Chapter Fifty-two: The Princess Amongst Princesses

  Yang Fan did not kick the stirrup and ride forward with the ball, he still swung his whip, surprisingly still just one swing of his whip.

  Yang Fan swung his racket, and the ball flew over the heads of the opposing team members surrounding him, transforming into a rainbow light that drew an arc, like a comet traversing the vast sky.

  Everyone looked up, gazing into the air, their eyes following the red light as it moved from this ball flying out. From the angle, people knew that it was not passed to anyone. Was Yang Fan aware that this ball could not be accurately passed out, so he deliberately sabotaged and wanted the ball to go out of bounds?

  They were immediately stunned to discover that the red glow of the virtual shadow flew straight towards the opponent's goal...

  Standing in midfield, direct shot?

  This move was beyond everyone's expectations.

  Not bad, this court they casually marked out on the beach isn't very standard, it's indeed a bit smaller than a regular court, but it's not like you can just stand in the middle and throw the ball directly into the goal!

  Note that at this time, the balls used for cuju were made of solid wood and had limited elasticity, and were also relatively heavy. Standing in the middle position to swing the racket, it was impossible to hit the ball into the opponent's goal, even if you were a strong man, because if your strength was too great, it would only cause the racket's crescent-shaped top to break or the solid wood ball to shatter with one strike.

  However, Yang Fan did it!

  He swung his stick and the ball flew into the goal, leaving everyone stunned.

  It's not just a matter of brute force, but also requires great skill and technique. The ball isn't hit out, but rather scooped up by the racket at an optimal angle and then thrown out, which is why the racket remains intact and the ball doesn't break, yet it can travel such a long distance.

  But when stealing the ball, it should be soft, and when throwing the ball, it should be hard. The subtlety of using force lies in one's mind, and it's not necessarily achievable just because you understand its principle.

  The ball flew into the opponent's goal, fell to the ground and bounced a few times, rolling all the way out along the beach towards the awning of the women who were watching them play croquet on the other side.

  The crowd watching went wild with cheers, Yang Fan swung his racket and hit the ball, the ball turned into a flowing light, the racket paused in mid-air for an instant, deeply imprinting itself on their minds.

  On the edge of Yang Fan's field, every time a goal is scored, a red flag is inserted. The person in charge of "singing the tally" (judging) is inserting a new red flag, and Chu Kuangge's flags have become a forest.

  The opposing players' courage to continue the game was completely shattered by Yang Fan's this move, and in the thunderous applause, they helplessly admitted: "We lost!"

  " Erlang, you're really something!"

  Chu Kuang Ge laughed loudly and raised his thumb at Yang Fan.

  Yang Fan smiled, dismounted and quickly went to chase the red ball. The fine horse that had not run a step since it came on the field let out a loud snort, shook its head and walked aside to graze by itself.

  A beautiful young woman wearing a bright red dress with peony patterns was reclining on the soft couch, one hand supporting her fragrant cheek, and the other hand, as white as jade, gently holding that red ball.

  Her slender fingers were painted with henna, her long fingernails exuding an inexplicable air of nobility. At this moment, the red ball quietly rested in the palm of her jade-like hand, illuminated by sunlight, its red glow seemingly shining through the back of her hand.

  She gently rotated the wooden ball, carefully examining it, and couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise in her eyes. It was just an ordinary wooden ball, nothing special about it. The young man standing on the field had shot such a simple wooden ball into the goal with one stick? The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow in surprise, gazing intently at the young man walking towards them.

  Yang Fan had just arrived in front of the tent when several men in brocade robes suddenly appeared, stretching out their hands to block his path. These people looked like they were of a lower status, but each and every one of them was wearing a silk robe, with a jade belt wrapped around their waist, and on their heads, they wore a silk hat, exuding an extraordinary noble aura.

  Looking at them, they were all physically strong and had a sharp glint in their eyes, clearly not easy to get along with. From the servants' behavior, it was clear what kind of people their masters were. Yang Fan knew that these travelers must be extremely noble and powerful, so he quickly stood up straight and bowed deeply: "I apologize for my mistake, I accidentally hit the ball into your tent and disturbed you, please forgive me."

  The reclining beauty in red smiled faintly, and the palm of her hand holding the red ball shook gently, causing Yang Fan's several brocade-clad men to retreat a few steps, clearing the way. Yang Fan stepped forward, bowed again from a distance of over 20 feet, and said: "Please, noble lady, return the horseball."

  The beautiful woman smiled faintly and said: "Your horsemanship is not very good."

  Her voice was slightly low and husky, with a hint of magnetism, speaking in a measured and relaxed rhythm, as clear and beautiful as clouds.

  Yang Fan smiled and said: "I won't deceive you, I have never learned how to ride a horse."

  The beautiful woman's eyes flashed with surprise and she asked: "You've never learned to ride a horse? Then, how did you practice your horseback riding skills?"

  Yang Fan said: "Hitting the ball, this is also the first time for me."

  The beautiful woman's eyes revealed a hint of surprise, and she turned to smile at the woman in the plain white shirt: "Wan'er, you've got such skill on your first try at cuju, have you ever seen anything like it?"

  The young woman in a simple dress smiled and said: "I have never seen anything like it. If this young man is not lying, he is indeed a rare talent at playing the ball game!"

  The beautiful woman smiled slightly and said affirmatively: "He didn't lie."

  As she spoke, she turned her head back, a pair of bright eyes shone on Yang Fan's body, and asked: "What is your surname and name, where do you live, and what profession are you in?"

  Yang Fan hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth in front of this beautiful woman. For some reason, this lovely woman's eyes seemed to have a magical power that could see through people's hearts, and Yang Fan instinctively felt a sense of threat.

  He didn't need to ask his name in the first place, but since he asked, there must be a purpose. If he casually made up a name, once the other party sent someone to investigate, it would only make things worse for him. But speaking directly to her wouldn't hurt either, because none of Mrs. Yao's subordinates were here.

  Yang Fan said: "My surname is Yang and my name is Fan, I am a humble worker in the Xiwen Fang."

  The woman in red smiled and said: "Oh! So you're a neighbor, surnamed Li, living in Shangshanfang."

  Shangshanfang is located in front of Xiwenfang, adjacent to Tianjin Bridge, and closest to the main gate of the Imperial City. Many first-class dignitaries and wealthy families live in this alley.

  Of course, such a large compound is not entirely composed of officials and nobles, but rather mostly ordinary people. However, looking at the grandeur of this place, and considering that they live in Shangshan Compound, it must be an extremely wealthy and noble family. Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly became even more cautious.

  The woman in red gently rotated the red ball in her hand, with a thoughtful expression.

  The red ball rotated gently in her palm, and her scissors-like eyes finally lifted lightly, smiling: "You may be a beginner at playing polo, but you have a natural talent for it. A small temple servant like you is really underutilized. I intend to invite you to my mansion to focus on practicing horseball from now on, how about that?"

  Yang Fan swept a glance at the three women sitting there, secretly speculating about their identities, and cautiously replied: "Xiao is a lazy person who is used to being idle, not accustomed to serving in a noble's mansion."

  The woman in red raised an eyebrow, and before she could speak again, the woman in white beside her smiled and said: "Young master, don't be in a hurry to refuse. This noble lady is truly a noble lady, a noble lady beyond words, hehe, if you can gain her favor, it will be a great opportunity for you."

  Yang Fan smiled and said, "Playing ball is not something that can be done for a lifetime. Although I am just an ordinary person, my life is quite stable. I have no great ambitions, nor do I seek wealth or nobility. As long as I have enough to eat and wear, and can enjoy freedom afterwards, that's all I need."

  The woman in red smiled slightly and said, "Young master, don't be in a hurry to confess. You might as well think about it again. If you change your mind, you can look for me at Shangshan Fang."

  A glance was exchanged, and a majestic man in brocade had already handed something to Yang Fan. The object felt heavy in his hand, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a copper fish token.

  The fish tally was carved into the shape of a fish, with characters engraved on it. It was used in the Tang Dynasty to prove the identity of imperial relatives and officials, also known as waist plaques during the Song and Ming Dynasties. The materials used for the fish tally varied according to different identities: the crown prince used jade fish tally, royal princes used gold fish tally, while ordinary officials and guards used copper fish tally.

  The copper token in Yang Fan's hand was a fish-shaped tally, with only one large character "Wei" engraved on the front side, while the back side had a line of small characters: "Taiping Princess Mansion Pass".

  Yang Fan suddenly raised his head and stared at the red-clothed beautiful woman in astonishment.

  A well-tailored, high-quality red cheongsam dress clings to her curvaceous and alluring physique. The sunlight shines on her subtly shimmering dress, making her seem like a beautiful mermaid lying by the Luo River.

  She is the princess among princesses, Li Lingyue, the flower of Luoyang?

  Note: Taiping Princess has no name recorded in historical books, the name Li Lingyue is a misnomer that has been passed down through stories. For convenience, this name is used here, but it is not her actual name. This is just a clarification.

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