I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Today was Zhao Mingcheng's second visit to the Duan Prince's residence, and he was becoming more and more comfortable entering and exiting the gates of the Duan Prince's residence.

In the back study of the Prince's Mansion, the air was filled with the scent of ink and a faint aroma of tea. It was the finest Dragon and Phoenix Tea, brewed in a silver pot. When boiling water was poured in, white foam rose up like snow.

This time, Liang Shicheng personally held the teapot, poured the tea into the celadon-glazed cup, and presented it to Zhao Mingcheng with both hands, his smile perfectly appropriate.

"Young Master Zhao, please have some tea. This is newly tribute tea from Fujian. The Emperor bestowed some upon the Prince, who specifically instructed that it be reserved for your enjoyment."

"Thank you for your help, Liang." Zhao Mingcheng bowed and accepted the cup, which was warm and fragrant with tea.

He looked up at Liang Shicheng.

This future "hidden prime minister" is currently a respectful and proper steward of the royal palace, but no matter how deeply he hides his shrewdness, a hint of it still shines through his narrow eyes.

Liang Shicheng stepped aside and stood in attendance, but his eyes kept following Zhao Mingcheng out of the corner of his eye.

He knew perfectly well that Zhao Mingcheng was no ordinary man.

Liang Shicheng had found out what Zhao Mingcheng had been up to these past few days.

Prince Duan pleaded with the Empress Dowager on behalf of Zhao Mingcheng, and the Empress Dowager personally granted the request, and the Emperor also nodded in approval.

This is hardly the kind of respectable demeanor that an ordinary student of the Imperial Academy could have.

Not to mention the prince's usual warm and friendly manner, calling him "Mingcheng" at every turn, even more affectionately than he would a blood brother.

Liang Shicheng made up his mind that he had to befriend Zhao Mingcheng, or at least not offend him.

Zhao Mingcheng slowly sipped his tea, his mind racing.

He could sense Liang Shicheng's attitude.

From initial scrutiny to later politeness, and now to respect, this change is due to Prince Duan and the tacit approval of the palace.

Just then, footsteps came from outside, light and cheerful.

Zhao Ji was dressed in a moon-white casual robe, with ink stains still on his cuffs, clearly having just come from the painting table, and his face was beaming with smiles.

"Mingcheng, you've finally arrived! Take a look at this newly acquired copy of Li Gonglin's 'Five Horses' painting. Although the brushwork is not as good as the original, it captures seven or eight tenths of the spirit..."

Another half hour was spent appreciating paintings and discussing art.

Emperor Huizong was in high spirits, talking about everything from Li Gonglin's ink-line drawing to Wu Daozi's line drawing, and then about an ancient painting manual he had recently read.

Zhao Mingcheng responded aptly, offering praise when appropriate and asking questions when necessary, neither letting the conversation fizzle out nor overshadowing the main point.

Liang Shicheng poured tea for Zhao Mingcheng, thinking to himself: "Zhao Mingcheng is not old, but he is very skilled in dealing with people. No wonder the prince likes him."

……

We've finished admiring the painting and had two rounds of tea.

Zhao Ji stretched, then his eyes lit up. He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Mingcheng, you must be getting bored staying in the manor all day looking at paintings and discussing calligraphy. I heard that a new storyteller from the Sang Family Theater has arrived, and his ventriloquism is superb; he can imitate anything perfectly! And at the Lotus Pavilion, today the Qiyun Society's martial arts masters are performing, kicking the football like acrobatics... Why don't we change into casual clothes and go check out the show?"

Zhao Ji spoke with great enthusiasm, his eyes shining.

Zhao Mingcheng's heart skipped a beat.

Was it a brothel or entertainment district?

Go with Prince Duan?

Almost instantly, a series of images flashed through my mind: my father's gloomy face, the impeachments written by the officials of the Censorate, and Emperor Zhezong's unfathomable eyes in the Chuigong Hall...

"Leading the king to indecent places," "mingling in the marketplace," "corrupting the royal family's decorum"... these accusations will be easily slapped on him when the time comes.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) could go by himself; if a prince went to the entertainment district incognito, he would at most be told that he was "young and playful."

But if Zhao Mingcheng goes with him, that's a different story.

A student of the Imperial Academy, having just received special permission from the Empress Dowager to "organize classical texts," immediately turned around and lured a prince to go out and have fun in the marketplace.

If he really did that, all the positive personas he had cultivated before, such as "a good friend of Prince Duan," "diligent and ambitious," and "assistant in organizing," would collapse in an instant.

At that time, the spittle of the censors would drown him, the good impression he had just built with the emperor would vanish, and all his efforts would be in vain.

Therefore, you absolutely cannot go.

But you definitely can't say that directly.

Emperor Huizong was in high spirits and eagerly awaited his reply.

A direct refusal would spoil the prince's mood, which is inappropriate.

In a flash, a look of delight appeared on Zhao Mingcheng's face.

"Your Highness has a refined taste; such a quirky folk art must be quite interesting..."

Zhao Ji's smile widened, and he was about to get up to call someone to change his clothes.

"...However," Zhao Mingcheng changed the subject, revealing a hint of regret and contemplation at just the right moment.

"While admiring the paintings just now, I suddenly remembered an old story that might be more to Your Highness's liking than listening to storytelling or watching plays in the entertainment district."

"Oh?" Zhao Ji's interest was piqued, and he sat down again. "What old news?"

Zhao Mingcheng put down his teacup, his expression turning serious.

"In my early years, I read about a lost game of Cuju in a tattered ancient book of games. The description in the book was brief, but the atmosphere was grand, quite different from the popular 'Zhuqiu' of today."

"At the time, I only found it novel, but seeing Your Highness's high spirits today, I suddenly thought that perhaps I could try to recreate a part of it."

"Ancient Games Records? The lost game of Cuju?" Zhao Ji's spirits lifted immediately. "Tell me quickly, how interesting is it?"

"The book refers to this game as 'Guangtingju' or 'Football'," Zhao Mingcheng recounted, his tone carrying a sense of ancient history.

"The general structure is as follows: Choose an open football field, set up a gate at each end - not a high-hanging eye for romance, but like a real gate, about two zhang wide and about one zhang high, with a rope net stretched behind it."

Zhao Ji imagined the scene and was quite curious.

"The door is on the ground? How do you score then?"

"The goal is to score with the ball," Zhao Mingcheng said. "That's the first difference. Secondly, each side has eleven players."

"Eleven people?" Zhao Ji's eyes widened. "Then there are twenty-two people on the field! What a spectacle!"

"Exactly." Zhao Mingcheng nodded. "Thirdly, this game does not prohibit the ball from touching the ground. The ball can roll on the ground, be passed in the air, and be contested. Except for the hands, which cannot touch the ball, the rest of the body—head, shoulders, chest, knees, and feet—can be used to stop, pass, and shoot."

Zhao Ji listened intently, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

"Not only can it land... its entire body can be used... this is completely different from the light and skillful techniques of 'Building the Ball'."

"Your Highness is wise." Zhao Mingcheng continued, "Fourthly, this game emphasizes overall strategy and teamwork, like a miniature battlefield. Each of the eleven players has a role: the forwards advance, the midfielders provide support, the defenders hold the line, and the goalkeeper guards the pass. The transition between offense and defense is ever-changing, testing not only individual skills but also strategy, physique, courage, and on-the-spot decision-making."

He paused, looking at Zhao Ji's increasingly bright eyes, and then offered the last and most tempting point.

"Your Highness, imagine if the strong guards and skilled servants in your household were divided into two armies, each wearing different colored clothes, and they were arrayed in battle against each other in the courtyard."

"His Highness personally set the rules and designed the formations, strategizing and winning battles from a mere hundred paces away. His rapid charges and charges are reminiscent of ancient battle formations, and his skillful offense, defense, advance, and retreat may even subtly embody military tactics?"

"This is more than just play; it cultivates strategic thinking and allows one to observe the cooperation, courage, and timidity of talented individuals. Its grandeur and scope far surpass that of watching acrobatics in a brothel or entertainment district."

The method Zhao Mingcheng proposed to Zhao Ji was exactly the way modern football is played.

His words progressed step by step.

From novel rules to grand scenes, and then to "simulated battle formations," "implicit military strategies," and "cultivating strategic thinking."

Every word struck Zhao Ji's heart with pinpoint accuracy.

This Prince Duan loves calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, as well as playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football). Deep down, he also harbors an unfulfilled yearning for "vision" and "grandeur".

What Zhao Mingcheng is depicting is not a simple game, but a "miniature battlefield" that he can build and lead himself, a "refined game" that can satisfy his desire for fun, as well as be associated with elegance and even strategy.

Sure enough, Zhao Ji slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the study, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

"The 'ball' is exquisite, like a meticulously painted flower-and-bird painting; the 'football' is bold, like a splashed-ink landscape painting! One elegant, one martial, complementing each other perfectly! A large-scale battle of twenty-two players... the ball can be fought for, the whole body can be used... simulating a battle formation... excellent!!"

He stopped and stared intently at Zhao Mingcheng.

"Mingcheng, where is the record of that ancient game? Are there any other records?"

Zhao Mingcheng looked regretful.

"That book was in such bad condition that I only found it by chance in a secondhand bookstore. It contained only a few pages. When I went to look for it again, it was nowhere to be found. I only remember the general structure. As for the specific details, I'm afraid Your Highness and I will have to work together to figure them out."

"No problem! No problem!" Zhao Ji waved his hand, his interest completely ignited. "Since we have the skeleton, we'll fill in the flesh and blood ourselves! Mingcheng, this matter cannot be done without you!"

He called out loudly.

"Master's success!"

Liang Shicheng, who had been standing respectfully with her hands at her sides, quickly stepped forward and said, "This servant is here."

"Get ready immediately!" Zhao Ji said quickly. "Find the most spacious football field in the manor, the one east of the polo field in the back garden!"

"As Mingcheng said, first set up two simple goalposts and cover them with rope nets. Play polo... find some sturdy, durable old balls to test. Then pass the word down that all the guards, servants, and polo players in the mansion, those who are agile and have plenty of energy, should be summoned as candidates! First, select eleven... no, thirteen from each group! Listen to Mingcheng explain the rules later!"

"Yes, this servant will do it immediately." Liang Shicheng bowed and replied, glancing at Zhao Mingcheng out of the corner of her eye.

He sighed inwardly: This young master Zhao is truly... capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of his wrist. With just a few words, he not only averted the risks of going to the entertainment district but also piqued the prince's interest so much.

This resourcefulness and ability to understand people's hearts are simply remarkable.

Zhao Mingcheng added as appropriate.

"Your Highness, this play is newly created, and the rules and details need to be explored gradually. Today, we can select performers, explain the basics, and conduct a small-scale trial performance. Once the basic form is complete, Your Highness can personally bestow a name and set the rules to truly bring it to life."

"As you wish!" Zhao Ji clapped his hands and laughed. "This matter will be entirely planned by you, with Liang Shicheng assisting. I want to see just how impressive this new Cuju (ancient Chinese football) really is! The entertainment districts..."

Emperor Huizong waved his hand, his face showing an expression that said, "So what?"

"Nothing beats creating your own games!"

The crisis was averted, and it also led to a new opportunity that could further strengthen the relationship and showcase one's abilities.

Zhao Mingcheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained respectful.

"Students must do their best."