On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, a heavy snow fell over Chang'an City. Yet however heavy it was, it could not suppress the surging warmth of life within the city. The snow on the streets had long been trampled into mottled gray by passing pedestrians. Vendors' cries, wrapped in the scorched fragrance of sugar-roasted chestnuts, pierced through the curtain of snow, while the copper bells on peddlers' shoulder poles chimed in the wind and snow. Silk and bamboo music drifting from embroidered towers intertwined with the laughter of children chasing and playing.
Gu Mo led Red Clothes and the musician through the streets. Looking at the still-bustling Chang'an City, he felt somewhat moved.
Along the way, they had passed through many cities. Without exception, all had become terribly desolate. Only Chang'an, the Capital City, seemed untouched by the war, still exactly like the Chang'an City he remembered.
After winding through the streets, they arrived at Princess Chengyang's Mansion.
The gatekeepers and guards of the Princess Mansion knew Gu Mo. They immediately welcomed him inside with utmost respect.
Not long after entering the mansion, while they were still walking along a corridor in the outer courtyard, Gu Chundong came running out from the inner courtyard. She shouted, "Brother!" then hurled herself into Gu Mo's arms, her little mouth chattering nonstop.
"Brother, you've been gone for nearly four months..."
"Let me tell you, I've made so, so many friends in the Capital City lately. They're all so pretty! Brother, go see which one would make a suitable sister-in-law..."
Suddenly,
Gu Chundong spotted the musician and Red Clothes behind Gu Mo. She directly skipped over the musician, staring fixedly at Red Clothes with eyes that lit up. Then she whispered, "Brother, you went out once and really brought back a