The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 145 - 144: Playing Dou Dizhu, Penalty for Losing

Chapter 145: Chapter 144: Playing Dou Dizhu, Penalty for Losing

When it comes to ginseng, the Changbai Mountain Ginseng is the best.

The ginseng in the Imperial Palace also comes from Changbai Mountain, and those that are a thousand or hundred years old are the most precious.

At the mention of Changbai Mountain Ginseng, Concubine Xu and Tao Chenghui both looked over, curious about what kind of ginseng it was.

In Lady Li’s brocade box, there lay a ginseng that resembled a radish, slightly longer than a woman’s palm.

Tao Chenghui, born into a merchant family, had seen plenty of Changbai Mountain Ginseng. She smiled and asked, "Lady Li, this ginseng is not bad, does it have a century of age?"

Although Tao Chenghui’s rank was three levels below her, she was on good terms with Lady Shen and Concubine Xu. Lady Li smiled back and said, "Tao Chenghui is really knowledgeable. This ginseng isn’t a century old, but my father said it’s eighty-eight years old."

"Though century-old ginseng is rare, this eighty-eight-year-old ginseng is also quite valuable, good for nourishing the body," Tao Chenghui said with a smile, glancing toward Shen Chuwei.

"Lady Li has spent quite a sum," Shen Chuwei looked at Chun Xi, signaling her to accept the gift.

Chun Xi stepped forward to take the brocade box from Lady Li’s hand and then moved aside.

Lady Li chuckled, "As long as Lady Shen doesn’t disdain it."

Suddenly, Concubine Xu turned her head to Shen Chuwei, "Lady Shen, now that Lady Li is here, there are four of us. How about we play cards?"

The card game was something Shen Chuwei had taught them a few days ago, mainly to alleviate her boredom, and it was perfect for passing the time.

Shen Chuwei was indeed free, and after a glance at Tao Chenghui and Lady Li, she asked, "I have no problem with it. Are you all interested in playing?"

"I have no problem either," Tao Chenghui turned to Lady Li and asked, "Do you have any concerns, Lady Li?"

Interaction is the best way to increase friendship and bond, and of course, Lady Li wouldn’t miss an opportunity to interact with them.

"I have no problem, but what card game are you playing? I don’t know how."

Concubine Xu put down the melon seeds she was holding, clapped her hands, and said, "It’s okay if you don’t know, it’s quite simple. We’ll teach you."

Lady Li readily agreed, "Alright."

Seeing everyone was in agreement, Shen Chuwei ordered Gui Xiang to bring out the cards and place them on the table, and the four women gathered around the dining table.

Concubine Xu and Tao Chenghui took turns teaching Lady Li how to play the landlord card game.

After a while, once they were sure Lady Li had grasped the game, they started to play.

Concubine Xu suggested, "How about we play with stickers this time? You get a sticker for each loss."

Tao Chenghui agreed instantly, "Yes, that would make the game more exciting."

Lady Li joined in with a grin, "I have no objections."

Shen Chuwei had even less to object to; she liked playing with stickers too, as she had never lost~

Concubine Xu beckoned, "Come on, draw the cards."

There were two stacks of cards on the table, one of which had its top card flipped over. Whoever drew that card would become the landlord.

The four of them took turns drawing cards, and Lady Li ended up being the landlord.

Concubine Xu laughed, "Yo, Lady Li is quite lucky, becoming the landlord on her first try."

Lady Li didn’t understand and, hearing Concubine Xu mentioned good luck, she really thought she was very fortunate, "It’s nothing, the landlord role rotates among us sisters."

After organizing her hand, Tao Chenghui reminded her, "It’s the landlord’s turn to play."

"Alright," Lady Li looked at her hand. The landlord could play any card, and her eyes landed on the three of spades. She pulled it out and placed it on the table, "I play a 3."

Concubine Xu said, "Following the landlord’s lead is good, I play a 5."

Shen Chuwei said, "I play a 10."

Tao Chenghui said, "I play an Ace."

"Why are you playing such a high card?" Lady Li saw that she had no chance to play her cards.

Tao Chenghui smiled and said, "Because you are the landlord. If we don’t play high cards, would we let the landlord escape with low ones?"

Lady Li reluctantly pulled out a card, "I play a 2."

Shen Chuwei said, "Small joker."

Lady Li said, "Big joker."

Shen Chuwei said, "Four sevens."

Lady Li looked at her four kings, thought for a moment, and then said, "Pass."

Shen Chuwei chuckled internally, maintaining a composed facade, "Double sequence from 3 to 6."

Lady Li hesitated for a few seconds but still shook her head, "Pass."

Shen Chuwei said, "Three nines with a pair."

Seeing that Shen Chuwei was left with just one card, Lady Li knew she had to play a bomb or Shen Chuwei would win. She pulled out four cards, "Four kings."

Shen Chuwei shook her head, "Pass."

Lady Li said, "A pair of fours."

Tao Chenghui said, "A pair of twos."

Lady Li said, "Pass."

Tao Chenghui said, "A three."

Lady Li, seeing that she finally had a chance to play a single card and Tao Chenghui had led her right into it, said, "A ten."

Concubine Xu shook her head, "Pass." She turned to Shen Chuwei,

Shen Chuwei chuckled, "Last card, an Ace."

Concubine Xu joyfully set down her cards and laughed, "Lady Li, you lost."

Only then did Lady Li remember that Shen Chuwei had one card left. She looked at Concubine Xu in confusion, "Why didn’t you block her?"

Concubine Xu explained matter-of-factly, "Why would I block her? The three of us are commoners, and we are competing against you, the landlord."

"Oh," Lady Li finally understood that she was the landlord and the other three were competing against her.

"Come on, stick on the red paper." Concubine Xu picked up the red paper she had prepared earlier, moistened it with water, and stuck it on Lady Li’s cheek.

After applying the sticker, Concubine Xu looked at Lady Li’s face for a few moments and burst into laughter, "Alright, let’s continue."

Without a mirror in hand, Lady Li didn’t know what her face covered in red stickers looked like and had no choice but to keep playing.

Lady Li was exceptionally lucky, becoming the landlord three times in a row. But her luck was also terrible, as she lost all three times.

Concubine Xu loved sticking red paper on others the most, putting stickers on both of Lady Li’s cheeks and her forehead.

Lady Li slumped her shoulders, unable to understand why she always lost?

She looked at the cards before her, determined to win this time.

As the game went on, Lady Li lost yet again.

Concubine Xu couldn’t wait to moisten another red sticker and place it on Lady Li’s nose.

After losing four times in a row and with her face covered in red paper, Lady Li grew impatient, "I’m not playing anymore."

Concubine Xu said, "Why not? Isn’t that how card games are? You win some, you lose some. It’s normal for you to lose when you’re just starting."

"But I keep losing, look at my face, how can I want it?" Lady Li pointed at her own face.

Tao Chenghui soothed her, "Lady Li, this is quite normal. When Lady Shen first taught us, the two of us had our faces completely covered with stickers, even more than you."

Lady Li incredulously looked at Concubine Xu, "Really?"

Concubine Xu nodded, "Of course, it’s true. It took us several games to get the hang of it."

Lady Li then continued to play.

After an hour, aside from Shen Chuwei, who hadn’t received any stickers, their faces were all covered with various amounts of stickers.

When Lady Chang came, she witnessed this scene.

She looked astonished, "What are you all doing?"

Lady Li, upon seeing Lady Chang, and thinking about her own face covered with red paper, felt utterly embarrassed. Who knew that Lady Chang would also come to Xiyun Pavilion?

Concubine Xu curled her lips into a smile, "We’re playing cards. Lady Chang, would you like to join?"