The Daily Life of a Female Esper in Ancient Times

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.

The Fourth Prince used the money they earned to cultivate relationships with those who could be useful to him. Through his wealth, he managed to buy the allegiance of a few individuals, developing a small faction that lay in wait. They were ready to seize the opportunity should the older princes falter, allowing him to reap the benefits.

"Young lady, what are you thinking about?" Qiu Ling asked, noticing Li Xia's pensive expression.

"Is the opera you mentioned still being performed?" Li Xia didn't answer Qiu Ling's question, but instead asked if the opera was still running.

"Yes, it has two shows every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Would the young lady like to go see it?" Qiu Ling inquired. This opera was a novelty, and tickets were not easy to obtain. If Li Xia wanted to go, Qiu Ling would have to queue early to buy tickets.

"Go where? You're not allowed to go," Li Hui's voice interrupted before Li Xia could answer.

"Elder brother," Li Xia turned to see Li Hui striding in.

The siblings returned to the room and sat down. Li Hui examined Li Xia. "Is there something wrong with me?" Li Xia asked, looking herself over.

"You've got some nerve," Li Hui said sternly, though Li Xia could tell he wasn't really angry.

"Elder brother, I just wanted to see the opera," Li Xia poured tea for Li Hui.

"Not that."

"Oh, you mean the case investigation. I only asked Qiu Ling to look into it, I didn't expect to find any leads," Li Xia realized what Li Hui was referring to.

"Don't let Qiu Ling get involved in this again. It's not appropriate for a young lady to meddle in such matters," Li Hui appreciated Li Xia's help, but she was still a young lady, and it wasn't proper for her to be involved in these affairs.

"Don't worry, elder brother. I know what I'm doing," Li Xia had her own reasons for asking Qiu Ling to do these things.

Li Hui had seen through Li Xia's ways after these incidents. She was full of ideas. Even if he told her not to do something, she would likely agree on the surface but do as she pleased. "Do whatever you want."

"Elder brother, are you not afraid I might make a mess of things?" Li Xia joked.

"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.