Four

After spending a long time in Nanhua, Lu Guichen no longer faced restrictions when entering and exiting the palace. He had originally arranged to meet Ji Ye and Yu Ran to watch the floating lanterns on the river after sunset, so he had completed today's assignments with his teacher early and left the palace, calling on Yu Ran to welcome Ji Ye. Yu Ran wore a cold expression; after hearing Fang Qizhao's mockery, without saying a word, he asked Lu Guichen to lend him money. Lu Guichen was not short of money, and being a compliant person, he immediately took out the money and presented it with both hands.

Yuran was furious, snatching the bowl and commanding Jiya to stand behind her and place bets. Strangely enough, as soon as she took charge, the tide of the game shifted immediately. Yuran did not specify whether Jiya should bet high or low, yet every time Jiya hesitated before placing a bet, the outcome was almost always in his favor. Jiya won consecutively, gradually becoming imposing, with gold coins clattering down with great force. Fang Qizhao and the others could only watch as their bets were repeatedly swept away, and in the end, several of them had no choice but to pull out more money to allow the most skilled gambler, Fang Qizhao, to take another chance.

The dice rolled and tumbled within the wooden cup, when a hand, pale to the point of being almost transparent, suddenly pressed down on the cup, and the table fell into an abrupt silence. The girl shaking the dice glanced left and right, her charming eyes slightly raised at the corners, casting a fierce sidelong glance at everyone.

Cheating, what does cheating matter? Without cheating, there is no gambling! Don't think that this young lady is kind-hearted and won't play tricks!" Yu Ran shouted loudly, but in an instant, she retreated with a "whoosh," passing through the curtain, and in a moment, she was no longer visible.

It is uncertain how many times this has happened, but once again, the three young men and women, who are despised by everyone in Nanhua City, have begun to flee, as if a grand play that has been rehearsed countless times is being performed anew

Wait! Don't just think about taking advantage! What will you do if you lose?" Fang Qizhao looked at Ji Ye with a gloomy expression.

Yuran was taken aback

Yuran lifted the lid, raised her arms, and began to laugh heartily. Inside the bowl, three sixes stood out, still as large as could be, a resounding "big".

Yuran pressed the button with a "pop," and the sound of the dice fell silent

The dice rolled in the bowl, both sides stared wide-eyed, as if everything around them was inaudible and invisible, and the world contained only this one bowl.

"Bet steadily, let go of your hands; if you have the fate to win money, you must also have the courage to lose it. Betting big and winning big is a sign of your ancestors' good fortune, while betting big and losing small means you can only blame your own fate for not carrying gold." The girl appeared to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old, yet her speech resembled that of a seasoned gambler who had been in the casino for decades. "I will ask once more, have you placed your bet steadily?"

Two bettors are staring at each other with bloodshot eyes, separated by a distance of one foot. At this moment, it has become a gamble of luck, with no tactics left to speak of. Victory means total victory, while defeat could leave them with nothing, and they fear they might even end up losing their pants.

She jumped onto the table, sitting crookedly with one hand pressing down on the bowl: "Jiye, put all our bets on the line!"

"Cheating! Do you all want to die? How dare you cheat!" Fang Qizhao felt as if he had been resurrected from the dead, his voice booming like thunder.

Lü Guichen, however, was not pleased. He looked at Fang Qizhao, whose face was as red as pig liver, and anxiously tugged at Yuran's sleeve: "Alright, alright, spare them this once; there is no need to go to extremes."

Her trick was exposed. Although Fang Qizhao, Lei Yunzhen, and Ke might not fully understand how Yuran cheated, the wooden board beneath the bowl could be manipulated, which undoubtedly indicated foul play. In fact, Yuran merely performed a very small trick; she was not human but a feathered being, which granted her an extraordinary level of hearing that is difficult for ordinary people to imagine. She could distinguish the sounds of the dice sliding and stopping on the wooden board at the bottom of the bowl. This was not her first visit to this gambling house; she even had some acquaintance with the owner, and she was completely confident when she said she came to gamble. She switched to a thin-bottomed bowl; if she heard that she was winning, she would remain still, but if her opponent was winning, she would gently nudge it, turning the situation around.

It's stable!" Ji Ye shouted

However, Fang Qizhao's gaze lingered solely on Yuran's earlobe, cheek, and chest, completely unaware that this seemingly well-behaved and noble girl was actually an expert at cheating.

Fang Qizhao was momentarily taken aback, his gaze briefly lingering on Yuran: "Don't worry, it's just for one night, and I will return you safe and sound by tomorrow morning! I guarantee you won't regret it."

At this moment, the deception was exposed, and the four individuals across from him wore grim expressions as they advanced a step together

It's settled! Ji Ye exclaimed loudly

Steady! Fang Qi called out loudly.

Yuran only gave Jinye a pat on the shoulder and said: "Don't be afraid, go gamble, with your sister here, you need not fear these little rascals"

What cannot be obtained will ultimately remain unattainable! Yu Ran reached out to grasp the emerald pendant.

Yuran swiftly leaped down from the table

"Don't be so mean!" Yu Ran flicked her sleeve, pouting, "Is this fun?"

Ji Ye and Lü Gui Chen exchanged glances, and then together helplessly looked at the arrogant girl, while Yu Ran burst into laughter. With her smile, all arrogance and grandeur instantly vanished, revealing merely a child who had succeeded in teasing others

"Place your bets! Place your bets! The outcome of this round determines life and death. Those who want money will die for money, those who want jade will die for jade, and those who want a maiden will die for a maiden. Do not hesitate! Place your bets firmly, or I will start!" Yu Ran shouted.

Fang Qizhao smiled faintly, pointing at Yuran: "You have lost, this woman will come with us"

Under the moonlight, three shadows rushed out one after another from the brightly lit gambling den, heading in three completely different directions

Yuran slapped his hand loudly and said: "I won't do it! I won't do it! Let them lose their pants today before they leave! Let them be arrogant! If I don't take action, do they think there is no justice on the gambling table of Nanhuaicheng?"

At this moment, Yuran placed the bet, while Ji Ye wagered all his gold dinars on "Big," and Fang Qi Zhao placed all his bets on "Small."

Fang Qizhao slowly moved his hand away, leaving a deep emerald green jade pendant on the table. The pendant was very small, only about half the size of Yu Ran's palm, yet at its center was a deep green point, as if the entire jade's color flowed from that single spot.

It's settled! Fang Qi gritted his teeth. Among these people, his family has the largest business and contributes the most money, but now he has lost everything, leaving him completely broke. Even though he enjoys his father's favor, this time he secretly took money from home and returned without a penny, fearing that he would face a dire consequence.

"Drinking for a whole year is not a problem at all," he said, weighing the gold coins, addressing Lu Guichen.

Fang Qizhao slammed his palm on the table, exerting all his strength, as if he were about to devour the three of Ji Ye.

Run separately! Run separately! Ji Ye's voice traversed through the night.

"I will give you a break! Let's gamble once more! If I lose, this will be yours!" he gasped

You are talking nonsense! Ji Ye slammed the table, gritted his teeth fiercely, and the muscles on his cheeks bulged as if he could bite through cast iron

Lü Guichen took Yu Ran's hand and stepped back slightly. He had brought a sword out of the palace, and at this moment, he silently gripped the hilt of the sword.

Ji Ye maintained a cold expression and did not move. He understood Yu Ran's temperament, but he also knew that Fang Qi Zhao was not a kind-hearted person. Fang Qi Zhao had been mingling with heavily made-up women in brothels since the age of nine, spending lavishly on them. His considerable prestige among his peers stemmed from his willingness to spend money treating them to extravagant dances and fine wines.

"We have won, the gold baht belongs to you and Asule, while the jadeite should come to me!" Yuran patted Ji Ye's shoulder heartily, "Be obedient and follow my orders, that's right!"

The people at the table are divided into two groups. One group consists of four young men, all young officers from the late Tang dynasty: Fang Qizhao, Ye Zhenghong, Lei Yunzhen, and Peng Lianyun, their faces already flushed red. The other group has three members, with Lü Guichen and Ji Ye standing behind Yu Ran, staring in astonishment at the girl skillfully shaking the bowl and placing her bets. More than half of the gold coins are piled in front of Yu Ran, who wrinkles her nose, the tip slightly raised, as she shows off to the four individuals across from her.

"Whether to regret or not is not for you to decide." Yuran stuck out her tongue and made a face in response

Fang Qizhao and the others were still in a daze when Ji Ye kicked the table over with a swift motion. Before the table fell, he moved like lightning, snatching the bags of gold coins from the table and throwing them over his shoulder as he ran. He turned and aimed for the door, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Lu Guichen, meanwhile, faced off against four people for a brief moment, feigning an advance. Fang Qizhao and the others had experienced his sword skills in the training ground and, fearing his might, were about to dodge when Lu Guichen also turned and fled at high speed. Lu Guichen faced off against four people for a brief moment, feigning an advance. Fang Qizhao and the others had experienced his sword skills in the training ground and, fearing his might, were about to dodge when Lu Guichen also turned and fled at high speed.

Ji Ye said nothing more and pushed the gold coins over. The Yu Ran he knew was not a girl to be easily manipulated; they had once run together under the moonlight, having accidentally collapsed someone else's large tent. Lu Gui Chen and Ji Ye exchanged a glance, but said nothing. He stood quietly there, not loosening his grip on the hilt of the knife. Ji Ye slowly took a step back and glanced towards the door.

One of the individuals was dressed simply yet elegantly; he was a young boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a plain white robe with the collar embroidered in azure gold thread with intertwined chrysanthemums. The young boy glanced around at the people and tugged at the girl's sleeve beneath the table: "Yuran... Yuran... It's enough to win almost.

Ji Ye took a step back, pressing his hand against the edge of the table. Without a gun, he used the table as a defense. He was confident that if Fang Qizhao became enraged and attempted to strike, he would not easily gain the upper hand against him. Having served in the military for several years, he had clashed with Fang Qizhao and others to the point of bloodshed more than once or twice. However, despite facing several people or even a dozen alone, over the years, the situation had remained evenly matched.

Snap ... ... Snap ... ... Snap ... ...

Ji Ye still bets on the big, while Fang Qi Zhao still bets on the small

"Leave the pants! Leave the pants!" Yu Ran clapped her hands, laughing and jumping. "The money on your desk is not even half enough. Today, I am feeling generous. If you take off your pants and ride back, we will call it even!"

Wait!" Lei Yunzheng shouted loudly

"I bet!" Yu Ran raised her hand, "But if you take it away, it will be for the whole night. You must return it in good condition by tomorrow morning. Our Lord Chen and Young Master Ji are not to be trifled with, so do not offend them!"

Yuran's eyes seemed to be illuminated by that emerald, and she stared at the emerald for a moment before jumping up: "It's a deal!"

Ji Ye was not interested in whether Fang Qi would take off his pants or not. He removed the outer robe of his military uniform, tied a tight knot at each cuff, and stuffed gold coins into them, lifting them up to reveal two bulging small bags.

This is a small gambling den, with cloth curtains separating the gambling tables. Inside, there is only a small table, around which the gamblers stand in a circle, each with a pile of gold coins in front of them. Under the light, the gold coins appear a waxy yellow, making people's eyes shine. Surrounding this table are young officers, the oldest appearing to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with half of them dressed in black armor, their shoulders adorned with the golden chrysanthemum military insignia of the Tang dynasty.

"Cheating! You are cheating!" Ye Zhenghong exclaimed as he jumped up

How amusing... Lu Guichen smiled bitterly to himself, feeling that he might never understand what this girl truly had in her heart.

Ji Ye showed no signs of retreat, staring intently at the past. He sensed the killing intent and hostility, his gaze suddenly turning icy, and his voice grew cold: "What do you propose we do?"

Dragon Blood Emerald! With eyes! The gold zhu on this table is worth ten times what I can afford! Fang Qizhao has already lost his composure, and in the end, he wagered the ornament left to him by his mother before her death.

However, Ji Ye is indeed someone who becomes flustered when placing bets. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the gold coins on the table have been wagered, leaving only a few scattered coins. Lu Guichen can only shake his head as he watches from the side. Fang Qi is shaking the dice in one hand and placing bets with the other, wearing a shameless grin as he looks at Yu Ran.

Fang Qizhao was already in a daze at that time. As a genuine gambler, he never considered that the two young men across from him—a young officer driven by courage and a cultured and modest barbarian young lord—were not the type to shy away from dishonesty. Years later, this pair of brothers-in-arms on the battlefield would lead their small band of mercenaries, resorting to all sorts of schemes to survive, without ever feeling any shame. Thus, it was Fang Qizhao, who was not fond of discussing loyalty, who was caught off guard, failing to realize that from the moment the dice began to shake, these two had already harbored ulterior motives.

Lei Yunzheng took the cup from Yu Ran's hand with a swift motion, and under the gaze of the crowd, he gently tapped the bottom of the cup with his finger. To everyone's surprise, the half-inch thick redwood board beneath the cup actually bounced slightly, causing the three dice on top to flip over.

Originally, the plan was to gamble with Ji Ye. Today, during the drill at Daliuying, Fang Qi called a few of them together to discuss and decided to provoke Ji Ye into a gambling match, offering odds of 2 to 1. They calculated well, as Ji Ye was a complete novice at gambling, unfamiliar with the rules, and might not even be able to count the points on the dice. Even with the 2 to 1 odds, they were confident of victory. However, they did not consider that Ji Ye was someone who was always empty-handed, and it would not be easy for him to put forth a single gold zhu to gamble. Therefore, Ji Ye did not respond and turned to leave. Fang Qi, who originally intended to mock Ji Ye, felt frustrated when he did not succeed, and followed Ji Ye on horseback, taunting him with a string of insults. They then encountered Yu Ran and Lu Gui Chen coming towards them.

Yuran, full of confidence, smiled gently and casually lifted the lid. Fang Qi leaned over to take a look, and was met with complete darkness, nearly fainting on the spot. As if to deliberately provoke him, the three dice all showed six, a "big" that could not be any bigger.