At night, the wind blew in strong gusts from the north, and gradually, pearls of snow began to drift down from the heavens. All of the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace had already withdrawn to have a rest, except for those who were dancing attendance upon their masters. In the entire sprawling palace complex, only a few lights were still shining and there was not a sound to be heard. For the denizens of the palace, this was a good night to delight in the joys to be found between their bed covers.