The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Strangely enough, the initially frightened little white kitten gradually stopped trembling as the boy gently soothed and whispered to it.

She even raised her head and gently touched his fingertips with her cool, wet nose, making a soft snoring sound.

Kong Sangyu, a prince of the Bibo Immortal Dynasty, is renowned for his affinity with nature.

Possessing a rare spiritual essence, they are born with the ability to communicate with birds and beasts.

At this moment, he looked down at the cat's profile. Its long, silver-blue hair cascaded down its shoulders like a waterfall, and its features resembled distant mountains shrouded in mist, pure and otherworldly.

"Brother! Why did you bring another cat home?"

A clear, bell-like female voice came from the palace gate.

Kong Sangling peeked out, lifting the hem of her blue and white skirt. She wore a blue fur cloak over her shoulders, and her double buns were adorned with pearls and seashells. Her small face was flushed by the warm light in the hall, and she was puffing out her cheeks, looking both helpless and annoyed.

"We didn't have a place to stay in Baiyujing to begin with! Sister Yan kindly helped us rent that little courtyard, but it can't accommodate any more cats there!"

"How could they not be able to raise them?"

Kong Sangyu lowered her head and gently scratched the little white cat's chin with her fingertips, her eyes tender.

"They are born free and unfettered creatures. They are so small, how much space can they take up?"

"We're just providing them with a place where they can eat their fill, sleep in warmth, and shelter from the wind and snow."

He carried the cat into the hall, his outer robe completely covering the small ball of white fur.

"Sister Yan is so kind-hearted, she certainly won't dislike them. Didn't she say yesterday that His Highness Prince Beichen is going to give her a spacious mansion? She'll definitely reserve some space for us to house these little guys."

The boy's voice was full of trust and gratitude, and his blue eyes shone with a clear light under the lamp.

"We can't refuse Sister Yan's kind intentions."

"Sister Yan is indeed very kind."

Kong Sangling followed behind him, her voice softening slightly.

She was born with exceptional beauty and intelligence, with large, bright almond-shaped eyes and an innocent, carefree spirit.

"During the previous riding and archery assessment, I accidentally lost my beast-taming flute and was extremely anxious. It was Sister Yan who helped me find it."

She suddenly remembered something and tilted her head.

"By the way, brother, about what happened at the Royal Hunting Grounds last time... Weren't we in a hurry to check why that falcon appeared? It's strange, we clearly didn't summon it, so why did it fly towards the Royal Hunting Grounds for no reason?"

She paused, then shook her head.

"However, it definitely has nothing to do with Sister Yan."

Kong Sangyu stepped into the palace gate carrying the cat, and a warm atmosphere greeted her.

His deep blue eyes, like spring water, reflected the flickering candlelight, his expression resolute:

"Sister Yan is a kind-hearted person who would even help a complete stranger in distress. How could she do such an evil thing?"

"I didn't say it was Sister Yan who made it..."

Kong Sangling muttered to herself, then frowned her delicate brows.

"I don't know which heartless person scattered animal-attracting powder in the hunting grounds, almost triggering a beast horde. Luckily, you noticed in time and stopped it. In the end, only one tiger escaped, otherwise... I don't know how serious the consequences would have been."

Upon hearing this, Kong Sangyu's gentle expression faded slightly, replaced by a thin layer of frost.

Whether it was his sister's mysteriously lost beast-taming flute or the beast-attracting powder that disappeared from his room, all the signs pointed to someone he knew.

This is clearly an attempt to drag Shan Hai into the mess, or at least to get them all involved.

"Never mind, there's no need to investigate further."

His tone softened as he walked to a corner with a soft cushion, gently placed the little white cat down, and then took a clean cloth to wipe it.

"Anyway, it's all aimed at that universally disliked person. Since it hasn't harmed Sister Yan, let's just let it be."

A man as intelligent as him probably already had a decision in his heart, but because of deliberate bias, he didn't delve into it further.

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly stopped.

Because that snow-white skirt embroidered with silver patterns had stopped outside the open palace gates.

The fragrance of crabapple blossoms mingled with the crisp, cold air of snow, and the owner of the skirt tilted her head slightly, smiling as she looked at him.

That smile was as bright as the spring sun in March, yet it made Kong Sangyu feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his blood seemed to freeze.

"Oh?" Tang Xixue slowly stepped into the palace gate, the palace lantern casting a long shadow behind her.

Her eyebrows curved into crescents, and her voice was as soft as a gentle breeze tinkling silver bells.

"Disliked by everyone? Is Prince Yu referring to me?"

She took a step forward, and Kong Sangyu unconsciously took a step back, her back pressed against the cold palace pillar.

"Weren't you following me around like a puppy, calling me 'good sister' all the time just a few days ago?"

Tang Xixue's smile deepened, but her eyes held no warmth, reflecting only the flickering candlelight.

"How come you change your mind faster than turning the pages of a book these days, huh?"

Her gaze fell on his slightly pale face, and she parted her red lips slightly, uttering a few words:

"Black-hearted Little Tangyuan" (glutinous rice balls).

"..."

Kong Sangyu, holding the cat, was completely petrified on the spot.

The kitten in his arms seemed to sense his stiffness and meowed.

The little white fluffy thing in Kong Sangyu's arms stirred restlessly, and he took a deep breath.

She tried her best to maintain her usual harmless smile, but the smile looked rather forced, like moonlight covered on thin ice.

"Sister must have misheard."

His voice was exceptionally soft, and his blue eyes rippled with innocent emotion.

"How could I say such a thing about my sister? In my heart, my sister is peerless in beauty and talent, unmatched by anyone."

"..."

Kong Sangling quietly tugged at her brother's sleeve, her face slightly flushed, feeling both embarrassed and guilty.

The person making the gossip behind your back was overheard by the person in question, making the situation incredibly embarrassing.

She secretly glanced at Tang Xixue, only to see the other woman standing under the lamp in a snow-white dress.

She wore no makeup, her black hair was loosely tied up with silver-white snowflake tassels, and she had no other ornaments on her body.

Yet her radiant beauty made the warm yellow candlelight in the hall and the white snow outside the window appear somewhat dim.

Why did I never realize before that Princess Mirror had such an imposing presence?

Kong Sangling thought to herself that even her brother, who was known as the "Pearl of the Azure Waves," seemed somewhat...naive and immature when he stood in front of her.

"Is that so?"

Tang Xixue stepped forward slowly, her skirt embroidered with silver-threaded plum blossoms brushing silently across the smooth ground.

She stopped three steps in front of Kong Sangyu, tilted her head slightly, and smiled like an ice crystal in early spring, clear yet carrying a chilling edge.

"But how come I remember that whenever Prince Yu saw me, he always liked to secretly trip me up, trying to find ways to make me suffer some unexpected losses?"

She extended her slender white index finger, her fingertip lightly touching Kong Sangyu, the movement elegant yet carrying an invisible pressure.

"But the thing I hate most is being taken advantage of. If you do something, you always have to pay a price, don't you think?"

Her eyes darted around, as if she were deep in thought.

"How about... we just pay up? Simple, straightforward, and we're even."

"I have no money."

Kong Sangyu answered crisply and decisively, even hugging the cat in her arms even tighter.

The blue-haired boy raised his eyes, his gaze clear and unwavering, giving off an air of "I have no money, but you can take my life."

"The mighty Prince Yu of the Azure Wave Immortal Dynasty, would he be short of money?"

Tang Xixue raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Could it be that the Lord of Mountains and Seas is also penniless? Don't take me for a fool!"

"Brother, this is Chenyao! This is my territory! Shanhai must give an explanation and make compensation for what happened at the hunting grounds last time."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be so polite to Shan Hai as I am now."

"Why aren't you smiling? Are you just naturally averse to smiling?"

"..." Kong Sangyu.

No one has ever seen anyone who knows he is the Lord of Mountains and Seas, yet is so arrogant!

So what if this is Chenyao?

She—she's fallen out of favor with Emperor Shengchen, okay?