Her Entire Court Reborn with Her in the Modern World

Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Xie Qingshi: Are You So Afraid I Will Find Your Majesty Before You?

Xie Qingshi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. His fingers rubbed the cup as he asked, seemingly in the most casual manner, "Why does Mr. Chengli’s daughter have the surname Shi? Does she take her mother’s surname?"

"Alas, her mother... no." Ming Chengli seemed to have something hard to bring up. He shook his head and said, "I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me for saying this, but ’Shi’ is the state surname of the Xuan Dynasty."

Xie Qingshi’s eyes slowly sharpened by a fraction. "Oh? Please enlighten me, Mr. Chengli."

"As you know, I research Xuan History. I wrack my brains trying to figure out the true face of history, and I wish I could truly travel back in time to see it for myself," Ming Chengli said. "So I acted out of selfish motives and gave Changying the surname ’Shi’."

"I see." Xie Qingshi nodded with a smile. "May I have the honor of seeing a photo of your daughter?"

"My daughter’s looks are absolutely top-notch!" Ming Chengli took every opportunity to show off. He pulled up a photo of Shi Changying on his phone and handed it to Xie Qingshi.

"So..." Xie Qingshi’s eyelashes fluttered again, an inexplicable joy surging in his heart. "She is your daughter."

Seeing Ming Chengli’s slight confusion, he explained, "In the early hours of the morning not long ago, I ran into her. I wasn’t paying attention to the traffic on the road, and she saved me."

"Oh, right, Changying mentioned waking up hungry that night and going out to buy a midnight snack." Ming Chengli remembered, slapping his forehead. "Her? She’s been fiercely loyal since childhood. When she was little, some kid in the village climbed a tree and was too scared to come down, and she was the one who climbed up to save him."

Xie Qingshi tapped his fingers lightly on the table. After a moment of thought, he smiled. "Could Mr. Chengli tell me more about her?"

Ming Chengli perked up immediately, beginning to recount the history of Shi Changying’s upbringing with great animation.

At the end, he said with gratification, "Changying is becoming more and more sensible. Once she gets into a good university, my mission... will be accomplished!"

Xie Qingshi let out a breath, unable to tell whether it was out of disappointment or melancholy.

He and Pei Xuan had both arrived in the modern era about five years ago. In the very beginning, they were completely unfamiliar with the environment four hundred years later, like misfits who didn’t belong.

Two years ago, Pei Xuan had discovered him first. It was only then that he learned someone else had been reborn besides himself. Unlike him, Pei Xuan was born into a prominent family in this life, surrounded by countless people. Pei Xuan had said that since waking up this time, he had actually reined in his temper quite a bit, yet Mr. Pei still scolded him daily for not being as obedient as before.

But in Ming Chengli’s description, Shi Changying’s personality hadn’t changed at all since childhood. Moreover, she had grown up naturally from an ignorant child to the present.

Pulling his thoughts back, Xie Qingshi smiled faintly. "I hear Mr. Chengli has been researching Xuan History, especially the eight years of Empress Taichu. What made you so persistent?"

Ming Chengli wasn’t like him and Pei Xuan, who had personally lived through that glorious era. How could a thoroughbred modern person possess such an obsession?

"Because..." Ming Chengli paused before saying, "There are many doubts and illogical points in Xuan History."

Xie Qingshi hummed in acknowledgment and pressed further, "But reality isn’t like a novel. It doesn’t need logic at all, does it? People are all different, and normal human logic can’t comprehend those unreasonable things."

"Just as Mr. Xie pursues music, history is what I pursue for my entire life," Ming Chengli said. "Perhaps I won’t get the result I want in my lifetime, but I will still keep going."

Xie Qingshi fell silent. After a long while, he finally said, "Your dedication is admirable, Mr. Chengli."

"Hey, I’m just an ordinary person. What dedication?" Ming Chengli waved his hand. "I’m also very curious about you. According to the history books, when the Hong Clan invaded back then, the Linsu Xie Family swore to the death not to surrender, and the entire clan was massacred. But seeing you today proves that some descendants still managed to escape."

Xie Qingshi didn’t actually know if any Xie family members had escaped back then. Finding the Green Lotus Jade Pendant he once used was indeed purely by coincidence. Over the years, it wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to search for the true descendants of the Linsu Xie Family, but unfortunately, all his efforts had been in vain.

"Master Xie Lin, you have much of the demeanor of your ancestor, Xie Qingshi. Although Xie Qingshi was a blind man, his strength of character was truly admirable," Ming Chengli added. "He preferred death to surrender, truly living up to the saying, ’Thirty-two years of noble bones, all returning to Jiuzhou and turning into dust.’"

This was a line recorded in the history books, said to be Xie Qingshi’s last words. Later generations praised him for retaining his character to the end—the character of a hero, and the bones of a noble young master.

Another wave of silence passed before Xie Qingshi spoke, "If Mr. Chengli has any questions, you can ask me. However, I’ve only heard things through the grapevine as well. My words cannot be backed up by historical records."

"That’s wonderful! But who knows? Maybe one day new artifacts will be unearthed, and your words will have evidence to support them." Ming Chengli was delighted. "By the way, Changying wants your autograph. Could you please help me—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Qingshi had already taken out an envelope. It was thick, containing at least several dozen autographed photos.

Ming Chengli froze for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Master Xie Lin, thank you so much! Changying will definitely be thrilled. I still have some matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb you any longer."

The two then exchanged online contact information.

After Ming Chengli left, Xie Qingshi remained seated where he was. The curling steam from the tea blurred his features. He was the only person in the teahouse, rendering it terrifyingly quiet.

An unknown amount of time passed before the sound of footsteps echoed, and someone else sat down opposite him.

"Hmm, drinking tea. What a good mood." Pei Xuan picked up a teacup with utmost familiarity, then frowned. "However, the quality of these tea leaves is truly subpar. How can you stomach tea like this?"

Xie Qingshi slowly turned his head. There was no smile on his face, and his voice was flat. "What are you doing here?"

"Because I had someone keep an eye on you to see who you’ve been in contact with." Pei Xuan didn’t care in the slightest about admitting this out loud. "When I found out you actually left your house to drink tea today, I was curious about what kind of tea could make you budge, so I came over."

Xie Qingshi’s eyebrows twitched. "Pei Xuan, are you that afraid of me?"

Pei Xuan’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold. "Why would I be afraid of you?"

Would he be afraid of Xie Qingshi? What a joke. Excelling in both the pen and the sword, he was the true head of the Four Great Young Masters and the Empress’s most capable right-hand man.

"You’re afraid that I’ll find Her Majesty a step ahead of you, which is why you have to keep an eye on me." Xie Qingshi’s voice was gentle and elegant. "To think that Pei Xuan, who has been arrogant his entire life, would actually experience fear."

CRACK. A crisp sound rang out, and the teacup shattered.

Pei Xuan relaxed his grip, letting the shards fall to the ground, and spoke in a leisurely tone. "That man who met with you just now is the Xu Family’s true son who was just brought back, right?"