I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 577 A Sword as Dowry
at dusk.

Zhou Family Villa.

Li Chungang and Zhou Chengan had finished dinner and were playing chess.

Xu Fengnian rushed over, his face full of excitement, and said, "Cheng'an, I heard that you went to the Yu family today and chopped up their ancestral home?"

"Good heavens, that's the Jiangxin Yu family, which has produced four generations of high-ranking officials. They are one of the four great families in Jiangnan, and even the emperor has to give them some face."

"With you making such a scene, where do you expect people to save face?"

"do you know……"

Xu Fengnian didn't say whether he knew or not, because he noticed that Li Chungang was looking at him with a half-smile.

"Old Li, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

"Cao Changqing has arrived."

These words were not spoken by Li Chungang, but by Zhou Chengan.

Xu Fengnian's smile froze, and he said weakly, "What...what is he doing here?"

"What else can we do but steal your little wife, of course?"

Li Chungang smiled smugly, then stood up and walked away humming a little tune.

Without a doubt, Zhou Cheng'an knew that Li Chungang was deliberately taking the opportunity to slip away because he was already in a losing position in the game.

After all, this wasn't the first time Li Chungang had done something like this.

Xu Fengnian stood there stunned, his mind racing, and it took him a while to come back to his senses.

"Cheng'an," he said earnestly, "Don't interfere in this matter."

As Zhou Cheng'an tidied up the chessboard, he said, "I naturally won't get involved in things like you stealing a wife."

Xu Fengnian nodded and left in a hurry.

For the next two days, he seemed worried, but what was bound to happen eventually did happen.

Cao Changqing has arrived.

However, he also gave Xu Fengnian a few days to think it over, and even promised that as long as Xu Fengnian was willing to let Jiang Ni leave, he would help Xu Fengnian kill the villainous butcher Chen Zhibao.

Chen Zhibao's relationship with Xu Fengnian is somewhat similar to that of Xu Xiao and the Zhao family of Liyang.

However, even without Chen Zhibao, Xu Fengnian was still able to take over Beiliang without causing any major trouble.

But if Li Yang didn't have Xu Xiao, the world would truly descend into chaos.

However, Cao Changqing's deal was clearly ill-intentioned.

If Xu Fengnian really agrees, the relationship between Jiang Ni and him will naturally end.

Furthermore, if the Northern Liang army knew that Xu Fengnian had eliminated Chen Zhibao in this way, no one would respect him.

It has to be said, these scheming people have truly dirty hearts.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhou Chengan went to the Lu residence to keep the appointment as invited.

He thought Xu Zhihu had something important to tell him, but it turned out to be just a simple dinner invitation to reconnect.

Lu Baijie, on the other hand, talked to him about the recent events in the city and agreed to let Xu Zhihu leave.

On the morning of the third day, he personally escorted Xu Zhihu to the Zhou family villa.

As luck would have it, today was the grand literary event in Jiangnan—the debate between Wang Ba. So after arriving at the Zhou family villa, Xu Fengnian led his group to Baoguo Temple.

Zhou Cheng'an knew they would encounter Cao Changqing today, and also knew that the two sides wouldn't fight, so he didn't go to join in the fun.

It is also worth mentioning that Lu Baijie and Xu Zhihu did not go to Baoguo Temple.

After Xu Zhihu handed a piece of lightning-struck peach wood to Zhou Cheng'an, he went to chat privately with Pei Nanwei.

Lu Baijie, meanwhile, was playing chess with Zhou Cheng'an in the pavilion.

After about thirty moves, he couldn't help but ask, "Master Zhou, do you think I could reach a higher level if I went to Northern Mang?"

Zhou Chengan was taken aback, and after a moment's thought, replied, "Mr. Tangxi's sword intent doesn't need that kind of polishing; reading more books is enough."

"read?"

“Yes, reading, the sword of the kingly way, the sword intent is righteous and righteous, it comes from books. Going to the border to hone the sword intent is actually a step down.” Zhou Cheng’an said, placing a piece on the board.

Just then, a figure gracefully landed.

Lu Baijie was slightly surprised, because he had not sensed the other party's aura at all.

Zhou Chengan remained calm and simply addressed him as Mr. Cao.

"Mr. Cao?"

Lu Baijie was slightly taken aback, but then immediately realized what was happening. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Zhou Chengan say, "Xu Fengnian and Jiang Ni are not at my residence at the moment."

"I know, I greeted them at Baoguo Temple before coming here." Cao Changqing said, then floated into the pavilion. He looked at the situation on the chessboard and placed a piece.

Lu Baijie didn't mind this and even offered his seat to the other party.

Zhou Cheng'an followed up with a move: "Then what are you doing here? You can't have come just to play a game of chess with me, can you?"

"Why not?"

"Then please."

The two players made their moves quickly, and in no time, the board was filled with pieces.

Cao Changqing won by a narrow margin of half a point.

"Concession."

Zhou Chengan shook his head: "A loss is a loss. There's no such thing as giving way. All I can say is that Cao Guanzi is truly invincible in the final battle."

He won against Huang Sanjia but lost to Cao Changqing. It wasn't that Cao Changqing was better at chess than Huang Sanjia; it was just that the previous game between them wasn't actually played on a chessboard.

Huang Sanjia smiled and went straight to the point: "Master Zhou and Xu Fengnian are good friends. I believe you know him better than I do. If he cares a lot about something and someone wants to take it away, will he give it to him?"

"If you don't give it to me, why don't you just steal it?" Zhou Chengan retorted.

Cao Changqing was speechless and turned to look at Lu Baijie.

What does Mr. Tangxi think?

Lu Baijie paused for a moment, then pondered, "If it were someone as important as his closest relatives, he would never give it to them. Besides, that prince is not a stingy person; he is both extremely shrewd and calculating. It's not wise to speak rashly."

Upon hearing this, Cao Changqing laughed.

"That's fine."

Zhou Chengan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Do you think that Jiang Ni is just an insignificant maid to Xu Fengnian?"

"Isn't that so?" Cao Changqing asked, a hint of murderous intent in his voice.

Upon learning that Jiang Ni had been treated like a maid in the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion all these years, he found it difficult to suppress his murderous intent.

Zhou Chengan paid no attention to his murderous intent, just chuckled and put away the chess pieces.

Cao Changqing didn't say anything more. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Baijie and then drifted away.

"Master Zhou, that Miss Jiang?"

Lu Baijie asked the question instinctively, but regretted it as soon as he asked.

Fortunately, Zhou Chengan did not answer and continued picking up the chess pieces.

This relieved Lu Baijie greatly. After all, it was better not to know such things, because if he did, it might become a big problem in the future.

Afterwards, the two played a game of chess, and then Lu Baijie returned to the Lu residence.

night.

Xu Fengnian brought two jars of rice wine to find Zhou Chengan.

Each person had their own jar, but Zhou Cheng'an showed no interest in drinking it, jokingly saying, "If you really can't bear to part with it, Cao Changqing can't steal the ginger paste from you."

"Forget it." Xu Fengnian shook his head, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, and sighed, "Cheng'an, sometimes I really envy you. You're so carefree and can do whatever you want."

"No one in this world can do whatever they want." Zhou Cheng'an said with a chuckle, "Besides, don't act like you're the one who's wronged."

You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, giving you a head start over 99% of the world's population. Everyone has their own troubles. You think I'm great, but if you actually became me, you might still think it's better to be yourself.

Xu Fengnian was taken aback and asked, "Then Cheng'an, are you envious of me?" Zhou Cheng'an shook his head without thinking and said, "No."

“If anyone else said that, I would definitely think they were just sour grapes, but if you say it, I believe you!” Xu Fengnian said, taking another big gulp of wine.

Zhou Chengan also took a sip of rice wine and slowly said:
"Everyone has their own path, and every path has its crossroads. How you walk it depends on your own choices."

"I don't like to interfere in other people's affairs, but since I've made a choice, I'll boldly move forward."

"There will be people who will travel with you on the road, and of course, there will be people who will leave halfway."

"But no matter what, you chose this path yourself. You'll only know if it's right or wrong as you go along. Besides, you haven't even started yet, so there's no point in dwelling on it."

Xu Fengnian nodded, about to speak, when he heard Li Chungang laugh loudly and say, "Well said, it's worth a good drink."

Zhou Chengan smiled and tossed the wine jar directly to Li Chungang.

Then, he looked at Xu Fengnian and teased, "If all else fails, I have an idea for you. Before Jiang Ni leaves, you two should just make it a fait accompli. Then, don't even mention the Empress of Western Chu, you can just pack up and send the Crown Prince of Western Chu to him."

Upon hearing this, before Xu Fengnian could react, Li Chungang became anxious.

After all, Jiang Ni was his precious darling, so he couldn't just watch Xu Fengnian cause trouble.

"Xu boy, let me tell you, if you really dare to do that, I won't even need Cao Changqing; I'll make sure you regret it!"

Xu Fengnian, looking completely unconcerned, chuckled and teased, "Old Li, have you ever heard the saying, 'To die beneath a peony is to die a romantic death,' or 'I...'"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Fengnian was cleaved away by a sword aura.

Immediately afterwards, screams rang out from the courtyard.

Zhou Chengan flicked his sleeve and slammed the door shut...

Silent all night.

Early the next morning.

While everyone was packing their luggage, Cao Changqing entered the Zhou family's villa again.

When Cao Guanzi in green arrived at the pavilion, Jiang Ni happened to come out of the pavilion and stand on the steps.

He knelt down immediately and said, "If the princess wishes to marry into the Northern Liang royal family, Cao Changqing may leave today."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ni was struck dumb, her face turning pale.

Some things, if left unsaid, can deceive oneself, allow one to live a muddled life, and lead a carefree and playful existence.

But once it's made clear, there's no room for negotiation.

In the pavilion, Xu Fengnian subconsciously raised his hand as if to grab something, but then put it down.

Picking it up is easy, but putting it down is difficult.

Jiang Ni turned her head and saw Xu Fengnian sitting on the stone bench, who smiled and waved at her.

Neither of them said a word, as if everything was understood without being spoken.

In the end, Jiang Ni chose to leave with Cao Changqing.

Outside the Zhou family's villa.

Cao Changqing somehow obtained a carriage and bowed to invite Jiang Ni to get in.

Xu Fengnian placed his hand on the hilt of the knife.

If this girl turns back, he will make sure she stays here today no matter what.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ni did not turn back.

With Yu Youwei's help, she boarded the carriage without saying a word.

Cao Changqing straightened up, looked at Xu Fengnian, and said expressionlessly, "Cao Changqing will definitely keep his promise."

Xu Fengnian remained calm and coldly uttered a single word.

"roll!"

Cao Changqing did not argue with him and drove away.

Only when the carriage was far away and completely out of sight did Xu Fengnian release his grip on the hilt of the sword and look away.

As soon as Jiang Ni and Yu Youwei left, they quickly packed their luggage and prepared to leave as well.

Just as everyone was about to leave, Xu Fengnian suddenly climbed into the carriage and took out the sword box of the Great Liang Dragon Sparrow.

"Cheng'an, Senior Li, would you like to come with me?" Xu Fengnian said somewhat embarrassedly.

"No, I don't have the time for that."

Li Chungang refused directly, so Xu Fengnian had no choice but to turn his attention to Zhou Chengan.

"Oh, let's go."

After saying that, Zhou Chengan grabbed Xu Fengnian and drifted away.

By the time they caught up, the carriage had already left the city.

on the official road.

Cao Changqing slowly stopped the carriage and sighed softly.

He could disregard everyone else in the world, but he was unwilling to let Princess Taiping hold a grudge against him.

Xu Fengnian clasped his hands in a fist salute to him. When he saw Jiang Ni lift the carriage curtain and peek out, he handed over the sword box containing the Great Liang Dragon Sparrow and said with a light smile, "It's for you."

Jiang Ni didn't reach out, nor did she even glance at the sword box. She stared straight at Xu Fengnian, as if to say, "You chased after me just to tell me this?"

Xu Fengnian simply smiled and placed the sword box behind Cao Changqing in front of Jiang Ni.

"It's rare to see someone feel embarrassed like this," Zhou Cheng'an teased Xu Fengnian, then looked at Jiang Ni and said, "This Great Liang Dragon Sparrow is what his mother asked him to use when he got married; it's a betrothal gift!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ni blushed instantly.

Xu Fengnian took out a dozen or so coins and placed them on the sword box, saying to Jiang Ni, "This young master really doesn't have the habit of carrying silver with him. I'll owe you the rest of the coins for now."

"When you're so poor you can't even afford to eat, come find me in Beiliang, and I'll feed you!"

"Revenge is revenge, but they are two different things."

Jiang Ni stared blankly at the copper coins on the sword box, her eyes brightening.

With his back to the two men, Cao Changqing, his temples now streaked with gray, let out another soft sigh.

Jiang Ni carried the sword box back to the carriage and quietly placed a copper coin, already covered in sweat, tightly clenched in her palm, together with the dozen or so others.

Xu Fengnian shamelessly climbed onto the carriage and sat inside.

Cao Changqing sighed again and looked at Zhou Chengan: "I've seen your chess skills before, but I haven't seen your martial arts skills. Shall we go over there and chat?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to resist beating you to death."

“Perfect, kill me and you can take the princess back.”

After saying that, Cao Changqing leaped up and struck Zhou Chengan with his palm.

Half an hour later...

Within a radius of several dozen feet, all the grass, trees, flowers, and stones had vanished. The ground looked as if it had been plowed, with ravines crisscrossing it, a truly frightening sight.

Xu Fengnian couldn't help but exclaim, "This Cao Changqing is really damn strong."

Zhou Chengan chuckled: "He treats Jiang Ni like his own daughter. If you ever dare to bully her again, not to mention Old Man Li's two green snakes, just Cao Guanzi alone will be enough to make you suffer."

"It's alright, I still have you here." Xu Fengnian smiled. "But that punch you threw just now looked pretty fierce. That old guy was actually unharmed. That's quite impressive."

Zhou Chengan chuckled and said, "I'm leaving."

On the other side, Cao Changqing, who was driving the carriage, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He originally just wanted to spar with Zhou Chengan, but Zhou Chengan's unreasonable punch at the end made him unable to help but retaliate with a heavy blow.

Having used about 70% of his strength, I thought Zhou Cheng'an would be seriously injured and unconscious, lying in bed for three to five months. But unexpectedly, he withstood the blow with his own body and was completely unharmed.

With this physique, he is probably no less than the monks of those two Zen temples, and may even be more than them.

Thinking of this, Cao Changqing couldn't help but sigh softly.

"It's true that new talents emerge in every generation, and the old ones are replaced by new ones!"

(End of this chapter)