A life of two souls traveling through time

In the northern land of Lang State, the national mourning has passed. The new emperor Ning Xi has ascended the throne and issued a general amnesty. There is a new atmosphere both inside and outside the court. In the inner city of Xuan'an, the capital, the solemn and mourning palace has been replaced with a luxurious and grand one.

On the third day after the coronation ceremony, envoys from various diplomatic countries gathered in Xuan'an City, the capital of Lang State, to congratulate the new monarch and once again promote diplomatic friendship.

"Announce, envoys and ministers from all countries come to the emperor!"

The eunuch beside the new emperor Ning Xi shouted in a shrill voice, and envoys from various countries who came to congratulate entered the temple in an orderly manner. After performing the grand ceremony and singing congratulatory speeches, the envoys also presented gifts from their own countries one by one.

"Your Majesty, in order to show the deep diplomatic friendship between our Jingsong Kingdom and Lang Kingdom over the years, our holy monarch personally painted this "Picture of Rivers, Mountains and Beauty" for your Majesty to show his sincerity, and also to wish Lang Kingdom a long-lasting rule!" After Qi Guang, the envoy of Jingsong Kingdom, finished speaking, a magnificent landscape painting was unfolded in front of the new emperor by two attendants.

In the painting, beneath the towering green mountains lies a gurgling clear river. On the other side of the river, a peach forest is dotted with pink flowers. Three young beauties are dancing gracefully under the peach trees. Above the hazy mountains in the distance, a red sun is shrouded in thin clouds, adding a bit of mystery.

"I've long heard that your monarch loves painting. Today I see that his reputation is well-deserved. The beauty in the painting is so lifelike and graceful... Of course, the landscape is also fascinating!" As the scroll was unfolded, Ning Xi, the new monarch of Langguo, was instantly attracted by the beauty in the painting, but he couldn't lose his royal composure in front of everyone.

"No matter how beautiful the dance of the beauty in the painting is, it is only in the painting after all. It is impossible for her to come out for Your Majesty to appreciate it with your own eyes. Isn't it a disappointment?" Just as the civil and military officials in the temple were discussing the paintings sent by the neighboring country, the envoy of Xiyue Kingdom, Yang Xi, laughed with disdain.

"Beautiful things can only retain their mysterious beauty if viewed from a distance. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful a person is, their flaws will be exposed once you get close to them, just like a flaw on a piece of beautiful jade, which will ultimately only become a regret." Qi Guang, the envoy of Jingsong State, was not willing to be outdone. He retorted with a cold glance at Yang Xi, the envoy of Xiyue State.

"Interesting, you can only watch from afar but not touch. Is your Excellency hinting at the fact that Your Majesty cannot have the love you want?"

"You are misinterpreting..."

"Hahaha... My two gentlemen have come from afar just to let us in Langguo watch a wonderful verbal battle, right?" Seeing that the envoys of the two countries were about to confront each other in the court, Langguo Prime Minister Lu Xiang walked forward, stroking his white beard, and advised with a laugh.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Lu, and all the gentlemen, please forgive me for making you laugh." While Qi Guang, the envoy of Jingsong, was still trying to calm down his anger, Yang Xi, the envoy of Xiyue, was the first to step forward and pay his respects. With a smile on his face, he continued to say to the new monarch on the throne, "Xiyue has also carefully prepared a very precious gift for your majesty."

"Oh, what is it?" Upon hearing the word "precious", curiosity suddenly appeared on Ning Xi's handsome face.

"This gift is waiting outside in the snow. Your Majesty, please go outside the palace to enjoy it."

"What kind of gift requires Your Majesty to pick it up in person? Your country is really sincere!" Just as people in Lang State were discussing it again, Qi Guang, the envoy of Jingsong State, also started to speak in a sarcastic tone.

"Your Majesty, do you know the Snow Crane Dance?" The envoy Yang Xi from the Xiyue Kingdom ignored the sarcasm of the envoy Qi Guang, and continued to ask with a smile while bowing to the new emperor of the Lang Kingdom.

"Snow Crane Dance?" Ning Xi raised her eyebrows and nodded thoughtfully, "When I was still a prince in my early years, I heard a legend: there is a fairy island in the east, the snow-capped mountains on the island are always white, but the climate is like spring all year round. There is a beauty on the fairy island who loves cranes and often praises them with dance. The beautiful and elegant dance finally moved a crane in the fairy world. From then on, it stayed on the fairy island to accompany the beauty for a long time, and admired the snow crane dance performed by the beauty for it on the snowy mountains every day... Could it be that there is really a snow crane dance in this world?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not say whether this beautiful legend is true or not, but the Snow Crane Dance does exist in this world. You also know that our Crown Prince loves folk art. He has heard of the Snow Crane Dance since he was a child and has never forgotten it. It took him more than ten years of hard searching to find it overseas. The Crown Prince knows that Your Majesty also likes the dance of beauty, so he specially presented this precious Snow Crane Dance to Your Majesty."

"Prince Qiao is very thoughtful." Ning Xi's mind was only filled with the Snow Crane Dance at this moment. He had no intention of saying too much greeting. He stood up with great interest, looked at the ministers below and said, "My dear ministers, then follow me to appreciate this mysterious Snow Crane Dance!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." All the civil and military officials, as well as the princes and new nobles, bowed and agreed.

As a large group of people escorted the new emperor out of the temple, melodious and pleasing flute music slowly came into their ears, and the pure white snow scene in front of them made the listeners involuntarily intoxicated.

"There's someone on the snow!" Ying Yan, the ten-year-old prince beside the new emperor, suddenly shouted in surprise, pointing at the flat ground below the high steps.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on a beautiful woman with white hair, wearing white feathers and with a graceful figure, hiding in the snow in the distance.

The flute music swirled into the air again, and the white-haired beauty in the snow began to dance to the rhythm of the music.

"The dancer's clothes are white, her skin is whiter than snow, her face is cool and beautiful, her body is light and graceful, her body seems to be boneless, yet soft yet strong, just like a crane about to fly in the snow. Beautiful, really beautiful!" Ning Xi was infatuated with the snow crane dance in front of her and could not stop praising it.

However, Prime Minister Lu Xiang, who was standing behind the new emperor, had a frown on his face and looked worried.

The music ended and the dance stopped, but the spectators on the higher steps still looked dazed, until a gust of cold wind blew and the white-haired beauty standing alone in the snow was about to fall. Ning Xi felt distressed when he saw this, and without caring about his royal dignity, he quickly rushed down the steps, came to the beauty and draped his sable on her.

"what's your name?"

"Xuewu." The beauty bowed to Ning Xi and made a sound like the gurgling of spring water.

"Sure enough, only such an elegant and beautiful person is worthy of the Crane Dance." Ning Xi believed that he had met countless beauties in the past thirty years, but he had never met such a pure and beautiful woman who made his heart move.

"Your Majesty, are you satisfied with this Crane Dance?" The envoy of Xiyue Kingdom, Yang Xi, took a half step forward, saluted and smiled.

"This dance is so precious, Prince Qiao, are you willing to give it up?" Although Ning Xi asked the envoy from Xiyue Kingdom, his eyes always stayed on the face of the beauty in front of him.

"Only by giving up with great pain can we demonstrate the sincerity of our Xiyue Kingdom in continuing the friendly relations with Lang Kingdom." Xiyue Kingdom's envoy Yang Xi glanced at the dancer he brought with him, then bowed deeply again and replied firmly.

"Hahaha... OK, OK, I am very satisfied with the gift from the Xiyue Kingdom." Ning Xi laughed happily after hearing the words of the envoy from the Xiyue Kingdom. Then, in full view of everyone, he picked up the beauty in front of him and turned around and strode away.

"This...this, this..." The civil and military officials behind him were all speechless, shocked.

"Prime Minister Lu?" The young prince Ying Yan was at a loss for a moment, and walked in panic to the Prime Minister Lu Xiang, who already had an unpleasant expression on his face.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Majesty... Perhaps you have caught a cold just now and your holy body is not feeling well... We will take our leave." The Prime Minister sighed, and tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart. He turned around and saluted towards the little crown prince. After he finished speaking calmly, he turned around and walked down the high steps. Seeing this, the ministers hurriedly followed the Prime Minister out of the palace.

"Yan'er, your father is still so willful and reckless. In front of so many foreign officials, he actually abandoned all the civil and military officials for a woman... Forget it, let's not talk about it. Even all countries know how to please Your Majesty..." Beside Ying Yan, the tall and gorgeously dressed Prince Xian Lixu also sighed solemnly.

"Uncle, as a son, it is not convenient for me to give advice on this matter. Yan'er begs your uncle to persuade father more." Ying Yan turned around and looked up at King Xian. His slightly wrinkled brows made his young face look extremely pitiful.

"There's no need for you to ask, Yan'er. I will do it for the sake of Langguo." King Xian raised his hand and patted the little prince's thin shoulder, comforting him.