The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 372 Fame
Azi wrote the character "好" with a serious expression, then listened attentively to Azhu's explanation for a while before seeing Azhu, Mu Wanqing, and Zhong Ling out of the room.

It was nearly midnight, and the bright moon hung high outside, its shadow faintly visible in the moon palace, its form graceful and indistinct.

Azi walked to the table, took a sip of the white fungus and red date tea, and let out a long sigh.

"Study, study, study, when will it ever end?" She leaned back in her chair, her eyes darting around, looking as if she were living a life worse than death.

"His Majesty has gone out on business and we don't know when he will return..."

"How about... we take this opportunity to sneak out and have some fun, and return to Xingzhou before the King returns?"

"No, no, His Majesty is ruthless and cold-blooded. Once he finds out, he will be furious and might do whatever he wants to you, even slap you to death."

"How about we ask the older sisters to help us cover it up, leave without anyone noticing, and then sneak back?"

“My sisters are all close to the King, but they may not necessarily side with me. Even if they are, there is that wicked servant Tong Guan. He is the King’s confidant and will surely report me to the King, hoping to make a fool of myself and get punished. If the King beats me to death, he will be rid of one of his duties and won’t have to guard me every day, thus enjoying a life of leisure.”

"That scoundrel..."

Thinking of this, Azi became furious. She jumped up from her chair and paced back and forth in the middle of the floor.

During the days Zhao Ti was away, she went out of the house several times, and each time she was closely watched by Tong Guan. Sometimes, even if she made an excuse to slip away, she would be blocked in front of him by some unknown method before she got very far, which made her extremely angry.

One day, she couldn't bear it any longer and went to Tong Guan's place in the middle of the night to poison him. She also used the Divine Wood King Cauldron to summon two snakes and stuffed them into the door. However, the other party was unharmed and even invited her over for snake soup the next day, which frightened her greatly.

This lackey is pretending to be weak while actually being strong. His martial arts skills are clearly excellent, and he may even know some kind of sorcery. He can't escape, and he can't be poisoned to death. He also doesn't hide anything from you. So how can you escape?

Azi became increasingly agitated as she thought about it, stopped in her tracks, and let out a heavy snort.

Her face was pale, but she was helpless. Unable to think of any solution, she decided to go to sleep. When she reached the bedside, she was not paying attention and the Divine Wood King Cauldron hanging from her waist hit the bed frame heavily.

"Oh dear..." Azi was startled and hurriedly took off the Divine Wood King Cauldron to examine it. This was the most valuable thing she had, her only treasure. If she damaged it, not only would she have no support in the future, but she would also be unable to continue cultivating her poison skills, and might even suffer a backlash and lose her life.

The Divine Wood King Cauldron is about six inches tall, deep yellow in color, and exquisitely carved. The wood is firm and smooth like jade, with faint red streaks visible in the grain. There are five round holes the size of copper coins on the side of the cauldron, which can allow poisonous creatures to enter and exit. There is a thin seam at the neck of the cauldron, which seems to divide it into two sections.

She carefully inspected it and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no damage. But just then, she suddenly noticed a faint red light flashing and disappearing in the thin crack at the neck of the wooden cauldron.

"What is that?" Azi was stunned for a moment, then rubbed her eyes.

She turned back to the table and carefully peered into the crack under the light. After only a dozen or so breaths, a red light flashed through the crack of the cauldron once again.

During the day, when it is bright outside, the light is not visible at all; it can only be noticed at night when the lights are half-lit inside the room.

"Could it be... that there is some treasure hidden inside the cauldron?" Azi's heart was suddenly stirred. The light did not seem to be emitted by wood, but rather seemed to be something like a gemstone.

She licked her lips, her eyes fixed on the light, and sure enough, the red light came on again after a while.

Could it be a ruby? Rubies are very valuable. Ah Zi reached into her pocket and touched it; it was empty, she didn't have a single penny.

She diligently worked, tended to the flowers, and studied and wrote. Zhao Ti allocated her a monthly allowance, but since it wasn't yet the full month, she couldn't collect the money.

Besides, how could the monthly allowance compare to a treasure like a ruby? She had heard Ding Chunqiu say before that a ruby, also known as a red ruby, was not priceless, but even half a pigeon egg-sized piece was worth at least several thousand strings of cash.

That's several thousand strings of cash, and if it's even bigger, it could be tens of thousands. With that kind of money, what can't you buy? Rouge, face powder, beautiful dresses, hairpins and jewelry, and you can go anywhere in the world! Azi's eyes gleamed, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the Divine Wood Cauldron.

She thought for a long time, gritted her teeth, took out a dagger, and carefully probed into the crack of the cauldron.

Retrieving the gemstone without damaging the royal cauldron was no easy task. Azi frowned, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and beads of sweat dripped from her forehead in her anxiety.

The tip of the dagger did indeed hit a hard object, but it remained motionless. Clearly, even if it were a ruby, it would be very difficult to remove.

Azi stared blankly at the royal cauldron for a moment, then thought to herself that something was wrong. Gems couldn't possibly grow inside wood. Could there be some kind of mechanism on the cauldron that could be disassembled? Otherwise, how could the gems have been placed inside?

She held the Wang Ding in both hands and examined it carefully, but after looking for a long time, she still couldn't find a way to open the Wang Ding.

Could it be that the opening is this gap on the neck of the cauldron?
With a heavy heart, Azi once again inserted the thin steel blade of her dagger into the crevice, tentatively trying to pry it open.

But the Divine Wood King Cauldron remained completely still, as if the gap was formed naturally and not left by later wedges or rivets.

She dared not use force, fearing she would break the cauldron. Even if she had money, she wouldn't be able to maintain her poison skills and wouldn't have the life to spend it. But if she didn't use force, the cauldron wouldn't open. For a moment, her mind was in chaos and she was in a daze. Unconsciously, the dagger slipped out of the cauldron's crack and cut a small piece of her finger.

She cried out and pulled her wrist back, but two drops of blood fell into the crack of the cauldron. In just a few breaths, crimson light shot out from the crack.

Azi stared in disbelief, then turned to run away in terror, but the red light instantly enveloped her, turning half the room blood-red...

In front of the Yuzhou State Academy, Mo Xun, as usual, did not take a carriage today, but walked and chatted with Zhao Ti.

"Brother Zhao has been hiding his true nature. I never imagined that Brother Zhao's family background is so extraordinary, and he is not just an ordinary commoner as previously thought."

Zhao Ti asked, puzzled, "Is this what Brother Mo meant when he said half of what he said this morning?"

Mo Xun laughed and said, "Brother Zhao, are you still going to hide it? Brother Zhao's family can speak directly with the governor and the prefect, and can also speak with the literary giants in the city. Isn't that extraordinary?"

"Prefectural Governor? The top literary figure in the prefecture?" Zhao Ti shook his head: "Brother Mo must be mistaken. I have never lied to you. My family is indeed a commoner with no background whatsoever. We are not even from a poor family. How could we possibly know a Prefectural Governor?"

Mo Xun said, "Brother Zhao, are you still hiding something? Newly brewed wine with green ant-like leaves, a small red clay stove, the evening sky threatens snow, shall we have a cup?"

Zhao Ti was taken aback: "Brother Mo, this..."

Mo Xun asked, "Isn't this Brother Zhao's poem? Or is there another student named Zhao Ti in the state school?" Zhao Ti smiled wryly and said, "I see. I know now. This poem is indeed mine."

Mo Xun smiled faintly: "This poem is quite evocative, something that no ordinary poet could write, let alone a common scholar. However, if one wants to spread it, it won't be able to do so in just a few days or months without connections. But it's different once one goes through the official channels. It has already spread among the scholars of Yuzhou and is being praised. They say it was written by Brother Zhao from the state school. Brother Zhao is exceptionally talented, and his youthful writing is brilliant. He is a rising star in the literary world."

Zhao Ti immediately felt embarrassed: "Brother Mo, that's a bit much. It was just a lucky coincidence, and it's hard to say whether I'll be able to do it again in the future."

Mo Xun smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, do you still want to say that your family is ordinary? If you were truly ordinary, how could you have such connections?"

Zhao Ti said, "Brother Mo, you misunderstand. This actually has nothing to do with my family. A couple of days ago, a cousin from afar came to visit. I composed a poem during the meal, and my cousin thought it was quite good, saying it could make me famous. I didn't expect it to spread so quickly that even Brother Mo knows about it."

He was astonished. Yang Jian had said he would promote it for him, but he hadn't expected that Yang Jian would go directly to the governor and vice governor of Yuzhou. He was surprised that the other party had such ability. It was really puzzling.

"Cousin-in-law?" Mo Xun asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't that also be related to your mother's family? Your mother must have a different background, and Brother Zhao's father must also be from a prominent family."

Zhao Ti's lips twitched upon hearing this. He had made a guess about this cousin when they first met, and later his father told him about his background. He was a son-in-law who had married into an official family. He figured that this time, he was using the influence of that official family to help him gain connections and promote his reputation, but he couldn't say it outright.

He said, "It's not what Brother Mo thinks. My family has always been commoners, with no one holding official positions. As for my maternal uncle... he has his own connections and has no connection with my family."

"Is that really so?" Mo Xun frowned in doubt. "Then Brother Zhao's cousin is truly no ordinary person. To be able to associate with officials like the Prefect and the Governor-General, he must be a well-known figure, right?"

Zhao Ti said, "This cousin lives far away, and this is the first time I've met him. As for whether he's famous or not, I don't know. In any case, he's neither an official nor a literary figure."

“Strange, strange…” Mo Xun looked thoughtful. “This is indeed strange, but I am still certain that Brother Zhao’s cousin is no nobody.”

Having reached the banks of the Yujiang River, Zhao Ti, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer, changed the subject, asking, "Brother Mo, why haven't you taken a carriage these past two days?"

Mo Xun said, "The old servant who drives the carriage is unwell, and I don't trust the other drivers, so I walked here."

Zhao Ti said, "Actually, walking to school is fine too; it's good for strengthening the body and building up physical fitness."

Mo Xun blinked: "Physical training... Brother Zhao, you're actually thinking about this?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Of course, how can one study well if one's body is not strong? Studying also consumes physical strength. Father said a few days ago that he would go up the mountain to find a big stone for me to make into a stone lock to exercise my body."

Mo Xun's expression changed, and he said, "The best way to improve one's health is to practice martial arts. Some scholars have studied martial arts, and although they may be rudimentary and not necessarily powerful, they are still better than practicing on one's own. If Brother Zhao is interested, I have a few boxing manuals at home that I can show to you."

Zhao Ti was surprised that Mo Xun also advised him to learn martial arts. He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Mo, but it's not necessary. I have no intention of learning martial arts. A simple training session will suffice."

As he walked to the Jade Belt Bridge, he bowed and took his leave. Mo Xun returned the bow, and as he watched him leave, a thoughtful expression appeared on Mo Xun's face.

When Zhao Ti returned home, he found that his father and Zhao Ling'er had already returned. It turned out that Li Meng had stayed late in class, and the state school had let out a little late, so the two of them had arrived home first.

Zhao's mother had already started serving dishes to the table. Zhao's father poured out half a bowl of the leftover liquor from that day. Zhao Ti thought for a moment and then recounted what Mo Yan had just said about his poems being disseminated.

After listening, Zhao's father looked at Zhao's mother expressionlessly. Zhao's mother said, "It's always my uncle who helped his nephew and my thirteenth brother. We'll come back next time to thank him properly."

Zhao's father said, "It's not enough to just find one of those officials; they've actually found them all. That's a bit too much. I think they're making a big fuss about it."

Mother Zhao laughed and said, "It's just Yuzhou. What good is it if we become famous? Even if we gain some recognition, it's just for our poetry and prose skills. It's nothing special."

Father Zhao shook his head and said, "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm afraid that if Ti'er only writes this one good poem, he'll never write another. Wouldn't that make him a laughingstock?"

Mother Zhao shook her head and teased, "Even if a poem is composed by chance, it's only a line or two. Since Ti'er can compose a whole poem, he can definitely compose a second one as well."

Upon hearing this, Zhao's father blushed slightly and was about to speak when a knocking sound came from outside the courtyard.

"Who's rushing to eat?" He hurriedly stood up, trying to cover his embarrassment, and said, "I'll go see."

Father Zhao strode to the door, opened the wooden door, and saw a young girl standing outside. Her hairstyle resembled that of a maid, but her clothes were extremely gorgeous, which made him pause in surprise.

"Young lady, are you looking for..."

The young girl smiled slightly, gave a curtsy, and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "Excuse me, uncle, is this the home of Young Master Zhao Ti?"

"Yes, yes... is the young lady looking for Ti'er?" Zhao's father asked, puzzled.

The young woman smiled and said, "It is my young lady who is looking for Young Master Zhao. She has an invitation to give to him."

"Your young lady?" Zhao's father's lips twitched, and he turned around to call into the house, "Ting'er, someone is looking for you..."

With the windows and doors open, Zhao Ti overheard the conversation at the door and stood up in confusion: "Mother, I'll go see who would send me an invitation."

With a smile in her eyes, Zhao's mother said, "Go on, go on, I can tell she's a young lady."

Zhao Ti scratched his head, walked to the door, and looked at the girl outside: "I am Zhao Ti. May I ask what you are, young lady..."

"So it's Young Master Zhao." The young woman bowed again and took out a double carp-shaped envelope from her person: "This servant is a maid from the residence of the Prefect of Yuzhou. My mistress sent me to deliver an invitation to Young Master Zhao, inviting you to the Yujiang Poetry Gathering in three days."

Zhao Ti was taken aback upon hearing this: "Is your young lady Miss Luo Fu?"

The young woman smiled and said, "So you know my young lady's name, then I won't need to introduce you again. My young lady knows that you are a man of great talent and proficient in poetry, so she sent me to invite you. I hope you will come to the banks of the Yujiang River to attend the Yujiang Poetry Gathering. I will be waiting for your arrival at the poetry boat."

As he spoke, he handed over the double carp-shaped seal in his hand.

Zhao Ti reached out and took the invitation. The girl turned and left, while he held the colorful envelope, his expression shifting uncertainly.

(End of this chapter)