Chapter 31: How Can One Be a Good Player Without Strategy in Cuju?

As soon as Xiao Zhi and Han Chong heard there was a brilliant plan, they immediately clustered with Luo Gan to strategize.

Xiao Zhi hesitated, “Will this really work? If we mess up, the consequences will be terrible…”

Han Chong added, “Those armored guys don’t look like people you want to cross.”

Luo Gan scolded, “Cowards! The arrow is already nocked, there’s no turning back now. Even if the Emperor himself were standing here, we’d have to take him down.”

The three glanced back at the pile of a hundred gold pieces gleaming on the table, then looked at each other again.

Xiao Zhi said, “I suppose we can try a little harder to create a masterpiece wood carving.”

Han Chong declared, “Our family’s honor hangs in the balance!”

Luo Gan nodded, “Good! Let’s stick to the plan.”

Xiao Zhi went to Old Lin for some oil, Han Chong arranged with his closest friends in the audience to create a commotion during the match, and sent a colleague to the nearby tailor to fetch some physician’s robes, preparing offstage.

Luo Gan observed the armored men, noticing they were leading a few fine horses—far above their apparent status. An idea formed, and he smirked to himself.

The referee called the final two teams to the stage. Three burly men clad in grey, red, and yellow armor loomed before Luo Gan’s group, not giving them the slightest regard.

Han Chong seethed, as if ready to set the entire city of Anping ablaze. Luo Gan kept signaling him to calm down, reminding him that patience was key to a larger scheme. Xiao Zhi, outwardly composed, was trembling at the knees.

The leader in grey armor, noticing Xiao Zhi’s nerves, sneered, “Hey, little brat, shouldn’t you be home? Looking at your legs, you’d think there was an earthquake!”

Though timid, Xiao Zhi had to defend his dignity, “Who’s afraid? Who’s afraid! The cold makes you shiver, doesn’t it?”

No one had mentioned fear, but he gave himself away! The three armored men burst into raucous laughter, finally provoking Xiao Zhi enough to face these rude brutes head-on.

Luo Gan asked, “Xiao Zhi, are the things ready?”

“All set, Brother Luo,” Xiao Zhi replied.

“Everything else in place?”

Han Chong confirmed, “No problem, just waiting for the match. We’ll show these bastards what’s what.”

United in resolve, the three faced their opponents, who regarded them as insignificant as ants.

“Soon!” announced the referee. “The final battle of the Azure Pavilion’s Cuju Tournament is about to begin! Who will claim the white gold prize? Let’s wait and see!”

The crowd buzzed with speculation over the outcome. Nearly everyone agreed the armored team had victory in the bag.

At that moment, Han Chong’s friends from the relay station began chanting, “Bamboo Grove! Gentlemen’s Squad! Gentlemen play, we lend a hand! Crush the armored brutes, ha ha, no one can stand!”

The Tang crowd, unfamiliar with stadium culture, quickly picked up the catchy chant. Supporters cheered desperately, detractors jeered loudly, and soon the entire venue echoed with a thunderous roar.

The overwhelming support bewildered the armored team—how had the crowd suddenly turned on them? Their morale took a noticeable hit.

Luo Gan’s trio exchanged high-fives, their teamwork seamless, as the match was about to begin.

The armored team kicked off. The red-armored player juggled the ball and swiftly circled around Luo Gan. As he passed, the grey-armored player crashed into Luo Gan’s shoulder, sending him tumbling, and shot him a menacing glare.

Luo Gan leapt up undeterred, while Xiao Zhi bravely stepped forward to challenge the red-armored man.

Slapping his own face to rally his courage, Xiao Zhi boasted, “Come at me! I’ll take this ball!”

In a flash, Xiao Zhi anticipated that with his defense, the red-armored man would pass to grey, so he immediately moved to block the passing lane.

But the red-armored player simply breezed past him, making no move to pass, leaving Xiao Zhi dumbstruck.

Red-armored aimed for the goal, but Han Chong rushed in from the side, knocking the ball away. Unfortunately, the momentum of the attempted shot landed hard on Han Chong’s leg.

Han Chong writhed in pain, clutching his foot.

The referee hurried over to assess the injury and urgently summoned a physician. The “doctor,” already waiting in disguise, came up and, with a kindly expression, examined Han Chong’s leg. Finding nothing amiss, he sighed in relief.

Han Chong gave the doctor a meaningful glance. Understanding instantly, the physician began to lament to the referee.

“This player has given his all, but to suffer such a vicious blow—continuing is all but impossible.”

Realizing the situation, the red-armored man panicked. From afar, Magistrate Lu frowned. Without hesitation, the red-armored man dropped to his knees before Han Chong.

Clutching Han Chong’s leg, he burst into loud sobs, “Brother, I swear I didn’t mean it! Please, you mustn’t be hurt. I’d trade my leg for yours if I could!”

Han Chong’s sorrowful expression suddenly brightened, and he probed, “Do you really mean that?”

“Absolutely!” the red-armored man replied earnestly.

Han Chong nodded with satisfaction, and Luo Gan grinned mischievously.

The referee announced, “It is confirmed that the Gentlemen of the Bamboo Grove can continue. By mutual agreement, the red-armored player may use only one leg, and the Gentlemen’s team is awarded a point. Prepare to resume!”

The red-armored man cursed his luck, now thoroughly caught in Han Chong’s ploy.

Grey armor fumed, “You think tricks like these will win you the game? Foolishness! Even with two men, we’ll beat you!”

Red armor added, “Don’t forget me!”

Grey armor sneered, “Two and a half men are still enough!”

Luo Gan, emboldened, replied, “We’ll see about that.”

The game restarted. Grey and yellow armor coordinated their attacks, while red armor hopped desperately on one leg, completely ignored by his teammates.

Luo Gan snatched the ball from grey armor and, using modern soccer maneuvers, deftly exchanged passes with Han Chong to get past him.

Yellow armor, swift as a gale, rushed back to guard the goal, blocking Luo Gan’s path.

As Luo Gan readied his shot, yellow armor closed in, tickling Luo Gan’s waist and throwing him off completely, allowing him to steal the ball.

Han Chong was caught off guard by Luo Gan’s mishap. By the time Luo Gan turned to recover, yellow and grey armor had already crossed half the field!

Xiao Zhi shouted, “Come on, I won’t back down!”

This time, Xiao Zhi faced the wrong way. He thought, since his earlier anticipation failed, he’d just let them pass and wait for a clear chance to intercept.

But reality was far less forgiving. If every team had a blockhead like Xiao Zhi, the Tang Dynasty would be a laughingstock in the history of cuju. Luo Gan regretted ever letting such a scatterbrain join.

With the thud of the ball hitting the ground, the score was tied at one–one, the two-and-a-half-man armored team catching up. Xiao Zhi still hadn’t found his rhythm; Han Chong was gasping for breath, sweat pouring from every pore after the back-and-forth sprints.

Luo Gan comforted Han Chong and Xiao Zhi, reassuring them that his plan was only just beginning.