The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Inside the Hall of Longevity, spring was in the snow, and the air was filled with the warmth of incense. Suddenly, a calm report broke the tranquility.

"Your Highness."

The guard commander, Chao Han, walked silently into the inner hall, stopped three steps away from Tang Xixue, and bowed his head to report:

"The Hidden Dragon Guard has determined that Young Master Pei was attacked last night on the mountain path outside Lintai by servants of the Shen family. Young Master Zheyue happened to be passing by and intervened to save him."

Tangxi Xue was holding a pair of silver scissors, trimming a half-open green plum blossom in a vase.

Upon hearing this, her fingertips paused slightly, and she raised her eyelids.

"Oh?"

Her gaze shifted to Pei Yanchuan, who sat upright to the side, her voice carrying a hint of playful inquiry:

"Ah Lin, when did you offend that brother and sister from the Shen family?"

Pei Yanchuan put down his teacup, a hint of helpless innocence appearing on his handsome face:

"I didn't intentionally offend anyone. It was just a chess game yesterday..."

He paused, as if considering his words, and finally said honestly:

"They slaughtered Shen Sinian, leaving him without a single piece of armor or any chance of survival."

His tone was as calm as if he were saying that the weather was fine today, yet it also revealed a sense of self-righteous arrogance—the sharp edge hidden in the bones of a young prodigy.

Tang Xixue was taken aback at first, then chuckled softly.

The laughter was light and airy, like ice crystals hitting a jade plate, shattering into tiny fragments of light.

"Shen Sinian isn't that petty." She put down the silver scissors, her fingertips gently brushing across the plum petals. "If he really wanted to use tricks, they would be the kind that are subtle yet effective, making things difficult for you to grasp."

Her gaze shifted slightly, landing on Pei Yanchuan's face:

"Did you... accidentally offend Shen Yan?"

Pei Yanchuan immediately shook his head, his expression serious to the point of being solemn:

"I have not provoked Miss Shen, nor have I ever spoken to her."

He paused, his ears turning slightly red, and his voice lowered:

"I...I only speak to His Highness. Apart from my family, I haven't paid any attention to other women."

These words were spoken somewhat hastily, yet they revealed a clean and stubborn adherence to propriety.

The boy's eyes were clear and open as he looked at her, like a mountain spring that had never been disturbed by the dust of the world.

Tang Xixue gazed at him quietly for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on her lips:

"Yes, I believe Ah Lin."

She then asked Chao Han, "How did Young Master Zhe Yue deal with those people?"

"Young Master Zheyue ordered his men to return the corpses... intact, to the gates of Prime Minister Shen's residence. It was said that Prime Minister Shen went to court this morning, and there they were, a neat row of corpses laid out before him, each wrapped in white cloth with words inscribed in cinnabar—"

Chao Han paused for a moment before continuing:

"The dog of the Shen family has disturbed our distinguished guests and is hereby returned to its owner."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Even Tangxi Xue raised her eyebrows slightly.

Si Xingxuan is truly... blatantly insane and recklessly arrogant.

This wasn't in his Xingze Empire, yet he dared to trample on the face of the current Right Chancellor so blatantly, and with such "perfect manners."

"Ah Lin," Tang Xixue turned to look at Pei Yanchuan, her voice softening, "You still need to practice martial arts properly in the future, so you can't let others bully you every time."

Pei Yanchuan's eyelashes trembled slightly as he whispered:

"I know martial arts, but there are... too many of them."

There was a hint of barely perceptible grievance hidden in that voice, like a sparrow's feathers dampened by rain, trembling slightly.

Tang Xixue sighed softly, no longer insisting:

"That's fine, practicing martial arts to strengthen your body is enough. You're already past the best age for practicing martial arts, there's no need to force yourself."

Since the God of Literature has descended to earth, one cannot force him to also cultivate the methods of the God of War.

In this world, pearls should not be allowed to be tarnished, nor should they be forced to shield others from harm.

She looked at Chao Han again, her gaze slightly darkening.

"Since Si Xingxuan has already intervened to resolve the situation, why were A Lin's clothes soaked when he returned last night?"

She didn't ask Pei Yanchuan.

This young man was good at enduring hardship. He would always swallow his grievances and suffer in silence, like a wounded little animal, licking his wounds quietly, afraid of causing trouble for others.

Chao Han glanced at Pei Yanchuan, who was about to speak, but he directly said:

"It was Xu Manshan, the heir of the Marquis of Anping, who pushed Young Master Pei into Taiye Lake. Young Master Pei's books...were also completely destroyed."

"Thump—"

Tang Xixue's jade teacup fell onto the rosewood table.

In that instant, the warm air inside the hall seemed to freeze.

An invisible chill emanated from her, not the cold of ice and snow, but a kind of imposing and awe-inspiring coldness.

The palace servants standing in the hall all bowed their heads, even their breathing was extremely soft.

Pei Yanchuan paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.

He had never seen His Highness like this before—usually aloof and gentle, like the moon reflected in a spring stream; but now he was like the first snow covering a blade, his cold light concealed, yet so piercing that one dared not look directly at him.

The fleeting majesty in his eyes bore a striking resemblance to that of the Holy Emperor, who sat high in the Mingtang Hall.

"Xu Manshan," Tang Xixue spoke slowly, each word like an ice bead falling to the ground, "He is quite capable, bullying my people in Lintai."

Her delicate fingers tapped lightly on the table, yet inexplicably, it made one's heart tighten:

"Ah Lin said there are many of them. Who else is there?"

Chao Han lowered her eyes, her voice clear and distinct:

"Also present at the time were Han Yue, the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; Zhao Lingjun, the son of Minister Zhao; and Chen, the nephew of the Vice Minister of Rites..."

"Young Master Han and Young Master Zhao did not make a move," Pei Yanchuan hurriedly said, his voice tinged with sincerity. "They were merely... bystanders."

He didn't want His Highness to make enemies for no reason because of his own affairs.

Tang Xixue glanced at him indifferently, her gaze calm yet seemingly able to see through all pretense:

"I'm actually fine," Pei Yanchuan said, sounding a little flustered by her gaze. He added in a low voice, "I can swim, it's alright. It's just those books..."

His voice lowered, filled with genuine sorrow:

"I just got it, I haven't even looked at it yet..."

Upon hearing this, Mu Liang, who was hiding in the shadows, twitched his lips almost imperceptibly.

Among Young Master Pei's batch of "precious books," there was also a book called "Free from Vinegar, Light of Body."

Tang Xixue's eyes flickered slightly. No wonder when he returned last night, his doe-like eyes held not only grievance but also a hint of unspoken disappointment.

It was originally for those books.

She didn't look at it closely yesterday and doesn't know what kind of good book it is.

"Xu Manshan's residence," she began slowly, her voice unreadable, "I remember there were quite a few lakes and ponds. In winter, the snow is slippery, and if someone accidentally slipped and fell into the water... it wouldn't be surprising, would it, A-Liang?"

Mu Liang immediately emerged from the shadows and knelt on one knee:

"Your Highness is absolutely right! I will make careful arrangements to ensure that Prince Xu has a wonderful experience of boating on the lake in winter."

"Furthermore," Tang Xixue turned her gaze to Wei Yu, "yesterday, Ah Lin's precious rare book was worth a thousand gold pieces. Since Young Master Xu damaged it, let the Marquis of Anping's mansion compensate for the loss at that price."

"Yes." Wei Yu bowed her head and accepted the order.

"As for the others present, since they love watching the spectacle so much, let them go to the mass grave outside the city and have a good look around all night."

Tang Xixue picked up her teacup and gently blew on the floating leaves on the water.

"Remember to tie up a few more; it's always more fun with more people."

"Your subordinate obeys!" A glint of cold light flashed in Mu Liang's eyes.

Pei Yanchuan stared at her blankly, a sudden surge of emotion welling up in his nose.

He hurriedly lowered his head, but couldn't stop his eyes from welling up with tears.

Over the years, without anyone to protect him, he has become accustomed to forbearance, to yielding, to bowing his head in the face of bullying, and to swallowing all his grievances.

No one had ever stood before him so unhesitatingly, protecting him from all harm.

"Your Highness," his voice trembled slightly, "wouldn't this... be inappropriate? They are all sons of powerful and wealthy families; if this causes enmity..."

"Ah Lin".

Tang Xixue put down her teacup and looked up at him. Her gaze was calm and deep, as if she could see into the most uneasy corner of his heart.

"When they have more power than my brother, the Emperor, then they can come and reason with me."

Her voice was soft, yet every word was like a nail, piercing the ears of everyone in the hall:

"For those who bully the weak, only when they feel pain and fear, when the pain is felt by themselves, will they understand what regret is."

"In this world, taking a step back is never a way to open up a vast expanse, but rather a bottomless abyss, or a situation that only gets worse."

She stood up and walked to Pei Yanchuan.

The moon-white hem of her skirt brushed against the smooth ground like drifting clouds.

"I can't always be there to protect you. The only one who can pull you out of danger a thousand times over is yourself."

She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing against the corner of his slightly reddened eyes; the movement was gentle, but her tone was as firm as iron:

"All I can do is make them understand—I'm here for you."

"You are not alone, you are not without a branch to cling to."

Pei Yanchuan looked up in surprise and met her eyes, which were as bright as the Milky Way.

In that instant, he seemed to hear the sound of ice cracking and spring tides surging.

All the grievances, resentment, and forbearance that had been suppressed for many years found an outlet in her words.

Tears rolled down his cheeks without warning, one after another, burning his face.

He doesn't cry easily.

But he could never help himself in front of her.

"Don't cry."

Tang Xixue gently wiped away his tears, her voice softening like newly melted snow:

"My sister is here."

She suddenly leaned down and whispered something in his ear, her breath warm:

"Ah Lin, your crying makes me want to bully you even more. If you're going to cry... next time, stay on the tatami mat and cry."

Pei Yanchuan's tears stopped instantly, and his entire face flushed red.

"Sister..." He was so ashamed that he almost wanted to hide in the ground.