Chapter 28 – The Title and the First Snow

Hearing this, Yu Ying’s eyes lit up at once. But then, as if she recalled something, she frowned slightly.

[Please don’t let it be “Liang.” I absolutely don’t want to be Liang Fei.]

Kangxi felt puzzled.
Liang Fei? Who is that? Another of my concubines? Why doesn’t she want that title?
But in any case, that wasn’t the title he intended to grant. And now that Kangxi believed the future could be changed, he was no longer as agitated as before by every bit of information Yu Ying let slip.

“What about the character ‘Jin’?” Kangxi didn’t beat around the bush and straightforwardly told her.

Jin? Which Jin is that? She let out a silent sigh of relief.
Thank goodness it’s not Liang. I don’t want to displace Liang Fei’s position!

“May I ask Your Majesty, which ‘Jin’ character exactly?”

Relieved, Yu Ying perked up and began eagerly discussing with Kangxi which character it might be.

“It is the ‘Jin’ from the phrase huai jin wo yu—‘to hold jade and grasp gem.’ My dear consort, what do you think?” Kangxi looked at Yu Ying, waiting for her reply.

Yu Ying considered a moment.
Noble Lady Jin… that sounds pretty good.

“This concubine thanks Your Majesty! I think it is an excellent character!”

Having been granted a nice character for her title, Yu Ying didn’t linger in Qianqing Palace. She happily returned to Changchun Palace, no matter how many times Kangxi might secretly curse her as a heartless little creature behind her back.

Once she had gone far enough, Kangxi’s gaze turned contemplative.

Though the idea to grant her a title had been spur of the moment, the character itself was not carelessly chosen. “Jin” referred to a precious gem—jin yu—and also shared the meaning of “caution.” She was an invaluable treasure of the Great Qing, impossible to measure, and her presence by his side reminded him to remain prudent in all things.

The incident of Kangxi vomiting blood and fainting, as well as Yu Ying meeting the crown prince in Qianqing Palace, were both kept secret. The former to prevent unrest in court, and the latter because although Kangxi was indeed inclined to let Yu Ying grow closer to the crown prince, the timing wasn’t right. If the inner palace learned of it, Consort Xi of the Hesheri clan would surely be the first to object. After all, why should the crown prince not draw closer to a relative like her, and instead associate with a lowly bondservant-born noble lady? It would be hard not to suspect the emperor’s motives.

But the news that Noble Lady Wei had become Noble Lady Jin spread through the palaces like wildfire.

After Yu Ying left, Kangxi shut himself in the study alone for a long time. Not until deep into the night, when Liang Jiugong had no choice but to remind him to rest, did he finally open the door and step out.

The next day, the first snowfall since the start of winter came.

Overnight, the Forbidden City had transformed completely. Clad in silver, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

When Yu Ying woke up early and saw the courtyard blanketed in a thick layer of snow, she was thrilled.

Back in the modern day, she had watched countless videos online showing the Forbidden City after snow. Everyone said that only under snow did the Forbidden City truly become the Zijin Cheng—the Purple Forbidden City.

In the past, she’d never had the chance to see it with her own eyes. But now, she could finally behold the real thing.

Once Qingtao finished dressing and styling her hair and draped a cloak over her shoulders, Yu Ying could no longer wait to go out.

“Qingtao! Come on, let’s go take a walk!”

“My lady, it just snowed. The palace paths haven’t been cleared yet. If you go out now, you might soak your shoes and socks.” Qingtao was clearly opposed. Her mistress was frail by nature—if she caught a chill, what would they do?

Hearing this, Yu Ying hesitated for a moment.

But the opportunity was too rare. She didn’t want to miss it.

“Qingtao, let’s go out and have a little fun. Please? You see how seldom I ever feel like going out. You can’t bear to make me stay in Changchun Palace all day every day, can you?” Yu Ying looked pitiful, tugging at Qingtao’s sleeve, trying to soften her heart.

Qingtao cast her a troubled glance and finally agreed.

“Then, my lady, we must agree—no going too far.”

“Deal! Qingtao, let’s go!”

Yu Ying set off with Qingtao and Peier.

Along the palace path, aside from the young eunuchs shoveling snow, they hardly saw another soul.

Which was exactly what Yu Ying wanted.

She planned to visit the Imperial Garden. Ever since she transmigrated, she’d always kept her distance from that place—a hotbed of palace intrigue.

But today, with the snow falling, surely no one would feel like venturing out. So she finally dared to take a look, and perhaps see whether the plum blossoms were blooming yet.

If there was any advantage to time-traveling to the Qing dynasty, it was having an abundance of time. In the modern world, when would she have had the chance to go seek plum blossoms in the snow?

She walked for quite a while before reaching the Imperial Garden.

As she expected, it was utterly deserted except for the bare branches.

Reassured, she stepped inside.

“My lady, in winter there’s nothing to see here. Why come all the way to the Imperial Garden?” Qingtao asked, puzzled.

“I’m here to look for plum blossoms. Besides, when all the flowers are in bloom, your mistress wouldn’t even dare come near.” Yu Ying curled her lip.

“Qingtao, where is the plum blossom grove? I don’t see it.”

“My lady, it’s further ahead. A few days ago when I went to collect the monthly stipend, I ran into Peihuan from Zhongcui Palace. She said the plum trees here are blooming beautifully.” Qingtao led the way, while Yu Ying leaned on Peier’s arm, walking slowly behind.

It seemed the eunuchs hadn’t bothered clearing the paths here yet, assuming no one would come all this way in the snow. The road was particularly hard to walk.

Watching Qingtao ahead, and hearing her recount gossip she’d heard from someone else, Yu Ying couldn’t help but smile.

After three years together, she’d finally figured out why the original owner’s father had worked so hard to place Qingtao at her side.

Surviving in the harem required a pair of keen ears, and Qingtao had been sent expressly to be the original owner’s “ears.”

Qingtao was a true social butterfly. In this palace, something or other happened every day. And if you wanted the fastest news, you had to turn to the eunuchs who bustled around all day. Yu Ying still didn’t know how Qingtao had managed to blend in with that whole crowd of little eunuchs. All she knew was that the day Qingtao had secretly told her that Consort Xi had eaten something bad and spent the night running to the latrine four or five times, she’d been utterly stunned.

At first, she’d thought Qingtao must have some peculiar hobby. But later she realized this girl was simply addicted to gossip. Whether it was who had stolen the cleaning maid’s allowance at Cining Palace, or which imperial prince had been beaten by his own mother, she knew it all.

There was nothing wrong with loving gossip—everyone loved it. For a long time, Yu Ying had treated Qingtao’s tidbits as amusing stories to while away the hours. But to see someone turn a love of gossip into a genuine skill—Yu Ying didn’t know whether to praise Qingtao’s talent or her father’s discerning eye.

At any rate, Qingtao had never done her any harm.

Before long, she hadn’t even seen the plum blossoms yet, but Yu Ying already smelled their cold fragrance drifting through the wintry air.

At last.

They bloom above all flowers, appearing amid ice and snow.

Before her eyes, tree after tree of plum blossoms bloomed alone in the bitter cold. She felt she had truly come to the right place.

It was breathtaking.

Red plums proud and defiant, white plums pure and lofty—distinct yet complementing each other perfectly.

Yu Ying lost herself in the rare winter scenery.