玉春樓大堂前立著面八扇圍屏，暮青與龜奴在門口閑聊時，里頭的公子們賭興正盛，并未瞧見她。此時見她似從樓梯處過來，眾公子都以為她早來了。                                                                                                                                    曹子安尚未反應過來，一人便眼神一亮，嘿的一笑，道：“以為你小子有多剛直，鬧了半天也喜歡這煙花之地。”                                                                                                                                    那公子松墨錦袍，玉面粉唇，一身嬌貴氣，暮青對其不陌生，正是那在越州奉縣因夜里貪睡被革了職的鎮國公府小公爺季延。                                                                                                                                    季延年前任議和團護衛長本是去撈些功勞的，卻因玩忽職守丟了龍武衛之職，回府后惹得鎮國公大怒，也是將他狠打了一頓，又因步惜歡當時下了圣旨要他回京后在家中思過，前些日子的詩會他便沒去。眼下快到上元節了，他昨日剛解了禁，今夜就到玉春樓解悶來了，沒想到遇上了暮青。                                                                                                                                    “我對煙花之地沒興趣，我是沖著銀子來的。”暮青道。                                                                                                                                    “得了吧！缺銀子去賭坊，來這兒作甚！”季延笑得狐貍似的，一副我懂的模樣，賊賊過來拿手肘拐了拐暮青，擠眉弄眼問，“還沒開葷吧？這玉春樓小爺常來，花樣兒多的姑娘有的是，你若是想嘗嘗滋味兒，給你指個，保準伺候得你明兒不想上朝！”                                                                                                                                    暮青淡淡看了季延一眼，在奉縣時因李本的案子，季延與她有過沖突，但這人似乎沒心沒肺，龍武衛的職缺丟了也渾不在意，跟她起過沖突也不記仇，反倒有些不打不相識的意味，怪不得元修待京中子弟多顯疏離，唯獨待他尚可。                                                                                                                                    “賭坊里的人哪有你們有銀子？”暮青淡道。                                                                                                                                    季延聞言愣了好一陣兒，隨后大笑一聲，“這是實話！我信！”                                                                                                                                    這時，曹子安才漸漸回過神來，冷嘲道：“自然是實話，只憑圣上賞的那些金銀，怕都督都摸不著玉春樓姑娘的床邊兒。”                                                                                                                                    季延笑了聲，古怪地瞧了曹子安一眼，“曹公子倒是不缺銀子，好像也沒摸到想摸之人的床邊兒。”                                                                                                                                    眾公子噗噗笑了起來，曹子安臉色漲紅，但不意外，季延最敬佩元修，元修沒去西北時就稱他為大哥，他自然護著元修的舊部。                                                                                                                                    “方才曹公子說，有本事就看看能贏多少去，這話可算數？”暮青問。                                                                                                                                    “自然算數！”曹子安因詩會的事已在京中子弟面前丟了顏面，若再食言，便更加抬不起頭了，自然說話算話。且他也不想食言，他被元修趕出別院全因暮青，今夜正是送上門來的雪恥之機，怎會放過？                                                                                                                                    “只是不知都督有多少銀兩跟我賭？”曹子安面露輕嘲。                                                                                                                                    暮青把手放進衣襟里開始摸，摸啊摸，曹子安見她遲遲不肯拿出來，嘲弄之意更深。她是村野出身，只不過在邊關立了些軍功封了武職，家底兒也就圣上賞的那點兒金銀，她能拿出來的頂多就是千兩面額的銀票。                                                                                                                                    眾公子也都盯著暮青的手，猜她或許會因不想被曹子安小看，說不定能將圣上賞的那一千兩金票拿出來。                                                                                                                                    暮青把手從衣襟里拿出來時，賭桌前人人屏息，連季延都凝神等待。但是當瞧見暮青的手時，人人都愣了——她手握著，瞧不見拳頭里攥著什么，但不想是有銀票的樣子。                                                                                                                                    暮青面無表情地走到賭桌前，在眾目睽睽之下將手往桌上一拍！                                                                                                                                    啪！                                                                                                                                    掌心下傳來一聲脆音，刺得聽見的人眉頭都一跳！                                                                                                                                    人人盯著暮青的手，表情呆木，見她將手拿開，賭桌上一堆千兩銀票里孤零零放著枚銅板兒。                                                                                                                                    那銅錢太扎眼，京中貴族子弟生下來便含金戴玉，連身邊跟著的奴才都不使銅錢兒，看著那賭桌上，眼神都有些陌生。                                                                                                                                    那銅錢也扎了荷官的眼，玉春樓自開起來至今，就沒見有人使過銅錢，而且還是一文錢！                                                                                                                                    一文錢，盛京城里連只包子都買不出來，竟拿來玉春樓里賭？                                                                                                                                    “都督一文錢竟想賭本公子一千兩？”曹子安盯著那銅錢，快成斗雞眼時才找回自己的聲音，只覺血氣往頭頂上涌。                                                                                                                                    這也太瞧低他！                                                                                                                                    “你太高看自己。”暮青淡淡看了曹子安一眼，道，“一文錢，賭你身上所有銀票！”                                                                                                                                    曹子安眼前一黑，一口血險些吐出來，喘了好半天的氣才怒道：“都督是來砸場的吧？”                                                                                                                                    “少廢話，敢不敢賭？”暮青懶得吵架，只激將道。                                                                                                                                    曹子安還沒應聲，一群京中子弟的好勝心已被激了起來，暮青明明是叫戰曹子安，卻有一堆人應了戰。                                                                                                                                    “賭！”                                                                                                                                    “曹子安，你敢不敢賭，不敢小爺來！”                                                                                                                                    “都督看來是賭技甚高，小爺也不差，這枚銅錢兒小爺還真就想要了！”                                                                                                                                    盛京子弟好玩兒，什么花樣都玩過，論賭，那賭的東西可多了，金銀美姬、古董玉玩、田宅鋪子，無一不賭，就連活春宮這等作弄人的賭約都有，什么貴重的刺激的都賭過，就是沒賭過這么低的賭約！                                                                                                                                    一文錢！                                                                                                                                    一文錢見是見過，但長這么大，別說花過，他們連摸都摸過！                                                                                                                                    平日里覺得低賤之物，今夜只覺得稀奇，且有暮青那句“一文錢賭你身上所有銀票”的豪言，只覺稀奇又刺激，人人知道一文錢賭一千兩根本就不公平，但盛京子弟不在乎公平，只在乎新奇刺激，于是紛紛應戰，都想要了暮青那一文錢！                                                                                                                                    季延摩拳擦掌起來，盯著那銅錢眼都放光，笑道：“這事兒有趣！誰要是贏了這一文錢，明兒定拿條紅繩兒拴了，滿大街叫說這是英睿都督在玉春樓里輸的一文錢，保準叫都督名滿京城！”                                                                                                                                    一群京中子弟哈哈大笑，都覺得此事有趣！                                                                                                                                    暮青點點頭，道：“嗯，誰想名滿京城，一起來吧。”                                                                                                                                    她今夜本想先跟曹子安賭，以曹子安為餌引一群人上鉤，如今看來她真是高看這些紈绔子弟了，他們對玩樂的興趣大過一切，連釣都不用釣，就自動咬鉤了。                                                                                                                                    面前的賭桌設的是賭大小的局，既然是群賭，那便還就著這賭局，由荷官搖骰子，眾人買大小，押定離手。                                                                                                                                    暮青看了眼賭桌，道：“既然要群賭，不妨定個規矩。”                                                                                                                                    季延問：“什么規矩？”                                                                                                                                    “既然諸位都想跟我賭，不妨分組，我獨自一組，你們一組，押大小時你們商量著來。”                                                                                                                                    這規矩很簡單，即是說開賭后無論買大買小，他們這些人都要買一樣的，比如他們買大，她自己買小，這樣就能分出他們和她之間的勝負。這個規矩根本就不公平，若她贏了，她可以一個人贏他們一群人的銀票，若她輸了，他們一群人分她這一文錢。                                                                                                                                    但越是如此，這些紈绔子弟越覺得新鮮有趣。                                                                                                                                    拿著千兩銀票賭一文錢都不在乎了，還在乎一群人分一文錢？                                                                                                                                    但是有人不知道如何分，當下便問道：“若都督輸了，我們這么多人贏了你，你這一文錢分給誰？”                                                                                                                                    暮青道：“拿劍劈開，一人一片。”                                                                                                                                    眾公子：“……”                                                                                                                                    季延笑得肚子疼，只覺得他當初在奉縣怎么就差點跟她打起來？這人明明就是個活寶！他抱著肚子道：“行、行！待會兒贏了，明兒我就拿紅繩拴著一片銅錢碎兒到街上，說這是從英睿都督的一文錢上劈下來的，都督沒錢，只這一文，不夠輸，所以劈了。”                                                                                                                                    眾公子又是一陣兒哄笑，想想那景象就覺得興奮，紛紛應了這規矩，催促開賭。                                                                                                                                    玉春樓的荷官就沒遇上過這種賭局，暮青押得太少了，少得聞所未聞，按說是不能開賭的，但以鎮國公府的小公爺季延為首的盛京子弟都來了興致，荷官自然不敢掃他們的興，只得賠著笑搖骰盅。                                                                                                                                    手上耍了幾個花式，那荷官將骰子搖得響亮，博得了幾聲叫好之后，往賭桌上一放！                                                                                                                                    喀！                                                                                                                                    其聲沉重，京中子弟們望了眼那骰盅，還沒有商量買大買小，便見暮青將那銅板拿了起來，果斷地往小上一放！她放得太快了，根本沒給他們商量的時間，一群公子有點懵，暮青既然買了小，他們就只能買大了，于是人人掏出銀票往大上放。                                                                                                                                    買定離手，只見賭桌上一面是一個銅板兒，一面是十幾張大額銀票，那差距大得讓荷官的眼皮子都抽了抽，還沒開盅，額頭上就見了汗。                                                                                                                                    他是知道骰盅下的點數的。                                                                                                                                    小！                                                                                                                                    他既然當著荷官的差事，自然是搖骰子的高手，聽聲兒就知骰盅里是大是小，不然也當不起這玉春樓的差事。                                                                                                                                    他知道這盅里的點數是小，現在有一個問題擺在他面前——就這么開，還是出千。                                                                                                                                    他能當得起這差事，自然還有一個本事，那就是出老千。出千的法子有的是，最簡單的是在開骰盅的一瞬拿盅沿兒碰里面的色子一下，將色子翻一下。這手藝講究的就是個快，他是此道的高手，但今晚卻不知道要不要出千。                                                                                                                                    若出，這本該英睿都督贏的局就輸了，但她輸的是一文錢，都不夠給玉春樓交利錢的，她若輸了這局，玉春樓沒的賺。但若是不出，這群公子們輸了，又怕他們不高興。                                                                                                                                    兩難之時，暮青淡淡看了那荷官一眼，手里不知何時多了把古怪的薄刀，她把那刀放在手里把玩，道：“看見我這刀了嗎？大漠里殺過不知多少胡人，剖人一只手可是很鋒利的。”                                                                                                                                    那荷官一驚，知道此話是威脅，心驚之時下意識便開了盅。                                                                                                                                    盅一開，整個玉春樓都似乎靜了。                                                                                                                                    季延為首的京中子弟望著那骰盅下，人人眼神發直。                                                                                                                                    這、這……                                                                                                                                    他們居然輸了？！                                                                                                                                    二樓雅間里，步惜歡臨窗瞧著那賭桌，低頭沉沉一笑。                                                                                                                                    看她平日里冷淡正直，坑起人來也是狠角色。                                                                                                                                    暮青將那堆銀票慢悠悠收起來，放在手里數了數。                                                                                                                                    還不夠，這只是開始。                                                                                                                                    －－－－－－題外話－－－－－－                                                                                                                                    嗯，青青的目標，贏回一個國庫？