Upon hearing this, Qin Siyuan and Sixth Master Gu couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter.

Qin Yuan glanced amusingly at her brother and encouraged playfully, "Why don’t you recite it for everyone to hear? If it’s funny, it’s a great achievement."

The guards nearby immediately chimed in loudly, "Yes, please let the young master read it aloud for us!"

Qin Heng cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and recited with a rhythmic shake of his head, "Listen as I slowly tell you: The Yelv hostage sits foolishly by the well, mocking our Daxing’s lack of elegant poetry. Rustic folk songs fill the elegant tune, while dressed monkeys busy themselves catching lice."

"Bravo," applauded the crowd.

Qin Heng chuckled and clasped his hands, "Elder brother, elder sister, I’ve vented your frustrations too."

Qin Yuan nodded, "Not bad, it rhymes and is amusing."

Qin Siyuan said, "I didn’t expect Brother Heng to have such wit, if uncle knew, he would surely be pleased."

Qin Heng pleaded, "Elder brother, don’t tell father. If he knows, he’ll scold me for being embarrassing and tell me to study more."

Those who heard Qin Heng’s poem began to compose more verses.

Such as: "Yelv savages speak rashly, belittling our poetry and praising rustic tunes. Without knowledge of literature, how can they not insult their ancestors."

That was already an insult.

But some were even harsher, such as: "Barbarians boast absurdly, belittling elegant poetry and praising village ballads. All because they don’t understand inherited traditions, ancestors ashamed to face the beyond."

The elementary students could already make couplets, naturally, they could also effortlessly hurl insults.

At this time, half the people outside the venue could compose a poem on the spot, exerting their utmost in satire, some just for fun, disregarding rhyme.

The crowd mocked for a while, further insulting the character of the Yelv Clan.

"When Book Sea Pavilion challenges, they invite renowned poets for a contest. Yet when Yelv people challenge, they simply hurl insults, even forcing a young lady to play polo. Earlier, their polo playing was so malicious, clearly trying to frighten Miss Gu Qi’s horse. If not for Marquis Gu’s presence, it could have been disastrous. Truly inhuman."

"The Yelv people, though physically imposing, act despicably, no wonder Dingbei Marquis defeated them soundly."

The Yelv people, humiliated, could only threaten with fists as big as sandbags when words failed them.

But this was the Imperial College, with Dingbei Marquis’s guards present, it was no place for them to act unrestrained.

The scene outside was chaotic and seemed beyond control.

Yelv Guza witnessed all this, listening intently, knowing he must continue the match against Gu Jinghui.

If he won, he won after all.

Today’s humiliation could be mostly washed away.

Thus, he suppressed his shame and anger, gritting his teeth, saying, "Everything that should be said has been said, does Dingbei Marquis have any more insights?"

Marquis Gu smiled, "As I mentioned earlier, the rules must be revised for fairness."

"Then let’s set them anew!"

Yelv Guza agreed in one breath.

The leader of the Yelv team received a signal and moved forward to negotiate terms with Gu Baoshu and others, resulting in three rules.

First, do not maliciously charge with horses;

Second, do not strike opposing horses with the mallet;

Third, do not use the mallet to hit opposing players.

Additionally, the Assistant Minister of Rites’ daughter requested no foul language or disrespectful provocations. Horse tails must be tightly bound with ropes to prevent interference with others’ judgment.

Violations would result in penalties determined by the severity, including direct loss, player removal, or public apology.

The Yelv people were accustomed to playing without restraint, though reluctant, they dared not argue further.

The Daxing crowd outside exclaimed, "That’s right, polo is just a game intended to showcase ball and horse skills, not barbarity. In the past, when Tubo envoys came to Chang’an to marry Princess Taian, their polo team competed with the court’s. Tubo won repeatedly, yet we still hosted them happily. Central Plains people aren’t sore losers; they just don’t endorse barbaric conduct."

The Yelv people remained silently embarrassed.

Yelv Guza restrained his anger and asked again, "Does Marquis Gu have anything else to say?"

Marquis Gu replied, "There is, of course."

"Please speak," Yelv Guza squeezed out these two words through gritted teeth.

Marquis Gu glanced at Gu Baoshu and the others, saying, "This Life and Death Document originated to compare the quality of poetry and ballads. The signers were a hostage and noble girls, yet now it’s the Yelv and Daxing women on the field. I find this inappropriate. Half the game is done, but we can still salvage the situation."

"What does Dingbei Marquis mean? Just say it directly."

"Let the men compete in the second half; that would be fair, don’t you think?"

The Yelv hostage’s hawk-like eyes fixated on Gu Jinghui’s stern face, as if trying to bore two holes into it.

Marquis Gu met his gaze without flinching.

The crowd outside erupted, "We agree!."

"We’re willing to fight!"

"Battle!"

Both the Daxing people and the Yelv Clan agreed to this proposal.

While the women’s match was certainly a spectacle, the men didn’t want all the glory resting on the women’s shoulders.

Gu Baoshu complained, "Is Third Brother trying to push us off the field?"

Gu Jinghui laughed, "Most of the poems in this contest were composed by men. We can’t let them hide behind women, can we? You can continue playing if you want; once three sticks of incense burn, we switch players, how about that?"

Gu Baoshu was about to speak again.

The other young ladies readily agreed.

They didn’t have Gu Baoshu’s stamina and were already tired, only maintaining their effort for Daxing’s dignity. With Marquis Gu coordinating, they were happy to step down and watch the men’s game.

"We want to see Marquis Gu play."

Gu Jinghui smiled and asked Yelv Guza, "Do you want to compete with me?"

Yelv Guza laughed, "Why not? I’ve long wanted to challenge you, just my father wouldn’t permit it."

"Very well," Gu Jinghui said, "The women’s match will continue for three incense sticks’ time, scores accumulating, then the men’s match for half an hour. If there’s no winner, we’ll have a tiebreaker."

"Agreed!"

Yelv Guza was eager to regain face on the field.

After the parties agreed, they clapped hands to seal the pact.

The venue was abuzz with excitement.

Yelv Guza returned to his previous position, instructing his attendant through gritted teeth, "Quickly, get me the needle extraction tool."

Seeing Yelv Guza’s swollen and bruised wrist, the attendant gasped.

"Young Master, how could you be so careless."

Yelv Guza squeezed out "Gu Jinghui" through clenched teeth, "It’s all his doing, quickly fetch me the antidote."

The attendant hurriedly brought the antidote and administered it to him.

This poison was extracted from toxic plants of the Northern Border plains; once injected, it caused paralysis and intense itching.

"Young Master, you really have endurance."

Yelv Guza said, "What choice do I have but to endure? This is Dingbei Marquis’s gift in return."

Gu Jinghui had already returned to his team’s side.

Seeing him, Qin Yuan smiled sweetly, praising, "Husband is truly amazing."

Marquis Gu’s eyes gleamed with pride as he pressed on, "What do you find amazing?"