Chapter 156: Copper Coin Plus Copper Coin

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gritted his teeth and spat out a satisfying "Get lost!", causing the entire pavilion to crack inch by inch. Cao Changqing, accompanying Jiang Ni, who had on this day regained her identity as Princess Taiping, slowly walked away from the pavilion with his back to it. By the time Xu Zhihu, the old sword god, and others arrived, drawn by the sound, they only saw Xu Fengnian sitting amidst the dust and debris, his expression unreadable, whether it was one of dejection or indignation. Xu Zhihu, who doted on her younger brother the most, could not hide her fury. She wished she could deploy military tallies to besiege and eliminate the defiant Cao Changqing. Two major events had occurred in Yangchun City these past two days: first, a gathering of renowned scholars at Baoguo Temple, discussing strategies for rulership by the winding stream; second, Gu Jiantang's former loyal subordinates and confidants leading troops into the city, undoubtedly targeting the Beiliang Crown Prince. Given the network Xu Zhihu had cultivated over the years in Jiangnan Province, she could leverage her connections to strike back, or at the very least, prevent Cao Changqing from continuing his leisurely pretense.

However, Xu Fengnian, having been warned by the destroyed pavilion, did not maniacally insist on a confrontation with Cao Changqing. After standing up, he walked towards Xu Zhihu, squeezed her hand, and forced a smile, which only made Xu Zhihu feel worse. But she managed to hide her angry expression, and the siblings returned to a room in Xieyi Garden and sat down. Soon after, Qingniao stood at the door and reported, "Princess, Your Highness, Jiang Ni and Cao Changqing have already departed in the carriage arranged by the Tangxi Sword Immortal."

Xu Fengnian asked, "Did Li Chungang follow them?"

Qingniao shook her head, "No, the old sword god asked me to tell Your Highness that he will only leave when you return to Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "What a great reassurance."

Xu Zhihu hesitated, then took a letter from her sleeve and chuckled, "It truly rains when the house leaks. Your second sister just sent a letter, telling you not to go to Shangyin Academy, and even if you do, she won't see you. It seems she's genuinely angry that you came to Huting Commandery first instead of visiting her. Oh, what to do? Should I intercede for you?"

Xu Fengnian smiled wryly, "No, please don't add fuel to the fire. At most, I'll make a detour to Longhu Mountain to find Huang Man'er. Since I didn't visit my second sister first, I should at least make it seem like Shangyin Academy is a grand finale, a show of sincerity. Otherwise, if my second sister says she won't see me, she definitely won't."

Xu Zhihu mentioned Xu Weixiong, who, despite her sharp tongue, had a soft heart, and was family after all. She nodded gently, "Your second sister has high aspirations, but she genuinely cares about you. After you see Huang Man'er, don't send a letter saying you'll visit the academy. Give her a surprise, and she won't be able to look at you with a straight face."

Xu Fengnian's thoughts drifted, and he frowned, asking, "Will my big fight in Yangchun City make Lu Daolin very embarrassed?"

Xu Zhihu replied confidently, "This matter isn't serious. The position of Imperial Academy Chancellor is certainly prestigious, but it's ultimately not as substantial as a Minister of the Six Ministries. Previously, one had to consider scholarly decorum and couldn't stoop to such actions. This time, after suffering a setback, it might even turn into a blessing in disguise. Moreover, Uncle has decided to take up a post in the Ministry of War. Although powerful families contend for influence among themselves, they have never gained much advantage in the Ministry of War, where Gu Jiantang holds sway. Among the Six Ministries, it's the Ministry of War where sons of aristocratic families have the least say. This time, with Uncle stepping in, even those who are at odds with the Lu family will likely have to grudgingly agree. If the head of the Lu family can then control a ministry, the Lu family will have ascended a step, avoiding the past situation of being caught between two difficult positions and facing resentment. The Grand Scholars of various halls and pavilions, the chief officials of the two provinces, the six ministers, plus over twenty vice ministers of the Six Ministries—these are considered first-tier capital officials. Whether a family gains power depends crucially on whether they can secure one or two positions among them. The Central Secretariat, due to its long-standing lack of a Chancellor, has over a dozen senior eunuchs each leading their own factions. Furthermore, the one in the capital also doesn't allow these people to band together, making it less influential than the Six Ministries."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Xu Zhihu asked, "Are you just letting them go?"

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "Cao Changqing is an old sparrow from Spring God Lake; he's seen his share of storms. The fact that he didn't lay a hand on me was already out of consideration for Jiang Ni. I had two paths before me: one was to hope Li Chungang would exert his full strength, drawing in Zhao Gou, the government, and the military—these three major forces—to jointly eliminate Cao Changqing. If I were to offend him to such an extent and he managed to escape, not only would I be in danger, but even Xu Xiao might have to grit his teeth and deal with his assassinations. I'm helpless against sneak attacks from such masters; Miss Haha alone has brought me to the brink of death multiple times. If Cao Changqing wants to kill someone, only the one in the capital could barely hold their ground, resulting in a draw. The other path is to accept my fate and put it out of sight, out of mind. What can I do when my skills are inferior? The martial world is treacherous, so as they say, 'When you roam the martial world, how can you avoid getting cut?' Wen Hua said that, and it's damn true. Otherwise, I'd gallantly tell Cao Changqing, 'If you've got the guts, come duel me!' But can I? I might just finish speaking and he'd be using my head as a football."

Xu Zhihu patted the Crown Prince's hand, comforting him, "Once you control the Beiliang Iron Cavalry, you'll fear no one."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Sister, don't worry. The six thousand li I traveled with Old Huang weren't for nothing; my liver isn't that fragile. Wen Hua's a rude talker, but there's another line after 'how can you avoid getting cut?' It's quite profound."

Xu Zhihu asked curiously, "Tell me."

Xu Fengnian laughed heartily, "When you roam the martial world, how can you *always* get cut!"

Xu Zhihu burst out laughing, tears streaming down her face. It was unclear if she was amused or heartbroken.

Xu Fengnian, wiping away her tears for the second time that day, gently said, "Sister, I should probably leave soon. If you keep crying, I won't be able to go."

Suppressing her reluctance to part, Xu Zhihu feigned magnanimity, "Go on, go on! I was planning to introduce you to some beautiful, respectable ladies from Jiangnan Province—they're all so vibrant. It's better if you leave; it'll save my Erqiao from being distracted."

Xu Fengnian let out a speechless laugh, "Is that girl Erqiao being foolish or blind to take a liking to me?"

Unconsciously, tears welled up in Xu Zhihu's eyes again, and she said, exasperated and with a catch in her voice, "Do you think everyone is as heartless as that girl Jiang Ni?! Just leaving like that! Even a dog you raise develops feelings!"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Sister, that's going too far."

Xu Zhihu let out a heavy sigh, indignantly saying, "It's not easy for her either; such small shoulders have to bear the burden of the entire Western Chu. After all is said and done, Cao Changqing is no great man. To say he entered the imperial palace three times over the years sounds heroic, but in the end, he still has to use a little girl like Jiang Ni as a shield. It truly tarnishes his lifelong reputation in his later years!"

Xu Fengnian stood up, saying, "I'm going out for a walk."

Xu Zhihu asked worriedly, "Are you alright now?"

Xu Fengnian made a silly face, and only then did Xu Zhihu let him go.

Qingniao did not follow him. Xu Fengnian walked to the courtyard gate, then hesitated and turned back into the courtyard, entering a side room. It was elegant and clean, with a large book chest in the corner. Xu Fengnian saw over a dozen copper coins scattered on the table. He sat down and picked them up one by one, holding them in his palm. Years ago, she had walked alone into the Beiliang King's residence; today, she left the courtyard with nothing. Xu Fengnian stacked the coins on the table, resting his chin on it, lost in thought. Realizing his chin felt damp, he suddenly came to, gave a bitter smile, then his eyes hardened. He swept the coins into his hand, quickly left the room, retrieved his sword casket, went to the stables to get a horse, and rode out alone.

He caught up with the carriage, which Cao Changqing himself was driving, on the official road.

Cao Changqing slowly stopped the carriage, not intentionally making things difficult again for the Crown Prince, who had spoken disrespectfully.

His arrival alone on horseback was already a sufficient show of sincerity.

Cao Changqing could even kill the Emperor; why would he genuinely quibble over a single "get lost" word?

Had he not been shocked by the truth, Cao Changqing could have gradually concluded matters, avoiding the current worst-case scenario that seemed peaceful but was in fact a mutual defeat.

Cao Changqing could disregard the opinions of everyone in the world, but he was unwilling to let Princess Taiping bear a grudge against him.

Xu Fengnian waited for Jiang Ni to lift the curtain and peek out, then offered her the sword casket containing the Daliang Dragon Sparrow, saying casually, "This is for you."

Her eyes were unfocused; she didn't reach out and was about to drop the curtain without even glancing at the zitan sword casket.

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 casket. The Crown Prince said with a smile, "I genuinely don't have the habit of carrying money with me. The rest of the copper coins are on credit for now. When you're so poor you're penniless and can't make ends meet, come find me in Beiliang; I'll make sure you're fed. Vengeance is vengeance; these are two separate matters."

The Little Mud Doll stared blankly at the copper coins on the sword casket, and her eyes lit up.

Cao Changqing, whose temples were streaked with white, sighed softly, though his back was to them.

Xu Fengnian took a deep look at Princess Taiping, whose tear stains hadn't been fully wiped away, and joked, "We're about to part ways. With Uncle Qi Zhao by your side, you probably won't find anyone to bully you anymore. How about a smile?"

Jiang Ni instinctively glared, but she couldn't manage to look fierce or smile.

On horseback, Xu Fengnian straightened up, no longer hesitating. He turned his horse around and rode slowly. After only a few steps, the Crown Prince pulled the reins, stopping his horse, and said gravely, "Cao Changqing!"

The green-robed Cao Changqing, without waiting for Xu Fengnian to speak further, calmly said, "Zhao Gou is accounted for. In the past, when the Princess wasn't here, Cao Changqing allowed them to jump around. On this journey, I will ensure they are all eliminated."

Xu Fengnian said nothing more and galloped away on his horse.

Jiang Ni sat in the carriage, cradling the sword casket, and quietly placed the single sweat-soaked copper coin she had tightly clutched in her hand together with the other dozen or so coins.

Cao Changqing murmured, "This young man has great magnanimity."