The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Pei Yanchuan tightened his grip on the book, his knuckles turning bluish-white in the candlelight.

He raised his face, his handsome features half-lit and half-shadowed by the interplay of light and shadow, pale as rice paper, only his eyes holding a stubborn light as if washed by snow water:

"I'm not leaving, sir."

"There are some things I need to ask him in person."

"You—" Qi Wang was about to speak when the long, authoritative voice of an eunuch pierced the silence from the long corridor outside the hall, like an ice pick breaking through the stillness:

"The Regent Prince Kitagawa has arrived!"

The air suddenly froze.

The candle flames stopped flickering at that moment, and even the snowflakes drifting into the hall seemed to hang in mid-air.

At the palace gate, a figure as tall and straight as a solitary peak, covered with snow still clinging to his shoulders, stepped into the warm yellow glow.

Qi Si, dressed in a prince's everyday robe with a black base and crimson gauze, stood on the high platform.

The dark patterns on his clothes shimmered in the candlelight, unlike embroidery, but rather like a totem of power that seemed to have sprung from the depths of his very being.

He was extremely tall, with broad shoulders and a straight back. His dark hair was tied up with a crown adorned with rubies, and a few stray hairs fell across his forehead, making his deep-set face appear even more sharp.

But what's most intimidating are those eyes.

His eyes, which usually held a hint of nonchalant amusement, now resembled blades tempered by the icy depths of the far north.

When his gaze fell on Pei Yanchuan, a complex undercurrent suddenly surged in his eyes.

Astonishment, scrutiny, and a fleeting, elusive sting all ultimately sank into the bottomless, dark flames, scorching and oppressive.

He slowly opened his lips, his voice deep and mellow, yet carrying an invisible pressure cultivated from his long-held position of power; each word was like a heavy jade chime striking ice.

"Ying Lin—what do you want to ask me?"

The candlelight inside the hall flickered suddenly, casting dancing spots of light into his deep pupils.

Pei Yanchuan stood up, his snow-white cloak slipping off his shoulders and piling up beside the chair like a soft cloud.

He tilted his head back, his neck forming a slender yet stubborn curve, to meet the eyes that had once taught him to hold a pen, guided him in riding and archery, and given him countless gentle teachings.

The moment their eyes met, the warmth of the past shattered, leaving only the howling wind and snow sweeping through the hall, stirring up the ashes of memories.

"I want to ask Uncle Qi," the boy's voice was slightly hoarse, but each word was as clear as an icicle falling to the ground, "why did you exterminate my entire Pei family?"

He looked at this elder he once respected and admired most, his eyes filled with an intense, unyielding pain and bewilderment, like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming in the snow, dazzling and shocking.

"Ying Lin," the Regent said after a moment of silence, his voice calm and matter-of-fact, "I—was unaware of this matter."

"I was not in Forgotten Snow City at that time."

He took a step forward, the hem of his python robe brushing against the smooth ground with a soft rustling sound.

"When the Pei family was in trouble, I was in the northern border dealing with a dispute over the ownership of a black iron mine on the border with the Xingze Empire. By the time I rushed back, the Pei residence... was already a scorched earth."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanchuan's lips curled into a faint, bitter smile, like plum blossoms falling on snow, desolate yet beautiful:

"Kitagawa Unting, the Regent Prince wields absolute power, manipulating events at will. Is there anything you don't know?"

He took a step forward, his slender frame appearing thin in Qi Si's tall shadow, yet his back remained ramrod straight, like a green bamboo in the snow, unyielding and unbending.

"If it weren't for your tacit approval or even your authorization, which of those demons and monsters in the court would dare to carry out such an extermination against the Pei family, a family that has been a purist for centuries? And who could mobilize the Imperial Guards and coordinate so flawlessly?"

"Why should I lie to you?" Qi Si's brows furrowed slightly, his usual nonchalance completely vanishing, replaced by a somber, impending storm. "Ying Lin, do you perhaps think I need to explain myself to you?"

A chill suddenly intensified around him, and an invisible pressure spread out like a tide, as if the air in the entire hall had frozen.

"Who do you think you are now?"

His voice trailed off, his eyes unfathomably deep, and he uttered each word with a poisoned edge:

"The Pei family—remnants?"

"Guards," he said coldly, turning his head away from Pei Yanchuan, each word dripping with icy sharpness, "take him down."

In an instant, he seemed to transform into a red spider lily blooming on the other side of the netherworld, extremely beautiful and extremely dangerous.

"Royal Uncle!" Qi Wang stepped in front of Pei Yanchuan, blocking his path. The usually cold-blooded and ruthless War God of Beichuan now wore an unusual expression of anxiety and pleading. "Please, show mercy! Ying Lin is the last bloodline of the Pei clan of Beichuan!"

Qi Si's gaze swept over him, his eyes expressionless, his voice cold and hard as iron:

"Take him down as well."

The Cloud Scale Guards following behind them silently surrounded them like shadows, the sheaths of their swords clashing against their armor with a cold, soft sound.

"Unauthorized troop deployment, disobeying military orders, and abandoning your post—who taught you that?"

He stared at Qi Wang with eyes as sharp as ice spikes, and even in a foreign palace, his aura of dominating life and death was still chilling.

"Even the God of War Kitagawa should know how to write the word 'rules'."

That posture made it seem as if the vast territory beneath his feet and the immense power he wielded were nothing more than a game of chess that could be overturned and restarted at any moment.

Pei Yanchuan stared blankly at him, the last glimmer of hope in his heart completely extinguished.

As expected... the imperial court is ruthless; this has always been the case.

Feelings are nothing more than dust that can be easily crushed.

"I see—"

A light, melodious voice, like pearls falling onto a plate, suddenly broke the tense atmosphere in the hall.

"Who dares to touch my people?"

Tang Xixue carried Yin Kong and walked slowly forward, her snow-white skirt brushing against the smooth ground, each step exuding a calm rhythm.

She stopped three feet away from Qi Si, raised her chin, and her eyes were as clear and bright as stars in a snowy night:

"Guards—escort these uninvited guests who have presumptuously started a war and disturbed the palace, along with this regent who has traveled from afar, all of them, away!"

As soon as the words were spoken, several dark figures silently emerged from the shadows at the four corners of the palace.

The Hidden Dragon Guards appeared like ghosts, their auras heavy and solid, instantly surrounding the Cloud Scale Guards.

This place is ultimately Baiyujing, the chessboard in the hands of Emperor Shengchen Tangxiye, and the home ground of Princess Jingyue—Tangxi Xue.

"How dare you!"

Qi Si's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his aura was like a sword drawn from its sheath, its fierce edge directly threatening Tang Xixue.

The chill of the wind and snow seemed to solidify at that moment, penetrating into everyone's lungs.

"The prince dares to harm the people of my Changsheng Palace right under my nose."

Tang Xixue chuckled softly, her fingertips casually brushing against the soft earlobe of Yin Kong in her arms.

"You tell me—do I dare?"

She stood under the bright candlelight, a kitten curled up like a snowball in her arms, her posture even appearing leisurely. Yet, her imposing presence rivaled that of the ruthless and powerful regent, holding his own in the slightest.

She was dazzling, sharp, and self-assured, making Qi Wang feel completely unfamiliar with her, yet also secretly trembling.

The silver bird in her arms seemed to sense the change in its master's aura, and obediently curled up without moving, only opening its pair of jewel-like blue eyes to curiously observe the tense crowd.

"Your people?"

Qi Si chewed over these three words, then suddenly sneered, his gaze sweeping across Pei Yanchuan's pale face like a blade.

"Pei Yinglin, well... The once renowned scholar who shook the Nine Provinces, the eldest son of the most prestigious family in Beichuan, raised with the full support of his clan, has now fallen so low—becoming a... plaything at Princess Mirror's feet?"

His words were filled with undisguised disappointment and sarcasm, and even a hint of anger that seemed to come from a sense of frustration at someone's lack of ambition.

After all, this young man before him was someone he had personally guided in writing essays and strategies, and someone he had mentored through the trials of life.

Pei Zhao raised his son to be too gentle and upright, lacking flexibility, but deep down he did appreciate his son's bright and upright character.

But now?

"Do you know that Princess Jing has an ambiguous and complicated relationship with the Imperial Advisor He Lichen? Do you know how many unwanted suitors she has?"

Qi Si stared intently at Pei Yanchuan, trying to find the humiliation of being coerced, the resentment, or even the slightest bit of reluctance on his face.

"Tell me—did you follow her willingly?"

Pei Yanchuan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Then, under Qi Si's intense gaze, a faint blush slowly spread across her pale face.

Like the first blush of sunset on snow, light and delicate, yet real.

He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, but the corners of his lips curved into a gentle, even slightly shy, smile.

"Your Highness is so wonderful... naturally you are the center of attention, surrounded by admiring presence."

He raised his eyes, his gaze clear and open, passing over the stern Regent and landing in the direction of Tang Xixue, his voice soft yet firm:

"What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve your favor? I am but a blade of grass, yet I receive the light of the bright moon."

He paused, then his smile deepened, like ice melting in spring:

"Yes—like a withered tree blossoming in spring, or a lamp being lit in a dark room. All the good fortune in my life lies here."

"..."

Qi Si stared at him expressionlessly for a long while, then his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

"..."

Qi Wang, standing to the side, opened his mouth, staring at his friend's profile, which was radiant with a soft glow that seemed utterly genuine, and was momentarily speechless.

A deathly silence spread through the hall.

After a long silence, Qi Wang finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth, his last struggle barely holding on:

"Ying Lin, if you've been taken hostage... then wink at me, brother."