Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 731 - 671: Let’s Go Onstage Together!

Chapter 731: Chapter 671: Let’s Go Onstage Together!

Thump!

Crack!

Splash—

Ah—

Within less than a quarter of an hour since the fifth match began, five or six players from the blue team had already left the field.

After all, being injured and continuing to force themselves on the field wouldn’t increase their odds of winning.

In the scuffle for the polo ball, Ma Bi bent down to hit the ball and was struck on the shoulder by the red team’s mallet, falling directly off his horse.

The next moment, the other students from humble backgrounds who were chasing behind saw Ma Bi ahead, but it was already too late to control their horses.

Although they grabbed the reins, the horses’ hooves still kicked Ma Bi in the forehead.

The students from humble backgrounds who failed to rein in their horses also fell from their mounts, crashing heavily to the ground.

In this match, the noble family side felt that the students from the humble families might be beaten to the point where no one dared to enter the field, so some students who were originally intended to be the trump card later in the game decided to enter the field at this moment.

Even two or three students who weren’t from the Imperial College also applied to join the red team, seeking to exchange and practice together.

After all, today was an excellent opportunity to showcase oneself in front of all the aristocratic families.

Not to mention how well one played polo, just displaying one’s brilliant horsemanship, coupled with good looks, might soon see matchmakers approaching with a fine marriage proposal.

Therefore, every player who entered the field for the red team in the fifth match was an expert in polo.

That was also why, when Ma Bi fell off, he was kicked by the hooves of his own teammates’ horses.

For the polo experts, toying with these novices in such a manner was all too simple, and even if there were to be a penalty lately, it was the blue team’s own horses that had kicked their own players, which had nothing to do with them.

Ma Bi, lying on the ground, only felt a buzzing in his ears, and among the jumbled sounds, there seemed to be a particularly piercing laugh coming through.

That laugh had followed him from childhood, from his hometown, to the Capital, to the Imperial College.

"Just look at his family; what’s the use of studying?"

"Why does this kid think he can make something of himself? Wouldn’t it be better to just honestly till the fields at home?"

"A person’s fate is what it is! Have you ever heard of someone battling fate?"

"Just another poor scholar from a humble family dreaming of changing his lot through the imperial examination; pure delusion!"

"Nothing but a poor reader of books, yet standing alongside us as a student of the Imperial College; it’s a disgrace!"

"Kid! Ever ridden a horse before? Know how to play polo?"

"If you can’t handle it, just leave the field. It’s not shameful; after all, there’s nobody of note among you students from humble families to lose face."

Ma Bi found his polo mallet on the ground and used it to help himself stand up, walking over to a horse nearby.

At that moment, Wen Bi, who had already changed into his protective gear, walked over.

At the same time, several students from Law Class A entered the field, replacing those from the blue team who had left earlier.

Ma Bi wiped the blood that had flowed from his forehead down to his eye sockets, and glanced at the blue color on Wen Bi’s protective gear.

"Go rest; this is a matter for Law Class A! Let the people from Law Class A take back the field!"

Ma Bi had not expected that this law enforcer, with whom his conflicts were growing more pointed by the day, would also have such a considerate side.

"I’m also a member of Law Class A; I can still continue to play!" Ma Bi said as he walked towards his horse nearby and leapt onto it.

Wen Bi, who argued with Ma Bi almost daily, naturally knew his temperament.

Ma Bi wouldn’t leave unless he had fallen so hard he couldn’t move; otherwise, he wouldn’t leave the field.

As the students from Law Class A entered the field, some of the students from the red team found themselves in a difficult position.

Originally, when facing the blue team’s students, most of whom were from humble families, they had no reservations.

But now that Wen Bi from the Wen Family had entered the field, everyone knew that Wen Chudao’s current pride and joy was none other than Wen Bi, who wasn’t even from the main branch of the family.

There were even rumors that Wen Bi’s future standing in the Wen Family could be second only to the future Family Head.

With such a status, who would dare make a move against him?

Moreover, there were several other students from the Law Class A who hailed from prestigious noble families.

Once these individuals entered the game, they began to slowly catch up with the score.

Many had a premonition that this round would likely be the last, as many students from the humble backgrounds seemed reluctant to play, so everyone was treating it as the final match.

As a result, nearly all the spectators had placed bets on the red team winning by eight goals over the blue team.

But now, to speak of winning was premature; the score was nearly tied, and it looked like a loss was imminent!

Therefore, young members from the noble families also started to join the game, replacing some of the players on the red team.

After all, some were concerned about the Wen Family, but others were not as cautious.

Moreover, even if Wen Bi and his associates were formidable, weren’t there still some weaker players from the humble families?

What they didn’t expect at all was that the individual prowess of students from the Law Class A might not be extraordinary.

But their coordination with one another was quite impressive.

They assisted Wen Bi time and again, letting him score goals.

Although less than two quarters of an hour had passed since the game started, looking at the trend, the red team’s lead had shrunk to only three goals. It seemed likely they would soon be overtaken.

Because everyone thought this would probably be the last match, they had all placed heavy bets, aiming to make a significant profit from the Han Family.

But it would be a disaster if Wen Bi and his team were to mess up now!

However, there were few who truly dared to take action, and when it came to playing polo, they really couldn’t overcome the students from Law Class A, who showed such understanding with one another.

Thus, the red team began to swap players once more.

This time, those who entered the field were almost no longer students from the Imperial College; instead, they were all sons from various aristocratic families, as well as a figure who had been making noise recently in the Capital — Xin Daoyin.

Everyone knew that this person was the Ghost Consort to whom one could not refer.

Previously, out of the blue, he was removed from his patrol duties, and then he started spending his days wining and dining with officials and dignitaries.

This suited him perfectly, as someone who aspired to join the ranks of the powerful; now he had time and opportunity.

And this time, Xin Daoyin felt this was an excellent opportunity. Relationships within the ranks of the powerful were complex to begin with.

His entering the game was bound to offend some, but if he could help them win this polo match, and they made money, they would naturally be grateful to him.

Of course, the most crucial point was that he had also secretly bet a substantial amount of money, although it was placed using some valuable items that Kaihuang and Empress Dugu had awarded to the Ghost Princess.

But no matter the origin of those valuable items, it didn’t matter.

As long as he won this match, he could increase the value of those items by three or four times.

Later, he could return the Ghost Princess’s belongings and keep the rest for himself!

So, the Ghost Consort Xin Daoyin entered the field.

And right from the start, he unabashedly knocked a student from the Law Class A off his horse with his polo mallet.

However, the referee immediately issued a warning for such conduct.

But Xin Daoyin, seated on his horse, sneered, "It was an accident when swinging the polo mallet — what, is that also subject to interference? Do you know who I am?"

In the face of a threat, the referee was silenced.

After all, this was indeed a person many could not afford to provoke.

At that moment, the blue team was also making a substitution, with one of the injured students being replaced.

Seeing the person who came onto the field, many from the aristocratic families were so startled that they rose from their seats.

"He’s joining in too? This... this is a bit excessive!"

"Zhang San, you’re at least a Preceptor at the Imperial College, and you can even act on behalf of the Grand Preceptor when he is ill."

"Indeed, with your stature, do you think it’s appropriate to participate in such student games?"

Zhang San turned and offered a faint smile to the dignitaries who questioned him, then said with a bow, "Since even the Imperial Son-in-law can join the field, there seems to be nothing inappropriate about an Imperial College teacher like myself taking part!"