I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 574 Entering Jiangnan

After leaving Xiangfan, the group soon left Qingzhou.

After leaving Qingzhou, they headed straight for Jiangnan Road without stopping.

During this period, the group either camped in the wilderness or stayed in the private residences of some former Beiliang army members outside the city, and the journey was quite peaceful.

However, everyone would see Qing Gang rushing towards the heavens every night. When the young prince left, he was always dressed neatly, but when he returned, he was covered in dust or barely clothed.

Most people didn't know what was going on; only a small number knew that Li Chungang was teaching Xu Fengnian swordsmanship.

Of course, you could also say that Xu Fengnian was getting beaten up.

And so, as Xu Fengnian was beaten every day, the group passed through Qingzhou and then Yuzhou.

After passing through Yuzhou, you will arrive at Yangzhou.

Xu Fengnian was going to visit his elder sister, Xu Zhihu, in Huting County, Jiangnan Province.

Therefore, after entering Yangzhou, they went directly to Yangchun City in Huting County.

Once inside the city, Li Chungang, who had been playing a game of chess with Zhou Cheng'an in the carriage, complained that he was hungry.

Therefore, the group randomly chose a restaurant to eat at.

The restaurant was quite crowded, and the arrival of the Phoenix Battalion's light cavalry outside the restaurant caused quite a stir among the city's residents.

With the cavalry waiting outside, the people inside the restaurant naturally couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

The two granaries under heaven are Beiliang's horse granary and Jiangnan Road's granary. Jiangnan Road is the richest place under heaven. For nearly a century, many prefectures and counties have produced many scholars, and the atmosphere of intellectual conversation and staff work is very strong.

In the eyes of scholars in Jiangnan, no one is beyond criticism and no matter is beyond comment. Of the 30,000 students in the Imperial Academy and the National Academy in the capital, the group that most enjoys giving advice on state affairs mostly comes from Jiangnan.

Xu Fengnian entered Jiangnan in a grand manner with dozens of light cavalry guards, making quite a splash.

In addition, Xu Fengnian had been making a big show of his journey.

The Battle of the Reed Marshes outside Xiangfan City is known throughout the land.

They were all astonished!
Besides the old sword god Li Chungang defeating the sword crown Wu Liuding, and the notorious playboy prince Xu Fengnian of Beiliang showing considerable strength, what was even more surprising was that Zhou Chengan, the second-ranked martial arts leader of Qingcheng Mountain, single-handedly summoned heavenly lightning to kill Zhao Kai, the illegitimate son of Emperor Zhao Chun, and killed Han Shengxuan, one of the three great demons, with a single sword strike.

As the emperor's illegitimate son, Zhao Kai had two masters, Han Diaosi and Yang Taisui, as well as five talisman generals, Jin, Mu, Shui, Huo, and Tu, all in red armor, indicating that his status and position were extraordinary.

Even so, he was still killed in one fell swoop by Zhou Cheng'an, the leader of Qingcheng Mountain.

However, the imperial court did not react, leading the literati of Jiangnan to believe that the Liyang court was too weak and Qingcheng Mountain too arrogant, and they launched a barrage of criticisms in their conversations.

As for Han Shengxuan's death, they did not feel sorry for him. After all, he was just an old eunuch, and a notorious one at that. He was dead, so be it.

In short, after the battle at the reed marshes, everyone in the martial arts world knew that the Crown Prince of Beiliang was accompanied not only by the former Sword God Li Chungang, but also by the Master of Qingcheng Mountain.

The news that the Qingcheng Mountain sect leader had killed Han Shengxuan with a single sword strike reached the ears of various factions, causing quite a stir.

The battle in the reed marshes demonstrated that Zhou Cheng'an's strength was definitely more than what was previously rumored in the martial arts world.

For a time, everyone was speculating about the true level of this rising star, "Zhou Yichui," the head of Qingcheng Mountain.

It should be noted that everyone previously thought Zhou Cheng'an was only at the Vajra Realm.
But now... all I can say is that even if it's the Vajra Realm, it's definitely the Great Vajra Realm.

Of course, some people speculate that it is the Great Celestial Phenomenon Realm.

Even the realm of terrestrial immortals has been mentioned.

But no one mentioned the Pointing to the Profound Realm.

Because in the eyes of the world, apart from Cao Guanzi, no one in the realm of Zhixuan is a match for Han Shengxuan.

Inside the hall, people were talking amongst themselves, saying some unpleasant things, not about Zhou Cheng'an, but about Xu Zhihu.

Zhou Cheng'an knew about this. Apparently, there was a scholar named Liu Liting from Yangzhou who took a fancy to Xu Zhihu and wanted to divorce his wife. However, it turned out that his wife was also a remarkable person, and her family was quite powerful.

Liu Liting never expected that his wife's family had a connection with a concubine in the palace. After realizing his predicament, he immediately turned the tables and accused Xu Zhihu of seducing him.

A concubine in the palace who had compiled the "Precepts for Women" seized the opportunity to exert her influence, ordering Xu Zhihu to copy the "Precepts for Women" three times.

It's short, but incredibly humiliating.

As a result, after Xu Fengnian left Xiangfan safely, the imperial concubine was banished to the cold palace.

Xu Fengnian was obviously unaware of this matter. Upon hearing it, he immediately smashed the man's table with a knife and said to Zhou Cheng'an, "Cheng'an, I'm going to kill someone!"

Zhou Chengan slowly ate a bite of food and said calmly, "As long as the innocent are not harmed."

Few of the high-ranking officials and nobles in the snowy world have clean hands.

Should Liu Liting be killed?
He deserves to be killed!

He was the one who first took a liking to Xu Zhihu and wanted to divorce her, but later, due to the influence of his wife's family, he turned against her and smeared her.

This is because Xu Zhihu has the support of the Northern Liang Royal Palace. If it were anyone else, they would probably only have death if he forced them with that "moral" article about breaking up.

Xu Fengnian nodded: "Don't worry, I will only kill the ringleaders."

"To be honest, I don't really like these literati and scholars in Jiangnan Road either. It would be good to teach them a lesson," Zhou Chengan said with a smile.

Among the scholars in the snow, there were few whom he truly admired, only Zhang Julu.

As for the rest, like Huang Sanjia and Cao Changqing, I wasn't particularly interested.

As for Xuanyuan Jingcheng, Zhou Cheng'an pitied him and admired his forbearance, but at the same time despised him.

Confucianism teaches that one should cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng couldn't even manage to have a proper family, so even though he had become a Confucian sage, he still looked down on him.

As for the remaining scholars, it is undeniable that some are truly concerned about the country and its people, but most of them are just people who have read a few books and then start swaying their heads and talking big.

They haven't even managed to cultivate themselves, let alone manage their families, govern the state, or bring peace to the world.

After a quick lunch, the group split into two groups.

Xu Fengnian then led half of the Fengzi Battalion to settle accounts with Liu Liting.

As for the other half, Ning Emei led them to the Lu family.

Yangzhou has been home to many powerful families since ancient times. If it weren't for an unjust war during the Spring and Autumn Period that suppressed the Jiangzuo Group of Yangzhou, the Qing Party of Qingzhou, which has only recently gained power, would be nothing.

Within the Jiangnan region, the Lu family of Huting, which had served as prime ministers for the Song Dynasty for eight generations, the Yu family of Jiangxin, which had produced three dukes for four generations, the Yuan family of Boling, which was renowned for its philosophical discussions, and the Xu family of Gumu, were all first-rate aristocratic families that were once among the top ten clans. After the national war led to the tragedy of "nine out of ten being wiped out," these four families began to keep a low profile.

The Lu family that Ning Emei was going to was the Huting Lu family, also known as the Linlang Lu family.

As one of the four great families of Yangzhou, the Lu family's foundation is naturally not to be underestimated. Ning Emei said somewhat embarrassedly, "Master Zhou, I might be a bit arrogant in a little while, so you'll have to look after me."

"It's natural to be a bit arrogant and domineering when you're venting your anger, so don't worry about it," Zhou Chengan said with a smile.

The Lu family acted dishonorably this time. If they had been willing to protect Xu Zhihu even slightly, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. Now that the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion has attacked the Lu family, they deserve it.

The group arrived at the Lu family mansion. Without saying a word, Ning Emei raised her halberd and slashed down fiercely, shattering the Lu family's gate.

A group of Lu family guards rushed out, and the two sides were instantly embroiled in a fierce battle.

To be precise, it was Ning Emei and her group who unilaterally beat people up; Zhou Cheng'an didn't need to get involved at all.

Li Chungang naturally didn't need to make a move; he stood behind, yawning idly.

A moment later, a sword aura rose from the Lu family mansion.

Li Chungang raised an eyebrow slightly: "It seems like an acquaintance has come."

As he finished speaking, a middle-aged scholar emerged with a pageboy who carried a sword instead of a book.

The middle-aged scholar first bowed slightly to Zhou Cheng'an, and then bowed deeply to the drowsy Li Chungang. As he bent over, he said, "I am Lu Baijie from Huting County. I was given the ancient sword Baxiu when I was eleven years old. I have been practicing swordsmanship for thirty-six years. I humbly request guidance from Senior Li."

Lu Baijie's inclusion in the Kendo rankings indicates that his swordsmanship possesses some unique qualities.

Upon hearing the words "Ba Xiu," Li Chungang slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the sword, and nodded, saying, "It is indeed Yang Yuzhang's sword from back then. That old fellow was limited by his own aptitude, and his swordsmanship was mediocre, but his judgment was not bad."

Back in the day, whenever I faced an enemy, I always got a headache from having this fellow watching. But Yang Yuzhang once said he would never take on a disciple. How did you obtain the last sword forged in the Tangxi Sword Furnace?

Lu Baijie, who introduced himself to Li Chungang and showed the respect due to a junior, smiled and said, "It is probably my childhood name, Tangxi. I met my master by chance and was given the Baxiu Sword and half of the sword manual. For the past thirty-six years, I have never dared to slack off for a single day."

My mentor greatly admired the senior martial artist, saying that the two green snakes in his sleeves could make him invincible in the martial arts world for fifty years.

I have long admired this sword, and today I dare to draw it. Part of the reason is my status as a member of the Lu family, but more so I want to hone my inferior swordsmanship, which I have been practicing in seclusion for the past thirty-six years.

If we lose, I beg you, venerable elder, not to hold a grudge against the Lu family.

Lu Baijie was the youngest son of Lu Xuanhua, the previous head of the Lu family. He was twenty years younger than Lu Daolin, the eldest son of the current head of the family. He was born out of wedlock, but he was intelligent and indifferent to fame and fortune. He was not interested in the Confucian Three Immortals and was obsessed with the way of the sword. He had never married and therefore had no children.

In the Lu family, if we were to talk about influential family members, Lu Baijie was the only one who was truly close to Xu Zhihu. Despite having no children of his own, he largely regarded Xu Zhihu as half a daughter. If he hadn't secretly nipped many potential troubles in the bud, the Lu family would have been in chaos long ago.

Li Chungang looked at him and said, "Your tone of voice is exactly like Yang Yuzhang's. You should try to make a move. If you only have Yang Yuzhang's swordsmanship and craftsmanship but not his swordsmanship and craftsmanship, then it is not worth my time to make a move."

Who the hell wants to mess with you centipedes, those old, stubborn aristocratic families? You're just asking for trouble. You're like a bamboo pole used to swat flies in a latrine; you're bound to get splattered with shit no matter what.

"Back then, I didn't believe in superstitions, and I suffered a great loss at the hands of Xu the Cripple..."

Zhou Chengan was actually very curious about how Xu Xiao and Li Chungang reached an agreement back then.

He asked twice, but Old Man Li refused to answer, so he didn't ask again.

Things shouldn't happen more than three times; doing it too many times will only annoy people.

Li Chungang's words were unpleasant, but Lu Baijie didn't care. He looked at Zhou Cheng'an and smiled, "After receiving your guidance, senior, may I have a chance to spar with you, Master Zhou?"

“Master Zhou, listen to what he just said to me: ‘Please enlighten me.’ But when it comes to you, Master Zhou, he turns it into ‘Let’s spar.’ He’s looking down on you, Master Zhou,” Li Chungang teased.

Zhou Cheng'an ignored him and said to Lu Baijie, "Alright, I would also like to see your Kingly Sword."

The martial arts critics have compiled a special list of swordsmanship reviews, and Lu Baijie from Huting County, Yangzhou, is prominently featured. The review comments that Lu Tangxi's sword intent is righteous and magnanimous, and although the name of his sword contains the word "domineering," it is undoubtedly the kingly sword!
Coincidentally, Zhou Cheng'an's sword is also the sword of the kingly way.

Lu Baijie smiled nonchalantly, extended two fingers, and gently wiped the scabbard, drawing half of the famous sword Ba Xiu from its sheath.

Just then, he heard a familiar, light footstep behind him.

"Uncle!"

The word "Uncle" caused Lu Baijie, the youngest and most carefree of the seven jades of the Lu family in Huting, to show a sigh. He flicked his fingers back, and the Baxiu Ancient Sword, which was about to appear in the world, was immediately sheathed. Everyone only caught a glimpse of a dazzling blue blade.

With Xu Zhihu coming out, it was clear that the fight was temporarily off.

"Greetings, Princess."

Led by Ning Emei, the people of Beiliang bowed in unison.

Xu Zhihu quickly stepped forward and helped them up. After learning that Xu Fengnian had gone to Huxin County, he said with some heartache.

"This fool."

Then, she walked up to Li Chungang and Zhou Chengan and bowed.

"Feng Nian has been very fortunate to have the help of Senior Li and my cousin along the way."

Li Chungang nodded, which was considered a greeting.

Zhou Chengan then offered a few polite words.

"Greetings, Cousin. It was quite interesting traveling the world with Xu Fengnian twice. Last time, Lao Huang took care of him, so I didn't need to help. This time, he's traveling as the heir apparent, and with Li Jianshen also there, he's grown a lot. I can hardly say I'm taking care of him."

Xu Zhihu smiled and shook his head: "Last time I went back to Beiliang, Feng Nian talked a lot about how well you took care of him. It's just a pity that you went back to Qingcheng Mountain at that time. You must stay longer this time."

"I'm afraid not."

Xu Zhihu nodded in confusion: "Is something important?"

"There are indeed some things to take care of."

Xu Zhihu nodded: "No matter what important matters are, let's go into the manor first."

Upon hearing this, Lu Baijie shook his head with a wry smile and said to Li Chungang, "Then this junior will seek your guidance again later, senior."

"Row!"

Yang Yuzhang was a junior and old friend of Li Chungang, so when Li Chungang met his disciple, he was willing to give him some pointers.

When everyone entered the mansion, Xu Zhihu originally wanted to chat with Zhou Chengan, but he ended up talking about swordsmanship with Lu Baijie and Li Chungang.

So Xu Zhihu had no choice but to lead the way and chat with Jiang Ni.

Of the entire Xu family, Jiang Nizuo liked Xu Zhihu the most, and feared Xu Weixiong the most.

The Lu family mansion is a deep courtyard, a typical Jiangnan garden style, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner. Its size is comparable to the mansions of the other three major families, but the Zhuoxin Garden, which has hosted six emperors, is the most famous.

The lake stones and rockeries in the garden were all created by the master rock-stacking expert. Every mountain and peak is full of vitality, and every stone and crevice is perfectly arranged. It was praised by the late Emperor Liyang as unique and unparalleled in Jiangnan.

Throughout the journey, Lu Baijie kept asking Li Chungang for advice on his questions about swordsmanship.

Lu Baijie was a promising swordsman, and with Yang Yuzhang's connection to him, Li Chungang patiently gave him some pointers.

When everyone arrived at Xu Zhihu's residence, Lu Baijie was about to take his leave, but Zhou Chengan spoke up.

"Tangxi Sword Immortal, weren't we supposed to be sparring?"

Lu Baijie was taken aback: "Now?"

"Let's do it now. I have things to do later. You're the senior, so you should go first."

(End of this chapter)