The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

He Lichen stood before the open, carved window of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, his gaze fixed on the receding snow-white figure amidst the plum grove below.

Only after her figure disappeared into the depths of the night did he slowly withdraw his gaze, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the cold windowpane.

He saw everything that had just happened without missing a single detail.

Before leaving, she took out a plain handkerchief from her sleeve and gently placed it in Shen Xian's hand.

The snowlight reflected the fine snow patterns embroidered with silver thread on the handkerchief, making his eyes feel slightly cold.

What's the difference between a former fiancé and a widow?

He whispered, his voice like shattered ice and stardust.

"Since it's all in the past, we should let it pass peacefully like returning to the west."

For some reason, the upright gentleman I used to admire now just seems like an eyesore.

That sky-blue robe, that gentle, smiling demeanor—all of these made his heart inexplicably heavy.

"Sir, your tea."

Songjun approached with a sandalwood tray and carefully placed a cup of goji berry tea on the table.

The rising steam enveloped the frost that had formed on the windowpane.

He Lichen glanced down at the bright red color of the tea, her lips twitching slightly, almost laughing in exasperation.

"Pine and Bamboo".

"Sir, please drink more."

The scribe Songyun lowered his head, but his voice betrayed a hint of undisguised probing.

"The divine physician Zheyue is still at the Lintai Pharmacy... If you, sir, are unwell, you must not conceal your illness or delay seeking medical treatment. This... this is somewhat inadequate; if you can receive timely diagnosis and treatment, there may still be a chance for recovery—"

"You must not allow Princess Mirror to manipulate you because of your hidden ailment... Therefore, you must submit yourself to her..."

"Oh."

A very soft, cold laugh cut him off.

He Lichen raised her eyes, her gaze as cold and clear as the moon reflected in a cold pool, sweeping coolly over Song Jun's lowered head.

"It's a real waste of your talent that you don't write storybooks."

Song Jun shrank back, but still mustered his courage and continued:

"If that weren't the case, how could the master... how could he..."

"Let Princess Jing...be so disrespectful."

He's not blind.

When the adult returned last time, his clothes were disheveled, and there was an ambiguous red mark on his neck.

Her lips were slightly swollen and the corners of her eyes were red; she had clearly been bullied badly...

His Imperial Preceptor was almost completely crushed, wasn't he?

Even that night, his own master's clean snow-white robes were soiled.

They wouldn't let him wash it; they took it and washed it themselves.

I don't know what's so shameful about it.

That's so hard to guess!

"You have been poisoned by the Drunken Immortal Poison. If you are truly unwilling, one palm strike can shatter all her meridians."

Songjun raised her head, her gaze complex.

"But you indulged it, didn't you?"

Having served the Imperial Advisor for so many years, he knows better than anyone else.

Those who once tried to pluck this flower from a high mountain, whether they were alluring and charming foreign queens or pure and lovely young ladies from noble families, all of them returned empty-handed.

At best, it can cause serious injury; at worst, it can lead to death.

Only the snow in Tangxi.

Only she could cross the line again and again, kiss him on the lips, leave her mark on his body, and make ripples appear in his cold and indifferent eyes.

He Lichen remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze to the falling snow outside the window.

"Then why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

The sound was faint, like snow falling on bamboo tips, leaving no trace.

"She's Orihime..."

Memories flood my heart like a tide.

Many years ago, on a snowy night just like this...

At that time, he was not yet the revered Imperial Preceptor of the Nine Provinces, but merely the closed-door disciple of the old Imperial Preceptor.

Tangxi Ye—now Emperor Shengchen, then the Crown Prince, often brought his adorable little girl to the Star Gazing Platform for lessons.

Little Tuanzi is Tang Xiye's most beloved younger sister.

She always loved to wear soft satin boots, the icy tassels in her hair jingling, and she would run to his side like a little butterfly, stretching out her chubby little arms and calling out in her sweet, childish voice:

"Brother Huaixian, hug me—"

"Brother Huaixian is the best."

"Brother Huaixian is so handsome, Zhizhi likes you so much."

"Brother Huaixian, when you grow up, will you marry Zhizhi?"

"Brother Huaixian..."

Her soft, sweet voice was like melting honey, and beneath her long, curled eyelashes, her clear, bright eyes held the light of the entire galaxy.

He is a germaphobe and has disliked people getting close to him since childhood.

But for her alone, all the rules became meaningless.

He would bend down and pick her up, letting her little hands play with his loose hair, and letting her rub her sugar-stained face against his snow-white clothes.

Tangxi had a heavy workload of night schooling and also bore important responsibilities, often having to leave the palace to handle affairs.

At those times, the little dumpling became his "little burden".

She nestled in his arms listening to him talk about the Dao of stars and constellations, snuggled on his lap and was coaxed to sleep by him, and stumbled along the stone steps of the observatory, holding his finger.

The old imperial advisor preferred quiet and only personally taught him and Tang Xiye.

But that soft, cuddly little figure became the brightest and warmest splash of color in the long years of cultivation.

Tangxi taught her to hold a pen and practice calligraphy at night, and took her to ride horses, practice archery, martial arts, and swordsmanship.

He then took her to observe star trails, determine dragon veins, and discern feng shui.

She learned very quickly, and looked up at him with her little face, asking:

"Brother Huaixian, why is your destiny star always all alone?"

"With Zhizhi by your side, you won't be lonely."

Her eyes shone with a light that softened his heart.

Later, the old national advisor wanted to take him on a journey across the Nine Provinces. On the eve of their departure, the little dumpling cried his heart out.

She gripped his clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face, her wet eyes like glass soaked by rain.

"Brother Huaixian, don't go... Zhizhi will be good, Zhizhi will never get your clothes dirty again..."

Those tears burned his heart.

He crouched down and took out the ice crystal snowflake tassel he had carved himself from his bosom.

The snowflakes were delicate and exquisite, shimmering with tiny rainbow colors in the candlelight.

"Zhizhi, don't cry."

The boy gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips, his voice as gentle as the first rain falling on a spring night.

"From this moment, our sails will part amidst the stars and seas; in the future, we will surely sail together through the dust and snow."

He tied the tassel around her waist, and the ice crystals struck each other, producing a crisp sound like shattered jade.

"The green hills will rise again, and the moon will shine again."

"Zhizhi, wait for me to come back."

I followed my teacher for ten years and traveled all over China.

Mountains and rivers form the scroll, stars and moon the words, and the four seasons the pulse.

Over the past decade, I have witnessed the most magnificent scenery and wonders of the world.

After traversing countless mountains and rivers, he returned to her, carrying the brilliance of a sky full of stars.

No matter how vast the Nine Provinces may be, nothing is greater than having someone you care about.

No matter how far away the Way of Heaven may be, it is not as far as a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful sight.

But when he returned and stepped into Lintai, he was met with a pair of unfamiliar eyes.

Even the icy tassel he gave her was given to Shen Xian as a betrothal gift.

At that moment, he heard the sound of something shattering.

It was very light, yet the pain was excruciating.

Ten years of longing and anticipation have vanished in an instant, leaving only a vast expanse of frost.

He silently turned around, climbed the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, and froze the unspoken tenderness within him into a chilling aura that kept everyone at arm's length.

But fate loves to play tricks.

On a snowy night at the Palace of Eternal Life, the moment she opened her eyes—

Her moist eyes, sparkling like a galaxy, gazed at him.

She looks exactly like Zhizhi from my memory.

Thus, all principles, all rules, and all dignity trampled upon shattered at that moment.

She kissed him, defiled him, and dragged him down from his pedestal, and he didn't even have the strength to resist.

Or rather, he willingly succumbed to depravity.

"You little liar, you promised you wouldn't get my clothes dirty..."

The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier. He Lichen gently closed her eyes, her voice blending into the wind.

"Do you... still remember me?"

He thought she might have recognized him.

Otherwise, how could she be so confident in having him under her thumb, so brazenly bullying him, as if she already knew he would never be willing to hurt her in the slightest?

"Weaving—"

His voice was like an ice string bathed in moonlight, carrying the tenderness of longing that had turned to scabs.

His eyes were as gentle as melting snow and a spring stream.

Life is like a game of chess; once a move is made, there's no going back.

"You hold the white, I hold the black; every step we take, we walk together."