Board ga, Monopoly?
Although Liu Chaniang had given birth to a child and beco a mother, she was not yet thirty years old and still very young.
Upon hearing her daughter's chatter about board gas, Liu Chaniang's eyes lit up, and she could barely sit still.
"If only we had a board ga now, I could let my brother play it during his smallpox inoculation period."
"He wouldn't have to always think about reading and writing, it's too exhausting to overwork his brain."
Xiao Chuchu thought about various board gas and still missed Monopoly the most.
She hadn't played this old-fashioned ga for a long ti herself.
"Monopoly is so much more interesting than the leaf ga the consorts play in the palace."
"The leaf ga makes my head spin, I still don't understand it~"
Liu Chaniang deeply agreed with her daughter's words. She didn't like the leaf ga either, but the Empress Dowager loved it.
When there was nothing else to do, the Empress Dowager would always drag the Empress or other consorts to play it all afternoon.
Liu Chaniang always avoided the Cining Palace during this ti, for fear of being caught to play cards.
Could it be that the board ga her daughter ntioned, this Monopoly thing, was also made of small paper cards like the leaf ga?
"No, I have to recall how the rules of this Monopoly are set. When I grow up, I'll have to recreate it."
Xiao Chuchu was already imagining it.
"I want to play with Mother, Aunt Min, my brother, and even my wet nurse!"
"Hmm, I think each player starts with ten thousand or twenty thousand in money."
"The ga currency has many denominations, from as little as ten yuan to as much as five thousand yuan."
Liu Chaniang stared wide-eyed. This ga had such precise silver values?
"Then there are different properties and lands, with varying prices."
"You roll the dice, and if you land on an unowned property, you can choose whether to buy it or not. If you land on soone else's property, you have to pay rent..."
"In the end, whoever has the most money wins. Hehe, thinking about it this way, making this board ga isn't hard at all."
"Alright, I'm tired," said the Empress Dowager, who hadn't slept much all night due to worry and was ready to dismiss everyone. "You all must be exhausted too, go back and rest."
Liu Chaniang hurriedly stood up. As she took her leave, she was already thinking about whether to make her daughter's 'Monopoly' board with paper or so other material!
This ga sounded so interesting.
Just listening to her daughter talk about it, Liu Chaniang felt a fresh sense of 'playing house.'
But it was more aningful than playing house.
It required thinking, and the competition to see who had the most money truly matched the current prosperous trend in Jing Country, from the Ministry of Revenue to the common people, everyone striving towards wealth!
As Liu Chaniang thought about it, her eyes shone brightly.
"Hmph, so people really know how to put on a show."
"How heartless, not even caring about her own son!"
Consort Li and the other consorts, jealous that Liu Chaniang was praised by the Empress Dowager, started making snide remarks as soon as they left the Cining Palace.
This ti, even the Empress didn't remain neutral. She gave Liu Chaniang a cold look before quickly getting into her palanquin.
"Hmph, if you have the guts, why don't you say it in front of the Empress Dowager?" Consort Min stepped directly in front of Liu Chaniang and lashed out at Consort Li.
Just as Consort Li was about to flare up, Liu Chaniang stopped her.
"Sister Min, let's hurry back. I have sothing important to do."
"???" Consort Li looked at Liu Chaniang in disbelief, seeing that she didn't even glance her way.
"What important thing do you have? Pretending, you're just pretending! Do you think you're the Pri Minister?!" Consort Li was fuming.
She had never been so ignored before, feeling like her punch had landed on cotton.
But Liu Chaniang was truly in a hurry, pulling Consort Min along as she left.
All the way back to the Donghua Palace, Consort Min sighed and stomped her feet for not having scolded Consort Li more.
"Chaniang, you're just too kind. You shouldn't be so kindhearted. Pulling back so early, you should have let , who usually eats vegetarian and chants sutras, mild as a chrysanthemum, scold Consort Li today!"
Consort Min, unable to vent, now paced around in distress.
It couldn't be helped; her son, the sixth prince Cheng Shan, was also undergoing smallpox inoculation this ti.
Consort Min was equally worried about her son. Worry plus displeasure made her want to find soone to vent on, and Consort Li had just stumbled into her path!
How dare she scold her beloved Chaniang!
"No, I'm stifled now. Chaniang, you have to take responsibility," Consort Min pounded her chest.
Even Xiao Chuchu was amused, chuckling.
Liu Chaniang was both amused and exasperated. "Alright, alright, I'll take responsibility. I was just about to bring out the leaf cards. I originally planned to send them to Cheng Qian and Cheng Shan to play, but now I might as well take them out for you to play first."
"Hmm?"
Xiao Chuchu was surprised with a "yee," realizing her mother had the sa idea.
"Yes, the study room won't have classes for ten days anyway. They're all restless children, they should indeed relax and play a bit."
"But the leaf cards..."
Xiao Chuchu's little eyebrows furrowed; she really didn't like this leaf ga.
Consort Min also frowned. "Hmm? Is this the urgent matter you ntioned?"
Liu Chaniang nodded. "They usually study diligently most of the ti, with little rest. This smallpox inoculation is a good chance for them to relax a bit."
"I was also enlightened by the Empress Dowager's words. Didn't she say that even when children are sick, they should maintain a relaxed mindset? They shouldn't worry too much. I've heard the elders at ho say that so people who weren't even sick ended up getting sick from fright."
"Tsk," Consort Min found this reasonable as soon as she heard it. "I've also heard elders say that so didn't die from illness but died from fright. Oh, heavens forbid!" She patted her own mouth, then also beca urgent. "Your Cheng Qian is quite steady, but my Cheng Shan is much more timid. We should indeed let them play a bit, lest they get scared by this smallpox inoculation."
Liu Chaniang imdiately instructed Qiu Li, "Go find my set of leaf ga cards."
Consort Min, who loved martial arts, found the idea of these calculation-heavy cards as mind-boggling as the leaf ga. "Chaniang, are you sure Cheng Qian and Cheng Shan will like this thing the old Empress Dowager enjoys?"
This was what the Empress Dowager played for leisure when she had nothing to do!
The Empress Dowager was over fifty!
How could children of their age like it?
It was the first ti Consort Min doubted Liu Chaniang's decision.
But just as she finished speaking, she heard Liu Chaniang exclaim, "Oh! You've reminded , Sister Min."
"Huh? What?"
Liu Chaniang smiled at Consort Min. "You're right. We should modify the leaf ga cards, change them into a way that children love to play."
"I have an idea. How about we make a 'Who has the Most Money in Jing Country's Bank'?" Liu Chaniang smiled. "It also happens to align with the Ministry of Revenue's call for banks."
"Sister Min, thanks to your reminder, I thought of this."
Consort Min's eyes widened. "...Ah."
How did she remind her? What did she just say?
She didn't feel like she had said anything special.
["Oh my goodness! Could it be that my mother is about to invent the Jing Country version of the Monopoly board ga?!"]
Xiao Chuchu was so excited that her little face turned red as she cooed and babbled in her wet nurse's arms.
["I never imagined that I'd beco a witness to history today!"]
["Mother, please make it quickly! I want to play!"]
In about four hours, Liu Chaniang, with the help of her palace maids and Consort Min, created 'Who Has the Most Money in Jing Country's Bank.'
"This na is a bit hard to rember, not very catchy," the palace maid Qiu Li suggested carefully.
"How about we call it 'Who is the Richest Tycoon'?"
["Holy cow!!"]
Xiao Chuchu exclaid in surprise.
In less than half a day, by that very night, this set of cards nad 'Who Has the Most Money in Jing Country's Bank,' also known as 'Who is the Richest Tycoon,' was sent to the prince at the Qianxi No.5 Residence.
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