The Snow Emperor and the Little Plum

Chapter 16

Frozen water fell onto the landscape and covered it in a pearly blanket. Smoke came from Di Xúe's mouth as he exhaled onto his red hands. It was a cold winter, it was fortunate that the harvest had been plenty or this winter had been hard. Di Xúe watched servants move across the yard with their hands filled with trays.

The Plum Festival was being prepared. Every plate was decorated with beautiful plum blossoms. To many, this was merely the festival to celebrate the winter but to the Emperor and many nobles, the Plum Blossom Festival was to celebrate their harems. Making sure that each woman is appreciated even if they aren't the main wife. They would get gifts of appreciation and eat cakes.

Di Xúe had always thought that this festival was a way to please the women who were disregarded in hope of preventing them to make mischief. His own court was buzzing as one of the concubines pretended to be ill. Fu Tián was in her third month and she had started to show. To ensure the child's safety she had been locked away and no one was allowed to see her. They had spread around that she had a contagious disease so that no one would want to visit her.

Because of this, many were on edge. It was a bad omen for one of the concubines to be so ill on the Plum Blossom Festival and more than one thinks that it was heavens way of punishing them. Some say it's because their Emperor has no heir. Others say it was because the Emperor had taken a male lover ignoring his concubines and others claim that it was because of the absence of an Empress. Di Xúe merely snorted at their foolishness.

Lin Hai nodded to a maid as he walked past. Di Xúe noticed the servant girls sneaking glances at him with blushing cheeks. No one dared to look for long but most could not help themselves letting their eyes linger a bit as he passed.

"Huángdi," Lin Hai said with a respectful bow. His face was still calm as a lake. Only small ripples ever gave away his true feelings underneath the façade.

"Shaofu Hai, what brings you here?"

"I have some disconcerting news," Lin Hai said as he lifted his head.

"Oh?"

"I have received a rapport that one of the documents have been misplaced."

"Misplaced?"

"Yes, we cannot find it."

"What was it?"

"A message with the Imperial seal to Sichuan asking them to send aid to Donzhou."

Di Xúe frowned as he listened. Why would such a message be stolen? It only asked the city to send supplies to Dongzhou in order to rebuild. It would not be much of a disturbance even if the supplies never arrived as they also got aid from the capital and Yunzhou.

"The other message to Yunzhou?"

"Has arrived safely," Lin Hai replied without hesitation. He clearly knew what was on the Emperor's mind. If both messages had been stolen then it was most likely someone trying to disturb the transport of supplies to Dongzhou. Maybe to undermind Di Xúe's influence in the city. But only one was stolen. Why?

"Search for the document. Hopefully, it has only been misplaced by some lower Zhang who doesn't know how to do their job properly," Di Xúe ordered with a sigh. He should not rush this matter. There is no point in worrying about the lost document until it is for sure a plot. "And craft a new message to Sichuan."

"Understood, Huángdi," said Lin Hai and turned on his heels. The lost document still bothered Di Xúe but there was nothing he could do before they found something of substance. He instead went to wait for the night to arrive so the festival could begin.

All his concubines were eager to be spoiled by their husband and he made sure that they all would get proper gifts though he also made sure that the Little Plum's would be the most lavished. His gifts were going to be filled with exotic fruits, cakes and fabrics from all over Tiandi. He even made sure that the little plum received a painting filled with colorful plums that fitted his name. Di Xúe could not help but to smile as he was sure that the little plum would be furious about it and looked forward to seeing his expression.