"I've heard that Chang Le Gambling House has all sorts of enticements. There are beautiful women as companions, exquisite delicacies not found elsewhere, and a crowd of high-ranking officials and nobles throwing dice together. Those with good luck can win hundreds of thousands of taels in a single day, while the unlucky might lose everything. " He then added with a hint of regret, "I really shouldn't be telling you all this. It's fun, but it's not a good place."
Zhang Tieshan also felt a bit apprehensive. He had heard before not to get involved with gambling, and that those who did never came to a good end. However, his curiosity got the better of him. He reassured himself that he was the Fifth Prince's younger brother, and his sister would cover for him if anything happened. It was just a matter of losing some money, wasn't it?
When he was in the small town, he heard that people who lost money would have their hands and feet chopped off. But he was royalty; would those people dare to lay a hand on him? He decided to act.
Zhang Tieshan took his personal attendant and headed for Chang Le Gambling House, while the attendant who had just advised Zhang Tieshan quickly went to the steward's residence.
Upon meeting, he stuffed dozens of taels of silver into the steward's hand, pleading, "This silver is for your grandson's treats. Regarding what I mentioned yesterday, please be accommodating."
The steward opened the package and was overjoyed. He hadn't expected this young man to be so lucky. His family had sold him when he was young, and after a few transfers, he had only recently come to the Zhang manor. Unexpectedly, his family had struck it rich and wanted to buy him back.
Yesterday, when the young man had spoken to him about this, the steward had been tempted. He had held back only because he wanted the young man to offer a gift and gain some benefit. He hadn't expected him to be so discerning and to bring such a generous gift.
He said with some emotion, "Logically, anyone in our manor wishing for freedom must go through the young master. Today, considering the substantial gift you've given me, I'll make an exception and act on my own authority. Of course, I'll be taking on considerable risk. However, your luck is indeed good; after so many years, your family still found you. It means they were truly desperate back then. Go back and live a good life. Don't forget me if you prosper."
The attendant immediately said gratefully, "Of course. Please trouble yourself, steward, to give me my indenture and accompany me to the government office to have my slave status removed."
The steward readily agreed. Not long after, the two emerged from the government office. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they parted ways. The attendant did not linger in the capital and directly boarded a carriage prepared for him, carrying a heavy bundle, and headed south.
Chang Le Gambling House truly lived up to its reputation as the foremost gambling house in the capital. As soon as Zhang Tieshan entered, he felt his eyes weren't enough to take it all in. The entire establishment was so vast that upon entering, he felt insignificant. In the center, a group of beautifully dressed women were dancing, accompanied by instrumental music.
Surrounding them were tables of all sizes, around which people excitedly gathered. Silver notes lay on the tables. Not far away, several burly guards carrying swords looked formidable. In the very middle, piles of gold and silver coins were stacked high, making one's eyes water and unable to look away.
Zhang Tieshan liked this place. He felt a surge of energy coursing through him, his blood flowing faster. He finally understood why everyone went mad upon entering a gambling house; he was no exception. He imagined winning all that silver and taking it home; who would dare look down on him then? With this money, they would surely see him in a new light.
Soon, he joined the fray. He had come prepared, bringing a considerable amount of silver and banknotes, which now proved useful.
In the beginning, he guessed correctly every time. Watching the stacks of silver notes gradually fall into his hands, he dared not calculate, for fear that counting them would make him too excited and collapse.
After an unknown period, he started to lose, and the losses mounted. The more he lost, the more he wanted to win it back, convinced that this was not his true fortune, especially after winning so much earlier. He quickly instructed the people around him to go back and fetch more silver. Initially, they ran back very quickly, but after the third trip, they began to hesitate.
Seeing the growing contempt in the eyes of those around him, Zhang Tieshan roared, "Didn't you hear what I said? Hurry back and get more silver!"
The attendant looked troubled and said, "But the steward said the cashier is out of silver."
Zhang Tieshan froze. How could they be out of silver so quickly? He thought he would have to ask his sister for more next time. Just then, a man beside him said with ill intent, "So you can't play anymore already? I knew you were like this. We wouldn't have played with you in the first place. You're spoiling the fun."
Zhang Tieshan tried to save face. "What do you mean I can't play? We just didn't bring enough money. Next time, I'll bring more than enough silver, and we'll battle for days and nights to see who wins and who loses."
"Just boasting. Can't you play without money? You can borrow as much as you want from the gambling house. We'll talk about next time when it comes. Who knows if you weakling will even have the guts to play with us again?"
As soon as he finished speaking, others chimed in, "He's clearly scared. Don't bother with him. Next time we see him, we'll avoid him. He's not a man at all."
"Exactly, too weak. Let's keep playing and not let him ruin our mood."
...
Listening to the scornful remarks from everyone, Zhang Tieshan felt as if he had returned to that small town where everyone looked down on him, mocking him behind his back. He clenched his fists, making them creak, and shouted, "Who says I can't play? I'll go borrow money from the gambling house right now and fight you all properly for a few rounds to show you my prowess."
His attendant saw that things were going badly and quickly tried to dissuade him. The steward had warned him when they came that the manor was out of money and that the young master should return quickly. But with the young master's current state, he feared they might lose everything in the manor.
Zhang Tieshan, however, wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. He found the attendant too noisy and shoved him aside. He then boldly borrowed fifty thousand taels of silver, intending to make a spectacular comeback.
With the silver in hand, Zhang Tieshan was both excited and thrilled. He had never held so much silver in his life. At the same time, he felt a pang of unease. What if he made a mistake? Could he repay this much silver? However, upon seeing the envious glances from the burly men, he felt it was all worth it.
This time, his luck turned around. He guessed correctly for several rounds in a row. Watching the silver notes fly into his possession, his heart swelled with joy. In a short while, he had accumulated about a hundred thousand taels.
His attendant was on the verge of tears and quickly approached him. "Young Master, we've won so much. Let's stop now and come back another day."
As soon as she spoke, the men beside them became displeased. "What right does a servant have to speak? We're having a great time playing with your master, and you want to win our money and leave just like that? That's quite unfair."
Zhang Tieshan waved his hand, telling him to leave quickly. He wanted to win even more silver. He had heard that Gao Feixue's small tavern made a fortune daily. He would earn tens of thousands of taels in a day and see if she would still look down on him.