Shen Miao lowered her head, pretending to be embarrassed.

Xie Jingxing died at the age of twenty-six.

The Fu family was out to punish the Xie family. The Mingqi royal family had grown increasingly incompetent as time went on. Instead of striving to develop the nation's strength, they were preoccupied with self-preservation. The aristocratic families were a threat. As Fu Xiuyi had said, the Shen family's honesty was a target, but the Xie family's disobedience made them a thorn in the late emperor's side.

When the Xiongnu invaded, the Xie family led their troops to fight, including Xie Ding. General Xie, who had been reckless on the battlefield his entire life, was ultimately annihilated. Xie Jingxing waited in Beijing for his father's return at the end of the year, but what he finally received was a coffin.

Xie Ding's death was not the end of his life. When he was buried, the people of Dingjing sent him off on their own, and the whole country wept and mourned. This was a taboo for the royal family.

So not long after, he appointed the young Xie Jingxing to go to war on behalf of his father.

This wasn't Xie Jingxing's first time on the battlefield. Like the rest of the Xie family, his talent on the battlefield was enough to terrify the enemy. However, knowing the strange circumstances surrounding Xie Ding's death, this imperial edict practically pushed Xie Jingxing to his doom.

Xie Jingxing still accepted the imperial edict and went to the battlefield, but was defeated. That day, he was exposed to the enemy's target and suffered a thousand arrows to the heart. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, his body was taken away, and the Xiongnu skinned and dried, hanging on the city wall as a warning to others.

The tragic ending happened again, and the whole country of Ming Qi was in mourning.

Father and son died together on the battlefield. The people could only see the cruelty of the Huns and the bravery of the general, but they could not see the undercurrents beneath the conspiracy.

By then, the late emperor had passed away, and Fu Xiuyi had ascended the throne to take over the affairs of the court. He felt sorry for the Xie family's plight and posthumously conferred titles on the Xie father and son. However, the Xie father and son, who had been granted titles, were already deceased, and the court's consolation benefited the concubine and her two illegitimate sons.

Shen Miao still remembered the grief Shen Xin felt when he learned of Xie Jingxing's death. She had thought that the Shen and Xie families were at loggerheads, and that her father shouldn't be sad about the Xie family's misfortune. Thinking about it now, she probably felt a sense of grief at that time.

The balance has been broken. Once the Xie family falls, the Shen family will follow.

It's ridiculous that she was still determined to drag the Shen family into the muddy water of the fight for the throne at that time.

Shen Miao had no feelings towards the Xie family, but she had initially lamented the fate of this young man. Such a brilliant and talented man should have left a lasting mark on the Ming and Qi dynasties, but who could have known he would leave the scene in such a way? Furthermore, he knew the imperial edict was a summons to his death, yet he still went.

Perhaps it was to preserve the dignity of the Xie family, to prove the Xie family's unwavering pride. But knowing that it was impossible to do so, he still did it, which showed that Xie Jingxing had an extraordinary heart beneath his mischievous appearance.

He's also a very upright and brave person.

As Shen Miao was thinking this, she saw Cai Lin squeeze out from the crowd, holding a small cloth bag in his hand and handing it to Xie Jingxing, saying respectfully, "Young Marquis, this is the rare medical book you asked me to find."

A little bully, being so respectful to others, was truly shocking. But on second thought, wasn't it true? Compared to Cai Lin, Xie Jingxing was even more of a bully in Dingjing City. The Xie family was even more of a bully among bullies. Thinking about it this way, Cai Lin's attitude towards Xie Jingxing became understandable.

Feng An Ning whispered to Shen Miao, “What do you think of Young Marquis Xie compared to His Royal Highness Prince Ding?”

Shen Miao choked. She was still a little unaccustomed to Feng An Ning suddenly being so friendly with her. She said seriously, "Xie Xiao Hou Ye is even better."

How could they be compared? In her opinion, how could a black-hearted villain like Fu Xiuyi be compared with a young man like Xie Jingxing? Back when Wanyu and Fu Ming were reading the official history of Ming and Qi, when they came across the section about the Xie family, they had secretly told her that they felt Xie Jingxing was a man of integrity and that his death was a real pity.

A young man who is praised by his own children must be a good one.

Feng Anning was a little surprised, and after a while she said, "It seems like you are really sad."

Shen Miao was too lazy to explain to her. She saw Xie Jingxing on horseback taking the bundle and casually tying it to the saddle. He glanced at Cai Lin, said nothing, and turned and walked away with a dashing whip.

The clouds of dust stirred up by the horses could not conceal the graceful demeanor of the young man aboard, just as the rising sun in the sky was naturally dazzling.

Cai Lin felt somewhat lost, and the girls around him couldn't hide their disappointment, probably wishing Xie Jingxing had stayed longer. Strangely enough, Xie Jingxing was the only noble son whose fame among the girls wasn't met with envy by the boys. Perhaps it was his distinctly different style of conduct that truly elicited envy.

Shen Miao concealed the deep thought in her eyes. If the Xie family fell, the Shen family would also face a catastrophic disaster. Since the two families were in a relationship of mutual dependence, could they perhaps ease the tension? If the person from the Tian family wanted to take action, perhaps they should also consider whether they had the ability to do so.

Saving the Xie family, saving Xie Jingxing. Just by doing this, the Shen family would gain an advantage.

The Shen family was honest and kind, while the Xie family was arrogant and domineering. The royal family first targeted the Xie family, so perhaps she could make a deal with them.

…

Xie Jingxing rode all the way and finally stopped his horse in front of a tavern.

He dismounted and walked straight into the innermost part of the tavern. In the side room, a handsome young man in white saw him and smiled, "Third brother."

"Here!" Xie Jingxing threw the bag in his hand over: "Don't come to me for this kind of thing in the future."

If Gao Yang hadn't asked him to find some rare medical book, he wouldn't have gone to Cai Lin, much less stood like a fool in Guangwen Hall for people to watch. Thinking of the silk flower, he patted his clothes with a hint of disgust.

Gao Yang knew that his junior fellow apprentice had always been a germaphobe. He smiled slightly and jokingly said, "With your personality, you should move around more. There are students of similar age to you. You should learn to be as lively and energetic as them." He paused, a mischievous smile on his face. "Maybe there are some lovely girls out there. You're just the right age. Why are you so lonely all day?"

Xie Jingxing had become accustomed to his senior brother's serious appearance but boring inner character. He turned his head away with a hint of impatience, but his mind was thinking of the pair of eyes he had just seen.

Those eyes, clear as a young animal's, held a deep sense of pity and helplessness. That look startled him, and then the owner of those eyes lowered his head, as if shy.

But who was Xie Jingxing? He had traveled extensively with his father since he was young, fought in battles and killed people, which gave him a pair of sharp eyes. The girl probably wanted to pretend to be in love with him, but unfortunately she didn't even know that her eyes were as dull as a pool of stagnant water, without a single ripple.

It's really interesting.