Chapter 59: Gambling Duel, Fortune Favors the Bold

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Gambling Duel, Fortune Favors the Bold

A glimmer of hope sparked in her heart once more.

Xie Jinbai raised his eyes and stared directly at the young woman behind Shen Tingyu.

The complicated emotions in his eyes filled Chen Minrou with rage.

She laughed in fury. "Three years is all it took for you to forget your wife who drowned so tragically and set your sights on someone new. Is this what the Prince calls deep love and devotion? It truly makes one..."

"Minmin!"

Zhao Shijie cut his wife off with a stern voice. Cupping his hands in a salute to Xie Jinbai, he said, "My wife was momentarily ill-mannered. I beg Your Highness’s pardon."

This was not just ill-mannered, it was an outright accusation.

And she was accusing Prince Yu, whose reputation for ruthlessness was known far and wide.

The guests standing nearby all gasped.

Everyone knew that the late Princess Consort was Prince Yu’s sorest spot.

For three whole years, no one had dared to mention her in his presence.

But now, a woman of the inner residence was publicly questioning him.

Xie Jinbai’s expression darkened. Before he could speak, Chen Minrou let out another cold laugh.

"Ill-mannered?"

She looked at her husband, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Indeed, a prince who mourns his wife for three years is already a rare specimen of a good man in this world."

This remark was aimed at her own husband.

Every word was laced with barbs.

She showed not a trace of the virtue and gentleness expected of a wife.

To have a friend, despite her own grave illness, still stand up for her three years after her death... Cui Lingyao felt a sting in her nose, moved to the point of tears. At the same time, she broke into a cold sweat for her.

’With Xie Jinbai’s volatile temper, what if he gets truly angry and decides to punish Chen Minrou for insubordination?’

As if sensing her anxiety, the man who had been silent the entire time glanced up at her, and then, surprisingly, he smiled.

Xie Jinbai tilted his head and asked Li Yong, who stood behind him, "A Second-Grade Imperial Concubine has acted presumptuously and offended me. According to protocol, how should this be handled?"

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere became visibly tense.

Zhao Shijie’s brow furrowed, and he was about to speak up to defuse the situation, but Li Yong spoke first. "This offense can be treated as either major or minor. This subordinate recalls that five years ago, the old madam of the Marquis Yongchang Mansion spoke insolently to Princess Chang’an. The Empress issued a decree demoting her from a First-rank Imperial Decree Lady to a Fourth-Rank Respectful Lady, a position from which she has yet to be restored."

Princess Chang’an was Xie Jinbai’s full-blooded elder sister, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress. After a highly selective process upon her coming of age, she was married to the Princely Heir of the Marquis Yongchang Mansion.

The old madam was her mother-in-law.

If a mother-in-law was punished merely for scolding the princess, what fate would befall Chen Minrou for mocking a prince who held immense power?

Cui Lingyao began to suspect this was a test orchestrated by Xie Jinbai.

’Does he want me to plead for Chen Minrou and expose my identity in the process?’

A hand gripped her wrist. Shen Tingyu turned his head to look at her.

His eyes were full of reassurance, signaling her not to make any rash moves.

Meanwhile, Zhao Shijie had already stepped forward. "Husband and wife are one. My wife’s health is frail. If Your Highness wishes to assign blame, I am willing to accept the punishment in her stead."

But Chen Minrou was in no mood to accept his gallantry. She wasn’t afraid of death, let alone concerned with titles and honors. She opened her mouth to say more, but Zhao Shijie quickly wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace. His voice was laced with helplessness, "Just be quiet for a bit. Your health is already poor, what’s the use in winning a war of words?"

...Tsk.

She was suddenly force-fed a mouthful of familiar public affection.

Cui Lingyao blinked, thinking that perhaps the rumors weren’t entirely credible.

At the very least, watching this scene, she couldn’t believe that the Zhao Shijie before her was the kind of man who would be eager to select a new wife while his current one was gravely ill and on the verge of death.

Xie Jinbai also found the sight grating.

In the past, the four of them had been two perfect couples.

His own love life had been smooth and fulfilling, and he had never envied anyone.

Now, his wife was gone. He had waited for three years, hoping she would be reborn in a new body and return to him. But not only did she refuse to acknowledge him, she was even planning to marry another man.

Meanwhile, the couple before him was still as loving and sweet as ever.

Comparisons are truly odious.

Xie Jinbai truly felt a pang of bitterness.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed down the bitterness. "All of you, sit down," he said faintly. "Don’t block my view of the show."

This meant he had no intention of pursuing the matter.

Cui Lingyao breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Shijie also nodded his thanks and settled his wife into a nearby seat.

The crowd of onlookers exchanged glances before dispersing back to their own seats.

Down below, in the Beast Fighting Arena, several Beast Tamers received their orders. They mounted the stage and forcefully ripped the black cloths off the cages, revealing the beasts within.

A powerfully built black bear and a massive, striped tiger.

Such ferocious beasts were extremely rare, even in the Royal Hunting Ground. Only the most elite of military generals would dare to hunt them.

Two attendants clad in armor projected their voices from their core and began to loudly announce the details of the bear and tiger—their ages, how long they had been in captivity, and their daily diet.

This was to help the guests judge the outcome of this beast fighting match.

As the attendants’ descriptions grew more detailed, the surrounding guests began placing bets with their friends.

On an occasion like this, even the most profligate young masters tended to limit their wagers to gold, silver, bank notes, paintings, or decorative artifacts.

If one occasionally overheard a few betting their newly acquired beauties, no one thought it particularly shocking.

The sisters Shen Hanyue and Shen Hanyun organized a betting pool with the noble ladies they knew, taking off their personal jade pendants as stakes and betting on the tiger to win.

"Cousin, come quick,"

Shen Hanyun turned back to call over to Cui Lingyao. "Come place a bet with us! Trust me, the tiger is sure to win this round."

Beside her, Shen Hanyue also turned to look over.

Her expression was somewhat complicated.

The earlier incident had left her deeply shaken.

Her brother, a man as handsome as a god, had in just a few days become as if bewitched, dead set on marrying this cousin of theirs.

Even Prince Yu seemed to harbor unusual feelings for her.

It was simply...

Cui Lingyao had lived in Great Yue for ten years—the first seven as the legitimate daughter of a Marquis Mansion, and the next three as the main wife of a Prince Mansion. In either capacity, she was no stranger to scenes like this.

She wasn’t an unsociable person, so she went over to look at the stakes on the table. Seeing that the vast majority were betting on the tiger, she decisively removed the jade bracelet from her wrist. "I’ll bet on the black bear to win."

Shen Hanyun reminded her, "That black bear is old, and I hear it’s injured. The tiger has just reached adulthood. The bear will be no match for it. Don’t just bet on it because the payout for the bear is high."

Cui Lingyao looked completely unfazed. "Fortune favors the bold."

She was just betting based on the payout multiplier.

As for winning or losing?

That was a matter for the God of Wealth.

From the men’s side, Xie Jinbai’s voice drifted over. "Mr. Shen, would you care to make a wager with me?"

Cui Lingyao froze and looked toward the source of the voice.

She saw Shen Tingyu refuse flatly. "I don’t gamble."

Seeing him so bluntly disrespect Xie Jinbai, a young gentleman who knew him well tried to smooth things over with a laugh. "Yan Xun, won’t you at least ask what the wager is?"

Shen Tingyu gently shook his head. "Your Highness, please forgive me. No matter the stakes, this subordinate is unwilling to gamble today."

Xie Jinbai’s eyes narrowed slightly. He gave him a long, hard look. "Fine. I won’t bet with you."

As he spoke, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing directly on Cui Lingyao. A smile touched his lips. "How about you and I make a wager?"