The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Outside the window, the wind swept through the plum grove, stirring up thousands of snow-like waves. The jade-like petals and the glistening white snowflakes fluttered and intertwined, as if a grand and silent rain of crystal was falling between heaven and earth.

Tang Xixue was unaware that Emperor Shengchen, Tang Xiye, had already arrived at Meixuewu and was currently hiding in Shuying Pavilion, watching her every move.

She lifted her skirt and led Pei Yanchuan through the Fragrant Snow Path, gracefully walking towards the Moon-Immersed Pavilion beside the Floating Fragrance Pavilion.

Along the way, her gaze seemed to casually sweep over the pavilions, towers, plum groves, and winding paths, but in reality, she was carefully searching for Si Xingzhou's figure.

She had never met the young emperor Si Xingzhou of Xingze before, and as she was pondering how to identify him, her gaze suddenly fixed on a warm pavilion overlooking the water below Jinyue Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, Si Xingxuan, draped in a snow fox fur cloak, was lazily leaning against the stone railing covered with brocade cushions, sipping her medicine from a plain white porcelain bowl.

In the misty medicinal aroma, that pale and exquisite face resembled a secluded orchid tinged with frost, blooming fragilely yet stubbornly on the edge of this bustling world.

And the person sitting opposite him—

He wore a deep blue, almost black, star-patterned robe, with intricate star trail patterns embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and hem, which shimmered with a subtle glow under the snow.

He stood tall and straight like a pine or bamboo, his features bearing a six or seven-point resemblance to Si Xingxuan, but with an added air of mature dignity and composure. His face was also more angular than his younger brother's. He was undoubtedly Emperor Si Xingzhou of Xingze.

"Found it!"

Tang Xixue's eyes suddenly lit up, like a clear, bright pool of stars suddenly plunged into the dark night, her joy almost overflowing.

She subconsciously smiled towards the warm pavilion, her dimples appearing shallow, her eyes filled with dappled sunlight. Instantly, she became as vibrant and bright as the first plum blossom on a branch, blooming under the golden light after a snowfall.

"cough--!"

Inside the warm pavilion, Si Xingxuan, separated by sparse flower shadows and snow mist, happened to meet her radiant smile without reservation.

My heart skipped a beat, and I was caught off guard by the warm medicine. I covered my lips and coughed softly, and my pale cheeks immediately flushed with a sickly red.

"Ah Zhe, what's wrong?" Si Xingzhou immediately leaned down, gently patted his younger brother's thin back, and followed his gaze.

Hidden among the plum branches, that figure stood on the stone steps of Jinyue Pavilion, her smile as bright as the most beautiful peach blossoms in March, her eyes sparkling as she looked over, as if she had discovered some rare treasure.

Si Xingzhou's eyes flickered slightly, and a knowing yet playful smile curved his lips:

"It seems—this Princess Mirror is truly still deeply in love with you."

"I...I knew it..."

Si Xingxuan finally managed to stop coughing, but the tips of her ears turned uncontrollably red, and her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

"She still won't give up on me, it's really... her persistence is a headache."

His fingertips, gripping the porcelain bowl, turned slightly white. He felt a jolt in his heart from her smile, and even his breathing became somewhat disordered.

My vision blurred, and I felt like I was about to run out of breath.

"Brother, she...she likes me so much, what should I do?"

He raised his wet eyes and looked at his brother, his tone carrying a helplessness he himself was unaware of.

Si Xingzhou gazed at the rare panic in his younger brother's eyes, a deep tenderness and determination flashing across his gaze.

He reached out and pulled his brother's slipping cloak back up, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable force:

"Don't worry, Ah Zhe, your brother will take care of this trouble for you."

He had already secretly made a plan—today's banquet would provide an opportunity to "invite" Princess Mirror back to the Xingze Palace.

Since she's being so persistent and disturbing Ah Zhe's peace of mind, then he'll take over this trouble.

So that his younger brother can recuperate in peace, what's wrong with him, as the older brother, sacrificing a little freedom?

When Si Xingzhou regained his composure and looked up again, Tang Xixue had already stepped onto the viewing terrace on the second floor of Jinyue Pavilion.

She stood by the railing, her white gauze and shawl fluttering in the wind, her gaze still seemingly drifting towards the warm pavilion, like a vigilant and beautiful sparrow, afraid that the target she was watching would disappear from her sight.

"Princess Mirror...is so beautiful."

Inside the Floating Fragrance Pavilion, Shen Nian, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, followed everyone's gaze to the terrace and couldn't help but murmur aloud.

Tang Xixue leaned against a cushioned bamboo chair, her blue dress billowing like smoke and mist, fluttering as if about to take flight in the breeze passing through the hall. Bathed in the clear sunlight and swirling plum blossoms and snow, she was so beautiful that she seemed otherworldly, like a fairy about to ride the wind and return home amidst a shower of flowers.

"That poor, pedantic scholar beside her, with just a little dressing up, is actually so strikingly handsome... I never would have guessed!"

Shen Nian's gaze swept over Pei Yanchuan, who stood quietly beside Tang Xixue. The young man was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a silver crown binding his hair. He stood tall and elegant like a green bamboo in the snow. When he stood side by side with that blue figure, there was a kind of natural harmony between them.

"She—she's eating way too well!"

As she spoke, her gaze inadvertently swept over her half-sister, Shen Yan, standing beside her.

It used to look quite elegant and refined, but against the backdrop of the snow in Tangxi, it suddenly appeared dull and lackluster.

It wasn't that Shen Yan was unattractive; rather, it was Tang Xixue's lively and vibrant noble air, as well as her untainted ethereal charm, that made her already stunning beauty even more lofty and unattainable, leaving others feeling ashamed in her presence.

"She even brought Pei Yanchuan here..."

Beside the vermilion pillars of the other side of the corridor, Shen Xian stared blankly at the two figures on the terrace.

Since returning from the Plum Blossom Garden in Lintai that day, he had asked his father about the events of that year.

It turns out that my mother did not "die of illness" as my grandmother had told others, but rather moved to Beichuan after divorcing my father.

To protect the Shen family's reputation, the grandmother lied and said that his wife had died young.

My father and mother were a loving couple, but because my mother only gave birth to one son in the three years after their marriage, my grandmother plotted to drug my father under the pretext of "having more children" and put one of her cousins ​​into his room as his mistress.

His mother, a woman who appeared gentle but was actually proud at heart, left no room for negotiation after discovering that her husband had an affair, and resolutely packed her bags and left.

Before her father could chase after her to Beichuan to try and win her back, news came that she had already married someone else.

She married Pei Zhao, the eldest son of the most prestigious family in Beichuan, a scholar whose talent was renowned throughout the land.

He was a gentle and refined gentleman, upright and honest, who never took a concubine in his life, and whose family traditions were as clear as autumn water.

Unfortunately, the entire Pei family perished in that raging fire.

Looking at Pei Yanchuan's elegant and upright figure, Shen Xian suddenly realized that this unassuming companion of Princess Jing was none other than the brilliant and talented "Literary Star" who overshadowed the entire literary world of the Nine Provinces, and the young genius whose courtesy name "Yinglin" was personally bestowed upon him by the Regent of Beichuan.

The scales of the Yinglong dragon shall soar to the heavens.

No wonder I was so thoroughly defeated by him during the chess test that day.

It turns out that the other party had been concealing their strength all along, like a famous sword in its sheath, which, once drawn, would surely astound the world.

A mix of emotions welled up inside me, as if a bitter tide was washing over my lungs.

In the end, Shen Xian simply withdrew his gaze quietly and turned to walk deeper into the plum grove.

At least, he fulfilled his duty as a son.

She never disturbed her mother's hard-won peace and quiet, nor did she reveal her whereabouts to her father.

Since she has decided to sever all ties with the past, then... so be it.

There are countless ways to live in this world, and everyone has the right to choose the path they want to take.

That makes sense. Ever since Tang Xixue broke off that engagement with him, they really did act like strangers and never bothered each other again.

At first he felt peaceful, but now, it feels like a piece is missing in his heart, and there is always an empty feeling of wind passing through the room.

Ever since I glimpsed her stunningly beautiful examination paper at Lintai, which was the top scorer in the imperial examination;

I witnessed her galloping towards me, her bow drawn like a crescent moon, and an arrow piercing the forehead of a white-browed tiger.

It seemed like he was meeting her for the first time.

The wind rose again, blowing away the snow that had accumulated on the eaves, and also scattering the sigh that had fallen deep in the shadows of the plum blossoms, unheard by anyone.

He used to be so close to her.