Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 78 Zhou Chengquan persuades Du Niang to withdraw

When Zhou Chengquan heard Shen Daoyuan advising him not to participate in the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match against Lin Chong's women's Cuju team, he realized that he had already mentioned this to Gao Can and Du Shiniang, expressing his unwillingness to get involved in this mess. He had initially opposed the Cuju bet between Emperor Huizong and the Jin Dynasty, believing that the struggle for cities and territories should be decided on the battlefield, not by wagering three cities and entrusting the war to a few Cuju players.

Thinking of this, Zhou Chengquan frowned and said to Shen Daoyuan, "Brother Shen, I think what you said makes sense. I will never play football. However, Xiao Minghao has the backing of the Left Prime Minister, and the Left Prime Minister's daughter is the Emperor's favorite concubine. It won't be easy for us to deal with the Xiao family, especially since he is very cunning."

“General Zhou, I believe that even the most cunning person has a weakness. What do you think is Xiao Minghao’s weakness?” Shen Daoyuan said, glancing meaningfully at Zhou Chengquan. Then he took a cup of fruit syrup from Chun Tao, a maid standing by the hot spring pool, and drank it all in one gulp.

“Yes! Xiao Minghao’s weakness is Zou…” Zhou Chengquan said to Shen Daoyuan in a tone of sudden realization, but before he could finish speaking, he realized that Du Shiniang was staring at him with displeasure, so he dared not finish his sentence.

Seeing this, Shen Daoyuan chuckled twice, then leaned close to Zhou Chengquan's ear and whispered, "It seems General Zhou is afraid of his wife. But General Zhou's wife is the Empress's sister. You must have suffered a lot at home because of her, right?"

Zhou Chengquan frowned and glanced sideways at Du Shiniang, then whispered to Shen Daoyuan, "That's right! If my wife hadn't been making such a fuss, I would have carried Du Shiniang home long ago." Upon hearing this, Shen Daoyuan couldn't help but laugh, chuckling twice.

Hearing Shen Daoyuan's sly laughter, Du Shiniang asked him with a puzzled look, "Lord Shen, have you thought of some way to trick Xiao Minghao? Otherwise, why are you laughing so happily?"

"It's nothing... I just found the story of the shrewish woman from Hedong funny." Shen Daoyuan said, trying hard to suppress his laughter.

Upon hearing this, Du Shiniang shook her head slightly, even more puzzled. She thought to herself, "This Chai Nianci is clearly gentle and virtuous, with a mild temper. How can this shrew from Hedong compare to her? Could it be that Xiao Minghao's current wife—the daughter of the Left Prime Minister—is a shrew from Hedong?"

Zhou Chengquan and Shen Daoyuan ignored Du Shiniang and chatted about other court affairs for half an hour before Shen Daoyuan got up and left the hot spring. The maid Chunmei quickly helped him put on his outer robe, then followed closely behind, intending to help him change. Shen Daoyuan waved his hand, indicating she didn't need to serve him anymore, and then called out, "Wu En, help me change."

Wu En felt that he was a personal guard, so why was he being asked to do the work of a maid? The maids and flower girls in Zixiang Pavilion were all so beautiful, so why did his master not like any of them and insist on making him serve him while he changed clothes? He couldn't help but sigh, feeling very helpless.

Arriving at the side room of the hot spring, Shen Daoyuan took a bath and then called Wu En to help him change. Wu En was a bit clumsy; he had just finished dressing Shen Daoyuan in his undergarments when he couldn't get the belt to his satisfaction, no matter how many times he tried. Shen Daoyuan said somewhat angrily, "Wu En, how come you can't even tie a belt properly? I should have had Chun Tao come along."

Wu En protested somewhat aggrievedly, "My lord, I am your personal guard. It's easy for me to kill someone for you normally. Don't ask me to help you change clothes in the future. There are plenty of beautiful courtesans and maids in this Zixiang Pavilion. Why don't you ask them to serve you?"

“You know this is Zixiang Pavilion. Don’t you think about it? My relationship with Ci’er has just improved a little. If she sees other women being close to me, she might start overthinking again.” Shen Daoyuan simply snatched the belt from Wu En’s hand and tied it himself, explaining to Wu En as he tried.

Wu En was about to praise his master for his thoughtfulness and devotion to Chai Niangzi when he was suddenly tapped lightly on his left shoulder. Upon recognizing the person, he quickly and quietly slipped out of the side room.

"Wu En, why did you wrinkle my belt just now? It feels weird when I tie it," Shen Daoyuan muttered under his breath. At this moment, a pair of slender, fair hands snatched the belt from Shen Daoyuan's hands. Shen Daoyuan quickly glanced at the person warily, and then immediately grabbed the slender hands tightly.

"Ci'er, what brings you here?" Shen Daoyuan's face lit up with surprise as he pulled Chai Nianci into his arms and asked gently, "Didn't I say I'd come to have dinner with you later?"

Chai Nianci was held tightly by Shen Daoyuan, her face buried in the man's broad chest. She could feel the masculine energy of his skin, still damp from his bath, and the pounding of his heart. Chai Nianci was momentarily dazed, and replied absentmindedly, "I've prepared dinner, so I thought I'd come and invite you in person. I met Shi Niang by the hot spring, and she said you were changing in the side room without calling any maids to serve you."

"So, my Ci'er is worried and wants to change my clothes herself, is that right?" Shen Daoyuan glanced at the beauty in his arms, whose face was already flushed, and said to Chai Nianci in a flirtatious tone.

Chai Nianci finally came to her senses and realized that her position with Shen Daoyuan was too intimate and ambiguous. She struggled to get out of the man's arms, but Shen Daoyuan grabbed her hands and forced them down to his abdomen. Chai Nianci heard the man say to her gently, "Ci'er, we are engaged. You don't need to be shy. Why don't you learn to help me change my clothes beforehand?"

"No! You're always so reckless, can't you talk to me about something serious?" Chai Nianci pushed Shen Daoyuan away, biting her lip as she spoke to him seriously. Seeing that Chai Nianci was getting a little grumpy, Shen Daoyuan quickly stopped himself and fastened his belt. Chai Nianci handed him her outer robe, which he hurriedly put on. Then he pulled her back into his arms and asked earnestly, "Ci'er, are you still worried about the competition in three days?"

Chai Nianci hugged Shen Daoyuan back and replied in a sweet voice, "Yes! I was afraid this would put you in a difficult position. I know you've always wanted to hide your talents, and I was afraid the Emperor would use this football match to test you. If I ruined your long-held plans, I would feel uneasy!"

"Silly girl! With me here, you don't need to worry so much. General Zhou and I have already discussed the strategy for the football match three days from now. You don't need to worry about me! Your husband's plans won't be so easily ruined." Shen Daoyuan said, kissing Chai Nianci's forehead as he comforted her.

Seeing that Shen Daoyuan seemed confident, Chai Nianci stopped asking questions and took his hand, saying, "Let's go, Shen Lang, let's go back to our room for dinner. After dinner, you can practice Cuju with me for a while before we go back to the manor."

Shen Daoyuan teased, "Ci'er, didn't you say your senior brother would practice with you? Why do you insist on having me accompany you?" Chai Nianci pursed her lips and said, "Aren't you jealous? My senior brother just woke up and came to see me wearing wet clothes. He even asked me if I knew who pushed him into the lotus pond. He also sneezed several times. I guess he might have caught a cold, so I told him to go see Doctor Zhang. How can my senior brother practice Cuju with me if he's sick?"

"I see! So for the next two days, I'll have to come and practice Cuju with you? That's so tiring!" Shen Daoyuan said to Chai Nianci with a reluctant expression on his face.

Unexpectedly, Chai Nianci coldly replied, "If you're tired, you don't need to come. I'll ask Coach Lin to accompany me. Although his Cuju skills are not as good as yours, he is still a coach."

"You dare!" Shen Daoyuan said with a gloomy expression.

"What wouldn't I dare to do? Back then, I even dared to become a monk at Xiangshan Temple just to avoid you."

"Chai Nianci, come back here right now! Don't even think about going to Lin Chong. If you want someone to spar with, you can only come to me!"

"Why are you yelling at me? I'm not your maid."

Shen Daoyuan felt that there was no point in reasoning with Chai Nianci, so he simply picked her up and carried her out of the side room. Chai Nianci begged for mercy, "Shen Daoyuan, there are many people coming and going in Chai Xiang Pavilion. You may not care about your reputation, but I do. Please put me down."

"Didn't you just say I was reckless? Well, I'll show everyone what recklessness is. You're my fiancée, let's see who dares to mess with you!" Shen Daoyuan said with a wicked grin, as he carried Chai Nianci and swaggered through the courtyard corridors of Zixiang Pavilion. Chai Nianci quickly buried her face in the man's arms, not daring to open her eyes to look at the guests and servants of Zixiang Pavilion coming and going in the corridors.

After Shen Daoyuan left, Zhou Chengquan went into another side room. Du Shiniang personally served Zhou Chengquan as he bathed and changed. Du Shiniang looked at the dozen or so old scars on Zhou Chengquan's back and found them somewhat shocking. Her fingers couldn't help but stop on one of the deep and long scars, and she carefully traced the scar with her warm fingers.

"Shi Niang, what's wrong? Are you worried about me?" Zhou Chengquan grabbed Du Shiniang's soft hands and hugged her tightly in his arms, asking in a deep, hoarse voice.

Du Shiniang didn't reply, but casually raised her eyes and asked Zhou Chengquan, "Why is this scar so long and deep? Was it done by the Jin people?"

"Yes! That time, I was ambushed by the Jurchens and trapped in a mountain valley with dozens of soldiers. There were hundreds of Jurchens. I fought them to the death with my personal guards for a day and a night, and I was the only one who survived. The deepest and longest scar on my back was cut by the Jurchen general's broadsword." Zhou Chengquan's face was a little pale when he said these words, giving people a sense of lingering fear after surviving a disaster, and even his voice became sad.

Hearing Zhou Chengquan's painful story, Du Shiniang's heart softened. She rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his strong waist tightly. Zhou Chengquan sensed Du Shiniang's pity and took the opportunity to breathe warm air into her ear, saying, "Shiniang, the Jin people are cunning. Regarding the women's football match with the Jin, I advise you not to get involved. Leave it entirely to Lin Chong and Wu Song. I feel that Gao Can has taken advantage of this matter to harass you several times; I can't tolerate him any longer!"