The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Tang Xi stood at the edge of the shadow of the artificial hill at night, and when she caught a glimpse of Yan Ci's expression as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice, a very faint smile appeared on her lips.

This strategist, who could remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, could pacify a million soldiers with a fan and overturn a thousand-mile situation with a chess piece.

At this moment, in front of Tang Xixue, she was like a ferret startled by the sunlight—lost and confused, completely flustered.

"Your Highness—please be merciful!"

Seeing that icy blue figure chasing after him while lifting her skirt, Yan Ci almost dropped his folding fan, his voice tinged with helplessness.

"My legs suffered from a cold ailment in the northern frontier in my youth, and I truly cannot kneel on icy ground..."

As he spoke, he retreated, his long silver-gray hair brushing against the dark patterns on his shoulders in the wind, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly air, yet his eyes seemed to have seen some kind of monstrous flood.

The pages of the "Life-Saving Manual" in my heart are turning rapidly.

His Majesty's possessiveness is growing stronger every day.

If he were to arouse suspicion, he would likely have to be reassembled in prison.

In truth, His Majesty is too kind.

If it were up to his methods, how could he be so lenient in this struggle for the position of empress?

Once you've set your mind on it, you should... leave no survivors.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, which then turned into a helpless smile.

Well then, I've done my job as a strategist; I've even started worrying about the harem on behalf of my master.

"A-Ce, wait for me! I really need to talk to you—"

Tang Xixue saw that he not only did not stop, but instead, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and was about to leap up, running faster than a rabbit.

A hazy cloud suddenly swirled beneath her feet, her ice-blue skirt blooming like lotus petals, her figure like wisps of smoke melting into snow, and in an instant she gracefully blocked the path ahead.

This is the third level of the Immortal's Cloud Steps: Wandering in the Void.

Yan Ci's retreating figure suddenly stopped, his silver-white robes billowing like crane wings, almost crashing into the clear, refreshing scent of crabapple blossoms.

He took three steps back, and with a "whoosh," half of his ink bamboo fan unfolded, just enough to separate the two of them.

"..."

There was a moment of silence.

"Your Highness," he sighed, his silver-grey eyes filled with a sense of helplessness, "if you have any orders, just give them to me. This... this constant pressure, I fear it will shorten my lifespan."

Tang Xixue smiled and took half a step closer with her hands behind her back:

"I have important business to attend to with A-Ce. My elder brother personally instructed me to come and find you—"

Her eyes sparkled, and when she laughed, her voice was like a sprinkle of golden sunlight, each syllable brimming with soft warmth.

"Why are you so timid now? Back when you used to sneak out of the East Palace and try all the snacks on the thirty-two streets of the West Market, you were so quick and agile when it came to scaling walls."

"Shh—!" Yan Ci suddenly closed the folding fan in his hand and lightly touched her lips. "Your Highness, let's not talk about old matters anymore."

He glanced towards the artificial hill, confirming that the figure in black and gold had departed, before slightly relaxing his shoulders, though his voice remained low:

"Your Majesty's thoughts have become increasingly unpredictable over the years. I am so cautious in order to live a few more years and serve Chenyao for a few more years."

As he spoke, he stepped back three feet, his white robes leaving shallow trails in the snow, stopping precisely where the sparse shadows of the plum branches met the sunlight:

"Three zhang—that's my limit for survival. Your Highness, please speak freely; my hearing is still good."

He stood holding a fan, his silver-gray hair shimmering like mithril in the beams of light filtering through the forest. His demeanor had returned to composure, as if the brief moment of panic had never existed.

"I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly, offering my advice and strategies."

Tang Xixue's smile deepened.

She raised her hand and gently touched her neck, her fingertips brushing against the string of shimmering, deep blue beads:

"This is an old item that I always wore when I was a baby. A-Ce, please find out its origin for me—where it came from and who it once belonged to."

Yan Ci's gaze fell upon that azure blue.

Sunlight filters through bamboo leaves and plum branches, reflecting a deep-sea starlight on the sapphire crystal in the center of the necklace, where the snowflake pattern is quite unique.

He stared for a moment, a thoughtful look gradually emerging in his silver-gray pupils.

Once he was sure the imperial aura had faded away, he slowly stepped forward and stopped three feet in front of Tang Xixue.

Snowflakes fall on the bamboo tips, rustling like the gentle tapping of shattered jade.

Yan Ci's voice slowly unfolded in the silence, deep as an ancient pool, yet carrying a clarity that pierced through the dust and mist:

"This mark..."

"I have seen a copy in the fragment of the Tianji Pavilion's 'Records of Spiritual Things of the Nine Provinces' titled 'Langhuan Ji'."

Bamboo shadows left faint ink-like marks on his plain white robe.

He slightly raised the fingertips holding the fan, pointing them lightly at the shimmering necklace:

"This item is called 'Heart of Azure Snow'. It comes from the Weaving Moon Sea Kingdom of Mirror Water Spirit Continent. It is no ordinary ornament, but a sacred object that protects the nation."

He paused slightly, then gently placed the edge of his fan on the sealed snowflake in the center of the teardrop-shaped sapphire:

"More importantly, twenty years ago, this item disappeared along with the only Moon Princess of the Weaving Moon Kingdom... It has been lost to the world ever since, without a trace."

The wind rustled through the sparse bamboo, ruffling his few loose strands of long hair.

"That Princess Yue is the only remaining direct descendant of the royal family of the Zhiyue Sea Kingdom."

"My little prince."

He closed the folding fan, and the gentle elegance in his silver-gray eyes gradually settled into a deep and sharp gaze.

That was the unique insight of Chen Yao, the military strategist who once quelled border conflicts with his eloquence and stirred up storms across the land with a secret letter.

With just one glance, a corner of the mystery that had shrouded the area for two decades was unveiled.

"Ah Ce, I knew I didn't choose the wrong person. You're really reliable."

Tang Xixue knew that Yan Ci was knowledgeable and had a good memory, but she didn't expect him to be this outstanding.

"I've just read a few more books, after all, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has no shortage of secrets."

Yan Ci's robes fluttered in the wind, like flowing clouds drifting across a cold pool, like mist lightly shrouding distant peaks.

"In the present-day Weaving Moon Sea Kingdom, the power no longer rests with the Yuezhi royal family. It is that usurper who has seized the throne..."

"This is precisely the greatest threat that His Majesty has been hiding in the coastal region for many years."

Yan Ci suppressed his smile.

The Kingdom of Zhiyue has always been mysterious, located far overseas amidst the clouds and waves.

Its ability to rank among the nine strongest empires in the Nine Provinces speaks volumes about its profound foundation.

"This Nine Extremes Alliance will be held in Baiyujing, and the Sea Kingdom Emperor will also be present."

His gaze was as still as a cold abyss.

"If it is confirmed that His Highness is indeed Princess Yue's lost child..."

"I will devise a plan for Your Highness, so that the Emperor will never return."

The snow-like light bathed his half-lowered eyelashes, casting a pale gray shadow in his eyes.

Yet he remained as composed as if he were playing a game of chess.

"Your Highness need not worry. With His Majesty here, with Chen Yao here, the strongest backbone and the most powerful empire in the Nine Provinces will be your support."

The snow in Tangxi fell silent for a moment.

"I haven't said anything yet, and my identity is still undetermined. Ah Ce, you're in a bit of a rush."

Her voice was soft and gentle, like a snowflake gently falling into the heart of a pool.

Her smile deepened—yes, it had always been like this since she was a child.

When trouble is caused and the aftermath needs to be cleaned up, and the plans need to be meticulous, he's always the first person they turn to.

It's because he's the most ruthless and the most cunning; beneath that gentle exterior lies the most wicked scheme.

In front of her elder brother, she was always as gentle and obedient as spring water shrouded in mist;

When it reached Yan Ci, it became the most troublesome autumn wind—

It seemed light as it brushed past, yet it deliberately swept away all the composure in his sleeve.

"Your Highness, leave everything to me." Yan Ci bowed slightly, fan in hand, his demeanor as elegant as a poem. "You only need to await good news."

Then, his tone shifted, almost as if he were talking to himself:

"Moreover—with this token in hand, even if you are not Princess Moon..."

With a slight lift of his eyes, a strange, alluring glint appeared in the shifting light and shadow:

"It's not that I can't—make it real while pretending."

The bamboo grove suddenly quieted down.

Tang Xixue looked at him and blinked.

"A-Ce".

She sighed softly, but a bright smile, like the first snow reflecting the sun, bloomed on her lips.

"You... you're wicked to the core."

Before she finished speaking, she had already taken half a step forward, her skirt sweeping across the snow like cloud trails.

"Unfortunately—"

Her voice was soft as a feather, yet every word was clear:

"What I like about you is your badness."

Yan Ci immediately retreated.

"Your Highness, I implore you to show mercy and grant me a way out."

The strategist's usual composed demeanor now revealed a hint of panic.

As the saying goes, one can decide life and death with a game of chess within a tent, but a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall.

The young prince is precisely the wall he should stay away from the most.

As the wind rustled through the bamboo grove, he lowered his eyes and gathered his sleeves, silently taking three steps back.