Three days passed in a flash.
The preliminary rounds of this month's Qúc Ju competition officially began in the Imperial Garden on the eighth day of September.
The Three Little Ones departed from Xingqing Palace early and arrived at the Imperial Garden before the competition started.
Unlike three days prior, the Imperial Garden had three Qúc Ju fields set up.
It seemed today's matches would be held across these three venues.
Ankang's match was not early, scheduled as the eighth match in the middle, still some time away.
Before then, they could observe the other matches carefully.
All the participating Imperial Princes and Princesses wore Qúc Ju uniforms designed for easy movement.
These garments were tailored to be form-fitting, made of breathable and refreshing material, ensuring no discomfort even if they became drenched in sweat from exertion later.
This fabric was a Imperial family tribute, inaccessible to ordinary people.
However, when Jingyang Palace received its previous rewards, it obtained a large batch of supplies, including this very fabric.
Over these three days, Chief Steward Shang, while the Three Little Ones practiced Qúc Ju, had their Qúc Ju uniforms made.
Jingyang Palace's team uniform was primarily sky blue, similar to Ankang's eye color.
Ankang and Yu'er's Qúc Ju uniforms were tailored to be form-fitting, accentuating the girls' graceful figures beautifully.
Both girls had their long hair tied into high ponytails for convenience during Qúc Ju, and wore jade headbands as decoration on their foreheads.
What a pair of valiant Qúc Ju maidens.
If this were in later generations, it would surely charm a large crowd.
Even Li Xuan was given a small vest, and a matching ribbon was tied to his tail, completing his team uniform.
At times like this, one couldn't help but admire Chief Steward Shang's meticulousness; he hadn't forgotten Li Xuan's Qúc Ju uniform either.
And it must be said, the small vest was indeed well-made, worthy of a Imperial family tailor, and Li Xuan was quite satisfied.
As soon as the time arrived, the matches began.
Six teams successively walked onto the three Qúc Ju fields, pairing up to compete.
Teams like Ankang's, with trained beasts participating, were a minority.
At least the six teams currently on the field were all composed of people.
Other contestants awaiting their turn sat in the spectator stands around the fields, watching the matches intently.
The Three Little Ones found a spot to sit, and as a result, those nearby automatically retreated, giving them a wide berth.
The Three Little Ones exchanged glances, stifling their laughter.
"I didn't expect being unpopular to have its advantages," Ankang quipped casually, looking at the previously crowded stand that had instantly become spacious.
The Three Little Ones were long accustomed to such treatment, so none of them took it to heart.
The spectator stands around the field were spacious, and according to the Three Little Ones' nature, they would usually find a corner to sit to avoid trouble.
But this time, to get a clear view of the matches, they chose a spot with good visibility.
Good spots naturally attracted more people, but as soon as the Three Little Ones approached, others quickly moved away, fearing any association with Jingyang Palace.
After all, Jingyang Palace was currently a thorn in the side of many.
Yet, this convenience allowed the Three Little Ones and their group to occupy a large, prime viewing area.
Fortunately, the stands near the competition fields were sufficiently built; otherwise, others would have had nowhere to watch the matches.
"Hmph, disliked by both humans and dogs!" The Sixth Princess snorted from afar, observing the large section of the stands Ankang occupied.
"Sixth Sister," the First Prince, sitting beside her, gently shook his head at his sister.
"It's true, isn't it?" the Sixth Princess said, unconvinced.
At this moment, the Fourth Prince, sitting on the other side, also spoke:
"You should focus more on how to defeat Ankang later."
"After the last time, you know that Ankang is not as frail as we thought."
After the Autumn Hunt competition, the First Prince and his two siblings also held a debriefing.
Although the First Prince and Fourth Prince had not directly faced Ankang, the Sixth Princess's description was enough to give them a glimpse.
The Sixth Princess had exerted great effort to capture Ankang but failed.
She was even knocked unconscious by Ankang, forgetting many things that happened afterward.
However, she still remembered how Ankang used hidden weapons to restrain her at the beginning of the battle, and how Ankang, even after being entangled by her long whip, still managed to exert force.
Judging solely from these points, Ankang was no longer the sickly princess who could barely walk and had to rely on a wheelchair.
The Sixth Princess, after all, was an Eighth-Rank martial artist, and her cultivation was not inferior among the Imperial children.
Their three siblings' cultivation was not achieved through medicinal boosts but through genuine self-cultivation, and they possessed corresponding combat abilities.
"Hmph, that girl is deeply cunning, feigning illness for so many years, who knows what she's truly plotting."
"But since she has already shown her hand, there's no way she'll deceive us again!" The Sixth Princess sneered, looking at the two Black-Clothed Eunuchs waiting nearby.
"No matter how well Ankang hides, it doesn't change the fact that Jingyang Palace is sparsely populated."
"They can't even gather three people, forced to let a cat participate. I'd like to see how they play Qúc Ju against me later."
The two Black-Clothed Eunuchs brought by the Sixth Princess were carefully selected, the elite of Qingshu Hall.
Even among the Seventh-Rank Great Inner Experts in the palace, they were absolute standouts.
Of course, the two most formidable ones were placed in the First Prince's team to ensure he would win the final match.
But the close attendants of the Fourth Prince and Sixth Princess were also exceptionally skilled and proficient in Qúc Ju.
In this Qúc Ju competition, their three siblings' close attendants were definitely the strongest.
And in the Sixth Princess's view, how could Jingyang Palace, unable to even gather three people, possibly gain an advantage against them?
"Even putting a vest on a little cat, what a joke!" The Sixth Princess scoffed, clearly believing Ankang was forced to do this, bringing a cat to make up the numbers.
In a way, this was also true.
After all, there were only three of them in Jingyang Palace.
Emperor Yongyuan setting the competition as three-person Qúc Ju was likely also meant to accommodate them.
Otherwise, if they had to find just one more person to participate, Jingyang Palace wouldn't be able to.
"Sixth Sister, you still need to be careful and cautious."
"That cat is Ankang's beloved pet; she won the previous beast-taming competition with that cat."
"Even I have to admit Ankang's skill in beast-taming." The First Prince analyzed calmly.
At that time, although he couldn't bring his most prized White Scar to the competition, his other trained hounds were still not bad.
Yet, he still lost to the Little Black Cat raised by Ankang.
"At least, that cat has no problems with following commands strictly."
"It might be a big trouble, just like Eighth Brother's Falcon." As he spoke, the First Prince's gaze had already shifted to the field.
Two quarters of an hour passed quickly, and the first round of matches had ended.
In the second round, the Eighth Prince made his appearance.
As expected by everyone, the Eighth Prince's team consisted of two people and one beast; Ah Xiang stood imposingly on his arm.
Ah Xiang overlooked all opponents, holding his head high with a regal demeanor.
Having a flying bird participate in a Qúc Ju match was indeed a great advantage.
It was clearly noticeable that as the Eighth Prince entered the field, everyone's gaze converged on his playing area.
Everyone wanted to see how much of a role Ah Xiang could play in the match.
With a whistle, the second round of matches officially began.
The Eighth Prince's opponent was a Little Bean.
Although the Little Bean was small, his two close attendants were not to be underestimated.
Two brawny, strong eunuchs stood on either side of the Little Bean, guarding him tightly.
"Eighth Brother, it seems you've reached your limit today," the Little Bean said confidently, looking at the Eighth Prince's lineup.
And the Eighth Prince, looking at the Little Bean opposite him, was equally confident of victory.
"You scoundrel, you should call me Eighth Brother!" The Eighth Prince, as a king of children, maintained his authority and would not tolerate any provocation from the Little Beans.
The match began, with the Little Bean's side taking the first kick, launching the initial offensive.
The Little Bean, who had been quite arrogant just moments before, naturally retreated behind his two close attendants, hiding his presence.
Then, the two brawny eunuchs immediately stepped forward, launching an attack with a simple pass and shot combination, without any unnecessary flashy moves.
"Thud!" The leather ball made a dull sound, then a whoosh, and shot straight towards the Fengliu Eye opposite.
Having witnessed the martial artists' Qúc Ju kicking style in the first round, the Three Little Ones were no longer surprised by such an offensive.
They even felt that Qúc Ju should naturally be played this way.
If the Eighth Prince's side hadn't defended in time, the Little Bean's side should have scored that point.
But at this moment, a clear cry echoed throughout the field.
The next moment, Ah Xiang shot out, intercepting the leather ball just before it passed through the Fengliu Eye.
Ah Xiang's iron talons struck the leather ball heavily, instantly changing its trajectory.
But at the same time, it was clear that Ah Xiang's body also fluttered backward with the impact.
Ah Xiang, being a flying bird, had a slight disadvantage in terms of body shape.
But even so, it was enough to play an important role in this Qúc Ju match.
After successfully defending against the Little Bean's attack, the Eighth Prince and his attendant were not to be outdone.
They rushed to the ball's landing spot, controlled it, made two nimble passes, and then shot the ball high.
Although the Eighth Prince's shot had considerable power, its accuracy was slightly off.
Looking at the arc the ball drew, it seemed to be going over the goal, heading straight out of bounds.
Yet, even so, the Eighth Prince showed no embarrassment, maintaining his confident smile.
"Haha, Eighth Brother, your kicking is still so bad!" The Little Bean, seeing the Eighth Prince's poor kick, immediately pointed at him and burst into laughter, endlessly mocking him.
"Kid, you're still too young!" The Eighth Prince curled his lips, smiling disdainfully.
The Little Bean, seeing the Eighth Prince still being stubborn, was about to continue his merciless mockery when he suddenly heard his attendant shout:
"Oh no!" The ball, which was supposed to go over the goal, suddenly changed direction, dipping downwards and flying towards the Fengliu Eye.
They all saw clearly that it was Ah Xiang, who had just intercepted the attack earlier, appearing at their goal in the blink of an eye, delivering this fatal blow.
Ah Xiang swooped down like an eagle striking its prey, powerfully hitting the ball with his talons.
Using his weight and speed, the ball, which was originally flying upwards, suddenly accelerated with a whoosh.
By the time the Little Bean's two attendants realized something was wrong, it was already too late; they could only watch helplessly as the ball passed through the Fengliu Eye.
"One to zero!" After a whistle, the referee on the sidelines made the call.
"Foul, foul!"
"How can you play Qúc Ju like this?"
"Ah Xiang attacks in the air, how are we supposed to defend from below?"
"Humans don't have wings!" The Little Bean was naturally unconvinced and immediately expressed his dissatisfaction loudly to the referee.
But these protests were naturally useless.
Since they had agreed at the beginning of the competition to allow trained beasts to participate, such a situation was naturally expected.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuch acting as referee remained silent, merely shaking his head to reject the Little Bean's protest, signaling for the match to continue.
"Damn it, damn it!"
"Despicable Eighth Brother!" The Little Bean stomped his feet in frustration, as if he would wear through the soles of his shoes.
"Why don't you two hurry up and think of a solution?" After his feet went numb from stomping, the Little Bean turned and started to lose his temper at his two close attendants.
"Your Highness, there's no need to rush."
"We were just testing them out."
"Now that we've gauged their depth, we've already glimpsed the chance for victory." These two eunuchs, despite their burly appearance, were shrewd individuals.
Even if the current situation was truly unfavorable, they wouldn't speak dishearteningly themselves; instead, they would encourage the Little Bean, giving their master the illusion that they still held the advantage.
This way, even if they ultimately lost the match, they could attribute it to bad luck, not their own lack of skill.
As servants, they naturally understood that while the outcome was important, the experience of the process was paramount.
Even if the final result was terrible, as long as they could keep their master happy, they would naturally continue to be favored and reused.
Otherwise, with so many servants in the palace, how could every single one be clever and capable?
It all relied on this unchanging "way of servitude"; even the most incompetent person could gain favor by mastering it.
Simply put, as servants, they might lack ability, but they must learn to provide emotional value to their master.
And just like that, the two eunuchs' persuasion immediately turned the Little Bean's anger into joy, as he urged them:
"Oh? Where is the chance for victory?"
"Quickly tell me!" Seeing their master's temper subside, the two eunuchs exchanged glances, secretly thinking, "That was close."
But they immediately leaned into the Little Bean's ear and whispered a few words, which instantly made the Little Bean beam with delight.
"Good, good, good, kick it for me, kick it hard!" After hearing about the chance for victory from the two eunuchs, the Little Bean was overjoyed and returned to his initial confident state.
Their change naturally didn't escape the Eighth Prince opposite, as the Little Bean wore his emotions on his sleeve and had no intention of concealing anything.
But the Eighth Prince didn't care, waiting for them to kick off.
Since the Little Beans had just lost a point, according to the rules, it was still their turn to kick off.
This time they changed their formation, with the Little Bean in front and the two eunuchs behind.
The Little Bean symbolically tapped the ball forward, passing it to the back.
The ball landed between the two eunuchs, and then they simultaneously raised their legs, one left and one right, kicking the ball fiercely in a coordinated attack.
"Great Eagle, don't underestimate the bond between us!"