The Prime Minister Knows How to Handle His Wife (ABO, GL) - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Cricket fighting and polo were not very convenient; the former required sending someone to fetch equipment, and the latter needed a different location. Only gambling with dice was the simplest option.

Thus, tables and chairs were dragged, producing a harsh sound.

Moments later, the high platform previously used for singing and dancing had a long table set up on it. A dice cup was placed on the tabletop, with the words “big” and “small” written in brush on either side. This became a temporary gambling table.

Sheng Shiyue and Xu Zhengming, along with their respective groups, still occupied opposite sides. The group of dandies fully displayed Sheng Shiyue’s style, sitting bonelessly as they moved from one side to the other. They lacked neither snacks nor wine, and many attendants served them by their side.

On Xu Zhengming’s side, his people considered themselves “upright scholars” and refused to lose face by imitating the others. Only Xu Zhengming could sit, using his leg injury as an excuse, while the rest stood on both sides of him.

Besides them, many idle onlookers gathered around. For a time, Yicui Tower was livelier in the daytime than it ever was at night.

“This round, I will gamble against Your Highness,” said the so-called painting seller, who stepped forward. She appeared to be in her thirties, with an ordinary face. Only her slightly sinister three-white eyes stood out as distinctive.

Hearing this, the dandies couldn’t help but glance at Xu Zhengming, thinking he would personally take the stage to avenge his loss at the racetrack. Unexpectedly, he had hired outside help.

Under their scornful gazes, Xu Zhengming forced a polite smile. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to retort, but earlier, no matter what he said, Sheng Shiyue had shot him down. Not only did he fail to gain the upper hand, but he also infuriated himself. Now, he didn’t dare say much, fearing he’d lose face again under everyone’s watchful eyes. He simply remained silent.

The tension grew thicker. Sheng Shiyue, at the center of attention, held a cloth and leisurely wiped juice-stained fingertips. Then, she tossed the handkerchief aside and said, “Best of five?”

“Agreed,” Xu Zhengming replied eagerly, barely able to wait to see Sheng Shiyue humiliated.

As his words fell, the painting seller’s accomplice stepped forward, holding a prepared dice cup, and said, “I will shake the dice for both of them.”

The painting seller stepped back to the other side.

Sheng Shiyue raised an eyebrow, showing an intrigued expression. She had thought they were merely swindlers, but it seemed they knew a bit about gambling techniques. Curious about their methods, she didn’t interfere and let them proceed.

The accomplice pressed both hands on the dice cup and shook it vigorously. The force seemed immense, with hands moving up and down so fast they became a blur, making it impossible to see clearly.

The dandies held their breath, unable to hide a trace of worry. After all, Sheng Shiyue had never shown gambling skills in front of them, and their memory of her lingered on the day she lost a thousand taels of silver.

Xu Zhengming’s group, however, wore confident expressions, as if victory was assured.

Only the surrounding onlookers were relaxed, chatting about the recent marriage between Ning Qingge and Sheng Shiyue.

The dice rattled loudly, clattering inside the cup. With a sharp “thud,” the dice cup landed on the table.

“Bet big or small, place your bets and step back!”

On the other side, Sheng Shiyue looked thoughtful, touching her ear lightly. Her gaze casually swept over the dice shaker’s hand.

The shaker’s pinky finger twitched upward briefly before pressing back down, as if making an inadvertent orchid gesture.

The painting seller immediately grabbed a silver ingot and slapped it on “small.”

Sheng Shiyue followed suit instantly.

—Thud!

The two silver ingots collided, producing a loud sound.

Xu Zhengming’s eyes widened, and he blurted out, “Sheng Shiyue, you—!”

Sheng Shiyue remained languid, drawling deliberately, “What? Am I not allowed to bet the same?”

“I feel it’s small right now. If Young Master Xu disagrees, I can skip betting.”

Skip betting? If Sheng Shiyue didn’t bet every round, how long would this drag on?

Xu Zhengming forcibly swallowed his anger and glared at the person beside him.

The dice shaker then opened the cup, revealing two, one, and six—indeed small.

The silver ingots returned to their hands.

The next round began. The shaker’s middle finger moved slightly, and the painting seller immediately bet on “big.” Sheng Shiyue followed closely behind.

Four, six, three—indeed big.

The crowd showed surprised expressions, faintly sensing something amiss.

The painting seller and the dice shaker’s hearts sank. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with hesitation, unsure if Sheng Shiyue was deliberately disrupting them or had actually figured something out.

The painting seller subtly lifted her fingertip and glanced at Sheng Shiyue.

As the main figure in this scene, Sheng Shiyue was the most relaxed. Her hair was tied with a jade-inlaid gold hairpin, a strand covering a still-healing wound on her forehead. Her moon-white brocade robe, embroidered with gold-edged cloud patterns, complemented her striking appearance. At first glance, she looked like a playful young immortal descended to earth.

The painting seller averted her gaze, sweat beading on her forehead.

The dice shook again, this time much briefer, and the cup was set down quickly.

The painting seller bet on “small.”

Sheng Shiyue, however, bet on the opposite.

The dice cup opened.

“Six, six, five!” Meng Xiaosi jumped up, shouting loudly.

“We won!”

The dandies cheered, their faces filled with joy. They hadn’t expected to win this round, having pinned their hopes on the later cricket and polo matches. This victory was an unexpected delight.

Xu Zhengming clenched his fists, glaring coldly at the two women. He had gone to great lengths to hire them, not to let Sheng Shiyue gloat.

He lowered his voice, threatening, “Don’t forget she’s still in my mansion. If you can’t show some real skill, then she…”

The rest went unsaid, but the woman shuddered, as if Xu Zhengming held something critical over her.

She exchanged a glance with the dice shaker, a flash of determination in their eyes, preparing to do something.

But Sheng Shiyue spoke up at that moment, “This person shakes the dice so boringly, just shaking back and forth with no flair.”

She casually pulled over a serving girl holding a tray and said, “Go find a new set of dice and shake them instead.”

She seemed genuinely bored. She had thought she’d encountered two skilled opponents, but they turned out to be amateurs. Losing interest, she found it all dull.

Xu Zhengming panicked briefly but then forced himself to stay calm, asking, “Why suddenly change…?”

“What? Can’t change?” Sheng Shiyue glanced at him casually, her refined features defiant.

The dandies behind her chimed in, “Why can’t we change? Didn’t you hear our Highness say it’s boring?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m tired of watching. Why can’t we have a beauty shake the dice? Xu Zhengming, you’re not cheating, are you?!”

At these words, suspicious glances swept over.

Meng Xiaosi, in particular, widened her eyes and said, “These people were so slick when they tricked me. They’ve probably done this before. Knowing some cheating tricks isn’t surprising.”

Xu Zhengming, naturally guilty, could only force himself to say, “Since Your Highness finds this person boring, go ahead and change.”

The dice shaker and painting seller’s expressions grew even worse.

So-called dice techniques boiled down to a few methods.

The simplest was like the street vendor from last night, stuffing iron pieces into the dice and hiding magnets in the palm or under the table to control them secretly.

The hardest was Sheng Shiyue’s method. Many big casinos would go to great lengths to find children with exceptionally sharp hearing, training them from a young age to listen to dice. Even then, only one in a hundred might succeed.

Someone like Sheng Shiyue, who mastered it in a month, was a prodigy of the gambling world. If not for Lord Wu’an’s presence, those gambling masters would have kidnapped her to make her their direct disciple!

In contrast, dice shakers were common in casinos. They could control the dice’s outcome based on the angle of lifting the cup and the force of shaking. Such people were typically paid handsomely by casinos and only brought out for critical moments.

As for the two women before them, they had some skill in both listening and shaking but were only half-trained. They relied on adding mercury to the dice to make them heavier and easier to control, along with small gestures. This was enough to fool ordinary people, but not Sheng Shiyue.

While these thoughts swirled, the serving girl had fetched a new set of dice and stood in the original shaker’s place.

The painting seller’s face grew solemn, unable to tell if Sheng Shiyue truly understood or was just lucky. She could only muster all her focus to face the challenge seriously.

The shaking continued, this time with a crisp sound as the dice chaotically hit the cup’s walls.

Sheng Shiyue and the painting seller’s ears twitched, even leaning slightly forward. These mercury-free dice were far harder to read than the previous set.

The crowd held their breath.

The dice cup landed, and the rolling dice inside stopped abruptly.

Almost the next second, Sheng Shiyue slapped her silver ingot on “big.”

The painting seller hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth, before finally gritting her teeth and betting on “small.”

Three, six, two.

It was just shy of being small.

“We won again!” Meng Xiaosi shouted, clenching her fist and waving it energetically. Her earlier dejection had faded by a third.

The painting seller’s face paled, sweat dripping.

The next round was unsurprisingly decisive. When the dice cup opened, cheers erupted.

Xu Zhengming’s face turned ashen with anger. He stood up, leaning on his crutch, and said coldly, “There are still two rounds left. Isn’t it too early to celebrate?”

He pushed aside the painting seller, whom he had previously respected, and grabbed the cricket jar that had just been brought. Slamming it on the table, he declared, “This round, I’ll face you.”

Sheng Shiyue scoffed, her eyes tinged with arrogance, her tone casual, “You’re not a cricket. What are you competing with me in? Wrestling?”

She sighed helplessly, “Young Master Xu, I may be a dandy, but I don’t want to earn a reputation for bullying a cripple.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Sheng Shiyue waved her hand behind her, and someone brought her cricket porcelain jar forward.

“Let’s stick to this,” Sheng Shiyue said, patting the jar.

Xu Zhengming’s face twisted with rage, and he snarled viciously, “Sheng Shiyue, don’t get cocky. I’ll definitely win this round!”

He tipped his jar, revealing an unusually robust cricket in the round wooden fighting arena. As soon as it landed, it let out a fierce chirp, flapping its wings relentlessly, looking incredibly ferocious.

The surrounding dandies, all experts in cricket fighting who spent much time and effort on it, recognized the cricket’s uniqueness at a glance. Their hearts sank.

“Didn’t Xu Zhengming’s prized Qing Datou already get lost to Sheng Jiu? Where did he get another one in just a few days, and it’s even fiercer than the last?” someone wondered aloud.

Xiao Jing furrowed his brow and said, “This cricket is strange. It’s already baring its teeth without any provocation.”

Normally, crickets needed their antennae teased with a rat’s whisker or a blade of grass to anger them and make them bare their teeth before fighting.

Sheng Shiyue also noticed the oddity. Her hand rested on the cricket jar, hesitating as she felt uncertain.

Xu Zhengming, however, smirked triumphantly, “What? Is Your Highness Ninth afraid?”