Chapter 325
**Chapter 323: Red Plum Blossoms in the Snow**
When Shen Wei left the female physician's office, snow began to fall from the sky, blanketing the ground with a thin layer of white. The entire imperial city was shrouded in a flurry of snowflakes.
The air was colder, and the wind cut against her face like a knife.
Shen Wei instinctively tucked her chin into her collar.
Cai Lian hurriedly wrapped a thick cloak around Shen Wei. The lining was made of white fox fur, warm and comfortable, while the outer satin was a vibrant red, embroidered with silver plum blossoms by skilled artisans.
"Your Highness, the snow is getting heavier. I’ll accompany you back to Yongning Palace," Cai Lian said softly.
Shen Wei held onto the hot water bottle and quickened her pace.
As they passed through the Imperial Garden, Shen Wei noticed clusters of red plum trees in full bloom, their blossoms standing out beautifully against the white snow.
Feeling inspired, Shen Wei called out to Cai Lian, "Bring me some scissors. I want to cut a couple of branches to take back for the vase."
Cai Lian replied, "I can do the cutting, Your Highness. You don’t need to do it yourself."
But Shen Wei picked up the scissors and snipped off two beautiful red plum branches.
She handed the branches to the eunuch Jixiang who was accompanying them, instructing, "Take these to the Emperor in Chang'an Palace, and place them in the pink-glazed moon vase on his desk. Tell him they were personally cut by me, and he mustn’t throw them away."
Jixiang took the red plums and hurried off.
Shen Wei continued to cut five or six more branches, preparing to bring them back to Yongning Palace to add a splash of color to the warm chamber.
As she was engrossed in her task, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a snow-white figure in a nearby pavilion.
Without a doubt, it was Liu Ruyan.
In winter, when the plum blossoms bloom, Liu Ruyan always braved the cold winds to admire their noble beauty in the Imperial Garden. The chilly winter breeze rustled through the air, and Liu Ruyan’s white garments fluttered, almost blending into the surrounding snow.
Shen Wei could see her, and naturally, Liu Ruyan saw Shen Wei as well.
In the palace, there were strict hierarchies, and Shen Wei now held the highest position among the concubines. By rights, Liu Ruyan should have come over to pay her respects.
Yet, Liu Ruyan remained motionless, her expression as cold and unyielding as ice.
Holding the red plums, Shen Wei admired Liu Ruyan’s breathtaking beauty from a distance for a moment.
After a while, Shen Wei turned and said, "Let’s head back to Yongning Palace."
The snowflakes danced around her, and Shen Wei’s crimson figure gradually faded into the snowy landscape. In the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, Liu Ruyan stood still, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shen Wei’s departing silhouette.
Snowy days, red plums, and a beautiful woman—this scene was like a stunning painting.
Liu Ruyan had never noticed before how strikingly beautiful Shen Wei was. In the icy world, holding red plums, her smile was carefree and vibrant, full of life.
The bone-chilling winter seemed to warm up with the bright splash of red that Shen Wei brought.
"How can she smile so happily in this freezing cold?" Liu Ruyan lowered her gaze.
In the dull and lifeless palace, everyone felt like withered trees, but only Shen Wei radiated vitality.
How could one person be so full of life?
Liu Ruyan couldn’t understand, and a pang of jealousy stirred within her.
Her personal maid, Xue Mei, stood quietly to the side.
Xue Mei didn’t urge Liu Ruyan to return to the palace; she stood expressionless, her hands clad in thick gloves, her neck wrapped in a woolen scarf.
"What are you wearing on your hands?" Liu Ruyan frowned.
Xue Mei replied, "These are cotton gloves issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the palace, to keep warm."
The cotton gloves were not aesthetically pleasing—bulky and a dull gray, somewhat ugly, but very warm.
Liu Ruyan frowned in displeasure. "They look terrible."
Xue Mei responded, "But they keep my hands warm."
Liu Ruyan fixed her gaze on Xue Mei, her tone laced with mild annoyance. "Xue Mei, you’ve been quite disobedient lately, always going against me."
Xue Mei replied, "If you dislike me so much, you can demote me from Yuxiu Palace."
Liu Ruyan’s expression remained neutral; she wouldn’t stoop to quarreling with a servant over trivial matters.
The cold wind blew, causing the red plums in the Imperial Garden to sway gently. Liu Ruyan tilted her head, gazing at the trees of red plums, murmuring, "The Emperor used to often accompany me to admire the plums."
Xue Mei didn’t respond.
Winter had arrived, but spring was not far behind. By next year, when spring came, Xue Mei would turn twenty-five and finally be able to leave the confines of the deep palace, ending her nightmarish life of servitude.
Xue Mei silently rubbed her hands together, eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring.
Outside, the snow continued to fall, while inside Chang'an Palace, it was warm.
The charcoal stove radiated heat as Li Yuanjing reviewed memorials, with young Li Chengtai sitting beside him.
Li Chengtai was also reading the memorials.
The father and son, one big and one small, shared similar expressions and movements.
Dressed in a dark-colored robe and wearing a cute tiger hat, Li Chengtai held a memorial that his father had reviewed, his thick brows furrowed. "Father, your comment here is too casual."
Li Yuanjing tilted his head. "Which one?"
Li Chengtai opened the memorial and pointed to a line marked in red: "General Ye from Lingnan submitted a memorial expressing concern for your health, urging you to refrain from sparring with the soldiers. Look at your response!"
In the memorial, Li Yuanjing had written in red ink:
"I am just that kind of man! That’s my nature! Mind your own business!"
Li Chengtai frowned, finding his father’s response far too informal.
"Not serious at all! Not dignified at all!"
Recently, Li Chengtai had been summoned to Chang'an Palace to accompany his father in reviewing memorials. In his mind, the Emperor’s review of memorials was a solemn affair, but seeing his father’s varied and colorful responses was disappointing.
Li Yuanjing ruffled his son’s hair, his tone smug. "I’m the Emperor; I can respond however I like."
Li Chengtai pouted, his little hand flipping through another new memorial.
After a while, Eunuch Deshun entered quietly, carefully holding a gaudy pink-glazed moon vase. Inside the vase were two red plum branches, with dozens of blossoms in full bloom, vibrant and eye-catching.
Eunuch Deshun placed the vase on the table.
Li Yuanjing glanced over casually, raising an eyebrow. "A pink vase with red plums? How tacky."
Li Chengtai held a memorial in one hand and pinched his nose with the other. "The red plums smell like glutinous rice wine—it's not pleasant. Get rid of it quickly."
Both father and son expressed their disdain.
Eunuch Deshun chuckled awkwardly and reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, today’s heavy snow saw Consort Chen braving the elements to cut two branches of red plums in the Imperial Garden. She instructed that they must be placed on your desk and not discarded."
A moment of silence fell in the hall.
Li Yuanjing examined the red plums closely; their petals were delicate, the color like vermilion, enhanced by the cold fragrance of the snow. As the ancient saying goes: "Occasionally resembling small red peaches or apricots, elegant and still retaining the lonely, slender posture of frost and snow."
Placing red plums on the table in a snowy day was indeed elegant.
Li Yuanjing’s brows relaxed, satisfied. "The flowers are vibrant; they’ll add a touch of brilliance to the desk."
Li Chengtai chimed in happily, "The plum blossom cakes the Empress made last year were delicious; they must have been made with red plums."
Both father and son were quite pleased.
The pink-glazed moon vase sat on the table, the two red plums blooming beautifully.
They continued to review the memorials.
Outside, the heavy snow gradually ceased, and the Tiger Guards entered the hall, presenting a state letter with both hands. "Your Majesty, a state letter from Nanchu has arrived. The paper has been checked inside and out for any toxic residue; you can read it with peace of mind."
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