Chapter 21: How Am I Fierce?

"Harsh? How was I harsh?"

The Prince of Zhenbei genuinely felt he had spoken quite reasonably. Keeping one's hands off the gambling industry was a fundamental principle; when it came to such bottom lines, one could not be overly gentle, even with a daughter-in-law.

The Princess, unwilling to waste her breath arguing with him, moved to dismiss him directly. "Breakfast is finished, and you have lectured the son and daughter-in-law. You should go attend to whatever business you have, Your Highness."

The Prince of Zhenbei wanted to say more, but the Princess had already turned and headed back into the house. After standing there for a moment, he left the courtyard as well.

Outside the courtyard, Shen Ruojin walked, pondering how to properly handle the Four Seas Gambling Den that had just fallen into their hands.

There was no reason to discard what had already been won.

She could not run it herself, and if she wanted to sell it, finding a buyer in such a short time would be difficult. She was just about to ask Qin Lang what he intended to do when she looked up and saw that he, too, was about to speak.

The two paused simultaneously, then said in unison, "You speak first."

Shen Ruojin smiled. "You go ahead."

Then she heard Qin Lang ask with extreme nonchalance, "Where would you like to go for fun today, my lady?"

"You want to take me out?"

Shen Ruojin was momentarily speechless and amused, unable to tell if this young Prince Qin was truly carefree and indifferent to his father's reprimands, or if he was simply teasing her.

Seeing her gaze fixed upon him, Qin Lang thought to himself, *Oh no.*

He had let it slip. He had spoken too quickly; he should have let Shen Ruojin realize that the trips to the theater and the gambling den over the past two days were all meant to coax her out for fun.

Qin Lang feigned indifference. "You would have tracked me down anyway, so I might as well take you along."

"I see." Shen Ruojin nodded, not doubting him. After all, whenever the young Prince was out enjoying himself, she always found herself surrounded by onlookers and agitators, which was indeed quite a mood-killer.

"But not today. I’m afraid I must decline the young Prince's kind offer," she said as she walked toward the exit. "The gambling den needs to be disposed of as soon as possible and converted into other assets. Otherwise, there will be no peace inside or outside the manor. Of course, turning it into cash would be best."

Qin Lang followed her at a leisurely pace. "What do you want to do?"

"Sell it?" Shen Ruojin looked back at him.

The Prince of Zhenbei’s manor had its own rules, and there was a reason for the prohibition against anyone in the household touching the gambling industry. Back in the Shen family, whenever her sixth brother swept through major gambling dens and brought home large sums of gold and silver, he had to rely on her third brother—the strategist—to invent all sorts of excuses. Even claiming the money was stolen from other thieves was better than admitting it was won at a gambling table. When her sixth brother couldn't hide it, he would inevitably face family punishment.

Operating a gambling den tarnished the family reputation and caused great harm to others. Keeping the deed in their hands was nothing but trouble. The master behind Liu Laoqi had likely anticipated this, which was why he had so readily handed over the deed.

At present, selling the gambling den was the best course of action. If it could fetch a good price, even better.

"Fine," Qin Lang agreed without objection. He immediately asked, "What kind of buyer are you looking for?"

"Naturally, one who offers the highest price," Shen Ruojin replied without hesitation. Who would ever complain about having too much money?

"That goes without saying." The smile in Qin Lang's eyes deepened.

"Does the young Prince know of any suitable buyers?" Shen Ruojin wondered, thinking that as the city's number one playboy, Qin Lang must know some wealthy and powerful people willing to take over a gambling den.

Just as they were speaking, a servant came to report, "Second Master, the Sixth Prince has sent an invitation, inviting you to Furong Garden to taste wine and listen to the pipa."

The Sixth Prince, Yuan Ping, was the most indulgent of the Emperor's five sons. While the other princes were tearing each other apart for power, he spent his time drinking and making merry, surrounded by beauties. He was the only prince who had reached adulthood but was not required to attend court to discuss state affairs. Yuan Ping was the same age as Qin Lang and loved hanging out with him. Having heard that he had recently acquired a troupe of beautiful pipa players, he was now inviting Qin Lang to enjoy them before he had even warmed up to them himself.

Qin Lang glanced at Shen Ruojin but did not respond.

The servant took two more steps forward and lowered his voice. "The Sixth Prince asked me to pass on a message to the Second Master: 'It is only a gambling den. If the Second Young Mistress has won it, so be it, but do not let a bit of worldly possession ruin the brotherhood between you and me.'"

Qin Lang chuckled. "I didn't know he had even started running gambling dens."

"Then should we still sell it?" Shen Ruojin had not expected the Four Seas Gambling Den to be the Sixth Prince’s private property. Qin Qi had helped chase the debt, yet he hadn't mentioned a word about it. The Sixth Prince had only sent the deed over yesterday, and today he was inviting Qin Lang to a banquet—it was unclear what he was planning.

"Sell it." Qin Lang took the invitation from the servant and toyed with it between his fingers. "Isn't a ready-made buyer knocking on our door?"

Shen Ruojin raised an eyebrow. "Can you really do that?"

Qin Lang laughed, "Why not?"

"Then I shall leave it to you, young Prince," Shen Ruojin bowed slightly. "I will wait for the good news at home."

Whose silver isn't silver? If Qin Lang could sell the Four Seas Gambling Den back to the Sixth Prince, that was his own skill.

Qin Lang’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly. He still preferred it when Shen Ruojin called him "husband." However, such things could not be rushed.

He called out to He Cheng, "Go and fetch the deed for the Four Seas Gambling Den."

"Yes, Second Master, I’m on it." The steward, He, appeared from somewhere and hurried off to retrieve it.

Shen Ruojin accompanied Qin Lang to admire the paulownia trees in the garden for a while, and once he had the deed, she saw him to the gate. The manor guards watched as the Second Master, who usually came and went like the wind and never wished to stay a moment longer than necessary in the manor, walked slowly and leisurely with his new bride.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to leave a parting word: "Wait for me, I’ll be back soon."

Shen Ruojin said slowly, "There is no need to rush back." After all, he was playing a high-stakes game with a prince; he would likely need to coax him well to avoid leaving any hidden trouble behind.

"What was that? I didn't hear you clearly. I'll hear it when I get back."

The young Prince Qin, with two servants in tow, spurred his horse down the long street. At the corner, he looked back at Shen Ruojin, his lips curled upward, his eyes bright.

Shen Ruojin stood at the gate for a moment longer.

Shi Jian reminded her, "The Master has already gone far, Mistress. Let us go in."

Shen Ruojin murmured an acknowledgment, turned, and walked into the manor to visit the accounts office to see how Qin Lang’s "battle" had fared the night before.

...

By the afternoon, Qin Lang, who had said he would be "back soon," had yet to return.

Shen Ruojin used her managing authority to allocate some funds, intending to deliver them to Master Huang personally and listen to the new play in the process. Just as she and Shi Jian exited the manor gates, they saw horse hooves thundering toward them, and a carriage drawn by two horses came to a halt in front of the gate.

Two maids helped a young woman with a protruding belly out of the carriage. They stepped forward and handed a calling card to the guards. "Please report this. Li An, the Second Young Mistress of the Prime Minister's Manor, requests an audience with the young Prince Qin and his new bride."

The young woman, dressed in fine silks, had a belly as round as a ball; she appeared to be full-term and close to delivery.

Shen Ruojin paused in her tracks.

Shi Jian whispered behind her, "She's looking for you and the Master? What is the Prime Minister's Manor thinking, letting a woman about to give birth come to the door?"

The guards took the calling card and went to report. After just two steps, they saw Shen Ruojin. "Second Young Mistress, the Prime Minister's Manor has sent a calling card."

Shen Ruojin raised her eyes and signaled for Shi Jian to take it.

Li An looked over upon hearing the movement. "Are you the new bride the young Prince Qin has married? Shen Ruojin, the second daughter of the Marquis of Lin-yang?"