Jianzhou, now called Andu, the capital of Daliang, the prosperity of the city and the barrenness of the world seem incompatible.

In the lively Xihua Street, there are the largest gambling house in Andu, Hongyun Gambling House, the largest Qinglou Tianxian Building, and other smaller gambling houses, Qinglou and restaurants, there are nearly 100.

At the corner of less than a hundred steps from the Hongyun Gambling House, an old beggar sat on the ground, and in a porcelain bowl with a broken corner, three copper coins were thrown.

"Hey, this Jiangnan is really not cold at all!" said a young man in coarse cloth and coarse clothes, sitting down next to the old beggar, with a little resentment.

"What's the matter? Do you want to grab food with me, an old beggar?"

Beggars, like vendors who set up stalls, have their own territory, and whoever dares to disobey the rules will be troubled by others.

"What you said, although I am a down-and-out person who has wandered from the countryside to this place, I still understand the rules of the ninth rank in the capital," said the young man.

The old beggar looked at the young man and said, "But you covet the three copper coins in this bowl." ”

The young man wrapped his shabby clothes and said, "Don't dare, Taoism has a saying, Tao gives birth to one, life to two, two to three, three to all things, your three copper coins, but I don't dare to covet the treasures that can pass through the heavens." ”

The old beggar was shocked and said: "As far as I know from my experience in Xihua Street for several years, you only came here this year, you are just a gambler who gambles every three days and a big gamble every five days. ”

"The old gentleman remembers very well, I came here at the summer solstice this year, and I remember that it rained so hard that day, and I had a serious illness because of it," the young man recalled.

The beggar had not been interested in the young man who was addicted to gambling before, and when he heard that he was very talkative, he observed that although the young man had a weather-beaten face, he had well-defined facial features, full of heaven, and a burly and tall body, and although he was dressed in rags, he had the air of a king.

"What, you're losing money again?" asked the beggar.

"That's right, the owner of this Hongyun gambling house, He Jiuye is, it's too inauthentic, I won't give me a real card once, alas, but I like this, you say it's not okay if you don't play, sooner or later I will let He Jiu go bankrupt and become a beggar on the street, yes, it's on this Xihua Street," the young man chattered endlessly.

"He Jiuye of Hongyun Gambling House, it is rumored that he is a big man with hands and eyes, even the prince has to sell his three-point thin noodles, and his family wealth can buy half of Andu, you just lose money, why don't you dare to say He Jiuye!"

"Alas, my friend left me some money when he left, saying that he might not come back for a month or two, so let me save some money, but I endured it for six days, and I couldn't bear it anymore, so I came here to give it to He Jiuye, but after all, rumors are rumors," the young man said with a sigh.

"Oh, what do you say?" said the beggar with interest.

"It's very simple, and after a little scrutiny, the results will come out," the young man said disdainfully.

"I want to hear about it. ”

The young man looked at the beggar, smiled, and said, "The beggar is not a real beggar, but the gambler is a real gambler!"

"Haha, that's a great idea. ”

The beggar laughed.

"I'm afraid to tell Mr. that I'm afraid of my life!"

"It's okay, it's okay, old age can keep you fine. ”

"Okay, then I'll gamble on a game, it's not so much that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has to give He Jiu three points of thin noodles, but that He Jiu is the prince's money bag. ”

The beggar did not speak, waiting for the young man to continue.

"This high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital are everywhere, but He Jiu can run the largest gambling house in the capital on Xihua Street, and he eats it all in black and white, even those of us who have nothing to do with their long things will not let go, it can be seen that no one dares to offend the people behind them, and the prince gives the thin-faced person, so it can only be the prince's person. ”

"Interesting, interesting, why not the Holy One today?" the beggar asked.

"What's the use of the emperor amassing wealth, what's the use? ”

"I see that you have the air of a king, and you will not be an ordinary person in the future," the beggar approved.

"The spirit of the king, it's not the first time that these four words have been used on me, but I'm still poor and always with bad luck, and then I understood. ”

The gambler stretched his head forward and patted the back of his head with his hand.

The beggar said in his heart: What a big backbone, no wonder he has the spirit of a king, but at such an age, he will not make a difference, but his knowledge is unique and thoughtful, which can be of great use.

The young man ran to the vendor opposite and bought a steamed bun, but gave half of it to the beggar.

The beggar shook half of the steamed bun in his hand and said with a smile: "There are only two copper plates left, and I dare to be kind to others." ”

The young man smiled and said, "You can't use the three copper coins in your bowl to buy steamed buns!"

"Besides, how do you know I only have two copper plates left?"

"In this Fortune Gambling House, as long as there is a customer who is blocking money, whether he wins or loses, he will give two copper plates when he goes out, which is the rule here," said the beggar.

"Oh, I'll lend you three copper plates. ”

The gambler stacked the three copper coins together, covered them with both hands, shook them and threw them on the ground, looked at them for a while, and said, "It seems that I can't come back, so I can sell the house and go to Tianxian Tower for some money." ”

"Sell your house, go to a brothel, you're so reckless!" said the beggar, shocked at the young man's approach.

"He can't come back!"

The beggar wondered, "Who?"

The young man explained: "I calculated a hexagram for a friend, and I stayed at this friend's house, he worked in the criminal department, and he was considered a man in the palace, and ten days ago he said that he was going to Hongdu, and the fast would be half a month, and the slow would be more than a month. ”

"Oh, what's your friend's name?" asked the beggar, evidently interested.

"Yang Tao, what's the matter, the old gentleman knows?"

"What's your name?" the beggar didn't answer.

When the young man saw the beggar turn the topic to himself, he diverted the topic and said: "You talk about this Jianzhou, things are expensive, one steamed bun used to be a copper plate, but now it needs two, and the rules of this fortune blockage have to be changed, and you have to give four copper plates!"

The young man returned the copper plate to the old man, got up and patted the dust off his body, and said without looking back, "Goodbye, old man." ”

Then he said: "I know that you are not the prince's person, nor am I, let alone other princes' people, so you don't need to check me." ”

Young people gradually disappear into the streets.

The beggar knocked on the bamboo pole in his hand, and a man in Tsing Yi ran over at the street entrance and said, "My lord, what do you command?" ”

"Check it out and report it to me. ”

"Yes. ”

"Who is going to Hongdu with Qin Feng?"

"Head catcher Yang Tao," the man in Tsing Yi replied.

"Stand down!"

"Yes. ”

The beggar got up and walked leisurely towards the street.