prince and the others? Can't you just turn a blind eye?"
Liu Qing was no fool; she retorted directly, "Grandma, this is a war. What do you mean by turning a blind eye? Don't go around intimidating the enemy."
Xiao Yanzi was speechless after being rebuked, while Liu Qing swung his arm and passed the ball back.
Seeing this, Xiao Yanzi said defiantly, "Fine, you just wait and see how I beat your prince team!"
The ball was at Liu Hong's feet. People around her tried to take it from her, but Liu Hong started a fancy ball-handling performance. There were too many people surrounding her, and Liu Hong, annoyed, kicked the ball directly at Ruyi's hat. Ruyi, as expected, began running with the ball.
Just then, the small stool and table in front of Ruyi tried to imitate the Fifth Prince's action, kicking Qiu off their hats. However, Ruyi bent over, and the small table rolled directly to the ground. Liu Hong took a shot, and Liu Qing lunged forward but missed the ball, shooting directly into the back of the goal. The Princess Team scored another point.
Meanwhile, at the table to the left of the Emperor, at the Empress's table, Rong Momo burst out laughing. Unlike in the drama, the Empress also had a faint smile on her face, as if it were an affirmation of their victory.
The members of the Gege team hugged each other, encouraging and celebrating, while the members of the Age team looked dejected.
The Emperor was also laughing heartily on the stage, looking at the Empress Dowager and saying, "This princess team actually has some unexpected tricks up their sleeve! This match is absolutely fantastic, so entertaining!"
The fourth match then began, and Little Swallow was constantly interfering with her opponents. She was pushing and shoving one after another, knocking one down. Benjamin saw this and immediately blew the horn, issuing a yellow card warning.
At this moment, Xiao Yanzi got the ball, but she was holding it with her hands. Benjamin walked up to Xiao Yanzi again, took out a yellow card, and she pushed him aside. She tried to pass the ball to a teammate, and was sent off with a red card by Benjamin.
Then, Little Swallow, dressed in red, stormed off to the shaded area of the rest area. The maids nearby naturally tried to calm her down.
If there's one player who deserves the most credit in Gege's team, it's undoubtedly Liu Hong. Liu Hong has once again won the ball. Little Swallow cheers from the sidelines, "Good, Liu Hong, kick it, kick it!"
Perhaps because she had been on the field for too long, Liu Hong's kick didn't send the ball towards the goal, but instead flew towards the safe area where the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were.
Meanwhile, the expressions on the faces of those on the field were constantly shifting. Ziwei was so frightened that her face turned pale, and Xiaoyanzi's hands, which had been cheering, had stopped moving. Yongqi was also staring blankly in the direction of the ball.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor, who were watching the game, had inscrutable expressions as the ball flew towards them. Qing'er's face was also filled with fear.
Erkang stared at the ball, muttering, "If this ball hits the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, we're doomed." He then used his light-footed skill to rush towards the ball. However, he was too late. Given the ball's speed, Erkang couldn't possibly intercept and return it as depicted in the drama.
Anke, standing nearby, was already itching to get started. She stood up abruptly and strode towards the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Then, with a high kick, she used the gap between her flowerpot-shaped shoe and her leg to trap the ball. She then quickly tossed the ball upwards and caught it in her hand.
The speed was so fast that it was dazzling, and no one knew how the ball had ended up in the princess's hands. Er Kang stopped in his tracks when he saw that the ball had been caught by Princess Yong'an.
The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. She had almost thought the ball was about to hit her. When the Emperor saw An Ke catch the ball, his eyes shone with the pride of "Look, this is my niece." He practically had the words "An Ke is my niece" plastered on his forehead.
"Good, good, An'an did a great job!" The Emperor took the lead and clapped first.
Since the Emperor has already started this trend, how could the princesses, concubines, and ministers behind him not follow suit?
Thunderous applause erupted within the safe zone. "Long live Princess Yong'an!" The voices were deafening.
An Ke, calm and composed, held the ball and said to the Emperor, "Uncle Emperor, since the ball neither landed in the goal behind the Princess's team nor in the goal of the Prince's team, let's restart the game."
The ball is in my hands, and if you follow the lines on the court, my current position is exactly where Benjamin was standing at the beginning. So, this game is essentially void.
The Emperor, of course, had no reason not to agree. He smiled broadly and said, "Very well, let's listen to An'an's suggestion. This round is void, and we'll start again." Hearing the Emperor's words, Er Kang returned to the field.
Anke placed the ball directly into Li Yu's hands. Li Yu carried the ball to the center of the court. And so, the players began to fight over the ball again.
But at this moment, Qing'er's mind was clearly not on the competition. She pulled An Ke back and said anxiously, "Are you alright? I didn't even have time to react before you rushed up there. Are you okay?" Qing'er anxiously scanned An Ke up and down.
An Ke patted Qing'er's hand reassuringly and gently pressed her shoulder down, making her sit comfortably in her seat. "Relax, relax. Don't forget how old I was when I started learning martial arts. What's this little thing to me? Besides, you saw it yourself. If I hadn't gone to catch that ball, it might have gone straight for Grandmother." An Ke whispered the last sentence into Qing'er's ear.
"You almost scared me to death just now." Qing'er was still a little shaken, her face still pale. "It seems this competition was quite dangerous."
An Ke never expected that her intervention would almost change Qing'er's opinion of the match.
"Alright, we're all fine, that's good enough. Let's keep watching and see who wins in the end." An Ke deliberately changed the subject to avoid making Qing'er worry and nag endlessly about this matter.
At this point, the Empress Dowager had also recovered. After glancing at the Emperor, An Ke, and Qing'er, she slowly shifted her attention back to the field.
At this moment, the Gege team seemed to be completely exhausted. Only Liu Hong remained as a key player on the field; the rest were trying to stop the Age team from playing.
At that moment, the ball had been passed to Yongqi's feet, and Yongqi took a shot and scored!
This scene is different from the one in the drama, where the princess team won 3-1. The prince team argued with the referee, but their argument was ultimately rejected.
The members of the "Brothers" team were overjoyed. They had finally won a point and regained their dignity as men. And the result of this match certainly didn't offend the "Girls" team.
After all, the score is 2-2, a tie! It's a draw, so what's there to say?
The emperor laughed heartily when he saw it.
Referee Benjamin rang the gong, officially ending the match. "The result is 2-2, a draw!"
At this moment, the Emperor stepped forward to summarize, "This was indeed a very exciting and well-organized match. Appropriate exercise can certainly boost morale and unity. Especially today, I witnessed the efforts of both the Princess Team and the Prince Team. The Princess Team showed no less courage than the men, and the Prince Team was equally tenacious. I hereby officially declare it a 2-2 draw! The Princess Team and the Prince Team are tied. This match has truly broadened my horizons!"
This fulfilled the ending of the drama, and both sides were very happy. So they both bowed and paid their respects to the Emperor. "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress Dowager!"
The cheerleaders of the princess team and the guards of the prince team also saluted at the same time.
At this moment, Anke was looking behind them. According to the plan, the palace maids should be the ones to celebrate the birthday.
Sure enough, they saw palace maids trailing long strips of cloth as they approached. Some even weaved through the crowd. The scene was quite grand.
This plan was, of course, kept secret from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, so their expressions were quite shocked. The Emperor, on the other hand, showed delight.
Immediately afterward, the palace maids quickly arranged the strips of cloth they held together to form a giant character for "longevity." The character swayed in the wind. Even An Ke, who had known about it beforehand, was shocked by the scene, let alone the Emperor, who was directly involved.
The one who spoke was naturally the Fifth Prince. He clasped his hands and said, "Father, today is your birthday. Before your usual state banquet, we have specially organized this balloon-launching competition to give you a different kind of entertainment."
Little Swallow chimed in at this moment. "Father Emperor, you've given us so many surprises before, and this time we want to give you a surprise too. This performance is to wish you boundless happiness and longevity."
At this moment, the phrase "May your happiness be as boundless as the Eastern Sea and your life be long and prosperous" kept echoing throughout the venue, almost like a 3D surround sound effect.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, who had a face full of relief and emotion, and said to An Ke and Qing'er beside her, "I finally know why the Emperor dotes on this Little Swallow."
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