Mingxi met up with You Sanping and saw from a distance that he was surrounded by many people, including several shopkeepers she recognized.
She didn’t let the carriage get too close but observed from afar for a while. She hadn’t expected that, in such a short time, You Sanping had already built relationships with so many merchants in the capital.
From a distance, You Sanping seemed to sense something. He suddenly looked up in Mingxi’s direction.
From inside the carriage, Mingxi raised a hand and waved at him.
You Sanping said something to the people around him, then quickly strode toward this side.
“Young Miss,” You Sanping greeted Mingxi respectfully at the carriage.
“You’ve made quite the progress in the capital, Steward Yu,” Mingxi said with a smile.
You Sanping met Mingxi’s gaze and also smiled. “Since I have the Young Lady’s trust, I naturally wouldn’t dare to disappoint. I’m merely doing my best.”
Mingxi glanced at the dispersing crowd in the distance, noticing that some people were still sneaking glances in their direction. However, she did not lower the carriage curtain.
Her business dealings had been conducted with the knowledge and approval of both Consort Shu and His Majesty.
After all, the money she provided to Duan Wang didn’t just come from nowhere—she had to do business to have funds.
So, instead of hiding, she carried herself even more openly. The more confident she was, the harder it would be for others to find fault.
All thanks to those four hundred thousand taels of silver.
“I plan to place my bet on Xingan Marquis and the Eastern Palace. What do you think?” Mingxi asked You Sanping.
You Sanping pondered briefly before replying, “Has the Young Lady uncovered the betting trends?”
Mingxi nodded slightly.
You Sanping hadn’t been paying close attention to this matter since it wasn’t originally under Mingxi’s management. But now, seeing her interest, he thought for a moment and said, “If the Young Lady wishes to intervene, then this year’s Dragon Boat Festival will surely be even livelier.”
Mingxi chuckled. “The livelier, the better.”
Hearing this, You Sanping also smiled. “In that case, careful planning is needed.”
Mingxi looked at him. “Someone is deliberately pushing Dingyuan Marquis forward. The uninformed common folk are following suit with their bets, only to be left hanging when the game is overturned. This kind of scheme is not uncommon, and in the end, it’s always the ordinary people who suffer.”
“Making money requires setting up the board. This is a common trick in gambling houses—it’s nothing new. Out of ten bets, nine are losses, yet people still keep gambling,” You Sanping said coolly, his tone indifferent. Having seen such things many times, he understood human nature well.
Then, he turned his gaze to Mingxi. “However, if someone tries to set up the Young Lady, that’s a different matter altogether.”
“You’ve thought it through?”
“This is not difficult, but it will require some cooperation from the Young Lady.”
Mingxi asked, “I originally intended to place the bet myself, but from what you’re saying, I don’t need to show up at all?”
“Last year, you placed a bet in person so people could see your methods. This year, there’s no need for you to step forward. Leave it to me,” You Sanping smiled. “After all, everyone outside knows that I am the chief steward by the Young Lady’s side.”
His presence alone was enough to represent Mingxi.
Mingxi raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I’ll leave it to you, then.”
“With the generous monthly salary you give me, how could I call this hard work?” You Sanping extended his hand.
Mingxi handed over a box containing silver notes. “This includes the bets placed by others in the Marquis residence. The names are clearly recorded—just follow the list.”
You Sanping understood immediately—this meant that every person’s name would be documented. With so many people from the Marquis residence betting, it would surely attract attention.
This move secured their position.
“Understood,” You Sanping nodded. “Rest assured, Young Lady, I will handle everything properly.”
“I’ve never doubted your work,” Mingxi said, glancing at him.
You Sanping averted his gaze, staring at the shimmering surface of Longhu in the distance. In a low voice, he asked, “Young Lady, which house do you think will win this year?”
Mingxi smiled. “Let’s go with Xingan Marquis.”
They kept provoking her, after all. Xingan Marquis was a cunning old fox, difficult to catch in a misstep, and he had the support of both the Empress and the Crown Prince.
If she couldn’t bring him down directly, she would at least make him suffer some financial losses.
Since Xingan Marquis was targeting her, she would naturally retaliate. Whether they won or lost depended on their own abilities.
With that thought, Mingxi turned to You Sanping. “Remember, the Eastern Palace and Xingan Marquis are aligned. If we strike at Xingan Marquis, the Eastern Palace won’t sit idly by. You must use their strength against them.”
You Sanping frowned slightly before saying, “Time is short. Our best option is to start with the boat teams.”
They needed to build momentum first.
Mingxi nodded slightly. “Handle it as you see fit.”
“Understood.” You Sanping accepted the order.
Mingxi departed in her carriage, while You Sanping watched her leave before glancing down at the box in his hand. Then, he strode away.
The next day, news spread that Duan Mingxi and the entire Dingyuan Marquis household had placed their bets on Xingan Marquis and the Eastern Palace. The city was in an uproar.
What was this supposed to mean?
Everyone else had bet on Dingyuan Marquis, yet the Marquis own family had wagered on their opponents?
They remembered that last year, Duan Mingxi and Dingyuan Marquis had bet on themselves.
Could it be that the Marquis household had no confidence this year?
Rumors spread wildly, yet Mingxi remained calm, staying inside the residence without stepping out.
Even Xu Nanxi sent a letter inquiring if the Marquis household was facing difficulties and if help was needed.
Xu Yunhui even sought out Second Master Duan, indirectly conveying the same concern.
Second Master Duan was caught off guard—he never expected the shizi of Duke Wei’s household to take the initiative to talk to him.
However, determined not to embarrass Mingxi, he maintained his composure. He neither put on the airs of an elder nor fawned over Xu Yunhui, politely declining his offer of assistance.
After leaving the Duan residence, Xu Yunhui returned home and told his sister, “I asked Second Master Duan, and he said everything is fine. That’s strange.”
Xu Nanxi, who had interacted with Mingxi often, suddenly slapped the table. “Brother, I got it!”
Xu Yunhui was startled by her reaction and looked at her now-reddened palm. “Doesn’t that hurt?”
Xu Nanxi: …
Yes, it did hurt.
“Brother, Mingxi never does anything meaningless. We should get involved too!” Xu Nanxi declared.
Xu Yunhui: …
He knew that Young Lady Duan was intelligent, and his sister greatly admired her, but wasn’t this blind faith a bit excessive?
After some thought, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid of losing your money?”
“If I lose, I lose. It’s not much anyway,” Xu Nanxi shrugged, unconcerned. “Brother, with our cousin not in the capital, we can’t let people bully Mingxi. You can’t just stand by and do nothing!”
Done!
Now that those words had been said, what else could Xu Yunhui do?
He accepted the silver from his sister and made a trip to Longhu. Soon enough, their names appeared under the list of those from the Dingyuan Marquis’ residence who had placed bets.
When Mingxi found out, she was speechless for half the day, then couldn’t help but laugh.
It was exactly the sort of thing Xu Nanxi would do.
By the time Yao Yunyi and the others heard the news and wanted to join in, the dragon boat race was about to start and betting had already closed.
Last year, betting was allowed up until the day of the race, but this year, for some reason, the gambling houses stopped accepting bets a day early.
Mingxi suspected the Eastern Palace had sensed something was off. Unable to figure out her intentions, they had the gambling houses pull out just in case.
If the Eastern Palace wanted to profit off her, they’d have to see if she was willing to let them!
