By clinging to the male lead's coattails, one can defy fate and change their destiny!
In the front hall of the Prime Minister's residence, incense wafted through the air, yet the atmosphere carried a subtle tension.
Prime Minister Jiang sat upright at the head of the table, his brows slightly furrowed, looking at the uninvited guest before him.
Prince Zhao, whose lineage is clear and bright, is the eldest son of the current emperor. Beneath his gentle and refined appearance lies an unfathomable depth of cunning.
He made a sudden visit today, saying he was visiting an old minister during the New Year holiday, but Prime Minister Jiang knew very well that this was by no means a simple New Year's greeting.
"Prime Minister Jiang works tirelessly for the country, even during the holidays, which truly earns my admiration." Zongzheng Zhaoran's voice was gentle and clear, like jade striking jade, and his face carried a perfectly measured smile of concern, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.
"Your Highness is too kind. It is my duty, and I dare not complain of being overworked." Prime Minister Jiang returned the greeting with a cupped hand, a slight alarm bell ringing in his heart.
This eldest prince, seemingly gentle and frugal, is actually meticulous and a strong contender for the throne.
The undercurrents between him and the Second Prince and the Ninth Prince were something Prime Minister Jiang avoided like the plague.
Just as Prime Minister Jiang was considering how to politely send the Buddha statue away, a series of footsteps, deliberately kept quiet but slightly disordered due to urgency, came from outside the hall.
Immediately afterwards, a petite figure, like a butterfly caught in a gust of wind, suddenly rushed into the front hall!
"Father! Father!" Jiang Wanzhi's voice was filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster, even tinged with sobs. She headed straight for Prime Minister Jiang, as if a demon was chasing her.
However, just as she was about to pounce on Prime Minister Jiang's legs, she finally caught a glimpse of the very imposing figure sitting beside her.
Dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns, her hair tied up with a jade crown, her face as fair as jade, her temperament gentle and noble, she sat upright with the bearing of a dragon and the posture of a phoenix.
It's him! It's him! It really is him!
The male protagonist in the book!
The lucky one! The chosen one, the true Son of Heaven!
After she transmigrated into this tattered book, the only glimmer of hope she could see was the eldest prince, Zongzheng Zhaoran!
Her savior! Her savior has appeared!
Forget about "Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell PLUS" and "Pretending to be Well-behaved"—go to hell with them all!
Cling to the male lead's coattails and defy fate—that's the only way to survive!
She wants to replace the female lead in the original book and become the woman standing next to the male lead!
Let that damned plot of writing myself into the cold palace to be fed to pigs be completely banned!
Jiang Wanzhi abruptly stopped in her tracks as she lunged toward her father, turning around in an extremely awkward posture, her target instantly locked onto Zongzheng Zhaoran!
Prime Minister Jiang was dumbfounded, wondering if his daughter had suffered another bout of madness.
"Hi... handsome young master, hello!" Jiang Wanzhi blurted out an extremely intimate yet presumptuous address, carrying a hint of admiration.
This sudden turn of events plunged the hall into an eerie, deathly silence.
Prime Minister Jiang was shocked and furious, almost choking on his own breath: "Zhi'er! How dare you! You mustn't be disrespectful to His Highness Prince Zhao! Get out of here at once!"
He shouted angrily, veins throbbing on his forehead. What was this girl up to now? How dare she call King Zhao "handsome"? And behave so rudely!
Zongzheng Zhaoran sat upright without moving, his gentle and refined smile unchanged, but a faint hint of surprise and inquiry flashed quickly in the depths of his eyes.
He subtly raised and lowered the teacup, his movements elegant and natural, exuding an unapproachable aloofness.
"Hello, Miss Jiang." He nodded gently in response.
Zongzheng Zhaoran's seemingly gentle but actually distant gaze instantly cleared her feverish mind.
She realized she had been too hasty! She had lost her composure! That's not how you use the male lead's halo!
She immediately withdrew her hand, forcing a look of embarrassment and panic onto her face. She took a half step back, gave a slight curtsy, and said in a pitiful voice, "Your...Your Highness, please forgive me! It was...it was my fault! I was frightened last night and was momentarily disoriented. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
The reason was full of holes, but given her terrified and tearful appearance, it did have some credibility.
This is especially true for a well-bred young lady whose words and actions are inverted and who has lost her mind.
Prime Minister Jiang's expression softened slightly. Although the reason was far-fetched, it was still better than his daughter actually going mad and clashing with a prince. He quickly stood up and apologized: "Your Highness, please forgive me! My daughter... my daughter has been mentally unwell lately, sometimes absent-minded, and her words and actions are inappropriate, which has disturbed Your Highness. This old minister has failed in his duty to educate his daughter and deserves to die!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran, however, said gently, "Prime Minister Jiang, you are too kind. Miss Jiang is innocent and naive. She was frightened and that's how she reacted... It's only human nature, there's nothing wrong with that."
"But Miss Jiang..." He changed the subject, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern, "You said you were frightened? I wonder what happened to disturb you?"
Here it comes! The chance to attract the male lead has arrived!
Jiang Wanzhi's heart pounded, but she tried her best to maintain a fragile, shaken expression. She looked up at Zongzheng Zhaoran hesitantly, then quickly lowered her head again, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. Her voice was barely audible, filled with endless grievance and lingering fear: "No...nothing serious...it's just...it was just last night..."
She paused deliberately to create suspense, but her peripheral vision kept a close eye on Zongzheng Zhaoran's reaction.
"Last night?" Zongzheng Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly very interested.
“Last night… I wanted to go out to see the night market lantern festival, but… I was almost killed by a rampaging black horse!” Jiang Wanzhi’s voice suddenly rose, filled with accusation.
"That man was dressed in a black outfit, cold as an iceberg, riding a black horse and charging around recklessly, with an air of superiority. He must be some kind of king or general, so arrogant and haughty. He didn't even offer an apology. I feel so wronged..." As she spoke, she choked up again, her body trembling slightly as if she were truly terrified.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Jiang turned pale, both shocked and furious: "What?! How could this happen?! Last night you..." He suddenly remembered his daughter's runaway from home the previous night, and swallowed the rest of his words, his face becoming even more unsightly.
Zongzheng Zhaoran's eyes flickered slightly, and his smile became even more gentle. He reassured her gently, "How could there be such an arrogant person? Miss Jiang, rest assured, under the Emperor's nose, how can such lawless behavior be tolerated? I will definitely send someone to investigate and give you an explanation."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Jiang Wanzhi immediately bowed gratefully, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zongzheng Zhaoran with a hopeful and dependent smile.
He seemed like a god who could dispel the clouds and bring forth the sun. "Your Highness, you are truly... truly wonderful!" The adoration and fervor in his eyes were almost overflowing.
Jiang Wanzhi breathed a sigh of relief. Getting close to the male lead was really not easy! This whole performance of hers could be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress!
Zongzheng Zhaoran readily accepted this admiration, his smile remaining gentle. He glanced seemingly casually at Prime Minister Jiang, whose expression was shifting rapidly, and said meaningfully, "Miss Jiang is innocent and straightforward, quite adorable, but..."
He paused, then his gaze returned to Jiang Wanzhi, his tone gentle and teasing like that of an older brother, "You'll need to bring more guards when you go out in the future. After all, if Ninth Brother knew you were so frightened, he would probably be heartbroken."
He spoke the words "Ninth Brother" very lightly, yet they were like two ice needles, instantly piercing the bubble of hope that Jiang Wanzhi had just begun to form.
Jiang Wanzhi's smile froze abruptly, the color draining from her face. Her heart, which had just been warmed by Prince Zhao, instantly plunged into an icy abyss.
I (voice muted) forgot!
I'm the fiancée of that evil villain!
NO!
Zongzheng Zhaoran rose gracefully: "Prime Minister Jiang, I have troubled you for a long time and it is time for me to take my leave. Miss Jiang, please rest well and do not be frightened again."
"Respectfully seeing off Your Highness!" Prime Minister Jiang hurriedly bowed, and Jiang Wanzhi mechanically followed suit.
The male lead... doesn't seem so easy to fool; he doesn't seem to have any interest in me at all!
Her path to "clinging to powerful figures to change her fate" seems fraught with thorns and as difficult as ascending to heaven!
That's right! The female lead in the book! Jiang Wanzhi suddenly realized, how could she have forgotten such an important character!
Su Yuyue, the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo! How did she develop a romantic relationship with Prince Zhao?!
If I pursue Su Yuyue's romantic storyline, wouldn't that be enough to win over Prince Zhao's heart?!
Only after Zongzheng Zhaoran's figure, like a white moonlight, completely disappeared from the Prime Minister's residence did the invisible tension in the front hall ease slightly.
Prime Minister Jiang slumped back into his armchair, rubbing his throbbing temples. Looking at his daughter, who was still standing frozen in place, he felt both angry and terrified.
"Zhi'er! You...you have truly...truly disgraced your father today!"
Prime Minister Jiang lowered his voice, his voice filled with anguish, "That's the First Prince! His Highness Prince Zhao! How could you be so disrespectful? What 'handsome man'? What kind of talk is that? And...and you even tried to drag His Highness down with you? Do you have a death wish, or do you think our Jiang family doesn't have enough enemies already?!"
Jiang Wanzhi then slowly raised her head, like a puppet being startled awake.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to say that she was just trying to grasp at the only straw, trying to change her destined tragic fate!
But how could he say these words to his father, a paper doll who only thinks about kings, generals, fame, and power?
She could only manage a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Father, I know I was wrong. I was too frightened last night, and then I suddenly saw King Zhao, and for a moment... I lost my mind again and acted inappropriately. Please punish me, Father."
She once again resorted to her tried-and-true talisman: "being insane."
Prime Minister Jiang looked at her and sighed heavily. His anger was replaced by deep exhaustion. Yes, what more could he say to a daughter who had gone mad? But her madness was becoming increasingly out of control; how could he feel at ease marrying her off to Prince Heng?
"Enough, enough," Prime Minister Jiang waved his hand weakly, "Go back and rest. These days... stay in your own room and recuperate quietly, and don't go out and cause any more trouble!" The last sentence carried a stern warning.
"Yes, Father." Jiang Wanzhi responded, bowed, and turned to go back to her room to rearrange things and get to work!
…………
However, Jiang Wanzhi's unusual behavior today somehow reached the ears of the Prince Heng's mansion and Zongzheng Hengyu without anyone noticing.
"Prince Zhao visited the Prime Minister's residence today and spoke with Prime Minister Jiang in the front hall for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. During this time..." Yan Cheng's voice was flat, as if stating the most ordinary facts, "Miss Jiang suddenly barged in, became agitated, and rushed towards Prime Minister Jiang. Upon seeing Prince Zhao present, her behavior became quite unusual."
Zongzheng Hengyu's hand, which was holding the pen to make annotations, paused slightly, and a small blot of ink spread on the paper. He didn't look up, but simply uttered a single word: "Speak."
"Miss Jiang first addressed His Highness Prince Zhao as... what handsome young master? After being reprimanded by Lord Jiang, then..." Yan Cheng's voice paused, as if he was carefully choosing his words.
"She tearfully complained to His Highness Prince Zhao that she had been startled by a wild black horse that ran rampaging through the night market the previous night. The rider was arrogant and haughty, and his words showed a lot of resentment towards the rider."
Zongzheng Hengyu slowly put down his pen.
He raised his head, his cold face expressionless, his deep eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, yet radiating no warmth.
He slowly stood up, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed at the snow that had not yet melted in the courtyard. The moonlight shone on his dark brocade robe, outlining his tall and solitary figure.
“It seems that this Jiang Wanzhi…” He spoke slowly, his voice calm and even, yet it sent a chill down Yan Cheng’s spine. “She is quite different from others when it comes to Prince Zhao.”
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