The courtyard was much quieter than it had been during the day. The leaves of the old locust tree in the corner swayed gently in the night breeze, and a thin layer of dew covered the ground. A few slender weeds grew in the gaps between the bluestone slabs, weighed down flat against the ground by the dew.
The lantern at the courtyard entrance had already been lit. Its dim yellow light fell on the stone steps before the door, stretching the doorframe's shadow long across them.
He walked out along the covered walkway. Several lanterns hung on the walls on either side, their flames already lit. The light was not particularly bright, but it was enough for him to see the path beneath his feet.
As he passed through the moon gate, he could clearly see the brick carvings on its frame in the lantern light. They depicted the Three Friends of Winter: pine, bamboo, and plum. The lines of the pine branches and bamboo leaves had worn smooth with age.
He followed the main street toward the Winged Dragon Family. There were far fewer pedestrians than during the day, and most of the shops on either side had closed. Only a few lanterns still burned, their warm yellow light seeping through cracks in doors and windows and casting long, slender streaks of light and shadow across the bluestone pavement.
The blacksmith's bellows had long since fallen silent, and the steamed bun shop had put away its steamers. Occasionally, a merchant traveling by night hurried past him with a carrying pole over one shoulder, the goods at either end swaying gently with each step.
The wind blew from the direction of the city wall, carrying the scent of dry grass from the wilderness outside the city and a faint