Watching the Young Heir gamble was painful from every possible angle.
During the first few rounds, Ji Yi was plagued by terrible luck. Every single time, he got only three matching sides and lost miserably.
After finally managing to get four heads and two tails, the Third Prince raised the difficulty and began playing “five pure, six pure.”
As the name suggested, at least five or all six of the copper coins had to land on the same side for the player to win.
Chu Zhaohuai stopped eating his plums. He suddenly felt like going outside for some fresh air.
Ji Yi played several more rounds and lost more than a hundred taels of gold in no time.
Taking advantage of the moment when he stuffed food beneath his gauze veil, Chu Zhaohuai secretly pinched the spot beneath his nose to keep himself from fainting.
He had thought Ji Xun was already extravagant enough.
He had never expected Ji Yi to be even worse.
Like father, like son. The son has even surpassed the master.
The Third Prince could not help clicking his tongue.
“A-Yi, your luck… It seems you’ve used up all your good fortune on copying books.”
The other young noblemen also laughed and joined in.
“Perhaps the Young Heir is saving his good luck for later. Come on, one more round.”
Ji Yi’s luck could not possibly be this terrible.
Besides, in order to set a trap for Chu Zhaojiang, he had spent the past several months practicing tossing coins. He was practically on the verge of mastering the technique.
Ji Yi frowned and weighed the coins in his hand before tossing them again.
Clink, clink!
The crisp sound rang out.
Yet only four of the copper coins landed face up.
What rotten luck.
This time, Ji Yi was certain that these round coins with square holes had been tampered with.
His gaze swept across the faces of the people opposite him.
Even though the noble young men were all wearing flattering smiles toward the Young Heir of Prince Jing, they could not conceal the mockery and schadenfreude in their eyes.
Ji Yi clenched his hand and tried to gather himself.
He pulled out the last handful of gold from his sleeve and threw it onto the table with a smile.
“Looks like my luck really isn’t good today. I admit defeat.”
The gold in front of the Third Prince had already piled up into a small mountain. The candlelight reflected off it, making him look even more dignified and majestic.
He smiled.
“It’s still early. Shall we play a few more rounds?”
Ji Yi patted his pockets.
“Your Highness is blessed by Heaven and has excellent luck. I really didn’t bring much money with me today, so I’m afraid I can’t accompany you any longer.”
As he spoke, he gave Liang Fang a meaningful look, intending to leave first.
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and said as though casually,
“Doesn’t the Young Marquis usually enjoy playing guanpu? Why haven’t you joined us today?”
Ji Yi’s movements stopped.
Chu Zhaohuai was still mourning the pile of money the Young Heir had lost.
When he noticed that everyone’s eyes were suddenly on him, he belatedly realized that “Young Marquis” was referring to him.
“Ah.”
Chu Zhaohuai lowered his voice, afraid that someone might detect something unusual.
“I’m a little seasick, so my hands aren’t very steady. I don’t want to disturb Your Highness’s enjoyment.”
The Third Prince said,
“I wouldn’t exactly call it enjoyment. It’s simply Little New Year’s Eve, a festive occasion, so we’re just having a little fun.”
Chu Zhaohuai shook his head.
“Still, I’d rather not.”
The Third Prince’s smile slowly disappeared.
The entire room fell silent.
Ever since Chu Zhaohuai arrived in the capital, no one had ever taught him the proper rules.
He had become accustomed to behaving casually and freely in front of Ji Xun. He had never followed etiquette and had never been reprimanded for it.
Naturally, he did not feel much fear toward an imperial prince either.
Ji Yi’s breathing caught.
Under the table, he tugged at Chu Zhaohuai’s sleeve, signaling him not to be so reckless.
Unfortunately, that tug caused the dried plums hidden inside Chu Zhaohuai’s sleeve to spill all over the floor.
Ji Yi:
“…”
Chu Zhaohuai might not understand etiquette, but he was sensitive enough to notice that the atmosphere had become strange.
He immediately changed his attitude.
“…Wouldn’t that ruin Your Highness’s enjoyment? It’s just that I didn’t bring much money with me today…”
The Ji family seemed to have been born with the ability to change expressions.
The Third Prince’s gaze had been gloomy only a moment ago, but as soon as he heard this, his expression instantly became harmless again.
“Guanpu doesn’t necessarily require money as a wager. Hmm… this piece of jade around your waist…”
The Third Prince seemed about to compliment its quality or design.
But after taking a closer look, he was almost embarrassed by how shabby it was.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Still, he forced out a compliment.
“Not bad. It’s just enough for one round.”
Chu Zhaohuai hesitated as he fiddled with the tassel of his jade pendant.
This was practically the most presentable piece of jewelry he owned.
The Third Prince seemed determined not to let him leave without gambling.
Chu Zhaohuai had no choice but to remove the jade pendant and join them in “having a little fun.”
The Third Prince said,
“Same rules as before. In the first three rounds, getting four coins with the same side facing up counts as a win.”
Chu Zhaohuai looked around.
He was somewhat worried that someone might report them, but since an imperial prince himself had invited him to gamble, at least he would have someone to shield him if anything happened.
He picked up the six copper coins and casually tossed them into the jade plate.
Clink, clatter!
The six coins collided with one another in the plate, their reflections jumping wildly in the candlelight.
Soon, they finally came to a stop.
Three heads.
Three tails.
Ji Yi’s brows furrowed tightly.
The Third Prince wore an expression that seemed to say, Just as I expected.
The gambling skills and luck of this Princess Consort of Prince Jing were not particularly impressive either.
He and Ji Yi were apparently evenly matched.
Chu Zhaohuai stared blankly at the coins in the jade plate.
His expression slowly changed.
These coins…
They’re actually made of gold!
Chu Zhaohuai silently covered his chest and once again experienced the boundless wealth of the imperial family.
He had been scrimping and saving every bit of money he could, yet it was not even enough to compare with the little toys these people casually played with.
What kind of miserable poverty have I been living in all these years?
Gold coins were somewhat heavier than copper coins.
And because they had apparently been altered for cheating, the thickness and edges on the two sides had been polished differently.
Their weight and feel were uneven.
Naturally, the results of a toss would vary greatly depending on how they were thrown.
No wonder Ji Yi had lost so terribly.
With great reluctance, Chu Zhaohuai placed his worthless jade pendant on the table.
If this kind of jade pendant fell onto the ground, the Third Prince probably would not even bother bending down to pick it up.
Without even looking at it, he asked,
“Will the Young Marquis continue?”
Chu Zhaohuai nodded.
Ji Yi grew anxious.
He could not help tugging at Chu Zhaohuai’s sleeve again and giving him a meaningful look.
The movement caused several candied oranges to tumble out of Chu Zhaohuai’s sleeve.
Ji Yi:
“…”
Before Chu Zhaohuai could figure out what Ji Yi’s expression meant, several young noblemen opposite them spoke pointedly.
“Does the Princess Consort still have anything to use as a wager? If you roll another three matching sides, you can’t refuse to pay.”
Someone beside him immediately chimed in.
“What nonsense are you talking about? How could the Princess Consort possibly refuse to pay?”
“Exactly. Besides, the wedding was only a few days ago, and the Marquis’s residence gave him quite a substantial dowry. The Princess Consort is practically surrounded by gold and jade, richer than most nobles. It’s only a few rounds of guanpu. Unlike us, who still have to ask our families for money.”
Ji Yi’s eyelid twitched.
Although he was not particularly cunning, he had grown up in the capital, where schemes and hidden agendas were everywhere.
He had developed some instinct for these things.
The Third Prince seems to have come here today specifically for Chu Zhaojiang.
Although Ji Yi had a fearsome reputation throughout the capital, in reality he lived very cautiously, always walking on thin ice.
He was constantly afraid that one careless move would bring disaster upon Ji Xun.
Losing several hundred taels of gold today was not a serious problem.
“Losing” was simply his way of protecting himself by pretending to be foolish and harmless.
But Chu Zhaojiang was different.
Chu Zhaojiang had the identity of Princess Consort of Prince Jing.
If he lost everything in front of everyone today, it would not merely be his own reputation that suffered.
It would be the reputation of the entire Prince Jing’s residence.
And from the way these people were talking, they seemed to have their eyes on Chu Zhaojiang’s dowry as well.
Only a few days ago, the Marquis’s residence had been forced to send the missing dowry back to the Prince’s residence, suffering a tremendous loss of face.
And now, if Chu Zhaojiang publicly gambled away his dowry…
Ji Yi shuddered.
No.
They couldn’t continue.
His heart began pounding as he immediately prepared to intervene.
But Chu Zhaohuai spoke faster.
“Why don’t we all play together?”
The others were startled.
“What does the Princess Consort mean?”
“Isn’t this about wagers?”
Chu Zhaohuai rubbed the gold coin between his fingers thoughtfully.
“If I’m willing to use my dowry as the wager, then surely all of you should put up an equivalent stake. That would only be fair.”
Everyone in the room froze.
None of them had expected that a few provocative remarks would actually lure him into putting his dowry on the line.
Ji Yi panicked.
He grabbed Chu Zhaohuai’s hand and lowered his voice.
“Are you crazy? If you lose your dowry, it’s my father’s reputation that will suffer!”
Chu Zhaohuai thought to himself,
Your father’s reputation already got left behind in Jiangnan. Losing a little more won’t make much difference.
Seeing that Chu Zhaohuai remained unmoved, Ji Yi nearly cursed him outright.
He forcibly suppressed his anger and whispered,
“They’re probably targeting you specifically.”
Chu Zhaohuai said nothing.
He simply grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from his sleeve and stuffed them into Ji Yi’s hands.
“Go play over there.”
The Third Prince was still pretending to look worried.
“Young Marquis, you should think carefully. A little gambling is merely for entertainment.”
That jade pendant was already a considerable gamble for Chu Zhaohuai.
Adding a little more did not seem to matter.
“Does Your Highness want to place a wager?”
A flicker passed through the Third Prince’s eyes.
He concealed a trace of amusement, then sighed and pushed the pile of gold Ji Yi had just lost toward Chu Zhaohuai.
“Then I’ll casually join in a little. Consider it my way of adding to the Young Marquis’s enjoyment.”
Chu Zhaohuai looked toward the others.
The group exchanged glances.
They had originally come merely to watch the show and stir things up.
But after seeing Chu Zhaohuai’s clumsy gambling skills, they hesitated before finally taking out stacks of banknotes.
The larger the wagers became, the more of Chu Zhaohuai’s dowry he would lose if he failed.
Chu Zhaohuai held the gold coins between his fingers.
“Then let’s use the ‘five pure, six pure’ rules. If all six coins land on the same side, I win. If I get only four, I’ll use half of my dowry to settle the loss.”
This time, Ji Yi was the one pinching the spot beneath his nose.
The Third Prince could not hide his smile.
“Very well. Please.”
Chu Zhaohuai ran his fingertips over the six gold coins.
He raised his hand above the jade plate.
At the moment he released them, his fingertips made a slight twist.
The gold coins with their square holes dropped straight into the plate.
Clink.
The coins spun endlessly at the bottom of the jade plate.
After quite some time, they finally stopped.
Everyone immediately looked over.
The Third Prince’s smile froze.
Ji Yi looked as though he had just received news that his entire family had died.
He did not notice that something was wrong with the atmosphere around him.
Instead, he was already despairing over the thought of returning home and being hung up and beaten by his father.
He had brought the Princess Consort here and helped set up a gambling trap.
Not only had he lost several hundred taels of gold himself, he had also allowed someone to win the Princess Consort’s dowry.
It looks like both of his legs are doomed.
Just as he was imagining his miserable fate, Chu Zhaohuai poked him.
Ji Yi spat out a sunflower seed shell and weakly said,
“You lost, so don’t—”
Before he could finish, Liang Fang, who had barely spoken all night and had almost no presence, poked him as well.
His voice was filled with disbelief.
“Six pure!”
Ji Yi did not understand.
He looked around and saw that everyone opposite him had gone completely dumbfounded.
They were all staring blankly at the jade plate.
Following their gazes, Ji Yi froze.
At the bottom of the jade plate lay six glittering gold coins.
All six had landed face up.
All six showed the same side.
Six pure.
The Third Prince had been leisurely drinking his wine.
When he saw the result, his wine cup trembled.
The warm wine spilled all over his hand.
His brows drew tightly together.
The other gamblers stared in disbelief.
“This…”
One of them refused to believe it.
His hand trembling, he stepped forward and picked up the gold coins, carefully examining them.
He found nothing unusual.
Chu Zhaohuai nodded politely.
“Looks like the Young Heir’s accumulated good luck has come to me. Your Highness, I merely got lucky.”
The Third Prince’s smile was somewhat forced.
“The Young Marquis is too modest.”
Even gold coins that had been tampered with had landed six pure.
If it was not simply extraordinary luck, then this person had truly exceptional gambling skills.
But could Chu Zhaojiang really have such ability?
Chu Zhaohuai asked,
“Your Highness, shall we continue?”
The Third Prince was unwilling to believe it.
He gave the people beside him a meaningful look.
The nobleman who had just lost a pile of banknotes hesitated.
He felt that the previous round had merely been good luck.
He gritted his teeth.
“Continue. Continue!”
Chu Zhaohuai watched as the others reluctantly brought out another pile of silver.
He nodded and tossed the coins again.
Six pure.
Six pure.
Round after round, the six gold coins seemed to have made an agreement among themselves.
Every single time, they landed on the same side.
The crisp clattering of the gold coins striking the jade plate rang throughout the enormous pleasure boat.
Chu Zhaohuai’s hands seemed almost possessed.
Whatever result he wanted, he got.
He simply never lost.
Ji Yi stared blankly at him.
He felt as though he were dreaming.
This… this is just a hallucination caused by how much I’ve lost, right?
I’ve started having beautiful dreams.
The Third Prince’s gaze turned cold.
He could tell that Chu Zhaohuai had some real skill, so he quickly withdrew from the game.
But the others had come prepared to make “Chu Zhaojiang” lose his head over gambling and, ideally, gamble away his entire dowry.
Every time they lost, they refused to believe it was anything more than bad luck.
They kept betting.
Before they knew it, they had become completely obsessed.
Some of them had already begun writing IOUs as they ran out of money.
Soon, one of them became so furious after losing that he nearly overturned the table.
“Are you cheating?!”
Chu Zhaohuai looked at him in surprise.
“You’re accusing an imperial prince of cheating?”
The man froze.
His face instantly turned pale.
He hurriedly dropped to his knees and apologized.
Right.
The gold coins had been brought by the Third Prince.
Wasn’t he essentially accusing the Third Prince of cheating?
The Third Prince could no longer keep pretending.
He smiled without warmth.
“The Princess Consort is truly blessed with extraordinary luck. No wonder Fifth Uncle values you so highly.”
Chu Zhaohuai blinked.
Just a moment ago, he had been calling him “Young Marquis.”
Why had he suddenly switched to “Princess Consort”?
His expression looked calm, but perhaps he was simply embarrassed after losing?
“Your Highness is too kind.”
Chu Zhaohuai smiled.
“A little gambling is merely for entertainment. I was only helping Your Highness enjoy the evening.”
The Third Prince:
“…”
Chu Zhaohuai seemed completely oblivious to the Third Prince’s expression, which was somewhere between a smile and a curse.
He looked at the others, who had all lost so badly that they were practically disheveled.
“Everyone, shall we continue?”
Several of them had already taken off their sable coats to use as gambling stakes.
They were determined to win everything back.
“Continue!”
Ji Yi watched their eyes turn red with desperation.
He nearly ground his teeth to pieces.
Then he stared blankly at Chu Zhaohuai.
Behind the gauze veil, Chu Zhaohuai’s expression could not be seen clearly.
He sat upright with his knees together, his wide sleeves flowing elegantly.
No one could tell that they were stuffed full of snacks.
Every movement he made was calm and composed, giving off an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
It was as though the six tiny coins in his hands could effortlessly transform into a golden body twelve zhang tall whenever he wished.
Ji Yi suddenly shuddered.
At last, he was certain.
This person…
Absolutely was not Chu Zhaojiang.