jdhmnovel Chapter 86 Young Master Gu, it's been a long time
Chapter 86 Young Master Gu, it's been a long time
The gentle morning light caressed the treetops, and a light breeze ushered in a new day. The bustling streets were filled with the sounds of people coming and going.
Zuixianglou is located on Dousu Street, a bustling commercial area in the eastern part of the capital. Today, the shop is even more lively than yesterday. As soon as the waiter opened the door early in the morning, he was surrounded by enthusiastic people.
If it weren't for the waiter's quick thinking and loud announcement that "the person hasn't arrived yet," they would probably have been swallowed up by the crowd immediately.
The onlookers already knew the rules from yesterday; if they couldn't solve the puzzle, they couldn't go upstairs and therefore had no chance to participate.
But they were really curious about who would win the whole chest of silver on the second floor.
That's ten thousand taels of pure silver!
Yesterday, the woman displayed herself so openly before them that it was an eye-opener for many of them who had never seen so much money in their lives.
If it weren't for the ten burly men who escorted the silver yesterday, who were clearly not to be trifled with, some scoundrels might have had wicked ideas and tried to cause trouble to steal the silver.
Just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), two burly men stood guard at the entrance to the stairwell leading to the second floor.
Behind the burly man hung a painting depicting a group of men and women catching rabbits.
There was a note written next to the painting:
A hundred rabbits roamed freely into the camp.
Many men and women fight and contend.
It's difficult for one person to take them all.
The four and three finally managed to stop.
People come and go, making a ruckus wherever they please.
Each of them caught one and headed home.
If a wise and capable person can make a clear calculation,
Many families have their own opinions on this matter.
Today is the same as yesterday: whoever can solve the riddle in the painting can go upstairs and win ten thousand taels of silver.
By the time of Si Shi (9-11 AM), the main hall of Zui Xiang Lou was packed. Guests who hadn't yet gone upstairs were muttering to themselves while looking at the painting, trying to figure out the answers to the riddles in their minds.
Just as everyone was solving the puzzle, eight people carrying a luxurious sedan chair inlaid with gold and jewels and made of the finest wood stopped at the foot of Zuixiang Tower.
The crowd of onlookers at the entrance of Zuixianglou were driven away by the guards following the sedan chair.
A maid dressed in gorgeous clothes gently lifted the sedan chair curtain, and everyone could see that the master of these arrogant guards was a beautiful young woman.
The young woman was dressed in a luxurious brocade robe, her hair adorned with phoenix hairpins, her eyes sparkling with delight.
Upon seeing that she was a beautiful woman, the anger of those who had been driven away dissipated considerably. They whispered among themselves, speculating about the young woman's identity.
The young woman, with her delicate hand resting on the maid's small arm, stepped out of the sedan chair.
As she stepped out of the sedan chair, a handsome man with an elegant demeanor and refined, orchid-like fragrance followed her out.
The young woman was already a rare beauty, but the man who followed her out of the sedan chair was even more handsome than her.
The surrounding crowd was momentarily unsure whether to envy the man's good fortune or the young woman who had a lover by her side.
Some recognized the man and whispered his identity to their companions...
"Prince Rui's Heir Apparent"
The guards pushed aside the customers in the shop, allowing the two masters to walk smoothly to the riddle painting.
Glancing at the riddle in the painting, Prince Rui's heir, Gu Mingfeng, complained with a displeased expression:
"I told you to get up earlier. If you hadn't delayed leaving until Chen Shi (7-9 AM), you wouldn't be crammed together with these mediocre people now."
"Mind your own business! Please get this straight, I'm your aunt, where's your sense of etiquette as a junior?"
If her husband hadn't had to go to the Ministry of Rites for his shift, Princess Yongle wouldn't have dragged her nephew, who was always vying for her favor, along to join in the fun.
“If you weren’t my aunt, do you think I’d keep you company? We’re not short of money. To me, this is clearly a gimmick set up by this shop to scam people like you who love a good spectacle. There are all sorts of tricks in the world of gambling, and I’ve seen plenty during my travels. Let me show you what’s really going on.” Gu Mingfeng was very disdainful of this so-called “Peerless Hero” gambling game. He believed it was just a publicity stunt by people trying to gain fame.
"Instead of wasting time talking big, you should solve the problem first." Princess Yongle was also very curious about the intentions of the person behind this.
She, who enjoys playing mahjong, was even more curious about whether this person could truly achieve a winning hand within three rounds every time, earning the title of "Peerless Hero".
Gu Mingfeng's lips twitched; he hated the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art the most. But for a nobleman like him, there was no need for him to personally handle such trivial matters.
He turned his head and glanced at Qin's advisor behind him. The advisor immediately leaned closer to examine the painting closely.
After a while, Qin's advisor, who had figured out the answer, leaned close to Gu Mingfeng's ear and whispered the answer.
Gu Mingfeng walked up to Princess Yongle, preparing to tell her the answer, and the two went upstairs together.
A series of thumping sounds came from downstairs, and a young man, his face flushed, ran down the stairs angrily.
When he saw a row of armed guards downstairs, he was startled.
But he quickly recognized Gu Mingfeng, forced himself to bow, and ran out without saying a word.
A short while later, an elderly man stroking his beard in deep thought and a young man with an honest-looking face came down from upstairs.
As soon as the two went downstairs, someone in the lobby glanced cautiously at Gu Mingfeng and his companion before stepping forward to greet them.
"Old Zheng, is that woman upstairs really that powerful?"
"Was that Ye Yunzhou, the third-ranked scholar in this year's imperial examination, who just ran out? I heard that he has a photographic memory since childhood and is most skilled in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. What happened to him?" another person asked curiously.
Old Zheng stroked his beard and replied calmly:
“It’s normal for a young person to feel resentful when they encounter setbacks. As long as he can get over it, he will surely achieve great things in the future. Wen Yuan, do you remember the order in which all the cards were played at the card table just now? Come over and let’s review it together.”
The honest young man nodded, hummed in agreement, and then asked the shopkeeper for paper and pen.
Gu Mingfeng, who was going upstairs, noticed this little incident and was somewhat surprised.
He recognized the old man; he was Zheng Hui, the former Minister of Revenue, a renowned mathematician of the time. The honest-looking young man beside him was probably one of his students.
Unexpectedly, the gambling at Zuixianglou attracted these people who were skilled in arithmetic.
Could it be that the other party wasn't a con artist, but instead won against everyone through arithmetic?
How is it possible to win with only Thirteen Orphans within three rounds?
Even the most skilled mahjong player will find it difficult to win within three rounds, and Thirteen Orphans is the most difficult combination to win with.
Concealing his surprise, Gu Mingfeng calmly handed the written answer to the two burly men.
The burly man glanced at the answer "seventy-five," nodded, and let the three of them go upstairs.
A group of people were gathered at the entrance of the largest private room on the second floor. When they saw the newcomers coming up, they glanced at them and then looked back at the private room with its doors and windows wide open.
The private room is very large and can fit three large tables for ten people each.
However, the exquisite decorations that had previously adorned the private room had clearly been removed. The empty room now only had a small square table in the center, around which four people were sitting.
A pretty woman dressed in a plain-colored long dress sat on the upper left. Behind her, on a sandalwood scroll table, was a large box filled with ingots of silver, each worth fifty taels.
To the woman's left sat a serene Taoist nun, and to her right sat a boy with his hair in a topknot. Opposite her sat a young man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a resolute face.
The other three remained expressionless, while the boy's expression shifted between beaming and frowning.
As soon as Gu Mingfeng and his companions went upstairs, a quick-witted male servant led them to a private room next door to rest for the time being, and explained the rules to them again:
Anyone who answers the question downstairs correctly can come up and participate in the gambling game.
In Mahjong, the winner is determined by three rounds. If the female dealer fails to complete a Thirteen Orphans hand within three rounds, or if someone else completes a Thirteen Orphans hand before the female dealer within three rounds, the female dealer loses. The winnings of the final round or the person who completed a Thirteen Orphans hand before the female dealer take the winnings.
Conversely, if the woman wins a Thirteen Orphans hand within three rounds, the other three players at the table lose.
There is no penalty for losing, but the loser will not have the chance to sit at the table again.
"Is it really true that no one has ever won? This person spends so much money but doesn't want anything in return. It's really strange," Princess Yongle asked curiously.
"Madam is joking. If someone had won, the silver would have been taken long ago. Please wait a moment, Madam. Our young lady wins very quickly," the male servant said with some pride.
Yesterday, most of the players won in one round, but today, only the group of players who were ranked third just now allowed the players to win in the second round.
But it's strange, why hasn't this game ended yet?
"A peerless hero!"
Fei Xi pushed the cards over and breathed a sigh of relief.
The boy to her right was incredibly lucky, while the Taoist nun to her left was constantly working together with the top scholar opposite her.
And this top scholar was indeed meticulous, actually wanting to gather thirteen oracles to suppress her.
Yu Heng remained silent for a moment. If the boy with his left hand hadn't been hitting him so randomly, he would have almost won... But a loss is a loss. He looked up at the woman in front of him seriously, his resolute face calm as he said:
"I lost."
After saying this, he stood up and left the card table without looking back. The Taoist nun reluctantly flipped over the cards behind her a few times, paused for a moment after seeing them clearly, then gave a farewell bow and left the room as well.
Only the young boy walked dejectedly to Fei Xi and complained:
"Good sister, can't you let me win? If it weren't for me, that brother might have won against you."
Fei Xi chuckled and pinched the boy's cheek.
"The first lesson a man learns is to accept defeat. Don't be angry, let me treat you to some pastries."
Upon hearing that he could get a plate of pastries, the boy disregarded whether he was a man or not, his face immediately lit up, and he happily pointed to the special pastries that were only available at Zuixianglou.
Fei Xi naturally wouldn't bother arguing with a child over this. After instructing the waiter, she took a sip of tea and asked someone to bring over the next table of opponents.
Gu Mingfeng entered the room, led by a male servant.
Upon entering and recognizing the people at the card table, he froze on the spot.
Seeing the young woman already seated, Fei Xi felt relieved and greeted her with a smile.
"Young Master Gu, it's been a long time!"