Qing Yao

Chapter 476 The Betting Chart of Officials

People who are fond of gambling have one thing in common: they are bold.

As the old saying goes, being bold is worse than getting into Tsinghua or Peking University!

If you're bold enough, even Sadako can take maternity leave.

The gambling table is where you can truly see a person's character. After a few days of getting to know him, Zhao An was certain that even if Yongxuan didn't dare to participate, he would never expose him.

Why are you so sure?

It's just based on considerations of human nature.

Thirteen years ago, Yongxuan was granted the title of Prince of the Second Rank, but he was never promoted again. Instead, his two younger brothers surpassed him and were each granted the title of Prince of the First Rank. In addition, the old master's dislike for Yongxuan meant that he had no chance of becoming the crown prince.

The long-term suppression of feelings of not being recognized led Yongxuan to give up on herself and become addicted to alcohol, women, and gambling. However, this does not mean that Yongxuan did not want to prove her own worth or seek compensation.

Giving up on oneself is itself a form of resistance, a silent protest against the injustice of fate.

So, where will the compensation come from?

The throne is out of the question, and the old master will no longer give Yongxuan money, so he will have to earn it himself.

What business in this world could be more profitable than running the number one casino in the world?
The money to bet on who will be the crown prince is no less than the money to bet on who will be the World Cup champion.

In later generations, that would be a business worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Zhao An wasn't worried that Yongxuan would expose him. First of all, this matter was currently baseless, with no evidence of any illegal or criminal activity. Yongxuan couldn't possibly confess to his father, the Emperor, that he had won 170,000 taels from the Governor of Anhui.

Even if Yongxuan were stupid, he wouldn't do that, because the consequences of doing so would be far more troublesome than gambling with his brothers!
How did a high-ranking official get involved with a disillusioned prince like you, and how did he end up losing 170,000 taels of silver to you?

Was the money lost, or was it given for some ulterior motive?
What do you, a disillusioned prince, intend to do with this 170,000 taels of silver?
Adding white to the king's name is not enough!

A disillusioned prince, filled with resentment and yearning to break free from his predicament, and a powerful regional official with military authority are secretly plotting something, which the old master sees as the most dangerous thing.

Yongxuan couldn't possibly be without that brain.

Therefore, the 170,000 taels of silver was less a loss to Yongxuan and more a hush money payment from Zhao An.

Yongxuan refused to do it, treating it as if she had really lost that much money.

Even if the deal falls through, the friendship remains.

Cheer up! Even a prince with a foot ailment can become emperor!
If Yongxuan were to participate in the scheme, then the 170,000 taels of silver would be considered as capital given to him by Zhao An.

We don't need you, Prince Yi, to contribute a single penny; all we need is for you, Prince Yi, to endorse this earth-shattering gamble.

Or rather, a guarantee.

On Yongxuan's side, even though he was a prince, he was shocked by Zhao An's earth-shattering bet. He couldn't hold the mutton-fat jade seed between his fingers and it fell to the table with a "thud" and rolled a few times before coming to rest among a pile of scattered dominoes.

There were no gambling den staff inside.

"Zhao Youlu, do you know what you're saying? Gambling with the Crown Prince? How many heads do you have to chop off!" Yongxuan stared intently at Zhao An sitting opposite him, his heart pounding. He never imagined that the "political" rising star promoted by the Emperor would have such an audacious mind.

Zhao An remained calm and smiled as he said, "This servant is naturally aware of the risks involved, but this servant also knows that there are countless people in the capital who are privately discussing this matter. In teahouses and taverns, in the inner courtyards of mansions, there are countless people with their own schemes. Since that is the case, why can't we set up a scheme to put these people's desires, true and false speculations on the table in the form of real money?"

Yongxuan didn't speak, but slowly sat down.

"Your Highness, think about it carefully. Throughout history, has there ever been any law that forbids betting on the succession to the Crown Prince? To put it bluntly, this is a gamble where if the people don't report it, the officials won't investigate. Everyone bets behind closed doors based on their own information, observation, and courage. The winner takes all, the loser pays out, and the money passes through cleanly and efficiently."

At this point, Zhao An changed the subject, "Your Highness doesn't need to worry about any risks at all. Forgive my bluntness, but who among those who dare to place such a bet would dare to tell anyone about it?"

Upon hearing this, Yongxuan's heart stirred: Yes, if those who run gambling are afraid, then aren't those who participate in gambling also afraid?
If both sides are afraid of being found out, then no one will know.

As soon as the thought arose, the fear I had felt earlier miraculously subsided, replaced by a restless excitement.

The risks are significant, but they do not seem to be uncontrollable.

Seeing this, Zhao An further tempted him, "Your Highness, think about it, how many people in the capital, from the officials of the Six Ministries to the Eight Banners, aren't thinking about this? Our scheme is to turn their thoughts into real bargaining chips. And what these people are betting is not just money, but their hearts and their future!"

"What do you mean?"

Yongxuan seemed a little confused.

"Your Highness, if we know that a certain minister bet on Prince Cheng, a certain commander bet on Prince Jia, and a certain minister bet on Prince Ding, but there can only be one crown prince, then in the future, could Your Highness use these people who bet wrong to make trouble for you? At the very least, these handles could allow Your Highness to live a carefree life."

As he spoke, Zhao An casually pulled out two dominoes.

Red six dots, white six dots, Heaven card.

Yongxuan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. Things that he might not be able to find out the truth even if he spent a fortune on ordinary days, were now being delivered to his door by this betting game!

Whoever succeeds to the throne in the future, with the intelligence he possesses, Yongxuan can either present his achievements to the new emperor or use it to control those officials and make them work for him.

As long as Yongxuan doesn't have any other ideas, he can definitely live a carefree and happy life as a prince based solely on this "Bet Chart of Officials".

Temptation grew wildly in Yongxuan's heart like vines. After a long while, she said in a deep voice, "How do you plan to run this estate?"

Zhao An felt certain that the most difficult first hurdle had been overcome.

He then elaborated on his plan, which involved operating privately through a trusted gambling den, with single-betting and payouts conducted through multiple, secretive intermediaries; the betting contracts would use bearer certificates, mimicking the form and markings of salt and tea certificates, making it difficult for outsiders to trace their origin.

The odds are dynamically adjusted based on scattered news from within the palace, subtle changes in the emperor's attitude towards the popular candidates, and the covert power struggles among various factions in the court, using actuarial models to ensure that the bookmakers make a steady profit in the long run.

Zhao An thus adopted a set of betting rules from later generations.

After hearing the entire plan, Yongxuan couldn't help but think of one person. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "The gambling operation you mentioned is ingenious and complex, unlike ordinary gambling houses. Only a true expert can handle it properly. I do have someone here who can help, but I'm not very confident that I can persuade him to join the game."

After saying that, he picked up the mutton-fat jade seed and placed it in front of Zhao An. "Tomorrow, take this token to Tinghe Pavilion by Jishuitan. I will introduce you to this person. If he is willing to participate in this matter, I will play a big game with you, Lord Zhao."

(End of this chapter)