Increasingly realistic
As morning light streamed through the window paper, I was awakened by the fragrance of wintersweet. Unlike the lingering sweetness of the past, today's scent carried a crisp, refreshing quality—like the breeze after a snowfall, carrying the aroma of petals into the room. I touched the side of my pillow; the orchid-scented handkerchief was still there, the fabric's texture clearly tangible. As my fingertips traced the embroidery, I could feel the subtle raised stitches, no longer the superficial sensation of before.
Pushing open the door, I saw that the snow outside the courtyard had thinned out a bit, exposing more of the bluestone slabs, and I could even see the tender tips of grass sprouting from the cracks. Ya Huan squatted under the small peach tree, holding a small twig in her hand, carefully clearing away the snow: "Sister A Zhao! Look, the peach tree buds seem to have swelled up a bit!" I went over and indeed saw that the buds on the branches were fuller than yesterday, the outer scales slightly open, revealing a hint of pale green, no longer looking the same as before.
Consort Rong returned from outside carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked winter plum blossoms, their petals still glistening with morning dew. "Consort Su said she wanted to make winter plum wine, so she asked me to pick more," she said with a smile, handing me the basket. The dark circles under her eyes had completely faded. "Let's pick them together, removing the broken petals and keeping only the most intact ones." I took the basket. When my fingertips touched the petals, I could feel the coolness of the morning dew. The broken petals, falling onto the bluestone slab, didn't vanish into thin air as before, but lay there quietly, waiting to be swept away.
In Consort Li's courtyard, she was pruning withered branches with scissors. Her pipa leaned against a pillar under the eaves, its body covered with a thin layer of dust. "Once the snow melts, we'll burn these withered branches to fertilize the soil," she said, smiling as she waved the scissors in her hand as we entered. "Then we'll plant some roses and peonies, and they'll bloom in the summer." Ya Huan immediately leaned over: "Your Highness, let me help you loosen the soil! I used to grow vegetables with my grandmother in the countryside, so I'm good at loosening soil!" Consort Rong also whispered, "I... I can embroider some flower seed patterns. If we plant according to the patterns, it will be more neat."
In Consort Su's pharmacy, there were some newly dried forsythia flowers on the herb shelf—she said she picked them from the palace wall yesterday, and after drying them, they could be used to make tea with winter plum blossoms. "This tea is refreshing and helps to cut through the greasiness, and it goes perfectly with the osmanthus cake we made yesterday," she said, putting the herbs into a cloth bag with a lighter touch than before. "I'll cook some for everyone to try later, and we can also talk about growing flowers and herbs."
At noon, we sat around in Consort Xian's courtyard, drinking plum blossom and spring-welcoming tea brewed by Consort Su, and eating the leftover round osmanthus cakes. The tea was sweet and refreshing, carrying the fragrance of both flowers, while the sweet aroma of the osmanthus cakes spread in our mouths, perfectly complementing the tea's crispness. Consort Xian looked at the snow scene outside the courtyard and said with a smile, "If the snow melts in a few more days, we can go to the palace wall to pick more spring blossoms. At this time last year, the spring blossoms by the palace wall were in full bloom, but then Consort Li was still worried about the case and had no time to appreciate them." Consort Li nodded, her eyes full of smiles, "This year is different. With you all here, even the most ordinary flowers look pleasing."
In the afternoon, I went to the imperial kitchen to pick up the flour I needed for the afternoon. As I passed the guards' quarters, I overheard two guards chatting: "I heard the Empress has been quiet lately. Apparently, the Emperor is a bit unhappy with her investigation into Consort Hui's father's case and wants her to behave herself." The other guard laughed and said, "It should have been like this a long time ago. Aren't you tired of all these little schemes? It's better in the Cold Palace, quiet and peaceful. I heard even Consort Li doesn't want to go back." Their conversation was no longer repetitive but had taken a new turn, like a real, everyday occurrence.
Upon returning, she saw Consort Rong and Consort Li embroidering flower patterns in the corridor. Consort Rong's embroidery threads were spread out on the table, a richer mix of light green, pale yellow, and pink than before. Her needle moved nimbly, and she quickly finished embroidering a small forsythia flower. "Consort Li, do you think this is alright?" she asked, handing over the finished pattern, her eyes full of anticipation. Consort Li took it, smiling and nodding, "It's beautiful! With this pattern, the flowers we grow will definitely be even more beautiful."
Ya Huan was weaving grass insects in the yard. This time, instead of grasshoppers and butterflies, she was weaving a small rabbit, with a little flower on its ear. "When the snow melts, I'll put this grass rabbit under the peach tree so it can grow up with the peach tree," she said. She placed the grass rabbit under the peach tree and carefully secured it with a stone, "so the peach tree won't be lonely."
As evening fell, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, casting a warm glow on the snow. A few more petals drifted down from the branches of the wintersweet tree, landing in our teacups and on our embroidered cloths, as if joining in our merriment. Consort Su brewed some new wintersweet wine; its pale yellow color and fragrant aroma of wintersweet filled the air. We each took a sip; the warm liquid slid down our throats, warming our hearts with a sweet feeling.
Consort Rong played the pipa again, this time composing her own tune, a light and cheerful melody carrying the breath of spring. Ya Huan sang along to the melody, the lyrics of which she had composed that afternoon: "The snow has melted, spring has come, let's plant flowers and grass together; the flowers bloom, the grass grows tall, let's enjoy ourselves together..." Consort Li and Consort Su hummed along softly, while Consort Xian sat to the side, tapping her hand to the rhythm, her face full of a gratified smile.
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