Chapter 141: The Polo Match Officially Begins
Jin Sui chuckled, young people are so impulsive! Gu Changxiao, have you forgotten the purpose of our polo match?
However, if even you are so obsessed, it shows that this polo match is truly captivating, and other teams will only be a hundred times more obsessed than Gu Changxiao.
She nodded and said, “Since the emotions have been built up to this point, if we don’t start soon, everyone will lose their enthusiasm.”
“Have Han Xing issue the official notice. Preliminary matches will begin in full tomorrow, with eight teams entering the finals.”
She explained the promotion rules of later football matches to Gu Changxiao, including revival matches and tie-breakers. In any case, with dozens of teams competing, it would take at least a month.
Coupled with the lingering excitement of the Cuju match, the border city would be lively until October.
Initially, only teams of gentry sons from Yanzhou participated in the border city. After this period of fermentation, noble young masters from various prefectures in Yandi came to join the fun.
There were as many as thirty-two teams registered! The border city was incredibly lively during this time, with tents and temporary inns expanding outwards indefinitely, exuding a vitality that was completely unlike a border town.
Liu Xiaowei’s exact words were, “If you leave for three days and come back, you won’t recognize your home. If you leave for half a month and come back, you’ll think you’ve gone to the wrong place!”
It truly changed day by day! Jin Sui was full of new ideas for city construction, and she could draw inspiration from many of the strategies later cities used to attract tourists.
The ball games attracted male tourists, the food market attracted families with children, and various recruitment efforts attracted the common people.
Noble ladies from Yandi were unlike those from Chang’an; they rarely traveled far. Noble ladies from various prefectures in Yandi often accompanied their fathers and brothers on tours of different prefectures.
For instance, during the Treasure Contest in Yanzhou previously, many noble ladies came to visit. With Yan Shiyi leading the way in Yanzhou, it was natural that many noble ladies would come, and soon noble ladies from various prefectures in Yandi also joined.
Female guests were not as interested in the ball games as male guests. Unless there were relatives or a beloved among the players, they would only come to watch excitedly. Otherwise, they would prefer to sightsee or visit the market.
Regarding the issue of female guests, Jin Sui issued several more directives. For example, fresh flowers cultivated in the tomato greenhouses were to be placed at the entrance of every inn frequented by female guests.
Two opera troupes were hired to perform daily at fixed times. However, they wouldn’t be singing about old dramas known only to middle-aged and elderly people, but rather romantic love stories she personally wrote, with a bit of her own agenda mixed in – stories of female protagonists encouraging women to read and awaken.
To promote sales, the costumes and jewelry were remade, especially the women’s costumes. They were intentionally designed to resemble what women of this era commonly wore: winter cloaks, hooded capes, outer garments with fluffy balls, gloves, and cloud shoulders.
Upon entering, they would remove their outer garments to reveal various long skirts. To prevent women of this era from finding it too much to accept, she slightly altered the style of the dresses of this era.
The sleeves were changed to lotus leaf sleeves, petal sleeves, and the ethereal flowing immortal sleeves. A circle of lace trim was added to the collar. The traditional four-panel or eight-panel pomegranate skirts, with their intricate embroidery, were replaced by three-layered flared skirts, belted long skirts, and flowing immortal skirts in brighter colors but simpler styles.
Various ribbons, silk flowers, belts, collar flowers, and shoulder ornaments were used as embellishments.
The traditional stage was also greatly modified, using props and lighting techniques from later theatrical productions to allow the audience to immerse themselves more easily.
This was a major undertaking that could not be completed by the border city alone. She invited Chen Yunniang and Yan Shiyi to assist. Yan Shiyi was very happy to be able to help the Prince.
Dozens of embroiderers from the Yan Clan were brought over overnight to work overtime. Jin Sui gave the embroiderers large red envelopes and gave Yan Shiyi thirty percent of the theater’s income, making Yan Shiyi even happier.
She always felt that the more business she cooperated on with the Prince, the stronger their bond would become. Even if she couldn’t become his consort, they could be friends for life.
In short, the effect of the theater was immediate. Female tourists visiting the border city couldn’t wait to watch three shows a day.
After watching, they would rush to the ready-made clothing and jewelry shop opened by Yan Shiyi to buy, buy, buy. The same styles as the costumes were selling like hotcakes.
The Rouge Shop was also doing very well, with products that went on sale that day selling out by noon. Many customers could only place pre-orders.
Jin Sui felt it was time to give the Rouge Shop a boost and add more excitement to the border city.
She gave Yan Shiyi the recipes for two simple perfumes. They were indeed very simple: various spices and herbs were added, along with a main floral essential oil, mixed with high-proof distilled alcohol, and then distilled again. The result was perfume.
Although the scent was not as strong as later generations’ Liu Shen, in this era where fragrance was loved and nobles all wore perfume, the scent of perfume was a hundred times more elegant and subtle than sachets, scent bags, or scent pills!
It was also superior to their usage methods. Especially when traveling, perfuming clothes was inconvenient, and burning incense took time. Perfume, on the other hand, only required a few sprays on the body to last all day!
Unsurprisingly, as soon as the perfume was launched, it triggered a buying frenzy.
Not only female guests were buying, but male guests were too! Especially the polo team members, who were all young masters from the gentry. Although their taste was a bit inferior to Yan Jiu’s, they still appreciated refinement.
After playing a match and sweating profusely, no matter how much they washed, there was still a lingering sour smell. If the incense was not properly burned, it could turn into a strange odor.
Now, there were quite a few noble ladies coming to the border city. If they met a girl they fancied, and upon greeting each other, she smelled an odor from you, would you still have the nerve to speak?
The popularity of the perfume even attracted Yan Jiu, who offered advice to Yan Shiyi, dispatching capable stewards to expand the workshop and purchase raw materials from various prefectures in Yandi.
After Jin Sui’s successive strategies to attract tourists, the polo match in the border city finally developed into its current situation.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the start of the official competition!
The next morning, Jin Sui personally went to the polo field to hold a grand opening ceremony.
Li Heng, along with a group of Yanzhou officials, came to observe. What was originally entertainment for gentry sons now had their fathers, brothers, and clansmen also attending.
The noble young masters also knew that this competition had completely changed in nature. To be recorded in the border city’s annals, their families exerted pressure. Although their pressure increased, their motivation and enthusiasm also became full.
They were a hundred times more serious than before, with everything from team uniforms to saddles being meticulously crafted to showcase their family’s prestige.
Jin Sui, as ‘Li King’, still had to perform her final duty: a speech on stage. However, her speech was very short, only mentioning the spirit of sportsmanship for a couple of sentences.
Next was the song and dance segment. Originally, dancers were planned, with a cheerleading-like performance. Jin Sui later vetoed this herself and had the Black Feather Camp soldiers come on stage to sing war songs.
Holding a saber in one hand and a shield in the other, clad in light armor, they sang “Horse Trampling Yanran,” a song passed down from the Eastern Han Dynasty. Following this, the team members entered.
Cheng Yu loudly introduced the team members. The first to appear was the Yan Cloud Team, led by Yan Shiyi. All members wore red headbands and vibrant scarlet riding outfits… Both the Yan siblings loved scarlet clothing, no wonder they could get along with Hei Hu.
Carrying the Yan Cloud Team’s flag, they placed one fist on their chest and held the reins in the other hand, slowly entering the field.
Truly, like tigers in spirit and dragons in steeds, a spirited team. Unfortunately, Yan Shiyi opened his mouth.
A handsome man, but he had an unfortunate mouth.
Dozens of Yan Cloud Team members, led by Yan Shiyi, shouted in unison:
“Yan Cloud, Yan Cloud, strongest in Yanzhou! We’ll defeat all under heaven! Hey!”
The slogan was neither rhyming nor imposing. When they shouted it, the members who had seemed like fierce tigers immediately became like big cats.
Yan Shiyi covered her face, and Yan Jiu’s displeasure could be felt from afar; his expression was very unpleasant.
While he was displeased, Gu Changxiao’s expression was very pleased; he enjoyed seeing Yan Jiu embarrassed.
It seemed this slogan was Yan Shiyi’s own decision, added at the last minute.
Jin Sui lowered her head and chuckled, only to hear Hei Hu say indignantly:
“So arrogant! To dare claim they can defeat all under heaven! Brother Han, let’s change our slogan to ‘Step on the Yan Cloud Team’!”
Han Xing glared at him, and Hei Hu shrunk his neck, not daring to speak further.
During this time, someone Jin Sui did not expect also arrived: her first investor, Jin Zilin, whom she had never met but who was known for his wealth and arrogance.
Jin Zilin had the face of a nouveau riche, with a round face, smiling eyes, and a bulbous nose. His team’s riding outfits were the most luxurious, and it was said that the golden characters on their chests were embroidered with gold thread.
Grandpa Ling clicked his tongue upon hearing this, “If their clothes were to tear during the match, you could pick up gold off the ground!”
Jin An took it seriously and quickly said to Jin Sui, “Prince Brother, after the match, don’t let anyone else pick it up. I will!”
As the host, the Black Feather Team was the last to enter. They had no slogan, only shouting, “Border City Black Feather Team!”
However, the Black Feather Team received the loudest applause and cheers of the day, not for any other reason than their attire.
Their horses were of the same color, tall and majestic, entirely black except for their snow-white hooves, and they wore blue masks just like their riders.
All members of the Black Feather Team wore half-masks, matching round-crowned polo hats, blue and white sportswear-style tops, white trousers over knee-high deerskin boots, and blue elbow guards and belts, with player numbers written on their backs.
This was designed by Jin Sui, combining later polo attire with the current era’s designs to formalize polo uniforms.
As expected, their appearance captivated everyone’s attention. The young ladies were whispering blushingly, “So magnificent, so beautiful! I never thought riding outfits could be worn like this!”
“I wonder if there are women’s styles? I want to buy a set too, they look so light and convenient.”
Miss Bai excitedly said to the Yan family maidservant beside her, “The tallest one is Hei Hu. Ah! Did you see? He waved at me!”
Yan Shiyi’s gaze also unconsciously fell on Han Xing, and she marveled in her heart, “Indeed, clothes make the man and the horse. I never expected this rigid Han to look so handsome dressed like this.”
Yan Shiyi jumped three feet high, glaring angrily at Jin Sui, “No wonder Li King always kept the Black Feather Team from appearing!
They were hiding this! All the effort we put into designing our riding outfits and handsome appearances was overshadowed by the Black Feather Team!”
Stingy! It wouldn’t cost you anything to let me take a look at your riding outfits! I won’t wear the same color as you, is that not enough?
I’ll wear scarlet red, write my number, wear a half-mask, and be the first to enter, drawing everyone’s attention. How handsome that would be!
But seeing Jin Zilin, Yan Shiyi felt a little more balanced and annoyingly said to Jin Zilin:
“Heh heh, what’s the point of you using gold thread to make your clothes? Your simple riding outfits are not as impressive as the Black Feather Team’s.”
Jin Zilin glared back, “You’re the same! Shouting such arrogant slogans just invites ridicule.”
Yan Shiyi lunged as if to hit him, and Jin Zilin laughed at him even more mockingly, “Are you afraid you can’t beat our team on the field, so you can only swing your fists off the field?”
Yan Shiyi then gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! If you have the guts, let’s meet on the field!”
After all the team members entered, they began to draw lots for the preliminary matches. Thirty-two arrows were placed in a tube, and each captain came up to draw. Those who drew the same number would form a group.
All the captains were praying not to draw the same group as the Black Feather Team.
As a result, the Black Feather Team, drawing last, picked ‘one,’ and the other ‘one’ was drawn by Zhou Hong’s team.
No one knew who Zhou Hong was, but his grandfather was certainly known; he was the Head of the Zhou Family who had arrogantly argued with Yan Jiu in front of Li Heng.
Zhou Hong was very nervous. He never expected to be so ‘lucky’ as to draw the Black Feather Team, and to be the first to compete!
Under the gazes of his teammates saying ‘farewell,’ he and his teammates visibly wilted.
The Head of the Zhou Family, looking about the same age as Grandpa Ling, also had white hair and a white beard, and was shouting indignantly:
“All of you, lift your spirits! How can you be afraid before the battle! Let them see the might of the Zhou family’s sons!”
Thinking that the family head and clan members were watching below, with tens of thousands of people present, under the gaze of everyone, even if they lost, they had to lose the game without losing their spirit, and lose the people without losing their formation!
Zhou Hong, with a powerful voice, shouted, “We have practiced diligently for so long, all for this moment. Everyone, cheer up! Never give up easily!”
“Roar, roar!” The Zhou family team members shouted in unison.
The Black Feather Team came from the ranks of border soldiers and knew that even a lion must use its full strength to hunt a rabbit, and that pride precedes a fall. They did not underestimate the Zhou family at all.
Han Xing said, “The Prince is watching, so play well!”
The team members saluted and pounded their chests three times with their fists: “Yes!”
The first match began with Jin Sui. She rode her scarlet horse, threw the polo ball, and the match officially started.
The result was as expected. The Zhou family’s ball skills were exquisite, but their playing style was too old-fashioned, and their team coordination was too mechanical. As soon as their formation shifted, it became chaotic.
Zhou Hong shouted hoarsely, and the team members looked nervous but at a loss.
In contrast, the Black Feather Team rarely spoke, but their coordination was extremely tacit understanding, giving a sense of combat. It was as if losing a ball was not losing a point, but losing a brother’s life.
They also used sign language for commands. Han Xing only needed to make a few hand gestures, and Hei Hu and the others would receive the instructions.
Soon, the Black Feather Team scored a goal, then two, then three…
The first match, lasting a quarter of an hour, ended with a score of eight to zero, a score that was hard to bear. The halftime break was the time it took to steep a cup of tea, about five minutes.
Jin Sui saw the Head of the Zhou Family angrily going to reprimand Zhou Hong. She quickly asked Li Heng to pull the Head of the Zhou Family back, with the reason being that no one should interfere with the players during the match.
In the second match, Zhou Hong learned from his mistakes. Instead of engaging with the Black Feather Team, he focused solely on the ball from the start and scored the first goal, achieving an early success.
This earned cheers from the entire crowd because it was so difficult!
However, he only scored one goal. The second match ended with a score of six to one. The Zhou family team lost miserably and embarrassingly.
The thirty other teams watching were all silent. They had long wanted to see the strength of the Black Feather Camp. Yan Shiyi had repeatedly asked Jin Sui, but the Black Feather Camp had never played against them.
Now that they had finally seen it, the stone in their hearts had not only failed to land but had multiplied.
The Black Feather Camp was very strong! The Zhou family team, which was at a similar level, played against the Black Feather Camp as if adults were playing against children, or an army against household guards.
The most nervous were the Yan family team members, because Yan Jiu had personally given them special training, demanding that they must win the championship.
They dared not look at Yan Jiu’s expression and nervously asked Yan Shiyi, “Captain, what do we do now?”
Yan Shiyi pondered for a long time and then said, “Since it has come to this…”
Even Yan Jiu and Yan Shiyi looked at him, thinking that Yan Shiyi, stimulated by the Black Feather Team, would come up with some brilliant strategy.
Then he magnificently said, “Since it has come to this, let’s eat first! We’ll talk after eating.”
Everyone should remember when facing a situation: “Since it has come to this, let’s eat first!” Nothing is more important than eating.
