Chapter 81: Good Luck for the First Snow 02

Chapter 81

Song Zhao gazed out of the window at the snowy landscape, lost in her thoughts. Memories long buried surged up from the depths of her heart, clouding her vision.

It was as if she could once again see her forever young mother, alive in her memories.

*

"Darling, look, it's snowing outside."

Bai stood outside the bedroom, pointing to the snowflakes dancing in the air, calling out to Song Zhao, who was busy cutting paper inside.

Song Zhao glanced at the door and immediately broke into a bright smile on her chubby face.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!"

Excitedly, she ran towards the door, but in her haste, she tripped over the door frame and fell down on the cold floor of the corridor, crying in pain.

Bai was frantic and quickly rushed to her daughter's side in three strides.

She had intended to bend down and help Song Zhao up, even crouching down, but she hesitated and didn't reach out her hand.

With tears streaming down her reddened nose, Song Zhao looked at Bai with a sense of grievance.

"Mother, it hurts... Can you hug me?"

But Bai said, "Darling, everyone falls sometimes. It's okay to fall down; what's important is learning how to pick yourself up."

She gently stroked Song Zhao's forehead, her eyes filled with tender concern.

"You're the strongest, my darling. Auntie will be with you."

The little girl had scraped her palm and her knee hurt badly.

She tried twice but couldn't stand up.

But she seemed to possess an inherent spirit of not giving up. The more she couldn't get up, the more she challenged herself.

After struggling three or five times, she finally managed to climb up through her own efforts.

Strangely, at the moment she stood up on her own, she suddenly stopped crying.

It was as if the pain in her body had diminished.

Bai looked at her, her eyes squinting with a smile.

It was the first time Song Zhao had seen her mother so joyous.

Her mother lifted her up and planted a firm kiss on her forehead.

"You're amazing, my darling. Would you like Auntie to take you to build a snowman?"

"Yes! Mother is the most skillful~ Mother, please build a big snowman for me!"

After more than ten days, the red plum blossoms in Plum Garden had become even more abundant.

Looking at it, the red and white colors blended together, creating a breathtaking sight.

Song Zhao casually removed her sky-blue cloak and was about to take it off, but Yun Shan immediately grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, saying, "What are you doing, Miss? It's freezing cold out here, and your undergarments are thin. If you take off the cloak, what if you catch a cold?"

Song Zhao smiled at her and said, "People are not made of paper. How can they be easily chilled? Besides, in this kind of weather, even frost and cold are to be feared. When praying, we must be sincere. If the deities and Buddhas see me being disrespectful, it would be my fault."

As she spoke, she tidied her clothes and respectfully knelt on the snowy ground.

Yun Shan couldn't persuade her, so she had no choice but to kneel down with her.

She intentionally knelt on the left side of Song Zhao, blocking the cold wind from directly blowing on her.

Song Zhao appeared very devout.

Closing her eyelids, folding her hands together, she respectfully said, "First snow brings good fortune, may riches and honor descend from heaven. Xiao Jiejie (elder sister), may you conceive a child and may the heavens bless you, so that your pregnancy will be safe and smooth, bringing joy and fortune to the emperor."

After finishing her prayer, she kowtowed and continued,

"May the divine blessings be upon our dynasty, ensuring prosperity for generations to come and the eternal well-being of our emperor. Long live and be blessed for ten thousand years."

As the words fell, three consecutive kowtows followed.

Yun Shan's gaze was fixed on Song Zhao, her forehead covered in snow, and her heart ached.

"Princess, we have finished our prayers. Let me help you up," she said, intending to support Song Zhao. However, Song Zhao skillfully evaded her.

Song Zhao remained in a kneeling position, her hands still clasped together, and spoke softly:

"Praying for blessings is not a mere last-minute gesture. It requires sincerity and respect. I genuinely wish for the well-being of the emperor. How can I merely go through the motions? Even if I were to perform the grand ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations, I still feel it would not be enough to express my sincerity."

Yun Shan was momentarily stunned upon hearing this and privately thought:

"If she were to perform the full ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations in the snow, our princess would surely fall ill tomorrow."

Just as she was about to persuade Song Zhao again,

a shadow cast over them from behind.

Then, a fleeting bright yellow caught her peripheral vision,

and upon closer inspection, she saw a pair of well-defined hands draping a black fox fur cloak over Song Zhao's shoulders.

Feeling the weight on her shoulders, Song Zhao was startled and instinctively turned her head.

Finally, her gaze met Xiao Jingheng's burning eyes.

In a moment of confusion and panic, she almost lost her balance and fell to the ground,

"Y-Your Majesty?"