The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The Hidden Dragon Guards were all stunned.

Some people collapsed to the ground, some knelt down, and some stared blankly at the pit, as if they had lost their souls.

The night breeze carried a sense of unease and lingering warmth.

"It's over..."

Someone murmured, their voice trembling uncontrollably.

"It's over...it's over...this is truly the end of the world..."

With trembling hands, they relayed the message as quickly as possible.

The bird that carried the message took flight and disappeared into the night, carrying a message that could break countless hearts.

When the distress signal exploded over Baiyujing, the young marquis Feng Yi, who was in charge of the city's defense, was handling military affairs in his residence.

He recognized the crimson flames at a glance—it was the highest-level distress signal from the royal family.

Without a second thought, he immediately mustered a troop of elite soldiers, mounted his horse, and led his army out of the city.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the long street, awakening countless people from their dreams.

The lights on both sides of the long street lit up one after another. Some people opened their windows and others leaned out. They only had time to see a troop of iron cavalry rushing past and quickly disappearing into the depths of the night.

But when he led his troops to the scene, he saw only scorched earth and a huge crater.

His heart skipped a beat, as if something had fallen heavily to the ground.

Such a large-scale operation... this is definitely not something an ordinary force could pull off.

Have those major sects and factions lurking in the shadows finally lost their patience?

But who are they targeting?

When his gaze fell upon Mu Liang and Fu Yi, and he saw their faces so pale they were almost transparent, the last shred of hope in his heart shattered.

"Who was attacked?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if he had grit in his throat.

"Princess Mirror?"

He so wished they would shake their heads, so wished they would say no.

But Mu Liang simply raised her eyes, her eyes red-rimmed, and awkwardly clasped her hands in a fist salute.

"I urge General Feng to thoroughly investigate the true culprit who murdered my prince."

The voice was hoarse, as if it were being squeezed out from deep within the throat.

Every word is stained with blood and pain.

Fuyi looked at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but she didn't shed a tear.

She bit her lip, unaware that it was bleeding.

Can't cry.

Crying won't help.

Blood debts can only be repaid with blood.

Feng Yi staggered and almost lost her balance.

He thought of his younger brother, who was eager to get married.

That fool still hopes to marry Princess Mirror as soon as possible.

She keeps nagging him every day—

"Brother, when do you think I can move my dowry over?"

"Brother, what do you think His Highness likes?"

"Brother, I've made up my mind. The next time I see her, I'll ask her to marry me... and beg her to take me home..."

Those rambling words felt like needles pricking his heart.

He couldn't imagine it.

I can't imagine what will happen when that news reaches Feng Zhuo's ears.

"Seal off this area."

He took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"No one is allowed to approach."

"yes!"

His men immediately dispersed, surrounding the area within a radius of several miles.

Torches lit up one after another, illuminating the scorched earth as if it were daytime.

"Block the news."

He continued, his voice even deeper than before, as if carrying an immense burden.

"Anyone who informs the Major General of this news is strictly prohibited from doing so; violators will be subject to military law!"

"Yes, General!"

He turned to Mu Liang and Fu Yi, and clasped his hands deeply in greeting.

"Please keep this a secret. My brother suffered a severe heart injury, and he... cannot bear this news."

His voice was trembling.

The old army doctor's words still echoed in his ears—the young general's heart had been pierced by that sword, barely surviving, but ultimately his vital energy had been depleted. He must not be overly emotional, especially avoiding extreme grief or anger.

If he finds out about this...

He will die!

Chengtian Hall, Imperial Study.

The teacup fell to the ground, making a crisp cracking sound.

Broken porcelain shards splashed everywhere, and tea spilled out, soaking the gold bricks laid out on the ground.

The brown tea soup spread across the gold brick like a slowly blooming flower.

Emperor Tang Xiye stood there, and the chill emanating from him almost froze the entire palace.

The chill was so intense that even the candlelight trembled, casting flickering shadows.

"Shen Cuo".

His voice was very soft, as soft as a falling leaf, as soft as a wisp of smoke about to dissipate.

Yet it carried a suffocating sense of oppression.

Say it again.

Shen Cuo knelt on the ground, his head bowed low, his shoulders trembling.

His voice was choked with emotion, as if he had used all his strength to squeeze out those few words.

"Your Majesty... Princess Jing... was ambushed outside the city and is trapped in the Heavenly Fire Formation..."

He paused, each word like a knife cutting into his heart.

"vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of their remains..."

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white and his nails dug deep into his palms.

The hall was deathly silent.

Only the candlelight flickered in the wind.

Then--

"puff."

Emperor Shengchen, who had always remained calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain, actually coughed up a mouthful of blood!

The blood splattered on the imperial desk and seeped into the open memorials, turning the neat handwriting a shocking red.

The red spread, like a silent despair burning.

The dark figure had already darted out of Chengtian Palace and disappeared into the night.

It was as fast as the wind.

"His Majesty--!"

Shen Cuo looked up abruptly, but only managed to see the figure turn into a phantom and merge into the endless darkness.

He hurriedly chased after him, but how could he catch up with him?

"Commander Shen, what's the rush?"

Yan Ci, carrying a pile of memorials, walked from the other end of the corridor and was almost knocked away by Shen Cuo.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and dodged to the side. The memorials swayed in his arms but barely fell out.

"Such erratic behavior is unbecoming!"

He frowned, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

"So careless, how can you perform your duties before the Emperor?"

"Military Advisor Yan!"

Shen Cuo grabbed his arm, her voice trembling.

"His Majesty has left the palace alone!"

"So sudden?"

Yan Ci was taken aback, somewhat bewildered.

"What is Your Majesty doing out of the palace alone at this hour?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in his heart.

The premonition came suddenly, as if something cold had crept up his back.

"Princess Mirror..."

Shen Cuo's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with sobs, making it almost impossible for him to continue speaking.

"He was assassinated outside the city... His Majesty..."

Before he could finish speaking...

The pile of memorials in Yan Ci's arms fell to the ground with a "clatter".

The memorials were scattered on the ground, some open and some closed, looking like white fallen leaves in the moonlight.

The moonlight fell on the snow-white paper, giving it a cold glow.

But Yan Ci didn't bother to pick them up, or even glance at them.

He hurriedly went to retrieve the urgent intelligence sent by the Hidden Dragon Guard.

My hands are trembling.

The trembling was so obvious that it couldn't be suppressed no matter what.

The intelligence report was placed at the very top of the memorial, but he hadn't had a chance to read it yet.

He was carrying the memorial to the emperor, intending to send it to the imperial study first and then return to deal with it, but who knew...

His hands trembled as he opened the document twice before finally managing to open it.

When those words came into view, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

"The Mirror Princess has fallen."

Four words.

Just four simple words.

But it was like a sharp knife, cutting into his heart again and again.

The excruciating pain in that instant caused him to stop breathing and his vision to go black.

He managed to steady himself by holding onto the wall, preventing himself from falling.

"Someone come here!"

His voice was hoarse, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Clean this place up and place all the memorials on the imperial desk."

"Pass down the order: Baiyujing is to be placed under martial law immediately; no one is allowed to enter or leave!"

"Shen Cuo, immediately lead the Imperial Guards out of the city to protect the Emperor!"

He took a deep breath, gazing out the window at the deep night and the firelight that still tinged half the sky.

The firelight had gradually dimmed, yet it remained like a wound, forever etched on the horizon.

He said, word by word:

"If anything were to happen to Your Majesty..."

He didn't continue.

But everyone knows that no one can bear the consequences.

He was worried about His Majesty, but his heart was breaking because of that intelligence report.

But he couldn't panic or act rashly.

He is the strategist.

At this moment, he needs to remain calm.

"Pass the message to the Empress Dowager."

When the news reached Qianqiu Palace, the Buddhist prayer beads in Empress Dowager Bai Yining's hand broke and fell to the ground.

Those prayer beads are made of sandalwood, each bead is round and full.

Now they are scattered all over the ground, rolling everywhere, like scattered souls.

Bai Yining sat there, motionless.

The candlelight illuminated her face, which was usually dignified and composed, but now remained expressionless.

a long time.

She lowered her head and looked at the scattered prayer beads.

One by one, they glowed faintly in the candlelight.

She bent down and picked one up.

Hold it in your palm.

The prayer beads were so painful that they hurt her palms, so she threw them hard onto the ground.

Suddenly, she chuckled softly.

The smile was faint, but it concealed a chilling coldness.

"This Buddha can't protect my beloved Zhizhi—"

"Believe it or not."