Chapter 183: Watching the Show

It wasn't that he was looking for trouble by showing concern for a mere concubine; the main reason was that he came with a mission.

The Yuan family holds grudges not just against one young master; there are others who still remember what happened at the New Year's Eve banquet.

"We're fine, but how did you, you little brat, get here too? Although the Empress Dowager doesn't lack servants, she always remembers her old acquaintances. How did you manage to get away like this?"

Li Yuande's Tea Ceremony.

"Of course, they don't need me."

Xiao Quanzi leaned back relaxed, pulled out dice from his sleeve, and said, taking a break from work, "Want to play a couple of rounds?"

Li Yuande was delighted. This was like a pillow being offered to someone who was sleepy. He had been thinking about this matter on his way here. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and threw the reward he had just received from Consort Wan onto the small wooden table: "Come, come, this time we can't let you escape, you little rascal. Little talent, you come too."

The young prodigy was immediately on the verge of tears.

He was a proper eunuch, he'd never even touched a die!

"It's not that the Empress Dowager doesn't rely on her anymore, it's just that, you know her, she's been coming to Jianzhang Palace frequently since she came back."

Xiao Quanzi's winking and eyebrow-raising gestures only fueled their curiosity: "Seventh Prince Mu Wang?"

Yes, that's right.

He deftly placed the three dice into the dice cup, shook it vigorously from all sides, and opened the cup. All three were fives; he was lucky.

In the palace, there were no strict rules for dice games; the winner was determined by the number of points rolled. It was quick and easy, requiring no thought and relying purely on luck.

First, it's fast, so you can play a few more rounds to satisfy your craving; second, it's quiet, so you're less likely to get caught in the act.

He handed the dice cup to Li Yuande and then said, "Prince Mu is now favored by the Empress Dowager. Just take Jianzhang Palace for example, no one dares to neglect him anymore."

Li Yuande smiled, but his tone was indifferent and unreadable: "Who says otherwise? Ever since that man quelled the famine and plague in the northern border, even the master has become more pleasing to the eye towards him. A few days ago, he even had me pick out a lot of good things from the storeroom and personally deliver them to him."

They seem to be in power for now, but that's only for now. The rewards they're giving are good, but they're not necessarily anything rare.

Last month, His Majesty received a piece of coral from the South China Sea as a tribute; it was incredibly precious, and he bestowed it upon the Crown Prince without hesitation.

Xiao Quanzi naturally knew that he was on the Crown Prince's side, and for a moment he was a little annoyed.

Old hag, as if nobody cares about your little thing.

"I don't know about that. Our Empress Dowager often gives Prince Mu some little trinkets. They're not necessarily precious, but rather rare."

Li Yuande stopped, lifted the dice cup, and saw two twos and one three.

He snorted coldly, then glanced at the young prodigy.

The young scholar was enjoying his melon when he was suddenly glared at by the man's piercing gaze. He wanted nothing more than to get up and run, but the door was firmly shut, and he couldn't escape.

"Your turn, go ahead and throw."

Li Yuande gave a sarcastic remark.

The young scholar's hands trembled, and unexpectedly, he lost his grip and the dice cup slipped, rolling erratically to the ground.

"Hey, don't move, don't move! It's open now!"

Li Yuande practically jumped up, laughed as he counted the numbers on the ground, then returned with a dark face: "It doesn't count. Make your little brat re-submit."

The young scholar had no choice but to pick up the dice, put them away, and shake them limply a few times.

He didn't dare to use too much force. The total score was only eight points, and Eunuch Li's face was as black as soot. How could he use too much force? If he broke it, there would be extra pieces, and he would be punished severely.

Xiao Quanzi was simply watching the show with his arms crossed.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling."

Urged repeatedly by Li Yuande, the young scholar swallowed hard and, with trembling hands, lifted the lid of the bowl.