Fuling glared coldly at Director Sun and demanded, "Are you deliberately opposing our mistress, or do you intend to let all our sisters and brothers freeze?"

The palace maids, hearing this, grew resentful and turned their accusations toward Director Sun. "That’s right, Director Sun, what exactly is your intention?"

"Are our lives not worth anything? Do you mean to freeze us to death?"

"I knew it! The weather’s been getting colder, so why are the winter clothes still locked away in the inner storeroom? Did you embezzle them, Director Sun?"

"And with everything so dry, what if a fire breaks out in the storeroom? Then we’d truly have nothing to keep us warm!"

The ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍crowd wasn’t just made up of those from the Six Bureaus—there were also palace maids from various palaces who had come on errands. Now, they all gathered at the entrance of the Directorate of Clothing, their voices rising in agitation.

The sky loomed dark and heavy, as if a blizzard might descend at any moment, adding to the panic. Everyone feared they wouldn’t get their winter clothes and bedding in time, leaving them to suffer the cold at night.

As the complaints grew louder and more pointed, something seemed to strike a nerve in Director Sun. Cold sweat trickled down her back.

Fuling nearly laughed to herself—just as her mistress had predicted.

"Director Sun, will you open the storeroom yourself, or shall we do it for you?" She spoke sternly, exuding the authority of a first-rank palace maid.

Realizing she couldn’t stop this today, Director Sun hesitated before finally relenting. "Lady Fuling, everyone, please remain calm. I’ll have someone open the storeroom now—"

Before she could finish, Fuling led the way inside, instructing the others, "Spread the word—winter clothes and bedding are being distributed today. Bring your waist tokens to the Directorate of Clothing to claim them!"

"A snowstorm is coming—hurry and collect your winter clothes!"

......

By midday, word had spread like wildfire—Fuling had stormed the Directorate of Clothing and forced the distribution of winter supplies.

The incident became the talk of the palace, reaching even the lowliest maids sent to the Laundry Bureau for punishment.

Consort Yun’s decisive move to distribute winter clothes early earned her widespread gratitude. No one dared criticize her.

In contrast, Director Sun faced harsh scrutiny. Many palace maids whispered that she had deliberately withheld the clothes to profit from their suffering.

After all, it was said that Director Sun had a close friend from her hometown who worked at an apothecary outside the palace. Over the years, many young maids and eunuchs had paid exorbitant sums to her for medicine when they fell ill.

In short, the more palace servants fell sick, the more Director Sun stood to gain.

Just when everyone assumed Director Sun had offended Consort Yun and would face dire consequences, something unexpected happened—the Qiyun Palace remained silent. No one came to punish her.

Late that night, snowflakes began to drift down silently, swirling like goose feathers in the dark sky, soon blanketing the world in white.

A night watchman, shivering from the cold, instinctively reached up to touch his face—only to jerk his hand back from the icy sting. His eyes flew open to see the heavy snowfall.

"It’s snowing! It’s really snowing!"

His exclamation earned him a sharp rebuke. "Quiet! Don’t disturb the masters."

The young servant quickly covered his mouth, falling silent.

Yue Ya, who had gotten up for a nighttime errand, noticed his reddened face and handed him a quilt and a warming pan. "Go keep watch in the corner—it’s sheltered from the wind. I’ll inform Her Ladyship tomorrow."

Clutching the warm pan, the servant was overcome with gratitude.

Inside the heated bedchamber, warm as spring, Yun Wan turned over in her sleep and murmured drowsily, "It’s snowing..."

"Yes, it’s snowing."

Emperor Jingxuan was a light sleeper and had awoken the moment the snow began to fall in the silent night.

Feeling Yun Wan burrow closer, he pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

This was their first winter together as husband and wife—with countless more seasons to come.

The snow fell all night, and by morning, the world outside was a pristine white. Roofs, tiles, branches, and the ground were buried under thick layers of snow.

Those palace servants who didn’t have duties huddled in their new winter clothes and thick quilts, sighing in relief:

"Thank goodness for Consort Yun’s kindness. She remembered us lowly servants—otherwise, we’d have suffered terribly."

Others who woke to the snow-covered scenery shared the same thought:

All thanks to Consort Yun.

At the Yaohua Palace, Imperial Concubine Li stared at the snow-laden palace walls and muttered bitterly,

"Even the heavens are on her side... How unfair."

This was the capital’s first snowfall of the year, lasting intermittently for three days before the sun finally reappeared.

And on the day the skies cleared—just as everyone was beginning to forget about Director Sun—the Palace Discipline Bureau arrived at the Directorate of Clothing to arrest her.

Caught the moment she stepped inside, Director Sun struggled violently. "What are you doing?! This is the Directorate of Clothing, not your jurisdiction! How dare you act so recklessly!"

The lead eunuch snapped, "The reckless one is you!"

"As the director of this bureau, you’ve flouted palace regulations, lined your own pockets, and disrespected your superiors. Today, we’re here to deal with you!"

A sense of foreboding gripped Director Sun. "Do you have proof? How can you punish me without evidence?"

Just as the chief eunuch of the Palace Discipline Bureau was about to respond, Consort Yun’s procession arrived.

"Her Ladyship Consort Yun has arrived—"

The servants hastily knelt in greeting. With a wave of her hand, Yun Wan motioned for them to rise. She stopped before the disheveled Director Sun and asked coolly, "You wanted proof?"

She smiled faintly and signaled to Fuling. "Show her."

Fuling tossed a ledger at Director Sun’s feet—a record of all her misdeeds over the years.

After flipping through just a few pages, Director Sun’s face turned deathly pale.

Consort Yun issued her verdict. "Drag her out and administer the rod—as a warning to all."

Soon, the sound of strikes and agonized screams echoed outside, sending chills down everyone’s spines.

The staff of the Directorate of Clothing stood in rows, forced to witness the punishment.

Among them, one maid hesitated before stepping forward and kneeling. As if steeling herself, she declared, "Your Ladyship, this servant has something to say."

Yun Wan glanced at her. "Speak."

The maid took a deep breath. "Your Ladyship may not know this, but all the embroidered garments Director Sun presented to the imperial consorts in the past were not her own work—they were crafted by Deputy Director Chen! Director Sun used Imperial Concubine Li’s backing to steal Deputy Director Chen’s embroidery and pass it off as her own tribute!"

She spoke in one breath, without pause or hesitation—clearly having rehearsed these words countless times in her heart, yet never finding the right moment to voice them.

Fuling leaned in and whispered a confirmation to Yun Wan—it was true.

After listening, Yun Wan scanned the crowd. "Who is Deputy Director Chen?"

A middle-aged woman with a quiet, reserved demeanor stepped forward.

Yun Wan examined an embroidered piece closely before asking, "Did you make this?"

Deputy Director Chen nodded nervously. "Yes, Your Ladyship. This is my work."

Satisfied, Yun Wan asked a few more questions about the daily operations of the Directorate of Clothing—all of which Deputy Director Chen answered with clarity, proving her deep familiarity with the bureau.

The others seemed to sense what was coming, especially the maid who had spoken earlier—her face alight with barely contained excitement.

After a long pause, Yun Wan delivered her final decree. "From now on, you are Director Chen."

Deputy Director Chen’s head snapped up. Meeting Yun Wan’s approving gaze, she dropped to her knees.

"Thank you, Your Ladyship!"