Chapter 1196 - 874: Hot Spring Palace
Just as Chu Ruoyan said, although it was only a few dozen miles from Chang An City, Lishan was already covered in white snow.
The Hot Spring Palace, surrounded by mountains, was sculpted by a thin layer of fallen snow into a pure and delicate scene, with elegance and scenic beauty, while the nearby peaks were gradually covered by snow, even the rugged cliffs became gentle, and everything blurred as if in a dream.
However, on West Embroidery Ridge, colorful flags fluttered, and silhouettes moved, sketching a winding path up the mountain.
That was where the Emperor led a group up West Embroidery Ridge but stopped halfway up because the wind was strong and cold, and the snow was falling increasingly. Eunuch Yu persuaded for a long time, so Yu Wenquan stopped in a pavilion halfway up to rest, gasping for breath while laughing, "Getting old, getting old."
"Your Majesty,"
As soon as he finished speaking, a somewhat coquettish and slightly resentful voice sounded. It was the concubine Zhang Yuping accompanying him. Holding onto the pillar of the pavilion, she gasped and said, "Your Majesty walked so fast, as if to leave me behind."
Yu Wenquan laughed, reached out to her, and Zhang Yuping immediately came forward, took his hand, and sat beside him, gasping, "Just a few steps, and Your Majesty left me far behind. How can you say you’re old? You’re not fooling yourself; you’re fooling me!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenquan burst into hearty laughter.
Seeing him laugh, Zhang Yuping leaned into his embrace. Sensing she was somewhat cold, Yu Wenquan wrapped his broad robe around her, and the two nestled close together.
However, he said nothing more to Zhang Yuping but turned his head to look down the mountain path and then at the Hot Spring Palace below, made glistening by the fallen snow. He raised his head to view the layered and majestic mountains around, with an enchanting, dreamlike quality reminiscent of an Immortal Realm, falling into a daze.
Nearby, Eunuch Yu had already ordered a heating stove to be sent over. This was an open-air pavilion, and with the stormy winds and heavy snow, there was nothing to shield them except overhead. Without warmth nearby, the Emperor might catch cold.
After delivering the stove, he stepped back, hands together, and humorously said, "Your Majesty, it would be best to return soon."
Yu Wenquan said impatiently, "I just came out for a walk, and you’ve been nagging the entire time."
"I dare not, it’s just that the snow is falling heavier, and there’s no shelter here. The strong wind may cause a cold. If the snow blocks the way back down—"
"I won’t go, I just want to see how it looks with more snow."
Yu Wenquan was in such good spirits that he insisted out of defiance. Zhang Yuping turned to glance, and Eunuch Yu could only keep bowing with a smile. Seeing this, Yu Wenquan laughed again and commented, "The scenery here is so lovely, something I can’t see in the palace."
Eunuch Yu thought for a moment and immediately said with a smile, "The scenery here is indeed beautiful, or else why would Your Majesty have been enjoying it for six days here without wearying?"
"Six days?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenquan seemed slightly startled, "Have I been at the Hot Spring Palace for six days already?"
Eunuch Yu replied with a smile, "Indeed. A message comes from Chang An every other day, and today marks the third one."
Zhang Yuping rolled her eyes and laughed, "Even though three messages have come, fortunately, there’s nothing major. Yu Mingli, don’t let minor matters spoil His Majesty’s pleasure."
Eunuch Yu glanced at her and said, "Yes."
Though referred to as "minor matters," Yu Wenquan’s eyes gradually cleared amid the falling snow. He looked around again—the scenery was indeed enchanting and captivating, but for an emperor, half a day consumed in leisure sufficed. He released Zhang Yuping’s hand, stood up with hands on his knees, and said, "Let’s return to the Hot Spring Palace and warm up first."
Eunuch Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed loudly, "Yes!"
He then turned to instruct the others outside the pavilion. People had already started clearing the path’s accumulated snow, and Yu Wenquan led Zhang Yuping back down the mountain along the path they had come.
After walking for a while, they returned to the Hot Spring Palace.
Everywhere inside the palace, heating stoves were placed. Just as they entered the main gate, a rush of warm air greeted them, as if they had returned to spring. Yu Wenquan, whose mind had just cleared, was suddenly drowsied again by the warmth.