I transmigrated and became a discarded queen. The emperor doesn't care about anything. All he thinks about is trash. When he sees me, he can't eat. The harem is lonely, teaching people to gamble and earn a few meals. The princes, each more handsome and rich than the last, enthusiastically invited me out of the palace for a gamble. Meeting a proud pockmarked face, betting on whether or not to pay. He said domineeringly, "I am the Emperor. All the money in this world is mine. Why should I give it to you, fat woman?" "You're the emperor, and I'm also the empress. If I lose, I won't pay ..." I ran, but didn't give him the money. He was the emperor, so if he caught the empress gambling, he wouldn't be wasted. I won't retire even if I were beaten to death. There were many pretty boys outside, but it was also very dangerous. They all wanted to think about their own ideas. Beautiful men were like wine, intoxicating one with their eyes. The pockmarked emperor looked like a dog and wanted to bite me. The Second Sky of Fire and Ice trembled as they watched the battle between men. For power, for power, for me.

I transmigrated and became a discarded queen. The emperor doesn't care about anything. All he thinks about is trash. When he sees me, he can't eat. The harem is lonely, teaching people to gamble and earn a few meals. The princes, each more handsome and rich than the last, enthusiastically invited me out of the palace for a gamble. Meeting a proud pockmarked face, betting on whether or not to pay. He said domineeringly, "I am the Emperor. All the money in this world is mine. Why should I give it to you, fat woman?" "You're the emperor, and I'm also the empress. If I lose, I won't pay ..." I ran, but didn't give him the money. He was the emperor, so if he caught the empress gambling, he wouldn't be wasted. I won't retire even if I were beaten to death. There were many pretty boys outside, but it was also very dangerous. They all wanted to think about their own ideas. Beautiful men were like wine, intoxicating one with their eyes. The pockmarked emperor looked like a dog and wanted to bite me. The Second Sky of Fire and Ice trembled as they watched the battle between men. For power, for power, for me.

St Petersburg, 1899. Obsessive gambler Rubashov has played every game in town. Now on New Year's Eve, he finds himself on the brink of ruin, and decides to make a bid for the ultimate rush, the biggest gamble ever, to challenge the Devil to a game of poker. Rubashov loses. His punishment is not to go straight to Hell (Hell is full and has been for years), instead he is condemned to immortality. And so begins a monumental trip through Europe, as Rubashov encounters some of the twentieth century's most notorious characters.

Of the two women betting on men, one loved to gamble like her life, the other loved money like her life. One hoped to win over the God of Gambling Husband, while the other tried to win a lot of gold with her fiance.The two women had their wish. Hua Tianyu had successfully won the God of Gambling Husband from Servant Qian, and not only did Servant Qian win Hua's ten thousand taels of gold, he had also picked up a pretty good fiance.The crown prince, Hua Yuchen, had been defeated by his younger sister, Hua Tianjiao, and the gambler, Li Mufan, had been defeated by his unmarried wife, Servant Qian, by the gambling-mongering princess, Hua Tianyu.How would the two men who were treated as wagers punish these two bold women?

American folklife is steeped in world cultures, or invented as new culture, always evolving, yet often practiced as it was created many years or even centuries ago. This fascinating encyclopedia explores the rich and varied cultural traditions of folklife in America - from barn raisings to the Internet, tattoos, and Zydeco - through expressions that include ritual, custom, crafts, architecture, food, clothing, and art. Featuring more than 350 A-Z entries, "Encyclopedia of American Folklife" is wide-ranging and inclusive. Entries cover major cities and urban centers; new and established immigrant groups as well as native Americans; American territories, such as Guam and Samoa; major issues, such as education and intellectual property; and expressions of material culture, such as homes, dress, food, and crafts. This encyclopedia covers notable folklife areas as well as general regional categories. It addresses religious groups (reflecting diversity within groups such as the Amish and the Jews), age groups (both old age and youth gangs), and contemporary folk groups (skateboarders and psychobillies) - placing all of them in the vivid tapestry of folklife in America. In addition, this resource offers useful insights on folklife concepts through entries such as "community and group" and "tradition and culture." The set also features complete indexes in each volume, as well as a bibliography for further research.

The first study in English to offer a systematic introduction to the Chinese pantheon of divinities. It challenges received wisdom about Chinese popular religion, which, until now, presented all Chinese deities as mere functionaries and bureaucrats. The essays in this volume eloquently document the existence of other metaphors that allowed Chinese gods to challenge the traditional power structures and traditional mores of Chinese society. The authors draw on a variety of disciplines and methodologies to throw light on various aspects of the Chinese supernatural. The gallery of gods and goddesses surveyed demonstrates that these deities did not reflect China's socio-political order but rather expressed and negotiated tensions within it. In addition to reflecting the existing order, Chinese gods shaped it, transformed it, and compensated for it, and, as such, their work offers fresh perspectives on the relations between divinity and society in China.