The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The snowflakes are still falling.

Silver-blue specks of light fluttered down from the sky, like an endless rain of flowers.

The entire Suspended Star City seemed to have sunk into a tranquil sea of ​​stars.

Some people stood in the snow and looked up, their eyes reflecting the shimmering light of the sky, as if they had taken in the entire Milky Way.

Someone clasped their hands together under the lamp, offering their most sincere wish to this unique snow.

Just then, Tang Xixue suddenly saw a light floating up in the city.

The light was scattered like stars; at first, it was just one lamp.

It rose alone from under the eaves at the end of the long street, the candlelight flickering slightly in the plain white paper, like a firefly just emerging from its cocoon.

Then came the second lamp, and the third lamp.

more and more.

It rises from the bridge railing, from the treetops, and from beside every lantern.

Densely packed, layer upon layer, it looked as if someone had scooped up an entire galaxy from the bottom of the water and reverently released it into the night sky.

"What is that?"

Tangxi Xue put away her Huaixue pipa, the lingering notes of her earlier accompaniment to Fengzhuo still present on her fingertips.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on the specks of light.

They rose from the city, more and more of them, drifting upwards, higher and higher, as if heading to the highest heavens, to the place where heaven and earth were not yet separated.

"It's a lamp."

Si Xingxuan's voice rang in her ears, carrying a hint of barely suppressed joy.

"Zhizhi, look, it's a sky lantern for praying for blessings."

She saw it.

Those were sky lanterns lit by the people themselves, their plain white bodies adorned with various patterns.

Some paintings depict crabapple blossoms, with layers of pink petals, the brushstrokes delicate yet earnest.

Some were inscribed with blessings, the ink varying in shades, each word conveying heartfelt sentiments.

Some are just a simple character "安" (peace), yet each stroke seems to have kneaded all the tenderness in the world into the paper.

The candlelight flickered in the lamp, making the plain white paper lamp paper appear warm and translucent, like pieces of warm jade floating in the air.

The scene was absolutely spectacular.

Thousands of lights shone like a tapestry.

The shadows of the lights overlapped in layers.

Tang Xixue gazed at the sea of ​​lights, her eyes flickering slightly.

"What a beautiful sea of ​​lights."

"Zhizhi, look, the words on the sky lantern."

Si Xingxuan suddenly spoke, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, as if he had discovered some incredible treasure and couldn't wait to share it with her.

Tang Xixue followed his gaze.

A sky lantern that had drifted to the vicinity of the observatory hung right in front of her. Its pure white body was warm and translucent in the candlelight, and the words on the lantern were clearly legible.

"Congratulations to the new Medicine God of Jiuzhou, the Heavenly Physician who weaves destiny. May Tang Sui be healthy and live a long and happy life."

The handwriting wasn't very nice; it was crooked and messy, like a child's handwriting.

But every stroke was written with utmost care, straight and even, without the slightest perfunctoriness.

"This is……"

Tang Xixue's voice stopped.

"This is the people's prayer for weaving."

Si Xingxuan's voice drifted softly in the night breeze.

"Zhizhi, they haven't forgotten you."

He saw more sky lanterns.

"The Heavenly Physician, who weaves the life, hangs his gourd to save the world," "May the Heavenly Physician have a smooth life," "I have no way to repay the life-saving grace, so I entrust it to you with this lamp."

The handwriting may be neat or messy, and the ink may be thick or thin.

Each lamp is unique, and each lamp carries the most sincere wishes of an individual or a family.

"Mirror Weaving".

Si Xingzhou stood beside her with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the ever-rising sea of ​​lights, his voice filled with emotion.

"You are more popular with the people than I am."

He had long known that the Heavenly Physician of Destiny held a transcendent position in the Nine Provinces.

He was the Emperor of Xingze, and no one in the court dared to defy him, nor on the battlefield did anyone dare to challenge his might.

At his command, the entire army marched forth, and the landscape changed color.

But the respect of the people cannot be earned through swords and power.

She had snatched those lives back from the jaws of death, one medicine at a time, one life at a time.

Seeing this scene with his own eyes now, he still couldn't help but feel shocked.

Those lanterns were made by the people themselves, who rummaged through the bottom of their boxes to find the paper lanterns they had saved from last year, and took out the candle wicks they couldn't bear to use from beside their stoves. They made them one by one by hand, wrote blessings on them stroke by stroke, lit them, and then released them into the sky.

"In my life, I have witnessed the triumphant return of ten thousand armies, the collapse of mountains and seas, and the tribute paid by various nations."

He turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"But I have never seen a people light a lamp for one person. Kagami, you have opened my eyes."

Tang Xixue gazed at the sky lanterns, her heart filled with emotion.

She used to practice medicine and help people without ever thinking of anything in return, just following her heart.

When saving lives, all she thought about was saving lives; when writing prescriptions, all she thought about was curing illnesses. She never imagined that one day, people would light lamps and pray for her.

"It wasn't my doing."

Her voice was soft and gentle like the wind.

"They themselves have never forgotten the kindness in their hearts. I just happened to be passing by and happened to know some medical skills. I am deeply honored by their kindness."

But the faith of hundreds of millions of people across the land is invisibly coalescing into a force.

In the darkness, she defied the will of Heaven, building an unshakeable foundation for herself.

"Not just Starry City..."

Si Xingxuan finished speaking.

Tang Xixue seemed to sense something and looked up at the sky.

For a moment, her breath caught in her throat.

It was night, yet the sky was as bright as day.

Sky lanterns rose like a tide, simultaneously from every corner of the Nine Provinces, converging into a boundless sea of ​​light.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the entire Nine Continents—Purple Extreme Heaven Continent, Azure Cloud Continent, Burning Lotus Flame Continent, Flowing Firefly Moon Continent, Misty Snow Continent, Floating Cloud Dream Continent, Nine Netherworld Continent, Silver Dust Star Continent, and Mirror Water Spirit Continent—are all bathed in light.

Everyone is celebrating the new drug.

They merged into an ocean of light, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime.

The nine provinces shine together, and ten thousand lanterns pay homage.

This scene was absolutely spectacular.

Below the observatory, an elderly pharmacist with white hair looked up at the sea of ​​lights, his gray beard trembling slightly in the night breeze.

"This...is what everyone wants, this is what the people desire!"

"In my seventy years of life and fifty years of medical practice, I have never seen such a wondrous sight, never!"

"Lord Heavenly Physician, can you see this? This is the Nine Provinces repaying your kindness! This is the people repaying your favor!"

"She deserves it, she absolutely deserves it!"

Countless people were stunned by the spectacle tonight.

Feng Zhuo stood on the long street, her red clothes fluttering in the wind.

He looked up at the thousands of lanterns rising over the nine provinces.

Tears started flowing without me even realizing it.

Scalding hot liquid slid down his cheeks, which were cooled by the night breeze.

He raised his hand to wipe it, but the more he wiped, the more there was.

"Brother Yan Ce!"

His voice carried the unbridled sincerity of a young man.

He grabbed Yan Ci's sleeve.

"Look! Look! This is so grand! The entire Nine Provinces are lighting lanterns and praying for her!"

He grinned, tears still streaming down his face, but he didn't care.

"Ah Xue is so wonderful, the whole world should know how wonderful she is!"

Yan Ci stood beside him, her folding fan closed and held in her hand. Her long, silver-gray hair swayed gently in the night breeze, like a wisp of smoke bathed in moonlight.

He looked down at the cuffs of his sleeve, which were wrinkled from being gripped so tightly by the wind, but did not pull them away.

"Burn it."

He spoke, his voice calm and unhurried, like a flowing spring under the moon.

"If you pull any harder, you're afraid you'll tear my sleeve off."

Feng Zhuo was stunned for a moment before realizing how badly he had torn the strategist's sleeve. He quickly let go, his ears turning bright red.

"I...I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright."

Yan Ci looked up at the sea of ​​lights, his gaze calm and undisturbed, and whispered softly.

"Your Highness."

May you always be passionate and radiant.

May you shine brightly, like the lights filling the sky.

May you never bend to wind and snow in this life, soaring high in the heavens, shining eternally.

He was not surprised by this scene.

Because he was the one who initiated the celebration of the God of Medicine across the Nine Provinces.