After the failed attempt to pretend to be dead, the sickly child was favored by the treacherous mini

Xie Nanxing was dressed in a black robe and stepped onto the carriage seat.

The carriage was moving forward again on the long street of Shendu in the early morning light. Xie Nanxing was sitting in the carriage and having breakfast, just like the days when he entered the palace and served as Xia Yu's companion.

However, Xie Nanxing sitting in the carriage was no longer the Xie Nanxing who took a nap during breakfast.

The carriage was parked under the palace wall. The gate of the imperial city had not been opened. All the officials were huddled in the carriage to keep warm because they were afraid of the severe cold.

The wind and snow should be colorless and odorless in the dark night, but the palace lanterns in the palace city cast red light on the snow, making the white in front of you whiter and the black in the distance darker.

Yang Huai held up an oil-paper umbrella to shield Xie Nanxing from the wind and snow, while Lu Bai used a red cloth to wipe the Wanmin drum, which was covered with snow, clean bit by bit.

Fourteen years have passed since the drum of the nations was struck.

Before the new emperor was established, Xia Xin, who had lost her parents and had lost her parents, struck the drum of the people in the name of the eldest legitimate daughter, but was punished with thirty lashes as the eldest princess.

What he got was an opportunity to confront Xia Hong in the Golden Palace with countless hard evidences and court officials who had not kowtowed to Xia Hong.

That day, Xia Che, who had been poisoned for a long time, suddenly vomited blood. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he was on the verge of life and death.

That day, the hard evidence turned into evidence of guilt overnight, and the loyal ministers turned into traitors in an instant. Xia Xin prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed to the new emperor, but he was unable to save a single old minister.

Xia Hong, the new king who sat on the throne, killed all the old ministers with thundering means, but he also performed the royal family affection.

The more favored Princess Pingnan and King Xiaoyao were, the more Xia Xin dared not forget the man whose blood was shed on the street that winter.

The beating drum of the people and the confrontation in the Golden Palace will only ever speak in favor of the strong, but will never give justice to the weak.

Xie Nanxing looked back at Mo Ping, who was kneeling at the palace gate to the court officials he knew from the past, hoping that they would bring the petition into the palace on his behalf, and smiled gently.

There is no consolation because it is useless.

The heater in his hand was placed in Yang Huai's hand, and the leather gloves on his hand were taken over by Lu Bai.

The moment Xie Nanxing held the solid wood drumstick in his hand, Mo Ping, who was kneeling in the snow, suddenly turned back, the white cloth on his forehead already soaked red with blood.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

“Knock, knock… knock, knock… knock…”

The sound of drums woke up all the drowsy people and shattered Mo Ping's last hope.

“Boom boom boom…boom boom boom…boom boom boom…”

The drum beats began to quicken, announcing the dawn, intensifying the snowstorm, and also knocking out the court officials hiding in the carriages.

Xia Xin and Shen Jun stood side by side in the front room of the carriage, watching the dark, thin figure swaying in the north wind, watching the red hands trembling from the cold, watching the sweat running down Xie Nanxing's cheeks disappear into the vastness.

No one understood better than Xia Xin what those thirty lashes meant, and what that confrontation in the Golden Palace meant.

Xia Xin suddenly broke free from Shen Jun's arms and walked towards the dark figure in the flying snow.

That was the smoke from the cooking stove in her son’s heart, that was the home when her son returned from his long journey.

The young man named Xie Nanxing had weak shoulders. He could not withstand the thirty blows with a board with iron nails, the verbal battles of the civil and military officials in the court, or the abuse and curses of the people of the world.

The palace gate opened, and a carriage sped past Xia Xin. With the help of a young eunuch, Xia Yu quickly jumped off the carriage and stood beside Xie Nanxing.

Looking at the scene before him, no one should stand next to Xie Nanxing.

But the people who were least suitable to stand next to Xie Nanxing were Xia Xin and Shen Jun.

Shen Jun quickly took the cloak from Mo An's hand, walked quickly to Xia Xin's side and put it on Xia Xin. He then held Xia Xin, who was tense all over, and passed by Xie Nanxing, and was the first to enter the magnificent palace.

The first person to enter the palace gate every day was supposed to be Princess Pingnan.

"My lady, I will come to pick you up after the court session. If I am late, please wait in the palace. Don't catch a cold outside."

Shen Jun, who has no real power, has not attended court for a long time, but no matter the weather, he will personally come to pick up and drop off Xia Xin to and from the morning court.

Shen Jun was never absent during Xia Xin's extremely difficult years.

Burying her head in the hollow of Shen Jun's shoulder, she took a deep breath of tranquility.

Xia Xin cannot be Shen Jinmo’s mother.

"Don't compete with Marquis Zhongqin today. If you tear your clothes again, I'll make you pay."

His eyebrows were raised, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes recorded the years that Shen Jun loved Xia Xin.

The eunuch who was instructed by Xun Zhan leaned over to Xia Yu's side and said, "My Lord, you haven't recovered from your cold yet. You should go home and recuperate as soon as possible."

Xia Yu raised one hand, and the little eunuch lowered his head and dared not say anything.

The person in front of him is the king in his eyes. He is not Xia Yu's master and cannot prevent Xia Yu from making any choice.

"Xie Nanxing, give me the petition. I will deliver it for you."

Xie Nanxing did not pause for a moment as he struck the Wanmin Drum. His head was fixed on the red silk fluttering under the drumstick.

The red color stained with blood will surely defeat the darkness during Xie Nanxing's lifetime.

At this moment, infinite power surged in Xie Nanxing's heart. Facing the dislocation of history, he began to feel that even in the end, he and Shen Jinmo would not have a good death, as long as the mountains and rivers could see the sun.

That's worth it.

The most painful thing is to go through life and death.

The person standing next to Xie Nanxing was even more stubborn than Xie Nanxing.

"Your Majesty, I am no longer your study partner."

What Xia Hong said was that he wanted Xie Nanxing to personally beat the drum of the people, and that he wanted Xie Nanxing to personally submit the complaint and evidence.

If it wasn’t given by Xie Nanxing and it wasn’t knocked by Xie Nanxing, Xia Hong wouldn’t acknowledge it.

If Xia Hong refused to acknowledge her, his husband would not be able to stay with him at home and celebrate the New Year together.

"If I don't return, don't let your master get beaten."

The young man who grew up in the struggle for power was wearing a luxurious purple prince's dragon robe. He was running towards the golden palace among the red walls and green tiles in the flying snow.

What he was thinking in his heart was that he didn't want Xie Nanxing, who could make even the gods smile the most charmingly, to become a victim of power.

Even if the board full of iron nails didn't take Xie Nanxing's life, it would make him dependent on the wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Xie Nanxing looked better when she was running and looking back with a faint smile than when she was sitting.

The emperor's procession led the way, and the royal guards crossed the Xia domain and headed towards the palace gate.

The torture bench and board carried by the eunuchs followed closely behind the imperial guards.

When the Ten Thousand People's Drum sounded, he first struck down thirty claps and then asked the reason.

The iron needles on the board were shining with cold light and were thicker than Xie Nanxing's back.

Xia Hong, who had witnessed Xie Nanxing bleeding and dying, did not give up the iron nail for Xie Nanxing.

He knelt on the ground, not daring to delay for a moment: "Your son begs the emperor to allow your son Xie Nanxing to receive the thirty strokes of the cane."

Xia Hong sat on the imperial sedan chair and looked down at his little son who was kneeling in the snow.

The waves rising in his solemn eyes are more fierce than the north wind.

The court officials who had to enter the palace followed him from a distance of more than ten feet and kowtowed to the king in the snow.

Since the king said nothing, they could only kneel on the ground.