Shen Miao lowered her head, feigning a bashful expression.
Xie Jingxing died at the age of twenty-two.
The late emperor had intended to punish the Xie family. As the Ming Qi royal family grew increasingly incompetent over time, they no longer focused on strengthening the nation but rather on self-preservation. The aristocratic families of high officials were seen as threats. Just as Fu Xiuyi had said, even the Shen family, who kept to themselves, were targets—let alone the Xie family, who refused to follow orders. Naturally, they became the late emperor’s thorn in the side.
Coinciding with the Xiongnu invasion, the Xie family led troops into battle. Xie Ding, the seasoned general who had spent his life on the battlefield, ultimately met his end with his entire army annihilated. Xie Jingxing waited in the capital during the New Year for his father’s return, only to receive a coffin instead.
Xie Ding’s death was not the end. When he was buried, the people of Fixed Capital spontaneously mourned him, and the entire nation wept in grief. To the royal family, this was a grave taboo.
Not long after, the young Xie Jingxing was ordered to take his father’s place and lead the troops to war.
This was not Xie Jingxing’s first time on the battlefield. Like all members of the Xie family, his natural talent in warfare was enough to strike fear into the enemy’s hearts. Yet, knowing full well that Xie Ding’s death was suspicious, the imperial decree was practically pushing Xie Jingxing to his doom.
Still, Xie Jingxing accepted the decree and went to war—only to suffer defeat. That day, he was exposed to enemy fire and met his end with countless arrows piercing his heart. Worse still, for reasons unknown, his body was seized by the Xiongnu, skinned, and left to dry on the city building as a warning.
The tragic outcome repeated itself, plunging Ming Qi into national mourning.
Father and son both perished on the battlefield. The people only saw the Xiongnu’s brutality and the generals’ bravery, oblivious to the undercurrents of conspiracy beneath.
By then, the late emperor was already on his deathbed, and Fu Xiuyi had taken over court affairs. Expressing regret over the Xie family’s fate, he posthumously honored Xie Ding and Xie Jingxing. Though the titles were bestowed, the father and son were long gone, leaving only the consolation of the court—benefiting the concubine and two illegitimate sons instead.
Shen Miao still remembered Shen Xin’s sorrow upon hearing of Xie Jingxing’s death. She had thought that since the Shen and Xie families were once at odds, her father shouldn’t have grieved over the Xie family’s misfortune. Looking back now, perhaps Shen Xin had already sensed the impending doom.
The balance had been broken. With the fall of the Xie family, the Shen family was next.
How laughable that she had once been so determined to drag the Shen family into the chaos of the succession struggle.
Shen Miao had no particular feelings toward the Xie family, but she had once lamented the young man’s fate. Such a brilliant and extraordinary youth should have left a magnificent mark on Ming Qi’s history—who would have thought he would exit the stage in such a manner? And knowing full well that the imperial decree was a summons to death, he still went.
Perhaps it was to preserve the Xie family’s dignity, proving that their pride as a family remained unbroken to the end. But to persist in the face of certain doom revealed Xie Jingxing’s extraordinary resolve beneath his unruly exterior.
He must have been an exceptionally upright and courageous person.
As Shen Miao pondered this, she saw Cai Lin squeeze through the crowd, holding a small cloth bundle, which he respectfully handed to Xie Jingxing. “Young Marquis,” he said, “these are the rare medical books you asked me to find.”
For a little tyrant like Cai Lin to act so deferential was enough to make jaws drop. But then again, compared to Cai Lin, Xie Jingxing was the true tyrant of Fixed Capital. And the Xie family? They were the tyrants among tyrants. With that in mind, Cai Lin’s attitude toward Xie Jingxing suddenly made sense.Feng Anning whispered into Shen Miao's ear, "How do you think Young Marquis Xie compares to Prince Ding?"
Shen Miao choked slightly, still unaccustomed to Feng Anning's sudden closeness. She answered earnestly, "Young Marquis Xie is superior by far."
By far indeed—in her eyes, how could a black-hearted villain like Fu Xiuyi even be mentioned in the same breath as a youth like Xie Jingxing? Back when Wan Yu and Fu Ming were reading the official history of Ming Qi and came to the section about the Xie family, they had secretly told her that Xie Jingxing was a truly upright and heroic man, and his death was truly a pity.
If even her own children praised him, then he must have been exceptional.
Feng Anning looked surprised and after a long pause said, "It seems you really were heartbroken."
Shen Miao couldn't be bothered to explain. Just then, Xie Jingxing on horseback took the bundle, casually tied it to his saddle, glanced at Cai Lin, and without a word, turned his horse and rode off with a flourish.
The dust kicked up by the horse couldn't obscure the young man's striking presence. Like the morning sun, he seemed born to shine brilliantly.
Cai Lin looked dejected, and the surrounding young ladies couldn't hide their disappointment, likely wishing Xie Jingxing had stayed longer. Strangely, Xie Jingxing was the only noble youth who was widely admired among young ladies yet never envied by his peers. Perhaps his unconventional ways were truly something to envy.
Shen Miao concealed the depth of her thoughts. If the Xie family fell, the Shen family would soon face calamity. Since their fates were intertwined, could there be a way to mitigate it? If the imperial family intended to act, perhaps they would have to consider whether they had the capability?
Saving the Xie family, saving Xie Jingxing—doing so would add another layer of security for the Shen family.
The Shen family was honest and upright, while the Xie family was bold and unrestrained. The imperial family would target the Xie family first. She might just be able to strike a deal with them.
...
Xie Jingxing rode on until he finally reined in his horse outside a tavern.
Dismounting, he strode straight to the innermost room. Inside, a fair-skinned young man in white robes smiled at him. "Third Brother."
"Take it!" Xie Jingxing tossed the bundle over. "Don't bother me with this kind of thing again."
If not for Gao Yang asking him to find some obscure medical rare books, he wouldn't have gone to Cai Lin, much less made a spectacle of himself at the Hall of Extensive Learning. The thought of that silk flower made him pat his robes in disgust.
Gao Yang, knowing his junior brother's fastidious nature, smiled teasingly. "With your temperament, you ought to get out more. Some of those students are around your age—you should learn a bit of their youthful vigor." He paused, a mischievous grin appearing. "There might even be some lovely young ladies. At your age, it's odd to be so solitary."
Xie Jingxing was used to his senior brother's outwardly proper but inwardly frivolous nature. He turned away impatiently, but his mind drifted back to a pair of eyes he had seen earlier.
Eyes as clear as a young animal's, yet filled with profound sorrow and resignation. That expression had given him pause. Then their owner had lowered her gaze, as if shy.But who was Xie Jingxing? Since his youth, he had traveled north and south with his father, fought in battles, taken lives, and honed a pair of sharp eyes. That girl probably wanted to pretend she adored him, yet she didn't even realize her own eyes were as still and lifeless as a stagnant pond, without a single ripple.
How utterly amusing.
...
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