The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Think about this.

Tang Xixue's pace quickened unconsciously.

Although most of the snow on the palace road had been swept away, a thin layer of ice, as thin as a cicada's wing, remained on the bluestone slabs.

Tang Xixue was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn't notice anything amiss.

The moment the embroidered shoes touched the ground, the soles slipped, and she lost her balance, falling backward.

"Oh."

Her exclamation had barely escaped her lips, and before she could even begin to walk, she felt a sudden tightening around her waist.

A steady force gently pulled her body back from mid-air.

"Your Highness, be careful."

Yan Ci's voice was close to her ear, and he moved with lightning speed, wrapping his long arm around her and protecting her firmly.

He held her waist tightly with one hand, and his other hand steadily supported her shoulders and back.

In the shadows, Mu Liang's outstretched hand silently disappeared back into the shadows.

"Are you alright?"

Yan Ci lowered his eyes and asked.

"The road is icy and slippery; it's easy to slip and fall if you walk too fast."

"Why are you still so impatient, just like when you were a child?"

It's always been like this; the little prince runs like a frolicking sparrow, and has fallen countless times in the snow.

Each time, he would help her up and gently brush away the snowflakes from her temples.

"I'm just eager to go home."

The shock of the snow in Tangxi subsided slightly.

Her gauze sleeves fluttered like flowing clouds, gently draping over his forearm, which was resting on her arm.

"Besides, isn't Ah Ce here? You'll catch me eventually."

The dark white robe with its subtle patterns gently overlapped with the pink skirt that resembled a hazy sunset.

Like brushstrokes of varying shades meeting on a slowly unfolding sheet of rice paper.

The soft, warm fragrance nestled into his arms without any gap, instantly stealing most of his senses.

Only half of my body felt tingly and numb.

My heart pounded like a drum, each beat deafeningly loud.

Yan Ci could feel her warm breath brushing against the slightly cool fabric of his clothes.

"But I won't be here all the time."

Yan Ci's voice was deep and resonant, like a gentle breeze.

"Your Highness, one must take things one step at a time, and walk steadily."

"A-Ce..."

Tang Xixue looked up and noticed that his hand on her waist tightened for a moment.

The knuckles turned slightly white, then quickly loosened as if burned, the force completely dissipated.

"This is my overstepping of authority."

Yan Ci's voice came from above her head, still steady.

"Be extra careful next time."

Yan Ci took half a step back, creating just the right distance between them that made their hearts race.

His eyes were lowered, his gaze falling on the tips of her shoes, which were wet with ice and snow, and he looked away from her.

Those long eyelashes fell down, concealing all the emotions that shouldn't be churning in her eyes.

"A-Ce".

Tang Xixue stretched out her hand, palm up, like a soft flower bud waiting to be received.

"The road is too slippery, hold my hand and let me walk."

That hand was fair and smooth, with nails that were a pale shell pink, and under the dim light filtering through the clouds, it was enveloped in a pearly luster.

Her fingers were slender, her wrists delicate, and she was so beautiful that one wanted to hold her in their palms with care.

Yan Ci looked down at the hand and paused for a moment.

He had held that hand many times.

When she was young, she also extended her hand in the same generous manner.

All she knew was that he was here, that she needed him, and that he was there for her.

But at this moment, he hesitated to hold it.

His hands were so cold.

The cold ailment in my body had not yet healed, and I still felt chilly.

He was afraid she would get cold, and he was also afraid that his hands were too rough and would hurt her.

"Your subject obeys the order."

But Yan Ci still reached out and gently took her hand.

His movements were very gentle, as if he were afraid of crushing a cloud.

My palm was pressed against hers, my fingertips intertwined with hers, neither too tight nor too loose, just right.

His hands were indeed cold, but the warmth of her palms felt like a tiny, faint flame.

The warmth gradually spread from his fingertips to his wrists, and then to his heart, making his nose tingle.

Time seemed to flow backward at this moment.

He used to lead her like this, walking through the bustling streets.

On the Lantern Festival, the sky is ablaze with lights and fireworks.

A thousand lanterns illuminated the night as bright as day.

The flowing light weaves a winding galaxy, where the everyday life of people and the bright moon in the sky complement each other beautifully.

The craftsman performing the iron flower stunt stands atop a high platform under the spotlight, raising a ladle of molten iron and splashing it forcefully into the dark blue night sky.

"boom--"

The molten iron burst open the moment it collided with the night wind.

Iron sparks burst forth, crimson flames soar into the clouds, and golden dust rains down.

The most beautiful sight in the world is nothing more than this.

Scorching, dazzling, fleeting, yet enough to illuminate a whole year's gloom.

"Brother A-Ce! Look! A celestial maiden is scattering flowers!"

A girl in a red begonia dress tugged at his sleeve and stood on tiptoe.

"He's not performing ironwork; he's creating a meteor shower on earth for the stars in the heavens."

Yan Ci smiled, his voice clearly fading amidst the clamor of the crowd.

"Brother A-Ce, why doesn't the molten iron go out?"

Tang Xixue's eyes were filled with leaping golden light and curiosity.

"Because it's intensely hot." He looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Like the rising sun, so scorching that even the wind can't extinguish its light."

"What if it falls on that person?"

Tang Xixue became worried and gripped his sleeve even tighter.

"No. It takes a craftsman more than ten years of practice to steadily hold the scorching Milky Way above his head in this place where thousands look up to him."

Yan Ci's tone was resolute, carrying a calming power.

"Is he as good at chess as Brother A-Ce?"

Tang Xixue blinked.

"Um."

Yan Ci nodded in agreement.

Tang Xixue was relieved and looked up again.

"good--"

Cheers erupted from the crowd. She was jostled around and couldn't see the dazzling lights even when she stood on tiptoe.

"Brother A-Ce, I can't see."

Tang Xixue's voice was drowned out by the noise, but her little hand tightly gripped his sleeve.

"It's okay, I'm here."

Yan Ci did not hesitate.

"Zhizhi, you can sit on my shoulders and see higher and farther."

He bent down, gently lifted her up, and placed her steadily on his shoulder.

"Wow!"

Tang Xixue showed a look of surprise.

The boy's shoulders weren't broad, but they were enough for her to see the entire night sky.

Thousands of golden-red lights exploded again and again, like the most intense flowers blooming to their fullest on the night sky.

Then it transformed into countless shooting stars with long, thin tails of light.

Dazzling and sparkling, fluttering and swirling.

"How beautiful!" she exclaimed softly, "like stars falling from the sky."

"Yes, it's a star."

Yan Ci silently said to himself, "Zhizhi is like a star that fell from the sky."

As the molten iron burned out, the crowd surged like a tide toward the more bustling lantern market.

Tang Xixue sat on his shoulders, swinging her legs, still wanting more, and refused to get down.

Yan Ci steadily supported her, walking with great ease through the bustling crowd.

"Brother A-Ce! Look over there! That lamp—I want the one with the little bunny on it!"

Tang Xixue suddenly became excited and pointed to a relatively quiet stall in the dim light.

A delicately crafted silk rabbit lamp hangs quietly there.

The candlelight flickered softly behind the plain white gauze, casting a gentle and adorable silhouette of the little rabbit.

"Which one does Zhizhi like?"

Yan Ci turned his head to the side, his voice sounding even gentler against the backdrop of the surrounding noise, carrying boundless tolerance.

"Yes! I really like it!"

Tang Xixue nodded hurriedly, her hair brushing lightly against his cheek.

Yan Ci protected her, carefully squeezing through the crowds to reach the stall owner, and then gently put her down.

Tang Xixue immediately leaped lightly to the rabbit lantern, her eyes sparkling with affection.

The stall owner was an elderly man with white hair and beard. He stroked his beard and pointed with a smile to the three wooden signs hanging next to him.

"Young master, young lady, guess the riddles. If you can answer all three riddles correctly, this Jade Snow Ball will be yours."

Yan Ci looked up.

The first wooden plaque reads: "Reading by the light of an autumn lamp at night. Guess the elegant nickname of a scholar."

Yan Ci pondered for a moment.

"Could it be Master Jiaoran? The story comes from Liu Xiang's proofreading of books at Tianlu Pavilion, where a poet-monk carrying a green staff knocked on the pavilion at night to impart scriptures."

"Young master, you are very knowledgeable!"

The old man smiled and nodded, then unveiled the first plaque.

The second wooden plaque reveals the riddle: "Half of the Spring and Autumn Annals hides the sun and moon, a river of wind and rain sends the years flowing by. Guess a solar term."

Yan Cining pondered for a moment and said:

"Half of the Spring and Autumn Annals, spring goes and autumn stays, is like splitting the character 'Qin' in half, hiding the sun and moon to illuminate... Does it combine to form 'frost'? It seems to be 'Frost's Descent'? However, this doesn't quite align with the meaning of the second half of the sentence about fleeting years..."

"Brother A-Ce is so stupid."

Tang Xixue suddenly leaned close to his ear.

She lowered her voice and whispered, "It's the Autumn Equinox."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ci's eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood.

"That's it! Spring and autumn are in equal measure, signifying the equal distribution of autumn's beauty. A river of wind and rain carries away the passing years, and as autumn arrives, the seasons change. The autumnal equinox is precisely when yin and yang are in balance, day and night are equal, and the temperature is moderate. The answer to the riddle is the autumnal equinox."

"Wonderful!"

The stall owner's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in admiration.

"Both young masters and ladies are talented! You have passed the second question as well."

The final riddle is revealed, with even fewer words but a profound meaning: "I have a word to say, please don't forget me. Guess the name of a flower."

Yan Ci did not answer immediately.

His gaze swept past the riddle and landed on Tang Xixue's profile as she intently gazed at the lamp.

The soft glow of the rabbit lamp cast a gentle, warm hue over her jade-like skin.

Long eyelashes cast small, fan-shaped shadows on the lower eyelids.

In that instant, the first blooming crabapple blossoms in the palace alley, the longing of drinking alone under the moon—many chaotic images swept through Yan Ci's mind.

He spoke slowly, his voice slightly lower than before.

"It is... crabapple. There is an old poem that says: 'After the crabapple blossoms, I have been gazing at it ever since.' I have something to say: 'Do not forget me.' These words and these feelings are just like the crabapple blossoms after spring has deepened like the sea, when longing is at its peak."

The stall owner clapped his hands and laughed, without any further hesitation, and personally untied the exquisite jade snow cup and handed it to Yan Ci.

"Young master, you are not only quick-witted but also understanding and compassionate. This lamp is truly a sign that you have found a wise ruler."

Yan Ci took the lamp and turned around.

The warm yellow glow of the rabbit lamp illuminated his handsome features, and Tang Xixue's face was full of joy.

"Give."

Yan Ci handed her the lamp handle, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze in March.

"It's lucky; it can knit along with us from now on."

"Brother A-Ce is the best!"

Tangxi Xue reached out to take it.

"It was Zhizhi who guessed the key question first."

Yan Ci smiled slightly as he watched her take it.

The red silk tassels of the lantern swayed gently in her hand.

"Our Zhizhi is the wisest."

The candlelight filtered through the white gauze, spreading softly.

The dye illuminated the begonia-red dress with gold embroidery that she had specially changed into for the Lantern Festival.

Like a crabapple blossom quietly blooming in the night.

"Brother A-Ce".

Tang Xixue, carrying a lantern, suddenly tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Was the question about the crabapple blossoms difficult to guess? You thought about it for a while."

The girl's eyes were clear and bright, reflecting the lamplight and him.

"Um."

Yan Ci responded softly.

"What's so difficult about it? It's clearly very simple!"

Tangxi Xue pressed for an answer.

Yan Ci did not reply.

He simply reached out and straightened the slightly tangled tassels of the lantern for her.

Why?

Because the riddle reads: "I have something to say, please don't forget me."

Some things cannot be said then, cannot be said now, and may never be uttered.

On the way back, Tangxi Xue felt sleepy and leaned against Yan Ci's back, breathing lightly.

The little rabbit lantern hung on her wrist, swaying gently with the rhythm of his walk.

Small, shimmering spots of light were cast on the bluestone pavement.

"Brother A-Ce, let's come see the iron flower display and guess the lantern riddles again next year for the Lantern Festival, okay?"

"it is good."

"Then you'll grant me whatever I want from now on, okay?"

"it is good."

"Then... what about the sun in the sky, Zhizhi?"

Tangxi Xue was half-asleep, her voice soft and sweet.

The boy carrying her on his back didn't stop walking, his voice mingling with the night wind.

"Ce, take it off for the young prince too..."