Shared Snow (End)

Incense smoke curled through the Buddhist hall, and Consort Qin's figure kneeling on the prayer cushion was thin as paper. As Li Zhaoyuan stepped over the threshold, he saw his mother removing the golden hairpin from her hair.

He recognized that filigree phoenix hairpin. His mother had always told him, ever since he was little, that it was a token of affection bestowed upon her by his imperial father. Back then, he had believed it wholeheartedly. But now, considering that man's character, it was likely no more than a casual reward after a night of passion. Yet his poor mother had treasured it and worn it all these years. Then again, ever since Li Zhaoyuan could remember, his mother had always been this sort of person—content with her lot, yielding in all things.

The prince's snow-silent entrance did not disturb Consort Qin before the Buddha, but it caught the attention of the maids at the side. Just as they were about to kneel and pay their respects, Li Zhaoyuan waved them away.

Only then did Consort Qin belatedly realize someone had arrived behind her. She was no ordinary person, but neither was her cultivation particularly profound; naturally, she had failed to notice Li Zhaoyuan's soundless steps through the snow.

When she turned instinctively, her slightly curled dark hair and high nose lent her a touch of exotic beauty. This was also why the Emperor and Empress always spoke of mother and son as lowborn. Consort Qin had been sold by slave traders from the Western Desert to Di'an. She should originally have been taken in by some brothel in the capital, but by a twist of fate, she was sold into the palace instead. Yet this woman from the Western Desert lacked the fierce spirit of the frontier; rather, she