The early spring in the Capital was still wrapped in the lingering chill of winter, yet Zhuque Avenue had been festooned with decorations for over three days. The three-zhang-high vermilion palace walls were draped in silk embroidered with golden-threaded coiled dragons. As the silk rippled in the biting spring breeze, the dragon scales outlined in gold thread refracted shimmering specks of light.
From a distance, the entire palace wall appeared as if a thousand golden dragons were coiled upon it, ready to break through at any moment. Morning mist shrouded the streets like a light veil, and the air was filled with the faint, clean scent of pine and cypress—incense burned specifically to ward off evil—mingled with the aroma of freshly baked jujube paste cakes from the nearby shops, drifting hazily through the mist. Every ten steps stood a eunuch in red, holding a long gilded pole.
The peacock feathers tied to the tips trembled as they loudly shouted, "Make way!" and "Silence!"—their voices carrying an unquestionable majesty. The sixteen-bearer bright yellow dragon palanquin slowly entered the Meridian Gate.
Chapter 101