When Snow Falls and Pear Blossoms Bloom

We all plant pear blossoms in the snow, using blood for fertilizer and tears for dew. When the blossoms open, the snow melts, but whoever holds the flowers has long since frozen to death in winter.

A Li remembers what the Crown Princess said before taking her own life: “The Shen family army’s armor must not be disgraced by its master; the women of Da Sheng must not put their beloved in a dilemma.” The spoon taps the rim of the bowl, making the same sound as Cheng Ye’s carved pen and knife clashing as he made her a pear-blossom hairpin all those years ago.