After a few days of heavy snowfall, it finally stopped again. Thick layers of snow had piled up on all the branches of the plum garden. Red plum blossoms were in full bloom as they popped out from the white snow in the courtyard. It was a beautiful, picturesque sight to behold.
In the past few days, in preparation of all disaster prevention measures, Emperor Lin had not left his study for a long time. When he received news of a new flower season, he decided to take a break and enjoy viewing at snow plum blossoms.
The situation with this snowstorm had caused him to be overwhelmed with work. He could only relieve his stress now by appreciating the snowy wonderland in his palace.
Emperor Lin was considerably a frugal emperor. He did not like putting on airs nor flaunt his power. His greatest wish was to leave behind an honorable legacy who will be known for generations as a wise emperor. That was why when he was in power, he paid great attention to his own conduct and was careful to never leave any flaws that may become a point of contention for future historians.
When he went to the plum blossom garden to enjoy the scenery, he only brought along a chief eunuch, who was a close friend of Emperor Lin, called Pengman.
Pengman was a chief eunuch who always accompanied Emperor Lin. Under him were three apprentice eunuchs, one of whom received the favor of Consort Xian and quietly reported all news of Emperor Lin’s whereabouts to Consort Xian.
So when Emperor Lin had arrived at the plum blossom garden, Consort Xian had already brought Xiao Lan along and was inside.
Emperor Lin did not have any suspicions, after all, everyone had the right to visit this garden and enjoy the scenery. When he was approaching the garden, he heard sounds of laughter inside the garden walls. Pengman said, “Your Majesty, there seems to be people inside.”
Emperor Lin lightly waved his hand, “That’s alright. Listening to their voices, it sounds like Consort Xian. I haven’t inspected Jingyuan’s homework for a long time now, so this will be a good opportunity to ask about it.”
Together, they walked through the arched entrance of the garden.
Red plum blossoms were blossoming in full splendour amidst the snowy backdrop. Facing the arch, there stood Consort Xian, who was speaking with a smile. Standing in front of her was another woman whose back faced the arch and was wearing a pale white formal dress. Her figure suggested she was delicate and frail, yet her posture remained upright and proper. The mere sight of her figure from behind was alluring enough to pique anyone’s interest.
The only ladies who could be on such good terms with Consort Xian must be one of his concubines inside the Imperial Harem. However, Emperor Lin could not recognize who this person was, in fact she seemed unfamiliar. In the past two years, he had immersed himself with work to manage state affairs, thus he had not conferred any new concubines. He was surprised to not have already known such a beauty within his own harem.
He walked a few steps forward. When Consort Xian saw him, she appeared pleasantly surprised as she hurriedly bowed before him, “Greetings, Your Majesty. Did Your Majesty have business here?”
The woman in front of her also turned to bow before the emperor, but because she kept her head down, Emperor Lin could not see her appearance clearly. He smiled in return as he approached them, “Do these flowers only bloom for you? And none for me? Alright, you may all rise.”
The two straightened their backs and stood up.
Xiao Lan still hung her head low. Emperor Lin said, “Raise your head.”
Then, Xiao Lan slowly raised her head.