On the seventh day after death, the Pei family held the first seventh-day memorial ceremony at Ci’en Temple. After the night passed, they returned to the city the following day.

A blizzard had fallen in the mountains the previous night, with bone-chilling cold. After enduring the entire night, everyone was exhausted and dispersed to rest upon returning home.

Pei You’an and Jiafu returned to their quarters. Servants brought hot water, and after washing and changing clothes, they had just lain down for a moment when another servant came calling. The temple caretakers had sent someone urgently back to report that outside the Fundamental Hall, which housed the Pei ancestors’ memorial tablets, stood a hundred-year-old locust tree. The trunk had been hollowed by insects, but its branches were twisted like coiling dragons, covering nearly half the courtyard of the Fundamental Hall. Last night’s blizzard and strong mountain winds had caused the branches to tilt by morning. The caretakers feared that if another heavy snow fell tonight, the top-heavy tree might collapse, which would be disastrous if it fell. Since the Pei family’s ancestral tablets were nearby, they dared not handle it themselves and urgently sent someone to report.

Pei You’an told Jiafu to sleep and got up himself, ordering someone to invite Pei Quan for consultation.

Pei Quan had just lain down when disturbed by the servants. Hearing about the hidden danger at the temple’s Fundamental Hall and that Pei You’an had come to consult, he hurriedly tried to rise but was grabbed firmly by the Second Madam, who said coldly: “It hasn’t collapsed yet, so why are you panicking? Doesn’t his side have someone holding the ancestral iron certificate given by the Old Madam? Whoever holds it should go. Would the sky not dawn without you? It’s so cold outside, it’s about to snow again, the road is far, and your body is already weak. Didn’t you just complain about pain and swelling behind your knees, making walking difficult? You lie down, and I’ll go give them an answer!”

Before the Old Madam passed away, she had given the iron certificate to her second nephew of the eldest branch. When arranging the division of the family between the two branches, she had given the second branch more fields and property to compensate, but what Pei Quan had secretly hoped for was still that iron certificate. Knowing it was beyond his reach, he was extremely disappointed and secretly resented his mother’s favoritism. Moreover, after struggling for many years to reach his current position, with the Old Madam’s passing, not only was his son’s participation in the spring imperial examinations delayed, but he was also forced into mourning. With his seniority, he couldn’t possibly request an exemption, and after three years, court affairs would likely have changed drastically. Dispiriting events came one after another, and he had been deeply depressed these days. After Madam Meng’s words, he hesitated, and seeing that she had already left, he slowly lay back down.

Pei You’an waited for a while but didn’t see Pei Quan. Instead, the Second Madam came, apologetically saying: “You’an, it’s really unfortunate. Your Second Uncle was freezing all last night, and after coming down from the mountain this morning, his old ailment flared up with painful swelling in both knees. He’s just applied two medicinal plasters. If you don’t mind Xiuluo being in the way, I could send him to assist you?”

Pei You’an said it wasn’t necessary and asked Madam Meng to convey a message to him, telling his uncle to rest his legs without worry. Together with Pei Xiuzhi, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and the Third Uncle from the clan, along with several stewards, he hurriedly left. While mounting the horses, an old woman attending Zhou Jiao’e ran out, saying that Zhou Jiao’e was feeling unwell and was looking everywhere for the Second Young Master.

A few days after the Old Madam’s funeral, Zhou Jiao’e had been diagnosed with child and had been craving sour and sweet foods these past days, being treated with great care. Naturally, she had also stayed at home yesterday to nurture the pregnancy.

Pei Xiuzhi scolded the old woman: “Why not fetch a doctor to examine her instead of looking for me? I have other important matters to attend to!”

The old woman nodded repeatedly and turned to leave when Pei You’an said: “Your wife’s condition is important. I can handle this, you go back.”

Pei Xiuzhi made a couple of excuses but eventually had no choice but to agree. He turned back, entered the inner chamber, and saw Zhou Jiao’e leaning against the headboard, holding a warming pot in her arms while chestnuts were roasting on the stove. A maid beside her was busy peeling shells. Zhou Jiao’e smiled at him, which made him frown: “Weren’t you feeling unwell?”

Zhou Jiao’e sent all the maids out and laughed: “The wind outside cuts like a knife. People have already gone from your side, so why should you go too? Who are you trying to impress? Come quickly and rub my waist. Oh my, my waist is so sore that I can neither sit nor lie comfortably. I feel like I’m half-dead…”

Pei Xiuzhi couldn’t bring himself to truly care for her in his heart. With a stern face, he turned to leave, but behind him, Zhou Jiao’e’s eyebrows shot up as she grabbed a handful of empty chestnut shells and threw them at his back, shouting: “Here I am, offering warmth only to be met with coldness, like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart! If you dare take one step out of this room, just watch! Are you thinking that since the Zhou National Uncle has had troubles, this time there’s no favor to be gained at His Majesty’s side, so now the Empress doesn’t matter in your eyes either?”

She sneered, “Since I married into this family, you’ve been finding fault with me, looking at me with disdain. Don’t think I don’t know that you’re still fantasizing about that one in the other courtyard, aren’t you? Keep dreaming! Take a look in the mirror and see your pathetic self! Only I, following my husband like a hen follow a rooster, care for you, yet you treat me like dirt! Be careful, if you provoke me too far, we’ll go our separate ways, and neither of us will have good days ahead!”

Pei Xiuzhi’s face flushed hot, and he stood frozen. After Zhou Jiao’e vented her anger, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Shortly after, the sound of Madam Xin’s coughing came from outside. Pei Xiuzhi suppressed his irritation, reluctantly softened his expression, went over to keep her company, and even massaged her waist and legs.

…

Not long after Pei You’an was called away, it began to snow again. At first, it was like willow catkins, gradually becoming heavier, turning into large goose feather-like flakes.

Even though the room was as warm as spring, Jiafu couldn’t sleep.

After noon, when it was only about two-fifths into the shen hour (3-5 PM), the sky had already grown dark as if the night was approaching. A maid lifted the curtain, and Tanxiang brought in a bowl of food. After setting it down, she blew a breath of hot air into her palms and said: “Young Mistress, just now a message came from the gatehouse saying that Third Uncle slipped on the mountain and has been sent back. The Young Master won’t return for dinner, and if it gets too late, he won’t be able to come down the mountain and will return tomorrow morning instead. He asked Young Mistress to close the doors early and not wait for him to return.”

Jiafu listened to the howling of the north wind as it swept over the courtyard walls, thinking that when he left, he hadn’t prepared to spend the night on the mountain and had only worn an outer cape. The snowy ground was wet and muddy, and by evening, his boots would certainly be soaked through. If he truly had to spend the night alone on the mountain, though the temple had guest quarters, on such a snowy night, if the bedding was thin…

Jiafu couldn’t put her mind at ease and immediately called for woolen quilts, along with Pei You’an’s clothes, thick shoes, and thick socks, all to be bundled together. She initially wanted to send a servant boy to deliver them, but as the words reached her lips, thinking of the cold loneliness of the mountain at night, she ultimately wanted to accompany him. She changed her instructions, telling Tanxiang, Aunt Liu, and several others to also wear warm clothes, bringing enough bedding for an overnight stay. She called for the steward, pointed out servant boys, prepared a carriage, and set out for the temple, leaving the city. Not a single person could be seen on the road as they braved the wind and snow. Finally, before complete darkness fell, they reached the foot of the mountain. Carrying bright lanterns, they slowly made their way up, supporting each other. A nimble-footed servant boy had already quickly climbed ahead to report their arrival.

Before Jiafu reached the temple gate, Pei You’an came out quickly to receive her, bringing her into the quarters reserved for noble ladies who came to worship. Once inside, he instructed people to light the stove for warmth. Seeing that her cloak was covered in snow, her eyelashes dotted with snowflakes, and her nose tip frozen red, he helped brush off the snow while softly reproaching her: “Who would go out in weather like this? Didn’t I tell you to close the doors early and not wait for me? You didn’t listen and even came yourself? The snow on the ground is thick; what if you had fallen?”

The Old Madam’s passing must have been an immense grief for Pei You’an, and in this half month, though he had been exhausting himself both mentally and physically, he had never shown even a trace of his emotions in front of her.

In her presence, he was more gentle and attentive than before, as if afraid she would be sad and distressed, treating her like a little person who needed his care.

The snow on her eyelashes gradually melted into tiny drops of water. Jiafu blinked: “I would be very careful. I heard that Sixth Uncle accidentally injured his leg and went back, leaving you alone on the mountain…”

She stopped, looking at him with slight unease.

Pei You’an paused momentarily, then smiled, leading her to sit at the edge of the couch. Looking down, he saw that her small deerskin boots were covered with mud and snow at the toes, now slowly melting. He bent down to remove her shoes.

Jiafu hurriedly withdrew her foot slightly, but Pei You’an had already grasped it, removing one boot and then the other. His palm rubbed her toes, which had grown numb from the cold inside her socks, then helped her onto the couch. He called for Tanxiang to bring the woolen quilt to cover her legs and feet and placed a small warming pot, sent by the guest-receiving monk, in her arms, saying: “Rest here for now. We must fall the tree tonight to prevent it from collapsing, but since the tree is large, the task is somewhat difficult. I’ll go over there first and come back later to have dinner with you.”

He turned and instructed Tanxiang and others to take good care of Jiafu, then hurried away.

At the first fifth of the xu hour (7-9 PM), when he returned, the room was already warm. The monks had brought vegetarian dishes. After eating, he went back to the tree, and it wasn’t until the hai hour (9-11 PM) that he finally returned, saying the tree had been safely felled and the ancestor tablets that had been temporarily removed were all back in place. They only needed to drag the tree away in the morning.

Though they were husband and wife, being in a temple made it inappropriate for them to share a room. Pei You’an, having finished his tasks for the night, came to check on Jiafu, asked her to sleep, then left the room and returned to his quarters for the night in another courtyard, separated by a mountain wall. Earlier, Jiafu had gone over and personally made up his bed for him.

The snow gradually stopped. Tanxiang, Aunt Liu, and others who shared the room with Jiafu had already fallen asleep.

In the deep night at the mountain temple, even though during the day it bore the imperial name and was touched by worldly wealth, now all was silent, restoring its original tranquility and emptiness.

Jiafu closed her eyes, accompanied by Aunt Liu’s rising and falling snores, thinking about Pei You’an just a wall away, tossing and turning.

She had a feeling that at this moment, he too was unable to sleep peacefully.

She finally couldn’t resist, quietly rising from the couch, putting on her clothes, opening the door, and treading through the ankle-deep snow out of the courtyard gate to Pei You’an’s dwelling.

The window lattice was pitch black, with no light inside.

Jiafu stepped onto the verandah and stood at the door, hesitating, when suddenly Pei You’an’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Though she had trod lightly, stepping through the snowy ground had still produced a faint crunching sound. He must have recognized it early on.

Jiafu softly acknowledged and pushed open the half-closed door to see Pei You’an standing by the window in his robe. The window was open, and he turned his face toward her at the door.

Darkness surrounded them, his figure submerged in the night, with only the snowy light from the window illuminating half of his deeply contoured face.

He looked at her, his gaze silent and gentle.

Jiafu walked to his side. He touched her small hand, already somewhat cold: “Wearing so little! Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“You’re not sleeping either,” Jiafu quietly defended herself.

He smiled faintly: “I was just about to go to sleep. You should sleep too.”

Jiafu remained silent.

Pei You’an then, by the snow light from the window, examined her with a scrutinizing glance before gripping her shoulders and lowering his head to kiss her face, his voice gentle and soothing: “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

After speaking, he took off his outer cape and draped the garment, still warm with his body heat, over her, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leading her toward the door.

He could see through everything, including her emotions.

Tonight she had braved the wind and snow to come here, intending to accompany him, but instead, it had become him comforting her.

Jiafu was touched yet also felt a sense of loss. She refused to leave, standing firmly in place, her hands holding onto his sleeve with a hint of childlike stubbornness.

Pei You’an smiled, shaking his head with a touch of helplessness.

He added some silver charcoal to the dying fire in the stove. Once the fire grew strong, he placed a pot of tea water on it, sat in a chair in front of the stove, and gestured for Jiafu to come over.

Jiafu went to his side. He pulled her to sit on his lap, covering her body with his robe, and they squeezed together in one chair.

The warm firelight danced quietly in the black night. From the belly of the teapot on the stove, the faint but pleasant sound of boiling water gradually emerged.

The silent night in the mountain temple was so peaceful.

Jiafu closed her eyes, resting in his embrace, gradually growing drowsy. In her half-asleep state, after an unknowable amount of time, she felt herself being gently lifted.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Pei You’an, who was about to lay her flat on the couch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said softly: “Cousin, I want to pay respects to your aunt. Will you come with me?”

…

Wrapped in layers of clothing, Jiafu was held by the hand of Pei You’an as they walked toward that courtyard in the depths of the Ci’en Temple’s back meditation area, without attendants.

The night sky had cleared, gradually revealing a half-moon that made the entire mountain temple appear as if draped in silver, with only the faint crunching sound of their footsteps on the snow reaching their ears.

As they gradually approached that place rarely visited by others, Pei You’an suddenly stopped.

Ahead was a fork in the path, with a small side trail that led to the back mountain gate.

Snow had fallen intermittently for several days and nights, accumulating to about half a foot thick. Now, on that forked path, there were two lines of footprints without snow covering them, leading to that courtyard ahead.

This meant that tonight, perhaps just moments ago, someone had gone to that place before them—a place now nearly abandoned where the Empress had spent the last part of her life.

Who would come to this place in such terrible weather, with heavy snow nearly blocking the mountain, during the uninhabited hours of the night?

Jiafu’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately thought of one person.

She quietly glanced at the person beside her.

Pei You’an frowned slightly, then continued to lead Jiafu forward.

They were getting closer and closer to that closed door.

The footprints in the snow were visible, leading right up to the door.

Pei You’an came directly to the door, reached out, and pushed it.

The door wasn’t locked from the outside but wouldn’t open, as if it had been barred from within.

Pei You’an’s frown deepened as he pushed again, but the door still wouldn’t open.

His expression darkened slightly. After a brief contemplation, he led Jiafu behind him and slowly drew the long sword from his waist.

The sword’s light reflected on the snow, flashing a piercing, icy glare in the moonlight.

He pointed the sword tip at the door crack and said coldly: “I am Pei You’an. I know you are behind the door. This is a restricted area—who are you to dare enter without permission? If you don’t open the door and show yourself, my sword will not recognize any person!”