Volume 1 Chapter 24: Cousin Takes Me to the Gambling Den
Yan Qing did not return to Qingyi Courtyard, but instead directly left the mansion with two boxes of account books. Lu Zhi had already packed everything up and had specially prepared two horse-drawn carts for this purpose.
Yan Qing instructed: "Let's go to Twelve Districts first."
After visiting Twelve Districts, they would directly head to Jiangjun Fu. No matter what Madam Zhen whispered into Yan Junyuan's ear today, he would be powerless to do anything.
Qing Luan helped Yan Qing onto the carriage.
Just as the plain-colored carriage curtain was lifted, Gu Huaizhou's refined and handsome face came into view.
Yan Qing froze: "Gu… Cousin?"
Wasn't he supposed to be in the carriage behind?
Lu Zhi said with a worried expression: "Miss, there's too much stuff and it couldn't all fit. You also brought these two large boxes, so we had to let Cousin share a carriage with you…"
Yan Qing: "…"
Gu Huaizhou's face flushed slightly: "Cousin, I should get off and walk…"
"How could that be?"
Yan Qing frowned. Twelve Districts was located in the outer city, and walking there would take at least one or two hours. After thinking for a moment, she said: "Perhaps I could have Lu Zhi call another carriage. What do you think, Cousin?"
Although Gu Huaizhou was nominally her cousin, men and women should not be too intimate. Inviting him into the carriage last night was a necessary compromise, but if they shared a carriage again today and Madam Zhen saw it, she didn't know what kind of trouble would ensue.
Moreover—
Yan Qing looked at the man's handsome face.
Refined and gentle, handsome and innocent—it was a face that appeared completely harmless.
Yet she always felt uneasy deep down.
She knew she shouldn't judge the current Gu Huaizhou based on stereotypes from her past life, but she couldn't forget the scene of Yan Tan's tongue being pulled out by Lu Qiao Nan, as well as those strange dreams she had. The Gu Huaizhou in her dreams frightened her.
Gu Huaizhou obediently nodded: "I'll follow Cousin's arrangements."
As he spoke, he tried to rise and leave the carriage, but it seemed to strain the wound on his shoulder, causing him to suppress a groan.
Laifu glanced at Cousin and tentatively spoke: "Second Miss, if we look for a carriage now, we don't know how long it will delay us. The young master has injuries and might not handle the exertion well."
Lu Zhi also nodded: "Finding a carriage indeed takes time."
Qing Luan looked at the sky: "Miss, the master will soon be returning from court."
Gu Huaizhou shook his head: "It's fine, I can wait. I shouldn't ruin Cousin's reputation…"
Yan Qing: "…"
Why did she feel like she wasn't human again?
Looking at Gu Huaizhou's restrained expression, she took a deep breath: "Alright, Cousin, sit down. Let's depart for Twelve Districts now."
Gu Huaizhou hesitated: "But Cousin's reputation…"
Yan Qing self-deprecatingly said: "As a divorced woman, what reputation do I even have?"
Gu Huaizhou looked at her with deep, dark eyes.
After a long while, he softly said: "Cousin, Lu Qiao Nan is not worthy of you."
Yan Qing smiled without speaking.
In this world, what does "worthy" or "unworthy" even mean? It was merely her own blindness.
The carriage traveled toward the outer city.
Yan Qing didn't waste time either; instead, she inquired about Twelve Districts from Gu Huaizhou in the carriage.
To her surprise, Gu Huaizhou seemed to have a thorough understanding of Twelve Districts. Not only did he know about the various businesses and shops in the district, but he was also familiar with every street in the outer city, and even knew whether those merchants had backing…
"I didn't expect Cousin to know about these things?"
She had assumed Gu Huaizhou was like those other scholars preparing for the imperial exams, shutting out all worldly affairs. Yet he even knew about these external matters? Especially the factions he mentioned—even Yan Junyuan might not be aware of them.
Meeting Yan Qing's probing gaze, the man paused before speaking, "Prince Jing told me all of this."
Yan Qing suddenly understood.
Prince Jing, Ying Si, was the emperor's third son. His mother was Consort Xie, the emperor's favored concubine. The Xie Family was one of the Four Great Families, wielding immense power at court. Consort Xie was also quite ambitious, nearly sharing equal status with the empress in the rear palace.
Unfortunately, her son, Prince Jing, was gentle by nature, with no ambition for power. He only wished to live a carefree life, indulging in poetry and art, even keeping several poetry troupes and opera troupes in his residence.
During last year's Shangsi Festival poetry gathering, Prince Jing happened to see Gu Huaizhou's poems and immediately considered him a kindred spirit. He even invited Gu Huaizhou to serve as the head of his poetry troupe at the prince's residence.
Although Gu Huaizhou declined, Prince Jing often summoned him to the residence to appreciate poetry and drink wine. Over time, the two became familiar.
Though Prince Jing had no interest in power, he was still a prince and had such a powerful maternal family. Knowing which factions backed the various establishments in the Twelve Districts was not difficult for him.
Who would have thought Prince Jing and Gu Huaizhou were so close that he would even share such matters with him?
Yan Qing thought to herself, this was quite a stroke of luck for her.
In her past life, Prince Jing had indeed treated Gu Huaizhou well, but unfortunately, they eventually fell out because of Yang Xuan.
"Young master, we've arrived."
At that moment, the carriage came to a stop.
Yan Qing thought they had reached the brush shop. She still remembered Gu Huaizhou saying yesterday that he wanted to buy a Brush Tip. But when she lifted the carriage curtain, it turned out to be a gambling den?
Yan Qing: "…"
Gu Huaizhou stepped out of the carriage and said, "This is the third-largest gambling den in the Twelve Districts, the Fugui Gambling Den."
He extended his hand to help Yan Qing down.
Qing Luan, who had been about to step forward, froze in place.
Yan Qing asked in confusion, "Why has cousin brought me to a gambling den?"
Could it be that Gu Huaizhou also had a penchant for gambling?
Gu Huaizhou smiled gently, "Didn't cousin want to earn money?"
Before Yan Qing could react, the man continued unhurriedly, "Small market stalls are merely for making ends meet. If cousin wishes to earn money, she cannot avoid the essentials of people's livelihoods—food, clothing, and daily necessities…"
Yan Qing hadn't expected Gu Huaizhou to share her thoughts. She nodded, "Exactly, so I closed the bookshop on Sanbao Street and plan to turn it into a clothing store."
But Gu Huaizhou shook his head, "Too slow."
"What?"
"Those methods are all too slow."
The man looked at the face he had longed for day and night, using all his strength to restrain the desire in his heart. His eyes darkened, "The four most profitable trades in the world are eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling. The first three may earn money but require gradual accumulation. Only gambling yields immense profits with minimal capital and gathers wealth the fastest."
Yan Qing's brows furrowed slightly.
Gambling dens were indeed places with the smallest capital investment and the highest profits. Moreover, gambling dens were a mix of all sorts of people, where information flowed freely.
It truly aligned perfectly with her needs.
Was Gu Huaizhou suggesting she go gamble?
A trace of imperceptible fondness flickered in Gu Huaizhou's eyes. He said softly, "If cousin wishes to achieve her heart's desire, a gambling den is the most suitable."
The phrase "heart's desire" startled Yan Qing.
She abruptly looked up at Gu Huaizhou, but his expression remained calm and unremarkable.
Yan Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
What Gu Huaizhou referred to was likely just earning money in a simple sense.
After pondering for a moment, she hesitantly asked, "Does cousin want me to open a gambling den?"
"Not exactly."
The man looked up at the four large characters reading "Fugui Gambling Den," a faint, ambiguous smile appearing on his gentle face. "Isn't there a ready-made one right here?"
Yan Qing was stunned: "…"
Huh? Could it be… robbery?
Gu Huaizhou had already stepped into the gambling den…