Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

It was the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of the Qiming era. There were only three days left until New Year's Eve.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year in Chang'an was already so strong it was almost palpable. The snow in the streets and alleys was trampled down and then covered by fresh snow, layer upon layer, like rice cakes. Children rolled around in the snow, had snowball fights, and built snowmen, their laughter louder than firecrackers.

Inside the Taiji Palace, the palace servants were still busy. But their busyness was tinged with joy, for in two more days they would be able to take turns going home for the New Year. The ladies of the various palaces also had some free time, and began visiting each other, exchanging New Year's gifts, and chatting about everyday life.

Fangzhixuan, however, remains unchanged.

Lan Fenghuang squatted in the courtyard, a pile of bottles and jars in front of her. These were the medicinal herbs and Gu worms she had brought back from the Imperial Medical Academy, and she was taking advantage of the last few days before the New Year to sort and organize them.

"Mother!"

A small figure rushed out of the house and threw himself into her arms.

Lan Fenghuang stumbled from the impact, almost falling into the snow. She looked down and saw Chen Ke. Her five-year-old son was wearing a bright red cotton-padded jacket and a tiger-head hat. His little face was rosy from the cold, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

"Mother! Mother! There's snow outside! Lots and lots of snow!"

Lan Fenghuang smiled and reached out to brush the snow off his hat.

"What's so special about snow? It snows every year."

Chen Ke blinked: "But this year's snow is different from last year's snow!"

Lan Fenghuang was taken aback: "How is it different?"

Chen Ke said earnestly, "Last year's snow was last year's. This year's snow is this year's. They're different!"

Lan Fenghuang was so confused by him that she simply gave up on thinking about it, picked him up, and put him on her lap.

"Okay, it's different. So what do you want to do?"

Chen Ke pointed outside the yard: "I want to build a snowman!"

Lan Fenghuang looked up at the sky. The snow was still falling, fine and scattered, landing on the bottles and jars in the yard, on her hair, and on her son's rosy little face.

She hesitated for a moment, then looked down at the medicinal herbs that hadn't been sorted yet.

Forget it.

We'll pack the medicinal herbs tomorrow.

She stood up, put her son down, and took his hand.

"Come on, let's build a snowman together."

A crooked snowman was quickly piled up in the yard.

Calling it a snowman is an understatement; it's more like a snowball. Chen Ke's snowball was too small, while Lan Fenghuang's was too big. When they were stacked together, the one on top was teetering on the edge, as if it might fall at any moment.

"Mother, where are its eyes?" Chen Ke asked, looking up at his mother.

Blue Phoenix looked around, picked up two small pebbles from the ground, and pressed them onto the snowball.

"alright."

Chen Ke leaned closer to take a look and frowned:

"But why are its eyes different sizes?"

Lan Fenghuang looked at them and indeed, one pebble was large and the other small. The larger one was picked up by Chen Ke; the smaller one was picked up by her.

She thought for a moment, then took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom and poured out two dark-colored objects.

Use this.

Chen Ke leaned closer curiously: "What is this?"

Lan Fenghuang said, "The cocoon of the Golden Thread Gu. It's hard, just right to serve as eyes."

She pressed the two cocoons into the snowball. Now they were neat, one big and one small—still not the same, but at least they were cocoons.

Chen Ke nodded in satisfaction, then pointed to the snowman's belly:

"Mother, where are its buttons?"

Blue Phoenix rummaged around again, pulled out a few pills, and pressed them onto the snowman's belly.

Chen Ke then pointed to the snowman's arm: "Mother, where are its hands?"

Blue Phoenix searched for a long time but couldn't find a suitable branch. After thinking for a moment, she pulled two hairpins from her hair and stuck them on either side of the snowman.

Chen Ke's eyes widened: "Mother, that's your hairpin!"

Blue Phoenix waved her hand dismissively:

"It's alright. Mother still has some."

Chen Ke looked at the snowman with two hairpins on its head and suddenly smiled.

"Mother, it looks like you."

Lan Fenghuang was taken aback: "Like me? How so?"

Chen Ke pointed to the two hairpins: "You usually wear these. Also, your eyes are uneven, one big and one small."

Lan Fenghuang was both amused and exasperated, and reached out to pinch his cheek.

"You brat, how dare you laugh at your mother?"

Chen Ke laughed and dodged, running through the snow. Lan Fenghuang chased after him, and the mother and son chased each other around the yard, leaving a trail of messy footprints in the snow.

Tired from running, Lan Fenghuang plopped down in the snow and hugged her son.

"I'm not running anymore, I'm not running anymore, Mother can't run anymore."

Chen Ke leaned on her shoulder, panting, and suddenly asked:

"Mom, did you build snowmen when you were little?"

Blue Phoenix remained silent for a moment, gazing at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

In Miao areas, it doesn't snow.

She had never seen snow, ice, or worn a cotton-padded coat in winter when she was a child. What she had seen were azaleas covering the mountains and fields, dense forests entwined with vines, and her grandmother's silhouette as she carried a bamboo basket to collect herbs.

"When I was little," she said softly, "I had never seen snow."

Chen Ke was stunned: "Why?"

Lan Fenghuang said, "Because my mother's home is in a very, very far place. There is no winter there, it's hot all year round."

Chen Ke blinked: "Does Mother miss home?"

Lan Fenghuang was silent for a while, then hugged her son even tighter.

"I want to. But Mother has a new home now."

She looked down at Chen Ke, whose small face resembled hers so much, with big eyes, long eyelashes, and two dimples when he smiled.

"You are my new home."

Chen Ke couldn't understand, but when he saw that his mother's eyes were red, he reached out his little hand to wipe away her tears.

"Mother, don't cry. Ke'er is with you."

Lan Fenghuang smiled, but her tears flowed even more fiercely.

Soft footsteps could be heard at the courtyard gate.

Lan Fenghuang looked up and saw Chen Qi and Chen Heng standing at the door, one ten years old and the other seven years old, both wearing thick winter clothes, their little faces red from the cold.

"Your Majesty, Mother Consort," Chen Qi said, bowing slightly, "I have brought Heng'er to wish you a Happy New Year."

Chen Heng also cupped his hands in greeting, but his eyes remained fixed on the crooked snowman.

Blue Phoenix quickly stood up and patted the snow off her body.

"Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

Chen Qi and Chen Heng walked into the courtyard. Chen Ke jumped down from Lan Fenghuang's arms and ran over to hold his two older brothers' hands.

"Big brother! Second brother! Look, the snowman my mother and I built!"

Chen Heng leaned closer to take a look and frowned:

"What is this? Why is it so ugly?"

Chen Ke panicked: "It's not ugly! It's a snowman!"

Chen Heng pointed to the snowball with the hairpin on top:

"What snowman looks like this? Look at its eyes, one big and one small! Its buttons are round! Its hands are like hairpins!"

Chen Ke's eyes reddened, and he turned to look at Lan Fenghuang:

"Mother, my second brother said it's ugly..."

Just as Lan Fenghuang was about to speak, Chen Qi walked over and tapped Chen Heng on the head.

"What nonsense are you talking about? This was built by Consort Xian and Ke'er together. How is it ugly?"

Chen Heng covered his head and said aggrievedly:

"She's ugly to begin with..."

Chen Qi glared at him, then squatted down and carefully examined the snowman.

After watching for a while, he said seriously:

"Ke'er, your older brother thinks this snowman is very beautiful."

Chen Ke's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Chen Qi nodded: "It's true. Look at its eyes, although one is bigger than the other, they were both carefully chosen by the Virtuous Consort. Look at its buttons, although they are pills, the Virtuous Consort usually doesn't use them. Look at its hands, although they are hairpins, they are the Virtuous Consort's favorite pair."

He paused, looking at Chen Ke:

"This snowman was made by my virtuous mother using her most precious possessions. That's why it's the most beautiful."

Chen Ke was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Lan Fenghuang.

Lan Fenghuang's eyes reddened again, but she nodded with a smile.

Chen Ke ran over and hugged Lan Fenghuang's leg:

"Mother, you are so good to me."

Lan Fenghuang bent down and picked him up.

"Silly child."

Chen Heng, who was watching from the side, suddenly ran over and hugged Lan Fenghuang's leg.

"My virtuous mother, I want a hug too!"

Lan Fenghuang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and picked him up as well.

Chen Qi stood aside, watching his two younger brothers snuggling in their mother's arms, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He recalled what his mother had said:

"You are the eldest son, so you must take good care of your younger brothers."

He thought to himself, "I guess I've succeeded now."

Inside the house, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

Lan Fenghuang led the three children into the house and had them sit down by the charcoal brazier. She took out a few cotton-padded jackets from the cupboard and gave them to Chen Ke to change into—his clothes had gotten wet while playing outside.

"My dear Mother," Chen Heng suddenly asked, "where are your little insects? May I take a look?"

Blue Phoenix was taken aback: "Aren't you afraid?"

Chen Heng shook his head: "I'm not afraid. I want to see."

Lan Fenghuang looked at Chen Qi. Chen Qi nodded:

"I want to see it too."

Lan Fenghuang hesitated for a moment, then got up and went into the inner room, taking out a small bamboo basket.

Inside the bamboo basket were dozens of golden thread gu, wriggling and spitting out fine threads.

Chen Heng leaned closer, his eyes wide open:

"Wow...it's so small..."

Chen Ke also leaned closer, both frightened and curious:

"Mother, do they bite?"

Blue Phoenix shook her head: "They won't bite. They're very well-behaved."

She reached out, picked one up from the bamboo basket, and placed it in her palm.

The tiny insect wriggled in her palm, golden threads emanating from its tail, shimmering under the light.

The three children held their breath, watching intently.

Chen Heng couldn't help but reach out his hand, wanting to touch it, but then pulled it back.

"My dear Mother, may I...may I touch it?"

Lan Fenghuang nodded and gently placed the insect in his palm.

Chen Heng's hands were trembling, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. He watched the tiny insect wriggling in his palm and suddenly smiled.

"It's so soft."

Chen Ke also reached out his hand: "I want to touch it too!"

Lan Fenghuang picked up another one and placed it in his palm. Chen Ke's hand was also trembling, but he gritted his teeth and endured it without pulling it back.

Chen Qi didn't reach out. He simply stood aside, looking at his two younger brothers, his virtuous mother, and the tiny insects.

He suddenly felt that this moment was truly wonderful.

As evening fell, Chen Qi took Chen Heng back home.

Chen Ke was nestled in Lan Fenghuang's arms, already asleep. His small body was curled up in a ball, sleeping soundly.

Lan Fenghuang gently patted his back, gazing at the darkening sky outside the window.

Outside the window, the crooked snowman was still standing there, wearing two hairpins on its head, with two eyes of different sizes, smiling foolishly at her.

She suddenly remembered her grandmother.

When Grandma was alive, she would hold her like this, pat her back, and hum Miao folk songs.

The folk song goes like this:

"The flowers on the mountain bloom and wither, the waters below rise and fall. Little sister, grow up slowly, Grandma will wait for you to grow up..."

She hummed the song softly.

As I hummed along, I got sleepy.

She leaned against the couch, holding her son, and closed her eyes.

Outside the window, the snow is still falling.

Tiny flakes fell on the crooked snowman, on the bottles and jars in the yard that hadn't been cleaned up yet, and on the eaves of Fangzhixuan.

A peaceful and tranquil place.