Snow fell outside the house last night.
The plaque reading "Min Mansion" dripped with snowmelt, the flagstone path washed clean of some mud. Leaning against the doorframe, a spirited young hero clad in a flying fish robe idly watched droplets fall.
The streets and alleys bustled with morning's arrival. It was yet another day of holiday rest, coupled with the year's end drawing near, filling the air with lively festivity. Nobles and officials seemed to crowd the streets, flocking to Chunhe Restaurant for steaming lamb stew, or perfuming themselves aboard painted pleasure boats with the scents of rouge and powder. The colorful official robes coming and going made the Capital City resemble the Emperor's Shanglin Garden, teeming with birds and beasts at a single glance.
