Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 177 Let's Play Another Round
Mo Yunqing raised her chin with satisfaction, her smile almost impossible to hide: "Good, but don't try to back out later."

Yan Mingzhang smiled slightly and said, "Mo Yun, you're going to lose."

Mo Yun's mouth dropped open: "Huh? My lord, don't scare me! This tael of silver has been spent so quickly? My lord, you're not talking nonsense, are you?"

Yan Mingzhang shook his head and pointed to the boy in white, saying, "Look, when the fortune teller asked the boy in black, he was almost completely relaxed. Only when he mentioned the seventh box did he lean back slightly, but didn't his reaction seem too quick? It looked like he was deliberately acting; he might not even know what was in each box. On the other hand, the boy in white stared intently at the fortune teller's movements the whole time. When the fortune teller asked about the fifth box, the boy in white's eyes widened slightly, and his whole body stiffened. He felt the fortune teller wasn't paying attention to him, so he didn't even try to hide his reaction. Therefore, his reaction was particularly obvious. The real treasure of the shop should be..."

“It’s obvious that the real prized possession is in the fifth box.” Yan Mingzhang’s eyes were still fixed on the stage, his tone very confident.

Rong Wanyin and the other two exchanged bewildered glances. A clear reaction? Where was it obvious? Are you kidding me?! These ten boxes are clearly identical, how did he know?

Sometimes, I really don't understand adults' thought processes. But ironically, adults are always right. So, even though Rong Wanyin and the other two were shocked, they still believed it.

“If the boy in black was completely unaware of the situation, then that makes sense… So the boy in white was just deliberately misleading him when he said that the fortune teller could ask the boy in black.” Changfeng said with a smile, resting his chin on his hand.

Rong Wanyin nodded in agreement and said, "Perhaps it's because the white-robed boy was in charge of all these things, while the black-robed boy was only responsible for maintaining order on stage. Therefore, even the black-robed boy himself might not know what's in the fifth and seventh boxes. Of course, it could also be intentional, with the black-robed boy deliberately implying that the seventh box is the shop's prized possession. That's why his reaction was different when the fortune teller asked him about the seventh box."

“Yes, that’s right.” Yan Mingzhang nodded with a smile, looking at Rong Wanyin with tender eyes. She was a promising student.

Rong Wanyin sighed regretfully, "It's a pity that even now, knowing it's the fifth box is useless. He'll add another box later, and then the servants will run around in a panic, messing up the order, and everything will be for nothing."

Yan Mingzhang's gaze never left the stage as he smiled and said, "Oh? That's not necessarily true."

"A kingfisher feather and pearl phoenix crown, worth three thousand five hundred taels of silver," the servant's voice rang out.

The seventh box was opened, revealing an exquisite kingfisher feather and pearl phoenix crown. Its craftsmanship was unparalleled, and it shone brightly the moment the box was opened. However, this kingfisher feather and pearl phoenix crown was worth no more than five thousand taels of silver; clearly, it was not the centerpiece of the event!

The adults were right; the fortune teller was actually wrong!

The fortune teller took a step back in shock, his eyes wide, shaking his head repeatedly, muttering incredulously, "Impossible, impossible, I couldn't have been wrong! Impossible..."

Suddenly, he took a few steps back, his legs went weak, and he slumped onto the stage. A wave of pain surged in his chest, and he tasted a metallic flavor in his mouth. He then coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Ah!" Someone in the audience screamed, but the attendants and two boys on the stage remained calm, probably used to such scenes.

Several well-trained servants quickly helped the person down and cleaned the stage.

"Is it really worth losing 1,500 taels?" Changfeng shook his head and asked, puzzled.

“Of course it’s necessary…” Mo Yun clutched the clothes on his chest with one hand, while in the other he held tightly to his one or two taels of silver. The thought of losing to Chang Feng made his heart ache.

Rong Wanyin shook her head: "It's not just about losing 1,500 taels of silver, but also about ruining the reputation of this 'fortune teller.' Who will want to consult him for fortune telling in the future!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Distinguished guests, there was a slight mishap just now. Is there anyone else willing to step forward and give it a try?" The boy in white stepped forward and stood in the center of the stage.

"I'll do it!" Yan Mingzhang stood up briskly and walked towards the stage. The crowd whispered among themselves, "Young people really do have a strong gambling spirit!"

"Yeah, it's such a rip-off, and you still dare to try it."

Yan Mingzhang handed over the silver note and then walked to the first wooden box. At this time, there were now ten wooden boxes, and their order had been shuffled.

"Young master, do you have any questions?" The boy in white noticed that Yan Mingzhang only lingered briefly at each of the wooden boxes, his steps firm, and he became somewhat curious.

Yan Mingzhang waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary, and then looked at the wooden boxes. When he got to the sixth one, he stopped.

“The most precious item is in the sixth box,” Yan Mingzhang said confidently.

"No way? You're not going to watch the rest?"

"yes……"

"That's too reckless..."

Everyone was in an uproar and talking about it.

The boy in white was also somewhat surprised: "Young master, are you really not going to look anymore?"

"I'm not looking anymore, this is it!" Yan Mingzhang said without wavering.

"Do you know what's inside?" the boy in white asked tentatively.

“I know, it’s a bowl with a gold and gemstone inlay around the rim.” Yan Mingzhang’s eyes were clear as water. “It’s the old beggar’s dirty bowl.”

The boy in white beamed with excitement: "Open the box! Open the box quickly!"

The wooden box was opened, and inside was indeed the old beggar's dirty bowl!
"A bowl inlaid with gold and gemstones, worth 100,000 taels of silver!"

"Wow!!" everyone exclaimed.

The boy in white stared intently at Yan Mingzhang, repeatedly exclaiming in amazement. Forgetting all politeness, he asked directly, "How did you know?"

“Each box has a different wood grain, isn’t it easy to tell them apart? You just need to have eyes to tell…” Yan Mingzhang was a little puzzled. Wasn’t this a very simple thing?
Rong Wanyin and the other two facepalmed, wishing they could disappear into a crack in the ground. They understood that for adults, these boxes were as simple as ordinary people looking at boxes of different colors—finding a red box among a pile of red, orange, yellow, and green boxes.

But you shouldn't say things like that in public! People who don't know the situation will think you're faking it! You might get beaten up!
The boy in white seemed to suddenly become interested: "So, you know what's inside the remaining nine boxes?"

“Yes.” Yan Mingzhang nodded.

“Alright, tell me what’s inside each of them!” The boy in white was eager to try.

"No," Yan Mingzhang refused.