"Pfft..."
On a street corner in the bustling city of Youzhou, a woman in black with a wide-brimmed bamboo hat couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Zhou Fugui and his companions rake in money with glee. The black veil hanging from the brim of her hat obscured her face, making it impossible to discern her features.
"Hmph, swindling and deceit, it's just a scam," she said, then realizing her words might be amiss, she quickly composed herself and said seriously.
"Aunt Murong, these lowly wretches, in broad daylight, employing such vulgar tactics to cheat the common folk of their wealth. Shall I have them apprehended and punished?" asked a burly subordinate of Aunt Murong.
"Vulgar tactics?" Aunt Murong mused. "He's merely exploiting people's greed. I don't consider it vulgar; rather, I find it quite clever. No need to bother with them. Ah, Dun'awqi, according to Han customs, even condemned prisoners are given a last meal before execution. Let them be."
"You are benevolent, Aunt. Dun'awqi obeys," replied the leader of the guards, named Dun'awqi, with a nod.
"Any news from the palace?" Aunt Murong asked after watching for a while longer, preparing to leave. She mounted her horse and inquired.
Dun'awqi shook his head.
Aunt Murong's brows furrowed beneath her veil, a look of great worry and extreme distaste directed at the direction of the Great Yan imperial palace. Then, she spurred her horse and rode away.
"Alright, alright. All good things must come to an end. We'll stop here for today. Gentlemen, please come back early tomorrow!" As Aunt Murong and her group quietly departed, Zhou Fugui and his companions also decided to pack up.
Zhou Fugui and his companions had held "Bai Piao" three times and made a fortune. They were planning to close shop for the day. Whether they would set up again tomorrow depended on how they enjoyed themselves tonight.
As for the bettors, most had lost their shirts, with only a handful becoming rich and cheering as they ran around excitedly.
"Wait!" Just as Zhou Fugui and his group were packing up, a young gentleman dressed in luxurious attire, surrounded by several household servants, emerged from the crowd and addressed Zhou Fugui.
"Hmm? Does the young master have any advice for me?" This young gentleman was Han Chinese in appearance, which evoked a slight sense of goodwill in Zhou Fugui, who cupped his hands and asked.
"May this young master also try his luck?" the young gentleman asked arrogantly, without returning the greeting.
"As I've said, we're done for today. If you wish to try your luck, please come back early tomorrow." The young gentleman's arrogant demeanor completely extinguished the goodwill Zhou Fugui had felt, so he straightened his chest and replied.
"You lowly scoundrel, my young master wishes to amuse himself today, and you dare refuse?" Before the young gentleman could speak, one of the servants rebuked Zhou Fugui.
"May I ask who your young master is?" Zhou Fugui asked, frowning.
Zhou Fugui was new to the world and not yet fully established, or rather, he hadn't grown any wings at all. Therefore, he didn't want to provoke the powerful and had always exercised restraint, speaking politely.
"My young master is from the Tang family of Bohai Xiande," replied one of the servants proudly.
The onlookers who had gathered to watch erupted in a murmur upon hearing this.
The Tang family of Bohai Xiande was a prominent clan, residing in Bohai for generations. They were a Han Chinese family from Bohai. However, Xia had lost its northeastern territories long ago, and the Han families residing in Bohai had continuously intermarried with foreign tribes. As a result, the Han families of Bohai were no longer purely Han. Therefore, their sense of belonging to the Han identity was not strong.
While the Han families of Bohai no longer considered themselves purely Han, some among them still admired Han culture and enjoyed reading Han classics, such as the Tang family of Bohai Xiande.
Yan rose from the north, and the Tang family pledged allegiance to Yan. Because many members of their family were fluent in languages such as Chinese and Xianbei, many served as interpreters for the Yan army and held official positions in the Yan court. Thus, the Tang family became a noble household of the Great Yan.
"Oh, if that's the case, how does Young Master Tang wish to try his luck?" Zhou Fugui had no idea what the Tang family of Bohai Xiande was, but given their imposing demeanor, he surmised they were not to be trifled with. So, Zhou Fugui nodded.
'If you wish to lose money, why should I stop you?' Zhou Fugui thought to himself with a chuckle.
"Clink!" Young Master Tang threw a large ingot of gold and said, "Two copper coins for five thousand coins. With this gold ingot, how much money can this young master win?"
Before the founding of the Great Yan, it was a nomadic tribe of the north. In their daily transactions, they rarely used currency; it was primarily barter. After the establishment of Yan, they largely adopted the currency of Xia, copper coins, as their circulating medium. However, there were changes. For example, gold and silver, while not currency in Xia, were considered luxuries. In Yan, however, they could circulate as currency.
"How much is it worth?" Zhou Fugui certainly knew that gold was valuable, but being new to the area, he was unaware of the value of gold in Yan. He turned and asked.
A group of his fellow villagers shook their heads in unison, like a cluster of rattle drums swaying.
They were all poor villagers, barely seeing copper coins, let alone gold or silver. Having never seen them, how could they know the value of gold?
In fact, only the blacksmith, Yi Jisheng, had some experience with the world. So, Yi Jisheng said to Zhou Fugui, "All the money we have combined isn't enough to cover the potential losses."
Zhou Fugui gave Yi Jisheng a sidelong glance.
This outcome was unexpected. What losses were they talking about? Besides, one should never reveal their hand under any circumstances.
"Young Master Tang, have you heard? We are simple folk from the countryside, just trying to make a living. We dare not gamble with you." It's better to avoid trouble. What's in our bellies is our own, Zhou Fugui said to Young Master Tang.
Zhou Fugui's words carried a double meaning, but while Young Master Tang was arrogant, he was also careless. Not only did he fail to grasp the meaning of Zhou Fugui's words, but he generously said, "Whatever you have, just tell me. Do you dare to gamble?"
"Why wouldn't I dare? Young master, please proceed!" Zhou Fugui said, then gave Xu Mancang and the others a signal.
Since Young Master Tang was so oblivious, insisting on forcing the gold ingot into his pocket, Zhou Fugui saw no reason to refuse.
Zhou Fugui always had a contingency plan. There was another world within the jar, and by hiding one number, all possibilities were eliminated.
The outcome, as one might expect, was that Young Master Tang gambled three times without winning the grand prize. Even though Young Master Tang came from a well-to-do family, he lost so much that his face turned ashen, and he broke out in a sweat.
Having made another fortune, Zhou Fugui and his companions were naturally overjoyed and quite smug.
"Does the young master wish to continue?" Although Young Master Tang was arrogant, he was also a good sport who could accept his losses. He didn't resort to demanding his money back or causing trouble. This earned him some goodwill from Zhou Fugui, who asked, "It's getting late, and we need to rest."
The gold ingots brought by Young Master Tang had all been lost, so he could only shake his head.
"Hold on!"
It seemed Zhou Fugui and his companions were destined for trouble today. Just then, someone else stepped forward and said.
"What are you doing here?" asked Young Master Tang, seeing that the newcomer was his second brother.
"Elder brother, you've fallen into a trap. May I speak?"
Young Master Tang's name was Tang Mingyuan, born to his primary wife, thus the legitimate son of the Tang family. The newcomer was named Tang Yao, born to a concubine, thus an illegitimate son. Therefore, Tang Yao, while perhaps overbearing outside, dared not be presumptuous before Tang Mingyuan, and bowed respectfully.
"Fallen into what trap? And what business is it of yours?" Tang Mingyuan asked, frowning.
The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate sons often made brothers like sworn enemies. Tang Mingyuan knew Tang Yao harbored ill intentions, but he was unsure of his exact purpose.
"Elder brother, there is more to the jar than meets the eye!" Tang Yao said with a smile, pointing at the large jar filled with numbers.
"Oh my, Second Young Master Tang? Am I addressing you correctly?" Tang Yao had exposed Zhou Fugui's secret, causing Zhou Fugui to panic. He quickly said, "One can eat whatever they want, but they can't speak carelessly. 'There is more to the jar than meets the eye'? What do you mean? Gambling involves wins and losses, and it was like this just now."
"Few win, and many lose. It's akin to robbery, wouldn't you agree?" Tang Yao said with a slight smile.
"What... what robbery? Second Young Master Tang, as a young master of a prominent family, you mustn't speak carelessly..." Zhou Fugui had indeed underestimated the people of this world. Being exposed on the spot, he panicked and repeatedly instructed his companions, "It's getting late, brothers. Let's pack up and head home."
The companions readily agreed and fled the scene with Zhou Fugui as if in a hurry.
Tang Yao wanted to say something more or do something, but after a moment's thought, he let Zhou Fugui and his group go.
"Tang Yao, gambling is about betting a small amount for a large return. Wins and losses are perfectly normal. What 'trap'? Nonsense! I think you're deliberately trying to embarrass me in front of everyone?" After Tang Yao's words, Tang Mingyuan also felt that something was amiss, but he stubbornly refused to admit it.
This is you betting a large amount for a small return. You've been conned out of three gold ingots and you don't even know it, Tang Yao thought to himself with a chuckle.
Tang Yao shook his head and remained silent.
That fellow is quite capable. A scam like "Bai Piao," which involves no capital, is a clever trick, Tang Yao mused to himself.
...
"We're rich, we're rich! Brother Fugui, you truly are a capable man!"
"Who says not? I'll never misjudge someone. Following Brother Fugui from now on, we're bound to live a prosperous life."
"Brothers, how about we go to Chunyue Tower tonight?"
"You think you can show off just because you have a few coins in your pocket? When we get to Chunyue Tower, let Brother Fugui pick first. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will face my fists!"
"Brother Li is right! It should be so!"
Zhou Fugui and his companions had made a fortune, and everyone was incredibly excited. Along the way, they showered Zhou Fugui with praise, making him sound like a celestial being.
"Haha, well said, well said," Zhou Fugui said smugly. "Chunyue Tower? What is that?"
"Good boy, you still dare to go to Chunyue Tower? Come with me to see the officials," Zhou Fugui's words were cut short as a hand landed on his shoulder, and a voice entered his ear.
"Is that you?" Zhou Fugui turned around and was greatly surprised.