Treading on thick snow, Shen Wei and Zhang Miaoyu entered the Yu Xiu Palace. The courtyard was blanketed in white, with a few withered trees tilting crookedly in the snow.
Since the fire at Yu Xiu Palace, the transplanted flowers and trees in the courtyard had never grown back. In winter, it was bare and desolate, devoid of any scenery, exuding an air of cold solitude inside and out.
Zhang Miaoyu stood at the courtyard gate and asked a palace servant, "Where is Consort Mei? Noble Consort Chen has arrived, yet even basic courtesy is forgotten."
The servant replied in a hushed voice, "This servant has already informed Her Ladyship, but... but she is painting in the study."
Zhang Miaoyu was speechless.
