Xiao Luo saw Xiao Man launch a swift attack and immediately changed their formation. It seemed his younger sister hadn't been idle this past year, nor had the maids around her. Their coordination was so tight, it was impossible to find a flaw. Xue Meng, that shrewd boy, was hiding behind, guarding their goal, stubbornly refusing to move. Scoring a goal against them truly wouldn't be easy.
The Crown Prince and several other princes paid a visit. Xiao Zhen quickly led his men to greet them. As they entered, they heard shouts from the backyard of the General's mansion. They found it strange. "Great General, what is happening in the backyard? Why is it so noisy?"
"Some youngsters are playing Cuju on the training grounds."
"I haven't played Cuju for a long time either. Why don't we go and watch?" Since the Crown Prince had spoken, everyone naturally followed.
Every year, the youngsters would gather to play Cuju. The winner was always Xiao Luo. Every time Xiao Man lost, she would playfully refuse to admit defeat, and Xiao Luo would indulge her. He thought this year should be no different, he just hoped Xiao Man wouldn't cry if she lost later.
"Who are the red team and the white team?" Xiao Zhen had chairs arranged for the princes to sit and called someone over to ask.
"Reporting to the General, the red team is led by the Eldest Young Lady, and the white team is led by the Young General."
"The Eldest Young Lady has already scored two goals, and the Young General hasn't scored any," the guard said joyfully. "The Eldest Young Lady said she wants to avenge her past defeats."
Xiao Zhen's gaze fell on the field. Xiao Man was running while making hand signals to her teammates. These gestures were meaningless to him, but her teammates seemed to understand them instantly, and they all started running, taking their positions accordingly.
Xiao Luo's competitive spirit was also ignited. If they couldn't score a single point, he, as the elder brother, would lose face. He changed the formation again, bringing He Ye to mark Xiao Man. However, how could He Ye keep up with her? He Ye intended to go head-to-head and snatch the ball from Xiao Man, but Xiao Man's footwork was too strange; he couldn't even touch her sleeve!
"Great General, it seems the Young General will lose today," Nangong Yu said slowly, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.
"Fourth Brother, in my opinion, the Young General is letting Xiao Man have her way. She might not lose," the Crown Prince said, looking at Chu Wang. "Third Brother, what do you think?"
"This subject believes Xiao Man will win."
"You all favor Xiao Man?" The Crown Prince was somewhat surprised. His gaze fell on Xiao Man. At this moment, she was confident and radiant, as if she wasn't playing football but commanding an army of thousands. Her calm and collected demeanor was truly captivating.
"Why don't we make a bet? I'll bet a hundred taels that the Young General wins."
"Then I'll also bet a hundred taels that the Young General wins."
"I'll chip in too. Five hundred taels. I'm betting on the Young General to win."
"One thousand taels, gold," Nangong Yu said slowly. "I'm betting on Xiao Man to win."
"Fourth Brother, that's quite a sum, a thousand taels of gold."
Nangong Yan remained calm. "I'll bet five hundred taels, on Xiao Man to win."
Xiao Zhen watched the people placing their bets, his expression very subtle. Should he place a bet?
"General, why don't you be the bookmaker?" Nangong Yan said with a smile, seeing his hesitation. "No matter who wins, it will ultimately be the General who profits."
"I think the Crown Prince Royal Brother should be the bookmaker," Nangong Yu said softly. If Xiao Zhen were the bookmaker, whoever won would be his loss.
"That's fine too. I'll be the bookmaker. Xiao Luo pays one to one, Xiao Man pays two to one."
"Alright, since Your Highness the Crown Prince is the bookmaker, I'll bet a thousand taels, on my daughter to win." Xiao Zhen waved his hand decisively, choosing his daughter. Sudancx.com
While Xiao Man and her team were sweating it out on the field, they had no idea that the people above were betting on them. If they had known, she would have bet ten thousand taels on herself to win!
Xiao Luo wiped the sweat from his brow. His mood was incredibly complex. He had initially planned to go easy on her so that Xiao Man wouldn't lose too badly and cry to him. But now, he was the one on the verge of tears!
"Man'er, when did you become so good at Cuju?"
"I've practiced hard for a year, just for today's revenge. Brother, just wait until you have to carry me around the track." Xiao Man wiped the sweat from her face, then charged forward again. Her hand gestures changed again. Xiao Luo could no longer discern their meaning and could only do his best to prevent Xiao Man from scoring.
"Young General, one stick of incense has already burned through. We haven't scored a single point. The Eldest Young Lady is really going all out," He Ye gasped for air. Logically, they were seasoned soldiers, and their training intensity far surpassed that of ordinary people. Yet, after just one stick of incense, they were already breathless. Looking at Xiao Man's team, not to mention the men, even the beautiful girls among them weren't showing any signs of exertion.
Xiao Luo calmed himself. They had been thrown off their rhythm by Xiao Man from the start, being led around by her, expending a huge amount of energy. If this continued, they wouldn't be able to last for three sticks of incense. He immediately readjusted their formation, responding to Xiao Man's attacks with a steady and deliberate approach.
Seeing that Xiao Luo had calmed down, Xiao Man knew that the fast-paced approach wouldn't work. She immediately changed her formation. She had studied Xiao Luo's playing style. Xiao Luo was steady and aggressive, with both defense and offense. She had plenty of experience dealing with this type of opponent.
At this moment, Dugu Mingyu's heart was in turmoil. He was also on Xiao Man's team. He understood every hand signal Xiao Man made. He used to play Cuju with his elder sister, and no one could defeat his sister. Today, Xiao Man's gestures were so familiar. Looking at Xiao Man's back, it was like looking at his own sister.
The hand signals Xiao Man was making were for a man-to-man defense strategy. They would corner the opponent from all sides, and Xiao Man would be responsible for marking Xiao Luo. Even with all of Xiao Luo's tricks, he couldn't evade Xiao Man. The people around Xiao Man were constantly changing positions, and their opponents couldn't effectively mark them!
Xiao Man scored another goal. He Ye's face turned green. "Young General, you can't just go easy on her because you love the Eldest Young Lady!"
Xiao Luo looked at He Ye helplessly. He wasn't going easy at all! He was feeling incredibly frustrated too! Facing his own sister was proving to be more challenging than any opponent he had ever encountered!
"Man'er, were you holding back in previous years?" This was the only thought in Xiao Luo's mind. Otherwise, how could she have suddenly become so powerful?
"There's a saying that one should look at someone with new eyes after three days, let alone after a year apart. How can my brother still see me with his old eyes?"
Xiao Luo nodded in agreement. "It seems I must go all out."
On the field, the situation became increasingly intense. Xiao Man's formations changed repeatedly. Xiao Zhen's eyes were gleaming. "This is..."
"An improved Crane Wing Formation," Nangong Yu said slowly. "The wings envelop and echo the main force. It's mobile and flexible, with both offense and defense. However, it's not enough to corner the Young General. The Young General must also be cautious and guard against Xiao Man's follow-up moves."
"Good girl. Unknowingly, she has mastered the art of military formations," Xiao Zhen said excitedly. "That boy Xiao Luo is going to suffer a great loss today."