Hua Yan, with Qiuyue in tow and the ten taels of silver in hand, headed towards the Pai Gow table. Seeing that the servant boy didn't follow, the arc of her lips nearly curled to her eyes.
This Shunfang Gambling House has been too peaceful for too long!
Without further politeness, she confidently seized each game, and in less than the time it took to drink two cups of tea, she had won a full embrace of gleaming silver ingots for Qiuyue.
When Qiuyue could no longer carry them, Hua Yan gently patted her face and said with a grin, "Good girl, go exchange these for banknotes, don't tire yourself out, I'll wait for you in the tea room."
Qiuyue obediently went off.
Hua Yan leisurely sipped a cup of tea, and when Qiuyue returned, she personally poured her a cup, smiling, "You'll be working hard again in a bit, so moisten your throat first."
Qiuyue's lips twitched, and after a long moment, she managed to force out a sentence in a soft voice, "Miss, how long do you plan to play today?"
Hua Yan, swinging her leg, replied, "Conquering in all directions, until I meet the nine gambling gods!"
The hand that Qiuyue held her teacup with shivered, spilling some tea.
After Hua Yan let her finish her tea, she stood up and said briskly, "Let's go, we rarely come here, so today we shall truly appreciate the renowned Shunfang Gambling House. Let's see if their reputation is real or not. Let's see if their integrity and generosity, with promises worth more than gold, are true or not."
Qiuyue silently followed her, suddenly feeling a sense of mourning for the Shunfang Gambling House.
Next, Hua Yan played from one game station to another, switching places every two cups of tea, while Qiuyue, with her arms full of gold and silver, made repeat trips to the gambling house's bank, exchanging the heavy precious metals for lighter banknotes.
An hour later, she had played her way from the smallest booths to the medium ones and from the first floor to the second, trading up from modestly skilled dealers to the most capable ones in the Shunfang Gambling House.
Every so often, she would relax idly for a while. Although Qiuyue's money pouch was so filled it could no longer contain the winnings, this did not attract much attention. After all, the Shunfang Gambling House was too famous and too wealthy. Every day, money flowed like water, and princes betting tens of thousands of silver wasn't unheard of, so nobody paid special attention to her, climbing from small booths to the middle ones—naturally, nobody cared.
Two hours later, she had gone from medium booths to the large ones, and from the second floor to the third.
By then, Qiuyue's person could no longer accommodate banknotes, necessitating her to unwrap the silk cloth from her shoulders and encase the banknotes within. Though the banknotes were light, their sheer quantity made for a large bundle, which she carried conspicuously behind Hua Yan.
Upon reaching the third floor, they caught people's attention.
The third floor housed nine tables, each with different rules of play, all exemplifying the world's top betting techniques. The dealers varied: tall and short, fat and thin, handsome and ugly, each distinct.
The crowds around each table were much smaller than those below, but every bettor wagered a fortune. The piles of chips on the tables attested that those who came to the third floor were all wealthy beyond measure.
Hua Yan first circled each table to watch for a while, then, in no rush to play, she sat down in the teahouse to enjoy some tea.
Qiuyue took a sip of tea and said in a low voice, "Miss, people are taking notice of us."
Hua Yan smiled, "What's there to be afraid of? If we can't leave today, the Crown Prince will come to fetch us."
Qiuyue choked back her words, speechless.
After drinking two cups of tea, Hua Yan saw the manager, Mr. Cheng, come up the stairs. His plump face scanned the room and, upon spotting Hua Yan in the teahouse, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and he promptly walked over.
Upon his approach, Hua Yan greeted him with a smile, "Manager Cheng, hello!"
Manager Cheng paused in his steps, approached, and with a smile and a bow, he said, "I'm afraid I was blind to the lady's skill earlier, my slight was shameful, indeed!"
Hua Yan waved her hand with a beaming smile, "What are you talking about, manager? You flatter me by treating me with so much respect, providing me with a hundred taels to gamble with. I'm extremely grateful."
Manager Cheng's heart tightened and he replied with a chuckle, "Miss, your maid is worth not just a hundred taels of silver, but a thousand taels of gold."
The smile on Hua Yan's face spread as she turned and pinched Qiuyue's cheek, saying, "Look, by coming to this Shunfang Gambling House, your value has skyrocketed. Isn't it worth it?"
Qiuyue's heart bled internally, with nothing to say.
Manager Cheng looked at her smile, as beautiful as lotuses and peonies, and listened to her words. For a moment, his heart felt clogged, rueing that he had never dared to underestimate anyone before, but today he had foolishly misjudged this mistress and servant.
He chuckled and cautiously asked, "Miss, are you planning to continue playing? Or... did you only come up to the third floor for the experience? The third floor isn't like the first or second floors; we don't handle small stakes in money and goods here—it's only big bets."
His indirect message was suggesting she quit while she was ahead. She had already won a hundred thousand taels of silver. Arriving at the gambling house without a penny and leaving with a hundred thousand taels after only half a day was a rare occurrence in the history of the Shunfang Gambling House.
Hua Yan seemed not to understand his advice, sipping her tea while swinging her leg, cheerfully saying, "Yes, I also feel that the first and second floors don't quite have the refined atmosphere of the third, and the tea here truly is of the finest quality."
Manager Cheng's eyebrows shot up. Who mentioned the surroundings to her? Who talked about the tea?
Hua Yan set down her teacup, stood up, and flashed Manager Cheng a radiant smile, "I'm here to play today. Money, after all, is just an external possession. Taking away so much silver like this, I wouldn't feel at ease. It would be better to play it all away and lose it. That way, I won't have to trouble my Ayue with carrying or holding it."
Qiuyue had just stood up with her when she stumbled at those words.
Hua Yan invited Manager Cheng, "If the manager is free, why not join me?"
Manager Cheng cursed inwardly, wondering which senseless girl from a family had been let loose to wreak havoc. Did she really want to lose, or was she just saying this, actually having the ability and wanting to win even more? Wanting to meet one of the Nine Great Gambling Gods?
A hundred thousand taels of silver could draw his attention, but it wasn't enough for him to truly be on guard. He decided to follow her and see for himself.
Therefore, Manager Cheng chuckled heartily and readily agreed, following Hua Yan.
Hua Yan headed for the last of the nine tables, which also had the smallest betting stakes of this third floor.
Seeing this, Manager Cheng's mind relaxed slightly.
Although the games were different, Hua Yan played just as earlier. After trying a couple of times, she began to play smoothly and freely.
The first table won out, fifty thousand taels.
The second table won out, fifty thousand taels.
The third table, fourth table, fifth table...
After watching five tables, the smile that Manager Cheng had maintained on his face finally started to falter.
On this third floor, the nine major bankrolls were not the ultimate in gambling skills at Shunfang Gambling House, but they were the strongest gamblers under the Nine Great Gambling Gods. In the past decade, with them in charge, it had been enough. People with good luck and good gambling skills had only produced one Princely Heir from the Duke of Jingguo Residence five years ago, who made it to the ninth round and took away five hundred thousand taels of silver without ever seeing one of the Nine Great Gambling Gods.
Even so, his gambling skills had been enough to cause a sensation throughout Capital City and even the world.
Could it be that today there would emerge another Princely Heir of the Duke of Jingguo's Residence from those years?
Five hundred thousand taels of silver were no small sum, and he could not afford to take it lightly. He swiftly waved someone over and whispered into the person's ear, "Quick, go inform the Princely Heir. Tell him that today we fear another Lu Zhiling might appear and to come quickly."
Upon receiving the command, the man did not dare to delay, and hurriedly dashed down the stairs.
Hua Yan glanced sidelong at Manager Cheng with her eyes, not particularly concerned, and continued to place her bets and gamble. At the same time, she affirmed in her heart that Shunfang Gambling House deserved its reputation as a grand gambling house known throughout the world, as indeed these gambling skills were very intriguing to play.
The sixth table won out, fifty thousand taels.
The seventh table won out, fifty thousand taels.
The eighth table won out, the ninth table... won out.
Manager Cheng followed by Hua Yan's side, watching the faces of one banker after another losing their maximum betting limits and turning pale. His own face darkened with each loss.
She actually...
Actually won over the ninth table!
Even more skilled than the Princely Heir of Duke of Jingguo's Residence in those years!
He looked at Hua Yan with disbelief, as the third floor fell into silence. Only Qiuyue, with a large and long package on her back, stood behind Hua Yan, steady as a mountain, her delicate frame appearing much straighter at this moment.
In the quiet, Hua Yan turned around, smiling at Manager Cheng, "May I now meet one of the Nine Great Gambling Gods?"
Manager Cheng looked at Hua Yan's lovely face, as lovely as a flower, unable to imagine how the woman he was watching with his own eyes, under his and the dealers' supervision, could win every game without error or any sign of cheating.
With the gambling having reached this point, without cheating it would be impossible; the bankers have their tricks, and so do the gamblers!
It was downright unexplainable!
He was stunned for a long time, taking deep breaths of cool air before he managed a strained smile and said, "This... About the Nine Great Gambling Gods..."