Song Zhao gazed out of the window at the snowy landscape, lost in her thoughts. Memories long buried surged up from the depths of her heart, clouding her vision.
It was as if she could once again see her forever young mother, alive in her memories.
*
"Darling, look, it's snowing outside."
Bai stood outside the bedroom, pointing to the snowflakes dancing in the air, calling out to Song Zhao, who was busy cutting paper inside.
Song Zhao glanced at the door and immediately broke into a bright smile on her chubby face.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!"
Excitedly, she ran towards the door, but in her haste, she tripped over the door frame and fell down on the cold floor of the corridor, crying in pain.
Bai was frantic and quickly rushed to her daughter's side in three strides.
She had intended to bend down and help Song Zhao up, even crouching down, but she hesitated and didn't reach out her hand.
With tears streaming down her reddened nose, Song Zhao looked at Bai with a sense of grievance.
"Mother, it hurts... Can you hug me?"
But Bai said, "Darling, everyone falls sometimes. It's okay to fall down; what's important is learning how to pick yourself up."
She gently stroked Song Zhao's forehead, her eyes filled with tender concern.
"You're the strongest, my darling. Auntie will be with you."
The little girl had scraped her palm and her knee hurt badly.
She tried twice but couldn't stand up.
But she seemed to possess an inherent spirit of not giving up. The more she couldn't get up, the more she challenged herself.
After struggling three or five times, she finally managed to climb up through her own efforts.
Strangely, at the moment she stood up on her own, she suddenly stopped crying.
It was as if the pain in her body had diminished.
Bai looked at her, her eyes squinting with a smile.
It was the first time Song Zhao had seen her mother so joyous.
Her mother lifted her up and planted a firm kiss on her forehead.
"You're amazing, my darling. Would you like Auntie to take you to build a snowman?"
"Yes! Mother is the most skillful~ Mother, please build a big snowman for me!"
*
"Princess? Princess~ Do you think the snowman I made is beautiful?"
Fleeting thoughts were brought back by the sound of Yun Shan calling in her ear.
Song Zhao didn't want to recall what happened afterwards.
Because just as Bai was building a snowman for her, Jiang suddenly erupted in fury and whipped Bai to death that very day.
At that young age, Song Zhao didn't understand what had happened.
She thought her mother was simply sleeping and kept thinking that when dawn broke, her mother would wake up and use the snow covering the courtyard to build the most beautiful snowman for her.
But she never expected that this wait would lead to the present moment.
Now, Song Zhao looked at the snowman in Yun Shan's hands, her eyes slightly sore, but she still smiled and nodded with emphasis.
"It's beautiful,"
"Very beautiful."
Yun Shan smiled and pointed outside the window, saying, "The snow is falling heavier outside. When it settles, I'll build a bigger one for the Princess!"
Bai had taught Song Zhao that sorrow comes and goes, as does joy, and she should never dwell in sorrow but learn to look forward.
Therefore, Song Zhao never indulged in self-pity. Sad emotions came and went quickly for her.
She took a deep breath and soon regained her composure.
She received the snowman from Yun Shan and placed it on the table.
Then, she held Yun Shan's hand and gently scolded her in a low voice, saying, "You, always so playful, don't you worry about freezing your hands?"
While speaking, she held Yun Shan's hand and placed it on the heating device emitting warm air, allowing her to warm up by the fire.
Yun Shan loved snowy days very much.
She raised her head and looked out of the diamond-shaped window, chanting, "Today is the fifteenth day, the first snow on the fifteenth day. It's a very auspicious sign."
Upon hearing her words, Song Zhao suddenly had an idea and said, "Praying for blessings on the day of the first snow is a good omen. But I heard that the empress dowager has been worshiping Buddha these days, and the empress is accompanying her. The concubines are not allowed to enter the temple. We should still try to share in the joy. Since we can't go to the temple, why don't we find a place that symbolizes prosperity and good fortune, and go there to pray at night?"
Yun Shan thought for a moment and said, "Today is the fifteenth day, and the emperor usually stays in the empress's palace on the fifteenth day of each month. He won't summon the imperial concubines tonight, so it's not impossible for the imperial concubines to pray for a good omen. However, in winter, all the flowers wither, except for the red plum blossoms in Plum Garden, which is an auspicious place. But... there was a snake incident there recently, so we'd better not go."
Song Zhao said, "After the incident, the people from the Bureau of Flowers and Birds thoroughly searched the Plum Garden. If there were still problems, wouldn't they lose their heads? It's fine, let's go there."
Although she said they would pray, Song Zhao didn't seem to be in a hurry.
When it was the ninth hour (nine o'clock) at night, Yun Shan thought she wasn't going anymore, but Song Zhao was getting ready at this time, adding some makeup and saying, "Let's go. There aren't many people moving around in the palace at this time, so it will be peaceful."
The two of them walked in the snow and arrived at Plum Garden on foot.
After more than ten days, the red plum blossoms in Plum Garden had become even more abundant.
Looking at it, the red and white colors blended together, creating a breathtaking sight.
Song Zhao casually removed her sky-blue cloak and was about to take it off, but Yun Shan immediately grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, saying, "What are you doing, Miss? It's freezing cold out here, and your undergarments are thin. If you take off the cloak, what if you catch a cold?"
Song Zhao smiled at her and said, "People are not made of paper. How can they be easily chilled? Besides, in this kind of weather, even frost and cold are to be feared. When praying, we must be sincere. If the deities and Buddhas see me being disrespectful, it would be my fault."
As she spoke, she tidied her clothes and respectfully knelt on the snowy ground.
Yun Shan couldn't persuade her, so she had no choice but to kneel down with her.
She intentionally knelt on the left side of Song Zhao, blocking the cold wind from directly blowing on her.
Song Zhao appeared very devout.
Closing her eyelids, folding her hands together, she respectfully said, "First snow brings good fortune, may riches and honor descend from heaven. Xiao Jiejie (elder sister), may you conceive a child and may the heavens bless you, so that your pregnancy will be safe and smooth, bringing joy and fortune to the emperor."
After finishing her prayer, she kowtowed and continued,
"May the divine blessings be upon our dynasty, ensuring prosperity for generations to come and the eternal well-being of our emperor. Long live and be blessed for ten thousand years."
As the words fell, three consecutive kowtows followed.
Yun Shan's gaze was fixed on Song Zhao, her forehead covered in snow, and her heart ached.
"Princess, we have finished our prayers. Let me help you up," she said, intending to support Song Zhao. However, Song Zhao skillfully evaded her.
Song Zhao remained in a kneeling position, her hands still clasped together, and spoke softly:
"Praying for blessings is not a mere last-minute gesture. It requires sincerity and respect. I genuinely wish for the well-being of the emperor. How can I merely go through the motions? Even if I were to perform the grand ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations, I still feel it would not be enough to express my sincerity."
Yun Shan was momentarily stunned upon hearing this and privately thought:
"If she were to perform the full ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations in the snow, our princess would surely fall ill tomorrow."
Just as she was about to persuade Song Zhao again,
a shadow cast over them from behind.
Then, a fleeting bright yellow caught her peripheral vision,
and upon closer inspection, she saw a pair of well-defined hands draping a black fox fur cloak over Song Zhao's shoulders.
Feeling the weight on her shoulders, Song Zhao was startled and instinctively turned her head.
Finally, her gaze met Xiao Jingheng's burning eyes.
In a moment of confusion and panic, she almost lost her balance and fell to the ground,
"Y-Your Majesty?"
