The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The carriage slowly drove away from the Seventh Pavilion.

However, at the very moment the carriage turned the corner and completely disappeared from the Seventh Prince's sight.

At the top of the towering, gilded main building of the Seven Generations Pavilion, above the upturned eaves.

A figure had quietly appeared here, seemingly existing alongside the bright moon and flying eaves.

The moonlight, like a ribbon, poured down, enveloping him in a hazy, luminous glow.

Her long, snow-white hair was unbound, flowing freely in the wind, colder and clearer than moonlight, purer than frost and snow.

She wore a long, wide-sleeved robe embroidered with lotus patterns, as white as snow. The hem of the robe fluttered and billowed in the high wind, like surging clouds or butterfly wings.

He turned his head slightly, revealing half of his breathtaking profile.

Her features were as sharp and clear as the snow line of a distant mountain, her long eyelashes drooped, and her gaze fell on her wrist.

There was a string of white jade prayer beads, each bead round and lustrous, with an inner radiance.

His long, jade-like fingers were gently brushing against a silver-white longsword hanging at his waist.

The sword is named "Butterfly's Passing".

At the end of the sword hilt is a tassel woven from silver thread, adorned with several tiny, exquisite silver bells and two lifelike silver butterfly ornaments as thin as cicada wings.

The night wind grew stronger, brushing against the tassels on the sword hilt.

"Ring... Ring..."

The clear, ethereal sound of silver bells rang out again, echoing the sound of the wind high above, scattering like shattered jade onto the vast world below, only to quickly dissipate into the boundless night, unheard by anyone.

He stood quietly, like an ancient painting forgotten by time and suddenly reappeared in the world.

It should have hung eternally in the heavens, for people to admire and gaze upon from afar.

At this moment, he truly descended upon the highest eaves of this mortal world, looking down upon the long street of lights that he had just briefly appeared on and then suddenly disappeared from sight.

The moonlight flowed like a river behind him.

He was more solitary than the moonlight, and more stunning than the snow.

"Your Highness, are you really not considering staying at Yanxue Residence next to the Beichen Prince's Mansion? The location is excellent, the scenery is elegant, and most importantly, it's newly built and brand new."

Her voice trailed off as she saw the ambiguous smile playing on her prince's lips.

The snow in Tangxi stopped.

They were standing in the middle of a stone arch bridge, with the famous Broken Moon River of Baiyujing flowing beneath it.

The river water was dyed silver by the moon, and several painted boats were lazily moored under the shade of willows. The sound of sheng and xiao flutes drifted intermittently, like an old dream softened by the water.

"Wei Yu, guess what would happen if I really lived next door to him—"

She turned around and leaned against the cool stone railing, her clothes fluttering gently in the river breeze.

His eyes curved into a smile, but a sharp starlight was hidden within it.

"Will he sneak over the wall in the middle of the night to admire the moon and recite poetry with me, or... will he just come with a sword to take my head?"

Wei Yu imagined the scene and couldn't help but shudder.

The face of the Prince of Beichen, sculpted like a glacier, appeared outside the window as if bathed in moonlight at night…

She silently crossed the "reciting poetry" option out of her mind.

"Your Highness is right," she echoed softly. "It was my oversight."

Mu Liang stood silently three steps behind Tang Xixue, like a silent shadow.

He wore a half-silver mask, revealing a taut jawline, and his gaze remained lowered, fixed on the edge of the prince's skirt, which was billowing in the wind.

There, embroidered with extremely fine silver-white six-petaled flowers, shimmered with a faint light as she moved.

"Baiyujing..."

Tangxi Xue gazed into the distance at the layers of flying eaves and brackets, the buildings silhouetted against the flowing light of the night.

"Truly worthy of being the heart of the Nine Provinces, imbued with imperial aura."

"Unfortunately, every inch of soil here is soaked in gold."

Even ordinary wealthy families would have to think twice before entering this place, let alone Princess Jing, who only has the title of princess but is actually penniless.

Wei Yu wrung out her handkerchief in the light rain, a hint of embarrassment on her face:

"It's because I'm useless... None of the houses I found meet Your Highness's standards."

She bit her lip.

"But right now... we only have 100,000 gold coins in total. That amount could buy a decent manor elsewhere, but in the capital, it wouldn't even buy a shop in the city center."

She was telling the truth.

These 100,000 gold coins were earned by His Highness at the cost of his life—in the life-or-death arena battle at the Asura Platform.

Thinking of this, Wei Yu quietly raised her eyes to look at her prince.

Tangxi Xue was gazing intently at the river, watching the plum blossoms drift with the current.

"Your Highness."

Mu Liang, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

His voice was low and somewhat hoarse, like sandpaper gently rubbing against silk.

He took out a plain cloth bag from his bosom, held it with both hands, and handed it to Tang Xixue.

The cloth bag was old, with frayed edges, but it was clean and dry.

Tang Xixue snapped out of her daze and her gaze fell on the cloth bag.

Mu Liang didn't look up, maintaining the gesture of offering the item, but a barely perceptible blush appeared on the tips of her ears beneath the silver mask: "This is what my brother and I... have accumulated over the years."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "A total of one thousand gold coins. It's a small amount... but please accept it, Your Highness."

Wei Yu opened her eyes wide.

She knew the monthly allowances of the two brothers, Chaohan and Muliang—the Changsheng Palace was already strapped for cash, and their salaries were pitifully meager.

This thousand gold coins were probably saved up by the two of them, one copper coin at a time, along with the small, dangerous jobs they took on.

Those side jobs... were "Nightblade" missions issued by the Battle Hall.

"Night Blade," a blade that roams the dark nights of Kyushu.

Assassination, protection, spying, pursuit...

Chao Han and Mu Liang are considered to be among the best in the Battle Hall, but every mission they undertake is like dancing on the edge of a knife.

This thousand gold coins were hard-earned, including the bet that Mu Liang had placed on his entire fortune when his prince won.

Tangxi Xue did not answer.

She looked at Mu Liang's lowered head, at his hands gripping the cloth bag tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white. After a long while, she softly asked:

"Ah Liang, is this the money you saved up for your wedding?"

Mu Liang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"You've given it all to me," her voice was soft, like snow in early spring that was about to melt, yet it felt a little hot on the heart. "If you meet a girl you like in the future, what will you offer as a betrothal gift? Will you go to propose empty-handed, saying, 'I have nothing of value, only my heart'?"

Mu Liang suddenly raised her head.

The eyes above the mask stared straight at Tang Xixue, their gaze burning, stubborn, and even carrying a hint of anguish at being misunderstood.

"Neither I nor my brother will marry."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to be blasted out of his chest.

"Your Highness and I are your people in life and in death. In this life, there will be no other girl."

"Everything we have belongs to His Highness."

The wind on the bridge suddenly picked up, causing the stray hairs on Tang Xixue's forehead to flutter.

She gazed silently at Mu Liang, at the almost burning flame in his eyes, and for a moment, she was speechless.

Wei Yu held her breath, her eyes sparkling. She looked at His Highness, then at Mu Liang, and couldn't help but smile.

She suddenly realized that Mu Liang's appearance at this moment...

It's just like those devout believers in those folk tales who offer all their faith to the gods.

"Your Highness!"

She quickly pulled out her purse from her sleeve; it was made of pink satin and embroidered with snowflakes.

"I have some too! It's not much, but it's all from my heart!"

Tang Xixue looked at the two hands that were being offered to her.

One hand held a worn-out cloth bag, its knuckles distinct, bearing the thin calluses left from years of wielding a knife;

A hand holds a purse with clumsy embroidery, its fingertips trembling slightly.

She suddenly smiled.

That smile wasn't the usual sly or teasing one, but a gentle, soft one, like moonlight finally piercing through the clouds and quietly falling on the snow.

"alright."

She reached out her hand, but instead of taking the money, she gently patted Mu Liang's hand and touched Wei Yu's hair.

"Your Highness may be down on his luck, but he's not so destitute that he has to empty his own family's pockets."

She turned to Mu Liang, her tone carrying an undeniable gentleness:

"Ah Liang, take it back."

The evening chill remained still.

He stubbornly maintained the gesture of offering, like a silent stone sculpture.

Only the slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

Tang Xixue raised an eyebrow.

She suddenly reached out and took the cloth bag from his hand.

The movement was very light, yet it carried a certain decisive meaning.

Mu Liang instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but stopped when she met her gaze.

Tang Xixue held the cloth bag and twirled it between her fingertips.

The light shone through the thin fabric, and the outline of the banknotes inside could be vaguely seen.

She raised her eyes, a sly glint in them.

"If A-Liang insists on not taking it back..."

"Then I'll take this as your dowry."

Mu Liang froze.

"Tonight, Ah Liang... shall serve you in bed, shall we?"

Tang Xixue took a step closer, lowered her voice, and breathed softly.

"Whoosh—"

Mu Liang's face instantly turned bright red, and even her neck was tinged with crimson.

As if burned, he jerked his hand back, snatched the cloth bag, and staggered back three steps, almost stumbling as he crashed into the bridge railing.

The next second, his figure blurred, turning into a faint ink-like afterimage, and disappeared into the shadow of the willow trees by the bridge.

The movements were so fast... it was as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was chasing them.

No, it's more terrifying than floods and wild beasts.