The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Tangxi Xue had just stepped out of the snow-covered bamboo forest when she saw a graceful figure standing quietly beside the rockery.

The man was dressed in a plain white brocade robe with dark silver cloud patterns, and covered with a dark green velvet cloak with silver trim. He had a tall and straight posture.

Behind him were rugged, snow-covered artificial hills, and beside him were green bamboos covered with snowflakes.

He was like a refined gentleman who had stepped out of a delicate ink painting, elegant and dignified, gentle and refined like jade.

"Si Nian greets Your Highness."

Shen Xian bowed respectfully, his voice as gentle and polite as a spring breeze caressing the strings of a zither.

He was the eldest son of Prime Minister Shen, and the world praised him for his unparalleled elegance and noble character, a gentleman as pure as jade. His glory was shattered, like jade broken in Langya, a spring breeze mistaken for snow.

Standing here amidst the snow-covered bamboo, I truly deserve such high praise.

"Today's assessment of the Four Arts will be conducted by me, with the chess test in mind." He looked up, his eyes filled with a gentle clarity. "If Your Highness wishes, you may choose to take the chess test."

His mastery of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—had already been approved as "top-tier" by the Director of Studies at the beginning of the year, allowing him to pass without further examination.

Being in charge of the chess test this time can certainly make things easier for her—even if she only knows the most basic rules of placing pieces, he has a way to help her pass safely.

"Young Master Shen is known in Lintai for his fairness and propriety," Tang Xixue's voice was polite yet distant, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, "I'd better not trouble you."

She paused, a very faint smile curving her lips.

"After all, you are no longer my fiancé, so there's no need for this kind of care."

"Your Highness," Shen Xian's eyes flickered slightly, a barely perceptible hint of bitterness crossing his gentle face, "I just... don't want to see you being laughed at."

In his memory, her performance in the four arts exams over the years had always been a complete mess. Every time she barely managed to pass, it would attract a lot of ridicule and gossip.

Thinking of those harsh taunts, and the possibility that she might once again become the subject of gossip, he felt... a little reluctant.

"I appreciate your kindness, Young Master Shen."

Tang Xixue gently shook her head, her tone as calm as a deep pool.

"In the past, I was the one who dragged you down—making someone as pure and gentle as the moon and the breeze, a laughingstock in other people's mouths."

Everyone says that Shen Xian is the pure and flawless white moonlight of the human world.

But ever since he was bound to her by an imperial decree, he has become an afterthought of Princess Mirror's absurd behavior and an object of ridicule by those who envy him.

She was the imperfection in his perfect life.

"But you can rest assured now, no matter how I do on the exam, I will no longer cause you to be criticized by others."

Her words were spoken lightly, yet they conveyed a carefree and nonchalant air, as if the ridicule and contempt she had endured over the years were nothing more than dust that could be brushed away with a flick of her sleeve.

"Your Highness, you've misunderstood," Shen Xian looked at her, suddenly feeling a tightness in his throat, "I didn't mean to look down on you..."

He watched her approach gracefully, her snow-white skirt brushing against the snow, the tassel hairpin in her hair swaying gently with her steps, reflecting tiny starlight in the morning light.

Behind her were snow-covered bamboo groves, and in front of her was the gentle morning light. Her entire being was ethereal and otherworldly, possessing a breathtaking beauty.

It is the brightest star when snow falls on earth, the clearest poem in winter, and a veil woven by the moonlight with all its might—so beautiful that even the gods would hold their breath and sigh.

Shen Xian suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

Why did he always feel that she was not worthy of being considered refined?

It's as if the crabapple blossoms haven't been touched by rain, and the pear blossoms are already covered in snow; all the spring colors of the world must give way to her.

"Heh," Tang Xixue merely gave a faint smile, her voice as light as a snowflake falling on the heart, "Young Master Shen simply... looks down on me from the bottom of his heart."

Before she could finish speaking, she had already brushed past him.

A wisp of the cool fragrance of crabapple blossoms brushed past his nose, then dissipated in the cold wind.

Shen Xian stood frozen in place, all the words he hadn't uttered stuck in his throat.

He instinctively wanted to turn around and call out to her, but his gaze passed over her slender shoulder and caught sight of the flamboyant figure by the bamboo grove, adjusting his crimson robes—

The wind is scorching.

The young man, dressed in fiery red, was brushing the bamboo leaves off his sleeves. His profile was strikingly handsome, and a hint of shyness lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Shen Xian felt as if he had been struck hard by a blunt object, a dull, stabbing pain shooting through his chest.

What were she and Feng Zhuo doing in the bamboo forest just now?

This thought grew wildly like a vine, wrapping around him and making his breath catch in his throat; his fingers in his sleeve slowly tightened.

Tang Xixue showed no intention of lingering and walked straight ahead.

Shen Xian stood there, watching her receding figure. The morning light stretched her shadow long, but it could never reach the hem of his clothes.

"Young Master Shen, have you no shame?"

A strange, sarcastic voice came from the bamboo forest, breaking the stagnant air.

Feng Zhu strode out, her red dress blazing like fire against the snow.

He crossed his arms, his eyebrows raised in undisguised sarcasm:

"When Ah Xue used to chase after you, you ignored her and acted like some kind of aloof celestial being. Now that Ah Xue doesn't want you anymore, you're all over her again—"

He scoffed, his words sharp as knives: "How shameless!"

A hint of displeasure finally flashed across Shen Xian's gentle face.

"Young General Feng, this is a private matter between His Highness and me, and it has nothing to do with you."

His voice remained gentle, yet it carried a chill.

"His Highness and I only exchanged a few words."

His gaze swept over Feng Zhuo's slightly disheveled crimson robes, and his tone deepened:

"It is General Feng who is being reckless and entangled with a woman in the bamboo forest in broad daylight. This is truly disrespectful and damages Your Highness's reputation."

"Pooh!"

Feng Zhuo's anger surged instantly, and she pointed at his nose.

"Let me make this clear, Ah Xue is mine! If you don't like her, get lost. Don't pretend to be a good person here and ruin her reputation!"

Seeing the tension between the two, Feng Yi, who had been standing quietly behind the artificial hill not far away, coughed lightly and slowly walked out.

"Ah Zhuo," his voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable authority, "private fights are forbidden in Lintai. Do not cause trouble."

Feng Zhu gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Shen Xian, and ultimately did not step forward again.

"Young General Feng," Shen Xian flicked his sleeves, regaining his gentle and composed demeanor, though his gaze remained slightly cold, "Take care of yourself."

Having said that, he didn't linger and turned to walk away through the snow.

As Tangxi Xue turned the corner of the corridor, she saw a figure in sky blue standing quietly under the eaves.

Pei Yanchuan had been waiting for an unknown amount of time. His figure blended into a tranquil ink painting with the white walls and black tiles and the snow-covered garden behind him.

He held a book in his hands, but his gaze remained fixed on the direction she had come from.

Seeing her approaching, he immediately went to greet her.

Good morning, Your Highness.

His voice was clear and crisp, like melting snow, carrying the unique clarity of a young person.

"Yanchuan, good morning." Tang Xixue turned her head to look at him and smiled slightly.

That smile was like a plum blossom quietly blooming in the snow, its beauty tinged with warmth, instantly brightening her cool and aloof features.

"Are your mother and sister settled in at Plum Garden? Are they getting used to their stay?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Pei Yanchuan's gaze was gentle, and his empty, indifferent eyes reflected only her figure.

"Everything has been settled. Thanks to Your Highness's timely consultation with a doctor last night, my mother has also woken up this morning and is in much better spirits."

He was very grateful to her.

He was grateful to her for pulling him out of the mud, and even more grateful to her for saving his only two remaining relatives in the world.

He couldn't imagine what would have happened to his mother and sister if she hadn't appeared last night.

Just thinking about those possibilities sent chills down his spine.

"That's good." Tang Xixue nodded, her gaze falling on his slender figure. Suddenly, she remembered something, "Did Yanchuan apply the medicine himself?"

He was badly beaten last night, and his injuries were quite severe.

Pei Yanchuan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head: "I'm fine."

He was already used to the pain.

He needed that meager amount of money to treat his mother's heart ailment and to support his young sister; he couldn't bear to spend it on himself.

It's just a little physical pain; you can endure it and it will pass.

Tang Xixue, however, saw through his concealment.

She suddenly leaned closer, lowered her voice, and her warm breath brushed against his ear:

"Then... come to my bedchamber tonight."

Pei Yanchuan's breath hitched, and he froze instantly.

"Come here after you've washed yourself clean," she added, her voice so soft that only he could hear it, yet every word was clear.

"Hmm..." Pei Yanchuan's ears turned bright red instantly, the blush spreading all the way to his neck and hiding in his dark hair, burning intensely.

His fingertips curled up nervously, and his voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Yan Chuan...Yes, sir."

Your Highness... do you want him to serve you in bed?

But he didn't understand anything.

After the assessment, should he go to the bookstore to find some academic classics and study them first?

In the past, the thought of Princess Mirror coveting his body made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and he was filled with resistance.

But now, the thought of her wanting to get close to him fills him with a flustered anticipation. He fears that his awkwardness and inexperience might bore her.

He quietly raised his eyes and watched Tang Xixue turn around and continue walking forward. Unconsciously, he took another half step closer.

He believed he could learn anything quickly.

He will surely satisfy His Highness.