After Feng Yi and Kong Xirong had also played two hundred rounds, the money pouch in Kong Xirong’s hand was noticeably deflated.

Although Li Chong appeared dismissive on the surface, his eyes kept watching this side. He silently calculated every win and loss between Feng Yi and Kong Xirong in his mind. Each individual win or loss appeared chaotic and irregular with no pattern to follow, but when accumulated, Feng Yi won more and lost less.

Although Shen Yang’s daily coursework was profoundly obscure, at least it still had some pattern to follow. But the matter before his eyes—no matter how Li Chong racked his brains, he couldn’t understand what was happening.

Han Qian saw that it was still early, and paying no mind to the fact that both Li Chong and Yang Yuanpu’s interest had been hooked, he reached out to break off an elm branch outside the window and used his dagger to carve it into cubic columns as thick as a little finger, scratching out dot patterns on the six faces.

“What are you making?” Feng Yi turned his head to watch Han Qian use the dagger tip to scratch out detailed dots on the small cubes and then apply ink to blacken them. He asked curiously.

“These are also a type of gaming piece. I saw others play with them in Chuzhou when I was young. They’re more interesting than the Five Wood Game you usually play. I’ll teach you another day.” Han Qian collected the five dice into his robe sleeve.

The methods of playing dice games had both simple and complex variations.

The simplest method was for two people to roll dice and compare sizes. As long as lead was poured into one’s own dice, one could guarantee a winning rate, but this cheating method would eventually be exposed over time.

Unless one owned a gambling establishment, otherwise when gathering to gamble at someone else’s place, how could bringing one’s own gambling implements not arouse suspicion?

Speaking of gambling establishments, they were not rare things in this era.

The previous dynasty’s Criminal Code stipulated for those who operated gambling establishments and profited from commissions: “Calculate stolen goods as theft, and for those who gather to gamble, confiscate their household movable property” and other such laws. There was high-pressure prohibition on gathering to gamble and establishing gambling operations to avoid corrupting social morals.

After Emperor Tianyou established the state of Chu, gambling gatherings were also prohibited initially. But to raise money and military provisions, or perhaps because Emperor Tianyou himself was rather fond of gambling, starting from the fourth year of Tianyou’s reign, he granted special permission for over ten aristocratic families in Jinling City and affiliated prefectures and counties to establish gambling houses and gaming establishments, in order to collect taxes from them.

The Feng family secretly controlled a gaming house in Jinling City, mainly profiting from commissions. It was just a pity that Feng Yi’s gambling skills were truly ordinary.

Because gambling games in this era had limited variety, if any gaming house could add one more enduring type of gambling game, even without rigging the gambling implements, it could still attract customers and generate income to a considerable degree.

Han Qian temporarily had no energy to do other things and was worried about the livelihood of the nearly fifty additional mouths in the household. His father would absolutely not allow him to be involved in gambling matters, so he could only dig deeper to exploit Feng Yi’s potential.

How could Feng Yi have known Han Qian was calculating so much about him? Having verified that the method Han Qian had just taught him worked, in his excitement he grabbed Han Qian to look at the five new-style gaming pieces he had made.

The dice were carved with one to six dots, with the dots on opposite faces adding up to seven—that would suffice. The gameplay was even simpler than the currently popular Five Wood Game, but the variations were diverse. Two people could play against each other, multiple people could play together, one person could be the house while multiple people participated in betting big or small. This was the kind of good gambling game that gambling houses could use to attract gamblers and would endure for a long time after coming into the world.

“How fun!” Feng Yi loved gambling. After hearing Han Qian explain once, he understood the gameplay and asked, “Does this type of gaming piece have a guaranteed winning technique?”

“If one wins every gamble, what pleasure is there?” Han Qian laughed. “Besides, now that I’ve taught you these gambling methods today, will you still gamble with me in the future?”

Han Qian thought to himself that he wouldn’t tell Feng Yi about small tricks like pouring lead. Presumably gambling establishments that spent all day thinking about swindling gamblers would probably quickly research these things out themselves, right?

“What’s the point then?” Feng Yi had great prospects and couldn’t possibly participate in managing the gaming house the Feng family secretly controlled. Seeing that rolling dice had no clever tricks, or that Han Qian knew but was unwilling to teach him, he had no more interest.

“Don’t get distracted!” Kong Xirong still didn’t believe Feng Yi had truly mastered some guaranteed winning “supernatural method” and urged Feng Yi to continue playing with gaming pieces to determine victory or defeat.

“You want to win, but you can’t always win—you don’t need to keep winning now!” Han Qian said to Feng Yi.

Kong Xirong’s black piece probability was completely random. At this point, if Feng Yi changed his black piece probability to other numerical ranges, victory and defeat would also become random. At this time, watching the money pouch in Kong Xirong’s hand sometimes deflate and sometimes swell, it indeed became indeterminate who would win or lose.

“Han Qian, when Feng Yi plays the gaming pieces, what is the secret?” Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s curiosity was thoroughly hooked. At this moment, he finally couldn’t help standing up and asking.

“Your Highness, this humble servant has already sold this method to Feng Yi. How dare I easily break my promise?” Han Qian smiled slightly and said, “However, Your Highness must remember in the future never to play this type of gaming piece gambling with Feng Yi. This is what Young Master Li called ‘the wise do not gamble’!”

Hearing Han Qian’s words, Li Chong couldn’t help rolling his eyes, thinking—you just inserted one sentence earlier and this bastard holds a grudge until now?

“I still don’t believe there’s a guaranteed winning technique. After the coursework time passes, I’ll take money and possessions to gamble with you—all of you stay tonight for a banquet.” Yang Yuanpu’s eyes rolled and he said to Feng Yi.

Naturally, Feng Yi needed to immediately have one more person for verification and said, “I’m afraid Director Guo won’t permit it?”

“Li Chong, you go tell Guo Rong about this matter.” Yang Yuanpu instructed Li Chong.

How could Li Chong have imagined that Consort Wang’s warning hadn’t even lasted one day before the Third Prince’s attention was hooked away again by that bastard Han Qian? Though a hundred times unwilling in his heart, he could only go out to tell Guo Rong about this matter.

How could Guo Rong obstruct Third Prince Yang Yuanpu wanting to gather for gambling entertainment at the manor?

Watching Li Chong go out reluctantly, Han Qian smiled inwardly. When Anning Palace selected him, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong as study companions, wasn’t the intention precisely to hope they could lead Yang Yuanpu astray?

However, whether Yang Yuanpu keeping them at the manor to gamble tonight was due to curiosity winning out, or using this method to draw closer to Feng Yi and Kong Xirong, would still depend on his subsequent performance.

Li Chong went and returned. Guo Rong’s attitude was indeed as Han Qian had guessed. The coursework time was personally stipulated by Emperor Tianyou. Even if Feng Yi, Han Qian, and Kong Xirong slacked off below, he could turn a blind eye. But if he completely failed to restrain Yang Yuanpu, he couldn’t justify it.

Moreover, the manor currently had two additional people from Emperor Tianyou’s side watching.

But outside of coursework, as long as Yang Yuanpu didn’t tear down heaven and earth in whatever amusements he wanted, Guo Rong wouldn’t restrain him, and others couldn’t fault him for it.

Besides, when Third Prince Yang Yuanpu left the palace for the manor, His Majesty had specially bestowed eight musicians and dancers, all for Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s amusement and entertainment.

Han Qian, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong dispatched people to return home to report they would stay at the manor for a banquet. When the sun had just descended above the city tower, they put away their books, blades, and bows for their household soldiers to secure properly, then followed Third Prince Yang Yuanpu to the inner residence for banqueting and gambling.

Feng Yi loved gambling and couldn’t wait for the wine banquet to begin, so he gambled at Xiaoxiang Courtyard, Yang Yuanpu’s sleeping quarters.

Xiaoxiang Courtyard wasn’t large, but the ground beneath the entire courtyard building was hollowed out, burning charcoal for warmth—extremely extravagant. As the Third Prince’s living quarters, this was also safer than ordinary heated floors and wall-heated fire methods of warming.

When Han Qian and the others walked into Xiaoxiang Courtyard, even before entering the building while still in the courtyard, they felt warm and pleasant. They truly didn’t know how much charcoal had to be burned in a day.

External officials weren’t forbidden from entering the inner residence, but they couldn’t do so casually—there were rules to observe.

Especially since Yang Yuanpu was an imperial prince, the women in his inner residence, unless bestowed as gifts in the future, even servant girls and palace maids were theoretically all his women. Therefore, Linjiang Marquis Manor’s inner residence, involving the purity of imperial bloodlines, had even stricter rules.

Guo Rong and Song Xin still didn’t know what had happened in the eastern courtyard study hall at dusk. They just stood impassively to the side watching Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and Feng Yi play the black and white piece gambling game.

Han Qian looked at the two people who had just been transferred from Emperor Tianyou’s side to serve at the manor and found this scene unexceptionable. He secretly felt their attitude was probably no different from Palace Attendants Bureau Vice Director Shen He—they had come only to ensure the manor’s servants didn’t dare bully Yang Yuanpu, but obviously they also wouldn’t risk offending Anning Palace to sincerely hope Yang Yuanpu would compete for the throne.

Ultimately, everyone had no confidence in Yang Yuanpu, who was not yet fourteen years old. No one dared bear the risk of betting on Yang Yuanpu.

Han Qian secretly clutched the “Epidemic Water Memorial” hidden in his robe sleeve and sighed slightly in his heart. Father, why can’t you learn to be clever like other people?

Although taking out the “Epidemic Water Memorial” to give credit to Third Prince Yang Yuanpu was Han Qian’s idea, he mainly feared his father would take extreme measures and had no choice but to find ways to delay.

If there were truly a choice, he didn’t want to take out this “Epidemic Water Memorial” too early before the situation became clear.

Before the wine banquet began, Yang Yuanpu had lost a thousand coins to Feng Yi.

Feng Yi was extremely pleased and happily instructed Yang Yuanpu: “Your Highness must not spread the news first. Wait until I’ve killed in all directions and won back all the money I’ve lost over these years, then I’ll invite Your Highness to drink at Wanhong Tower!”

“You agreed with Han Qian that half of your winnings must be divided with Han Qian. You just won a thousand coins from me, so remember to divide half with Han Qian.” Yang Yuanpu was obviously also very happy and didn’t forget to remind Feng Yi to divide the spoils with Han Qian.

Yang Yuanpu said to Han Qian again: “Human intelligence is limited, each has their specialties. Therefore, what Li Chong just said about ‘the wise do not gamble’ still makes sense…”

At first, Li Chong thought the Third Prince was defending him, but the Third Prince was saying this to Han Qian. The more he pondered it, the worse he felt—the Third Prince was using a tone of consulting Han Qian.

“Your Highness is perceptive!” Han Qian smiled slightly and said.

Everyone moved to the courtyard on the left for banqueting. Guo Rong, Chen De, and the two people who had newly arrived at the manor to serve today were also invited by Yang Yuanpu to join the席 seating.

Although Song Xin was the manor’s secretary, because of the distinction between men and women, she could only stand to the side responsible for arranging the wine banquet.

“Instructor Shen Yang lectured on the previous dynasty’s salt administration today, his words like precious gold, refusing to say an extra sentence. Did you all understand?” During the wine banquet, Yang Yuanpu asked directly. He also thought that even if he could avoid others’ surveillance lines in the future, time would absolutely be limited. Moreover, frequently contacting Han Qian privately would arouse even more suspicion—it was better to inquire openly.

“I listened in complete confusion. Perhaps Young Master Li understands.” Feng Yi was in an extremely good mood today, especially seeing that Third Prince Yang Yuanpu wasn’t annoyed about losing money to him—his favorable impression of Yang Yuanpu immediately multiplied.

Of course, when Feng Yi said this, he wasn’t squeezing Li Chong. In his mind, Li Chong was more capable than himself, Kong Xirong, and Han Qian—setting aside factional struggles, Li Chong was indeed a “good son” praised by all.

“…” Li Chong’s head nearly buried itself under the table. He knew full well that the Third Prince throwing out this question expected Han Qian to answer, but since Feng Yi had thrown the topic over to him, he was unwilling no matter what to directly transfer it to Han Qian.

Regarding the previous dynasty’s salt administration and salt laws, Li Chong had also discussed with Yang Yuanpu for half the afternoon. At this moment, drinking wine, he did say some things, but still had no way to explain the problem thoroughly.

“Director Guo, what do you think of what Li Chong said?” Yang Yuanpu threw the topic to Guo Rong.

“This old servant has been serving in the palace all these years and knows nothing of these matters of governing the country.” Guo Rong replied impassively. As a palace official, not presumptuously discussing salt law matters could be considered staying within his duties.

Han Qian saw Yang Yuanpu’s gaze turn toward him and knew he couldn’t escape. But to eliminate Anning Palace’s vigilance as much as possible, he deliberately put on a show-off attitude:

“Speaking of coincidences, regarding the previous dynasty’s salt laws, I just heard my father speak of it last night. Your Highness, you’ve truly asked the right person…”

In this era of backward productivity, salt was the most important industrial commodity.

Starting from the “Salt and Iron Debate” a thousand years ago, salt profits had been one of the most important financial sources for the central government, often bearing one-fifth or even at the highest point half of the central government’s fiscal revenue.

Therefore, no dynasty dared neglect salt administration.

In the previous dynasty, salt administration affairs were either concurrently managed by the prime minister or by the Minister of Revenue or重臣 important ministers of equivalent rank, which demonstrated its importance.

Although the industrial system of this era was extremely crude and rough, with the logic of people in this era, to understand it clearly was not easy—those who could understand it clearly and also control it well were without exception praised as capable officials and financial ministers.

The previous dynasty’s salt administration implemented official production and official sales. If one were to speak of it broadly, it indeed made it difficult for people without economic training to understand. But Han Qian divided salt matters into four links—”production, collection, transport, and sales”—to explain, which made it very simple and easy to understand.

After all, the salt administration of this era, measured by the dream world’s standards, could only be considered the most rudimentary government-run industrial system.