Clad in palace attire, even though the plain green fabric muted her natural allure as a courtesan, she still could scarcely believe that one day she would don the garments of the palace.
Snow had fallen in the Capital City, fine white blossoms scattered gently, the distant snow-covered peaks looming faintly beneath the oppressive, dark sky. Not far from the lakeshore stood a modest pavilion reserved for leisure and viewing, its columns coated in vermilion lacquer.
The lamps inside were lit, while palace attendants clad in red and green strolled about outside; from the vantage point of the second floor, their movements looked like a procession of jubilant koi fish. Palace maids carried a few dishes upstairs, followed by an elderly matron dressed in plain and coarse garments. She held a crimson-glazed porcelain flask. Min Ming merely had to glance at it to imagine the thick, fragrant aroma of fine wine within.
