The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Tang Xiye took a deep breath.

That breath was heavy, as if it wanted to uproot that rebellious thought from the deepest part of one's internal organs.

His Zhizhi is his younger sister.

She has always regarded him as her older brother since childhood, throwing herself into his arms and acting spoiled, tugging at his sleeves for candy, and crying out "Brother, hug me!" when she falls while chasing butterflies in the Imperial Garden.

He shouldn't have.

also can not.

He developed those feelings for her.

He Lichen turned around and looked at the emperor she had known since childhood.

He maintained his aloof and detached demeanor, remaining untainted by worldly concerns even before an emperor with immense power.

Her snow-white wide sleeves cascaded down, like the perpetual frost on the summit of Mount Ling.

"Xuan Yin, we have known each other since we were young, you should know my character and conduct."

His voice was as clear and cold as snow falling into a frozen pool.

Every word is crystal clear and pure, untouched by the filth of the world.

The tone is cold, but it's a clear, penetrating coldness.

"Having made this promise, I will keep it for the rest of my life."

"What—is there something you're unhappy about with me?"

"You may explain it at will."

He gazed at Tangxi at night, his eyes, filled with the snow-capped mountains of the distance, remained utterly calm.

Her long, delicate eyelashes, like the feathers of a crane resting on frost, gently covered her clear, deep eyes, like the moon reflected in a deep pool.

"If there are faults, correct them; if there are none, strive to improve."

Tang Xiye gazed at him.

Looking at that ethereal face, that aloof and untainted demeanor, and those eyes that clearly saw through everything yet pretended to be innocent.

He suddenly felt even angrier.

"You are so aloof and indifferent—"

He spoke, his voice deep and resonant, carrying the composure and certainty of an emperor.

"How can I please Zhizhi? Do I expect my Zhizhi to face an iceberg and snow-capped peak every day?"

He Lichen's lips curled up slightly.

The curve was extremely shallow, as faint as a spring breeze brushing across the ice.

"Icebergs and snow-capped peaks, at least, are pure."

He spoke, his voice still clear and crisp, yet like a blade tempered with frost, a gentle thrust aimed straight for the vital point.

"It's better than some people who have a fire burning in their hearts but still have to put on the airs of an older brother."

Tang Xiye's gaze darkened.

That gaze was as deep as an abyss, like a bottomless sea that could swallow a person whole.

Ke Helichen remained standing there, dressed in white robes with wide sleeves, motionless, like an iceberg that remained steadfast no matter how turbulent the wind and waves.

"Huai Xian, you have a history of being a clean freak."

Tang Xiye spoke each word like a heavy iron sword drawn from its sheath, capable of deciding the fate of the world. At this moment, every sentence was sharp, its blade aimed directly at the man's throat.

"Will Zhizhi be left alone in her room then?"

He Lichen gently stroked her snow-white wide sleeves.

The movement was extremely light and slow, like a corner of the thin snow on a branch being gently blown up by the wind.

"My fastidiousness only applies to others."

He looked up at Tang Xiye, a faint smile spreading across his eyes.

"As for Zhizhi—I wish I could be covered in her scent."

Tang Xiye clenched her fist.

"Huai Xian, with such celestial beauty, is still single at the age of twenty-four."

He paused, his gaze growing even sharper, as if he wanted to dissect the person from head to toe to see clearly.

"I wonder if he has any hidden illness that prevents him from having sexual intercourse."

He turned to the Empress Dowager, his tone as solemn as if he were discussing matters of state:

"Mother, you should be cautious."

The words fell.

Inside the hall, you could hear a pin drop again.

Empress Dowager Bai Yining's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

She stared in disbelief at her own son.

Is this her child?

Why are you acting like a jealous concubine in the imperial harem?

That tone, that look, that sourness that permeated his entire being.

Anyone who didn't know better would think her son was some unfavored concubine, speaking sarcastically to her rival.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

He could only silently pick up his teacup and take a sip of hot tea to calm his nerves.

Tang Xixue raised an eyebrow in surprise.

She held the crimson glazed teacup and glanced at her elder brother with a half-smile.

The usually composed and unflappable elder brother is now aggressive...

Is it that strong?

The Imperial Preceptor, who was usually as indifferent as drifting clouds and as aloof as frost, suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint.

It was as faint as a spring breeze in March brushing across an ice surface, as faint as the first rays of dawn falling on the snow atop the Kunlun Mountains.

But beneath that ice surface, undercurrents surged.

He lowered his eyes slightly, a sharp edge hidden in his faint smile.

"Xuan Yin".

He spoke, his voice still cold and clear.

It is clear and cold, like snow falling into a cold pool, like jade shattering on Kunlun Mountain.

But within that coldness lay a hint of inexplicable danger.

"Am I capable of sexual intercourse? Do I have any illnesses?"

He paused.

The pause was so short that it was almost imperceptible.

But that brief moment was like someone dropping a pebble into the silence of the entire hall.

Ripples spread out in layers.

"Zhizhi knows best."

A slight smile played on his lips.

The curve was so shallow that it made the air in the entire hall freeze for a moment.

"After all, that day—"

"Didn't you break into my wedding chamber on our wedding night?"

A thunderclap resounded.

The teacup in the Empress Dowager's hand trembled violently.

She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

She slowly turned her head and glanced at Tang Xixue, who was holding a teacup and sipping her tea.

But then she saw her precious daughter wink at her mischievously.

Those peach blossom eyes were filled with a sly smile, sparkling like a little fox who had stolen some honey, or a spoiled brat who was acting innocent after getting a good deal.

The Empress Dowager immediately understood.

Oh--

well.

It wasn't her child who suffered the loss.

This food is actually quite delicious.

She lowered her eyes, using the act of drinking tea to conceal the barely suppressed smile on her lips.

She truly deserves to be Bai Yining's precious daughter, whom she raised herself.

That vision, that method, that action.

That was absolutely brilliant!

With someone like He Lichen, her precious daughter is truly a good match!

The corners of her lips curled up again.

"Click—"

A crisp sound.

The teacup in Tang Xiye's hand suddenly shattered.

Brown tea mixed with porcelain shards dripped from his fingers, splashing onto the hem of his dark robe and leaving a dark water stain.

He seemed completely unaware.

He simply looked down at the mess in his hands, at the shards of porcelain deeply embedded in his palm.

"It was a slip of the hand..."

He said lightly.

Expressionless.

But the hand holding the broken porcelain had white knuckles and bulging veins, as if it wanted to crush something unseen.

He remembered that night.

He recalled the scene he saw when he broke into the Hall of Longevity that night.

The room was filled with the soft glow of candlelight, the draped gauze curtains, the figures embracing on the bed, and her soft, hoarse voice saying, "It's so hot."

That was when Zhizhi had just returned.

She had just returned to his side, just returned home, and he hadn't even had a chance to properly look at her, hug her properly, or tell her how much he had missed her all these years.

Surprisingly.

He Lichen, that hypocritical and sanctimonious scoundrel.

They took advantage of the chaos!

He felt a tightness in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

The stone was heavy, and it hurt his heart.

His weaving.

His weaving.

She had just returned then, and she was not prepared at all.

He Lichen is a beast!

If you try to hold back for a while, you'll only get angrier the more you think about it.

Taking a step back only makes you feel like you're losing out.

He shouldn't have left!

They should just rush in, pull He Lichen off the bed, throw him out of the Hall of Longevity, out of the palace, out of the Beichen Empire, and throw him to the top of Kunlun Mountain to keep the snow lotus company!

The bright moon should stay in the heavens; this mortal world is not where it belongs.

He turned his head slowly and looked at Tang Xixue.

At that time, his Zhizhi returned without telling him anything.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have left in a fit of anger.

He wouldn't sit alone on the dragon throne in Chengtian Hall after that night, gazing at the dim candlelight filling the hall and the lonely moon outside the window, unable to sleep all night.

Tang Xixue held her teacup, gazing at her elder brother's gloomy face, which seemed to drip water.

She blinked.

He looked completely innocent.

Her tone was soft and gentle, as soft as a spring breeze in March brushing against willow branches, as soft as melting honey slowly dripping from the tip of a spoon:

"It's all that night's fault—"

She paused, then took a small sip of tea.

"The moonlight is so enchanting."

Life is already hard enough, so if you can blame others, you can't blame yourself.

The Empress Dowager's teacup wobbled again.

My little darling!

Tell the Empress Dowager.

—Is it the moonlight or the male beauty that is so captivating?

The curve of He Lichen's lips deepened even further.

He gazed at that playful figure, at those cunning peach blossom eyes, at that little face that pretended to be innocent even though she had clearly done something wrong.

The ice and snow in my eyes seemed to have completely melted, turning into a pool of spring water.

"..."

Tang Xiye felt that she might have trouble sleeping again tonight.

There was no moon that night.

The snow was falling so heavily, it seemed like it was going to bury the entire capital.

Cold as his heart—

My heart is ice-cold.

Is He Lichen's moonlight captivating?

He—Tang Xiye, the Holy Emperor of the Beichen Empire—isn't he handsome enough?

He inherited his mother's good looks.

Empress Bai Yining was once a renowned beauty throughout the land.

Those phoenix eyes held a hidden power, and her demeanor was elegant and noble; even now, she still retains her charm.

He inherited his mother's features; her eyes were deep and unfathomable, so deep they seemed to suck in one's soul.

He inherited his mother's bone structure; his face was angular and handsome, so much so that the entire court dared not look directly at him.

As for his biological father—

He should also be a member of the royal family of Tangxi.

But he was definitely not the lustful former emperor.

When he was young, he overheard his mother mentioning something to Granny Lan.

The sound was very soft, as soft as icicles falling from the eaves in the wind.

But he remembered that sentence for over a decade:

"That filthy thing dares to touch me? Wishful thinking."

Dirty stuff.

This is how the Empress Dowager addressed the late Emperor.

His biological father is someone else.

He checked.

After ascending the throne, he mobilized the Hidden Dragon Guard, searched through all the available files, and investigated everyone he could find.

But there was nothing there.

His mother's methods and power were meant to erase the traces of her actions.

Even the emperor himself couldn't find out.

He had no choice but to give up.

Only occasionally, when the night is deep and quiet, and he sits alone in the Chengtian Hall, he thinks—

What exactly did that man look like?

It was enough to make a proud woman like the Empress Dowager willingly bear his child.

"Xuan Yin, do you know how full the moon was that night?"

He Lichen's voice rang out softly, like moonlight tempered by frost and snow, gently falling into Tang Xiye's ears.

"I didn't see it."

"I only saw her."

"I don't know, could you tell me?"

Tang Xiye felt as if her already cold heart had been stabbed again with a knife.

"That's enough!"

His thin lips were habitually pursed into a cold, hard straight line.

His gaze was as deep as an abyss that had never seen the light of day.

He exuded an intimidating aura.

"Is that enough?"

He Lichen's face was as pure and beautiful as ice sculptures and snow sculptures.

"But I still feel it's not enough."

"For the rest of my life, Zhizhi and I will be together day and night, sharing the same bed—but what will Xuan Yin be like then?"

He raised his eyes and looked directly into those abyss-like eyes.

"To crush every teacup in the world?"

Two gazes collided violently in the air.

A dark, abyss-like expanse, as deep as a bottomless sea capable of swallowing people whole.

A chilling, frosty peak, as cold as the Kunlun Mountains, capable of freezing everything.

The Empress Dowager looked at her son, then at He Lichen, and for a moment she didn't know what expression to make.

Weren't they best friends when they were young?

Why is the situation so tense?

Tang Xixue held a teacup.

She took a small sip of tea.

Ok.

Fine tea!

This tea smells wonderful.