Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince sat grim-faced on the throne. Bai Shixi received tea from a palace maid and personally placed it by his hand, softly saying, “Your Highness, have some tea first.”
The Crown Prince suddenly looked up at her. “You’ve known Duan Mingxi for so long. Tell me, by doing this, isn’t she just slapping my face?”
Bai Shixi’s expression faltered, surprised. “Why would Your Highness say that? I don’t quite understand these matters, but since Lady Duan placed her bets on the Eastern Palace and Xingan Marquis’s household, doesn’t that mean she supports you? Isn’t that a good thing?”
The Crown Prince sneered. A good thing?
Hardly!
He stared at Bai Shixi. “You really think that?”
Bai Shixi looked confused. “Is there something wrong with the betting, Your Highness?”
Staring at her, the Crown Prince suddenly realized—not all women were as business-savvy as Duan Mingxi.
He quickly lost interest. Standing up, he said, “Crown Princess, take some rest. I have matters to attend to.”
And with that, he strode out.
Bai Shixi watched him leave. Only after he disappeared did her expression shift, tinged with sarcasm.
She didn’t fully understand Mingxi’s intentions, but judging from the Crown Prince’s reaction, it clearly struck a nerve.
She subconsciously touched her belly. Her monthly cycle was late—she hoped she was carrying the Crown Prince’s child.
Once she gave birth to his first son and secured her position, she would no longer have to live in fear, constantly flattering the Crown Prince, living such a hollow and powerless existence.
On the day of the dragon boat race, the shores of Longhu were packed with people. The lakefront viewing platforms were, as always, in high demand. Mingxi’s lakeside properties raked in another big haul of silver.
She didn’t attend the race that day, but since it was a rare outing day, Madam Jiang took Duan Qingyin and Duan Huirou out. The second and third madams also took their children for a stroll.
Mingxi stayed in her study reading. After an hour or so, Li Quan returned in a hurry.
“Miss, a message just came from Steward You—two of the dragon boats leaked and sank the moment they hit the water.”
Mingxi frowned. “Which residences?”
“One from Qi Wang’s household, the other from Jingyuan Marquis’s,” Li Quan replied.
Mingxi: …
Old acquaintances, both of them!
“Qi Wang was furious and demanded a full investigation. The race was delayed and only resumed once the Crown Prince arrived in person.”
Mingxi narrowed her eyes and asked, “How did Qi Wang’s residence rank on the betting board?”
“Sixth.”
“And Jingyuan Marquis?”
“Outside the top ten.”
So, not much of a contender.
Was it just a coincidence?
But whether it was or not didn’t matter to Mingxi. Xingan Marquis and the Eastern Palace thought she was after money, but they didn’t realize she didn’t care about that at all.
The real battleground was after the race.
Making money was just a bonus.
Bets placed on the top three would yield returns—just a matter of how much.
“Miss, the results are out!” Qiancao came running in.
Mingxi looked up. “And?”
Qian Cao looked a little strange. Catching her breath, she said, “Our Marquis’ residence won.”
Mingxi jumped to her feet. “What did you say?”
Qian Cao didn’t dare repeat it. Li Quan’s expression wasn’t good either.
Mingxi stormed outside. Of course—the Crown Prince had ended the betting a day early, which meant he had other moves prepared.
So they really intended to push the Marquis’ residence to first place again.
“Miss, if there’s anything I can do, just say the word,” Li Quan quickly offered, stopping her.
Mingxi looked at him, took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and sneered. “They think this will make me submit? In their dreams.”
“Go tell You Sanping that all profits from this year’s Marquis’ residence betting are to be donated to the Yuxiang City warfront. Also, coordinate with Yuxian Tower, Jin Ruixiang Silk Shop, Yongchun Pharmacy, and Yunshang Clothing Boutique. Anyone among the common folk who profited from betting and is willing to donate part of their earnings to support the battle at Qinan and His Majesty’s policies—can use their donation slip to buy items at half price from those stores.”
“I’m on it!” Li Quan dashed off.
Qiancao followed behind and tried to comfort her. “Miss, don’t be angry. It’s not good for your health.”
How could Mingxi not be angry? No wonder the Crown Prince closed betting early—they’d been waiting to spring this trap.
By cutting off the betting early, they prevented more people from following her lead and pushing Xingan Marquis and the Eastern Palace into the top two betting slots.
Time had been too tight. The Crown Prince had calculated this and acted before she could complete her arrangements.
Letting the Dingyuan Marquis’ household shine this brightly wasn’t a good thing—especially after just gaining favor with the Emperor for that 400,000 tael donation. The Duan family had just received rewards, and now, during the Dragon Boat Festival, they looked like greedy merchants profiting shamelessly.
By then, how would His Majesty view her? How would he see the Duan family?
The Crown Prince had truly played his move well.
The setup was silent and seamless—she had received not the slightest hint. If not for her third aunt sensing something amiss and seeking her out, had she only realized when the moment struck, things might have been even more dangerous than they were now.
Indeed, the man who had laughed until the very end in her previous life—how could the Crown Prince be so easily defeated?
Mingxi had already done her best to salvage the situation. Now, all that remained was to see how well You Sanping executed his part.
By nightfall, the news had spread far and wide. The other members of the Marquis Household had also collected their winnings from the bets, and Mingxi instructed Qiancao and Xiangxiang to deliver them one by one.
The power of influence—it could control the rankings of the dragon boat race and then use those rankings to place her upon the fire, making the Emperor grow disgusted with her.
A masterful move indeed.
“Young Miss, the Old Master requests your presence.”
Mingxi sighed. It seemed her grandfather had already found out.
She put on her outer robe and tidied herself before heading toward the Old Master’s courtyard.
The Old Master was seated beneath the eaves. When he heard approaching footsteps, he opened his eyes. “You’re here?”
“Grandfather,” Mingxi greeted respectfully.
“Sit.”
“Yes.” Mingxi took a seat opposite her grandfather and looked at him. “Grandfather, you’ve already heard everything?”
The Old Master gave a slight nod. “The whole city is talking about our Marquis Household taking first place.”
Mingxi remained silent.
The Old Master’s expression was grave as he studied Mingxi. “If this matter had been in your hands from the beginning, would you have noticed their scheme in advance?”
Mingxi thought carefully before responding, “Grandfather, it’s hard to say. They have been planning this for a long time, setting their pieces in place. Even if I had been in charge, I might not have caught on in time.”
“Then how do you intend to respond?”
Mingxi explained her plan.
The Old Master was momentarily stunned before turning his gaze to his eldest granddaughter. “You’re serious about this? If you do this, your businesses will be working for free—or worse, you might lose money.”
