The abandoned queen is reborn: she makes the prince cry and seizes the throne!

Prince Huai asked again, "Are you unwilling to accept this?"

Ning Rongzhang looked at him for a long while, then said, "Of course I am unwilling to accept this. What belongs to my father is what belongs to my father. Ning Huaixuan was ruthless in his administration and killed many of the most important officials in the court. During his reign, disasters occurred frequently in the Dali Dynasty. I, the king, must restore order."

Prince Huai was still sitting there, but after hearing these words, he swallowed his saliva nervously. He knew a little about Prince Changyou's talents.

Prince Changyou played an indispensable role in turning the barren land of Western Xinjiang into the prosperous trade and transportation route it is today. He even broke into the capital, placed the emperor and the Empress Dowager under house arrest, and called himself the regent. Now he is attacking the Luanzhou tribe. He is truly an unparalleled hero.

Prince Huai stuttered, "I... naturally believe in my nephew..." He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said, "Don't worry, nephew. As long as you don't report my smuggling of iron ore to His Majesty, I swear that from now on, I will never do this damn iron ore business with the Luanzhou tribe again."

Ning Rongzhang waved his sleeves, rarely responding, and picked up the bottle in the corner of the room, saying, "This black-bodied celadon is very well made, I'll take it."

As the cold wind blew, Ah San followed with an umbrella. Seeing that his prince was holding an ancient celadon in his hand, he said, "Prince, this is..."

"I just think it looks good. This kind of black-bodied celadon is very rare."

Prince Huai stood at the door, watching the man take a vase from his room, and was completely confused. "Is he sick?"

It was already late at night when I returned home. It gets dark quickly in Zhenzhou in winter. Ordinary people had eaten early, lit one or two candles, and chatted in the house with the charcoal fire.

The window was slightly closed, but not tightly, leaving a gap. After staying in the house for a few days, Ji Mengshu felt that he was much better. But Hongye would not let him go out. He said that it was very cold outside these days, and the alternating cold and heat would inevitably cause the cold to recur.

He leaned his chin on his hand and looked out the window. When he saw the man coming into the courtyard, he didn't even realize that there was a smile on his face.

He opened the door and went in. Ning Rongzhang closed his umbrella and placed it under the porch. After taking off his cloak, he led his people in.

"It's freezing outside, don't come out."

It's as warm as spring inside, which is incomparable outside.

"Wait, I'll pick some plum blossoms for you."

Perhaps because she saw the black-bodied celadon in his arms, Ning Rongzhang did not hide it and handed it to her openly, walking out while talking.

Ji Mengshu held the vase and said, "You just took off your cloak!"

"It's okay. It only takes a moment."

In the cold winter of December, the plum blossoms outside the window are in full bloom, with a hint of frost on the petals.

When Ning Rongzhang raised his arm, he frowned, pulling the old wound on his back. He turned around and looked under the porch. The woman was still graceful in her winter clothes, standing under the porch and looking at him.

He gritted his teeth and endured it, reached out and plucked a plum branch, then put it in his other hand, and repeated this several times, plucking four or five branches.

The cold plum blossoms were covered with frost on the branches. Ji Mengshu thought that under such a cold frost, the plum blossoms must have been frozen stiff, and he would not feel any pain if he picked them off.

"Does it look good?"

He held plum blossoms in his hand and inserted them into the green vase one by one. The simple blue-black color and the enchanting plum color complemented each other.

"It's beautiful."

"Cough cough!" Ah San rushed in in a panic. When he saw this scene, he lowered his head and coughed twice.

Ning Rongzhang turned around, his expression showing no emotion, "Hmm? What's the matter?"

Ah San then took a few steps forward and said, "Well, Your Majesty, the kitchen has warmed up the wine today. I want to ask Your Majesty if you would like to try it."

"Hey, you're injured."

Under the plum blossom branches, he could clearly see the worry on her face.

Ning Rongzhang then smiled and said, "It's okay, one or two cups will actually help the wound heal, right?"

The window was half open, just enough to see the plum blossoms outside. The green vase was placed on the table, echoing the view outside the window. The warm air melted the frost on the petals, turning them into tiny water droplets.

"Today the housekeeper found a new chef who cooked Kyoto dishes. I thought you were not used to Zhenzhou cuisine." A glass of warm wine was also served, with a fragrant aroma.

This is true.

Ji Mengshu thought that he was not very picky about food, the only difference was whether he ate more or less. But after he got sick that day, he had less appetite, ate less food, and became thinner.

He also saw this.

"It's true that I'm a little uncomfortable with it. Although it's new, I've started to miss the taste of Kyoto after eating too much."

Ning Rongzhang was busy serving the dishes. He smiled when he heard this and said, "I guess so. The further north you go, the stronger the wine will be. Zhenzhou is adjacent to the north, so on a winter day like this, it won't hurt to drink some wine to warm yourself up." They each poured a glass of wine with a faint aroma of plum wine.

It really is the taste of Kyoto.

"By the way, has the guardian taken the bait?"

"It's all under my control." He raised his head slightly, his dark eyes showing a hint of cunning, "I sold the iron ore at twice the price of the previous day, and Wu Yanhe really agreed."

"The Luanzhou tribe is in turmoil, and Wu Yanhe is collecting so much iron ore at this time with a large sum of money. It seems that he is going to compete for the position of Khan. What does the prince think?" Ji Mengshu paused, "Why not let them fight among themselves?"

"Throughout the ages, the transfer of the Khan of Luanzhou tribe has always been a struggle of blood and tears, and the selection of the next Khan is also related to the future survival of the Dali Dynasty. If both are wise rulers, we can benefit from each other. If the Khan is ambitious and wants to expand the territory, our Dali Dynasty will experience the same battle again."

Ji Mengshu couldn't help but be surprised, "You think so far ahead?"

The man smiled and said, "Then I will just take it as a compliment."

The current Khan has only one biological son, the Third Prince, but he has many adopted sons. If the Dali Dynasty wants to participate in the fight among them, wouldn't Ning Rongzhang have to take on more risks?

Ji Mengshu ate in small bites, while the man opposite her didn't seem to think too much and was happy eating and drinking. It seemed that her worries were unnecessary.

"I can't stay in Zhenzhou for a few days. When they pass through Western Xinjiang, I will detain them all. If Wu Yanhe is sensible, he will cooperate with me... But you, you just got sick. If you go to Western Xinjiang on a bumpy ride, I'm afraid your body won't be able to bear it. What's more, the roads are slippery in the snowy winter. I'm worried about you following me."

"Are you leaving?" Ji Mengshu put down his bamboo chopsticks, inevitably feeling a little worried.