The Little Officials of the Song Dynasty

In the cold winter, Renzong held a Cuju competition and invited hundreds of officials to watch the competition together, but the players in this competition were a little different from those in the past.

Inspired by the masquerade party held by Yunyan last time, Renzong felt that bringing children together to play was a matter of great benefit and no harm.

Therefore, this time all the officials came to watch the competition, in fact, because almost all the children in their families will participate in the competition today.

Due to various reasons, although Yun Yan did not organize the event, he would also go to watch it.

For Yunyan, Cuju is not uncommon - it doesn't mean that he has seen football in modern times, but that he often saw it in Washe.

Cuju was very popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. This sport, which is regarded as the predecessor of football, has a different way of playing at this time.

One is performance nature, the two teams do not directly confront each other, but perform difficult moves such as juggling the ball, and the one with the highest skill wins.The kind of Cuju that Yun Yanhui saw in the tile house is such a way of playing, otherwise no matter how big the tile house is, it will not be able to perform it.

Those who perform Cuju in the washhouse are also considered artists.

The other is more familiar to everyone, confrontational, where the most goals scored wins.

The latter's staffing is also quite professional. Just like modern guards and strikers, there are also various roles at this time, such as "ball head", "left pole net", "right pole net", "scattered stand" and so on. , the net, known as "Merry Eyes".

And the scale can be large or small, the standard is 12 people, but dozens of people can play together.

In this court match, although the players are all children, the role division is not ambiguous at all.

Even the referees on the field - they all deploy corrections, and they are the same as modern referees, and they have the right to say what they say on the field.Of course, this may also be because this game is Zhao Youwu...

The venue is in the Royal Palace, and the net and sidebars have already been set up.

Yun Yan walked slowly back to the scene, and saw that Zhao Yunchu was surrounded by a group of little ghosts wearing red bandages, Zhao Zongshi seemed to be included among them, and the faces of several people were familiar, probably from the clan.

Yun Yan walked back, "Yun Chu, what's the matter?"

Zhao Yunchu was at a loss, "I don't know who asked me to be their professor, to teach them Cuju."

Yun Yan thought about it, "But your skills are not good."

Zhao Yunchu said honestly: "Probably because I always won when I was a child...but then I won, you know..."

Of course I know, Zhao Yunchu's victory at that time was all due to his savage collision. Who can defend against such a powerful player?I don't know who is so cheating. I heard that he has a high winning rate and asked him to come to the sidelines to guide.

Zhao Zongshi ran over and pulled Yunyan back, "Brother Yan, can you play Cuju?"

"I don't know how, why, do you really want to win?" Yun Yan asked back.

Zhao Zongshi looked back, then waved at him.

Yun Yan squatted back, and Zhao Zongshi whispered in his ear: "My mother said, if we win today, I am allowed to rest for three days without reading."

"You are really promising!" Yun Yan replied sincerely.

Zhao Zongshi: "..."

always feel weird...

"It's like this. Although I don't know how to kick myself, I know a good way." Yun Yan whispered a few words into Zhao Zongshi's ear.

Zhao Zongshi frowned upon hearing this, "Is this really good?"

"Little Luobotou, do you want to use it or not." Yun Yanhui stood up, "Yunchu, you can just teach it casually, children have fun."

Zhao Yunchu ignored it, but asked: "Brother Yan, what did you say to him?"

Yun Yan replied with a guilty conscience: "Cough, it's nothing..."

Zhao Yunchu looked at him suspiciously. When he was a child, Brother Yan didn't play cuju on the court, but he would give him some strange ideas on the sidelines. Zhao Yunchu wanted to ask, but he saw Yunyan turned around and ran away, which made him unable to continue. entanglement.

Renzong was tying Zhao Youwu's tie to represent the referee. Although he was only serving as a referee on the sidelines, Zhao Youwu still wore a "sports suit".Yun Yanhui noticed that Empress Pang did not appear for such a grand event today.

In fact, in the past two years, Renzong has issued several decrees to reprimand the queen, which is well prepared.There are rumors that Renzong recently asked Hanlin to draft an edict. I am afraid that Empress Pang will be officially abolished soon.

Yun Yan came back to salute and said with a smile: "Princess is doing corrections today, I don't know the rules but memorized?"

Zhao Youwu said nervously: "I remember, I also brought notes."

Yun Yan looked back, and the maid in Zhao Youwu's palace really helped her get a book of notes.

"How is Yanhui's cuju skills? Can he juggle the ball?" Renzong asked with interest.

Zhao Youwu also stared at Yunyan and looked back. In her opinion, senior brother is almost omnipotent.

"No," Yun Yanhui said honestly, "When I was three or five years old, I never played outside, didn't play in mud, didn't play with balls, and didn't fight. I was a very obedient child."

Renzong: "What about when I grow up?"

Cuju is not something only children can play.

"You mean when I was eight years old? At that time I was going to start supporting my family again..." Yun Yan looked back at the vicissitudes of life and said, "I work for Daxiangguo Temple for a living."

Renzong: "..."

He had forgotten that although this person could not pass the serious child prodigy test when he was a child, he had to be called a different kind of child prodigy.

Renzong patted Zhao Youwu on the head, "It's started, you Wu, let's go."

The game was about to start over there, and Zhao Youwu was led by the maid to the sidelines, sat on the high chair, and stared at the field in a dignified manner.

Zhao Yunchu stood on the sidelines to guide, and the opposite guide was a eunuch who was very good at Cuju in the palace, so Zhao Yunchu looked troubled, if he lost, wouldn't it be his fault?But he can't go up to help kick.

"Speaking of cuju, I remembered it again." Yun Yanhui looked back and said, "Officials, which department is suitable to come forward and hold a cuju league?"

Renzong didn't quite understand, "What league?"

Yun Yan then explained: "We can invest in an elimination competition, select some teams from the people, and have a Cuju competition. There will be rounds every few days, and the final winner will get a huge bonus."

Renzong's heart moved, "Go on." He intuitively felt that the second half is the meat of the show.

Yun Yan replied: "I think those Cuju masters will participate in the competition. Selling tickets for each game to watch the game is an income. Then you can also sell advertisements, just like the food festival in Daxiangguo Temple. Advertisements can be hung on the sidelines, and can also be printed on the players..."

Yunyan just said a few words, but Renzong was very happy to hear it.

Looking back at Renzong, Yunyan was happy, and knew that it must be done. Although it was not until the Southern Song Dynasty that there was a professional "cuju club", but based on the mass base at this time, it was not a problem to establish it in advance.

Looking at the enthusiasm of folk Cuju artists, you can know that the market is very popular.Those Cuju artists are performing skills, and if they are in the league, they will make the audience even more excited.

"In the future, the Cuju team can be professionalized. I believe that there will be a variety of imitated folk competitions, so it can generate a lot of peripheral income."

If you look at the professionalization of modern football, you will know how big this industry chain is, and it will give birth to many professions.

And this sport is very active and in line with the aesthetics of the public. Renzong himself also loves to watch football. , it is conceivable that the viewability will be improved a lot.

Not to mention, it can also promote economic development...

Renzong thought about it happily, "Well, this is a big deal, I think about which yamen will handle it."

"Officials, the competition venue will either be at Daxiangguo Temple or at Puguanze, you understand." Yun Yan whispered back.

Renzong glanced at him and gave him a knowing look.

"You have so many ideas that I don't know what to ask you to do," Renzong looked at the field, Zhao Youwu raised a small flag, sent off a player, and said in his mouth, "Hu Hanlin entered the palace a few days ago. It can allow the Hanlin Academy to host a newspaper for sale to the outside world."

This is not surprising, Hu Hanlin and the officials had this idea before, and Yun Yanhui also knew it.

They have only moved now, which shows that they are cautious. They have been observing the market before. Now, they have seen the results from the successful operation of "Kaifeng Fu Bao", fully affirming the role of the newspaper, and decided to use it widely.

Yun Yan smiled back and said: "This is a good thing, I probably don't need to intervene in this matter, after all, Hu Hanlin is in charge, and he knows almost the routines here-hey, I will never be asked to be the editor-in-chief Bar?"

Renzong tilted Yunyan and said, "You think, hmph, I have also discussed with several important ministers, and I value this newspaper very much. The editors and reporters of this newspaper will not be like you, asking each government office to set up correspondents. Instead, they directly transferred people from the Imperial Academy and Yushi Taichung to run the newspaper."

That's amazing... Yunyan thought back, these two departments are where the prime ministers come from, so it can be seen that the government really values ​​newspapers.

Yun Yan recalled that a famous reporter in modern times once said something to the effect that journalists need extensive knowledge, rich ideas, and a broad field of activity.

Use the prime minister's reserve army to run the newspaper?If they fail to meet this requirement, they can probably hang themselves.

As for those Hanlin and imperial censors, maybe they feel that being a reporter is very tiring and does not fit their status, but as time goes by, they should feel that this is actually a good job.

Not to mention anything else, the news published in such an important newspaper will directly fall into the eyes of Renzong. If he keeps it in mind, the chances of success may be higher than those achieved in the Imperial Academy and Yushitai. It's bigger.

Yunyan returned to thinking, and heard Renzong continue: "It's still not good for you to be the editor-in-chief, but you must give a lecture."

"Thank you to the officials for giving me such a good opportunity to pretend to be... ahem." Yun Yan replied with a gesture of gratitude, "I can teach Hanlin without reading any books. My mother must be very happy to know."

Renzong: "..."

Just as Renzong was about to say something, he suddenly heard voices of surprise around him. Looking on the field, it turned out that Zhao Zongshi was sitting on the ground covering his legs, and a child next to him raised his hand and said, "I didn't touch him, I really didn't touch him." to him!"

Zhao Youwu raised the small flag very sternly, judged that the opponent fouled, and left the field!

The blue team wailed in despair. If they lost another goal, they would lose the first game, but the one who was sent off was their main force!

After the kid left the field, Zhao Zongshi also slowly got up, "I, I can still persist! Please let me continue kicking!"

The audience wiped their eyes with emotion—what a strong child!Although it is a clan, it is not coddled at all!

Renzong also nodded in satisfaction, "What a good boy, as expected of the surname Zhao!"

"Hmm..." Yunyan thought back, it's better not to tell Renzong the cruel fact of Zhao Zongshi's fake fall...