Emperor's Cunning Wife

Finally, his hands lowered the cup again.

The onlookers crept closer to the two, and even the one at the door titled his head to look at the small platform a little better.

Ning Lou spoke, "Brother Qian, are you not going to shake it anymore?" her teasing tone drifted to Brother Qian.

"I'm done, Place your bets already." He said hiding his blush causing the others to chuckle.

"Alright! Alright!" She raised her hand and glided it over between the big and small squares. Her eyes twinkled, eyeing the group of boys following her hand wherever it went. When it seemed that she would choose, the boys inhaled a mouthful of air, only to stop halfway when her hand changed to another direction.

"Little Flower!" Brother Qian and the rest of the spectators shouted simultaneously.

Seconds after that shout, Ning Lou finally rested her palm on the big square. "I choose big!"

"Lift the cup Brother Qian!"

"Hey, what do you think it'll be?"

Some whispered among their buddies, others also discussed the round's possible results with different approaches. Brother Qian touched the cup; his hand was heavy with uncertainty. If Little Flower loses while he's the dealer, speculations about Little Flower cheating will spread among the group; the little one could not avoid being labelled even when he tries to attribute it to luck. But If Little Flower wins, the game would be considered just, as the little one cannot do any tricks to the dices under his hands, however, the money that busybody Xiu tossed to Little Flower will be devoured and just thinking about it hurts his balls!

Brother Qian sighed, no matter what since he decided on this matter; one should only take the consequences head on.

He gripped the cup and slowly lifted it up. The results of the dices were revealed; the first dice had two dots. Brother Qian was a little bit elated. When dice number two was shown, it rolled to three dots, and the sum of the two when combined would be five. Ning Lou needed the next dice to land at six! But the odds of it landing would be roughly 17%, which means Brother Qian has 83% of winning. If the sum of the three dices was three to ten it would be counted as 'small', but when their total reaches eleven to seventeen, the bets on the 'big' will win. This only means that if the last dice rolled and gave a number from one to five, Brother Qian with his pouch full of coins would have his winnings.

Profiteer Xiu frowned when he saw the two dices. He was worried for Little Flower. The other brothers had quietened and itched their way to see the last dice. Their hearts hang on a climax, while some had already foreseen the results that Brother Qian would win, others was still expecting some big drama.

But before even the cup was fully lifted, Ning Lou had already grabbed Profiteer Xiu' pouch and stuffed all her earnings inside, then she stood up and stretched her limbs that had long been numbed from kneeling.

"…." Brother Qian and the rest of the brothers.

"Where are you going?" Brother Qian asked, even his movements stopped.

"I'm collecting my prize. Why is Brother Qian going back on his words?" Ning Lou said while hiding her loot inside her saffron robe.

"We didn't even see the third dice yet!" Brother Qian said.

"It is clearly a six!" Ning Lou pointed her finger at the bottom of the cup. She already knew it beforehand.

At her words, Brother Qian fully lifted the cup. Numerous eyes widened ogling at the last dice wanting to puncture a hole through it.

It is really a six!

"How did you know?" Brother Qian was too stupefied to the point he forgotten Xiu's pouch.

However, Ning Lou didn't say any words and only pointed both of her hears with a mysterious smile. This aunt has a pair of trained ears!

Hey, what are you trying to say, that all of them are deaf!

"Hey! Someone's coming!" The guardian of the door rushed towards them after picking some sounds of footsteps outside.

Is it Abbot He?

All of them instantly stood up and started cooperating to cover up any traces of their previous dice sessions.

The table for placing bets were flipped over. They also hid their pouches under their beds, some smoothen the creases on their robes, while others grabbed books to paint the scene of having a group study.

While the ringleader Ning Lou had long pulled a chair and dragged it under the window to escape. No one notice her small silhouette, they only remembered her when Abbot He barged in.

Abbot He already loved barging inside the room without knocking!

"Where is that little br….. where is he?" Abbot He asked after he found out the troublemaker was missing.

Brother Qian also examined Little Flower's presence, but was shock to see that she already left.

After squeezing us dry, he's leaving us again! That guy only appears when we have money!

"Have any of you seen Little Flower?" Slender Xiu roamed his eyes around and scanned the little guy's figure, but to his dismay, the little guy was nowhere to be seen, even the game props had vanished.

"He was here a while ago Abbot He, but I don't know where he hid!" A boy with crooked eyes answered honestly.

Abbot He then turned to Brother Qian who was the eldest of the group, "What did he do here?"

Brother Qian scratched his head and his eyes looked around among his brothers before finally saying, "We studied."

"What nonsense! This one already knows what that br…guy had done. I told you many times not to be swayed by his mouth." Abbot He rubbed his forehead as it ached from thinking about this troublesome matter.

All of them then lowered their heads under Abbot He's admonitions. Initially, they wanted to cover it up, but who knew the abbot already knew about it. Brother Qian was caught lying, he would surely be punished, and as his brothers they could only...

Brother Qian, when you're done this brother will let you borrow some coins.

Their thoughts were united and even Xiu nodded and made a proposition in his head. Brother Qian, don't worry, I'll waive the interest next time you borrow!

Ning Lou however, while squatting outside could hear them talking.

She didn't even know that Abbot He's feet started walking towards her hideout, guessing that she would be there. Therefore she had no time to raise her head when Abbot He's vice landed on her ears.

"Eavesdropping hah!"