Alliance Agreement

He walked to the window and made a few soft sounds, like birdsong. Soon, a dark figure appeared silently outside the window on the veranda, standing there with a bowed posture.

King Zhao handed over the note and whispered a few instructions. The dark figure took the note, nodded in acceptance, and vanished without a trace in an instant.

Jiang Wanzhi clicked her tongue in amazement: "These are the legendary secret guards? They're so cool!"

King Zhao turned around and looked at her excited and curious expression, and couldn't help but smile: "The matter has been arranged. It will be clear in two or three days, or five or six days at the latest. At that time, the rumors in the capital will naturally change, and Father's doubts will also turn to where they should be. You and Prime Minister Jiang will be cleared of any wrongdoing."

Jiang Wanzhi finally felt a huge weight lifted from her heart and let out a long sigh of relief: "Great! I can finally get rid of this lousy hat! Thank you allies for your great help!" She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, just like a martial arts practitioner.

“There’s no need for thanks between allies,” King Zhao said, looking at her meaningfully.

Looking out the window, it was already late. Although Jiang Wanzhi was chatting excitedly, she knew that this was not a place to stay for long, especially since she had sneaked out.

"Um... Your Highness, it's getting late, shouldn't I..." She pointed to the door, indicating that it was time to slip away.

Zongzheng Zhaoran nodded knowingly: "Yes, you should go back now. Do not mention today's events to anyone."

He paused, then took out a token from the drawer under his desk and added, "If there is any emergency in the future, you can use this token to go to the 'Listening to the Rain Teahouse' in the West City and find a manager surnamed Tao. He will find a way to inform me."

"Understood! Absolutely confidential!" Jiang Wanzhi made a suffocating gesture, tied her hair back up, put on her hat, and transformed back into that slightly thin young scholar.

She reached the door, then couldn't help turning back, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Prince Zhao. She lowered her voice and asked, "Um...Your Highness, once this matter is settled, can I apply for an 'ally perk' to see that legendary 'Ghost-Faced Man'? Just one glimpse! I promise I won't disturb his work!"

Zongzheng Zhaoran smiled and shook his head: "You... I can't see how charming this Ghost Mask is, how come he attracts you so much?" He was truly impressed by her unconventional thinking.

Jiang Wanzhi waved her hand with a grin: "Haha, I'm off then! Goodbye, allies!"

After saying that, she tiptoed out of the study like a kitten that had successfully stolen some fish, and left the Prince Zhao's residence under the guidance of the servants.

Reintegrating into the everyday life of the capital, Jiang Wanzhi's mood was completely different from when she arrived. Having found powerful allies, resolved an imminent crisis, and caught up in countless gossip tales, she felt much lighter on her feet.

She even started humming a tuneless little tune: "We ordinary people are really, really happy today!"

However, just as she turned into a quiet alley not far from her home, a tall, imposing figure in a black cloak stood silently at the alley entrance, blocking her way, like a rock in the dark night.

The sunlight outlined the man's hard jawline and the chilling aura emanating from him.

Jiang Wanzhi's humming stopped abruptly, her steps faltered, and her heart skipped a beat.

That figure... she knew it all too well!

Zongzheng Hengyu?!

The figure at the alley entrance, like a dark mountain blending into the night, was calm yet carried an unparalleled sense of oppression.

The hood of the black cloak was pulled down slightly, covering most of her face, but Jiang Wanzhi would never mistake that unique, chilling aura honed on the battlefield!

What could he be doing here?! At this time and in this place, it's as if he was waiting here specifically for him!

Jiang Wanzhi's blood seemed to freeze instantly, her mind went blank. The silly fun and strategic thinking she had just had in the Prince Zhao's mansion vanished in an instant, leaving only the words "It's over" frantically scrolling across the screen!

She instinctively tried to bury her head even lower, pretending to be just a passerby, but those cold eyes had already locked onto her precisely, leaving her nowhere to hide.

"Your Highness... Prince Heng?" Jiang Wanzhi's voice was dry and tight, and she almost bit her tongue. She tried to force an innocent and bewildered expression, but her muscles were too stiff to obey her commands.

Zongzheng Hengyu did not speak immediately, but stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over her as if it were a physical object, from her slightly messy men's hairstyle to the obviously ill-fitting old robe she was wearing, every detail seemed to be exposed under his cold scrutiny.

The alley was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of the wind blowing over the walls and the pounding of Jiang Wanzhi's own heart.

Finally, he moved. He slowly raised his hand, pulled back his hood, and revealed a face with sharp features, handsome yet as cold as ice.

His tightly pursed lips and deep eyes seemed to hold the promise of an impending storm.

“Miss Jiang,” he began, his voice colder than the night wind, devoid of any emotion, “where are you headed, dressed like this?”

Jiang Wanzhi felt a chill run down her spine, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plausible excuse: "I...I was feeling really bored, so I came out...to clear my head! Yes, to clear my head! Wearing this...is convenient!" The excuse was so clumsy that she wanted to slap herself.

"To relax?" Zongzheng Hengyu repeated the two words, his tone calm but carrying a suffocating sense of oppression. "To disperse from the back gate of the Prime Minister's residence, avoid the patrolling guards, and precisely disperse to... the vicinity of Prince Zhao's residence?"

Jiang Wanzhi's heart sank! He knew! He not only knew she had come out, but he also knew where she had gone!

Was he keeping an eye on the Prime Minister's residence the whole time? Or... was he following her the whole time?

A wave of overwhelming fear gripped her. What if he found out she had met with King Zhao? What if he found out she had formed an alliance with him? What if he found out about those earth-shattering secrets about "rebirth" and "transmigration"...?

The consequences would be unimaginable!

"I...I didn't!" she denied almost out of the mouth, her voice sharpening with panic. "I was just wandering around! I got lost! Yes, I got lost! I had no idea that it was the Prince Zhao's residence!" She tried to make a last-ditch effort, even though she knew the lie was fragile and easily shattered.

Zongzheng Hengyu took a step forward.

With just one step, the overwhelming sense of oppression rushed towards her, causing Jiang Wanzhi to instinctively retreat until her back pressed directly against the cold, rough alley wall, leaving her with nowhere to go.

He looked down at her, his deep eyes appearing particularly sharp in the moonlight, as if he could see through all her pretense and panic.

"Lost?" He leaned closer, his voice lower yet more dangerous. "Lost so much that you had to disguise yourself as a man? Lost so much that you had to use the Prime Minister's jade pendant to knock on the door? Lost so much that... you were inside for almost an hour?"

Each question struck Jiang Wanzhi's heart like a hammer blow. He knew everything! He even knew how long she had been inside!

She panicked completely, her face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word. Her mind was in complete chaos due to extreme panic, and all sorts of terrible consequences flashed before her eyes.

Seeing her terrified state, Zongzheng Hengyu's eyes seemed to grow even colder, mixed with a hint of barely perceptible disappointment.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out his hand.

Jiang Wanzhi was so frightened that she quickly closed her eyes, thinking he was about to attack her.

But she felt those long, calloused fingers gently brush past her temples, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out during her hurried run behind her ear.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, even a bit stiff, but they made Jiang Wanzhi freeze, and she suddenly opened her eyes, staring at him in disbelief.

His fingertips carried the coolness of the wind, yet the sensation was exceptionally clear.

“Jiang Wanzhi,” he called her name, his voice still cold and deep, but seemingly less sharp than before, “I don’t care why you went to him, nor what you talked about.”

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on her: "Just one thing to remind you."

"Zongzheng Zhaoran is far more complex and dangerous than you imagine. Cooperating with him is like asking a tiger for its skin."

Jiang Wanzhi's heart started pounding again. He... he not only knew that she had contact with Prince Zhao, but even guessed that they were cooperating. This Zongzheng Hengyu was indeed no ordinary person!

My goodness! The villainous King Heng's character is truly living up to his name!

"I...I don't know what Your Highness is talking about..." She subconsciously wanted to deny it, but her confidence was already extremely low.

Zongzheng Hengyu straightened up, distanced himself again, and resumed his cold and aloof demeanor.

"You'd better watch yourself." He said this indifferently, giving her a deep look with a complex and unfathomable gaze, seemingly containing too many emotions she couldn't understand.

He turned around immediately, his black cloak drawing a clean arc in the night wind, and took a step to leave.

"Wait!" Jiang Wanzhi blurted out almost immediately.

Zongzheng Hengyu stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

Jiang Wanzhi stared at his tall, solitary figure, her mind a jumbled mess. She couldn't understand what he wanted. Caught her red-handed, he just gave a warning and left? This was too unusual!

"Your Highness...why..." she wanted to ask, but didn't know where to begin.

His cold, hard voice came from ahead, interrupting her: "Miss Jiang would be better off returning to the manor as soon as possible. After all, you are under house arrest, so don't go out alone again."

After saying that, he didn't linger, and his figure quickly disappeared into the darkness at the alley entrance, as if he had never been there.

Jiang Wanzhi was left alone, leaning blankly against the cold wall, her heart still pounding, her mind filled with more questions and confusion.

A warning? Concern? Or another form of probing?

A strong gust of wind blew by, and she couldn't help but shiver. She felt that the world was far more profound and complex than she had imagined.

The little bit of alliance and silly fun that had just been built up in Prince Zhao's residence seemed to crumble after Prince Heng's sudden appearance and inexplicable warning.

She dared not linger any longer, wrapped herself tightly in her ill-fitting robe, and like a frightened rabbit, quickly slipped away towards the back gate of the Prime Minister's residence.