Chapter 250: Journey to Jiangnan (I)

It is hard to tell when the word "football" started a huge craze in Bianjing. No one can tell for sure. It seems that it suddenly became popular overnight after the beginning of autumn.

This kind of fighting game was initially only circulated among the sons of generals from upper-class families. As soon as this game of feet, which was full of violent aesthetics, suspense of victory or defeat, and visual stimulation, appeared, it overshadowed the Cuju that these sons of generals used to entertain themselves, and was far better than sumo and all other fighting games.

Compared to these, football is far more intense, dramatic, entertaining, and has far more complete rules. It is even more exciting because of goals, tackles, dribbling, collisions, etc., which are enough to make people's adrenaline surge. Therefore, as soon as this thing appeared, it caused a huge trend and attracted the middle and upper class citizens and dignitaries to chase after it. What's so strange about that?

Although wars were frequent during this era, Bianliang had not been affected by war for more than ten years and was home to the richest population of the time - the families of the imperial guards.

In the imperial guards, no matter whether they are generals, lieutenants or ordinary soldiers, they are naturally one level higher than other professions, without a doubt.

Because of the wealth brought by their status, the hundreds of thousands of families of these tens of thousands of imperial guards became the backbone of the prosperity of Bianliang. They had enough savings to allow them to make extra consumption and expand their industries. Their requirements for food, drink, and entertainment were much more complicated than anywhere else in the world. It can be said that this prosperous scene was built on countless corpses.

Previously, because they failed to lure Niu Zhiqian and others into the trap, they deliberately suppressed the spread of the news. Now that everything is ready, it is natural that the deliverymen from Anle Pavilion and various districts will throw out all kinds of news at once.
Therefore, although football, a new thing that far surpassed all other games, appeared suddenly, it unsurprisingly caused a sensation throughout the city overnight. Not to mention it among the upper-class military children, Niu Zhiqian and others had already known about it.

It was mainly the urban residents in the inner and outer cities who had spare money and some free time every day. When they heard the news, they naturally couldn't help but feel itchy and went out of the city to join in the fun at Xiao's villa, which has now been renamed Qiushizi.

The first day was fine. Although it was open to the public and no tickets were charged, the number of new visitors in one day was only around 10,000, which did not cause too big an impact and order was easily maintained.

But even so, Xiao Yan still increased the staff overnight. At first, it was puzzling, but who would have thought that the number of people who came to watch the game on the second day would directly soar to 30,000 or 40,000. On the third day, the crowd was surging. Because the number of people in the audience seats would be controlled at a certain amount, tens of thousands of people flocked to the two newly added stadiums, a total of three venues, outside the fences, cheering loudly and applauding desperately.

For a time, the champion Hou Xiao Yan's fame once again dominated Bian Jing and made a sensation in the whole city.

The four words "Huitong Piaohang" also appeared in the public eye for the first time. However, at that time, in the perception of most people, the banknotes that were commonly used in the football market were just a form of gambling money.

But it also made everyone who had used it realize the convenience of using banknotes as exchange vouchers. Many people who lingered in the football market day and night simply didn't rush to exchange the banknotes in their hands, but just kept them in their hands. After all, in the Bian Jing area, it was guaranteed that the banknotes could be converted into real gold and silver.

Under such circumstances, countless baseball teams sprang up like mushrooms after a rain, and they all approached Li Mang, who was in charge of the operation of the event, or established relationships with Menlu and Niu Zhiqian, just to be able to get their own baseball team into the stadium for the whole city to see.

In the end, it was Xiao Yan who made the final decision on these matters. He decided to add a new event, called the King of Football Selection Tournament, which would divide the city into four districts, north, south, east and west. The participating teams in each district would participate in an elimination selection tournament with a points system, with three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Finally, the top two teams in each district, that is, a total of eight teams, would be selected to participate in the qualifying round, in which four teams would be eliminated. The winning four teams would enter the semi-finals, where two more teams would be eliminated, and finally two teams would compete in the final.

The winning team will be crowned the "King of Football" in the coming year and will be given the right to use the Tianzihao private room in Anle Pavilion for one year. There is no need to make an appointment or queue up. The room will be available for one year and will be used exclusively by the King of Football team. In addition, they will also receive a total bonus of 100,000 strings of cash.

The runner-up and third place winners will be ranked according to the points system after the qualifying rounds and will receive prize money of 50,000 and 30,000 strings of cash respectively.

The red notice with black words was posted throughout the city. Once the news was posted, it spread instantly throughout the entire Bianjing City. Not to mention the sons of generals who were keen on forming a team, even ordinary citizens and imperial guards were all excited and jealous. Anyone who had a little talent for Cuju formed their own team.

You know, even according to the standards given in football matches, excluding the eleven players on the field and the corresponding substitutes, a team has a maximum of twenty-three players, and substitutes are not even a hard requirement. After all, as long as anyone has some experience in martial arts, it will be no problem for them to play the full six quarters of an hour (ninety minutes) or overtime.

So, if they win the championship, if they want to be extreme, they can even share 100,000 strings of cash among eleven people. Of course, the biggest share will go to the owner of the team, but the bonuses for individual players can range from hundreds to thousands of strings of cash!
The soldiers of Daliang Imperial Army, not counting the pre-war bonuses, only received a dozen strings of cash in a year. Just winning a championship would be enough to earn a soldier of the Imperial Army several decades! ?

Not to mention the honor and wealth that the false name can bring after winning the championship!
For a time, everyone in the city went crazy. Not to mention whether the championship was easy to win or whether the competition was fierce, at least under the trend, dozens or even hundreds of teams were formed under various circumstances. Of course, those with talent and experience in Cuju were given priority, and the capable ones among them were recruited early, just for the popular 'King of Football'!
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"You are such a short-sighted idiot!"

Inside Prince Bo's mansion, the Ghost King was holding the copied red list of the competition, his hands were shaking with anger, he stared at the participating teams on the red list, the first thing he saw was rows of teams from generals' families like 'Niu', 'He', 'Zhang', 'Yang', etc.' He felt dizzy before his eyes, and then he became furious, and began to rage at the figures kneeling in front of him.

"I have been supporting you spies for so many years. How much money have I spent on you useless people? I don't ask you to do anything. It's enough for you to act as my eyes and ears and help me keep an eye on some people. Is this how you useless people keep an eye on Xiao Yan?

Didn't they say that this guy was just addicted to playing football outside the city? Didn't they say that this guy only cared about buying land and hugging beauties all day? Didn't they say that this guy started to enjoy himself and protect himself? What's going on!? Why did he win over several generals?! You guys are a bunch of useless people who don't eat but only eat shit!!"

He cursed so loudly that the group of so-called spies didn't even dare to breathe, but just lowered their heads and kowtowed.

No wonder the Ghost King lost his temper like this.

In the original plan, both he and the Underworld Emperor were bound to swallow up the Guide Army. Not only was it because Xiao Yan might side with Zhu Youzhen in the future struggle for the throne and they wanted to get rid of this major threat as soon as possible, but they also wanted to expand their strength in the Imperial Guards by dividing the Guide Army.

Especially for the Ghost King himself, if he could use the Guide Army as a breakthrough to insert his own forces into the Imperial Guards, he might even be able to get rid of the control of the Underworld Emperor and achieve a reversal of his identity. This is why he spared no effort to unite with other Imperial Guards to suppress Xiao Yan.

He thought that he had done a very good job in the past two months. He accompanied Zhu Wen in the palace all day long to practice the so-called magical skills in order to isolate the inside and the outside and prevent Xiao Yan from having any unnecessary contact with Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen did not even meet Xiao Yan privately at the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.

He did these things in order to isolate Zhu Wen from knowing the exact situation of Xiao Yan. In fact, Zhu Wen was in no mood to care about Xiao Yan, and his mind was completely focused on the so-called magical skill of prolonging life.

In this case, the generals that the Ghost King has won over can openly win over and divide the German army to achieve the effect of splitting it up.

But who would have thought that these old guys with the reputation of being the imperial guards not only failed to divide and win over, but also helped the Ghost King, and turned around and hooked up with Xiao Yan without blushing or beating their hearts, making a fortune every day, and they only wished they could become sworn brothers with Marquis Guanjun and run this business forever.

In this situation, how could the Ghost King not be angry? How could he not be angry?
He was so angry that he almost vomited, and then he felt deeply fearful and irritated.

To be honest, Xiao Yan had no chance to be associated with these powerful imperial guards. Even if he had an Anle Pavilion under his name, it was only private property with limited benefits, and it was not possible for everyone to share a piece of the pie. However, the wealth brought by the football market was enough to make the two parties closely collude together, and once they united, Xiao Yan would be difficult to deal with. If he missed this opportunity, it would be a blessing that he could never find in such a smooth split of the Guide Army.

There is even one point that is enough to make the Ghost King even more terrified, that is, Xiao Yan has put up such a big show, which shows that he knows how to make money. The profits that come out from between his fingers are enough to feed others. If such a huge financial plan is to be presented to Zhu Wen, what can the Ghost King do?
This is not alarmist talk. The Ghost King has already found out. Jing Xiang and Xiao Yan were once very close to each other in Chongzhengyuan. It is possible that Jing Xiang also had a share of the profits behind this financial plan. After all, nothing can stop the real money, without exception.

The Ghost King was furious for a moment, and his red hair made him look even more angry, making the spies dare not even raise their heads.

"Your Highness, why worry?"

A faint voice came from the side.

The Ghost King looked angrily, only to see Cui Yu sitting calmly beside the desk, stroking his beard, as if he was not affected by the atmosphere.

The Ghost King was furious again, but just as the scolding was about to come out, he forcibly held it back, and then smiled coldly: "Lord Cui, what do you think?"

"What can you say about this?" Cui Yu looked indifferent, stroking his beard and sneering, "Things have come to this point. Several generals of the Imperial Guards have been forced to collude with Xiao Yan. Your Highness cannot hold Xiao Yan responsible for his crimes, nor can he be shaken for a while. So as long as Xiao Yan is in Beijing, this connection will be more solid. The benefit of one million guan is enough to make this short-term alliance unbreakable in an instant. How can Your Highness move?"

The Ghost King frowned and simply waved his hand at the group of spies: "A bunch of shit-eating rubbish, get out of here and take your fifty lashes."

Everyone hurriedly left, and Cui Yu continued, "So the key to Xiao Yan's cooperation with the Imperial Guards is precisely the ball market. Anyone who touches this big deal will be counterattacked by the powerful Imperial Guards..."

The Ghost King slammed the table impatiently: "Just tell me the important points, don't waste your words!"

Cui Yu smiled and stroked his beard calmly: "Your Highness can't touch Qiu Shizi, but can't you touch Xiao Yan?"

The former's face turned cold, and he was about to start scolding, but he heard Cui Yu continue to speak indifferently: "The Ministry of Works has only half a year to expand the imperial city, and the golden nanmu is the top priority. If the wood is not available, the hall cannot be built. Since Prime Minister Jing has given the burden of transporting the wood to Guanjun Hou, the construction period is imminent, and Guanjun Hou should not be allowed to continue to delay in Bianjing..."

The Ghost King's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands fiercely: "Great! Great!"

Cui Yu was still speaking in a low voice: "The golden nanmu in Raojiang is not so easy to get, but it is not realistic for the dignified champion marquis to be severely punished for delaying the construction period. But if you want to keep him in Lingxi for a year or two, Your Highness should be able to do it, right?"

"Good, great good!"

The Ghost King already showed a smile and walked back and forth, as if he had gotten out of the dead end.

He had been so annoyed by that shitty football market these days that all his attention was focused on questioning and making things difficult for those generals. He never imagined that the way to break the impasse was to simply transfer Xiao Yan away from Bian Jing!
As long as Xiao Yan leaves the Central Plains, can't we slowly take over everything he left in Beijing?

In this football market, cooperation with Xiao Yan is cooperation, but cooperation with the Ghost King, is it not cooperation?

Not to mention a year or two, give him three or five months, no matter whether he uses trickery or force, or sets up a platform to snatch business from him, he can always get the football market into his own hands.

The Ghost King has already studied it, and football is not a complicated thing. If Xiao Yan can organize a competition, why can't he?

Thinking of this, the Ghost King could not help but sneer, and strode out, bowing to Cui Yu: "Master Cui's words have awakened me from my dream. I will go and ask for the transfer order now!"

Cui Yu looked at his back, took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes and sneered.

This idiot is used to looking down on others. He is inferior to others in both skills and tactics. How can he fight?

Thinking of this, he shook his head and walked out.

Soon, at the end of the alley, a red shadow fell behind him.

"Why did you come out of Prince Bo's Mansion?"

Cui Yu smiled when he heard the voice, turned around and squinted his eyes: "Zhong Xiaokui, are you following me?"

Zhong Xiaokui, who was standing with his hands behind his back, did not answer, with a stern look on his face.

Cui Yu sneered, thought for a moment, and paced while twisting his beard, saying, "Xiao Yan is not honest, and Prince Jun asked me to find a way to make him suffer. Otherwise, he will really think Prince Jun is made of clay."

Zhong Xiaokui's expression remained unchanged, and he continued to ask, "Why don't I know?"

"You don't know?" Cui Yu was stunned for a moment, then he chuckled and turned away: "Why don't you find the reason yourself? Why do you come to ask me? You are such an idiot."

His figure gradually moved away. Zhong Xiaokui frowned, thought for a moment, then dived back into the shadows and headed towards Anle Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)