Wen Ya's lovely face warmed slightly. "I simply felt stifled inside, so I came out for a walk," she said softly. Her beautiful eyes swept over the surroundings, and she sighed. "After this blizzard, I fear most of the flowers in this garden will have withered."
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "Any flowers that bloom in this season have no fear of wind or snow. Lady Wen, you must have heard of treading through snow in search of plum blossoms."
Wen Ya nodded and walked slowly toward a wintersweet tree nearby. She brushed its branches with her fingers, sending the accumulated snow fluttering down. "I heard you were renowned for your literary talent in the Kang Capital," she said quietly. "On a night like this, with wind and snow filling the sky, why not compose a poem for me?"
In such bitter cold, Hu Xiaotian had no taste for literary pursuits. Wen Ya might be a beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms, and she might look exactly like Le Yao, but he knew all too well that the woman before him belonged to the emperor. Never mind touching her-even an extra glance might count as disrespect.
"How much of what people say outside can be trusted?" Hu Xiaotian said. "Before I entered the palace, I was just a fellow who scrounged meals and drinks and muddled through his days. I know nothing about poetry." When making a living in the palace, the notion that a lack of talent was a virtue applied not only to women, but to eunuchs as well. The bird that stuck its head out got shot. Since the incident at the Misty Waters Pavilion, Hu Xiaotian had learned his lesson.
Wen Ya's expression suddenly turned cold.
Hu Xiaotian promptly changed tack. "But if Lady Wen truly wishes