"Both goals are the same size, what's there to choose?"
"Look, sir, the sun is already setting. If we attack facing it, wouldn't it be glaring?"
"That's true."
"Also, if there is wind, you also have to consider the wind direction. There is a difference between heading into the wind and heading with the wind."
"I understand." Zhao Ji nodded, turned his head and said to Cai Jing with a smile: "Yuan Chang, I didn't expect that a small football could have so many details."
Cai Jing wrapped his fur coat tighter around him, squinted his eyes at the troops entering the arena, and nodded slightly, saying, "The right time, the right place, and the right people are all in line with the art of war."
As they were talking, the game began.
The team that kicked off the game was the blue team, led by Han Shizhong. His team's skills were average, but each player was tall and strong. Relying on their physical advantage, they rushed around the field and overwhelmed their opponents with their momentum.
The players on the red team were all selected by Gao Yanei. They have good football skills and most of them have been playing Cuju since childhood. They all have skillful footwork.
With the emperor watching the game, players from both teams were vying for the lead, fighting each other. After a while, they were sweating profusely, but no one scored a goal.
After Han Shizhong got the ball, he rushed towards the opponent's goal while screaming "Wow Wow". When someone blocked his way, he did not dodge but rushed forward, knocking two people away in a row.
Just when he was feeling proud, someone suddenly tackled the ball from the side and knocked it away...
The person who made the tackle was Gao Yanei.
Seeing this, Zhao Ji began to comment: "Chengzong is really smart. He knew that the opponent was arrogant and could not be defeated, so he sneaked into Chencang and snatched the ball with clever force."
"You can't defeat him by force, you can only use your wits. Okay!" Although Cai Jing couldn't play football, he knew how to flatter and knew his master's preferences.
After all, he had been flattering him for half his life, and the one who knew Zhao Ji well was Cai Jing.
As he was speaking, Gao Yanei finally got the ball. He dribbled left and right, dodged several people in a row, and quickly rushed to the near field.
The supporters of the Red Team outside the stadium shouted loudly to cheer, and the noise filled the entire stadium.
The blue team's goalkeeper stretched out his arms to block the ball in front of the goal, staring at Gao Yanei nervously.
When Gao Yanei brought the ball to more than twenty steps away from the goal, he suddenly kicked the ball and it flew towards the goal like lightning.
The blue team's goalkeeper stretched out his long arms and pounced on the ball like a hungry tiger, catching it firmly.
There was a sound of disappointment inside and outside the stadium.
Zhao Ji frowned and asked, "Shixun, why is he catching the ball with his hands? Isn't that a foul?"
"Sir, the gatekeepers are allowed to use their hands, but no one else can."
"Oh!" Zhao Ji turned his attention back to the court.
At this time, the offense and defense have switched positions, and the blue team has regained control of the ball.
Under Han Shizhong's command, the blue team members pressed forward, clearing the way for the players with the ball, and they rushed forward, knocking the red team members and horses to the ground...
Zhao Ji asked again: "Shixun, they are so arrogant, isn't it against the rules?"
Zhang Shixun replied with a smile: "It's not a foul. As long as there are no punches or kicks, it's in accordance with the rules."
When formulating the rules, he did not completely copy the football rules of later generations, but was selective in order to cultivate the wildness of the soldiers.
Yes, it is wildness. If a soldier does not have a bit of wildness, can he still be called a soldier?
Zhao Ji turned to look at Zhang Shixun, his eyes full of confusion and dissatisfaction: "With this kind of kicking, wouldn't the stronger the body, the more likely it is to win?"
"Not necessarily. Look, sir, the ball is now in the red team's hands again, right?" Zhang Shixun said, pointing to the field.
Zhao Ji turned around and looked at the court, and sure enough, the ball returned to the red team.
This time the red team cooperated better and passed the ball more often. Even Gao Yanei did not rush to dribble the ball after receiving it. He passed it to other teammates when he saw someone blocking him.
The blue team obviously did not learn the man-to-man tactics and ran after the ball in a swarm, which resulted in defensive gaps.
Gao Yanei took advantage of the opportunity when the blue team was fighting for the ball and sneaked to the vicinity of the goal. Bajin'er, who was dribbling the ball, saw it as an opportunity and kicked the ball towards Gao Yanei, but he was knocked to the ground by the opponent.
When Gao Yanei saw the ball flying towards him, he raised his left foot and gently tapped the ball to stop it under his feet. Then he picked up the ball like kicking a shuttlecock, and kicked the ball towards the goal with his right foot.
Although the blue team's goalkeeper had been waiting for the ball, Gao Yanei was too close to the goal and the ball was too fast to be stopped.
In the blink of an eye, the ball brushed past the goalkeeper's fingers and flew into the goal.
When the red team players saw the goal, they all cheered and jumped, and the cheerleaders outside the field also cheered like crazy.
Gao Yanei excitedly raised his fists, waving them while shouting, "Grandpa is the strongest!"
“The strongest!”
“The strongest…!”
The cheerleaders outside the field shouted along.
The emotions of Zhao Ji and the ministers who were watching outside were also aroused.
"Haha! Not bad, not bad. Chengzong has inherited his father's legacy." Zhao Ji applauded and laughed. He turned to Gao Qiu, who was sitting a few seats away, and said, "You have a son who makes you proud."
Gao Qiu's face flushed red as he cupped his hands and said, "Thanks to the Emperor's great blessing!"
Li Bangyan, who was standing next to him, could no longer sit still. He stood up and said to Zhao Ji, "Your Majesty, I saw those little bastards playing football, and my feet are itching too. Can I...?"
"Is this the place where you play football? Just stay here." Zhao Ji's feet were also very itchy, but due to his dignity as the emperor, he could not play football here no matter what.
As the game continued, Han Shizhong changed his strategy and adopted a man-to-man tactic. The burly players of the red team followed the players of the blue team like dog-skin plasters.
I can't score, and I won't let you score!
As a result, the red team players were restricted and could no longer freely display their skilled skills.
Soon, the blue team players counterattacked and scored a goal.
The two sides were tied, the competition became more intense, and players were injured and replaced by substitutes one after another.
"Football is good, but it's easy to get injured." Zhao Ji frowned as he looked at the players with bruised faces and noses.
"Haha! This is a military camp. Soldiers don't need to be polite when playing football. This way of playing can cultivate their courage to fight and fight."
Zhang Shixun observed Zhao Ji's words and expressions and naturally knew what he was thinking. "The rules are flexible. If the emperor plays football, you can change the rules, such as not allowing collisions, not allowing tackles, etc."
Zhao Ji was delighted when he heard this: "This way, it will be much more elegant. Haha! This is a good idea!"
Seeing his happiness, Zhang Shixun took the opportunity to say, "Sir, the competitions in our military camp all have some kind of prize..."
"Guan Bo?" Zhao Ji's face fell before he finished listening.
"Don't misunderstand, sir. This kind of prize isn't about money, but about everyday items like towels, shoes, and socks. Some even get an extra piece of meat at lunch as an encouragement."
When Zhao Ji heard this, his expression softened.
"Sir, we all know that you are going to conduct an inspection. The soldiers have been looking forward to it for many days. Are you..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com