After returning to the mansion to change into casual clothes, the two rode their horses to a meadow outside the Tongmen Gate in the eastern suburbs.
Stretching as far as the eye could see, the green grass was like a silk carpet unfurled. A gentle breeze caressed it, the blades swaying softly, emitting a delicate rustling sound.
Along the edge of the meadow, a rectangular playing field had been carved out with sickles. At each end stood a tall, three-丈 pole, with a circular goal about a foot in diameter at the top, called a ju shi or a 'wind and flow eye'. A dozen young soldiers in round-necked, narrow-sleeved robes, their front hems tied with silk ribbons and their lower hems tucked in at the right hip, were enthusiastically kicking a brown ball on the field. Cheers and shouts rang out incessantly.
Huai'an was not infected by the lively atmosphere on the field, but simply lowered her face and remained silent. It wasn't that she was bad at cuju (蹴鞠, ancient Chinese football); on the contrary, she could be said to be the best cuju player in the entire Great Zheng Dynasty.
The reason she didn't want to play was because... her second brother was really too unsportsmanlike.
Since she was little, she had often watched her second brother and the other children play cuju by the side of the field. Ping Yan thought she was too young and didn't want her to play. Annoyed, she worked hard, studied the Bielu (別錄, a bibliography) and read the Jucheng Lun (鞠城論, Discourse on the Ball Field), practicing her swordsmanship and diligently honing her ball skills with her playmates in her spare time. On the day she was finally allowed to play, she defeated Ping Yan's team in one fell swoop and continued to win repeatedly in subsequent matches, so much so that Ping Yan would always stomp his feet and curse, shouting things like, "Tricky! Lucky! The referee is unfair!" and "Real warfare isn't this childish!" Then he would ignore her for several days.
So in the days that followed, she rarely played ball with her second brother anymore.
Seeing the displeasure on Huai'an's face, Ping Yan hurriedly said, "Don't worry, this time I won't shout nonsense again."
"That's what you say every time, Brother. When have you ever done it?"
Ping Yan choked and said awkwardly, "Was it that bad?"
"What do you think, Brother?"
Ping Yan stammered, his words incoherent, saying, "It's not because..."
"Brother, after settling the Southern Qi issue, you'll be busy with the Western Regions. How can you still be so leisurely all day?"
"Settle the Southern Qi issue?" A clear voice rang out. Huai'an turned her head and saw a dignified and imposing man approaching, arrogance and confidence flowing between his brows, his eyes bright and piercing, his every gesture exuding innate superiority and nobility. One look was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.
"This honored guest is...?"
The newcomer did not reply immediately.
Seeing that he was wearing brocade clothes that were not in the style of the Northern Dynasty, Huai'an asked, "You are not from my Great Zheng, are you?"
The man nodded, but still did not reveal his identity, only saying, "Cuju is also loved by the people of my Great Qi. This humble one has learned a few minor skills. May I ask for the honor of a friendly match with you?"
"So you are a distinguished guest from Southern Qi," Ping Yan said casually with a cupped-fist salute.
Upon hearing this, the newcomer frowned slightly. "Do not call me honored guest. That title is used by my fifth younger brother."
Ping Yan narrowed his eyes, roughly guessing the newcomer's identity. He asked calmly, "How may I address you?"
"You may call me Young Master Xiao."
"For what reason does Young Master Xiao visit my Great Zheng?"
The man who called himself Young Master Xiao smiled without answering, only continuing to ask, "How about a game of cuju?"
"Alright," Ping Yan didn't refuse, pointing to the soldiers still running on the field. "Distinguished guest, you have come from afar, so you are the guest. Please choose your teammates first."
Young Master Xiao chuckled. "I brought my own teammates." He casually waved his hand, and several attendants suddenly appeared, kneeling halfway in front of him. Huai'an was greatly surprised, because she hadn't noticed their presence at all before they appeared. It seemed that this Young Master Xiao had a significant background. But she still couldn't guess his identity for the moment.
While pointing out a few people, Young Master Xiao said, "If it weren't for my fifth brother being delayed somewhere on the road, he would definitely be the main striker in this match. Until he catches up, I will humbly take his place."
Then he raised his head and saw Huai'an watching silently with her arms crossed, so he asked again, "This young lady seems to be proficient in this sport. Would you be willing to join?"
As soon as Ping Yan heard this, he immediately shielded Huai'an behind him. "Since you have chosen your own people, let's consider this a Zheng-Qi contest then." He couldn't let his best general be taken away!
Huai'an was amused. She had never been on the same team as her second brother before. It seemed that after this game, Ping Yan would definitely not shout nonsense at her again.
Ping Yan paused, a smirk appearing on his lips as if he had thought of a brilliant idea. "Young Master Xiao, since we're having a match, how about we add a wager to make it more interesting?"
"What shall we wager?"
"Let's wager..." Ping Yan pretended to ponder for a long time, then finally seemed to make up his mind. "How about a promise?"
"A promise?"
"If you win, you can ask for something within our power, and vice versa."
Young Master Xiao was intrigued and clapped his hands, laughing. "Good, let's do as Master Ping suggests."
Ping Yan's eyebrows twitched, and he narrowed his eyes, looking at him suspiciously. Young Master Xiao immediately understood. He chuckled and pointed to the soldiers running on the field. The Ping siblings looked up and saw that the robes worn by the soldiers were all embroidered with the insignia of the Ping family army. And the only ones who could freely command the Ping family soldiers like this were the two of them.
Ping Yan was somewhat displeased. He had originally thought that since Young Master Xiao was unwilling to reveal his identity, he would play along. But now it seemed that both sides had probably guessed each other's identities.
He snorted lightly. "Rest for a while. See you on the field in a quarter of an hour." It didn't matter; they didn't need this advantage.
The two siblings personally selected the remaining ten teammates, including the xiao qiu (驍球, swift striker), zheng xie (正挾, central wing), tou xie (頭挾, forward wing), zuo gan wang (左竿網, left midfielder), you gan wang (右竿網, right midfielder), and san li (散立, free players). Huai'an and Ping Yan naturally took the positions of second striker and main striker respectively. At first, Huai'an had wanted to compete with her second brother for the main striker position, but she immediately gave up. Her brother deserved a chance to show off.
As the guests, Ping Yan let Young Master Xiao's team, the left team, kick off first.
A loud gong sound pierced the sky, and the match officially began.
Young Master Xiao was far more than just someone who had 'learned a few minor skills'. On the field, he moved like a swimming dragon, shuttling between the enemy and his own team, shouting unknown terms and waving his hands as if deploying troops. His teammates would sometimes spread out and sometimes gather together. The second striker juggled the ball a few times and passed it steadily to Young Master Xiao. Young Master Xiao's footwork was superb, and it looked like he was about to kick it towards the feng liu yan.
But the Ping siblings' side was equally formidable. Huai'an rushed out quickly, chasing the ball. Lowering her body, she executed a flying tackle, swift as a meteor, kicking up countless pieces of turf. The ball immediately fell under her feet, and then with a flick of her foot, she kicked it. Ping Yan seemed to have a telepathic connection. He leaped up, aimed, and with a beautiful powerful shot, sent the ball fiercely into the feng liu yan. The speed was so fast that the naked eye could barely follow it. The right team immediately erupted in cheers.
Ping Yan raised his head towards Huai'an, raised an eyebrow, and snorted nonchalantly, but his eyes were filled with: Praise me!
Huai'an smiled helplessly and gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, alright, you're the best."
"Of course."
It was the right team's turn to kick off. They didn't give Young Master Xiao's team the slightest chance. The ball hadn't been passed more than four times before Ping Yan had already dribbled past, making the left team's goalkeeper a mere formality, and quickly scored.
The match continued, and it could be seen that no matter how the left team arranged their formations, the right team simply skillfully used leg techniques such as 'shoulder, back, crotch, touch, control, press, drag, knee, tap, side', lightly weaving through the field, scoring accurately and elegantly again and again.
Even though the left team was at a disadvantage, Young Master Xiao's expression didn't turn gloomy. He simply continued to calmly respond to the fierce attacks, his eyes seeming to hold a well-thought-out plan, unafraid of any challenge.
Seeing this, Huai'an couldn't help but feel admiration in her heart, thinking that this Young Master Xiao must be a remarkable figure.
Just as the right team was about to score more than half the points and win, a roar suddenly came from the sidelines: "Big Brother! I'm late!"
Huai'an turned her head and saw a man with a strong build, a straight posture, perfect muscle lines in his arms and legs, just the right amount of firmness, and broad shoulders that seemed capable of supporting the sky. One look was enough to tell he was someone who practiced martial arts year-round, but his eyebrows and eyes revealed a sinister and seductive air, making him seem somewhat discordant.
Seeing the newcomer, Young Master Xiao shouted happily, "Fifth Brother!"
The man called Fifth Brother stepped forward, gave Young Master Xiao a cupped-fist salute, and said respectfully, "Apologies to Big Brother."
"No apology needed," Young Master Xiao called a timeout and walked towards the newcomer. "But where did you go? I've been looking for you."
"Dealing with some matters."
"Are they settled?"
The man nodded.
Young Master Xiao patted his shoulder and said to the approaching Ping siblings, "This is my fifth younger brother, named Ke. You can call him 'Honored Guest'."
Ping Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully sizing up the Honored Guest, murmuring, "Why is he here too?"
Now Huai'an finally understood the other party's identity. Young Master Xiao's fifth brother must also be surnamed Xiao, and his name was Xiao Ke.
Although she rarely paid attention to the affairs of Southern Qi, she had heard some things about Xiao Ke from Huan Sui, the Grand Protector of Henan Province, simply because this person was the Jiedushi of Huainan Province in Southern Qi, who had been stationed on the border for many years, facing Great Zheng from afar. He was the fifth prince of Southern Qi, Xiao Ke.
And hearing Xiao Ke call Young Master Xiao Big Brother, it was likely that this 'Young Master Xiao' was none other than the Crown Prince of Southern Qi, Xiao Yan.
Huai'an whistled softly to herself. Who would have thought that there would be two such important figures in this Southern Qi delegation?
Xiao Ke reached out and shook hands with both Ping Yan and Huai'an. His grip was strong and powerful, his palms covered in thick calluses. Huai'an carefully observed him, feeling his breath steady and deep, yet within his seemingly open and powerful martial arts foundation, there was a hint of undetectable sinister cunning.
"Ke has arrived just in time. Your Big Brother was being beaten down by the Ping siblings. It's your turn to help me vent my frustration!"
"As you command."
Ping Yan complained, "Young Master Xiao, reinforcements in a losing situation, I'm afraid that's not proper, is it?" Although they were about to win, they were also exhausted. How could they compete if the enemy suddenly added a fresh force?
Xiao Yan chuckled. "We won't be unreasonable. As long as you score one more point, we'll admit defeat. The wager stands, how about it?"
Ping Yan snorted. "Young Master Xiao underestimates us too much, but..." He shrugged and nodded. "Deal." They were originally still three points away from winning. Now that Xiao Yan had made such an offer, it wasn't a loss. In any case, being able to achieve their goal was enough.
"Don't be careless. My fifth brother is a well-known leg expert in Great Qi."
"Mmm," Ping Yan said nonchalantly. Their Huai'an was the truly formidable one.
Seeing this, Huai'an roughly guessed why her second brother had proposed the wager. Although she didn't know how her second brother knew that the Crown Prince of Qi would definitely pass through this road and stop to participate in the cuju match—it would be too much of a coincidence if it were just that. But in any case, her second brother probably wanted to take this opportunity to make the Crown Prince of Qi make promises that would benefit Great Zheng, such as withdrawing troops from Great Qi and agreeing to marry a woman from the imperial clan. After all, Great Zheng had already broken its promise, so they needed to find an opportunity to salvage the situation.
Oh, Brother, you really don't need to go to such lengths. Huai'an wanted to say this to Ping Yan. Maybe today they would arrange for Ruo'cheng to meet the Crown Prince of Qi, and then they could successfully arrange the marriage alliance.
The bronze gong resonated, signaling the official start of the final match.
Xiao Ke truly lived up to his reputation as the 'fierce legs'. He charged left and right with incredible ferocity, then subtly lifted his jade-like leg, gently guiding the ball steadily along the ground. Combined with Xiao Yan's tactics, they surprisingly broke the deadlock, scoring three points in a row.
Huai'an was secretly astonished. She exchanged a look with Ping Yan, who called a timeout. The Ping family team huddled together to discuss countermeasures.
Someone suggested switching from offense to defense and strengthening their marking of Xiao Ke. Others proposed abandoning their steady ball control strategy in favor of quick counterattacks, using high-pressure offense to suppress the opponent. Still others suggested increasing the number of forwards... Amidst the clamor of different opinions, none seemed perfectly suited to the current situation.
Ping Yan listened quietly to his subordinates' ideas. After a moment, he raised his eyes to look at Huai'an. Huai'an understood. She nodded. "I'll block Xiao Ke." As long as Xiao Ke was contained, all the efforts of the Southern Qi team would be in vain. Although she couldn't guarantee she could block Xiao Ke for a long time, she could manage for a while. She was quite confident in her ball skills and martial arts.
"When Xiao Ke is unable to move freely, that will be our chance to attack with all our might. We must seize it!"
The others pounded their chests and shouted, "The Ping family army will win!"
The final sound of the bronze gong rang out. The left team kicked off. The Southern Qi team's kicker, without a second thought, kicked the ball towards Xiao Ke. Seeing this, Huai'an instantly darted forward, heading the ball firmly. The ball landed steadily on her head. After controlling it with her legs for a few touches, she faced Ping Yan, feinted a kick, but then suddenly kicked it sideways towards another player on the Ping family team—Zhao Tie.
Xiao Ke hadn't anticipated this. He had originally judged that Huai'an would definitely pass the ball to Ping Yan, and his body had already shifted towards Ping Yan. But seeing the ball change direction and fly towards Zhao Tie, he hurriedly stopped his momentum, intending to chase after it. Huai'an didn't give Xiao Ke a chance. With a 'Falling Flower Meteor' step, she strode to Xiao Ke's side and bumped him with her shoulder, knocking him off his original course.
Staggering from the impact, Xiao Ke glared at Huai'an resentfully. He was about to run towards the left when Huai'an immediately stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Xiao Ke didn't hesitate, bending down and stepping towards the right. Huai'an blocked again. Xiao Ke pushed off the ground and leaped up, intending to step on her shoulder to gain momentum and move forward. But Huai'an, as if she had precognition, had already rolled to the side before he jumped, simultaneously extending her leg to trip him, wanting to make him fall flat on his face.
Xiao Ke didn't fall for the trick. He instantly regained his balance and landed steadily on the grass. Then he narrowed his eyes, sizing up the troublesome opponent in front of him. Huai'an faced him directly, her head held high. Seeing Xiao Ke's tightly pressed lips and seemingly calm face, she secretly rejoiced in her heart: What use is your skill? You're still being blocked by me, unable to move freely!
This skill of predicting offensive moves was something Huai'an had developed to block Ping Yan. It was because Ping Yan always loved to play cunningly when kicking the ball, making his moves completely unpredictable. To block Ping Yan, Huai'an began to learn to observe where his muscles tightened, where his eyes shifted, and the degree of force in his arms to judge his opponent's attacks.
Back in the day, Ping Yan had been tormented enough by this trick, always getting entangled to the point of extreme annoyance, uttering harsh words, stomping his feet, and cursing endlessly.
Xiao Ke must have also been getting anxious from being缠住. He looked up and saw the right team in high spirits, dribbling, dodging, passing, and running like dragons, about to kick towards the feng liu yan. His face darkened, and without further hesitation, disregarding the rules of the cuju field, he threw a punch at Huai'an.
Although Huai'an hadn't expected Xiao Ke to resort to violence, her instincts were already activated. She quickly tilted her head to dodge, and her backhand went to grab him. Xiao Ke withdrew his fist and simultaneously struck out with a palm. Huai'an dodged again, saying, "Resorting to violence is most forbidden on the cuju field. Has the honored guest forgotten?"
Xiao Ke ignored her and continued his fist and palm attacks. Huai'an had originally wanted to avoid him, but the strong wind from his palms swept over, making it impossible for her to break free for a moment.
Fine, I'll just take this opportunity to meet a strong general from Southern Qi and examine my own martial arts level.
So Huai'an stopped avoiding the fight and switched from defense to offense.
In modern times, Gu An'an had extensively studied martial arts such as judo, karate, and taekwondo. Although she was somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, after transmigrating here and with her strong physical attributes, she had already integrated those techniques and principles into the kung fu originally practiced by Huai'an. Every morning when she practiced her sword, it was her time to rehearse the fusion of old and new techniques.
She practiced diligently every day, carefully and repeatedly pondering every move and stance, until tai chi, shaolin, kickboxing, kyokushin, the Ping family sword style, and jujutsu were all familiar to her heart and integrated into her understanding. She could switch between techniques and styles in an instant.
At this moment, her arms were supple yet powerful, like a python coiling, unpredictable. Suddenly, they would turn into a surging river, rushing forward. Xiao Ke responded calmly, his face composed, sometimes dodging, sometimes using his arm to deflect the force, while simultaneously turning his palm into a claw and launching a surprise attack. His offense was fierce, his techniques crisscrossing like the howling wind in the mountains, unstoppable.
The two engaged in close combat for dozens of rounds, all in the blink of an eye. Huai'an's eyes were clear and cold, like the icy gleam on a sword, her figure darting and flashing like lightning, sometimes in front, sometimes behind, making her elusive. Xiao Ke's gaze was like a torch, his palm wind closely following, his demeanor fierce, like an eagle's cry in the sky, a tiger's roar and a lion's bellow, shaking the mountains and forests.
At this time, the right team had already kicked the ball into the feng liu yan and won, while Huai'an and Xiao Ke were still fiercely fighting.
Ping Yan wanted to stop them, but Xiao Yan reached out and stopped him, whispering, "Let them fight. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Ping Yan snorted. "If anything happens, it'll be your fifth brother. I'm worried my sister doesn't know her own strength." After muttering a few words, he still stopped his attempt to intervene, crossing his arms and standing aside to watch quietly.
Xiao Ke's footwork was treacherous, and his techniques were even more vicious and sinister, every palm strike carrying a chilling intent, every move aimed at taking a life. But Huai'an was no pushover either. Her inner strength was warm and powerful, like the warm sun and summer breeze, overwhelming. There seemed to be a dragon in her fists, her techniques clearly unhurried, yet dazzling to watch.
The cold and warm forces of the two sides were equally matched, colliding like stagnant sharp edges, evenly matched. One punch, one palm, both with strong fist winds and steady palm winds, making it impossible to tell who had the upper hand for a moment.
After about a dozen more moves, Huai'an was suddenly struck by Xiao Ke's palm and flew out, but she landed lightly, simultaneously taking a few steps back to dissipate the force of the palm. Then she let out a soft shout, stepped forward with her left leg, twisted her waist and turned her body, and lifted her right leg in a sweeping motion, her whole body flying up. Her heel attacked Xiao Ke's face, about to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick. Xiao Ke, not to be outdone, raised his hand to block Huai'an's right leg attack, pushed it outward, causing her to spin in the air.
Huai'an didn't panic. Her left leg drew an arc in the sky. Coordinating with her rebounding right leg, she twisted her body and forcefully pressed down on his neck and chest, throwing him down so that he fell on his back. At the same time, she grabbed his arm, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, applying an armbar to restrain him. The precision of her technique and the force of her power made him completely unable to move.
This era had not yet developed jujutsu techniques, so absolutely no one could escape an armbar!
Xiao Ke's face turned increasingly red, but he stubbornly refused to surrender until Xiao Yan couldn't bear to watch any longer and strode forward, shouting, "Young lady, spare his limbs!"
Hearing this, Huai'an finally realized she had gone too far. She hurriedly released her strength, loosened her grip, stood up, and reached out her hand to help Xiao Ke up. But Xiao Ke glared at her sullenly, slapped her hand away, bent his knees, pushed off the ground, and stood up in a flash. He said hatefully, "Cunning little person, be careful that one day I find an opportunity to cripple your fancy but useless skills."
Huai'an shivered. An unclear image flashed before her eyes, and her heart suddenly twinged. Then she heard Ping Yan's admiring voice leisurely coming from beside her.
"Little one, who did you learn all these skills from?"
Huai'an was stunned, unsure how to answer for a moment. She had never shown these skills in front of her second brother. Now that so many people had seen her strange techniques, she momentarily forgot what excuse to make.
"Amazing! If I had to fight you right now, I wouldn't even be sure I could win," Ping Yan patted Huai'an's shoulder. "Right now, you should be the most skilled martial artist in the Great Zheng Dynasty. Your brother even wants to learn a move or two from you," then he lowered his voice, "But your movements aren't very graceful, so never mind."
Huai'an chuckled awkwardly. Then she heard a familiar voice say, "That's right, your brother was completely dumbfounded just now."
Huai'an turned her head and said in surprise, "Your Highness!"
Huan Sui walked over with his hands behind his back and gave a cupped-fist salute to the disheveled Xiao Ke standing aside and the Xiao Yan who was comforting him. "Crown Prince of Qi, General Xiao."
Hearing this, the Ping siblings also pretended to finally recognize the other party's identities and gave a deep bow. "So it is His Highness the Crown Prince of Southern Qi and General Xiao! Our younger sister doesn't know her own strength and has offended you. Please forgive her."
Xiao Ke rubbed his elbow and turned his head away, not wanting to pay attention. It was Xiao Yan who had to display the demeanor of a crown prince, waving his hand and saying, "It's nothing, just a friendly competition."
Ping Yan stepped forward. "Young Master Xiao... no, Crown Prince of Qi, about that wager..."
Xiao Yan nodded. "Naturally, it still stands. Master Ping, please feel free to mention it."
Seeing Ping Yan open his mouth to speak, Huai'an didn't even think and hurriedly pulled him aside. Ping Yan was confused and looked at her suspiciously.
Huai'an actually didn't know what the next step was after stopping Ping Yan, so she just rolled her eyes and asked, "What request does Brother want to make? Could it be to tell them to scram... cough cough... withdraw back to their country?"
Ping Yan frowned. "It's impossible to ask the Crown Prince of Qi to withdraw his troops. That's a matter of state, not something he can decide alone."
"Mmm-hmm."
"I just wanted to ask him not to make things difficult for His Majesty in his words."
Huai'an let out a long "Oh~". It wasn't an excessive request, but as the crown prince, Xiao Yan definitely wouldn't show a confrontational attitude, so this request was equivalent to no request.
She pondered for a long while, her eyes rolling around, and suddenly an idea struck her. She clapped her fist and smiled. "Brother, how about asking him for a meal?"
"Beg for food?"
"No, no, just a meal together."
"Why?"
"Ah, just ask! I'll explain to you later."
Ping Yan narrowed his eyes, raised an eyebrow, thoughts swirling in his gaze. After a moment, he said, "Your call." Then he walked towards Xiao Yan.
At the same time, Huan Sui leaned closer to Huai'an and asked in a low voice, "Could it be that you want to take this opportunity...?"
Huai'an smiled sweetly and nodded.
Huan Sui chuckled. "Then let's go find her. I happen to have some good news to tell her too."
Huai'an tilted her head, waiting for Huan Sui to elaborate.
"Mother said that Father has had several midnight dreams where he vaguely sees her, and every time he does, he is heartbroken. He even cried out, wanting to exchange his life for hers."
Huai'an opened her mouth to reply, but saw Xiao Yan walk over, give them a slight bow to say goodbye, and arrange a time to have a meal together.
The group parted ways. Huan Sui and Huai'an spurred their horses towards the hidden beauty's golden house in the woods, preparing to plan this meeting with Ruo'cheng.
But they never imagined that they would be greeted by an empty building with no sign of life.