40: Chapter 40 Qingyang County is going to hold a poetry festival! (Part 2)

Zhao Zilong had drunk too much, though it was naturally feigned.

At this moment, he was slumped over the table, asleep and completely unresponsive.

"Caiwei, Xiaotian, help Mr. Zhao to a room to rest," Princess Zhu Yunxi ordered.

"Yes, Princess."

"Mm."

Caiwei and Zhao Xiaotian replied, then stood up one after another to help Zhao Zilong to a room to rest.

This was exactly what Zhao Zilong wanted. He intended to stay the night at the Princesss Residence, but felt too embarrassed to ask directly, so he had no choice but to feign drunkenness.

"Caiwei, Xiaotian, let me do it. You two continue eating," Cai Wenjing said, putting down her bowl and chopsticks and standing up.

"Miss Wenjing, let me and Xiaotian handle it." Cai Wenjing was the daughter of the Marquis of Wulie, a young lady of high status; how could they let her do such a thing? Caiwei said immediately.

Zhao Xiaotian added: "Sister Wenjing, we can handle it."

"It's fine, let me do it."

Cai Wenjing looked resolute, and Caiwei couldn't help but look toward Princess Zhu Yunxi.

Princess Zhu Yunxi said: "Let Wenjing do it."

Cai Wenjing walked to Zhao Zilong's side, draped one of his arms over her shoulder, lifted him up, and walked outside.

Princess Zhu Yunxi watched this scene with a faint smile.

"I didn't expect Wenjing to have such deep feelings for Mr. Zhao, to the point where she would fight to do even such a task."

She felt a bit envious in her heart.

Zhao Xiaotian felt a bit uneasy and followed them to the doorway to watch.

"Does Sister Wenjing like Dad? Will she become my mother?"

Although Zhao Xiaotian was young, he was more mature than children his age. He knew many things but simply didn't voice them.

Muttering to himself while watching the direction Cai Wenjing was helping Zhao Zilong toward, Zhao Xiaotian's eyes widened, feeling that something was wrong.

He hurriedly shouted to Princess Zhu Yunxi and Caiwei inside: "Princess Sister, Sister Caiwei, something seems wrong."

His shout startled Princess Zhu Yunxi and Caiwei, and the two hurried to the doorway.

Then, they looked outside and their expressions froze.

Their eyes widened.

They saw that Cai Wenjing had not helped Zhao Zilong to any guest room, but had instead gone to the woodshed.

"Princess, what is Miss Wenjing doing?"

Caiwei looked confused.

Zhao Xiaotian couldn't figure it out either and kept scratching his head.

Princess Zhu Yunxi said: "It's nothing."

Saying this, she walked out. Caiwei and Zhao Xiaotian followed behind.

Zhao Zilong was also bewildered and felt a headache coming on.

He had assumed that Cai Wenjing volunteering to help him to a room meant she was no longer angry with him, but it turned out she had brought him to the woodshed—she was taking revenge on him.

This woman held grudges too easily.

Zhao Zilong was speechless.

However, since he was feigning drunkenness and was supposedly unresponsive, he couldn't do anything.

"Fine, if I have to sleep in the woodshed, so be it."

Zhao Zilong felt very helpless.

After Cai Wenjing placed Zhao Zilong in the woodshed, she glanced at him, let out a soft huff, and left the woodshed.

After walking a short distance, she met Princess Zhu Yunxi.

"Wenjing, why did you help Mr. Zhao to the woodshed?"

Princess Zhu Yunxi asked, feeling somewhat helpless.

Cai Wenjing said: "Sleeping there for one night won't hurt him, Princess, don't worry."

How could she not tell that Zhao Zilong was feigning drunkenness?

He had drunk three jugs of wine last night and was fine, yet tonight, after only two jugs, he was supposedly unresponsive—this was clearly an act.

She just wanted to teach Zhao Zilong a lesson.

Princess Zhu Yunxi said: "Caiwei, take a quilt to Mr. Zhao in a while."

"Yes, Princess."

Caiwei replied.

Zhao Xiaotian scratched his head, truly unable to understand what was going on.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Zhao Zilong woke up.

Although he had been tricked by Cai Wenjing last night and had to sleep in the woodshed, Zhao Zilong had still managed to cultivate for some time.

The original owner had no talent for becoming a martial artist and was only a clerk at the age of forty.

In the end, because of his incompetence, he was abandoned by his wife, Jin Rong.

In his previous life, after going to university, he had entered a company as a salesperson. Because his performance was quite good, he eventually became a sales manager, but he offended a client and was fired, later resorting to food delivery.

As the money he earned became less and less, his wife also chose to leave him. Zhao Zilong knew this feeling all too well.

Now that he had transmigrated, he had a chance to change his fate, and naturally, he would not waste it.

So what if he became a martial artist at forty?

With his golden finger, he could still defy the heavens and change his destiny.

Moreover, his life was constantly developing in a better direction.

Jin Rong, who had cheated on him, and Cao Yun had been locked up in the Fuzheng Division's prison. Although they would be released later, he had ultimately taken revenge on them both.

Most importantly, he had also obtained fifty thousand taels of silver.

With this money, if he spent it normally, he would never run out in his entire life.

He no longer had to worry about food and clothing.

Now, all he had to do was become stronger, rise in rank, and then hold the power of the world in his hands and lie on the knees of beauties while drunk.

The poems he wrote for Princess Zhu Yunxi and the strategies he offered to defeat the enemy might prove useful in the future, allowing him to rise to prominence overnight.

If they didn't, then the current Fuzheng Division would be his starting point, his stepping stone.

Only by continuously performing meritorious service in the Fuzheng Division could he rise step by step.

Currently, capturing Remnants of the Previous Dynasty was the best way to perform meritorious service.

This was also the Fuzheng Division's primary task at the moment.

Of course, Zhao Zilong would not resort to unscrupulous means just to perform meritorious service.

People of the previous dynasty had both good and bad among them.

Some were forced into it and had no choice, like Lee Zhen.

Others simply wanted to restore the country; these were the people he most wanted to capture.

Footsteps sounded outside, interrupting Zhao Zilong's thoughts.

A moment later, someone pushed the door open, and a small head poked in.

It was looking toward Zhao Zilong but met his gaze.

"Ah, Dad, you're awake."

Zhao Xiaotian was startled.

"Come in and talk."

Zhao Zilong called out, and Zhao Xiaotian entered the woodshed.

"Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a little longer?"

"I was afraid Dad didn't cover himself well with the quilt and would catch a cold, so I came to check."

Zhao Xiaotian sat next to Zhao Zilong. Zhao Zilong put his arm around Zhao Xiaotian's shoulders, and the father and son huddled together.

Zhao Zilong said: "Dad is a martial artist now; even if I slept outside naked for a night, I would be fine."

"Dad, are martial artists that powerful?"

Zhao Xiaotian's eyes lit up with longing.

Zhao Zilong said: "Naturally. Dad is currently only a Second-Grade Martial Artist, yet I can lift three or four hundred jin with one hand. If I reach the Ninth-Grade Martial Artist level in the future, or even become a Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster, smashing a mountain with a single punch wouldn't be difficult."

"Dad, can Xiaotian become a martial artist?"

Zhao Xiaotian asked with an expectant look.

Zhao Zilong had indeed neglected the matter of teaching Zhao Xiaotian to become a martial artist. Now that Zhao Xiaotian asked like this, if he was interested, he could teach him to cultivate.

Zhao Zilong said: "Xiaotian, do you really want to become a martial artist?"

Zhao Xiaotian said: "Xiaotian wants to become a martial artist; Xiaotian wants to protect Dad in the future."

"Xiaotian, protecting Dad is secondary. What you must do is protect the people of this world. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. You must become a man with a sense of duty."

"Dad, Xiaotian understands."

Zhao Xiaotian replied readily.

Zhao Zilong said: "In the next few days, Dad will find time to teach you to cultivate."

"Mm."

Zhao Xiaotian nodded heavily, then suddenly remembered something.

Zhao Xiaotian said: "Dad, when I looked out the window at night, I noticed Princess Sister came here several times during the night, but she just stood outside the door and didn't come in. Do you know what that's about?"

The Princess came?

Zhao Zilong was a bit surprised; he hadn't noticed anything at all.

But why would the Princess come outside the woodshed? Did she have something to ask him?

However, whatever the reason, there was no need to come in the middle of the night, right?

Moreover, she didn't wake him up after arriving.

Strange, truly strange.

After eating breakfast made by the chef of the Princesss Residence in the morning, Zhao Zilong and Cai Wenjing left the Princesss Residence and headed toward the Qingyang River.

There were some things Zhao Zilong needed to confirm.

The two of them went by horse.

Although the original owner was a clerk, he knew how to ride a horse.

Zhao Zilong had acquired this ability, just like his painting skills.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at a certain section of the Qingyang River.

Riding their horses and looking at the Qingyang River bank ahead, although winter was approaching, the river water had not yet frozen and was still flowing slowly.

On the bank of this section of the Qingyang River, there was a wooden pavilion.

This was the exact spot Chen Cang had chosen for a picnic a year ago.

The previous Director, Wu He, had also died here after his poison took effect.

Zhao Zilong jumped off his horse, found a solitary tree, and tied the horse to it.

He then walked around in an area about ten meters from the riverbank, as if looking for something.

Cai Wenjing followed behind Zhao Zilong; although surprised, she did not disturb him.

"Just as I expected."

Zhao Zilong squatted down and pulled a wild plant from the ground, though this wild plant had already withered.

With a slight rub of his hand, the leaves of the wild plant crumbled.

A breeze blew across his palm, and the remnants flew off in one direction.

There were many such wild plants here, growing in patches.

"What is this?"

Cai Wenjing asked, confused.

Zhao Zilong said: "heart-breaking grass."

"heart-breaking grass?"