Chapter 10: The Gambit Trap—I Grant You a Fortune Without Defeat

The little girl who gave him half a steamed bun?

Fragmented, dust-covered memories surged from the depths of her mind, and a blurry image gradually sharpened.

That winter, snow had fallen thick and fast. A thin, sickly boy, covered in wounds and wearing ragged clothes, was led into the Ye manor. The servants looked at him with nothing but disdain and cold detachment. That was Chen Huai'an, just brought back from the countryside.

Though the original owner was mischievous back then, she still possessed a sliver of childhood compassion. While the kitchen was empty, she had snuck a warm steamed bun, broken it in half, and shoved one portion into the trembling, freezing boy’s hand.

The boy had looked up at her then, his eyes dark and hollow, devoid of any discernible emotion.

So, it was him.

Looking at Chen Huai'an’s face and the wounds on his arms, she could no longer equate him with the "descendant of a traitor who must be eradicated."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ye Qingyan averted her gaze awkwardly, though her hands kept working, tying a crooked knot in the cloth bandage around his wound. "You’ve lost too much blood and your brain has turned to mush. Who remembers that ancient, trivial business?"

Her tone remained impatient, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Chen Huai'an did not speak again. He merely lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on her clumsy yet earnest bandaging.

"Sister... I..." Not far away, Ye Qinglian sat slumped on the ground, her face pale as a sheet.

Ye Qingyan whipped her head around.

"Shut your mouth. I knew it—no one gives favors without an ulterior motive. I was wondering why you were being so kind today! I’ll remember what happened today. Get back and tell that good mother of yours that we will settle this score in due time."

Terrified, Ye Qinglian scrambled away on all fours.

The manor servants finally rushed over, and upon seeing the wreckage and the injured Chen Huai'an, they fell into a chaotic frenzy. Ye Qingyan, too annoyed to deal with them, muttered a few perfunctory words and turned to leave.

Since the incident at the rockery, the atmosphere between Ye Qingyan and Chen Huai'an had become extraordinarily subtle.

She could no longer bring herself to provoke him as she once did. Every time she meant to taunt him, the sight of the unhealed scar on his arm would cause the words to catch in her throat, leaving her unable to speak.

As for Chen Huai'an, he remained as cold and aloof as ever, though occasionally, he would lift his gaze from his books and rest it upon her, lingering just a moment longer than before.

This made Ye Qingyan restless, and it caused Wang Feifei, on the other side, to completely lose her patience.

Physical assassination had failed, and instead, it had only helped ease the tension between the two. This realization made Wang Feifei so angry she nearly coughed up blood. She understood that to deal with these two, she needed a more devious scheme—one that would strike a fatal blow and ensure they never had a chance to rise again.

She soon set her sights on Ye Qingyan’s "lifeline"—the dowry shops left behind by her mother.

In particular, the three shops located in the most prosperous district of the capital were like hens that laid golden eggs, and Wang Feifei had coveted them for a long time.

That day, Wang Feifei specially stewed a bowl of bird’s nest soup and brought it to Ye Chengzong’s study.

"Master, are you still worrying about Yan'er?" she asked softly, massaging Ye Chengzong’s shoulders.

Ye Chengzong let out a heavy sigh. "That rebellious daughter is becoming increasingly outrageous! Such a huge incident at the rockery, and she actually forbade me from investigating! And that Chen Huai'an—an outsider—seems closer to her than I, her own father!"

Wang Feifei’s eyes flashed with a cunning light. She spoke as if offhandedly, "Master, a girl’s reputation is everything. Now, rumors are circulating outside that Yan'er is addicted to gambling and has incurred massive debts. If this gets out, it will not only affect her marriage prospects, but the face of our Ye family will also..."

"Absurd!" Ye Chengzong slammed his hand on the table. "Where would she get the money to gamble?"

"Well... I don't know. But the owner of the capital's largest gambling den, 'Golden Jade Pavilion,' a man named Golden Abacus, sent word a few days ago. He said Yan'er had played a few rounds there and her luck wasn't very good." Wang Feifei carefully observed Ye Chengzong’s expression. "Master, I have an idea, though I don't know if I should say it."

"Speak!"

"Since Yan'er likes to gamble, why not let her have her fill? We can set a trap with Golden Abacus and use the shops her mother left her as the stakes. If she loses, it will serve as a lesson she’ll never forget, teaching her to know her place and behave herself in the future. This would both break her gambling addiction and preserve our family’s honor. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of greed appeared in Ye Chengzong’s clouded eyes.

He had long wanted those shops, but out of fear of his late wife’s reputation, he hadn't found an excuse. Wang Feifei’s proposal was exactly what he needed.

He pondered for a moment, then feigned a pained expression. "Fine! We shall do as you say! For the sake of this family, and to help her mend her ways, I, as her father, must harden my heart!"

Soon, a gambling contract was delivered to Ye Qingyan.

The terms were simple and brutal: Ye Qingyan would gamble against the Golden Jade Pavilion, with the three core shops left by her mother as the stake. If Ye Qingyan won, the Golden Jade Pavilion would pay out one hundred thousand taels of silver; if she lost, the three shops would belong to the pavilion.

This was a blatant, calculated scheme—a trap tailored specifically for her.

What a "caring" father, and what a "virtuous" stepmother. They intended to strip her bare!

[Rebellious subject! Gambling is the act of a petty scoundrel; it corrupts the family name and insults the scholarly tradition!] The Tyrant System roared with disdain in her mind. [My subject, how could you indulge in such a lowly pursuit!]

"Your Majesty!" Ye Qingyan immediately switched to a tearful, pleading mode in her mind.

"I don't want to either! But this is a trap they’ve laid for me! If I don't accept the challenge, they will slander me, claiming I am a coward, and solidify the rumors that I’ve incurred gambling debts! They have plenty of ways to snatch those shops from me regardless!"

"This isn't about money anymore; it's about dignity!" Ye Qingyan lamented with great emotion. "It is my mother’s dignity, my own dignity, and most importantly... it is Your Majesty’s dignity!"

She emphasized the word "Majesty," her tone filled with the indignation of one being bullied.

"Think about it, Your Majesty. You are the Great Founding Emperor, yet your subject is being cornered by such despicable means. If word gets out, where will your majesty lie? Where will your honor be? They aren't just slapping my face; they are slapping your Imperial visage, Your Majesty!"

The system fell silent.

After a long while, it let out a cold huff, seemingly swayed by her "dignity argument."

[Very well! A mere gambling den dares to act so brazenly in my presence!]

The system’s voice carried a hint of offended rage: [To prevent you from losing my face, I will make an exception today and bestow upon you the 'Thousand Gold Immovable' technique! Go forth and win every last penny they have!]

Ye Qingyan felt a surge of joy.

'Thousand Gold Immovable'?

Judging by the name, it sounded imposing! This had to be a cheat code at the level of a God of Gamblers!

She suppressed her wild excitement and thanked the system respectfully in her heart: "I obey your decree! I will not fail your Imperial expectations!"

The system gave a haughty "humph" and went silent.

Ye Qingyan immediately wanted to test this newly acquired divine skill.

She scanned her surroundings and her gaze landed on a teacup on the table.

She reached out, took a deep breath, channeled the so-called "Thousand Gold Immovable" technique, and reached steadily for the cup.

In the next second, her hand... began to shake, vibrating with insane intensity at an incredibly exaggerated frequency!

"Clatter!"

The teacup was swiped by the back of her hand and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Ye Qingyan: "Uh..."

No, something must be wrong.

She set her sights on the chopsticks on the table.

She focused her mind and channeled the "Thousand Gold Immovable" technique once more.

This time, her hand shook even harder, affecting her arm and even her entire upper body, which began to sway violently as if she were about to take flight.

The chopsticks turned into countless blurred images before her eyes; she couldn't even touch them.

Ye Qingyan was completely stunned.

Thousand Gold Immovable... Thousand Gold Immovable...

What the hell kind of "immovable" is this? This is clearly the late-stage symptoms of a shaking palsy!

She is supposed to use these hands—that can't even hold a teacup—to roll dice?

What kind of sick joke is this!

"Tyrant! You stupid system! Give me back my God of Gamblers skill!"