The Child Emperor - Chapter 95: Gambler and Gambler

Dice were thrown onto the table, bouncing joyfully, oblivious to sorrow, but finding joy in their owner’s misfortunes.

Zhang Yanghao slammed his fist on the table, causing the three dice to tremble slightly but not change their numbers. “I’m going all in!” Zhang Yanghao roared, startling those around him, who thought he was about to make a scene. Such things were common in gambling.

Zhang Yanghao raised his fist, not directed at anyone but at the dice, smashing them to pieces. His fellow gamblers burst into laughter, some taunting him while others offered friendly advice. But they all knew one thing: the grandson of Marquis Piyuan was out of money, so they hurriedly pushed him out.

As the night fell, the gamblers inside began to warm up, and Zhang Yanghao was expelled from the scene. He had smashed a few dice but couldn’t shake off the overwhelming sense of shame.

A man walked out of the room. “Hey, Brother Yanghao, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Want to play a little longer? I can lend you some more money to gamble.”

“Another time,” Zhang Yanghao declined, for he had already accumulated a large debt.

The man didn’t press him, patting his shoulder twice. “You come from a well-off family; these small wins and losses don’t matter. Just enjoy yourself. Come back tomorrow, and I’ll find some newcomers for you to play with.”

Zhang Yanghao forced a bitter smile and bid farewell. Walking down the street, his anger resurfaced. He clenched his fist in his sleeve, longing to find someone to fight but lacking the courage. As the grandson of the Marquis Piyuan, he was just one of many privileged children in the Capital. Starting a street fight would not only be hard to win but could also lead to trouble for him.

Without companions or attendants, Zhang Yanghao suddenly felt like an ordinary person, no different from the commoners on the street.

It seemed that others felt the same way. A young man dressed as a servant hurriedly ran from the opposite direction. The street was wide, with room on both sides, but he was focused on walking ahead, and he collided directly with the well-dressed young man.

The young servant was small in stature but surprisingly strong. Zhang Yanghao was pushed back several steps and fell backward, catching himself with his hands to avoid looking too embarrassed. He was skilled in martial arts so, rising to his feet, he cast aside his last bit of caution to confront the one who had collided with him.

“Hey, why weren’t you watching where you were going?” the one who had collided first lobbied the first accusations, getting agitated.

Zhang Yanghao hesitated for a moment, his anger growing. He didn’t care whose servant the young man was anymore. He rolled up his sleeves, took a step forward, and retorted, “Watching where I’m going? How about you, you little brat…”

The servant quickly backed down and ran away. He shouted, “Help!”

Passersby on the street paid no attention, and Zhang Yanghao chased after him. Before catching up to the person, he had mentally punched him over a dozen times.

The servant was small and light, running quickly. Zhang Yanghao chased him for half a street, maintaining a distance of about ten steps. He found himself panting and out of breath.

The servant dashed into a narrow alley, and Zhang Yanghao gritted his teeth, pursuing him. He was familiar with this area and knew it was a dead-end, which was perfect for cornering the person.

There were others in the narrow alley, and with the fading light, the street lanterns from the main road didn’t reach this far. Zhang Yanghao noticed two people ahead, slowed down, and cautiously observed his surroundings. He confirmed that there were only two people on the other side, both shorter than him. His courage swelled, and he confidently approached, clenching his fists.

“Zhang Yanghao,” one of the figures called out his name.

Startled, Zhang Yanghao found the voice somewhat familiar. He slowed down again, then finally stopped. “Who are you?”

“It’s me.” The person took two steps forward.

Zhang Yanghao finally recognized the person’s identity and was greatly surprised. “Why is it you?”

Han Ruzi took another step closer, arching his hand and smiling. “Why can’t it be me?”

Zhang Yanghao’s face alternated between red and white. He thought about running but felt it was inappropriate. Staying put also seemed awkward. He asked, stiffly, “Is that your servant?”

“Forgive me, I didn’t want to run into you on the street, so I had to resort to this plan,” Han Ruzi explained.

Zhang Yanghao froze. “You wanted to see me? You shouldn’t see me, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Because I’m a deposed emperor?” Han Ruzi asked with a smile.

Zhang Yanghao felt something was amiss. He turned to leave, but the small servant had somehow moved behind him and politely said, “Mr Zhang, please show some courtesy. We were just having a conversation. Why rush away?”

Zhang Yanghao was confident that he could easily handle these two young men. He snorted and turned back, saying, “Are you trying to seek revenge on the Zhang family? Go report to the authorities; the Zhang family is not afraid.”

“You’ve got it wrong. We have no grievances. I’m here to discuss something with you.”

Zhang Yanghao snorted again, suddenly realizing this might be a trap. He raised his voice, “The family of Marquis Piyuan is loyal and righteous. I, Zhang Yanghao, will never do anything disrespectful or unfilial. Marquis, you’ve got the wrong person.”

Han Ruzi smiled and shook his head, “There’s no one around. What I want to discuss is this.” Han Ruzi raised his right hand and made a couple of rattling sounds with something in his fist.

Zhang Yanghao recognized the sound all too well. “You want to… gamble with me?”

Han Ruzi sighed, “I thought life in the palace was boring, but it turns out life outside the palace is even more tedious. I’ve seen you playing this with a few attendants, and I thought it seemed interesting.”

When Zhang Yanghao had served in the palace as an attendant, he had discreetly played dice with his colleagues. The Emperor had even caught them once.

“You… you…” Zhang Yanghao was taken aback. He didn’t think the deposed emperor would be interested in such things. However, upon further thought, he realized he had turned to gambling only out of sheer boredom.

“Does the Empress Dowager allow you to do this?” Zhang Yanghao asked.

“I don’t live in the palace anymore, so I don’t need the Empress Dowager’s permission.”

Zhang Yanghao remained silent. He knew dealing with the deposed emperor was risky. He had taken such a risk before when he conspired with a group of noble guards to attempt to assassinate the deposed emperor and seek favor with the Empress Dowager. However, their plan had failed, and he had been severely beaten by his grandfather when he returned home.

“In these past six months, I’ve gone out without anyone stopping me, strolled the streets, bought things without interference, and I even received an imperial decree to enter the palace once, with no objections when I left. Oh, except for one time a few days ago when I sneaked out to play for a while, and the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs gave me a reprimand.”

“You received a reprimand?” Zhang Yanghao was most interested in this matter.

“Yeah, one Vice Minister Hua questioned me about what happened. I thought everything was fine, but I still received a reprimand from the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs. I was really unlucky.”

“Unlucky? That’s fortunate. A reprimand means the matter is settled and won’t be investigated further. It means you’re really in the clear. So, the Empress Dowager…” Zhang Yanghao caught himself before saying more. He shuddered to think that nobody could predict the Empress Dowager’s intentions. If he had managed to kill the deposed emperor, the Zhang family might have been destroyed.

Han Ruzi let Zhang Yanghao think for a moment. It was a tactic he had learned from Meng E—to give hints without revealing everything, allowing the other person to fill in the gaps.

“Do you really want to gamble?” Zhang Yanghao was starting to believe it.

“What else is there to do? Gold and silver treasures are useless when they sit idle in my hands. It’s better to use them for some entertainment,” Han Ruzi replied.

Zhang Yanghao’s interest was piqued. “Do you know how to play dice?”

“I’ve played a few times with my servants; it’s quite simple. You just roll the dice and bet on the outcome. But playing with them isn’t very interesting.”

“Of course not. Servants don’t have much money, and the stakes need to be enough to get your heart racing,” Zhang Yanghao said. He wasn’t just excited; he was getting itchy. In the gambling world, gold was easy to come by, but newcomers were hard to find. He himself had gone from being a newcomer to a seasoned gambler, paying a heavy price for it and accumulating a large debt. He couldn’t bring himself to go home and tell his grandfather.

“Is several hundred taels of silver enough?” Han Ruzi asked.

“Pah! Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at? Don’t bother coming to me if you don’t have at least a thousand taels of silver, preferably tens of thousands. That’s when people will be willing to play with you.”

“Tens of thousands seem a bit troublesome.”

“But you were once an emp… When you left the palace… did you bring some valuable items with you?”

“I did, but I can’t touch them. Would gold work?”

“Of course!” Zhang Yanghao was so thrilled that he almost wanted to jump up. The dark clouds that had hung over him for days were suddenly gone. He wouldn’t care even if it were the current emperor, let alone a deposed emperor. “Did you bring them with you?”

“Who would casually take gold out on the street? I just wanted to find someone to play with. But I don’t know anyone, and since we met, we can consider it fate. So, I thought I’d ask if you had any connections.”

Zhang Yanghao chuckled.

“It doesn’t have to be dice; it just needs to be fun.”

“There are plenty of fun activities, but nothing beats dice. Well, let me think… Your status is quite special, so you can’t just play with anyone. How much gold can you bring out?”

Han Ruzi scratched his head. “I’m not sure; I’ll have to check when I get home. I probably have a few hundred taels of gold, and a couple thousand taels in silver… Why are you asking? I want to win money, not lose it.”

Zhang Yanghao laughed heartily. “Of course, but I just want to know who deserves the attention of the Weary Marquis. Alright, I have a plan in mind. Give me two days, and I’ll arrange something special for you. But let me be clear upfront: I can’t help you for free. If you lose, it’s fine, but if you win, I’ll take a 30% cut. That’s the rule.”

“I’ve never lost when playing at home.”

“Haha, even better! Beginners have good luck, so you’ll definitely do well.”

“Alright, I’ll need two days. I’ll prepare the gold and silver. Wait for my message, and don’t play tricks on me.”

“Don’t worry. How should I find you? By paying a visit to your manor?” Zhang Yanghao was already feeling anxious.

“No, the Manor Clerk and the Manor Marshal are not my people. It wouldn’t be good to involve the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs. How about the day after tomorrow, around noon, you take a walk in the back alley of my house? I’ll have someone contact you. How does that sound?”

“It’s a deal.” Zhang Yanghao saw hope for repaying his debts and making a profit.

After Zhang Yanghao left, Du Chuanyun said, “Rich people are so easy to deceive. If I had known this earlier, why would I bother learning the ‘Traceless in the Snow’ move? I should have gone into the art of deception.”

“Let’s not get too excited yet. Are you truly very good at playing dice?” Han Ruzi had witnessed Du Chuanyun’s skills but had never seen him play dice, so he couldn’t compare.

“I’d stake my life one it. But then again, this guy is too greedy, demanding a 30% cut!”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. Hopefully, he can really find a worthy opponent for us.”

“There are plenty of aristocrats and nobles in the Capital; there shouldn’t be a problem.”

However, Han Ruzi had only one target in mind, and he was concerned that his methods were too indirect to get close to the target.

“Let’s go home,” Han Ruzi said.

His family had no idea about the purpose of the Weary Marquis’s trip and thought he was practicing martial arts in the backyard.

Meanwhile, Cui Xiaojun was in the bedroom, embroidering by candlelight, fully focused. When she heard her husband enter the room, she didn’t turn her head.

It would have been easier to use her to get to his target, but Han Ruzi couldn’t bear using her any further.

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