The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Gentle ripples wash the shore, the wind rises and the tide sings.

The sea breeze carries glittering salt, dampening clothes, while the sound of the tide echoes like an endless call, repeatedly lapping against the hearts of those returning home.

"The wind chimes are twenty years late."

Xingyu's voice is ethereal and dreamlike, falling gently from where the sea meets the sky, like a drop of ink falling into clear water, slowly spreading.

His gaze passed over the tides and over the years, landing on her.

"The vast landscape of the Moonlit Sea Kingdom has been waiting for you for a long time."

The words and phrases unfold like a scroll painting.

That painting contains the waiting after countless sails have passed, the watchful waiting amidst the ebb and flow of the tides, and the unspoken longing that has been present for every moment of the past twenty years.

"Wind chimes can be hung by the window, and mountains and rivers can be laid out beneath your feet. From now on, the vast moonlit journey will be your way home."

The wind chimes were a gift from her brother; when they rang softly, it meant he was calling her.

The land is where the moon returns, and every inch of soil will remember her footsteps.

He was waiting for his sister, and the land was waiting for its master.

For twenty years, he guarded the country until it became an empty city, waiting only for her return so he could hand it over to her personally.

Tang Xixue gently stroked the little white cat Yin Kong in her arms, her fingertips running through its soft fur, again and again.

The movement was slow, as if soothing a gently plucked string in one's heart.

She remained very wary of him.

Yet, I was also somewhat moved.

There was a kind of inexplicable, unfamiliar warmth.

It was as if a beam of light had quietly seeped in through the crack.

"On the imperial genealogy of the Weaving Moon Sea Kingdom, the throne—"

Xingyu's voice continued, unhurried and gentle, like the tide washing over the beach time and time again.

"There has only ever been one name for you."

His eyes held a pool of moonlight.

Open and honest.

Crystal clear.

There was not a trace of lust for power, nor a hint of imperial arrogance.

All I felt was the relief of finally seeing her return.

"Brother, I'm just protecting you."

"In the past, the elder brother guarded the country; in the future, the elder brother will guard the younger sister."

What kind of sibling rivalry is this?

She's overthinking it.

He waited twenty years for his little pearl, not for her to come back and scheme against him.

Her eyes should be watching the blooming and withering of flowers, not the unpredictability of human hearts.

Otherwise, wouldn't all his efforts over the past twenty years to climb to the top have been in vain?

What he always wanted was for her to return without having to pretend to be strong or panic.

Once, she could only exchange her wandering for a sliver of pity from heaven and earth, which granted her a glimmer of hope.

And now, he's here.

All the trials and tribulations of this world only reach him.

He transformed all the raging storms into still, deep waters.

There are no storms around her, only beautiful scenery.

She only needs to smile and slowly pass the days.

Watching the tides rise and fall, waiting for the moon to wax and wane.

Watch the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard, and gaze at the clouds drift and gather in the sky.

All the peace and tranquility he orchestrated for her were part of a scheme he laid out.

And he only needs to watch her blossom year after year, living a carefree life, within this grand protection.

"Then I'll accept your gift, brother."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xixue smiled faintly, her lips curving upwards.

That smile held the brilliance of a rising star and the gentle tenderness of spring waters just beginning to melt.

But if you look closely, there's something else hidden deep within that smile.

During her years in the Beichen Empire, she was taught the art of rulership by Empress Dowager Bai Yining from a young age.

The Empress Dowager taught her and Tang Xiye that only by competing and vying for everything could they have it all.

The human heart is like a knife; if you don't hold it tight, it will pierce you.

Now that her handsome brother is willing to relinquish the throne, she will naturally reclaim the power that rightfully belongs to her.

The original plan was that if he refused to give it to her, she would simply snatch it, ensuring he would never get it back.

But the current developments are quite different from what she expected.

She had planned a thousand different ways to deal with the situation, how to proceed step by step, and how to reclaim everything that belonged to her amidst the clash of swords and the shadows of war.

But he just looked at her with those clear eyes.

It was as if all her calculations had landed on a soft cloud.

"My brother is so nice."

She gazed at him, her peach blossom eyes brimming with vibrant beauty, yet unfathomable depths.

She only reigns as her own queen.

I will never be subservient to anyone else.

Xingyu brother's heart and eyes are full of his sister.

The younger sister, however, was obsessed with reclaiming the throne and taking back the empire.

With the whole world in one's heart, and a sharp edge hidden in one's eyes.

This made her feel like she was a scheming villain, full of hidden agendas.

I don't know.

Her brother, Xingyu, wasn't a good person either.

He was kind only to her.

If it were anyone else, he would never have given up so readily.

Those who coveted the throne had been quietly and thoroughly eliminated by him over the past twenty years.

But she is a little pearl.

How could anyone else compare?

"Little Pearl must be working so hard out there."

Xingyu looked at her, a pang of heartache rising in his eyes.

He sent Bai Duo to investigate Princess Jing's background.

Over the years, her experiences in Kyushu have earned her a reputation so bad that even dogs would despise her.

She endured all the hardships, difficulties, misunderstandings, and countless unseen nights alone.

He knows everything.

"It's not hard work."

Tang Xixue blinked.

Suddenly, she put on a pitiful expression.

"My life is miserable."

She sighed softly, and a thin layer of mist instantly appeared in her eyes, which were filled with starlight.

The mist swirled and gradually condensed into watery light, swirling in my eyes, yet stubbornly refusing to fall.

"I almost didn't survive many times."

Her voice lowered, like the soft sound of the tide receding.

"Last night, we were almost burned to ashes outside the city by the cult's Heavenly Fire Array."

She paused, her voice trembling with a hint of grievance, a tremor that was subtle and soft, like a spider's web being moved by the wind.

"If I hadn't been lucky, my brother would never have seen me again."

She immediately played the victim.

This pretty little star is so easily swayed by her; she has no choice but to pretend to be pitiful.

To gain his brother's sympathy, to make him feel even more guilty, and to make him love him even more.

She knows all too well how to make people feel sorry for her.

Xingyu's fingertips trembled suddenly.

Was the commotion at Baiyujing last night really because of her?

His originally gentle eyes, when lowered, instantly turned icy cold.

A chill seeped from the depths of his eyes, like an undercurrent in the deep sea, calm on the surface but possessing a power to devour everything beneath.

He almost lost his little pearl completely.

He was so close to his sister, though they were only a short distance apart.

But those evil spirits still reached out their claws to her.

He wasn't there for her when she needed protection the most.

"White fall."

He spoke, his voice not loud, but as cold as ice.

The chill seeped from between their lips and teeth, making the temperature in the entire imperial carriage drop several degrees.

"Your subject is here."

Bai Duo's voice carried a hint of respect.

"All the strongholds of those cults in the Weaving Moon Sea Kingdom have been eradicated."

He paused.

Every word carried a heavy, murderous intent.

"Leave no one alive."

Over the years, Xingyu has discovered the locations of various cult strongholds in the Zhiyue Sea Kingdom.

But to prevent them from taking desperate measures, we have remained patient and inactive.

He was an emperor, and he had to consider the political situation, the checks and balances, and the consequences of a single move affecting the whole situation.

But now, he can't take it anymore.

Anyone who touches his sister will die.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

Bai Duo responded.

Their Sea Emperor has been locked in a fierce battle with the evil cult of the Moon Weaving Sea Kingdom for years.

In those years, the Zhiyue Sea Kingdom was considered a forbidden zone for cults, but there were still some who had close ties with Zonglantai, and they didn't touch them.

Now, Her Majesty the Empress has returned to the country.

His Majesty the Sea Emperor's first sword fell upon those cults.

His Majesty the Sea King gets angry, and that's how he resolves the matter.

His Majesty the Sea Emperor dealt with the person with a cold face.