The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Outside the Hall of Longevity, all was silent.

Inside the hall, candlelight shone brightly.

Several gilded, intertwined lamps illuminated the empty hall as if it were daytime, their light and shadow swaying gracefully on the smooth, mirror-like black jade floor tiles.

On the round pearwood table inlaid with mother-of-pearl, dinner had been carefully arranged by Li Shuang.

Several light and delicate dishes, along with a bowl of almond milk still steaming, were all things the princess usually enjoyed.

Pear Frost's pale yellow sleeves brushed against the edge of the table, the movement quiet and still.

Where the lamplight was at its brightest, Tang Xixue, dressed in a flowing moon-white gown, was more beautiful than snow. The cool and noble air between her brows and eyes was like the most delicate crabapple blossom on a branch, covered with a layer of crystal-clear and fragile snow, so beautiful that it took one's breath away.

"Your Highness, you have been frightened today. I will go and ask His Majesty for an imperial decree to allow Mu Liang to secretly protect you in Lintai."

The head guard, Chao Han, stood outside the beaded curtain, his deep blue figure like a silent sea reef, his voice carrying the deep, weathered quality of the northern winds and frosts.

Tang Xixue slightly raised her eyes.

"No need."

"Lintai has its own ironclad rules, and the talents gathered from all over the country are here. If an exception is made for me today, who will it be made for tomorrow? Once the rules are broken, they are difficult to mend."

Chao Han was about to speak again when she saw the princess gently wave her hand. The wrist that was exposed from the wide sleeve was slender and fair, as if it were formed from moonlight.

He had no choice but to suppress his worries and unspoken words deep in his heart.

He bowed deeply, retreated to the lamplight outside the hall, and glanced at Mu Liang in the shadows.

"Your Highness, the indenture you requested has been obtained."

Qingdai stepped forward, carrying a small sandalwood box, her steps light and steady.

She wore a light blue robe, like a mountain after the rain, serene and knowledgeable.

The box was opened, revealing neatly stacked tokens of fate deeply intertwined with this palace.

"Your medical books were sold to the Divine Physician Zheyue for ten times the market price, earning a thousand gold coins, which have already been converted into silver notes."

"Yes, you did a great job."

Tang Xixue took it, examined it very carefully, and then personally closed the lid of the box.

"Your Highness, the artifacts from the Hall of Longevity were sold to the Seven Generations Pavilion for a total of ten thousand taels of gold."

Wei Yu presented a uniquely shaped black iron token and a contract sealed with sealing wax.

"As you instructed, it has been deposited into the Seven Generations Pavilion's private treasury. This is the contract certificate and the Flying Gold Token."

"By this decree, all branches of the Seven Generations Pavilion within the Nine Provinces may withdraw corresponding funds at any time without leaving any trace."

Seven Generations Pavilion is not only the head of the Nine Provinces Chamber of Commerce, but also the number one bank in the world, the Nine Provinces Business Cauldron.

"Hmm, the Seven Generations Pavilion is spread throughout the Nine Provinces, which is more convenient than carrying silver notes with you."

Tang Xixue took the cool-to-the-touch flying gold token, the intricate cloud patterns on the black iron gleaming faintly between her fingers.

"Everyone wants to befriend Young Master Zheyue, but he is extremely difficult to approach. His whereabouts are unpredictable, and if he were not currently residing in Lintai, it would be harder than climbing to heaven to see him."

Wei Yu sighed.

"I must say, our Highness has an extremely sharp eye when it comes to choosing men."

"Although Young Master Zheyue is a bit ruthless, he is incredibly wealthy."

The pale fingers of the Divine Physician Si Xingxuan, who could manipulate medicine and divide gold, were simultaneously turning the beads of the world's wealth.

Divine Medicine Valley heals people, Seven Generations Pavilion manages wealth.

He not only heals the sick, but also alleviates poverty.

"He is like glass coated with poison—you can't touch him, you can't budge him."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xixue waved her hand and slowly stood up, her moon-white skirt flowing like clouds across the smooth ground.

Looking around, the Hall of Longevity now has few artifacts and lightly hanging curtains, making it feel more spacious and bright than ever before.

Every brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree here was personally supervised and named "Chang Sheng" by her elder brother, Tang Xiye.

Unfortunately, it will soon be reduced to ashes.

The raging flames will engulf the carved beams and painted rafters, turning them into choking smoke that will dissipate in the biting winds of the Nine Provinces.

"They want to cut off my path to survival, burn down my palace, and leave me nowhere to live."

"They all want me dead—"

"But I don't want to die."

Yujing City, the magnificent imperial capital standing at the very center of the Nine Provinces, is a crucible for forging power and ambition.

Here, every breath is steeped in the smoke of battle, and every smile may be tinged with the chilling glint of blood.

The princess's identity is Tang Xixue's only protective charm now.

"Since the princess is a fake—"

"But identity is always something you give yourself."

Does it matter whether she's a real princess or not?

"Isn't the most important thing—the Emperor's will?"

Her slender figure stood in the sparse shadow cast by the snow plum blossoms in the courtyard, as forlorn as a wisp of moonlight about to dissipate.

When Tangxi stepped into the Hall of Longevity, still chilly in the night, this was the scene she saw.

She wore a simple white dress, almost blending into the elegant snow plum tree behind her.

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, adorned with tassels and flowing white ribbons that loosely draped down to her waist.

Her figure was so thin it was like a phantom, as if she would turn into fleeting mist and vanish in the next instant.

"Weaving."

He spoke, his voice like the plucked strings of a sleeping zither, carrying the mellow gentleness that comes with the weight of imperial authority.

He was dressed in a black casual suit made of a rare dark-patterned kesi (silk tapestry). As he walked, the subtle dragon pattern woven with gold thread shimmered with a noble yet understated light under the candlelight.

He walked slowly and deliberately to her side and stopped.

The young emperor's figure was tall, carrying the invisible pressure of someone who had long held a high position, but at this moment all of that pressure was gone, leaving only deep-seated heartache and worry.

"Zhizhi...were you scared?"

"It's because my elder brother failed to protect you."

The candlelight flickered in his deep eyes, reflecting not a vast landscape, but only the slender, snow-white figure before him.

"Brother, Zhizhi is so scared~"

Tang Xixue's voice trembled slightly, timidly striking Tang Xiye's heart.

Before he could answer, his arms instinctively tightened, pulling her thin, paper-like body completely into his embrace.

The black and gold-embroidered dragon-patterned wide sleeves, like wings hanging from the sky, covered her slightly trembling shoulders and back, wrapping her up tightly.

The bone-chilling cold emanating from her, seeping through her clothes, was even three times colder than the robes he wore as he walked through the snow.

"Zhizhi thought she would never see her brother again..."

She tilted her face slightly up in his arms.

The flickering candlelight cast a soft, ethereal glow on her pale cheeks.

Her starry eyes were now veiled with a misty haze, and a faint red tinge spread across the corners of her eyes, like a rosebud about to bloom in the misty morning light, trembling and bearing dewdrops.

"Don't be afraid, Zhizhi, your brother is here."

Tang Xiye's voice calmed down, each word sounding as if it had been warmed in her chest, carrying an undeniable sense of stability.

He lightly brushed his fingertips across the corner of her eye, the gesture as delicate as if he were touching fragile glass.

His weaving.

The treasure he had lost and found again—someone dared to set their sights on her, attempting to cripple her and disturb her peace.

He absolutely will not allow it.

A chilling and sharp aura suddenly materialized in the depths of his eyes, like a ferocious beast lurking beneath ice, slowly opening its eyes.

"It's very cold outside, be careful not to catch a chill. Zhizhi, come inside with me."

He tried to loosen his embrace slightly and lead her to the warmer inner chamber.

She flinched, but instead of letting go, she gripped his shirt even tighter, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force, like a drowning person clinging to the only piece of driftwood.

That silent dependence and fear pierced him more sharply than any cry.

"Zhizhi, be good."

He sighed, his tone softer than ever before, stripping away all imperial majesty and leaving only pure comfort.

His broad, warm palm slid down to find her cool, soft hand and gently took it in his.

The touch was like holding a pearly silk soaked in moonlight—cool and smooth, yet all he wanted to do was warm it with the warmth of his palms.

"Your elder brother is with you, so you don't need to be afraid."

He followed her pace, taking slow steps, leading her as she stepped over the soft, clean snow on the stone steps in front of the palace.

Footprints side by side, some deep, some shallow, meandering into the warm, bright light of the inner hall.

Tang Xixue felt the heat of his palm, but simply gripped his hand even tighter.

Tang Xiye, who never let anyone touch him, took the initiative to hold her hand even more firmly.

Yu Guangzhong, however, indulged it all.

Upon entering the inner hall, Tang Xiye paused almost imperceptibly in the sight before her.

The hall was unusually empty; all the dazzling treasures and furnishings that used to be displayed there had vanished.

Only a few necessary palace lanterns, tables, chairs, and benches remained, making the palace appear exceptionally tall and spacious, yet also exceptionally cold and desolate.

He frowned slightly, then remembered that he had once given Shen Cuo an oral instruction: all matters concerning the Hall of Longevity need not be reported.

"Zhizhi, do you dislike the previous furnishings in the Hall of Longevity?"

He turned his head, his gaze falling on her lowered eyelashes, his tone questioning but without a trace of blame.

Tang Xixue raised her eyelids, her eyes like stars washed clean, clear yet carrying a perfectly appropriate sense of helplessness.

"I wanted to buy some more suitable items, so I disposed of the old ones."

"Brother...won't you blame Zhizhi for acting on her own initiative?"

"Blame?"

Tang Xiye almost laughed out loud. The slight surprise she felt at the empty palace was instantly overwhelmed by an even stronger surge of heartache.

"The Hall of Longevity was bestowed upon you by me. Every object here belongs to you and is at your disposal. How can you claim to have acted arbitrarily?"

He gazed at her, his eyes filled with undisguised pity and self-reproach.

"Why didn't you tell me you were short of supplies? How could my concubine have fallen so low as to sell off items from the palace?"

He paused, his tone becoming serious, filled with deep remorse.

"It was my negligence. Zhizhi is like this... it's because I didn't take good care of you."

"My elder brother has taken good care of me."

Tang Xixue immediately shook her head and gently grasped his hands in return.

Her imperial brother was the only one in this world, shining brightly just for her.

It was the mountain that always stood in front of her amidst the chaos of the world.

According to the Book of Fate, her soul did not regain control of her body. Under Shen Yan's gentle guidance, the new strategist mixed the deadly poison into the Nine Dragon Cup that the emperor drank tea every day.

Jade Mountain collapsed, and the sun and moon lost their light.

The emperor who always protected her suddenly collapsed in the court.

The deadly poison ravaged his heart, leaving him unconscious and hanging by a thread, like a candle flickering in the wind.

On the day Tang Xixue was stripped of her title and banished from the palace, a raging fire broke out in the Hall of Longevity.

The raging flames devoured the snow plum blossom painting she loved most on the twelve sandalwood and jade-inlaid screens, devoured the broken sword that Chao Han never let go of until his death, and devoured Mu Liang's eternally silent shadow.

Shen Yan did not kill her with her own hands. Instead, she stood on the high steps of the palace gate, looked down with her eyes lowered, and smiled with pity on her lips, banishing her, dressed in plain clothes, from the Nine Heavens Palace.

"Since this body is not a true phoenix, how can it be worthy to perch on a jade branch?"

A pearl that fell from the heavens and snow was eventually crushed into dust.

In the end, it was Tang Xiye, who had narrowly escaped death and barely survived, who collected her remains.

The Hall of Eternal Life has long since turned to ashes.

The emperor held her remains, knelt on the snow, and wept uncontrollably.

Blood seeped from his tightly clenched lips, dripping onto her pale forehead like a tearful cinnabar.

"Zhizhi..."

He called out softly, his voice hoarse like scrap metal scraping together.

"Brother... I can no longer wait for you."

Then, the snow in Yujing City turned red.

The once prudent and benevolent emperor, now clad in black robes soaked in blood, went berserk.