Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 285 didn't treat him like a human being either.
The temporary football field set up on the riverbank, with lines drawn with lime and gates made of thick bamboo at both ends, was now packed with people.

The news that the emperor had bestowed a hundred bolts of Shu brocade bearing his personal seal as a prize had already spread throughout the camps, but what attracted even more attention were the two opposing sides.

On one side was the "Dragon Tiger Eagle Beast Team," composed of eleven men including Ji Bachi, the commander of the Dragon Soaring Cavalry; Gao Ang, the commander of the Dragon Soaring Cavalry; Wei Qi, the head of the Fubing (prefectural army); and Liu Tao, the commander of the Xiaoshan Tiger (a separate unit).

On the other side was a force of generals and officers, including General Zhao Guang, General Chen Hu, and generals Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, Liu Yin, Zheng Pu, and Wang Chong.

The battle is raging.

The scoreboard was simply marked with the numbers "3" and "2" using charcoal.

This number was invented by the emperor in Chang'an last year. Because the strokes are simple and the characters are easy to recognize, it quickly spread to the army through activities such as Cuju (ancient Chinese football), archery, and rewarding people. It is known to everyone and has greatly improved the work efficiency of officials and reduced the difficulty of their work.

As for who is leading in the score?
It goes without saying that they are a team of beasts.

Since the emperor introduced Cuju (ancient Chinese football) into the army last year, this skill has become popular throughout the army.

Cuju (ancient Chinese football) is extremely physically demanding and requires strength, speed, skill, command, wisdom, and teamwork. It is an excellent way to measure the overall quality of soldiers.

Ji Bazhi, Wei Qi, Gao Ang, Liu Tao, and other proud and fierce soldiers who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, usually devoted most of their energy to this art in their spare time, treating it as entertainment. Their skills were so refined that they were incomparable to the generals who were burdened with heavy military duties.

Over the past year, a gambling craze has spontaneously formed in the military surrounding Cuju (ancient Chinese football). Many who are too busy to play or who feel their skills are too poor to compete with others set up betting booths on the sidelines.

For those soldiers who are too busy with drills and defense to attend in person but still want to bet, many resourceful individuals have formed off-site betting groups. They can place bets based solely on information, without having to be physically present to watch the game.

Over the past year, the Han army had even engaged in the sordid practice of colluding with their own teams to fix matches. It wasn't until the emperor personally reprimanded them, confiscating all the wealth obtained by those involved and depositing it into the imperial treasury, and decreed that repeat offenders would be punished according to military law, and that those who reported such acts would be rewarded, that this practice was somewhat curbed.

Gambling is difficult to stop in the army. After all, there are only so many forms of entertainment. If you don't give these soldiers something to do to expend their energy, they will start harassing the people.

Fortunately, in this era where life and death were decided by the emperor and his generals, once the emperor issued a strict order, even if someone wanted to cheat, because military law and the reward for reporting were basically limited to individuals, few people dared to collude with others to fix the game.

Back to the present, the Beast Team, composed of Ji Shu, Liu Tao, Gao Ang, Wei Qi, and others, has won seven consecutive games in the days since the Emperor's Rewards Competition began, making them incredibly popular and their odds have already plummeted to rock bottom.

On the other hand, while the generals are individually brave and strong, they lack regular training in Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and their teamwork is rusty, hence their higher odds.

However, many soldiers still thought that Ji Bazhi and others might do them a favor because the other side was a general, so quite a few bet on the general's army to win.

"Shove him!"

"it is good!"

"Great shovel!"

On the field, Ji Bachi, the Dragon-Soaring Sima who was feared by the soldiers for his constant protection of the emperor, made a swift sliding tackle and narrowly stole the ball from his superior, Zhao Guang.

Zhao Guang was unable to stop in time and was knocked to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Referee! He fouled!" Zhao Guang stood up, pointed at Ji Bachi, and roared at Guan Xing, the Tiger General who was acting as referee on the sidelines. Guan Xing had not played because he had led five hundred Tiger Generals on a ten-mile training march along the river with heavy loads that morning and was exhausted.

"A tackle from the side and behind without touching the ball first! This is a dangerous move!" Zhao Guang scolded again.

According to the rules of Cuju (ancient Chinese football), such tackles and tackles could easily injure the opponent's legs if not handled carefully, so they are strictly prohibited.

Guan Xing kept his eyes fixed on the field, and upon hearing this, he waved his hand without hesitation, his voice resolute:

"The tackle touched the ball first, the action was clean, and he didn't go towards the player! Good interception, play continues!" He wasn't making a random call; he was citing a precedent from a match last year, where the situation was similar.

Zhao Guang was furious, his face turning pale, but he was helpless. He could only curse at Ji Ba Chi's retreating figure, who had already dribbled the ball away:
"Ji Bazhi! You just wait! Tomorrow is the Longxianglang drill, everyone will be carrying fifty pounds of weight and running ten miles of mountain road!"

Ji Bazhi seemed not to hear anything. Although he was burly, he was exceptionally skillful with the ball, successively dribbling past Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, and Zheng Pu who were trying to intercept him, and facing the last line of defense of the general's army.

General Chen Hu, the gatekeeper, assumed a horse stance, preparing to receive the ball.

Ji Bachi's eyes were bloodshot, and he pulled his right foot back, preparing to shoot down the left flank.

Seeing this, Chen Hu instinctively shifted his weight, while Ji Ba Chi flicked his ankle, pushing the ball into the open space on the right, and then followed up with a powerful shot!

"boom!"

There was a muffled sound.

Piju slammed hard against the outside of the right goalpost and bounced out of bounds.

"Boo—!" A huge chorus of boos erupted from the sidelines, quickly replaced by a cacophony of shouts and curses.

"Ji Ba Chi! You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, are also involved in match-fixing?!"

"Fuck you! I bet two ends of Shu brocade on you! And you just shoot like this?!"

Ji Bazhi was already annoyed by his missed shot, and when he heard the insults from outside the field, especially the last vulgar word about his mother, his anger surged to the top of his head.

With a surge of anger, he suddenly turned around, his eyes bloodshot, and stared at the source of the sound, locking onto the soldier who was shouting and cursing in the crowd. In the last few steps, he rushed to the sidelines and grabbed the man by the collar.

"You son of a bitch! You're asking for it!!!" Ji Bazhi's voice boomed like thunder.

The man was a military officer. Although he was intimidated by Ji Bazhi's imposing manner and was momentarily speechless, seeing that all eyes were on him and that he was not about to back down in front of everyone, he stubbornly retorted:

"I'll curse you! You rigged the game! You're trash!"

Ji Bazhi flew into a rage and punched the other man in the face.

The soldier, in pain, became even more ruthless, and the two immediately began to wrestle, rolling on the ground and kicking up even more dust.

Some of the surrounding soldiers exclaimed in surprise, while others jeering, and the scene descended into chaos.

Guan Xing hurriedly blew his whistle and rushed over to try to separate the two.

However, Ji Bachi was incredibly strong, and in his rage, he was even more difficult to pull away.

In the chaos, someone who seemed to thrive on disorder handed Ji Bazhi a golden mace used for training.

Without a second thought, Ji Bazhi took the hammer, raised it high, and made a move to smash it down on the soldier's head!

At this moment, the soldiers who were watching the commotion really panicked. Seven or eight soldiers rushed forward, some grabbing his waist, others his arms, and they held Ji Bazhi back tightly.

Ji Bazhi struggled and cursed angrily, looking like a mad tiger.

He was already tall and strong, with unparalleled bravery and strength among all the Dragon Guards. He had also made outstanding military achievements. Before becoming a Dragon Guard, he had already killed more than ten enemy leaders. After becoming a Dragon Guard, he continued to make outstanding military achievements. Therefore, he gained the emperor's favor and was protected by his side day and night.

Aside from maintaining a degree of awe before the emperor and a handful of important generals, he even dared to defy his superior, Zhao Guang, to some extent.

He knew that everything he had achieved was due to what he had obtained and who had bestowed it upon him.

There's already a saying in the military.

As the territory of the Han Dynasty expands in the future, people like Guan Xing and Zhao Guang will be sent out to serve as regional generals.

A rough and uncouth man like Ji Bazhi, who was illiterate and lacked the knowledge and strategic vision to stand on his own, was truly the perfect candidate to guard the emperor and the palace.

In the future, this person might replace Zhao Guang as the emperor's imperial guard commander. After all, imperial guards don't need a broad perspective; they just need to be loyal and brave enough.

This guy seems to know that too.

If it weren't for the emperor's decree that any acts of bullying or humiliation in the army would be dealt with according to military law, this fellow, with his temperament, would surely be a tyrant in the army, just like those brave but uneducated officers in all feudal armies.

For someone who is self-confident in his strength and has no education, bullying the weak is the most direct manifestation of power. It is only under the emperor's discipline that his violent tendencies are restrained.

Guan Jingli squeezed through the crowd, standing between the two men. He raised his right hand, revealing a token made of wood that had been temporarily painted yellow, and shouted sternly, "Stop! Ji Shu! Put down your weapons immediately!"

Ji Bazhi, panting heavily, stared intently at the soldier whose face was already bruised and swollen, still refusing to put down his golden mace.

"He insulted my mother!" Ji Bazhi squeezed out the words through gritted teeth. "Shouldn't such a filthy wretch be beaten to death?!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Xing glanced at the military officer he vaguely remembered.

Of the four cardinal virtues—heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teacher—only the ruler, parents, and teacher are not to be trifled with. You may insult heaven and earth and no one will care, but if you dare to insult the ruler, parents, or teacher, others will beat or kill you, and you will deserve it.

On the Cao Wei side, Xiahou Dun, at the age of fourteen, studied under a teacher. When someone insulted his teacher, Dun killed him, and thus became known for his fierce spirit.

Pang De could have survived his defeat, and Guan Yu had no reason to kill him. Therefore, Guan Yu persuaded him to surrender, saying, "Brother, you are in Hanzhong. I intend to appoint you as a general. If you do not surrender to Han soon, what else should you do?"

Pang De, however, cursed Guan Yu:

"You brat, what do you mean by surrendering!" "The King of Wei commands a million armored soldiers; his power shakes the world."

"You, Liu Bei, are mediocre; how could you possibly defeat me!"

"I would rather die for my country than serve as a traitorous general!"

When a ruler is in distress, his subject is disgraced; when a ruler is disgraced, his subject dies. If Pang De had only insulted Guan Yu, Guan Yu would have saved his life. But Pang De insulted Liu Bei, so he had no choice but to die.

Otherwise, how would the world view Guan Yu?
Guan Xing, his face grim, waved to the arriving military officer: "Take this man away."

After dealing with the provocateur, Guan Xing turned to Ji Bachi, his tone slightly softer, but still carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"How can weapons be used in a dispute on the field? Considering that you had a valid reason, we will not take any action against you. However, if you continue to cause trouble, you will be severely punished!"

Ji Bazhi's chest heaved violently, and finally he angrily threw the golden mace to the ground.

Just then, the crowd parted to make way for a young general, dressed in brocade robes and adorned with jade rings, with a round face and a slightly protruding belly, who walked slowly under the protection of a group of elite soldiers.

When he walks, his legs are slightly stiff, revealing a small section of a gleaming iron prosthetic leg with engraved inscriptions. When he takes a step, others can hear the sound of steel scraping against steel.

"Awei?" Guan Xing and Zhao Guang, two close advisors to the emperor, looked surprised when they saw who it was. "Why have you come to Yiling?"

The newcomer was none other than Mi Wei, the Tiger Cavalry Guard. His round face showed signs of fatigue from the long journey, but he smiled upon seeing Guan Xing and Zhao Guang.
"Anguo, Pijiang, how have you been?"

"Knowing that the terrain around Yiling and Jiangling is gradually opening up, and that elite cavalry are needed to scout ahead, the Prime Minister has ordered me to lead a contingent to assist in the campaign!"

As he spoke, in front of the three armies and soldiers, he deliberately stomped his iron foot, making a soft "clang" sound.

"Having stayed in Chang'an for half a year, Ma Jun and Pu Yuan have put a lot of effort into the iron feet His Majesty bestowed upon me. Now, the iron feet His Majesty bestowed upon me are even more comfortable!"

Some people were filled with awe.

Some people don't understand.

Many soldiers who knew the inside story began to tell those around them who were unaware of the situation about the key role that Mi Wei played in the battle to kill Cao Zhen, which drew everyone's attention.

Zhao Guang was still furious with Guan Xing and Ji Bazhi, but seeing Mi Wei arrive, he didn't rush to reminisce. Instead, he grabbed Mi Wei's increasingly muscular right arm and asked urgently:

"Brother Buwu! You've come at the right time! Do you know the rules of Cuju?"

Mi Wei was taken aback by the question, then pointed to his iron leg in confusion: "Pi Jiang, do I look like someone who understands this?"

Although Cuju (蹴鞠) is an ancient sport, it had long since declined and was little known until the emperor stayed at Wuzhangyuan last year, when it began to slowly revive.

Mi Wei's lower leg was broken at that time. He could ride a horse without any problem, but how could he play Cuju with a group of rough men? So he had little interest in Cuju, let alone understand the rules.

"Don't know the rules? That's even better!" Zhao Guang was not disappointed at all; on the contrary, his eyes lit up.

"Right now, we need someone like you who doesn't understand the rules to uphold justice!"

He turned to Guan Xing and shouted:

“Anguo, let Brother Buwu be your referee! He’s new here and has no connection with either side, so he’ll be fair!”
"You become the goalkeeper and replace that bastard Chen Ruhui. He's utterly incompetent!"

Upon hearing this, goalkeeper Chen Hu became furious.

Because the young generals on the field, such as Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, Zheng Pu, and Liu Yin, surprisingly reached a consensus that Chen Hu had conceded three goals in a row and was utterly incompetent, so they wanted to replace him.

While Guan Xing was still lost in thought and confusion, Zhao Guang had already switched places with Mi Wei and pushed him to the goal.

The game continues.

Mi Wei was handed a command flag representing the referee's authority. He stood blankly on the sidelines, looking at the surging crowd before him, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Just then, the situation on the field changed again.

The Beasts team launched a fierce attack. Liu Tao, the commander of the Xiaoshan Tigers, passed the ball to Ji Bachi. Ji Bachi, who had returned to the field, was still furious. He dribbled past several players and charged straight at Guan Xing's goal.

Zhao Guang was prepared. Seeing the opponent suddenly approach, he disregarded the ball's trajectory and launched a sliding tackle from the side. The target seemed to be Pi Ju, but he ended up kicking the hairy calf of the eight-foot-tall burly man, knocking Ji Ba Chi to the ground. He then grabbed the ball and rushed towards Gao Feng's goal.

The soldiers outside the field burst into laughter.

Zhao Longxiang's kick was somewhat driven by personal grudges.

"Zhao Longxiang! You're taking revenge for personal reasons!" Ji Bachi jumped up from the ground and rushed towards Zhao Guang, not caring whether what he was saying was true or not.

Mi Wei, who had just been put in the referee's position, immediately blew his whistle, raised the command flag in his hand, pointed at Zhao Guang, and shouted: "Zhao Pijiang maliciously injured someone, out of the game!"

"Huh?!" Zhao Guang was momentarily stunned, but finally retorted with a stiff neck, "Mibu Wu! I'm a tackler!"

"Slide tackle?" Mi Wei's harmless round face remained expressionless as he pointed to Ji Bachi, who had suddenly collapsed to the ground groaning.

"You really think I don't know the rules?! I only saw you going for his leg, not the ball. Get off the field now!"

Zhao Guang was taken aback upon hearing this, and finally left the scene dejectedly with the red card amidst the laughter of Guan Xing, Zhang Gu, Liu Yin, Chen Hu, and others.

Seeing this, goalkeeper Chen Hu, who had been pushed off the field, rolled his eyes and leaned close to Mi Wei, whispering, "Mi Wei, you made the right call! Zhao Longxiang's actions were against the rules, and he deserved to be sent off!"

Seeing that Mi Wei didn't seem to know much about it, he added, "According to the rules, if someone intentionally injures another, their team should be penalized with a goal!"

"Huh?" Miwei was taken aback.

Guan Xing walked over, first looking at the somewhat chaotic army on the field due to the lack of eleven members, then at the referee Mi Wei, and suddenly spoke up: "Ru Hui, you..."

"Okay!" Chen Hu thought that Guan Xing would have to arrange for him to return to the field this time.

“Since you believe that Bu Wu’s refereeing was appropriate,” Guan Xing said, “then you will take over the refereeing duties.”

Chen Hu was taken aback: "Huh? Me?"

Before Chen Hu could retort, Guan Xing turned to Mi Wei, his voice serious and earnest:
"Buwu, you go and guard the gate."

Upon hearing this, not only was Chen Hu stunned, but generals such as Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, and Liu Yin also showed expressions of disbelief.

Miwei himself was stunned, pointing to his own nose: "Me? Me... a goalkeeper?" He then moved his iron-cast left foot.

Chen Hu, who had been substituted earlier for being "too bad to play," forgot his predicament and pointed at Mi Wei's iron legs, exclaiming:

"Him? What kind of goalkeeper does he use?!"

Guan Xing said no more, but reached out and pulled the still somewhat dazed Mi Wei out of the crowd, and pushed him onto the open ground in front of his own goal without saying a word.

Miwei stood alone in front of the huge goal, his iron leg supporting his slightly chubby body, making him appear somewhat clumsy.

Guan Xing then walked up to Wei Qi, Liu Tao, and the others from the Beast Squad, his gaze sweeping over these fierce soldiers:

"See that new goalkeeper over there? The 'Tiger Rider' lost his leg on the banks of the Wei River for His Majesty and for the Han Dynasty. Your next task is to find a way to break his other leg too!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qi, Liu Tao, Gao Ang, and the others were all startled and momentarily stunned.

The game starts again.

Perhaps Guan Xing's harsh words had an effect, or perhaps they were wary of Mi Wei, a special goalkeeper, because the Beasts' attack was no longer as smooth as before.

Several shots seemed hesitant, either too straight or lacking power, and were all saved or deflected by Mi Wei with an awkward yet exceptionally accurate save.

On the other side, Guan Xing personally took to the field. He was in good physical condition and, with his skillful command, he and Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, and others executed several decent plays. Finally, Liu Yin, the Commandant of the Expeditionary Army, seized an opportunity and scored with a powerful shot.

"nice shot!"

The army and the soldiers who supported them erupted in cheers.

Ultimately, the match ended in a 3-3 tie, thanks to Miwei's clumsy yet desperate defense, which involved him repeatedly tumbling and crawling.

Off the field, shouts and cheers mingled as the soldiers calculated their respective gains and losses.

"How is it?" Guan Xing asked as he walked up to Mi Wei.

Miwei wiped the sweat from his face, panting as he laughed loudly, "That was great! Next time... next time if there's another game, remember to call me again."

(End of this chapter)