Chapter 24: Capsizing in the Beauty’s Gully


Prince Jing’s reaction indeed caught them off guard. They had thought such a cautious man wouldn’t easily trust a stranger, especially a woman. Who would have guessed that this Lady Jiang had such remarkable skills, effortlessly drawing Prince Jing’s attention in such a natural way? Still, this is a good thing for their master, since Lady Jiang is helping him after all.

So why is the master still angry?

“Let’s go.”

Seeing those two heading into the alley, Shen Zaiye stood up and strode downstairs. Zhanlu quickly followed, keeping an eye on the situation ahead while muttering quietly, “What is Madam Jiang planning to do?”

Shen Zaiye didn’t answer him, only watching as the group of guards flanked both sides and Mu Wuyin in the middle helped Jiang Taohua walk slowly.

His left hand was placed beneath her wrist, and his right hand was at her waist, supporting her.

With a faint purse of his lips, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly, thinking that this was probably why Prince Jing struggled to accomplish great deeds. The blade of desire hangs over one’s head, and someone already standing in such a high position dares to trust a stranger so easily—if he doesn’t stumble, who will?

It was obvious at a glance that a beauty like Jiang Taohua couldn’t just be picked up off the streets. Why would these people believe they could have such good luck? And to get so close? What if Jiang Taohua knew martial arts—a single stab could end him, did he even realize that?

Concealing his figure, he followed for half the alley, only to see most of the prince’s guards stationed outside the Daxi Gambling House, while Prince Jing, accompanied by just two men, followed Jiang Taohua inside.

What were they going to a gambling house for?

Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together, thought for a moment, then turned to Zhanlu and said, “Go to the Kyoto office first and make arrangements so they understand what’s going on. Wait for my instructions.”

“Yes,” Zhanlu replied, quietly slipping away.

After standing still for a while, Shen Zaiye turned into the Hefeng Dance Hall nearby. When he emerged again, he had changed out of his fine robes into an inconspicuous set of plain clothes, and with a bamboo hat covering his head, he entered the Daxi Gambling House.

Jiang Taohui followed closely by Prince Jing, anxiously scanning the area, her lips pale with worry. “Father? Where has Father gone?”

Mu Wuyin held her hand with great concern: “Don’t rush, take your time searching. If you truly cannot find him, just come back with me to the manor.”

“No!” Taohua decisively refused, only realizing moments later that she needed to save face for the person. Quickly offering a small bow, she choked up: “This humble girl is not homeless. If I truly cannot find my father, I will just return to my hometown.”

Mu Wuyin was somewhat surprised, his expression relaxing further as he looked at her: “Can’t you tell that I am of noble status?”

Casting a timid glance at him twice, Jiang Taohua appeared rather flustered. Pulling her hand free, she took two steps back: “I… I can tell. Thank you for your willingness to help find my father.”

It’s strange. Usually, women would throw themselves at the sight of his embroidered dragon robe, so why is this woman afraid of him instead?

Everyone has a rebellious streak, which is why the strategy of “playing hard to get” has been foolproof from ancient times to the present, as long as it hasn’t been seen through. Prince Jing, who has been pampered for too long, encountered indifference from a commoner woman for the first time, only making him even more stubborn. “Don’t rush to refuse just yet,” he said, “first see if you can find your father.”

Peach Blossom hesitated, about to speak but holding back. After a moment’s thought, she still nodded gently and continued searching through the crowd.

Shen Zaiye stood by, observing coldly, thinking that there was nothing new about this trick. If she weren’t so beautiful, Prince Jing wouldn’t have bothered with her today!

But what’s the point of keeping people trapped in this gambling den?

Peach Blossom gestured as she walked up to the counter and asked, “Shopkeeper, have you seen a man around forty years old, about this tall, wearing a blue cloth shirt, with a mole on his face?”

This was purely made up, but with so many people coming and going in the gambling den every day, a random guess like that was bound to hit someone.

The shopkeeper glanced up at her, initially somewhat annoyed, but when he looked up and saw the person wearing a robe embroidered with four-clawed dragons behind her, he jolted with fright and immediately straightened up, answering respectfully, “It seems like there was such a person here, but this place is quite large. It might take you some time to find him.”

Seeing that she was genuinely searching for her father and hadn’t even glanced at him much, King Jing gradually became thoroughly convinced of Jiang Taohua’s sincerity.

The moment he let his guard down, his eyes met those of this woman.

Her eyes were beautiful—clear yet misty, like warm water stirred by the wind, forming a whirlpool that drew one in and pulled them down.

“Noble sir, we need to search a bit longer,” Jiang Taohua said, lowering her head slightly, the fair nape of her neck looking utterly enticing.

For a moment, Mu Wuyin couldn’t even remember where he was, simply nodding blankly: “Alright, we can search as long as you want, I’ll accompany you.”

Taohua smiled brightly, a smile so captivating that even the two guards behind her were momentarily lost in a daze. They followed her toward the gambling tables.

“Come and see, come and see! If you can guess correctly ten times in a row, not only will we return your wager, but you may also choose any treasure from this entire rack to take away!”

Passing by one of the gambling tables, the dealer’s booming voice caught her attention. Jiang Taohua paused, her gaze lingering for a moment on a gold hairpin displayed among the prizes.

“Do you want it?” Mu Wuyin asked her tenderly.

Tao Hua bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t want it.”

Though she said that, her gaze never strayed from the hairpin.

Prince Jing immediately sat down on the table, with the two guards behind him making no move to stop him.

Reading this, Shen Zaiju seemed to understand a little. The current emperor was most wary of princes who didn’t know their limits and failed to maintain their purity. Prince Jing, who had sailed carefully for ten thousand years, was now likely to have his boat capsize in a beauty’s ravine.

After thinking it over, he turned around and went to find the owner of the gambling house.

Mu Wuyin, after all, was a prince. Even if the owner had some background, they wouldn’t dare to cheat him to death. He needed to give them some confidence and also let Prince Jing witness the power of a private gambling den.

Since ancient times, few who loved gambling have had a good life, and once they start, it’s hard to stop. Prince Jing knew this himself, but somehow he had started anyway. Once he began, seeing the beauty beside him gazing at him eagerly, he couldn’t possibly say he didn’t want that hairpin anymore.

The game is played with three dice, betting on numbers. The method is very simple, with high odds, but you have to win ten times to get the items on the rack as a gift.

Jiang Taohua watched with eager anticipation as he first won three rounds, then began to lose continuously.

“How did this happen?” Mu Wuyin frowned, instructing his guard to continue exchanging chips. “Winning ten rounds—could that be too difficult?”

The dealer smiled ingratiatingly, cold sweat trickling down his back. Just as he was considering whether to go easy on this royal lord, a clerk came over and whispered a couple of words into his ear.

Upon hearing the whisper, the dealer straightened his back and grinned at him, saying, “Esteemed customer, if you think ten rounds are too many, you can win just five rounds to receive a treasure as a gift. However, the stakes for each round must then be one hundred taels of silver.”

“One hundred taels?” Mu Wuyin was taken aback, thinking to himself that a hundred taels would be enough for ordinary people to live on for a lifetime. How could this gambling house dare to ask for so much?

However, with the beautiful woman standing beside him looking at him with admiration, he couldn’t bear to back down. He could only brace himself and say, “Fine, one hundred taels it is.”

Taohua gasped softly and gently tugged at his sleeve. “Sir, that’s too much money. Let’s not…”

“Don’t worry about it. I have plenty of silver. A hundred taels is nothing to me.” Mu Wuyin patted her hand reassuringly.

With that one pat, all he felt was a touch as smooth as jade, delicate and glossy, making him unable to resist holding it and stroking it carefully.

Peach Blossom flushed red, glanced at him timidly, and quickly withdrew her hand.

Unfortunately, no matter how quickly she withdrew it, Shen Zaijie, who had just returned, saw it all. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

The method of seduction was far too practiced; on how many people had she tried it? Moreover, based on this, that night with Fengwu might not have truly been her first time, was it?

Letting out a light sneer, Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together and continued to hide to one side, observing the situation.

The bet grew larger, and more people gathered around to watch. Mu Wuyin found himself in a difficult position, unable to back down, and could only place his bets time and again. When his silver ran out, he simply had it charged to the account of Jing Prince’s estate.

After more than thirty rounds of wins and losses, the hairpin was finally placed on Taohua’s head.

“Noble sir, you’re so amazing!” Taohua’s eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him and said, “Do you often gamble? My father has been gambling for over a decade, but he’s never won anything for me.”

Originally feeling somewhat guilty, but upon hearing her words and meeting her eyes, Mu Wuyin instantly felt that spending thousands of taels of silver was worth it. With a gentle smile, he asked, “Do you still want more?”

“No, no need.” She waved her hand obediently, her peach blossom eyes filled with admiration. “It’s just that when you placed the bet earlier, you looked truly commanding, as if leading thousands of troops.”

“Haha.” Mu Wuyin laughed softly, leaning in close to her ear. “If you follow me, you’ll have many chances to see me command thousands of troops in person.”

Her cheeks flushed, and Peach Blossom covered her ears as she took two steps back, straightening her expression. “You jest, my lord. A lowly girl like me could never be worthy of someone of your status. Since I cannot find my father, I shall take my leave…”

“Don’t go.” Hurriedly grabbing her, Mu Wuyin lowered his voice. “I was too forward. Please don’t be angry. Your father is in this gambling house—we can take our time looking. If we grow bored, I’ll play a few rounds for you to watch. How about that?”

“This…” Taohua was quite hesitant, but Prince Jing paid no heed, simply taking her hand and pulling her towards the next gaming table.

Shen Zaiye sat quietly on the second floor, sipping tea, watching Prince Jing lead Jiang Taohua as they flitted among the gambling tables downstairs. He let out a cold snort.

The hours of the Rat, Ox, and Tiger passed, and the atmosphere in Da Xi Gambling House grew heated. The crowd gathered to watch the prince gamble, and Prince Jing seemed to have forgotten his appointment with Prince Yu, focusing solely on splurging thousands for the sake of a beauty.

However, at the final table, he could no longer continue.

“You’re cheating!” Slamming the table, Mu Wuyin roared, “It’s impossible for me to keep losing!”

The dealer looked at him calmly and said, “Winning and losing are fated. One who gambles must accept the outcome. Our Da Xi Gambling House has been a century-old establishment, and we never cheat. Since our honored guest is willing to gamble, he must not be a sore loser!”

Cold sweat poured down Mu Wuyin’s back. He didn’t want to be a sore loser either, but the bet had unknowingly grown to two hundred thousand taels. With such a loss, even his Jing Prince’s manor couldn’t come up with that much money in a short time!