I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

night.

Just as everyone was about to fall asleep under their tattered quilts, Cao Quan returned from outside.

He looked completely drunk, his cheeks were flushed, and he could barely walk.

"Oh, who's back? Isn't this the shopkeeper's godson?"

Chen Shoutian looked at Cao Quan with disdain and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

"I'm your father!"

The only response Chen Shoutian received was the four words "Cao Quan".

Although it was only four words, it was concise and to the point, and Chen Shoutian was so angry that his nose almost crooked.

He pointed at Cao Quan and cursed, "Cao Quan, don't push your luck! Your Cao family is quite well-known in Qingtian Town, how come you've produced such an unfilial descendant? You actually recognized a businessman as your godfather! If word gets out, you'll have completely disgraced your Cao family! If your own father finds out, he'll break your legs!"

Cao Quan snorted coldly, leaning his shoulder against the mountain of rice sacks beside him, and said, "When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. What's wrong with wanting to live better in the capital?"

"But your Chen family is so poor back in your hometown that you can't even afford to eat. Now you're living under someone else's roof, not only eating and sleeping at my godfather's place, but also looking down on him. How can there be such shameless people in the world!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shoutian jumped up, furious.

He clenched his fist and shouted, "Cao Quan, you've got guts! Say what you just said again!"

Cao Quan sneered and said, "You think you can just tell me to talk and then talk? Who do you think you are? If you dare to bare your teeth and spew filth at me again, I'll have my godfather kick you all out of here tomorrow!"

Strangely, Chen Shoutian was not only unafraid, but also said with a smile:

"Do you really need to wait until tomorrow to kick us out? Your godfather doesn't care about you at all, otherwise, why would you still be sleeping here tonight?"

That's true. The warehouse isn't a nice place; it's cold and damp.

If the rice shop owner really cared about Cao Quan, he certainly wouldn't let him sleep here. He only gave him the title of godson because Cao Quan was good at sweet-talking and could make him happy.

It was just a title; the manager treated Cao Quan better than he treated the employees.

"Brother, stop talking."

Chen Wangju reached out and tugged at Chen Shoutian's sleeve.

We're all from the same hometown, there's no need to make things so tense.

"What are you afraid of?"

Chen Shoutian said, "Wangju, you study well, you will definitely become the top scholar this time."

"Once you become the top scholar in the imperial examination, Cao Quan won't even be worthy of carrying your shoes."

"Brother, please stop talking."

Chen Wangju advised again.

Chen Shoutian then lay down again.

He just didn't forget to glare fiercely at Cao Quan.

Cao Quan said he didn't care and went to his seat to lie down.

His gaze was fixed on the falling snow outside the window, lost in thought.

Throughout the entire process, neither Qin Li nor Zhou Biao expressed any opinion.

The two looked at each other and prepared to go to sleep.

Who would have thought that the three fellow villagers, who had such a good relationship on the road, would have such a bad relationship just a few days after arriving in the capital? Life is truly unpredictable.

……

The next morning, the group was woken up early by the workers to start work.

All the work they did was manual labor, like carrying sacks of rice.

It's not about moving the rice sacks from the carts parked outside the warehouse into the storeroom.

It means moving the rice bags out of the warehouse.

When I finally have some free time, my colleagues urge me to chop wood.

During lunch break.

Chen Shoutian couldn't help but smile and came over to the group.

"Brother, what are you laughing at?"

Chen Wangju asked, puzzled.

Chen Shoutian deliberately glanced at Cao Quan, who was squatting to the side and eating a different meal than them, and said, "Of course, I'm laughing at someone who shot himself in the foot."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Wangju asked.

Chen Shoutian said, "I just inquired about Wangju, and guess what? Next year's imperial examination will be organized and presided over by His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Brother, this isn't good news, is it?"

Chen Wangju said.

The Crown Prince doesn't have a good reputation in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The imperial examination is organized and presided over by the Crown Prince, and they have no connection with each other. They definitely won't pass this time.

"Why--"

Chen Shoutian drawled out the last syllable, saying, "You can't say that. This is good news. Wangju, you don't know, but those guys just said that this year's imperial examination is absolutely the fairest and most just one since the founding of our Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Wangju, think about it. If the Crown Prince presides over the Spring Examination, his political enemies will definitely disagree."

"The two sides are fighting to the death, but the ones who benefit aren't either of them, but rather ordinary people like us with no connections or background!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Wangju's eyes suddenly lit up: "Brother, are you serious? Does that mean I, Chen Wangju, can really become the top scholar this time?"

If the high school's list of students wasn't predetermined, Chen Wangju believed that with his knowledge, he had a high probability of becoming the top scorer in the high school entrance exam.

"That's not true!"

Chen Shoutian was also happy for his younger brother, Chen Wangju.

After saying that, Chen Shoutian looked at Cao Quan and said, "Cao Quan, this year's imperial examination is fair and just. It tests knowledge, not flattery."

"You want to take shortcuts like those who came before you, but little do you know, you've taken a dead end."

"Besides, even if you're going to learn to flatter, you should at least find someone decent to flatter."

At this point, Chen Shoutian deliberately lowered his voice: "A rice shop manager? Even if you acknowledge him as your godfather, he can't help you much."

"Ha ha ha ha."

After saying that, Chen Shoutian laughed without any mercy, his laughter full of sarcasm.

Cao Quan didn't say a word, but after finishing his meal, he took the initiative to pick up an axe and chop wood.

He chopped with great force, as if he wasn't chopping wood, but venting his anger.

Not long after, Qin Li finished his meal and came over to chop wood.

Qin Li asked, "You knew about this news yesterday, didn't you? Did the shopkeeper tell you?"

Cao Quan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Qin Li then asked, "Do you regret it? This year's imperial examination was more fair and just than ever before. It didn't compare family background, only knowledge. From what I know of you, Cao Quan, your knowledge is no worse than Chen Wangju's."

Cao Quan put the firewood away, then swung his axe forcefully and cleaved it in two.

Then he put the firewood back up and swung the axe again.

They repeated this process tirelessly.

After a while, Cao Quan finally spoke, saying:

"Regret? What do I have to regret?"

"By finding a godfather, I just want to make my life here better."

"At least I'm eating better than Chen Wangju is now, and it will get even better in the future."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a waiter came running over: "Cao Quan, the manager is calling for you."

Cao Quan dropped his axe, clapped his hands, and followed the waiter away...