Chapter 82 Extra Game

There were many polo experts in Beijing, and the outcome of the match was not difficult to guess. Many people could see that Su Xingzhi was not capable enough, and that one person could not lead a team, so defeat was inevitable.

However, this cannot hide the fact that this polo match was very exciting. The Queen sat in the stands and was very satisfied with this exhibition match.

The Jinshi Lang was full of vigor and vigor, and the two were evenly matched. This was the momentum of the Zhou Dynasty. She fought for forty years, and after many twists and turns, she returned power to the Li family. Although she returned to Chang'an, the power did not fall into someone else's hands. Instead, she chose to pass the throne to the heir surnamed Li.

Although Hu is old, her body is still strong and her eyes and ears are still sharp. These young people in the audience are the symbol of her power. The fact that they are all from the top three of Xuanxiaowei is the best proof.

The people around saw that the empress was in a good mood and laughed and joined in the fun. Princess Taiping said with a smile: "Congratulations, mother. You have recruited many talents this year. In my opinion, the people in the audience are all future prime ministers."

The Queen was most proud of her ability to appoint the right people to the right posts. Many of the famous officials in the court were discovered and promoted by her. The Queen smiled but said nothing. The King of Wei felt a prick in his heart as he listened to the flattery from all around him.

So what if he was the future prime minister? Wasn't that reserved for the crown prince? The King of Wei looked at the seat in the East Palace across from him. He really couldn't accept that the throne would belong to a timid loser who couldn't even read a ready-made manuscript.

The King of Wei was in a bad mood and suddenly said, "Su Xingzhi was the top scholar chosen by my aunt, but he lost to someone else today. It's really unbecoming. I think the level of the other team is not that high either. They just relied on their family background, relatives and old friends to gain the upper hand."

The audience was silent. Everyone could tell that the King of Wei had ill intentions. He was not referring to Su Xingzhi at all. Rather, he was using Su Xingzhi's name to imply that the Li family had deep roots in Chang'an and had other selfish motives.

Chang'an was the old capital of the Li Tang Dynasty, and most of the nobles in the city followed Emperor Taizong in his quest for power. The empress's passing of the throne to the Li family was seen by the Chang'an nobles as a way to restore order, and it was the way it should be. They hoped that the crown prince would ascend the throne as soon as possible and restore everything to its original state. However, from the empress's perspective, this was disrespectful.

The older an emperor gets, the stronger his desire for control over power becomes. This has been a common phenomenon since ancient times, even for wise rulers. The empress looked indifferent when she heard the King of Wei's words, and did not express her opinion. Princess Taiping was a little anxious, and was about to say something when a young voice suddenly came from the seat next to her.

"On the polo field, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. If the King of Wei feels that this game is unfair, I am willing to lead another team and play a game with the King of Wei."

Everyone turned around and saw a heroic young man standing proudly at the table in the Prince of Xiang's mansion. It was the Prince of Xiang's third son, the Prince of Linzi. The Prince of Xiang frowned and scolded his son in a low voice: "Sanlang, don't be rude."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Linzi bowed to the Prince of Wei and the Empress, but his neck remained straight, and he obviously did not think he was wrong. The Prince of Wei laughed coldly and said sarcastically, "Only you?"

"Please teach me, King Wei."

Princess Taiping thought that although this move was reckless, it was also a way to defeat the enemy with force. She smiled and said, "I feel that I am not satisfied yet, mother. It is rare for me to leave the palace, so why not have some fun. Our family has not had such a grand event for a long time. Since the King of Wei and Sanlang are interested, let them lead your scholars to fight. This is called sharing happiness with the people."

Princess Taiping looked at them smiling, but she actually regarded this as a "prank". Regardless of whether they were surnamed Li or Wu, they were all relatives of the empress. What was the difference between close and distant relatives? The empress seemed to be persuaded and said, "Then go ahead."

The Queen spoke, and the King of Wei could only stand up and accept the order. The King of Linzi did not show any nervousness at all, and responded loudly: "Thank you, Grandmother. I will not let you down."

Li Chongrun sat behind the crown prince, watching his cousin, Prince Linzi, stand up for the Li family, feeling both happy and sad. He was happy that the Li family still had men with lofty ideals and unyielding ambitions, but he was sad that he, the grandson of the emperor of the Eastern Palace, was as cautious as a turtle, even worse than a concubine's son.

Li Chongrun could no longer bear this humiliation, so he stood up and said, "I am willing to fight with Prince Linzi."

No one expected Li Chongrun to stand up. Many people were surprised, and the most surprised were the prince and his wife. The prince hurriedly winked at his son, and Concubine Wei even pulled him to sit down: "What nonsense, what do you want to do? Sit down quickly."

Li Chongrun stiffened his neck and didn't move. The empress just smiled and said, "It's just a game of polo for the family. Go if you want. It's a good opportunity for me to see how the brothers are doing with their archery and horseback training."

The prince agreed almost tremblingly, his mind was blank and he couldn't speak. Concubine Wei had no choice but to thank him on his behalf: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Off the field, Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling were fighting with each other. Jiang Ling glanced around and suddenly thought, "Oh no, Ren Yao is missing!"

Ming Huashang was startled when she heard this and quickly put her hand away. As expected, she turned around and didn't see Ren Yao anymore: "Where is Sister Ren?"

Jiang Ling was taller than Ming Huashang. He raised his neck and looked around, then pointed to one side: "She's over there!"

Ren Yao had just had an argument with her grandmother and was in no mood to have fun. She saw Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling quarreling, left silently, and walked towards the polo field unconsciously.

The newly-minted scholars galloped on the court, and the whole city was in raptures. She admitted that they played well, but she was also a martial arts champion, and she could also ride a horse and hit the ball, and she was confident that she was no worse than them. Why didn't she even have this opportunity?

Ren Yao stood at the edge of the polo field, watching the referee wave the flag. The result of the match was decided, and the scholars dismounted and walked towards this side, chatting and laughing. The victorious team was beaming with joy, attracting the attention of the whole audience. Even a eunuch quickly passed Ren Yao and ran towards them: "Su No. 1, Ming No. 2, Xie No. 3, please stay. The emperor commends you for playing well this round. The king of Wei, the king of Shao, and the king of Linzi are going to play another round. Are the three scholars willing to stay and help?"

Ren Yao was standing not far away and happened to hear this, and was quite stunned. The scholars in the field were also very surprised. Prince Shao was the title given to Li Chongrun, the legitimate son of the crown prince. The fact that Prince Wei and Prince Shao personally participated in the competition had a very heavy meaning.

There are so many visitors today. What happened in Furong Garden will spread all over the city within a day. The competition between the King of Wei and the King of Linzi and the King of Shao is definitely not a simple victory or defeat. Su Xingzhi was a little hesitant. He studied hard for ten years and finally passed the official examination. He really didn't want to be involved in the competition among the princes. While he was considering how to decline politely, Ming Huazhang behind him made a decisive promise: "It is my honor to be on the same stage with the King of Shao and the King of Wei. I am willing to obey the orders of the King of Shao."

Ming Huazhang had already agreed, so Su Xingzhi couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He sighed secretly and bowed: "I obey your command."

Jiang Ling and Ming Huashang had just run over from behind, and before Ming Huashang could greet him, "Second brother," they heard Ren Yao suddenly say in a loud voice, "I, Ren Yao, am willing to serve you all as a dog or a horse."

Jiang Ling and Ming Huashang's expressions froze, and they looked at each other, not knowing what had happened. The eunuch heard the voice, turned around and glanced at Ren Yao, with a look of disdain on his face: "You?"

Ren Yao ignored the obvious rejection of the eunuchs and recommended himself in front of the whispers of many people around him: "I am the daughter of Pingnan Marquis, the heir of the Ren family spear, and this year's top military champion. I got full marks in the four subjects of horse shooting, foot shooting, flat shooting, and horse spear. I am confident that I can help Your Highness win."

The eunuch still looked down on him and said in a shrill voice, "Polo is dangerous and intense. It's a sport for men. Why would a girl like you join in the fun?"

Being rejected in front of so many people, any ordinary girl would have cried, but Ren Yao refused to give up and said stubbornly: "You have never seen me on a horse, how do you know I can't do it? I hope you will give me a chance."

The eunuch squinted his eyes, already a little impatient: "How dare you! This is a serious matter in the palace, how can a little girl like you be allowed to get involved?"

Ming Huashang heard a lot of pointing and criticizing. Jiang Ling was immediately annoyed when he saw that a mere eunuch who was a messenger dared to embarrass Ren Yao. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to step forward to argue when he was suddenly stopped by Ming Huashang.

Ming Huashang quickly crossed her arms to the eunuch and said, "Eunuch, His Majesty is not picky about talent. How do you know that His Majesty doesn't want to see women on the field? Prince Shao and Prince Linzi are here. Why don't you ask the two princes for permission before making a decision?"

The eunuchs were always unbridled outside, but Ming Huashang's words seemed to ring a warning bell in his ears. Yes, the empress is a woman, who always advocates the phoenix on top and the dragon on the bottom. If his words just now were heard by the empress, would it make her unhappy?

The eunuchs dared not force themselves any further. Just at this moment, Li Chongrun and Prince Linzi came over. They saw a group of people gathered here and asked, "What happened?"

The eunuch hurriedly ran to Li Chongrun and Prince Linzi and reported what had just happened in a low voice. Prince Linzi looked at Ren Yao in surprise, obviously not expecting that a woman would dare to compete with a man in polo. Li Chongrun was kind and generous by nature. He saw that Ren Yao was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and it was not easy for him to dare to recommend himself in public. If he refused, it would hurt Ren Yao's face.

General Ren, the Marquis of Pingnan, had made great contributions in the southwest, and his family had shed blood on the battlefield. He couldn't bear to treat their daughter like this. Polo is a team game, so adding a penalty is not a bad idea. Li Chongrun then said, "Okay, then it's as you wish."

Ren Yao was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately bowed: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Ming Huashang was also sincerely happy for Ren Yao. Seeing this, Jiang Ling immediately said, "I'll come too!"

Ming Huashang hurriedly grabbed Jiang Ling and glared at him secretly: "What are you doing? Stop making trouble."

When Ming Huazhang agreed to compete just now, he also made his position clear. He said "I am willing to obey the orders of King Shao", and now King Shao has agreed to bring Ren Yao to the game. Brother and sister Ren are on the same team, how can Ming Huazhang let Jiang Ling, a half-baked man, hold them back?

She pulled Jiang Ling and said to him from an angle that no one could see: "Don't you know your own level? Don't go and drag my second brother down. What if they can't win?"

Jiang Ling was not convinced and angrily said, "Who are you calling a burden? Am I not better than you?"

"Is it an honor to be better than me?" Ming Huashang said, "I ranked last in the martial arts exam, and there is someone who is better than me."

Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling were fighting and attacking each other. In their hearts, they both thought the other was useless, but to outsiders, they were too close. Ming Huazhang walked forward with a cold face and easily separated the two: "Shangshang, you must not be rude to the son of Jiang Anhou."

Li Chongrun was very touched to see that everyone was so enthusiastic to join his team and wanted to help him win. Jiang Ling was the son of Marquis Jiang An, so he was considered one of his own. Li Chongrun didn't want to disappoint his important ministers, so he said, "Since Prince Jiang is willing, let's come together."

Jiang Ling immediately looked at Ming Huashang with a haughty look, pulled back his hand, and ran towards Ren Yao happily. Ming Huashang looked at Jiang Ling in despair, and glared at Ming Huazhang with hatred: "Second brother! What are you doing to me?"

Ming Huazhang thought that if he didn't stop, the palace would misunderstand that she and Jiang Ling were in love at first sight, and it would be troublesome if an imperial decree came to grant marriage. Ming Huazhang held Ming Huachang's hand and comforted her: "It's okay, polo is about teamwork, and it's a good thing that he is on the same team with us."

When they were in Zhongnan Mountain, the five of them were a team, and they trained together, so they naturally had an advantage in terms of cooperation. Letting Jiang Ling join might be much better than having a teammate who was strong individually but not familiar with them.

"Jingzhan." Li Chongrun and Prince Linzi had gone to the side to discuss tactics. Xie Jichuan did not follow them. He stood alone on the field, looking at Ming Huazhang from afar, "It's time to go."

This match was related to the people's hearts and reputation, so Ming Huazhang did not dare to be careless. He hurriedly settled Ming Huashang and left. Ming Huashang walked against the bright sunlight, watching Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan walk away and join the team of King Shao.

The news that the prince personally played in the court was like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, and immediately set off a wave of enthusiasm in Furong Garden. People flocked to see the style of the royal princes. Except for Su Xingzhi, the rest of the Wei kings were the best soldiers he had carefully selected. He was confident that he would win this battle, but he didn't expect that after he went on the court, there was an explosion of cheers inside and outside the court, and the focus was not on them.

The King of Wei also looked across in surprise. What was that cowardly son of the Crown Prince doing? Why were there women in the team?

The two teams were distinguished by the color of the horses. A team of white horses slowly walked onto the polo field. Each of the horses was a young and handsome young man. Even the oldest, Li Chongrun, was only eighteen years old. However, the most eye-catching person was not the two princes, but a woman.

Ren Yao, wearing a red Hu costume, mixed in with the men's team. She felt that many people were looking at her, including the audience, the superiors, her relatives, and the enemies on the opposite side. She was too familiar with these looks. Women disliked her for bringing shame to women, and men stared at her with condescending and judgmental eyes. She had been living under such looks for years.

But this time, something seemed different. Ren Yao looked forward and saw Ming Huazhang's straight back. Before going on stage, Ming Huazhang whispered to her, "Don't feel burdened. Victory or defeat is decided by fate. Just do your best." Jiang Ling rode beside her. Seeing her frown, he thought she was nervous, so he came over confidently and said, "Don't worry, we will definitely win."

Ren Yao looked further away, but she couldn't find her grandmother, uncle, or aunt, but she knew they were definitely looking at her. Ren Yao had no idea what her grandmother's expression was at the moment, just like she couldn't see the expression of the empress behind the heavy round fans on the platform, but she could see Ming Huashang standing at the side of the polo field, jumping and shouting at her at the top of her lungs, "Sister Ren, come on!"

Ren Yao silently clenched the crescent pole. She had endured ten years of bitter cold, so what was there to be afraid of in just a polo match? Moreover, she was no longer alone today.

She didn't believe that this was her fate. She didn't believe that there was no place for women in this world!

Under the gazes of the crowd, the referee held the ball high. With a sudden whistle, the ball painted with colorful clouds was thrown into the air. In an instant, the sound of horses' hooves trotted and yellow sand flew everywhere. More than a dozen people rode their horses together and engaged in battle.

Su Xingzhi participated in the competition for the second time, and competed with the princes and grandsons of the emperor. Su Yuji couldn't help but stand at the side of the polo field and stared at the field nervously. Ming Huashang was shouting and jumping beside her, as if no one was around. Even though she was not the one who lost her composure, Su Yuji was a little embarrassed.

Su Yuji couldn't help but say, "Keep your voice down, many people are looking over here!"

Ming Huashang's voice was almost hoarse from shouting. She took the sour plum juice from Zhaocai's hand, took a big gulp, and said, "There can be many polo matches, but this may be the only time that women and men compete on the same field and directly compete against the prince. I don't know if I can have the courage to recommend myself for the third time after being rejected twice in public. She did it, and she dared to compete with them in front of so many men's gazes. I really admire her."

Su Yuji stopped talking. She was watching the intense polo match. Although Su Xingzhi was also there, for the first time in her life, she had the thought that she hoped her brother would not win.

She is not Ren Yao, but Ren Yao is thousands of hers. No extra words are needed at this moment, Su Yuji completely empathizes with Ming Huashang.

She also hopes that Ren Yao can win.