Xie Heng, the commander of the Zhenfu Division, bears the blood feud of his family being wrongfully killed. He has been secretly guarding Shen Zhi, the only orphan in the Shen family, for many years. The flame-shaped birthmark on young Shen Zhi's shoulder blade is not only a mark of the Shen family's injustice, but also a constant bond between him and Xie Heng.
They once formed an alliance with Xiao Jing, the prince of the East Palace, and agreed to work together to overthrow the jealous and murderous emperor Xiao Yan and clear the grievances between the two families. However, the suppression of the imperial power was far beyond imagination. When Xiao Yan threatened to depose the crown prince, the prince failed to keep the covenant and leaked the whereabouts of Xie and Shen, pushing them into a fatal pursuit.
The bronze bell of the Zhenfu Division tore apart the dawn, and the iron hoofs of the Forbidden Army trampled the tranquility. Xie Heng wielded the Tingxue knife to protect Shen Zhi and rushed out of the siege. The light of the knife reflected the blood and the unconcealed concern in their eyes. On the way to escape, the old alliance became empty, and only each other's warmth became the only support in troubled times.
(Ps: This is a short story with two male protagonists that the author wrote out of boredom during the summer vacation. The protagonist's plot is less cp. It's an ordinary story. The plot above cp may be written as an extra chapter.)
Concept: The symbiosis of hatred and redemption