Chapter 31: Heavy Snow

Time passed quickly, and for the past several days, the snow hadn’t stopped falling. All the palace concubines had been shutting their palace doors early each day, no longer visiting each other.

It was said that two days ago, two frozen corpses had been carried out of the side rooms where the eunuchs lived. They were promptly tossed into a mass grave, and the young eunuch who carried them out even complained that such bad luck near the New Year was an ominous sign.

When Yuying heard this, she was curled up on her couch, next to a brazier burning fiercely. According to her status as a guiren (Noble Lady), she wasn’t supposed to be using such fine gold-threaded charcoal. What she was burning now was actually from the allotment that Kangxi had redirected from the Qianqing Palace for her.

Hearing that people had frozen to death, Yuying was utterly shocked. She had only ever read in books that from the late Ming to late Qing was a period known as the Little Ice Age, with frequent natural disasters. But she had never imagined that people could actually freeze to death inside the Forbidden City — the wealthiest and most powerful place in the world.

If even the Forbidden City was like this, then what about outside its walls?

Yuying felt deeply uneasy.

And she wasn’t wrong. The reason Kangxi hadn’t come to see Yuying these past few days was because the relentless snow had caused roofs across the capital to collapse, burying many civilians under the ruins. Kangxi was currently wracking his brains over this disaster.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before this matter spread from the front court into the rear palace.

Imperial Noble Consort Lady Tongjia led the concubines in the inner palace in reducing their expenditures, saving resources in order to share the Emperor’s burdens and help with the court’s affairs.

For a while, everyone was praising Noble Consort Tongjia as a model for all women under Heaven — a woman with the bearing of an empress.

Hearing such rumors in Chengqian Palace, Lady Tongjia couldn’t help but smile smugly.

Yuying also heard about what had happened in the capital. She wasn’t interested in the palace gossip, but when she learned how many people had died, she truly couldn’t sit still. Having grown up under the red flag, Yuying couldn’t stay indifferent to human lives. At this moment, she deeply regretted not having learned more useful skills. Other women who had transmigrated always seemed to thrive — why was it so hard for her?

Yuying lay alone at her desk, scribbling with a calligraphy brush, trying to recall the knowledge stored in her mind. Suddenly, inspiration struck her—

“Qingtao! Hurry, hurry, get me dressed and do my hair. I’m going to the Qianqing Palace to find His Majesty!” Yuying jumped up from her chair, impatient to head out.

Seeing her mistress suddenly shed her earlier lethargy, Qingtao couldn’t help but step forward and try to dissuade her: “My lady, the Emperor may not be in the best mood lately. How about we go another day?”

“I know, Qingtao! I know exactly what’s troubling him lately — and I want to help!” After all, Kangxi had truly treated her very well. And more than that, Yuying simply couldn’t pretend she didn’t know about the civilians who had died.

Hearing this, Qingtao was completely baffled. In the end, she had no choice but to let her mistress do as she pleased.

Once Yuying was fully dressed, she didn’t delay even a moment and headed straight for the Qianqing Palace.

The snow was still falling, and the bitter north wind howled through the palace grounds.

Yuying tightened her fox-fur cloak around herself. Qingtao held up an umbrella beside her, and the two trudged along the slippery palace paths.

Perhaps it was fate, but halfway there, Yuying encountered the Emperor’s imperial procession. From the direction they were going, it seemed he was heading to the Changchun Palace.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Yuying waved excitedly at Kangxi.

Hearing the commotion, Kangxi snapped out of his deep thoughts. He was still plagued with worry about the heavy snow. Not only the capital — various provinces had also reported roof collapses of varying severity. For the poor already struggling to survive the winter, this was a death sentence. He had already ordered officials to carry out rescue and resettlement efforts, but while temporary shelter was easy enough to arrange, how to help people endure the cold was a far trickier problem.

Liang Jiugong, waiting nearby, noticed the Emperor’s frown. He promptly offered a cup of strong tea and gently advised, “Your Majesty, you’ve worked tirelessly for days. Please don’t overexert yourself. Why not take a short rest?”

Kangxi waved him off, signaling for him to withdraw.

Liang Jiugong gritted his teeth and spoke again: “It’s been some time since you visited Noble Lady Jin. I hear she mentions Your Majesty quite often.” Ever since Liang Jiugong had realized that this Noble Lady Jin was not ordinary, he’d arranged for someone to monitor her constantly.

Sure enough, Kangxi paused his writing at the mention of her. “Then I shall go see her.”

Which was how they ended up running into each other.

Kangxi looked up and saw the petite figure waving at him from a distance. As if afraid he wouldn’t recognize her, she even removed the hood of her cloak.

He couldn’t help but smile. In this whole palace, only she would dare be so bold.

Today, Yuying was dressed in a begonia-pink robe embroidered with seasonal flower baskets. Her hair was styled in her usual flat “one-character” bun and adorned with a golden begonia pearl hairpin, the long tassels swaying on one side with every movement she made.

Seeing Kangxi pause — and possibly even smile at her — Yuying became elated and, unable to contain her excitement, ran toward him.

Qingtao, caught off guard, didn’t follow immediately, allowing the snow to fall onto Yuying’s head and shoulders.

Seeing that she had left her maid behind and was running over alone, Kangxi grew anxious and stepped down from the sedan chair. Liang Jiugong quickly moved to hold an umbrella over him.

“Why are you just standing there? Go help Noble Lady Jin!” Kangxi snapped at Liang Jiugong.

Liang Jiugong was torn. He didn’t dare disobey the Emperor, but if His Majesty got snowed on, he’d be blamed for it too.

Fortunately, Wei Zhu, standing nearby, was quick-witted. He grabbed another umbrella and went ahead.

“Noble Lady Jin, please slow down.” Wei Zhu held the umbrella carefully, afraid she’d get even more snow on her.

As Yuying approached, Kangxi saw her red cheeks and the snowflakes clinging to her hair. He couldn’t help but reach out and brush the snow off her head.

Yuying hadn’t even processed what was happening. She just kept smiling sweetly at him.

Her smile was so bright — like sunlight breaking through the bleak winter — that it instantly swept away the gloom that had been hanging over Kangxi for days.

In that moment, the entire world seemed to vanish, leaving only her in Kangxi’s eyes.

Eventually, it was Liang Jiugong who broke the silence: “Your Majesty, the snow is getting heavier. Shall we return to the Qianqing Palace?”

Kangxi came back to his senses, scooped Yuying into his arms, and got into the sedan chair. “Return to Qianqing Palace.”

“Move out—”

When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi didn’t even let Yuying walk. He carried her straight into the room.

The floor heating in the Qianqing Palace was warm and comfortable. As the two of them removed their heavy cloaks, the attentive servants stepped up to take them away.

Kangxi led Yuying to the couch, motioning for her to sit down.

Yuying was still too excited. She had finally come up with an idea that might help Kangxi and the suffering people. How could she just sit quietly? She grabbed Kangxi’s hand.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty—” But just as she was about to speak, she hesitated.

(Damn, I was so happy I forgot to come up with an excuse to fool Kangxi.)

(I can’t just say I dreamed up a way to keep warm, right?)

(Would Kangxi even believe that?)

Hearing her thoughts, Kangxi’s expression grew serious.

“A-Ying, what is it you want to say?”

Say it! As long as you say it, I’ll believe you! Kangxi fretted silently.

Yuying hesitated, opened her mouth—

And at last, it seemed, she had made up her mind.