After rebirth, I cried and criticized the prince

Chapter 147 Everyone has their own thoughts

The snow fell like raindrops on Helan Xuenuo's head, face, and cloak.

There are a few small stalls scattered on the street, and when winter comes, there are fewer passers-by.

The vendors huddled beside their stalls with their hands folded, and only the occasional shout could be heard.

Xiaozhu followed Helan Xuenuo's footprints behind her. There was a thin layer of snow, and Helan's footprints were very light.

As they walked, Xiao Zhu quickened her pace and ran forward, pointing to the Wenxiang Building in front of her and said, "Girl, let's go to Wen Jing and have a glass of Wenxiang wine! I haven't had it in a few days, I miss it so much."

A smile appeared on Helan's expressionless face, and his eyelashes trembled with frost. "Wen Jing? You used to call him Shopkeeper Wen."

"Oh... Wen Jing said I always call him 'Shopkeeper' and it makes him feel awkward. He calls me Xiao Zhu and I should call him Wen Jing. This way we can sound like friends." Xiao Zhu shrugged lightly, and the snow-frost fluttered down from her cloak. She smiled heartily again, "Wen Jing said, I helped research so many dishes. From now on, I will be the most honored customer of Wen Xiang Lou. I can get discounts on meals in the future!"

"Okay, thanks to you!" Helan Xuenuo responded with a smile, looking in the direction of Wenxiang Tower. It seemed that the aroma of Wenxiang wine wafted out, attracting them to walk towards Wenxiang Tower.

When she arrived at Wenxianglou, she stopped and looked outside. There was only a vast expanse of white, with few human figures, let alone horses...

She still felt a little lonely, but she still had a smile on her face.

Xiaozhu felt like she was at home when she arrived at Wenxiang Tower. Before she even walked in, Wen Jing came out to greet them. He reserved the best Dong room for them, and prepared ten dishes and several jars of Wenxiang wine.

The Drunken Chicken is placed in the center.

Wen Jing helped the waiter serve the dishes and was about to leave, but Helan asked him to stay, so the three of them had dinner together. Helan Xuenuo chose a seat by the window. The wooden window was opened, and fine snow fell, occasionally some of it drifted in through the window. She took a few bites of the dishes and then looked out.

The three of them chatted idly, and later Helan stopped talking to them, leaving Xiaozhu and Wen Jing chatting animatedly.

The wine was warmed by the stove, and the aroma of alcohol wafted around.

It doesn't seem that cold anymore.

Helan loosened the collar of his cloak, feeling a little hot inside.

Just as she was about to drink another glass, there was a knock on the door. Her heart trembled and she began to stare at the door with some anticipation. After the visitor was welcomed in by Wen Jing, her gaze dimmed and she started to drink again.

Huang Jiuyuan walked in with something in his arms, wearing a fox fur coat. The private room, which had just been warmed up, immediately became much colder.

He shook his fox fur and placed the things in his arms in front of Helan Xuenuo. "What's wrong? Is Wen Yulan angry with me? Is she ignoring me?"

Helan then withdrew his gaze from the window. Seeing Huang Jiuyuan staring at her, he pushed the things in front of her and said, "From now on, you don't have to give up anything you like."

Helan was a little confused. She opened the thing and saw that it was the piece of colored material. However, she didn't feel any emotion. She pushed the thing back to Huang Jiuyuan and said, "No need. I won't take something I've decided not to take." She saw that Huang Jiuyuan looked unhappy and said, "Why would I be angry about Wen Yulan? I'm used to her childish antics."

"That's good." Huang Jiuyuan smiled, took a breath, took off his fox fur coat and sat down opposite her.

Helan recalled how Huang Jiuyuan was almost depressed when it rained that day. She was a little worried at first, but when she saw him back to the same state today, she felt that she was overthinking it.

At this time, Wen Jing suddenly said, "Xiao Zhu, I have a new dish, I need you to help me take a look at it."

"Okay." Xiao Zhu quickly took a sip of the fragrant wine and followed Wen Jing.

Only Helan Xuenuo and Huang Jiuyuan were left in the private room.

Huang Jiuyuan poured himself a glass of wine, and after drinking it, he didn't feel so cold anymore. He followed Helan's gaze and looked out the window. Helan looked seriously, and he also tried to look, but there was only a little white snow floating in the air, a scene that could be seen everywhere.

Huang Jiuyuan thought for a moment and said, "You should have heard that I have entered the court as an official."

Helan propped up one hand on the wooden window, stretched out his hand, and said lazily, "So... Huang Weiming must be furious that you are engaged to the Wen family?"

"I only killed a thousand enemies and lost eight hundred of my own." Huang Jiuyuan sighed, "I went to see my elder sister that day. She was also shocked at first, but later asked the Third Prince to tell the Queen, and only then did this happen. When my father heard what the Queen said, he was also very happy! He had long thought of letting me serve as an official in the court. After all, the Prime Minister's Mansion only relies on him. With me serving in the court and my elder sister becoming the Third Prince's consort, the Prime Minister's Mansion will have a long way to go in terms of its future fortune. I also took advantage of the situation and agreed to get engaged to the Wen family. Lord Wen of the Wen family also guaranteed me for this matter, so I finally got this official position! Huang Weiming was naturally angry! He tripped me up several times, but my father ignored him and asked him to take a step back."

"If I had known that it was so easy to gain a say in the Prime Minister's Mansion, I should have done it earlier and would not have... let..." He did not say anything else and drank a glass of wine with his head down.

Helan Xuenuo's thoughts were pulled back from the window. According to the dates in her previous life, His Majesty would pass away in a month, and the Hengyang Palace Incident would definitely happen then. This time, she was determined to choose the third prince, mostly because of Yuan Xu. She believed in Yuan Xu, and Yuan Xu would choose the most advantageous path.

And she also needs to submit a letter of surrender on behalf of the Helan Mansion in advance. At the moment, isn't Huang Jiuyuan the best person to submit the letter?

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she poured Huang Jiuyuan a glass of wine. "I never imagined you could become a lecturer in the Imperial Academy. Does His Majesty get a headache when he sees you?"

Huang Jiuyuan laughed heartily, his face flushed. He shook his head and said, "Xue Nuo! You look down on me too much! My mother came from a merchant family, and because of our status as merchants, my father often looked down on us. Since I was young, she has always hoped that I would be extremely talented and well-educated. She was the one who gave me my name. She also hoped that my knowledge would be as deep and profound as the Jiuyuan Abyss. I am not only well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, but I also understand the changing ways of the world."

He suddenly stood up, leaned against the wooden window and leaned his head out, then shrank back, shivering with cold. "Your Majesty hasn't appointed a crown prince yet. The open and covert struggles between the Empress and the Second Prince have long been on the table. No matter who ascends the throne in the future, there will be a bloodbath! I always thought the Second Prince was more scheming, and everyone would favor him, while the Third Prince would be slightly behind. My sister has always had only the Third Prince in her heart. Since she chose the Third Prince, and my father also chose the Third Prince, the Prime Minister's Mansion is probably not in good shape. If the Second Prince ascends the throne in the future, he will be executed and exiled at best, or even his entire family will be executed at worst. So... I don't want to make such an effort."

Helan Xuenuo was stunned at first, then smiled calmly. It turned out that he understood everything. Perhaps he had already guessed his ending in his previous life.

He turned around and sat down, taking a few more bites of food. "Xue Nuo, I understand what you're thinking. Actually, I had my own plans for coming to see you today. I feel sorry for you as a friend."

"how do I say this?"

"A few days ago, I saw Yuan Xu frequently entering and leaving the Queen's Palace, and I understood that you would follow Yuan Xu's choice of side. The Helan and Yuan Palaces each hold a military token. It's a pity that you pushed those two tokens so early, otherwise... this battle would be won. What do you think?"

Helan smiled knowingly. Huang Jiuyuan wanted to win her over for the Queen, which was exactly what she wanted. She was relieved. She had never regretted issuing the two military tokens. Court officials in all dynasties who had too many mercenaries would inevitably be looked upon with suspicion. She could not guarantee whether the Third Prince would be the next Gu Yanli. Only by issuing the two military tokens could the Helan Mansion withdraw from the power dispute.