Chapter 123

Qiu Chan heaved a sigh, picked up the pastry and returned to the small kitchen, while Qiu Ling and Qiu Kui watched her.

"The young lady likes sweet osmanthus cakes," Qiu Chan's words made Qiu Kui smile and reach out to Qiu Ling.

Qiu Ling took out three copper coins from her pocket and handed them to Qiu Kui.

"You two are betting against me," Li Xia's voice came from the doorway.

The three of them were not afraid. Qiu Kui handed two of the copper coins to Li Xia, "Young lady, those who witness get a share." Li Xia pinched one of the copper coins, "Qiu Kui, you've also learned to gamble from Qiu Ling."

The more they were together, the more they realized that Li Xia was an easygoing person. She didn't get angry at their gambling.

"Young lady, have you not heard of the legendary gambler that has been the talk of the Capital City recently?" Qiu Ling said excitedly.

Li Xia had been staying home lately and was unaware of the news about the legendary gambler that Qiu Ling mentioned.

"It's the one who won ten thousand taels of silver from the Capital City's grand casino in a single night. You don't know how skilled that legendary gambler is. The Capital City has a new opera troupe that performs plays about the legendary gambler's battle against the casino.

The legendary gambler in the opera troupe is played by a woman wearing a stunning red dress. It's truly breathtaking," Qiu Ling admired the legendary gambler, someone who won ten thousand taels of silver from the casino in one night and managed to leave unscathed. This person must be more than human, perhaps a deity of wealth incarnate.

"Opera troupe? Legendary gambler?" Li Xia repeated those two terms. This was not something that ordinary people would think of. She estimated it must be the idea of Fourth Miss Lu. Li Xia had discovered through investigation that Fourth Miss Lu had become involved with the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince's birth mother was a palace maid favored by the Emperor, who conceived the dragon's seed during one of their encounters. After giving birth to the Fourth Prince, she was granted the title of Noble Consort. The Fourth Prince lacked a powerful maternal clan to support him, and he was generally seen as the least remarkable among the older princes.

However, few born into the royal family would willingly accept mediocrity. The Crown Prince was the target, and while the other princes were preoccupied with undermining him, the Fourth Prince quietly amassed wealth, profiting from Fourth Miss Lu's ideas. Money was indispensable for achieving one's goals.

Fourth Miss Lu had reincarnated with an extraordinary destiny, so how could she be content to obediently follow Mrs. Lin's wishes and marry an ordinary man? While selling storytelling books at a tea house, she met the Fourth Prince in disguise. A woman unwilling to be just an ordinary commoner, a prince coveting the throne - these two birds of a feather conspired together. They established businesses like bookstores, jewelry shops, and opera troupes, earning a considerable fortune.

"I'm tall," Li Hui's response made Li Xia laugh heartily. It felt good to have an elder brother. Nevertheless, she still wanted to see the opera. "Elder brother, let's go see the opera."

"Alright, I'll arrange a private box for us to watch together as a family," Li Hui knew that due to the recent case, everyone at home had been feeling low. Going to see the opera could be a pleasant distraction.

Lady Li didn't enjoy such entertainments, and the other ladies of the household wouldn't attend either. Li Hui took his two younger brothers and three younger sisters to watch.

Li Yao felt gloomy watching his elder brother and sisters going out to have fun, as he was too young to join them and had to stay home.

The opera venue was the same tea house where Li Hui and the others had previously gone to listen to storytellers. The central storytelling stage had been expanded into a performance stage. The seating on the first floor was rearranged, removing the tables and replacing them with rows of seats to accommodate more viewers. The private boxes and upstairs seating remained unchanged.

After presenting their admission token, a server guided them upstairs to a private box. Their box was in a slightly off-center position. The server brought tea, snacks, and a fruit platter, arranging six chairs facing the stage for the six of them to sit and enjoy the opera while eating and drinking.

None of them had seen a stage performance before, but even before the show began, they found the preparations and stage set-up fascinating. The downstairs hall was already packed with people, and vendors were selling food and drinks. The lively atmosphere was a novel experience they had never witnessed before.

Li Guang leaned halfway out of the box to observe the bustling scene, while Li Chou held onto his clothes from behind, worried he might fall.

Li Shan couldn't conceal her curiosity as she looked around, focusing on the other private boxes to examine the ladies' attire and accessories.

If someone was dressed better than her, she would feel envious. As she turned her head, her gaze met that of a youthful, rosy-cheeked boy in the diagonal box across from them. Their eyes locked for a moment before Li Shan shyly averted her gaze, but she couldn't resist stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye.

Inside the private room, there was a synopsis booklet where they could read about the plot of the performance. Li Xin read the booklet, gaining a general understanding of the story being told.

Li Xia, on the other hand, regretted suggesting they come to see the musical. The noisy crowd made Li Xia feel overwhelmingly disturbed, and she felt an inexplicable urge to destroy everything there.

"What's wrong, Xia Xia?" Li Xin looked up and noticed Li Xia's sullen expression.

"It's nothing, the show is about to start," Li Xia's voice trailed off. As the opening gong and drum sounds echoed, the audience settled into their seats, and the hall quieted down. Li Xia felt much better.