Prince Xu bit his teeth and spat out the satisfying word ” Go away ( Go away)” with gritted teeth, which caused the entire pavilion to crack inch by inch. Cao Guanzi accompanied Jiang Ni, who had resumed her identity as the Princess Taiping for the day, walking slowly away from the pavilion with their backs to it. When Xu Zhihu and the old swordsman heard the commotion and rushed over, they only saw Xu Fengnian sitting amidst dust and debris, his expression impossible to read—whether it was embarrassment or anger. Xu Zhihu, who cherished her younger brother the most, could not hide her fury, wishing she could mobilize military seals to hunt down the rebellious Cao Guanzi. In Yangchun City, there were two major events over the past two days: one was the gathering of scholars at Baoguo Temple to discuss kingship along the winding stream, and the other was the arrival of the trusted general and direct lineage of Gu Jiantang, clearly targeting the Prince of Beiliang. With the connections Xu Zhihu had accumulated over the years in Jiangnan, it was not impossible to use this to her advantage, or at least prevent Cao Changqing from continuing to parade around like a sorcerer.
But Xu Fengnian, who had destroyed the pavilion as a warning, did not lose his mind and stubbornly confront Cao Changqing. Instead, he stood up, walked over to his elder sister Xu Zhihu, held her hand, and managed a smile. Seeing this only made Xu Zhihu feel worse, but she finally managed to suppress her anger. The two siblings returned to their rooms in Xieyi Garden. Not long after, Qing Niao stood at the door and reported, “Princess, Prince, Jiang Ni and Cao Changqing have already taken the carriage arranged by Tangxi Sword Immortal and departed.”
Xu Fengnian asked, “Did Li Chungan follow them?”
Qing Niao shook her head, “No. The old swordsman told me to relay a message to the Prince: he will only leave once you return to Beiliang.”
Xu Fengnian chuckled, “What a great reassurance.”
Xu Zhihu hesitated for a moment, then took out a letter from her sleeve and smiled, “It’s just our luck that it’s raining on a leaking roof. Your second sister just sent a letter saying you shouldn’t go to Shangyin Academy, and even if you do, she won’t see you. It seems she’s really angry that you came to Huting Prefecture first instead of going to her. What should we do? Should I help plead with her?”
Xu Fengnian smiled bitterly, “No, please don’t add fuel to the fire. At most, I’ll detour to Longhu Mountain to find Huangman’er first. Since I didn’t go to see my second sister first, I should at least make it seem like I’m visiting Shangyin Academy as a grand finale. Otherwise, if she says she won’t see me, she’ll definitely shut the door in my face.”
Xu Zhihu, who had a sharp tongue but a soft heart when it came to Xu Weinian, nodded gently, “Your second sister has a high temper, but she truly cares about you. After you see Huangman’er, don’t write to say you’re coming to visit the academy. Surprise her, and she won’t be able to keep a stern face with you.”
Xu Fengnian’s thoughts drifted, and he frowned, asking, “Will my recent outburst in Yangchun City embarrass Lu Daolin?”
Xu Zhihu, confident in her answer, said, “This isn’t a big deal. The position of National Academy Chancellor is certainly prestigious, but it’s not as practical as being a Minister of the Six Ministries. In the past, they had to maintain the dignity of scholars and couldn’t stoop to do such things, but now that they’ve suffered a loss, it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Besides, Uncle has decided to take a position in the Ministry of War. Although the powerful families are competing for power, the Ministry of War, which has always been under Gu Jiantang’s control, hasn’t been able to gain any advantage. Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of War is where the aristocratic offspring have the least say. This time, with Uncle stepping in, even those who are at odds with the Lu family will probably have to reluctantly agree. If the head of the Lu family can also take control of a ministry, the Lu family will have taken a step up, no longer having to play the role of a small bride caught between two fires. The various Grand Secretaries of the Halls, the heads of the two provinces, the six Ministers, and more than twenty Deputy Ministers make up the first tier of imperial officials. Whether a family is in power depends on whether they can secure one or two positions among them. The Secretariat has long lacked a Chancellor, and the dozen or so Yellow Gate officials each have their own factions. Moreover, the Emperor in the capital won’t allow them to band together, so they are not as powerful as the Six Ministries.”
Xu Fengnian sighed, “Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”
Xu Zhihu asked, “Are we just going to let them go?”
Xu Fengnian replied helplessly, “Cao Changqing is an old sparrow on the Spring God Lake, having seen all sorts of storms. Not attacking me is already because of Jiang Ni’s sake. I have two choices: one is to hope that Li Chungan will go all out, and with Zhao Gou, the government, and the military, we can kill Cao Changqing together. If I go that far and offend him, ruining his grand plan, once he escapes, it won’t just be me—maybe even Xu Xiao will have to face his assassination head-on. I know how unstoppable these high-level assassins can be. A single Huhu Girl has nearly killed me several times. As for Cao Guanzi, when he wants to kill someone, only the Emperor in the capital can Reluctantly manage to avoid a decisive outcome. The other choice is to turn a blind eye and accept my fate, since I’m not as skilled as him. It’s just how things are. The martial world is dangerous, so how can one avoid getting cut when walking through it? That’s what Wen Hua said, and it’s really quite true. Otherwise, I’d love to arrogantly tell Cao Guanzi to come and fight me, but can I? I might end up with my head used as a football right after I say that.”
Xu Zhihu patted the Prince’s hand and comforted him, “Once you take control of the Beiliang Iron Cavalry, you won’t have to fear anyone.”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Sister, don’t worry. The six thousand miles I walked with Lao Huang weren’t in vain. My heart isn’t so fragile that it can’t handle a little pain. Wen Hua may talk nonsense, but there’s more to his saying: ‘How can one always be cut when walking through the martial world?’ It’s quite meaningful.”
Xu Zhihu, curious, asked, “Tell me more.”
Xu Fengnian laughed, “How can one always be cut when walking through the martial world?”
Xu Zhihu burst into laughter, tears streaming from her eyes. Whether it was from amusement or sadness, she couldn’t tell.
This was the second time Xu Fengnian had helped his elder sister wipe away her tears. Gently, he said, “Sister, I should really be going now. If you keep crying, I won’t be able to leave.”
Xu Zhihu suppressed her reluctance and pretended to be magnanimous, “Go on, go on. I was originally planning to introduce you to some beautiful young ladies from clean backgrounds. The girls in Jiangnan are so delicate and charming. Now that you’re leaving, it’s better this way. It’ll save my Xiao Qiao from being lovesick.”
Xu Fengnian was taken aback and smiled, “What’s Xiao Qiao thinking? Would she really fall for me?”
Unconsciously, tears welled up in Xu Zhihu’s eyes again as she laughed through her tears, “Do you think everyone is as heartless as Jiang Ni?! Even a dog would grow fond of you if you kept it around!”
Xu Fengnian sighed, “Sister, you’re going too far with that.”
Xu Zhihu exhaled heavily, still upset, “She’s had it rough too, carrying the entire Western Chu on her small shoulders. In the end, it’s Cao Changqing who’s the real villain. All his heroic tales of storming the palace three times were just for show, and in the end, he still used a little girl like Jiang Ni as a scapegoat. What a shame for a man of his reputation!”
Xu Fengnian stood up, “I’ll go out for a walk.”
Xu Zhihu was worried, “Are you okay now?”
Xu Fengnian made a silly face like a pig’s snout, and only then did Xu Zhihu let him go.
Qing Niao didn’t follow. Xu Fengnian walked alone to the courtyard gate, hesitated, and then returned to one of the side rooms in the courtyard. It was elegant and clean, with a large bookcase in one corner. Xu Fengnian saw a dozen copper coins scattered on the table. He sat down and picked them up one by one, holding them in his palm. Back then, she had come alone and helpless to the Beiliang Prince’s Mansion, and today she was leaving the courtyard with nothing as well. Xu Fengnian stacked the coins on the table, resting his chin on it and lost in thought. He suddenly realized his chin was damp, snapped out of his daze with a bitter smile, and then his eyes turned resolute. He quickly gathered the coins, hurried out of the room, grabbed his sword case, went to the stable to mount his horse, and rode off alone.
He caught up with the carriage driven by Cao Changqing himself on the official road.
Cao Changqing slowly stopped the carriage, not intending to further provoke the prince who had spoken disrespectfully.
After all, coming alone on horseback was already a sign of sincerity.
Cao Changqing could kill even an emperor. Would he really care about a single word of dismissal?
If not for realizing the truth, Cao Guanzi could have ended things gradually, avoiding the worst-case scenario that now seemed peaceful but was actually a lose-lose situation.
Cao Guanzi could care less about the world’s opinion, except for not wanting to be hated by Princess Taiping.
Xu Fengnian waited until Jiang Ni lifted the curtain and peeked out before handing her the sword case containing the Great Liang Longque sword, saying casually, “It’s for you.”
She looked dazed, didn’t reach out, and was about to lower the curtain without even glancing at the sandalwood sword case.
Xu Fengnian bent down and placed it behind Cao Changqing, right in front of her.
There was also a string of copper coins on the sword case. The prince smiled and said, “I don’t usually carry money, so I’ll owe you the rest. When you’re broke and starving, come to Beiliang and find me. I’ll feed you. Revenge is revenge; it’s a separate matter.”
Xiao Ni stared at the copper coins on the sword case, her eyes lighting up.
Cao Changqing, with white temples, though his back was to the two, still sighed softly.
Xu Fengnian looked deeply at Princess Taiping, whose tears hadn’t been fully wiped away, and joked, “Since we’re parting ways, with Qi Zhao Uncle by your side, I’m afraid there’ll be no one to bully you anymore. How about a smile?”
Jiang Ni instinctively glared but couldn’t manage to look fierce or smile.
Xu Fengnian straightened in the saddle, no longer hesitating, turned his horse, and rode slowly away. Just as the horse had taken a few steps, the prince pulled the reins, stopped the horse, and said firmly, “Cao Changqing!”
Without Xu Fengnian needing to speak, the green-robed Cao Guanzi calmly said, “What’s Zhao Gou to me? In the past, when the Princess wasn’t around, I tolerated their antics. This time, I’ll make sure they’re wiped out.”
Xu Fengnian said nothing more and rode off at full speed.
Jiang Ni hugged the sword case and returned to the carriage, quietly placing a copper coin she had tightly clenched in her sweaty palm alongside the others.
Cao Changqing murmured, “This young man is truly magnanimous.”
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