As the New Year drew near, the palace had entered its liveliest time again.
On New Year's Eve, after snowing for several days in a row, the sky finally cleared.
The palace was blanketed in pure white snow, wrapped in silver, the trees heavy with ice like silver blossoms—too beautiful to take in all at once. It was just like that line: "As though overnight a spring wind had come, a thousand trees burst into pear blossom."
To highlight the festive mood, the Palace Attendants
hung strings of exquisitely made red lanterns on the branches piled high with snow, and wound ring after ring of red silk ribbons around the red plum trees that were about to bloom.
On the railings of places like the Octagonal Pavilion, Taiye Pool, and the Flowing Water Bridge, they had also hung layers of bright red drapes.
