At her approval, the gathering quickly turned into a frenzy as people clamored to sign up.
The crowd grew larger and more chaotic, drawn by the massive sum of 10,000 taels.
Duan Mingxi stepped onto a raised platform and addressed the crowd. “I’ve already sent someone to organize this matter. Once everything is set, you can join the lineup in order.”
Meanwhile, Second Master Duan had been managing the Marquis Duan estate’s dragon boat team at the workshop. Hearing the news, he rushed over to take charge. As a senior member of the Duan family, he had the air of authority and immediately assumed responsibility.
Fu Hongxiao muttered under her breath, “Duan Mingxi, he’s your second uncle. Who’s to say he won’t favor you?”
“Favor her? How? You think Second Master Duan can control which team wins or loses? Ridiculous,” Liu Yunhua shot back, clearly annoyed.
Both Bai Zhiwei and Fu Hongxiao had stirred up the commotion on purpose, but now things were escalating. After all, 10,000 taels was no trivial sum. Among noble ladies, even a few hundred taels was considered significant, while some might manage a thousand at most.
“Or are you scared now?” Chu Qingying said coldly, glaring at Fu Hongxiao and Bai Zhiwei. “You did say just now that you’d match half of Mingxi’s amount. So, Fu Hongxiao, instead of wasting time arguing, why not go prepare your 5,000 taels?”
Fu Hongxiao’s face paled instantly. “Who said I’d pay 5,000 taels?”
“What’s this? Backing out already? Fine, I’ll just announce to everyone here that you can’t follow through, and we’ll all disperse.” Yao Yunyi made a show of heading to the platform to make the declaration.
Panicked, Fu Hongxiao grabbed her. “What are you doing?”
“5,000 taels!”
Fu Hongxiao’s expression turned ashen, her thoughts in chaos. Just then, someone interjected, “Her 5,000 taels will be covered by me.”
“The Crown Prince?” Fu Hongxiao’s face lit up with delight.
Everyone was shocked. No one expected the Crown Prince and the royal Wangyes to be drawn into the matter.
Second Master Duan broke out into a cold sweat. Steeling himself, he quickly exchanged glances with his niece, stepped forward, and bowed deeply. “Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the esteemed Wangyes.”
The crowd followed suit, immediately quieting.
The Crown Prince looked at Second Master Duan. “And you are?”
“Your servant, Duan Pingjing of Marquis Duan estate.” Second Master Duan’s heart raced. He had never before had the chance to speak directly to the Crown Prince, but now he had to hold his ground—for his niece.
He stood tall, trying not to show any weakness in his voice or stance.
“You’re handling this matter?” The Crown Prince’s question was directed at Duan Pingjing, but his gaze lingered on Duan Mingxi.
Every encounter with her seemed to lead to some kind of spectacle.
Duan Pingjing replied calmly, “Yes, Your Highness. Upon learning that my niece was wagering with her friends on the Dragon Boat Festival races, I came to assist. I didn’t expect so much enthusiasm from the crowd, so I stayed to help manage things.”
“Really?” The Crown Prince didn’t believe a word. He focused his gaze on Duan Mingxi, seeing that she slightly lowered her head and showed no intention of speaking. He then turned his eyes to Fu Hongxiao.
Being stared at by the Crown Prince, Fu Hongxiao’s face flushed with shyness. She immediately began to recount the events in detail.
Of course, she didn’t mention the vulgar words exchanged during the heated moments of confrontation.
Although she wanted to complain, she also didn’t want to ruin her image in the Crown Prince’s mind. So, she described the incident as a friendly competition.
Bai Zhiwei: …
What a fool!
Xiao Muchen, seeing Duan Pingjing appear, knew that things were far from simple.
He glanced at Duan Mingxi, who kept her head lowered and remained silent. A slight smirk appeared on his lips. Fine, he’d watch and see who she intended to ensnare this time!
The Crown Prince wanted to cover the 5,000 taels of silver for Fu Hongxiao. During this period, Duan Pingjing, who had been assisting Mingxi, had picked up some knowledge from her.
He immediately presented a ledger, went to a side table, picked up a brush, and began recording names.
The first name he wrote was Duan Mingxi, followed by 10,000 taels of silver.
At this moment, Qicao had already brought the silver banknotes and handed them over to Duan Pingchang on the spot.
Second Master Duan placed the banknotes into a prepared copper box and then recorded Fu Hongxiao’s name.
The Crown Prince gave his attendant a look, and the attendant took out 5,000 taels of banknotes.
Duan Mingxi’s eyes revealed a trace of amusement. Her second uncle was quite capable—quick-thinking and bold. Why hadn’t he been this shrewd during his time as an official?
With this setup, Liu Yunhua and the others couldn’t help but save face for Mingxi. Each of them sent someone back to fetch silver banknotes, contributing 1,000 taels each.
Since they were already making money, they had confidence, and handing over the silver didn’t feel too painful.
Even Bai Zhiwei contributed 1,000 taels. Her face remained expressionless, but her gaze carried a hint of coldness.
Once their contributions were recorded and names noted, Xiao Muchen finally walked over to Mingxi’s side.
Mingxi tilted her head to look at him. The poetic words came to mind: Remembering a nobleman, gentle as jade. This guy really had a good-looking face.
“Wangye?” Duan Mingxi eyed him suspiciously.
“This prince is just here to join the fun,” Xiao Muchen replied lightly.
Behind him, Qi He immediately stepped forward, placing five silver banknotes on the table.
Duan Mingxi glanced at them casually and felt a twitch at the corner of her mouth—50,000 taels!
She frowned and looked at Xiao Muchen, silently wondering to herself: Did he figure something out?
Is he here to undermine me?
Doesn’t seem like it.
Is he here to support me?
Just as she was pondering, Jin Wang spoke up. “It’s rare to encounter something this amusing. I’ll play along with Fourth Brother.”
Jin Wang also put down 50,000 taels.
Duan Mingxi’s heart skipped a beat, her gaze shifting to Xiao Muchen.
Xiao Muchen didn’t look at her.
With Jin Wang joining in, Qi Wang, Yu Wang, and Kang Wang each followed suit, contributing 50,000 taels apiece, leaving the crown prince under pressure.
The crown prince: …
With a snap of his folding fan, the crown prince said, “In that case, I’ll join in as well.”
His attendant presented 80,000 taels—outshining everyone!
Duan Mingxi felt a bit pressured. Who would have thought the crown prince and the other princes would get involved? This had become quite a grand affair.
But she wasn’t afraid. Money earned by her own skill—why should she let it slip away?
Her eyes gleamed with cunning as she smiled and said, “Your Highness, Crown Prince, and esteemed Wangyes, participating in the joy of the people truly sets an example for the royal family. This humble girl is deeply impressed.
“Today’s act of generosity by Your Highnesses shall be commemorated. After the dragon boat race, a tenth of the prize pool will be donated in your names to benefit the common people of the capital, ensuring the populace never forgets the grace of the royal family.”
Not just the Wangyes, but even the crown prince’s expression shifted at her words.
This was a golden opportunity to earn goodwill!
For them, competing for the top position required one key thing: the favor of the people.
Spending a mere few tens of thousands of taels to gain such an advantage—who would’ve thought?
The crown prince looked at Duan Mingxi with increasing complexity. His initial instinct had been correct—he should never have let her go.
Xiao Muchen, too, was visibly surprised, giving Duan Mingxi a deep, contemplative look.
Duan Mingxi maintained her smile. Money that’s in my hands? Don’t even think about growing wings and flying away!
This incident all but guaranteed that the crown prince and the Wangyes would fully commit to supporting this year’s dragon boat race.
The money? She’d earn it.
The effort? They’d put it in.
Perfect.
