Tibet

Li Ye said goodbye and left. Qiao Bin asked his father worriedly: "Dad, does Brother Li really have no chance to play?"

Qiao Xingzhong sneered and said: "Do you think Hu Laosan didn't invite foreign aid? He ostensibly asked Qi Yong to be his pitcher, but Qi Yong broke his leg at the beginning of the year and has not recovered yet, so he can't play at all. He is doing What he showed me made me let my guard down, and I knew he actually hired black golfers from outside.”

Polo was the national sport of the Tang Dynasty. There was an official Polo Administration, which was affiliated to the Ministry of War, similar to today's Football Association.

If you want to become a professional polo player, you must pass the Polo Administration's exam.

There is also a Polo Federation under the Polo Department, which is composed of the 26 strongest professional polo teams. There is a polo league every year.

Polo players registered in the Polo Federation are called white players and generally belong to the 26 professional polo teams.

There is also a kind of polo player who does not belong to any polo team. Anyone can invite him to play and make money by playing. This kind of polo player has also passed the Polo Administration's examination, so he is also a professional polo player. However, they are not registered with the Polo Federation, so everyone calls them black players or free players.

However, the Tang Dynasty was more tolerant and did not exclude such black players. As long as someone invited him, he could participate in any polo match. This was considered a rule in the industry.

In fact, the reason is simple. For example, the princes and nobles all play polo and have passed the recommendation or examination of the Polo Administration. They are actually black golfers. Discriminating against black golfers is naturally discriminating against the princes and nobles themselves.

Therefore, the rules must be flexible. The key is to invite people. No matter how good you play polo, if no one invites you, you will have no chance to play and make money.

Qiao Bin understood, "So father also wants to hide Brother Li as a secret weapon?"

Qiao Xingzhong nodded, "Hu Laosan has always had a problem with me. If I let him be the general manager this time, I may not be able to work in the palace for long. Brother Li is my special soldier!"

Qiao Bin had a very flexible mind. He thought for a while and said: "Actually, there is another way. Brother Li's skills are so superb. If we find a way to let the prince see his skills and the prince becomes interested in his talent, my father will be credited. , can the prince use this as a reason to promote my father to the position of chief steward?"

Qiao Xingzhong stroked his beard and smiled happily: "What my son said makes sense. Recommendations are the only ones that have merit. Your Majesty will never treat me badly, but the good food will not be served until the end."

Qiao Xingzhong suddenly remembered something and asked quickly: "Isn't he a black player?"

"Absolutely not. Brother Li is a novice, please don't worry, father!"

In a garden of a large house in Pingkangfang, a tall and thin man wearing a military uniform was sitting at the table drinking tea. Not far away stood a middle-aged man with his hands behind his hands.

The man in military uniform took a sip of tea, smiled slightly and said, "Jingwen, that child has recovered and seems to have become a human being."

"impossible!"

The middle-aged man slowly turned around. He was tall, elegant, with a face as white as jade, clear eyes, and a short beard. He must have been a rare handsome man when he was young. His eyebrows and eyes actually looked similar to Li Ye's. .

"Why has he changed? Is he no longer the stupid and arrogant boy?" The man's tone clearly didn't believe it.

"He became a completely different person. After he recovered, he no longer fought. Instead, he won the hearts of those rich kids by playing polo. He also made friends with one of them, turning their hostility into friendship."

"Is there such a thing?"

The middle-aged man was a little surprised, "What else?"

"He is also sensible. His mother was bitten by a poisonous snake..."

"What?"

The middle-aged man was startled, "Sanniang was bitten by a poisonous snake. When did it happen?"

"It happened the day before yesterday. Sanniang was in critical condition, but the child went to borrow thirty taels of silver from a rich boy, and then went to Wang Jishen overnight to buy snake medicine, which saved his mother's life and almost closed the shop door. How could he have such a mind before?"

The middle-aged man thought for a long time and sighed: "Help him pay back the money for me. How can mother and son afford thirty taels of silver? Sanniang is so stubborn, hey!"

"I decided to continue teaching him!" the man in military uniform said again.

The middle-aged man smiled and said: "Aren't you saying that his qualifications are too poor? After ten years of teaching him how to play in a temple, he just can't understand it?"

"He has understood it now, and he has understood it very well. It is so surprising to me. I want to continue teaching him. He just laid the foundation before. I want to lead him to get started. If there is a chance, let him go to the next level. .”

"Didn't you say before that you can't make the decision?"

"it's OK now!"

The middle-aged man nodded, "You are his uncle, you can decide for yourself! I have no objection."

The man in military uniform bowed and left. The middle-aged man looked at the sky with his hands behind his hands and said to himself: "Is this God's will?"

At noon, Li Ye was busy at home, chopping firewood, fetching water, and cleaning the yard. All the physical work here was his business, and he also had to make medicine for his mother.

Buying firewood is very expensive. In the past, when my mother went to collect herbs outside the city, she would always bring back some firewood. His family had no livestock, so Li Ye would carry dozens of kilograms of firewood back.

Of course it is Li Ye's predecessor, and the current Li Ye has not yet had a chance to leave the city.

A few days ago, an old locust tree died behind his house. The neighbors divided the tree among their neighbors. Li Ye's family divided most of the trunk, which was enough for their family to burn for a while.

While Li Ye was chopping firewood, he was thinking about making money.

Making money requires three things: channels, skills and capital, and he has none of them.

For example, he could sell some things from later generations in the Tang Dynasty. Who would he sell them to first, and who would buy them?

Secondly, doing anything requires capital. Where is your capital?

Of course, you can also find rich people to invest. Even if you convince a rich person, the most likely result is that the rich person will take away all the achievements and make a wedding dress for others.

For example, if you write a novel by yourself, the cost is very low, just paper and ink. First of all, simplified Chinese characters are not recognized in this era, and secondly, it is impossible to publish a book.

Li Ye remembers clearly that the first engraving of the Diamond Sutra was printed in the ninth year of Xiantong. More than a hundred years later, we are still in the era of copying books. It is simply a fantasy to make money from it.

After thinking about it, I might be able to make some money if I only have my own skills, such as playing polo. I was actually given fifty gold coins for a game. Although it was just a coincidence, it also showed that my polo skills were worth the money. Otherwise, why didn't Qiao Xingzhong find someone else? Others, but looking for myself, a fourteen-year-old boy?

At this time, someone at the door asked: "Is Li Ye at home?"

This is Qiao Bin's voice. How did he find his home?

"I am here!"

Li Ye quickly went up and opened the door, and it turned out to be Qiao Bin.

Li Ye was a little surprised. According to the agreement, he was supposed to report to Qiao Mansion the day after tomorrow, but why did Qiao Bin come here.

Qiao Bin saw Aunt Mu in the yard, scratched his head and said, "Brother Li, there's something going on. Let's go outside and talk about it!"

Li Ye nodded and took him to a secluded place outside the house, "What's the matter?"

Qiao Bin took out a heavy small bag and handed it to him. Li Ye opened it and was shocked to see that there were two white ingots of silver inside, estimated to be twenty taels.

"This is……"

"This is the money my father will advance to you. If you play, I will give you another thirty taels of silver."

Li Ye was a little confused and asked, "Didn't you say that your father usually doesn't make advances?"

Qiao Bin smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know what he thinks, so just accept it!"

"With your father spending so much money, will your family..."

Qiao Bin waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't worry, this is all the prince's money. All the expenses for this competition will be borne by the prince. My father can't afford it."

Since it was the prince's money, Li Ye accepted it with peace of mind. He handed the money to Qiao Bin again, "I will pay you back twenty taels first. After playing the ball, I will pay you back ten guans."

Qiao Bin looked at Li Ye strangely, "Brother Li, don't you know?"

"What do you know?" Li Ye was confused.

"Someone has paid off the thirty taels of silver you owe me."

Li Ye suddenly widened his eyes and asked in surprise: "Who is it? When?"

"I don't know who it is. He is probably in his thirties, tall, lean and strong. He must be a relative of yours! He came to my house early this morning and gave thirty taels of silver to my father."

Li Ye was completely confused. Someone actually paid off his debt for him. Who could it be?

Qiao Bin asked cautiously: "You really don't know?"

Li Ye shook his head.

"Then you will come over to play as usual the day after tomorrow?"

Li Ye suddenly understood and said with a smile: "Your father was afraid that I would stop playing, so he advanced the money to me, right?"