I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

The Baoshunhao gambling den in the south of the city is hidden deep in several alleys.

The alley was narrow, with clotheslines crisscrossing overhead, hanging half-dry coarse cloth clothes that swayed slowly in the afternoon breeze.

Gao Qiu led six men, who then strolled into the alley in different directions.

He changed into a worn-out indigo robe, tied his hair casually with a strip of cloth, and smeared some ash on his face, looking like a slightly wealthy but somewhat disheartened idler from the streets.

The six guards from the Prince's Palace following behind him were also in plain clothes, blending into the crowd and inconspicuous.

At a tea stall about ten feet away from Baoshun, Gao Qiu stopped, bought a bowl of the cheapest coarse tea, sat down on a bench, and casually glanced at the entrance of the gambling house.

Most of the people coming in and out of the gambling den were sallow-faced men with cloudy eyes, and there were also a few timid, looking-around impoverished people.

"Zhou Ning, Liu Gui," Gao Qiu said in a low voice to the two guards sitting beside him, taking a sip of bitter tea.

"See that narrow alley behind? The back door of the gambling den should be there. You two go over there and pretend to be laborers resting and waiting for work. Be smart."

If anyone comes out, especially if they are carrying a bundle and look flustered, be sure to stop them. If anyone tries to force their way in," he paused, "first knock them down, don't make a big commotion."

"Understood." The two burly men nodded, put down their teacups, and swayed leisurely toward the back alley.

"Wang Sheng," Gao Qiu said to another dark-skinned man, "you sit here and drink tea, keep your eyes glued to the front door. If you see a large group of officials coming this way, go straight into the gambling den and come with me to arrest the people."

"Yes, Brother Gao," Wang Sheng replied in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the front door of the gambling den like hooks.

"Sun Xi, walk around this gambling den, look in every nook and cranny, for any dog ​​holes, low walls, or other places where a person could crawl," Gao Qiu instructed the youngest and most clever guard.

Sun Xi nodded, got up, stretched, and walked away as if taking a leisurely stroll.

"You two come in with me," Gao Qiu said, turning to the remaining two. "Remember, we're here to gamble. We're unlucky, short-tempered, and just ordinary gamblers. Once inside, follow my lead."

"yes!"

After making the arrangements, Gao Qiu slapped a few coins on the table, dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes, and his relaxed expression vanished.

He led the two of them toward the half-closed door of Baoshunhao.

……

Lifting the heavy, coarse cloth curtain, a wave of hot, stale air, a mixture of sweat, foot odor, tobacco smell, and the sour stench of vomit, hits you, almost suffocating you.

The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a few oil lamps emitting black smoke, and the windows were covered with thick cloth.

A few dilapidated tables were crowded with people, their faces red and necks thick, their eyes fixed on the dice cups and dominoes on the tables, some shouting "Big! Big!", some muttering prayers, and some cursing after losing all their money.

The dealer shouted weakly, but his actions of collecting and paying money were swift.

Gao Qiu squinted, adjusted his eyes to the light, and quickly scanned the entire room with his gaze.

The counter was against the back wall, where a middle-aged man with fair skin and a slightly plump build, dressed in a silk shirt, stood. He slowly turned a brass abacus in his hand, but his eyes, like those of a hawk, would occasionally rise up and sharply scan each gambling table, especially those gamblers who were desperate to win.

This is the Manager Wang that Yang San mentioned.

There was a small door to the left of the counter, with a dirty blue curtain hanging on it. Occasionally, shop assistants or thugs would go in and out. You could vaguely hear coughing and whispering coming from inside, which was probably the accounting office or the rest room.

Next to the small door, there were some broken tables and chairs, empty wine jars, and tattered sacks piled up, like a corner of clutter, where the light was the darkest.

Gao Qiu understood the situation.

He squeezed to a dice table, pulled out a few dozen copper coins, and randomly placed a bet on "small". The dice cup was opened, revealing four, five, and six – big.

He deliberately clicked his tongue, looking gloomy, then pulled out some more money, muttering "This is weird," and continued betting.

After losing several rounds in a row, his frustration became more obvious. He cursed and swore, looking every bit like a gambler who had lost desperately, which drew the attention of several gamblers nearby. But he quickly became absorbed in his wins and losses again.

While acting, Gao Qiu kept an eye on Manager Wang and the corner of the kiosk out of the corner of his eye.

After a while, a waiter came out of the inner room carrying an empty wine jar, casually threw it on the pile of miscellaneous items, and then turned around and went back in to move another jar.

There was no one around the pile of debris for the time being.

Right now.

Gao Qiu, feigning an urgent need to urinate, inquired about the direction of the outhouse, clutched his stomach, and frowned as he walked towards the small passageway next to the counter that led to the outhouse and the back door.

As he passed the corner of clutter, his foot seemed to be tripped by a tilted, empty wine jar, and he staggered slightly.

In the blink of an eye, under the cover of their bodies and the noise inside the gambling den.

Gao Qiu's left hand casually reached to his waist, and the jade ruyi, tightly wrapped in dark gray old cloth, slid into the deepest, most hidden crevice among the pile of tattered sacks and empty wine jars.

The entire movement was fluid and seamless, taking only a moment.

Gao Qiu didn't even glance at it again, only cursing "bad luck," before continuing towards the outhouse.

After standing by the stinking outhouse for a while, Gao Qiu returned as if nothing had happened.

He returned to the gambling table, played two more rounds, won a little, and his expression finally "slightly improved".

Gao Qiu hid the gray cloth very well. Although the location was remote, it would surely be discovered if the government officials came and searched carefully.

Gao Qiu composed himself and was about to continue pretending to gamble when Wang Sheng, who was whistling outside, entered the gambling den.

The government officials have arrived.

Almost at the same time that Wang Sheng came in.

Outside the gambling den, a thug who had been keeping watch outside scrambled in, his face filled with panic. He rushed straight to the counter and whispered a few words to Manager Wang.

"Shopkeeper! The authorities! A large contingent of government troops is coming...heading towards our alley!"

Shopkeeper Wang's fingers, which were manipulating the abacus, suddenly froze. The shrewd and composed expression on his face instantly turned deathly pale.

The abacus in his hand fell onto the counter with a clatter, the beads bouncing wildly.

Manager Wang suddenly looked up, his eyes scanning the gambling den in horror, as if searching for something or trying to identify the source of the danger.

The next second, he shoved the thug in front of him aside and shouted something in a low voice to the two thugs by the counter who had been holding their arms and had fierce eyes.

Then he turned around and rushed toward the small door with the curtain hanging on it, his movements so fast that he didn't seem like a pampered shopkeeper at all.

Gotta run!

"Attack! Stop him!" Gao Qiu shouted in a low voice.

He himself was like a cheetah that had been poised for a long time, suddenly leaping out from beside the gambling table and pouncing straight at Manager Wang's back.

The two guards from the Prince's residence beside him, along with Wang Sheng who came in to help, reacted just as quickly.

They launched their attack almost simultaneously with Gao Qiu, rushing towards the two thugs who had just drawn their short swords and hadn't yet completely blocked his path.

Chaos erupted instantly inside the gambling den.

The gamblers were stunned by the sudden turn of events, screaming and scattering in all directions. Tables and chairs were knocked over, and coins and dice rolled all over the floor.

Gao Qiu was incredibly fast. Just as Manager Wang lifted the curtain and stepped inside, Gao Qiu arrived from the side and behind him. His left hand gripped Manager Wang's right shoulder like an iron clamp, while his right hand swiftly locked onto Manager Wang's left arm. With a twist and a press, Manager Wang moved with lightning speed.

"Ouch!" Manager Wang cried out in pain as he was slammed against the earthen wall by the door with great force. His face was painfully rubbed against the rough wall, and his arms were tied behind his back, leaving him unable to move.

"Manager Wang, where are you headed? Why are you in such a hurry?" Gao Qiu's voice rang in his ears.

Almost simultaneously, two short, muffled thuds and cries of pain came from the other side.

Although those thugs were fierce, they were facing well-trained guards from the royal palace, and were far inferior in terms of strength, skill, and teamwork.

In just two exchanges, he was knocked to the ground by the guards, his joints dislocated, and he lay paralyzed like a dead dog, only able to groan.

All of this happened too fast. From the moment Wang Sheng entered the door to the moment Manager Wang was subdued and the thugs were knocked down, it was only a dozen or so breaths.

Most of the gamblers didn't understand what was happening. They rushed towards the door in fear, only to find that the front door had been guarded by two cold-faced men, and shouts and fighting sounds came from the back door.

Zhou Ning and Liu Gui also took down two guys who tried to sneak out the back door.

Just as chaos erupted inside the gambling den, a series of steady, heavy footsteps and a powerful shout came from outside the door.

"Kaifeng Prefecture is handling a case! All bystanders, make way! Kneel down!"

Immediately afterwards, the curtain was suddenly flung open, and squads of constables and constables, armed with fire and water sticks and chained at their waists, filed in, instantly sealing off the gambling den from the inside out.

Leading the group was none other than Judge Wang of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Zhao Mingcheng followed half a step behind him, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene before finally settling on Manager Wang, who was being pinned against the wall by Gao Qiu.

Upon seeing that the government troops had arrived, Gao Qiu immediately released his grip on Manager Wang, but still stood beside him to prevent him from making any sudden moves.

He took a step back, clasped his hands in a salute to Judge Wang and Zhao Mingcheng.

"Gao Qiu of the Prince Duan's Mansion greets Judge Wang and Young Master Zhao."

Zhao Mingcheng pointed at Gao Qiu, then turned to Judge Wang and said.

"Judge Wang, Gao Qiu is a man of our royal household. He came in advance to cooperate with the government and prevent the thieves from escaping."

Judge Wang glanced at Manager Wang, who had been taken over and bound by the officials, then looked at the two thugs who were restrained on the ground. He nodded slightly at Gao Qiu's clean and efficient manner, and then turned to Zhao Mingcheng.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Prince's Mansion."

Zhao Mingcheng cupped his hands in greeting.

"It's alright, as long as the thief didn't get away. Judge Wang, according to the thief Yang San's confession, the stolen goods should be hidden in this gambling den. I request that Judge Wang have someone search carefully and make sure to recover the stolen goods so that he can be convicted."

"That's natural." Judge Wang nodded and turned to give orders to the constables and yamen runners he had brought.

"Everyone, start searching! Search thoroughly! Don't miss any corner! Especially the accounting office, the storeroom, and hidden places!"

The constables responded in unison and immediately dispersed to search.

The gambling den was not large to begin with, and soon, a constable who was rummaging through the pile of miscellaneous items let out a low exclamation.

"Sir! There's something here!"

All eyes turned to them.

The constable laboriously pulled an old cloth bag from deep within a pile of tattered sacks and empty wine jars.

It's the cloth bag that Gao Qiu put there.

The bailiffs presented the cloth bundle to Judge Wang.

Judge Wang personally took the package and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, slowly opened it.

One layer, two layers... When the last layer of cloth was lifted, a flawless white jade ruyi, smooth as cream and clearly carved with auspicious and longevity patterns, was revealed to everyone!

In the dimly lit gambling den, the jade ruyi radiated a soft and noble luster, standing out starkly from the surrounding filth and chaos.

"This is it. This is the white jade 'Fu Shou Ru Yi' (福寿如意) that was stolen from the Prince's mansion," Zhao Mingcheng said at the opportune moment, his tone certain.

Judge Wang picked up the jade ruyi and examined it carefully. Its texture, carving, and size were exactly the same as those described in the police report and by Zhao Mingcheng.

The perpetrators have been caught red-handed; the evidence is irrefutable!

"No! This isn't mine! This is a frame-up! This is a frame-up!" The shopkeeper, Wang, who was tied up like a dumpling and looked ashen-faced, saw the jade ruyi and, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, struggled violently and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Your Honor, please see the truth! I have never seen this before! Someone must have framed me! It was them! They brought it!" He frantically pointed at Gao Qiu and Zhao Mingcheng.

"How dare you! Young Master Zhao is a distinguished guest of the Prince Duan's residence. How dare you criticize him?" Judge Wang's face darkened.

"The stolen goods were found in your gambling den. The evidence is overwhelming, and you still dare to deny it? It seems you won't confess without severe torture! Guards, arrest all the culprits in this gambling den! Seize all the account books and documents, and bring them back to the yamen for detailed interrogation!"

The yamen runners, like wolves and tigers, put all of Wang, the shopkeeper, the accountant, the main thugs, the shop assistants, and more than ten others into shackles and chains.

Other yamen runners carried out several thick account books and some scattered letters and receipts from the inner accounting room.

As he watched the account books being taken away, the last glimmer of light in Manager Wang's eyes went out, leaving only despair.

Soon, the gambling den was sealed with the official seal of Kaifeng Prefecture.

The prisoners were led out of the alley, chained together. The stolen jade ruyi was carefully put away.

The onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves, no one expecting that Baoshun, a place that was usually rife with filth and seemed to have a powerful background, would be uprooted in a single day.

The government officials were preparing to return to the government office.

Before leaving, Zhao Mingcheng walked to Judge Wang's side and whispered.

"Judge Wang, thank you for your trouble this time, but this person..."

He gestured to Manager Wang, who was being held at the front and looked utterly dejected.

"Judging from his demeanor, he doesn't seem to be an ordinary gambling den owner; there's probably something going on behind the scenes. The Prince instructed me to ask him a couple of questions before taking him back to prison, asking if he could do me a favor. Just a moment will do."

Judge Wang stroked his beard and pondered. The criminal had been captured, the stolen goods had been recovered, and the case was now closed.

Selling favors to the Prince Duan's mansion is a win-win situation; it also makes one appear thorough in their work. Why not?

As for what information they find out, that's the Prince's business, and has nothing to do with them.

"Young Master Zhao is so concerned about the case, I admire you." Judge Wang nodded. "For such a ruthless bandit, we may need to use psychological tactics. Please do as you wish, young master. I will have someone wait outside. However... do not delay too long, as we still need to return to the yamen to report."

"Thank you, Judge Wang." Zhao Mingcheng bowed.

Judge Wang gave the order, and the escorting team temporarily halted.

Two constables pulled Manager Wang out of the crowd and led him into a small, empty street-facing shop that had just been sealed off.

The shop was small and covered in dust, with only one small window letting in light.

The yamen runners forced Manager Wang to sit on a bench with a missing leg, then retreated to stand guard outside the door. The door was ajar, allowing them to see inside but not hear the hushed conversations.

Zhao Mingcheng walked in slowly. Gao Qiu subconsciously wanted to follow, but Zhao Mingcheng slightly raised his hand to stop him.

Gao Qiu understood and immediately stopped outside the door, standing guard like door gods with two guards on either side, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The shop was deathly silent, except for the heavy, uneasy breathing of Manager Wang.