Chapter 14: The Delight of Being a Charming Prince – Cao Anxin Enters the Residence

Page 1 of 3
The front hall.
Ye Xun looked up at Cao An and asked, "Xiao Anzi, do you have any relatives in the capital?"
"Relatives?" Cao An pondered for a moment and nodded. "Prince, I do have a cousin in the capital, but he's a hopeless gambler who can’t be relied upon. Your Highness, did you want to meet him?"
A hopeless gambler?
Ye Xun sighed in helplessness. Could it get any worse?
He wanted to ask Ling’er as well, but since she hadn’t returned to the village to bury her father out of concern for the villagers, he didn’t press her.
After a moment’s thought, Ye Xun’s brow relaxed. A hopeless gambler was just a hopeless gambler.
Right now, Cao An was the only person he could turn to.
Then Ye Xun gazed at Cao An thoughtfully and said, "I want to find someone to open a shop and earn some money to get by. The three of us can’t openly show ourselves—there’s no way we’ll starve to death in this mansion."
In their current situation, Ye Xun figured they might very well perish inside the mansion with no one to even bury them.
Cao An frowned with concern. "But my cousin is too unreliable. If we let him run the shop, he’ll probably embezzle the capital and gamble it all away."
"No matter." Ye Xun smiled subtly, a plan forming in his mind. "You just bring him here. We’ll work together, and I’m sure we’ll make him bow and submit."
Soon after, Cao An leaned in.
Ye Xun shared his plan with him.
Cao An was stunned, amazed at Ye Xun’s audacity—only he could come up with such a daring scheme.
Afterward, Cao An left the mansion to find his cousin.
Meanwhile, Ling’er knelt by the desk, her delicate hand tidying the dishes with great earnestness.
But as she knelt, the neckline of her dress revealed a swath of snowy white skin, gently swaying.
Ye Xun’s brow twitched slightly; his gaze flickered, and he thought, "So fair..."
"Prince, what did you say?" Ling’er raised her graceful brows, looking at Ye Xun with sparkling eyes.
"Hehe, nothing..." Ye Xun smiled awkwardly.
"Oh," Ling’er murmured softly and continued tidying the dishes.
Ye Xun stretched out and lay back on the cushion for a brief rest. Being a prince felt truly good.
Once they had money, life would be even better.

...
Night fell, the bright moon hung high in the sky.
The Qin Prince’s Mansion.
The front hall.
Ye Xun sat listlessly at the desk, flipping through the "General History."

Page 2 of 3
Ling’er wore a pale pink and white silk skirt and served nearby, pouring tea and water.
Though the prince’s life was miserable, having a beauty by his side to tend the bed was not so bad after all.
Luckily, he had such a companion; otherwise, the vast Qin Prince’s Mansion would be quite eerie.
At the same time, Cao An returned after half a day, bringing his cousin along.
The two entered the hall.
Cao An pulled Zheng Qian before Ye Xun. "Prince, I’ve brought my cousin Zheng Qian."
He said this, giving Zheng Qian a tug.
Zheng Qian understood and stepped forward with a respectful bow. "A humble subject pays respects to His Highness the Qin Prince."
The Great Xia Kingdom did not have the custom of kneeling, so Zheng Qian only bowed.
Ye Xun nodded solemnly. "You are Zheng Qian?"
He sized up Zheng Qian from head to toe.
Zheng Qian wore a somewhat loose gray coarse cloth garment, a black hair tie holding damp hair, his face gaunt and yellowish, cheeks hollow.
He was the perfect picture of a gambler.
Ye Xun guessed that Cao An had forced him to dress up somewhat for this meeting.
At this moment, Ye Xun also assumed a little dignity—after all, he was a prince speaking to a gambler; some presence was necessary.
Zheng Qian smiled faintly and answered, "Yes, Your Highness, that is me."
He lowered his head, eyes darting about, scheming inwardly.
Ye Xun spoke coldly, "Have you heard about my affairs?"
"Ah!?" Zheng Qian looked up, startled for a moment, then replied, "I... I have heard..."
Zheng Qian had not expected such a direct question.
Ye Xun continued, "What are your thoughts about me?"
At this, Zheng Qian grew fearful; Ye Xun’s cruelty was notorious.
The Qin Prince’s Mansion was dark and terrifying, with almost no one around.
He regretted foolishly coming to seek refuge with Ye Xun along with Cao An.
Suddenly, Zheng Qian knelt directly on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing.
"Your Highness, have mercy! I... I have no opinions... I know nothing."
"I only borrowed two strings and three hundred twenty-eight coins from Cao An two years ago, and one string and one hundred thirty-seven coins the year after."
"This year... I haven’t borrowed anything yet... and I have repaid everything."
Zheng Qian spilled out everything he thought related to Ye Xun.
Ye Xun saw his demeanor and sighed helplessly; at least he valued his life.
Yet he remembered the debts quite clearly.
Listening to Zheng Qian’s words,

Page 3 of 3
Cao An was equally baffled.
He had never planned to reclaim the money lent to Zheng Qian and hadn’t even kept accounts.
He never expected Zheng Qian to remember it so vividly.
But if Zheng Qian seriously planned to repay it, Cao An would never believe it.
"Stand and speak. Follow me well, and I will not treat you unfairly." Ye Xun said, tossing two ingots of ten-tael silver onto the floor before Zheng Qian.
Clang!
The two silver ingots rolled to Zheng Qian’s feet. He stared at the silver, nearly drooling.
Truly, a turtle watching a green bean—perfect match.
Cao An reminded him from the side, "Cousin, the prince has rewarded you; shouldn’t you thank him now?"
He said this with some pain.
Perhaps this silver was like throwing meat to a dog—once given, never returned.
At that moment, Zheng Qian quickly scooped up the silver.
Then he looked at Ye Xun’s eyes, fear fading, repeatedly kowtowing and saying hurriedly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your generosity! From now on, whatever orders you give, I will brave fire and water without hesitation."
Ye Xun’s brow furrowed slightly. Money really could make even devils dance; how pragmatic.
But he understood that with just these two ingots, Zheng Qian’s loyalty could only be considered non-negative at best.
Ye Xun ignored him and said lightly, "I heard you like to gamble? I happen to like it too. How about we have a bet?"
At the word “bet,” Zheng Qian’s eyes sparkled briefly, but he quickly masked it. "Your Highness, you jest. How could I dare gamble with you?"
Smack!
Ye Xun slapped ten ingots of silver on the desk. "If you win, all this silver is yours."
Zheng Qian stared at the shining silver on the desk, his throat rolling, eyes nearly sinking in. "P-Prince, do you really mean that?"
"Of course."
"What if I lose?"
"Then you pledge loyalty to me and serve me."
"How do we bet?"
"Highest number wins. You roll the dice, I guess the number. Best of ten rounds. If I lose a round, you win."
Hearing this, Zheng Qian looked at Ye Xun in disbelief.
This Qin Prince must be mad.
Wasn’t this just handing himself over?
Having roamed the gambling dens for so many years, how could he possibly lose ten rounds in a row?