The princess regretted it.

Chapter 378 Snow Disaster in the Previous Life

Inside the palace, the glazed tiles were already covered in a thick layer of snow, looking from afar like a pure white velvet carpet. The snow on the palace paths reached ankles, and the paths the eunuchs had just cleared were soon covered again by fresh snow. A cold wind howled through the palace gates and corridors, making a sound like the wailing of an alien beast.

Jin'an and Ziyun braved the wind and snow, walking on the palace road which had been cleared and covered with a relatively thin layer of snow, making a crunching sound under their feet.

"Princess, it snows heavily this year, and I don't know when it will stop." Ziyun looked at the thick snow on both sides of the palace road and the eunuchs who were busy clearing the snow on the road. She couldn't help but whispered. As soon as she opened her mouth, the hot air in her mouth turned into a cloud of white mist and drifted away.

Jin'an had been thinking about the Yu envoy the entire way, but hearing Ziyun's words brought her back to reality. She raised her eyes slightly, and all she saw was a gloomy sky covered in snow. In an instant, a forgotten memory, as if awakened by the wind, surged back into her mind.

She subconsciously looked around, her eyes sweeping over the busy eunuchs. Their clothes were covered with snowflakes, their cheeks were red from the cold wind, but they still didn't stop sweeping the brooms in their hands, and the snow could not be swept away.

"Yeah! It's snowing hard!" Jin An sighed softly, her voice muffled by the howling wind. She had just remembered that in her previous life, the snow seemed to have fallen for nearly ten days before it gradually subsided. She remembered that many poor families in the city, unable to stock up on charcoal fires in advance, suffered from the severe cold during the long snowy season. Many people fell ill from the blizzards, but died without proper medical care.

In previous years, during heavy snowfall, the imperial court would open its granaries and distribute food supplies, setting up porridge kitchens in every neighborhood to provide relief to the starving and cold civilians, helping them endure the difficult times. However, that year, due to the stalemate in the northern border, both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue claimed that their stored supplies and grain reserves were almost all shipped north. To defend their country, the frontline soldiers braved the elements, risking their lives and sleeping in the open air, and the imperial court in the rear naturally gave them their full support.

This posed a challenge for the people of the capital. With soup kitchens still unavailable, the prices of grain and charcoal skyrocketed. While the court officials generally had food reserves and could afford to buy charcoal, ordinary people were left struggling. Many could only huddle in cold rooms, barely shielded against the cold with thin blankets, relying on the few remaining dry rations. Complaints and sighs echoed throughout the streets.

At that time, Jin An had already married Wu Changfeng. Seeing the people suffering, she felt very sorry for them. She wanted to open a porridge restaurant in the city in the name of Jin Wuhou Mansion to provide hot meals to the hungry people and bring a little warmth to those shivering in the snow and ice.

But as soon as she expressed her thoughts, she was sternly stopped by Marquis Jinwu. She remembered his face, full of disapproval, as he said in a deep voice, "Even the national treasury can't afford this. If the Jinwu Mansion intervenes rashly, it will only invite unwarranted suspicion. You are now the Crown Prince's Consort of my Jinwu Mansion. Your every move, every word, is closely tied to the prosperity and disgrace of the Jinwu Mansion. Look around, which wealthy family in the capital has stepped forward to distribute porridge? Have you ever carefully considered what it would mean if you did so? Are you planning to announce to the world that our Jinwu Mansion has more money than the national treasury and is more capable of helping the people than the court? You are trying to drag the Jinwu Mansion into this trouble and plunge your entire family into irreparable disaster!"

Jin An, whose heart was entirely focused on Wu Changjian, felt deeply ashamed and guilty upon hearing these words. She immediately apologized to Jin Wuhou, saying that her actions were too imprudent and had nearly brought disaster upon her husband's family. Seeing her humble attitude, Jin Wuhou was very pleased.

In addition, over the next few days, perhaps due to the pressure from Marquis Jin Wu, Wu Changfeng changed his usual busy schedule of leaving home early and returning late, and every day he spent a lot of time with Jin An, caring for her. Jin An was immersed in Wu Changfeng's gentle and sweet feelings, and lost in this deep love, gradually forgetting the turmoil in the outside world and no longer paying attention to what was happening outside.

Later, news of the snow's impact gradually reached the capital. Jin'an heard that this rare snowstorm had blocked roads, making it difficult to transport supplies, leaving many people without food and clothing, starving and freezing. The city's citizens, dissatisfied with the court's inadequate relief efforts, began to complain, and the resentment was like a spark, threatening to grow.

At that time, she was worried about her father and wanted to enter the palace, but the third prince, Changsun Wuwang, arrived at the Marquis' Mansion first and dissuaded her from entering the palace to see her father.

She remembered her third brother's expression at the time, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with earnestness. He gently advised, "Jin'an, I know you are deeply filial to our father, and heaven and earth bear witness to your devotion. However, the current situation falls within the realm of imperial politics. Although you may be a princess, you are still a woman, and now that you've married into the Marquis Jinwu's mansion, your status has changed dramatically."

He paused slightly, his tone growing graver. "In the court, the forces of power are volatile and volatile, with open and covert struggles never ceasing. The slightest misstep will be seized upon and made into a major issue. If you rashly enter the palace and meddle in government affairs now, others will undoubtedly accuse you of interfering with the government through your relatives. Not only would that be extremely detrimental to your own safety, it could also affect the Jinwu Marquisate and even put your father in a difficult position at court."

It was Changsun Wuwang's earnest words that successfully persuaded Jin An, who already trusted and relied on the Third Prince, to abandon her desire to enter the palace. While she was also concerned about her father, her Third Prince was right: she truly couldn't help. Furthermore, she had previously secured an opportunity for her husband to enter the court with her father, and he hadn't yet achieved much in terms of government. If the censors perceived her as overly involved in government affairs, it might even bring trouble to her husband and the Marquisate.

She had no choice but to put her thoughts aside and asked Zhangsun Wuwang to care more about her father on her behalf and help him with political affairs.

"Don't worry, Jin'an. The emperor father raised me, and the people of this world are the ones we should protect. Caring for the emperor father and assisting in government affairs are my responsibilities. I will do my best and live up to your trust. Besides, the emperor father has already made a decision on this matter, so you can just live your life in peace." Changsun Wuwang's sincere assurance to her was very helpful to her at that time.

Jin An was deeply relieved to hear such thoughtful words from her third brother, whom she had trusted since childhood. With her third brother at her father's side, she believed that both court affairs and the snowstorm issue would be handled appropriately. From then on, Jin An suppressed her worries and stopped worrying about them. Besides, she simply didn't have the time.