Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 185 Let's see who laughs last and wins.

"No! Everything today was planned by General Zhou, Lord Shen, and others. Our Great Song Dynasty cannot fall into the hands of the Jin people, much less into the hands of a ruthless person like the Wolf King," Ning Zhanyan said with fervor and determination.

“From the day Gao Can forced you to enter the palace as a concubine, I already discovered that they were planning to cause trouble in the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) competition between the Song and Jin dynasties. That’s why Lord Shen and I devised a plan to lure them out. I also deliberately leaked the blueprints for the improved version of the Ghost Ball to the Wolf King. But the Wolf King doesn’t trust me, so I had to use a self-inflicted injury to deliberately get caught by him so that he would believe that he had control of the palace guards,” Ning Zhanyan patiently explained to Chen Jinhuan.

"Did you deliberately let the wolf king capture you?" Chen Jinhuan asked Ning Zhanyan with a puzzled look and a furrowed brow. Ning Zhanyan gently kissed her forehead and said in a coaxing tone, "I'm sorry! Jin'er, I made you worry for nothing!"

Chen Jinhuan watched as Ning Zhanyan's expression suddenly changed. Just moments ago, he had been pale and looked like a defeated dog, nearly driven to death. Now, he seemed like a completely different person, a shrewd young general, or a lovelorn young master trying to win over his beloved. Chen Jinhuan sighed softly, thinking that Ning Zhanyan was truly audacious and cunning.

If Emperor Huizong were to find out in the future that Ning Zhanyan had conspired with Zhou Chengquan, Shen Daoyuan, and others to scheme against him, deliberately luring him out of his hiding place so that he, an emperor, would fall into the hands of rebels, they would be guilty of deceiving the emperor. But who cares! For now, it's best to just sit back on the steps and watch the show unfold.

On the football field, Yelü Wen and his men surrounded Lin Chong, Du Shiniang, Du Rushuang, and others. Yelü Wen shouted to Lin Chong, "Instructor Lin, we spent some time together at Zixiang Pavilion. Last time, when I cured Shuang'er's poison, you and Shiniang helped us. Therefore, I don't want to make things difficult for you today, as long as you don't help that dog emperor. My godfather has also promised to let you leave the palace safely."

"Yelü Wen, I, Lin Chong, am not a coward who fears death. Today, in the football match between the Song and Jin states, it was clearly our Song state that won. Yet you want to threaten our Emperor with violence to admit your victory and make us hand over three cities. You are dreaming!" Lin Chong said righteously.

"Yes! I thought you, Yelü Wen, were a man of principle, which is why I was willing to give Shuang'er to you in the first place. I never expected you to be such a hypocrite, trying to force our emperor to hand over the city to you through violence. Don't you even know if your father, Wu Song, would agree to this?" Wu Song cursed at Yelü Wen.

"What is morality? Is it moral for you, Wu Song, to seduce my fiancée while she has amnesia? Or is it moral for you, Wu Song, to relentlessly pursue someone else's fiancée?" Yelü was furious upon hearing Wu Song's words. He angrily grabbed Du Rushuang's hand, forcefully pulled the woman into his arms, and looked into Wu Song's resentful eyes as he spoke.

"What time is it? You're still bickering over a woman! Why aren't you thinking of a way to save His Majesty?" Du Shiniang glared at Wu Song, then looked at Du Rushuang and shouted.

Upon hearing this, Du Rushuang forcefully pushed Yelü Wen away and loudly questioned him: "Awen, today's football match was clearly won by our Song Dynasty, you Jin people cannot cheat! Your godfather is not a good person, why did you follow him in rebellion and forcing the emperor to abdicate? Release us now, okay?"

Yelü Wen sighed and said, "Shuang'er, I already said I wouldn't hurt any of you. In a little while, my godfather will force the dog emperor to admit defeat in today's football match, then write a letter of repentance and abdicate. I will then let you leave the palace."

"Besides, no one can stop my godfather from doing what he wants! He promised to let us go after I help him this last time. Shuang'er, we'll be free after today. I can be with you openly forever, and we'll never have to kill for our godfather again!" Yelü Wen said gently, comforting Du Rushuang.

Du Rushuang saw the longing in Yelü Wen's eyes for their future happiness. To be honest, since she regained her memories, she had also dreamed of a bright future together, but Yelü Wen's sudden return to the Wolf King shattered her dream.

Du Rushuang has half Song blood in her veins. Her father was from Song, and she lived in Song until she was eight years old. Later, she worked as a spy in Song. She has a deep affection for Song and does not want the Jin cavalry to trample on Song land. She does not want to see the people displaced. This is why she firmly stands on the side of Du Shiniang and insists on completing this women's football match between Song and Jin.

Thinking of all this, Du Rushuang hugged Yelü Wen, then looked into his eyes and said gently, "Awen, I'm different from you. I was born in the Song Dynasty and have deep feelings for it. I won't stand by and watch the Wolf King lead the Jin army to ravage the people of Song. We are destined to be enemies. I don't consider myself a morally superior woman, nor have I read any books on female virtues or the female order, but I know that one cannot be too selfish. I cannot betray my motherland for freedom or romantic love!"

Tears welled in Yelü Wen's eyes as he said to Du Rushuang in a sorrowful tone, "Shuang'er, I didn't ask you to betray your country. I just wanted you to be obedient and not save the dog emperor. And also to persuade your sisters not to act rashly."

“I can’t do it! Ah Wen, I really can’t do it! At least today’s Cuju match, my sisters and I will not admit defeat. The winner is clearly us—Lin Chong’s—women’s Cuju team.” Du Rushuang said sternly, emphasizing the word “win” and proudly drawing out the last syllable of “Lin Chong’s women’s Cuju team”.

"Shuang'er, is today's women's football match between the two countries really that important?" Yelü Wen asked Du Rushuang with a dejected look.

"Yes! My sisters and I practiced hard on the Cuju field, braving the sun and rain. There was also Coach Lin and Wu Song's dedicated training, and our research into historical records and the Cuju techniques from the pictures my sworn sister collected from the folk. All of this was hard work!" Du Rushuang patiently recounted the details of their hard work in training Cuju over the past few days.

"In the last Cuju match in the palace with Shen Daoyuan, Xiao Minghao and the others, we were almost burned to death! Wu Song and I became wanted criminals and fled to the ends of the earth, Instructor Lin was imprisoned and almost tortured to death by Gao Can, and my sworn sister was almost humiliated by Gao Can. We persevered all the way for today's Cuju match, didn't we?"

Seeing that Du Rushuang's voice was trembling as she spoke, and that she was biting her lower lip in agitation, Du Shiniang also tried to persuade Yelü Wen, saying, "Wen, the Wolf King will never let you go. You know too many of his secrets. Look at how he treats Ning Zhanyan. He is his own nephew, while you are just one of his many adopted sons and daughters. Why do you have to risk your life for him and hurt Shuang'er's heart? I advise you to turn back as soon as possible."

“Yes! Brother Yelü, I also advise you not to be so persistent. The Wolf King will definitely not let you go. He will only kill you to silence you,” Lin Chong echoed Du Shiniang.

Just as everyone was earnestly trying to persuade Yelü Wen not to risk his life for the Wolf King, the Wolf King, seeing Gao Qiu lead Emperor Huizong into his "wolf den," laughed heartily and waved his hand, ordering several imperial guards to cut off Emperor Huizong's retreat and surround him.

Upon hearing the wolf king's laughter, Emperor Huizong of Song finally came to his senses. He turned pale with fright and tried to turn and run away, but Gao Qiu pushed him hard, and he fell directly into the wolf king's arms.

The Wolf King swiftly pressed his sword against Emperor Huizong's neck and said in a chilling voice, "Chen Jinhuan saved you just now, but let's see who will save you now. You must do as I say today, or this football field will become a living hell, and you, your ministers, and everyone in the palace will become ghosts."

"What purgatory? What ghosts?" Emperor Huizong of Song stared at the wolf king's ferocious face, suppressing his fear, and said in a trembling voice, "Wolf King, this is the Song Dynasty's imperial palace. Do you think my imperial guards are just sitting around doing nothing? I... I'm not afraid of you!"

"Let's see who laughs last!" Emperor Huizong of Song said to the wolf king, feigning composure, but his heart was pounding and he was as guilty as a paper tiger.