Chapter Forty-Four: The Layperson Sees the Spectacle; the Expert Sees the Intricacies

Everyone watching thought Lin Zhaozhao had lost her mind.

Yet before Zhao Ruyan could even laugh, in the next moment, Lin Zhaozhao turned her back to her own goalpost and swung her mallet fiercely, hurling the polo ball forcefully behind her.

Anyone could see she was about fifteen meters away from the goal.

At such a distance, simply aiming the ball straight into the goal was already beyond the ability of many women—after all, there has always been a physical disparity between men and women.

Many men, even from far away, would struggle not only to score but even to touch the goalpost, requiring years of dedicated training.

But now, Lin Zhaozhao seemed to defy all that. Zhao Ruyan suspected that Lin wasn’t even trying to shoot forward; she had the direction all wrong—she was attempting to score with her back facing the goal.

Well! Shooting with your back to the goal—throughout the entire Dayong—if anyone could do that, you could count them on one hand.

Wasn’t that madness?

Lin Wanyue was speechless watching this and asked anxiously, “Why would she insist on shooting the polo ball with her back to the goal from such a distance? Does she want to lose and embarrass us?”

“Don’t say that. If she really wanted to lose, she wouldn’t have gone up at all. Besides, no one expected her to win from the start. What’s the point of you saying that now?” Lin Qingci couldn’t help but snap back, casting a worried glance at Lin Zhaozhao.

Lin Wanyue’s face changed instantly and she felt wronged.

But no one noticed her at that moment; all eyes were fixed on Lin Zhaozhao.

Even Emperor Hui was no exception. “Shooting the polo ball with her back to the goal?”

The spectacle was extraordinary. If she made it, it would be impressive.

If she missed, it would be a joke!

No one could tell if Lin Zhaozhao was showing real skill or just playing tricks.

But all eyes followed the ball, which, with a loud thud, soared up from the grass, flying over a line of sleek black horses...

The ball spun rapidly, drawing closer and closer to the goal.

With a clatter, the ball struck the wooden board, then scraped along it before suddenly slipping through the gap in the goalpost.

The sound of the ball passing through and falling to the ground echoed softly.

The field fell into stunned silence.

After a brief moment, an eruption of cheers broke out.

“Wow! Incredible! The Fifth Miss of the Lin family is truly amazing! Don’t just talk about Zhao Ruyan—if it were me playing, I wouldn’t even be able to make such a spectacular shot!” a young nobleman stood up to praise.

“That strength... her arms and legs look so small, but one punch from her could knock me to the ground!”

“...What formidable skill!”

“This just proves it—there’s something about the countryside. The land there nurtures people differently. Which woman in the capital can have such power?!”

Since the first half of the second match, barely any time had passed before Lin Zhaozhao seized the ball and, without any support or cover, scored directly.

Teammates who had hoped to step up after Lin Qingci’s injury were left speechless.

Sorry, they had not only overestimated their opponents but underestimated their own teammate.

One against four, soaring!

Lin Zhaozhao’s every move left even Emperor Hui dumbfounded.

Lady Bai was delighted. “Amazing! No wonder my daughter, born after ten months’ pregnancy, is stronger than the rest.”

“Let them play with the black ball! They’ve met their match now!”

“Madam Bai, you can eat your food carelessly, but don’t speak recklessly! How do you know they’re playing with the black ball? Besides, the match isn’t over yet. Celebrating prematurely is far too eager!”

Though the words sounded pleasant, those who watched the spectacle and those who understood the game both knew the truth. If Lin Zhaozhao’s victory in the previous match was partly luck, this shot—facing away from everyone and scoring from a three-point distance—proved she had mastered the art of polo ball throwing to perfection.

Especially Zhao Wuyan. To be honest, even he, a man, could not single-handedly, backwards, score a goal from about fifteen meters.

Lin Zhaozhao’s strength might be no different from others present, but she certainly had skill.

With just a short time left in the first half, Zhao Ruyan had yet to score a single goal.

Watching from below, Zhao Wuyan shouted, “The ball’s back on Lin Zhaozhao’s mallet! Defend! Hurry, send two more to block her! Don’t let her touch the ball! Wang Rong, keep an eye on her too!”

Wang Rong was the tall, slender man known for his skill standing beside Lin Zhaozhao.

Surrounded on both sides, Wang Rong exclaimed in surprise, “You think so highly of me? Fine then, I won’t play—here, take the ball!”

He said it jokingly, but with a swift sidestep, taking advantage of the opponent’s lapse, he threw the ball straight to Lin Zhaozhao, who was encircled by two men.

Lin Zhaozhao, mounted on her horse, simply leaned forward and hooked the ball away from them.

This time she was only about five or six meters from the goal. Though two men trailed her, because Wang Rong was also guarded by two, he managed to divert some of their attention.

“This won’t do. If this continues, we’ll definitely lose! Let’s use the Young Master’s method!” the men from the Duke of Zhen Guo’s household exchanged glances.

Soon, a burly man charged out.

He came with ill intent.

Several young men behind Lin Zhaozhao attempted to rush forward to help but were held back by others.

It was the same spot.

Previously, Lin Qingci had been ambushed there by Zhao Wuyan and his men, thrown from his horse.

Lin Qingci’s heart leapt into his throat. “Sister!”