Lanqin looked at the names of the crickets on the left and saw that they were called 'Baoli' and came from Yunnan, while the one on the right was called 'Jindou' and came from Shengjing.
"Master, didn't you just say that insects from extremely cold places can subdue insects from warmer places? Baoli comes from Yunnan, while Jindou comes from Shengjing. Logically speaking, Jindou should be more powerful," Lanqin said, puzzled.
"I didn't say that crickets from colder regions can necessarily control those from warmer areas. It also depends on the character and characteristics of each cricket. Just by looking at the way Tiger Girl you chose, you can tell she looks fierce but is actually quite fragile. These two, look at them, they're glossy all over, with transparent wings, and they chirp clearly. They're about the same size as me, both are top-quality crickets," Fourth Master said.
"Then how will you determine which of these two will win?" Lanqin asked.
"Just a guess!" Fourth Master said, glancing at Lanqin.
Lanqin immediately reached out and pinched Fourth Master's inner waist, venting her anger at him. This man had been so eloquent in front of her just moments ago, but now he was just guessing and even asking her to place bets!
The young woman pinched the Fourth Master's inner waist; it didn't hurt, just felt a little itchy. He quickly grabbed Lanqin's small hand and gently scolded, "Don't be silly!"
Lanqin muttered, "Master, how much should I bet? If I lose, you'll have to pay me back the money."
"Alright, if you win, it's your private treasury; if you lose, it's mine. Is that alright now?" Fourth Master said helplessly.
This time, Lanqin was satisfied. She straightened her sleeves, stood up, and gracefully moved to the gambling table. Fourth Master glanced indifferently at the people in the arena who were intently watching the cricket fight, his mind seemingly preoccupied with something.
Meanwhile, Lanqin took out all the silver notes from her sleeve.
"Miss, have you thought this through? Once you've placed your bet, there's no going back," the servant in charge of the gambling said kindly, seeing that Lanqin was a stranger.
"I know. I'll bet on 'Poly'." Lanqin slammed the silver note on the table. Anyway, if she lost, it would all go to Fourth Master.
“Young lady, you have good taste. ‘Baoli’ was chosen by Young Master Xia. He’s a regular here, almost every day. If he says he can win, he can win.” The servant immediately flattered Lanqin after she placed the silver note.
"Which Young Master Xia?" Lanqin asked.
"Look, it's the one sitting over there, the one in the brocade cotton robe. You don't even know him?" the servant said.
"This is my first time here, I don't know him." Lan Qin looked at the young master Xia. He was a young man in his early twenties, but there was nothing particularly special about him.
After Lanqin returned to sit down next to Fourth Master, he asked, "Do you know who runs this cricket fighting arena?"
Lanqin shook her head and said, "I don't know. Master, who owns this place?"
"Ninth Brother!" Fourth Master whispered.
Lanqin was completely dumbfounded. She never expected that the owner of this private place where people played cricket fighting was actually the sharp-tongued Jiu!
"Master, were those tribute items and this cricket gambling den all related to Ninth Master?" Lanqin pondered. No wonder Fourth Master had been showing her around earlier; he was investigating Ninth Master's background. Fourth Master is truly cunning!
Fourth Master nodded and said in a low voice, "Over the years, Ninth Brother has been using his status to amass wealth everywhere. I never expected him to set his sights on tribute items. Look at the artifacts in that room we were in just now, and those porcelain vases here, they might all be tribute items. Ninth Brother's reach has gone a bit too far."
Lanqin said, "Your Highness brought me here today to see the decorations in this place? But it seems that it's not illegal for a prince to run a casino, it's just that it doesn't look good on the surface."
“You’re right. I can’t tell Father Emperor about this. So I came to check out his place and see what kind of people are here,” the Fourth Prince said.
"That young master Xia is said to be a regular here," Lanqin said to Fourth Master.
"Hmm, he's the son of the garrison commander of Xiakou. It seems some people here are connected to the Ninth Prince as well," Fourth Master said with a cold snort.
Before Lanqin could speak again, people around her began to shout.
Lanqin quickly went to check on the two crickets in the arena, only to see them preparing for a fierce battle. Baoli was more aggressive, occasionally launching attacks on Jindou. However, Jindou was very cautious, only defending and rarely taking the initiative to attack.
Lanqin's heart clenched; she had just bet a thousand taels.
Fourth Master, however, remained calm. He seemed unconcerned and even placed his hand on the back of Lanqin's hand, patting it gently a few times.
Lanqin looked at him in confusion. Fourth Master shook his head at her, indicating that she didn't need to worry, as the outcome had already been decided long ago.
As a result, Baoli won, and Lanqin's thousand taels became three thousand taels. This was because she had bet one to three. When the three thousand-tael silver notes were handed to her, Lanqin felt a little unreal. No wonder gambling is so harmful; such a stimulating activity makes making money easy, and losing money is even easier. Lanqin couldn't help but look at that young master Xia, only to see that he remained completely unmoved by winning so much money, his expression unchanged.
"Know when to stop!" Fourth Master reminded Lanqin.
"Ah, shall we go now?" Lanqin asked.
"What, do you still want to lose all three thousand taels here?" Fourth Master said.
"No, but, wouldn't it be too much to leave right after winning a game?" Lanqin said.
"It doesn't matter. They have no reason not to let us leave. Let's go!" Fourth Master continued.
Lanqin, clutching the burning silver notes in her sleeve, followed Fourth Master out of the luxurious yet private casino.
It wasn't until they were walking out through the same door they had come in through that Lanqin realized how cold it was outside.
"Gesang is here, get in the car quickly. It's cold outside." Fourth Master tightened the belt of Lanqin's cloak.
"It's freezing cold in the south during winter." Lanqin huddled up and immediately followed Fourth Master toward the carriage.
After getting into the carriage, Lanqin felt a little better. She took out the three silver notes from her sleeve, almost in disbelief. In just one hand, she had won enough for an ordinary family to live on for several years.
"Was it too easy to win?" Fourth Master asked.
Lanqin nodded and said, "Master, were you just lucky, or did you know that Young Master Xia would win?"
Fourth Master smirked and said, "You've gotten smarter this time. Of course I knew that Young Master Xia would win, which is why I had you bet on him. Old Ninth makes his fortune through these casinos and money houses, how could he not have his own methods? That Young Master Xia is probably one of Old Ninth's men. I don't know how he will win, but I believe one thing: he will definitely win."
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