The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

People's joys and sorrows are never shared.

Some people are born to be meticulously crafted by fate.

Si Xingxuan's miraculous medical skills, capable of bringing the dead back to life and healing flesh and bone, have led countless powerful and wealthy individuals to squander their fortunes just to catch a glimpse of him; it seems he was born with a knack for making money, turning stones into gold is nothing out of the ordinary for him.

But a doctor cannot heal himself. Beneath this seemingly precious exterior lies a dilapidated foundation where medicine is ineffective and life is barely sustained by expensive tonics.

It's true—life is as fragile as paper.

As a result, he lived a more and more unrestrained and spontaneous life, doing everything according to his own will and rarely paying attention to worldly rules and regulations.

"I have seen it," Qi Zhu carefully raised her eyes to observe her master's expression. "That Yanxue Residence... was put up for auction by Princess Jing."

He paused.

"Don't you like to cause her trouble? Should I trip her up a bit?"

In his view, apart from managing his vast business empire, the only unusual thing the master had been doing recently was paying a lot of attention to that Princess Mirror.

If it weren't for deep-seated hatred and a constant desire to annoy the other person, what else could it be?

"absurd."

Si Xingxuan tapped her fingers lightly on the smooth tabletop, producing a rhythmic sound.

His tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of displeasure at being offended:

"When did I ever say... I like her? Qizhu, be careful what you say."

Qi Zhu was taken aback, blinked, and looked somewhat innocent:

"My lord, I didn't say you liked her..."

He wondered to himself, "Is the master a little hard of hearing today?"

How could you have misheard so many things?

He clearly meant to sabotage Princess Mirror's auction, preventing her from selling the house as she wished.

"Really? You didn't say so? You said you didn't know?"

Si Xingxuan seemed to realize that she had overreacted, her fingertips paused slightly, and then she casually changed the subject:

"How is the construction of the Hall of Longevity in Xuanxing City progressing? Have you carefully examined the blueprints? It should be built next to my Zheyue Palace, and its layout and furnishings must be exactly the same as the Hall of Longevity in the Imperial Palace."

"Construction is being expedited."

Qi Zhu suppressed the subtle, strange feeling in his heart and answered respectfully.

"We hired the best craftsmen in Kyushu, and all the wood, lacquerware, and decorations were purchased to the highest standards, striving for... absolute perfection."

He was truly puzzled.

Why would Your Majesty want to replicate the residence of the Princess of Beichen Palace next to your own magnificent palace?

This hobby is truly perplexing and expensive—it's not an ordinary residence, but a palace built to the standards of a princess.

But Qizhu wouldn't ask any more questions.

All he knew was that when the Lord gave an order in such a casual tone, that order had to be done to the best of one's ability.

"Okay, that's good."

Si Xingxuan's gaze returned to the auction stage below, as if the momentary loss of composure had never occurred.

Only the subtle movement of her fingertips unconsciously tightening on the silk handkerchief revealed a hint of unease.

"So if she comes to Xingze in the future..."

"My lord???"

"Pshaw. What I meant was that her palace was well-designed and worth collecting."

"There's one more thing. Princess Mirror's old belongings... I heard someone wants to buy them back at a higher price?"

"Yes." Qi Zhu nodded, her blue robes gleaming faintly in the starlight. "The other party is willing to offer three times the market price and is going through three layers of intermediaries to convey their message, which shows great sincerity."

"Not for sale."

Si Xingxuan rejected the idea without hesitation.

Two words, resolute and unequivocal, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Pass down the message: this matter need not be discussed further."

He was a top-notch businessman who understood the art of hoarding rare goods and waiting for the right price to go up.

If it were an ordinary treasure, he would naturally be happy to see its price rise, and might even fuel the price increase.

But for some reason, he felt a strong aversion to those old things belonging to Tang Xixue—the pens she used, the books she read, the hairpins she wore. It was as if those objects should no longer be tainted by other people's warmth, and should no longer be peered at by other eyes.

It was an almost instinctive possessiveness, the reason for which he himself had never investigated.

"Didn't I already ask you to send people to escort that batch of goods back to Xingze?"

He frowned and asked, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the soft fur along the edge of the fox fur coat. The touch was cool and smooth, like stroking the fresh snow that had just fallen on a winter night.

"Yes, as you instructed, we have already set off."

Qizhu respectfully replied.

"Escorted by the elite Cloud Pattern Guards of the Pavilion, and accompanied by the Nightblade Squad, the most reputable team in the War Hall. The two groups, one open and one covert, will support each other. In theory... there should be no chance of failure."

Before he finished speaking, a jade talisman at his waist suddenly became hot, emitting a dazzling crimson light.

Qi Zhu's expression hardened, and he quickly walked to the crystal stand to the side and inserted the jade talisman into the groove.

Ripples spread across the surface of the crystal platform, revealing coded messages—the highest-level emergency message from the Seventh Pavilion.

A moment later, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly returned to Si Xingxuan's side, his voice extremely low:

"My lord... the goods have been stolen."

Si Xingxuan suddenly turned his head.

His usually indifferent and calm eyes instantly turned icy, and the lazy, sickly aura around him vanished, replaced by a sinister look forged in power and bloodshed.

That was another face of Young Master Zheyue, rarely shown to others, yet it truly existed.

"Who is it?"

His voice was very soft, yet it caused the temperature inside the pavilion to drop sharply.

"With the Seven Generations Pavilion's elite troops and Night Vanguard escorting them... are they really capable of stealing anything from them?"

A cold smile curved his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, making his gaze appear even colder.

"It certainly broadened my horizons."

Qi Zhu's expression was ashen: "The message was vague, only saying that the other side consisted of top-notch experts, moving with lightning speed and coordinating perfectly. Our people... were almost unable to mount an effective resistance. After the goods were hijacked, the other side vanished in an instant among the intricate waterways and forests of Mo Hai County, leaving no trace."

"Mohai County..."

Si Xingxuan slowly leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest, a cold glint in his eyes, like a whirlpool surging beneath a deep pool.

"The fiefdom of Prince Rui, Tangxi Mo, is located in Xuanmo Port of the Imperial Navy, and is heavily guarded by troops on both official roads and waterways."

He chuckled softly, a laugh laced with cold sarcasm.

"Where did you rob my Seven Generations Pavilion's goods?"

The rhythm of his tapping remained unchanged, each tap distinct in the silent pavilion, like the pendulum of a countdown clock.

"Which faction wanted to buy that batch of goods?"

Qi Zhu lowered his head and recalled for a moment, then hesitated and said:

"Our spies report that the buyer has a very deep background, and is being kept under wraps, but subtle clues are pointing to the inner court."

"The inner court?"

Si Xingxuan repeated those two words, and suddenly, as if he had figured something out, a deeply ironic smile slowly bloomed on his pale face.

That smile was stunningly beautiful, with a slight upturn at the corners of her eyes and lips tinged with a pale red due to her emotional fluctuations, yet it was also chillingly cold, like a poisonous flower blooming on an icy plain.

"What a beautiful night in Tangxi."

He was so angry that his breathing became unsteady, his chest heaved slightly, and his eyes blazed with fury, yet he still managed to laugh out loud.

The laughter was low and broken, carrying an uncontrollable ferocity.

"If you can't buy it back, you resort to robbery? That's really... arbitrary and domineering."

He could almost picture the Holy Emperor's style of doing things—calm and collected, yet swift and decisive.

It's likely that not only top experts were dispatched, but the navy and patrol forces of Mohai County also secretly facilitated things, and some even took action themselves.

Who doesn't know that the princes of Beichen are all loyal to their elder brother and obey his every command?

The struggle for the throne among the nine sons of the late emperor was originally a bloody affair, but under Tang Xiye's leadership, it was transformed into a smooth succession, and the imperial power became more stable than ever before.

He had always been aware of that emperor's shrewdness and cunning.

To get what she wants, Tang Xiye has always been ruthless and unscrupulous.

"Isn't Prince Rui... the most loyal hound under Tang Xiye's command?"

Si Xingxuan sneered, his fingertips unconsciously tightening, the fur of the fox fur being slightly deformed by his grip.

"The fiefdom, military power, and glory—weren't they all given to me by that good imperial brother? Now that I'm handling this personal matter for him, I will naturally do my best."

"He's really daring—"

Enraged, a metallic sweetness suddenly surged up in his throat.

Si Xingxuan suddenly covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and a violent cough tore apart the silence in the pavilion.

A striking red stain instantly spread across the snow-white silk handkerchief, like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming in the snow, both eerie and poignant.