Chapter 10

Chapter Summary: The Frontier.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects."

Before Yu Jing had even stood still, they all bowed and greeted her. Yu Jing lowered her eyes and glanced at Su Siyang, who was bowing slightly. She suddenly remembered that she had just asked Ayu to return the letter he had handed her, and for some reason, she felt a little guilty.

"Get up," Yu Jing replied.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Everyone stood up in response.

Su Siyang was not polite at all and asked directly, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has been injured for a long time. I wonder how you are doing lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Su. I am much better now."

"That's good then." Su Siyang replied, "Your Majesty, please take good care of your health."

"Of course," Yu Jing replied, pursing her lips slightly.

"Is the Empress Dowager going to... Plum Garden?" Su Siyang asked, and Yu Jing's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

"Yes, I've heard the plum blossoms in the plum garden are in full bloom." Yu Jing replied, word by word, before realizing that she had been led by Su Siyang the whole time. She frowned slightly and glared at him with some displeasure.

Su Siyang, on the other hand, seemed to be in a very good mood. He and the officials behind him bid farewell to Yu Jing, saying, "His Majesty has summoned us to discuss some matters, so we will take our leave now."

"Mmm," Yu Jing replied lazily, turning away.

Xie Xuan stood behind her, listening to Sheng Hua and Su Siyang's conversation. Su Siyang was always aloof and indifferent to other people's affairs, so it was rather strange that he was saying so much to Sheng Hua.

After meeting Su Siyang, Yu Jing's good mood vanished, and the thought of Sheng Hua's messy affairs made her feel annoyed. She slowly walked towards the plum garden, and even before entering, her nose was filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.

My initially bad mood gradually eased.

Yu Jing hadn't expected the plum garden to be so large, with red, pink, and white plums growing in clusters and clumps. Some were already in full bloom, while others were still just buds. The plum trees stretched out one after another, like a vast sea, and the fragrance of plum blossoms carried on the wind was like the waves. Yu Jing was stunned for a moment, then walked somewhat absentmindedly into the middle of the plum trees.

Although there are also seas of flowers in Heaven, they are far less picturesque than those in the mortal realm.

Xie Xuan followed behind Sheng Hua, watching Sheng Hua, dressed in a mink cloak, walk deeper into the plum grove, occasionally stopping under the blooming plum blossoms to inhale their fragrance.

Xie Xuan had spent a long time in the military camp, witnessing the desolate desert, the long river, and the setting sun. Now, having just entered the capital, he was immediately met with winter snow, and he was quite unaccustomed to it. However, seeing Sheng Hua's engrossed expression, he also learned to calm down and appreciate it properly.

Yu Jing strolled around the plum garden for quite a while before returning to Cining Palace. Having not moved around much for three months, she felt quite tired after walking around.

After returning to Cining Palace, Yu Jing rested for a while before having dinner.

After finishing dinner, I heard a message from a palace maid outside.

"Your Majesty, the people from the Clothing Bureau request an audience."

"Come in," Yu Jing said, sitting at her desk.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Yu Jing agreed, then raised her eyebrows to look over.

The palace maid then spoke up, "This servant is a maid from the Clothing Department, and I have come here to show Her Majesty the style of the clothes for the New Year's banquet."

Yu Jing turned her head, and A Yu understood. She went down and presented the items to Yu Jing.

Yu Jing glanced at them; there were more than ten pieces in total, all bright red, though the patterns and styles varied. But then again, it was the beginning of the year, and red looked more festive. Yu Jing examined them carefully, then pointed to a simpler style.

"My lord." Qinghong hesitated for a moment as she opened her umbrella and went to greet Su Siyang as he came out from inside.

Su Siyang glanced at him and immediately understood, asking, "Where are the things?"

Qinghong breathed a slight sigh of relief, took out an envelope from her pocket, and handed it to Su Siyang. Su Siyang looked at it, paused for a moment, and then took it. He then walked towards the carriage, somewhat absentmindedly.

Qinghong watched Su Siyang's retreating figure, sighed softly, and quickly followed. He really didn't understand. Although Sheng Hua was very beautiful, there were so many beautiful women in the world. With Su Siyang's current power and status, he could have any kind of woman he wanted. Why did he have to hang himself on this crooked tree?

"Oh, by the way, sir, I've heard something."

Su Siyang walked forward slowly without stopping. Qinghong, who had been by his side for a long time, knew what Su Siyang meant and continued, "I heard that the Empress Dowager will also be attending the New Year's banquet."

Upon hearing this, Su Siyang paused, turned around, and asked softly, "Really?"

Qinghong nodded very solemnly: "Of course. I didn't mishear."

Su Siyang didn't speak again, but Qinghong could sense that Su Siyang was in a much better mood than before.

Perhaps he had slept in the evening, for he tossed and turned on the couch at night, unable to fall asleep. The charcoal fire inside the hall burned brightly, and coupled with his inability to sleep, he felt both stuffy and restless. Yu Jing tossed and turned several more times, finally unable to bear it any longer, threw off the covers, got up, and prepared to go outside for a walk.

Ayu was guarding the outer hall when she heard the commotion and got up to ask, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?"

Yu Jing casually picked up a mink cloak from the shelf next to her and put it on. She walked to the door and opened it. Ayu was already waiting at the door, looking ready to serve her at any moment. But judging from her appearance, she was clearly already asleep and had been woken up by Yu Jing. Yu Jing paused for a moment and then said, "It's nothing, I just couldn't sleep. You don't need to follow me. I'll just take a walk in the courtyard."

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Ayu called out to Yu Jing with some concern.

Yu Jing turned around and glanced at her, and A Yu immediately fell silent.

"The Cining Palace is so heavily guarded, I'll be fine just walking around inside," Yu Jing added before turning and walking down the corridor.

Although Ayu was worried, since Shenghua had already said so, there was nothing she could do.

It was late at night and the snow was falling heavily. The entire palace was so quiet that only the faint sound of the wind rustling the lanterns under the eaves could be heard.

Xie Xuan was on night patrol when he saw a figure under the eaves and raised his hand to stop the guards behind him. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Sheng Hua.

"You guys go ahead first," Xie Xuan then said.

"Yes," the guard behind him replied.

Hearing the noise, Yu Jing turned to look and met Xie Xuan's eyes.

Xie Xuan stood outside the corridor, the lights below dim, his entire body hidden in shadow and snow. He wore armor, the crimson official robes underneath quite eye-catching. The young man's figure was as upright as a pine tree, the cold wind gently brushing aside the stray hairs on his forehead, his handsome features unparalleled.

Yu Jing slightly furrowed her brows. As she did so, Xie Xuan had already walked down the corridor. Yu Jing turned around and watched Xie Xuan approach her.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Xie Xuan said, bowing to Sheng Hua.

"No need for such formalities, Lord Xie," Yu Jing replied, then turned to look at the snow.

Suddenly remembering something, he asked with some curiosity, "I heard that Lord Xie has not been back from the border for long. Is the snow there like that in the capital?"

Hearing Yu Jing ask this question, Xie Xuan was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Sheng Hua to ask him such a question.

"No, the border region is bitterly cold, the wind is fierce, and the snow is dry and powdery, unlike in the capital. If it snows in the border region, there is no need to use an umbrella, because the wind is so strong that it is impossible to use one anyway."

"However, it doesn't snow often in the borderlands during winter; it's mostly ice. The sand freezes, and stepping on the frozen sand is like stepping on withered leaves—it crumbles instantly." Xie Xuan became more talkative when the borderlands were mentioned. After all, it was a place he had lived for many years, and although it was harsh, it was like a second home to him.

Yu Jing was quite surprised and turned to Xie Xuan, asking seriously, "Sand freezes? Sand can actually freeze?"

Seeing Sheng Hua looking at him intently, Xie Xuan turned his head slightly and replied, "Mm."

"Achoo!" Yu Jing sneezed at an inopportune moment and sniffed.

Xie Xuan spoke up, "It's cold outside, and Your Majesty is dressed so thinly. Let me escort Your Majesty back to your palace."

"Okay." Yu Jing rubbed his nose and adjusted his cloak in response.

After standing outside for a while, Yu Jing really felt a bit cold and sleepy. She lazily walked towards her bedchamber, with Xie Xuan following closely behind.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Upon seeing Sheng Hua return, A Yu quickly rose and greeted her. Noticing Xie Xuan behind Sheng Hua, A Yu glanced at him and then said to Yu Jing, "This servant will assist Your Majesty in settling in."

“Okay.” Yu Jing replied and stepped into the hall.

Xie Xuan stood at the door, watching Yu Jing go in. Turning around, he looked at the courtyard. Perhaps because it was nearing the end of the year, the palace had become much more lively lately, with red lanterns hanging everywhere. The white snow, red walls, and palace lanterns complemented each other beautifully.

Back in the palace, Ayu helped Yu Jing get into bed. After Yu Jing got into bed, she nestled in the quilt and peeked out, watching Ayu tidy up the bed curtains for her. Suddenly, she became a little curious.

"Ayu," Yu Jing called out.

"Yes, sir," Ayu replied as she tidied up.

Where are you from?

During those three months, Ayu took care of her wholeheartedly, and she had long since come to regard Ayu as one of her own.

When Ayu heard Yu Jing's question, she was taken aback for a moment and replied with some surprise, "This servant is from Guizhou."

“Guizhou?” Yu Jing asked softly, “Does Guizhou have anything new or interesting?”

"Guizhou is most famous for its pear blossoms. Every spring, the entire city of Guizhou is covered in pear blossoms, just like the white snow in the capital in winter." Ayu's eyes lit up when she talked about her hometown.

"Pear blossoms?" Yu Jing muttered softly.

"Mmm." Ayu smiled and nodded. "When the spring breeze blows, the pear blossoms will fall like snow, and the air will be filled with a sweet fragrance. It will be a beautiful sight."

Yu Jing had seen pear blossoms in a picture book before, as white as snow, and hearing A Yu describe them like this, it was as if they were really there in front of her.

Ayu glanced at Shenghua's expression, then knelt down and pleaded, "This servant has a request, which I hope Your Majesty will grant."

Yu Jing looked at A Yu, somewhat bewildered: "What is it?"

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager will be going to Wanjiang Mountain to pray for blessings in the spring. When she passes through Guizhou, could you please allow me to go home to visit my family?" Ayu paused here, then continued, "I have served in the palace for so long, and I can only communicate with my parents, brothers, and sisters at home through letters. I..."

Ayu's voice choked with emotion.

Yu Jing sat up slightly on the couch and looked down. A Yu was kneeling by the couch, curled up in a small ball, looking very pitiful. Yu Jing reached out and patted A Yu's shoulder, saying, "It's nothing difficult, get up."

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant thanks you for your grace." Ayu stood up in response, her voice somewhat muffled.

"You should go and rest too," Yu Jing added.

"Yes," Ayu replied and went out.