Chapter 134: Enemies Meet
Prince Zhao couldn’t help but praise, “Truly a formidable young talent! He’s only seven or eight years old now, and when he grows up, won’t he become the foremost cuju ball master in the Capital City?”
Prince Zhao had seen Gong Changan’s abilities before; Song Xiang and the others could also perform such feats.
However, Gong Changan’s advantage lay in his young age, and this alone was enough to be remarkable.
Not to mention that Song Xiang and the others were nowhere near this level at his age; even if one searched the Capital City now, a second person like him couldn’t be found.
Hearing the Prince speak thus, everyone immediately began to praise him as well.
But Gong Changan seemed not to hear, his focus entirely on demonstrating his skills.
The other few people surrounded him, performing more ordinary moves.
They had long known that Gong Changan was the red flower, and they were merely the green leaves.
However, no one was jealous of Gong Changan; after all, he possessed genuine ability, and moreover, he was always willing to teach them.
It was just that they couldn’t endure too much hardship, only playing when they felt like it, unlike Gong Changan, who practiced for one or two hours almost every day.
Song Xiang watched Gong Changan from within the crowd, his eyes practically burning with fire. Seeing him reminded him of his deceased younger sister, and he wished he could deliver a kick to Gong Changan’s chest and kill him.
A round of cheers from the crowd pulled his thoughts back. By this time, Gong Changan and the other children had finished their performance, brought the cuju ball off the field, and gone to bow before Prince Zhao.
Prince Zhao beamed with joy, taking Gong Changan’s hand and saying, “I never expected you young ones to have such skills. Very good, very good! You can come to my mansion to play often in the future.”
If these words had come from anyone else, they would have meant little, but this was the powerful Prince Zhao, whom so many people longed to curry favor with but couldn’t.
Thus, many people secretly envied Gong Changan’s good fortune in their hearts.
However, Gong Changan did not appear overwhelmed by the favor. Although his face showed happiness, he said, “Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness. We boys will certainly come to bother you often.”
“No need to thank me! Guards, bring the rewards!” Prince Zhao waved his hand, ordering the valuable items to be brought forth.
Several servants from Prince Zhao’s Mansion brought out plates, all filled with gold ingots.
“One plate for each of you, don’t think it’s too little,” Prince Zhao said with a smile.
Looking at these robust children, he couldn’t help but think of his own children. If only he had such a group of sturdy sons!
His eldest son had been sent to the palace and raised under the Empress, while his younger son was frail and often ill, not daring to come out even in this weather for fear of catching a chill.
Each child received a plate of gold ingots. They were not lacking in money, but they were still very happy to receive these valuable items, as they were considered a prize.
Only Gong Changan did not accept.
Prince Zhao couldn’t help but ask him, “Why don’t you take it? Do you think it’s too little? Guards! Bring him another plate.”
Logically, Gong Changan had contributed the most to the performance, so it was only right to reward him more.
“Replying to Your Highness, this boy does not think it is too little,” Gong Changan said. “This boy came today for the South Pearl Golden Pagoda.”
“What did you say?” Prince Zhao was very surprised to hear his words. “That South Pearl Golden Pagoda is not something anyone can obtain.”
The South Pearl Golden Pagoda they spoke of was made of pure gold, with precious South Pearls inlaid at the tip of each pagoda. There were eight in total, each over a foot tall.
They were specially crafted by Prince Zhao to reward the cuju ball team that had recently emerged victorious.
“This boy knows, so I beg Your Highness to allow this boy to also participate in the competition,” Gong Changan said.
“Child, it’s good that you have such ambition, but I tell you, adults and children are ultimately different, and you are still too young.” Prince Zhao, cherishing Gong Changan’s talent, advised him kindly.
But Gong Changan said, “To let Your Highness know, although the Kunlun slaves from Duke Qiao’s Mansion are tall and strong, their cuju ball skills are actually average. When facing skilled players, they would be defeated in just a few rounds.
As for us children, although our cuju ball skills are quite proficient, we are at a disadvantage due to our short stature and limited strength.
So, we discussed combining our strengths. We would team up with the Kunlun slaves and compete against the people from Your Highness’s mansion. Would Your Highness permit this?”
“This… I have never seen such a way of playing before,” Prince Zhao smiled. “It sounds quite interesting.”
“Your Highness, we have been practicing this in private for a month. Please, just let us play!” Qiao Ziyu also said, “I don’t want this plate of gold ingots either.”
“Ah, this is what you deserve, take it all. Since you wish to play, then let’s give it a try! It will be something new for all of us to see.” Prince Zhao was in a good mood and, without thinking too much, agreed to the children’s request.
Those on Song Xiang’s team heard this and said, “What kind of play is this? Who are we competing against?”
As they spoke, the children had already climbed onto the shoulders of the Kunlun slaves, and everyone understood.
It was these burly Kunlun slaves carrying the children, with the children directing their actions.
“This is truly the first time seeing cuju played like this,” everyone laughed as they watched. “Interesting, interesting.”
Song Xiang couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. He looked at Gong Changan, who was perched on a Kunlun slave’s shoulder, thinking, “This little brat is truly fearless. I hope you fall off from up there and break your neck!”
Gong Changan met his gaze without fear, and a cold smile couldn’t help but curl at the corner of his lips.
He knew that if he played today, Song Xiang would definitely find a way to harm him. Because he hated him so much, he wished he would die right before his eyes.
“Those Kunlun slaves are as strong as beasts; we need to prepare something,” Song Xiang whispered to the others. “If they win this time, we won’t have a place in Prince Zhao’s Mansion anymore. If Prince Zhao doesn’t favor us, others in the Capital City will also laugh at us.”
“Brother Song, you are right. We have fought bravely for half our lives; we cannot fail here and become a laughingstock,” someone agreed. “It wouldn’t hurt to use some hidden force with our hands and feet later.”
“But we still need to be careful, right? After all, those on their shoulders are young masters from various families. If we injure any of them, it won’t look good,” someone said more cautiously.
“Don’t worry, the other children are all useless. Only the Gong family’s child has some brains. When we go up later, we’ll find a way to get him down first,” Song Xiang deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone. “We’ll just deal with the Kunlun slave he’s riding. If the Kunlun slave is incapacitated, he’ll naturally behave.”
He said this, but his intentions were not so straightforward.
The cuju field was like a battlefield; once the fight began, who would care about so much? Even if something happened, Prince Zhao would cover for them!
He would just say it was an accidental injury, and he wouldn’t lose his life.
Moreover, for the sake of revenge for his younger sister, even some punishment would be worth it.
