The sun was getting stronger, slightly dissipating the deep cold air in the cramped alley. The two turned around a winding alley, walking from the darkness into the sunshine, and their eyes suddenly opened up.
An abandoned house stood at the end of a winding alley. The sunlight was flowing in front of the dilapidated courtyard, and the half-broken door leaf creaked in the wind.
There was a man standing in front of the deserted house. He had a long face with green bean-sized eyes. The eyes were not big, but he looked at the sky and looked alert and energetic.
This man is wearing a bamboo-green gown that has been washed white, and his figure is upright. If you look at this figure, this man must be in his early twenties.
But he happened to have sparse black hair, which was combed into a better-than-nothing bun at the top. It was so sparse that even the hairpins could not be fastened, so he could only use a thumb-width bun to tie it tightly, and the corners of his drooping mouth were so thin. His face had a bit of a bitter look and an old look to it, making it hard to tell how old he really was.
He heard the footsteps, looked up and saw Han Changmu and Yao Yao. He looked down and saw the pouch hanging from Han Changmu's waist. He hurried up to greet them and bowed respectfully: "Master Han. "
Han Changmu called out the courtesy and asked softly: "Is everyone in there?"
The man lowered his voice and said, "Yes, today has begun."
Han Changmu nodded, let the man lead the way, and entered the deserted house.
As soon as you enter the house, you will be greeted by an old, musty smell.
The bluestone road has been trampled to the core, and the cracks are filled with old soil. Weeds stubbornly emerge from the soil and overgrow the unmaintained courtyard like a prairie fire.
It is March when the grass grows and the orioles fly. These luxuriant and fragrant grasses have accumulated the strength of the winter. Bathed in the sunshine, they have grown to half a person's height, and there are still signs of continuing to grow luxuriantly.
There was no one in this deserted house, and there was no sound of human beings. However, wild birds landed in the grass from time to time and chirped.
Yao Yao looked at the man's back and clicked his tongue secretly.
Judging from the scene outside the deserted house, no one would have imagined that this place would be a gambling house.
Gambling was not prohibited in the Jing Dynasty, but opening a gambling house had to be approved by the court and follow legal procedures. And this one is obviously an illegal gambling house without the permission of the court.
It was not difficult to open a legal gambling house in the Jing Dynasty, so why should we abandon the legality and seek an illegal one? Obviously there is something more illegal than an illegal gambling house to do, and we are afraid of attracting the attention of the government.
As expected, the Internal Security Department is full of talents, and even in such a remote underground gambling house, they can place secret spies.
Han Changmu seemed to have guessed what Yao Yao was thinking. He lowered his head and looked into her ear and whispered: "He was not deliberately placed in the gambling house by the Department of Internal Security."
Yao Yao said "Oh", pursed his lips, and said nothing.
Han Changmu added: "He is in charge of Jinchang and the hidden stake in the political affairs."
Yao Yao stared at Han Changmu in surprise. If she hadn't witnessed with her own eyes the graceful Han Changmu turned into a tuberculosis ghost under the skillful hands of the inner guard, now she would have thought that Han Changmu was an imposter.
There was no need for him to explain this to himself.
Walking through the deserted front yard and the dusty front hall, the man from the front reminded the two of them in a low voice: "My lord, we are here."
Bursts of noisy shouts came from the Moon Gate, and figures flashed gracefully behind the gate, making people feel as if they were in a trance for an instant.
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We walked into another lively and noisy place.
Han Changmu looked around with a half-smile but not a smile.
There was a lot of people in the backyard, and among the graceful figures, there was a faint cold light of swords.
He sneered. Even if an underground gambling house was on guard against being caught by the government, it didn't have to be so heavily guarded. There were also strict guards posted in the corners.
There was clearly something going on in this gambling house that would warrant confiscating the entire family.
The man leading the way had already changed his appearance. He walked to the Moon Gate and smiled humbly and flatteringly: "Brothers, the eldest son of the Han family has arrived."
Two men in black attire and daggers at their waists instantly walked out of the doorway.
One of them had a scar on his face, which cut diagonally from his brow bone to his chin. The scar turned up ferociously and looked very intimidating.
He looked at the man, then glanced fiercely at Han Changmu and Han Changmu who were following behind him, and said coldly: "Da Mao, why do you bring everyone here? He is suffering from tuberculosis. He doesn't know how many days he can live. Don't die." Come here to cause bad luck."
The hidden man named Da Mao smiled flatteringly: "Brother, as you said, the eldest son of the Han family is just a little weak, but he has a lot of money and spends it lavishly."
As he spoke, he raised his mung bean eyes in a serious manner, gave Scarface a flirtatious look, and stuffed a piece of silver into Scarface's hand.
The scarred face felt a chill, winked at the person opposite, and shouted impatiently: "Okay, okay, go in, let him cover his mouth, but don't pass it on to anyone."
Da Mao kept bending down to apologize and led Han Changmu and the others into the doorway.
The back of the doorway suddenly became lively, which was clearly different from the desolation of the front hall. People were coming and going, and it was bustling. It didn't look like a gambling house, but more like a market.
Han Changmu covered his mouth, looked weak and leaned on Yao Yao, watching as he walked.
The backyard is magnificently decorated. In the middle of the courtyard is a three-story building covering an extremely large area. When you step into the building, you can see carved beams and painted buildings everywhere.
This building is full of people, including people from all walks of life in Chang'an City. Some are exquisitely and gorgeously dressed, while others are half-worn. At first glance, they come from poor families. Some are polite and elegant, while others have a rude look on their faces. , a fierce look suddenly appeared in his eyes.
But these people are crowded in this building, but it is rare for them to be in harmony.
Han Changmu and the other three walked into the building without attracting anyone's attention. No one even looked at them twice.
Yao Yao raised his eyebrows and smacked lightly.
This may be the only place in Chang'an where there is no gap between the rich and the poor, and no chain of contempt.
There are no windows on the three white walls of the building, and the lights are brightly lit day and night, reflecting on the pieces of red paper hanging on the middle wall.
"Master Han, look, this wall is full of very promising moves for this spring. Look over here." Damao dutifully led Han Changmu and Han Changmu to the wall. On the red paper The paper was filled with words. He leaned forward and introduced: "Master Han, these are the life stories and provincial examination rankings of the top candidates."
Han Changmu looked at the first few pieces of paper. The names on them were all very famous candidates in the capital in recent days. They were either the top names in the provincial examinations in various places, or they were the disciples of a certain great Confucian. A popular candidate for the provincial examination.
Spring Festival is divided into two sessions, one is the provincial examination, and the selection
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There are two hundred tribute students, and these tribute students will participate in the subsequent palace examination. The second best scholar will be selected from these tribute students. The first 150 in the palace examination will be Jinshi, and the last 50 will be the same Jinshi.
As the saying goes, a wife and a Jinshi are both embarrassing statuses.
This gambling house is really well-informed, and the information collected is complete and accurate. There is no hidden secret or misleading. It seems that this place is really conscientious.
Han Changmu nodded weakly, covered his mouth and coughed repeatedly: "Okay, okay."
Yao Yao supported Han Changmu in disgust and curled his lips.
Da Mao couldn't help but want to laugh, but he forcefully pursed his lips, suppressed the smile, and then led the two of them to look at another wall: "Master Han, on this wall is someone's move for betting. , you see, the names of the most popular people on the wall over there are all on this wall."
This white wall is covered with rough small bamboo signs.
The bamboo plaques are made of green bamboo, but they are only about the size of a palm. After hanging for a long time, the original green color has turned yellow. Each bamboo plaque has a name written in ink. The brushwork is vigorous and powerful, and it has a penetrating feeling. It seems that the person who wrote these names is skilled in calligraphy.
Han Changmu looked carefully and saw that the bamboo sign with the name of the most popular candidate in Chang'an City was hanging at the front.
There were more and more people in the building, and some people walked in in twos and threes. Some familiar people met here without any sense of embarrassment. They even said hello to each other and gathered together to discuss what should be done. Whose note.
People's voices were not concealed at all, nor were they lowered. They gathered together into a deafening noise, covering up other people's voices.
Han Changmu's face darkened and he nodded listlessly: "Well, will your gambling shop be able to cash out the money by then? Don't take advantage of others, but don't admit it. I am not that easy to bully."
"How is this possible? Mr. Han, you are joking. Our gambling house is doing serious business, and we are honest and honest." Da Mao smiled seriously and pointed to the bookcase under the wall facing the door. Said: "Did you see it, sir? There is the chief steward of Changsheng Gambling Shop. He placed a bet in our gambling house. The bets were issued directly by Changsheng Gambling Shop. Once you win, you can directly go to Changsheng Gambling Shop to exchange for cash." silvery."
A big word "Chang" hangs from the desk, and next to it is the seal of Changsheng Cabinet.
Han Changmu looked steadily, covered his mouth and said, "What are the odds now?"
Da Mao pointed at the white wall covered with bamboo plaques and said with a smile: "Look, Sir, the odds of the six people at the front are one to one, and the odds of the remaining six people are four to one. Well, the bottom ones, listen. I’ve never heard of such moves, and the most you can do is pay twenty to one.”
Han Changmu frowned slightly as he looked at the names, and a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
If one of the projects with the most bets fails in the spring, I don’t know how many people will go bankrupt.
He squinted his eyes slightly, feeling particularly sober in the bustling crowd.
If this gambling game is manipulated, if one of these actions has someone who is not interested in life but making money, then this is no longer a gambling game, but a money-making scam.
He thought for a while and said to Yao Yao: "Give the money to Da Mao, and the six people at the front will all pay twenty taels."
(End of chapter)
