A bone-chilling cold wave, carrying goose-feather-sized snowflakes, suddenly swept through the capital in the pitch-black depths of night.
At Cheng'an Marquis Manor, Old Mrs. Wei took a deep breath, rubbing her aching knees as she shook the bronze bell by her pillow.
Tonight, it was the senior maid Emerald’s turn to keep watch. Her cotton quilt was even thinner than that of the cold-fearing old lady, and she had unconsciously curled up, hugging her legs for warmth. Hearing the bell, Emerald immediately opened her eyes, threw off the covers, dressed, and lit the lamp in one smooth motion. In the time it takes to drink two or three sips of tea, she was already at the old lady’s bedside.
"Old Mrs. Wei, are you feeling unwell?" Lifting half of the bed curtain, Emerald asked with concern.
Old Mrs. Wei shook her head, glanced toward the window, and murmured, "It's a spring cold snap—must be windy. Fetch another quilt to lay over me, and heat some water to fill the Hand Warmers. My legs are hurting badly tonight; I doubt I’ll sleep well."
Having served the old lady for years, Emerald was well-practiced in handling such situations. She deftly opened the chest, pulled out a thick cotton quilt that had been stored away not long ago, and spread it securely over Old Mrs. Wei’s bed. Then she retrieved four identical purple-copper Hand Warmers, cradled them in her arms, and headed to the kitchen.
Pushing the door open, a few snowflakes drifted toward her face.
The lamplight from inside spilled out, revealing a layer of snow on the ground already a finger’s width thick.
Emerald was too stunned to speak. Snow in spring—she had never seen such a thing in all her life.
Returning with the water-filled Hand Warmers, she bent down to tuck them beside the old lady’s legs. "Old Mrs. Wei, it’s snowing outside."
Old Mrs. Wei was equally surprised. Snow in mid-February was nothing strange, but snow in March? The budding peach and plum blossoms would surely suffer.
The warmth from the Hand Warmers eased the pain in her knees, and Old Mrs. Wei sighed in relief. As Emerald adjusted the bed curtains, the old lady instructed, "Go check on the rear courtyard. The fourth young lady is surrounded by young maids who don’t know how to care for others. Even if she wakes up cold, she’d rather huddle under the covers. They may not fear the cold, but the fourth young lady is delicate. Go add a quilt for her, and make sure the Hand Warmers are used if needed."
Emerald acknowledged with a smile.
Donning an old robe gifted by Old Mrs. Wei, she carried a lantern in one hand and a pot of hot water in the other, hurrying along the corridor to the small gate of the rear courtyard. She had a key to this area and, upon unlocking the gate and peering inside, saw that the old lady’s concerns were justified: the rear courtyard was silent, with neither the fourth young lady nor the maid on watch awake.
Emerald went straight to the window of the secondary room in the main quarters and gently tapped on it.
Bitao was startled awake by the sound, but relief came quickly as Emerald explained her purpose.
The door opened, and Emerald stepped inside with the water pot, whispering to Bitao, "The young lady hasn’t woken, has she? Hurry and fetch an extra quilt for her, then bring two Hand Warmers. I’ve already heated the water here."
Bitao blew into her palms, lifted the Lotus Lantern, and shiveringly made her way to the inner chamber.
Emerald thought for a moment and followed her in. Only by seeing for herself whether the fourth young lady was suffering from the cold could she report back to the old lady with confidence.
Wei Rao was sleeping restlessly, feeling terribly cold, her body curled to its limit.
In her drowsiness, she heard faint rustling. Turning over, she glimpsed a light behind the screen and called out uncertainly, "Bitao?"
Bitao immediately responded, standing by the chest of quilts and explaining, "Young lady, it’s snowing outside. Old Mrs. Wei was worried you’d be cold and sent Sister Emerald over. She told me to add another quilt for you.""Wei Rao exclaimed in surprise, 'It's snowing?'
Just this afternoon, the embroidery workshop had distributed lightweight dresses for the masters and servants of each household to wear in early summer—how could it be snowing now?
Wei Rao wanted to see for herself.
She lifted the bed curtain and had just leaned out when Emerald, who had been keeping an eye on her, rushed over. Pressing Wei Rao’s shoulders, she tucked her back under the covers. 'My dear young lady, it’s bitterly cold outside. You mustn’t catch a chill.'
Forced back into bed, Wei Rao was both amused and exasperated. 'Is it really that cold?'
Emerald patted her own thickly padded jacket. 'The old lady insisted I wear this—what do you think?'
Wei Rao glanced at the jacket and conceded, 'Then fetch me a padded jacket too. I’ll put it on before going to see the snow.'
Knowing how determined the Fourth Young Lady could be—even the old lady sometimes failed to dissuade her—Emerald sighed and asked Bitao to bring another jacket.
'I’m so thirsty. Sister, could you pour me a bowl of tea?' Wei Rao licked her lips and gazed pleadingly at Emerald.
The vibrant beauty, with skin like fresh snow, bright eyes, and pearly teeth, could melt hearts even without pleading. Had she been imperious, Emerald would have served her just as willingly.
A bronze kettle sat on the tea table. Testing the water, Emerald found it icy cold, so she poured only half a bowl and went out to mix in some hot water. When she returned, Bitao was already spreading a new quilt over the Fourth Young Lady.
Emerald stood by the bed, holding the tea bowl, her gaze naturally drifting to the young lady’s face beneath the covers.
The room was dimly lit by a single candle, and the bitter cold lent a desolate air to the night. Yet at the sight of the Fourth Young Lady, all melancholy vanished as Emerald became utterly captivated by her beauty.
The Fourth Young Lady’s beauty was like peonies blooming wantonly in the courtyard—regardless of color, each was exquisitely radiant and alluring. Even if scholars criticized such splendor as lacking refinement, the peonies flaunted their charm unabashedly, seducing all who beheld them. The most aloof and self-restrained men would lose their composure, turning into foolish statues in the yard, staring dazedly at the blossoms.
Wherever the Fourth Young Lady was, even the darkest and humblest places seemed to glow with brilliance.
No wonder the old lady doted on her most. Even though the Fourth Young Lady’s birth mother had refused to remain a widow for the Second Master, abandoning her daughter and tarnishing the Cheng'an Marquis estate’s reputation, the old lady still cherished the Fourth Young Lady as her own heart, raising her in her own courtyard, attending to her every need, and shielding her at every turn.
Once the quilt was arranged, Bitao stepped back, and Emerald approached with the tea.
Wei Rao sat up, accepted the bowl with both hands, and took a sip.
Her rosy, tender lips touched the white porcelain bowl; her long, curled lashes swept down like tiny fans; her slender, jade-like fingers, delicate as scallions, held the bowl, and beneath her loose sleeves, a glimpse of snow-white wrist appeared… Wherever Emerald’s eyes fell, the sight was pure delight.
They say that long companionship with ancient lamps and Buddha statues can imbue one with a serene aura. Emerald thought that if she could serve the Fourth Young Lady every day, she might absorb some of her beauty and become even lovelier than she was now.
Unaware of Emerald’s wandering thoughts, Wei Rao finished her tea, draped a heavy cloak over her shoulders, and moved to the window.
Large, fluffy snowflakes drifted down in a thick curtain, brightening the pitch-black night."Wei Rao rubbed her hands, her beautiful brows suddenly furrowing as she murmured to herself, "Why did it have to snow tonight of all nights? Tomorrow is Grandmother's sixtieth birthday. With this snowfall, the capital will surely be filled with gossip again." Snow at this time of year not only failed to herald a bountiful harvest but would likely delay spring planting, leading to reduced crop yields.
When Heaven turned a blind eye, the common people naturally sought a scapegoat to blame.
Wei Rao lost her enthusiasm and instructed Emerald to walk carefully on her way back before turning to lie down on her bed.
As Emerald withdrew from the inner chamber, she heard a soft sigh from behind the bed curtains.
She maintained her composure, nodded to Bitao, and returned to the front courtyard with the lantern.
"How is everything over there?" Old Mrs. Wei was still waiting for news.
Emerald smiled and replied, "I added extra blankets and a hand warmer for the Fourth Young Lady. She even got up to admire the snow for a while."
Old Mrs. Wei shook her head, her expression complicated. "She may be in the mood to enjoy the snow now, but when she realizes the implications tomorrow, she'll have plenty to worry about."
Emerald knew better than to engage further, as deepening the conversation would only make it harder for the old lady to sleep tonight.
"Let's deal with tomorrow's troubles tomorrow. You should rest now," Emerald said, bending to readjust the blankets for the old lady.
Old Mrs. Wei nodded and closed her eyes to sleep.
Emerald extinguished the candle and quietly retreated to the side room.
The bedding that had been warm earlier was now completely chilled. Emerald laid the old lady's heavy coat over the quilt, rubbing her hands and feet to warm up, though sleep did not come easily.
Listening to the faint sound of falling snow outside the window, Emerald's mind drifted back to the Fourth Young Lady, who resembled a peony spirit.
If the Fourth Young Lady was a young peony spirit, her mother, Little Zhou, was the elder peony spirit, and her maternal grandmother was the ancient peony spirit.
When all was said and done, the ancient peony spirit was the most formidable. In her youth, she had served as Emperor Yuanjia's wet nurse, diligently caring for him for over a decade. While entangled with the late emperor, she also managed to earn Emperor Yuanjia's respect and filial devotion. The bond between wet nurse and nursling was said to have even surpassed that of the Empress Dowager.
Later, when the Empress Dowager could no longer tolerate her, Emperor Yuanjia bestowed upon her the title "Shou An Jun" and sent her out of the palace to live out her years in peace. This made the Fourth Young Lady's grandmother the only noblewoman in the capital to receive a female peerage after the new emperor's ascension.
Due to her entanglement with the late emperor and her conflict with the Empress Dowager, Shou An Jun's reputation was far from pristine. Instead of mending her ways, she encouraged her elder daughter, Big Zhou, to divorce her unsatisfactory husband and remarry a wealthy merchant as his principal wife. A few years later, when Little Zhou was widowed, Shou An Jun supported her return to the family and even took the opportunity to introduce her to Emperor Yuanjia during his visit to her estate.
Prominent families prided themselves on women upholding chastity, yet the conduct of Shou An Jun and her two daughters was seen as nothing short of scandalous!
Because of these elders, the Fourth Young Lady was unjustly branded with the stigma of being "flirtatious and lacking in virtue." Many were convinced that if she ever married, she would inevitably follow in the footsteps of the Zhou sisters—either divorcing on a whim or remarrying as soon as her husband died.
It pained the old lady to see her efforts to restore the Fourth Young Lady's reputation come to naught. Despite her earnest endeavors, nothing had changed. The Fourth Young Lady had already reached marriageable age, yet not a single family had come forward to propose a match.The Fourth Miss was truly heedless. With such a maternal grandmother, aunt, and birth mother, it would be best to cut ties with them for life and keep herself completely detached. Yet, she insisted on clinging to Shou An Jun, as if plunging into a pitch-black dye vat, tarnishing the reputation of the Wei family's legitimate daughter more and more!
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