After the cold snap of early spring, a rare clear sky emerged.
The snow, yet unmelted on the main street of the Imperial City, was carefully cleared by young servants in green livery, creating a wide path using shovels and dustpans.
In the distance, a luxurious carriage approached, pulled by a spotless white horse. The carriage was adorned with pearl curtains, jade-green drapes, and precious jewels. Even the horse pulling the carriage was pristine, without a single speck of dirt.
The servants on either side quickly set down their tools and knelt in greeting.
One onlooker, puzzled, asked, “Who could be inside that deserves such honor?”
“That is Princess Lingyun, daughter of Liu Qiu, and her name is Liu Ling. She came to the Imperial City last year and is already famous as one of its great beauties. People say that those who have seen her liken her to a goddess descended to earth. Unfortunately, she is frail and unable to tolerate exposure to the wind. As beautiful as she is, she remains aloof, like a snow lotus on a high mountain, devoid of warmth. Marrying her would be like bringing home a beautiful statue of ice, too delicate to touch.” The speaker couldn’t help but express a trace of regret.
To have such beauty close by but be unable to even touch her is a true waste.
The carriage slowly passed, leaving behind a faint but luxurious fragrance, indescribable and elusive, like a blend of perfume and incense.
“If she cannot endure the wind, why has Princess Lingyun ventured out today?”
“She has an elder brother, Liu Chen, who was summoned to the Imperial City a year ago and was appointed as the Great General of Jianwei. He led the army to defeat the foreign tribes and has returned victorious this year. The siblings are known to be very close, and it seems she has come to welcome him.”
“So, she is the sister of the young and brilliant General Liu Chen.” The crowd finally understood.
The Great General’s victory over the foreign tribes had already become widely known throughout the Imperial City, and many had gathered today to witness his return.
The carriage stopped about ten meters from the city gate.
Two graceful maids dressed in white emerged, holding white silk that they unrolled to cover the ground between the carriage and the gate.
“What is the meaning of this?” a passerby asked in surprise, while wondering to themselves, if even the maids were this beautiful, what kind of celestial beauty must Princess Lingyun be?
“Princess Lingyun is known for her extreme aversion to dirt. She allows only her closest maids to approach her and is said to bring her own tea sets and clothing when visiting others. Upon returning, she bathes thoroughly, afraid of contamination.”
The crowd was astonished. Such meticulousness surely justified her reputation as the cold, aloof beauty.
Inside the carriage, the entire interior was lined with thick white fox fur, creating an environment as pure as snow. In the midst of the fur, a woman reclined, dressed in white with a fox fur coat. Her pale complexion seemed to merge with her surroundings.
Her long, black hair was loosely pinned with a plain hairpin, revealing delicate jade-like ears adorned with smooth white pearl earrings. The earrings swayed gently along the curve of her neck.
A light breeze blew through the carriage, bringing in strands of sunlight that illuminated her snow-white skin, making her appear like a figure carved from ice and crystal. Her eyelids were half-lowered, her figure slender and graceful. Even with light makeup, her frail beauty was unmistakable.
She gently brushed her black hair behind her ear, revealing a face of distant, cool beauty. Her dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if something troubled her.
“Princess.”
Su Baiyue, hearing the soft call of the maid outside the carriage, exhaled slowly and silently gathered her resolve.
“Remain composed, do not let panic show.”
Su Baiyue adjusted her expression, donned her veil hat, lightly lifted her gown, and bent down as she stepped out of the luxurious carriage.
The crowd saw the heavy carriage curtain lift slowly, and a beauty emerged. Though her face was hidden by a veil, her delicate and graceful figure, coupled with an aura of cold aloofness, immediately captivated everyone’s attention.
The woman was dressed entirely in white. Apart from the dark hair flowing from beneath her veil, there wasn’t a hint of any other color on her.
The crowd held its breath, as if afraid that even the act of breathing might tarnish the ethereal beauty before them.
Stepping onto the pure white silk spread beneath her, Su Baiyue had barely taken a step when someone collapsed at her feet.
It was a teenage boy, thin and poorly dressed, his black hair disheveled, his body covered in wounds. With his face pressed to the ground, he was unrecognizable.
“How dare you!” Jingwen, Su Baiyue’s chief maid, scolded sharply. “Where did this filthy wretch come from?”
A breeze swept in, carrying remnants of snow from the previous night. Su Baiyue’s cloak and veil swayed gently, lifting her wide sleeves and gown, revealing her slender figure—like an otherworldly being. She perfectly embodied the kind of fragile beauty that seemed ready to be carried away by the wind.
But what caught everyone’s attention most was the black smudge left on her immaculate cloak by the boy. Though faint, it appeared glaringly obvious against the pristine white of the beauty’s attire.
The crowd, shocked, stepped back, wondering how Princess Lingyun would punish this reckless boy.
“Dirty.” Her voice was cold, but softened by an ethereal grace, as two chilling words escaped from Su Baiyue’s lips.
The crowd watched as her flawless hand, pale and delicate, emerged from her sleeve. Her jade-like skin, faintly veined, only enhanced the contrast between purity and the faint powder on her fingertips.
With a soft rustle, she undid the clasp of her cloak. The heavy garment slipped off her shoulders like a falling petal, covering the boy beneath it.
The boy stirred, revealing part of his dirt-covered face. He opened his dark eyes as the pure white cloak fell over him, bringing with it a faint, elusive fragrance, covering his cold body.
Su Baiyue lifted her gown slightly, stepping forward with the grace of a breeze. In a fluid motion, she stepped over the boy.
The boy’s heart momentarily froze as he saw the white figure drift past, pure and spotless, even the soles of her shoes untouched by the dust of the world. Through the veil, he caught a glimpse of her lips, red as cherries against her pale complexion.
But was it just his imagination? He thought he saw the woman’s legs trembling slightly as she stepped over him…
Su Baiyue’s face remained calm and aloof, cold as the summit of a snow-covered mountain. Inwardly, however, she was gripped by panic, feeling as though her legs were about to give out.
After all, the boy she had just stepped over was none other than Lu Han, who would one day become a feared warlord, slaying enemies without mercy, and eventually uniting the fractured kingdoms, much like Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China.
Su Baiyue steadied herself, determined to maintain her composure.
Although the novel described in vivid detail the celestial grace of Princess Lingyun as she stepped over the boy, Su Baiyue knew the reality was far from effortless. Given the length of her gown, avoiding even the slightest contact with the boy was no small feat! In order to preserve the sense of elegance, she lifted her skirt as high as possible.
While Su Baiyue was inwardly anxious, the crowd only saw confirmation of the Princess’s extreme fastidiousness, more severe than rumors had suggested. To discard such an expensive cloak without hesitation—how could someone with such scruples survive in a world so tainted by filth?
Feeling that even their breath might defile the beauty, the crowd took another step back.
Jingwen quickly fetched a new cloak and draped it over Su Baiyue’s shoulders, then ordered the servants to drag the boy away.
The boy, now wrapped in the discarded white fox fur cloak, was dragged off like a lifeless body.
At the city gate, the sound of horse hooves echoed, and through her veil, Su Baiyue saw Liu Chen, clad in armor, leading his troops on horseback.
Liu Chen and Liu Ling were siblings born of the same parents. From Liu Chen’s handsome features, one could easily imagine the extent of Liu Ling’s beauty. Even though Liu Chen appeared worn from battle, his commanding presence remained undiminished.
“Sister!” Liu Chen dismounted excitedly, ready to embrace his sister, but Su Baiyue blocked him with the white jade-handled whisk in her hand.
Yes, Princess Lingyun always carried a whisk to keep others at a distance. Whenever anyone got too close, she would use it to push them away.
This whisk was usually held by her maid Jingwen, but Su Baiyue had taken it from her as soon as Liu Chen dismounted.
“Sister,” Liu Chen said, visibly aggrieved.
When had his little sister, who used to follow him around playfully, stopped allowing hugs, kisses, or even a pinch on the cheek?
“Let’s go home,” she said softly, her cold voice tinged with a trace of warmth. Her tone, combined with her aloof demeanor, stirred an unspoken longing in those who heard it.
Just imagining having such a woman beneath him…
Suddenly, the sharp sound of a sword being drawn rang out. One of the men in the crowd, his face still filled with lecherous thoughts, had a large chunk of his hair sliced off.
“If you continue to stare, next time it’ll be your head,” Liu Chen growled, his tone fierce and commanding, fully living up to his reputation as a young military prodigy.
The crowd dispersed in fear, no longer daring to linger.
Su Baiyue, unfazed, turned and stepped back into the fragrant carriage, walking over the freshly laid white silk. Once inside, she instinctively glanced outside, but Lu Han had already vanished.
This was the first meeting between Princess Lingyun and Lu Han.
One was pure and untouchable, like a cloud, the other lowly, like dust.
Love at first sight? Hardly. Lu Han was clearly drawn to Princess Lingyun’s beauty. Even though she would later betray him, marry the crown prince, and die young due to her frail health, she would forever remain his first love, occupying the place of his unattainable ideal.
Su Baiyue removed her veil hat, staring dejectedly at the whisk in her hand. She couldn’t help but think that Princess Lingyun was single by sheer force of will. Though blessed with a face as perfect as the most flattering beauty filter, her behavior was truly beyond anyone’s endurance.