The old servant, as she claimed, was indeed very familiar with the path to the Plum Garden. The route she led the concubines on was covered with a thinner layer of accumulated snow."

The plum blossoms this year bloomed exceptionally bright and beautiful. Even amidst the vast expanse of white snow, they did not lose their allure. Although they came to admire the plum blossoms, for the imperial concubines who rarely ventured outside, it already took a great deal of effort to walk from the Qinyu Palace to the Plum Garden. Therefore, upon entering the Plum Garden and taking only a few steps, An Meiren, who was known for her delicate health, couldn't help but stoop over and gasp for breath.

"Ladies, I really can't walk any further. Why don't you go ahead, and I'll rest here for a while before catching up with you." Due to her long-standing illness, An Meiren's voice was soft and weak, as if a slightly strong wind could easily scatter her words.

Anmei's words made everyone stop in their tracks. Ning Consort gently tapped her forehead, feeling somewhat regretful as she said, "It's all my fault. I forgot that Aimei is not in good health. It's really not right to make her suffer in this freezing weather. Empress Dowager, why don't we let Aimei go back first?"

"I am very grateful for Sister Ning's concern. I am not seriously injured and there is no need for me to return to the palace. I just need to rest for a while. The plum blossoms are blooming beautifully, and it uplifts my mood. I also enjoy being with all the sisters." An Meiren is usually silent and has always had a low presence. But now, after she finished speaking, her face unexpectedly turned red.

Since the empress's passing, Empress Wen has been in charge of the Phoenix Seal. If we talk about superficial skills, Empress Wen is definitely the second to none. After hearing what Lady An said, she handed her hand warmer to Lady An and kindly said, "We came together, so how can anyone leave first? Since Little Sister An is tired, we will stay here with you. We've been walking for quite a while, so it's a perfect time to take a break."

Perhaps because she was not favored at home, a simple few words from Concubine Wen had unexpectedly made Lady An's eyes turn red. Choking back tears, she said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your understanding."

Consort Wen smiled and gave a few symbolic words of comfort to Consort An. Coincidentally, there was a small pavilion nearby, and the old maid who was guiding them suggested that they could sit in the pavilion for a while. The concubines who had been thinking about resting naturally had no objections. So, the group of them grandly ascended the nine steps of the pavilion, which was neither too high nor too low.

There were four stone benches in the pavilion. According to their ranks, it was only natural for Wen Guifei to take one. Then there were the two concubine positions, which were occupied by Ning Fei and Rou Fei. The last position was supposed to be for Chu Qitong, but when she looked at An Meiren, who was weak and graceful, Chu Qitong silently walked over to stand by a nearby pillar and gave up that position to An Meiren.

The stone benches in winter are extremely cold, and the delicate and precious noble ladies naturally would not sit directly on them. Since they didn't expect to stop and rest when they came out, not a single person remembered to bring a cushion. For a moment, several noble ladies couldn't help but exchange glances, experiencing the discomfort of having seats but not being able to sit down, which was truly unpleasant.

It was Nuoyun, who was still by Concubine Wen's side, who came up with an idea. She took off her own coat and spread it on the stone stool in front of Concubine Wen, saying, "Your Highness, I'm afraid we have no other choice at the moment." After speaking, she supported Concubine Wen as she sat down.

The other concubines' maidservants saw this and followed suit, taking off their own outer garments and laying them on the chairs in front of their mistresses. They themselves shivered in the cold wind, while the maidservants by the side of the concubines who had no seats enjoyed a small advantage, avoiding the trouble of undressing.