Enjoying the scenery with King Zhao
On the day of the appointment, Jiang Wanzhi abandoned her elaborate palace attire, which was so layered and could easily cause her to trip over herself, and changed into a neat, light purple, narrow-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). She simply tied her hair up and tucked it into a jade hairpin. Looking in the mirror, she thought, "Hmm, I do have a bit of the air of a female knight-errant… a maidservant, but with the advantage of being able to move around freely!"
Chuntao, seeing her young mistress's "too casual" attire, stamped her feet anxiously: "Miss! You're going to see His Highness Prince Zhao! This is far too sloppy!"
Jiang Wanzhi looked at herself in the mirror and was quite satisfied: "What's with the simplicity? This is called returning to simplicity! We're going to climb mountains and see the water, not to attend a palace banquet. Why would we dress so formally and wait to fall? Don't worry, His Highness Prince Zhao is not the kind of person who is bound by formalities."
She added in her mind: He's a reborn person, he's seen all kinds of big scenes, why would he care what I wear?
When she arrived at the Liuli Pavilion by carriage, she was led by a maid to the reserved waterside pavilion, where she indeed saw Prince Zhao, Zongzheng Zhaoran, already waiting there.
Today, he had also changed out of his formal princely attire and was wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a matching belt around his waist. He was adorned only with a fine jade pendant, and his hair was loosely tied up with a jade crown. He was standing by the window, gazing at the flowing water outside.
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon him, softening his originally gentle yet somewhat aloof demeanor, giving him an ethereal and otherworldly air.
Jiang Wanzhi's eyes lit up, and she skipped over in a few steps, greeting him with a grin: "Oh! Your Highness, you're here so early! Are you also feeling cooped up in the manor and can't wait to come out for some fresh air?"
Chun Tao, who was following behind her, almost stumbled, inwardly groaning: Miss! Where is your manners!
Zongzheng Zhaoran turned around upon hearing the sound. He was slightly taken aback when he saw Jiang Wanzhi's vibrant outfit and her undisguised radiant smile. Then, a genuine smile spread across his eyes, like a spring breeze rippling across a lake.
He found himself getting used to Jiang Wanzhi's unconventional way of speaking, and even... a little excited about it.
“Miss Jiang.” He nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over her. “Your attire today is quite… unique.” He used a rather subtle word.
"Right, right? I told you this is comfortable!" Jiang Wanzhi automatically took "unique" as a compliment, and sat down on the cushioned stool without any hesitation. She picked up a beautifully arranged lotus-shaped pastry from the table, took a bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "Mmm! The pastries here are indeed as good as they say! Your Highness, please try them. Don't be shy, it's just like being at home!"
Seeing her take the initiative and act so naturally and familiarly, Zongzheng Zhaoran's smile deepened.
He sat down opposite her and picked up a pastry as instructed. His movements remained elegant and composed, but the atmosphere inexplicably became relaxed and casual.
He discovered that being with Jiang Wanzhi allowed him to relax a little, freeing him from maintaining a flawless princely demeanor.
This feeling of not having to pretend was a luxury that warmed his heart, a luxury he had never known since his rebirth, a life lived in constant calculation and vigilance.
"Thanks to Your Highness for turning the tide and saving me from this predicament regarding the Prince of Ming!" Jiang Wanzhi raised her teacup, her expression exaggerated as if she were performing in a play. "I cannot express my gratitude in words, but I still want to thank you! I offer you this cup of tea instead of wine! May our little boat of friendship... no, I mean the great ship of revolution, sail through the wind and waves, and never sink!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran chuckled at her words and raised his teacup to clink it lightly with hers: "Wanzhi, you flatter me. As allies, it is only right that we support each other."
He paused, then added with a hint of mockery, "However, the term 'cunning and shrewd' didn't seem to have all a positive connotation last time I heard it?"
"Oh dear, Your Highness, you've misunderstood!" Jiang Wanzhi said without batting an eye, spouting nonsense with a straight face, "'Old' describes someone with rich experience, 'strategic' means wise, 'profound' means insightful, and 'calculated' means meticulous planning! These four words combined are my highest praise for your intelligence and methods! You are far superior to that Ming Wang who only knew how to play dirty tricks and ended up ruining himself, by more than eight hundred Heng Wangs!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, quickly covering his lips with his sleeve, but the joy in his eyes and brows was impossible to hide. He found that chatting with Jiang Wanzhi always brought unexpected happiness.
"If King Heng knew that he had become a unit of measurement, I wonder what he would think."
"Who cares!" Jiang Wanzhi waved her hand boldly, then leaned closer, lowered her voice, and her face was full of excitement, as if she wanted to share the gossip with me.
"Honestly, Your Highness, your actions this time were textbook perfect! The timing and order of those messages, and the subtle guidance, were brilliant! It was as if you had the script in advance!"
Jiang Wanzhi nodded frantically in her heart: That's right, that's right, he definitely has a script! The rebirth cheat is truly invincible!
Looking into her bright, curious, and adoring eyes, Zongzheng Zhaoran felt increasingly pleased. He lowered his voice as if sharing a secret and said, "It's just taking advantage of the situation and guiding it. Compared to Wanzhi's ability to remain calm and adapt to changing circumstances, mine is just clumsy."
"Your Highness, you are too modest! My cleverness is at most a little bit, but yours is true wisdom!" Jiang Wanzhi praised without reservation.
After a round of mutual flattery, the two smiled at each other, and the air was filled with a tacit understanding and joy that "we are the best partners".
This sense of ease between "kindred spirits" that only they could understand was something they had never experienced with anyone else.
After drinking a few cups of tea and admiring the water view for a while, Jiang Wanzhi began to feel a bit bored sitting there. She was naturally active, and with such beautiful weather, not going out for a stroll would be a waste of her life.
"Your Highness, let's not just sit here. I heard there's a huge waterfall in the back mountain, it's really spectacular! Shall we go take a look? Let's stretch our muscles and digest our snacks so we can eat more for lunch later!" Jiang Wanzhi suggested enthusiastically.
Seeing her eager expression, Zongzheng Zhaoran naturally had no objection: "Alright, let's do as Wanzhi says."
The two left the pavilion and walked along the bluestone path towards the back mountain. The mountain path was winding, with ancient trees reaching for the sky on both sides and weeds growing everywhere, giving it a wild and natural feel.
Jiang Wanzhi completely let loose, like a bird released from its cage. One moment she pointed to a strange purple mushroom by the roadside and asked, "Your Highness, you are very knowledgeable. Is it okay to stew chicken with this mushroom? Will I see little people dancing?"
A moment later, it called out to the squirrel hopping on the branch: "Hey! You brown-furred one! Yes, you! Have you stored up enough food? Don't go hungry in the winter!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran followed half a step behind her, watching her lively and cheerful back, listening to her strange questions and mutterings to herself, and the smile on his face never disappeared.
He hadn't felt such pure, unadulterated joy simply because of another person's happiness in a long time.
He even answered her "mushroom question" with great interest: "This mushroom is brightly colored, but it is mostly poisonous. Wan Zhi, you should not try it lightly." As for talking to the squirrel... he chose to watch with a smile.
"Ouch!" Joy turned to sorrow. Jiang Wanzhi was so focused on examining the ground for wild vegetables that she didn't notice the tangled tree roots under her feet. She stumbled and fell forward.
"Watch out!" Zongzheng Zhaoran reacted quickly, stepping forward and firmly supporting her arm.
"Thank you, thank you!" Jiang Wanzhi used the support to steady herself, patted her chest to catch her breath, "This road is not compatible with my birth chart... Wait!" She suddenly grabbed Zongzheng Zhaoran's hand, which he hadn't had time to retract, and looked at it over and over, with an expression of discovering a new continent.
Zongzheng Zhaoran was taken aback by her sudden action: "Wanzhi?"
"Your Highness!" Jiang Wanzhi raised her head, her eyes burning with admiration, as if she had discovered a peerless martial arts manual. "Your reaction speed! Your rock-solid stance! Your perfectly timed strength! It's a great loss to the martial arts world that you don't practice martial arts! How about abandoning literature for martial arts? We can form a duo, I've even thought of a name: you'll be called 'Clearly Revealed,' and I'll be called 'Evening Breeze,' together we'll be the 'Revealing Wind Duo,' guaranteed to make a name for ourselves in the martial arts world!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran was stunned for two seconds, then finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, his chest trembling slightly.
He shook his head helplessly, but his tone was indulgent: "Wan Zhi's ingenious ideas are truly... breathtaking." He did not pull his hand away, letting her hold it, feeling the warmth and touch from his palm was exceptionally clear, even a little hot.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the roar of the waterfall grew ever closer. Rounding a bend in the mountain path, the view suddenly opened up before them.
A massive white ribbon, like the Milky Way falling from the heavens, plunged down from the towering cliff and crashed into the deep, emerald-green pool below, creating a thousand layers of white waves and a misty spray that refracted a magnificent rainbow in the sunlight—a truly spectacular sight.
"Wow! Awesome!" Jiang Wanzhi was dumbfounded. Her modern vocabulary suddenly became impoverished, and she could only express her shock in the most straightforward tone.
Excitedly, she ran to a large rock by the pool, smoothed by the steam, and opened her arms, feeling the cool water droplets splashing on her face, as if they could wash away all her worries and fatigue. She even tried sticking out her tongue to catch some water droplets and taste them, but ended up coughing from the steam.
Zongzheng Zhaoran stood not far behind her, ignoring her slightly "unladylike" behavior, his gaze fixed on her temples damp with moisture and her cheeks flushed with excitement.
At this moment, she was vibrant, lively, and full of life, like a pebble suddenly thrown into the still lake of his heart, stirring up ripples. His eyes unconsciously filled with a tenderness and a hint of doting that he himself hadn't even noticed.
He was about to warn her that the stones were slippery and to watch her step when he saw Jiang Wanzhi slip and fall backward as she tried to get closer to the edge of the waterfall, letting out a cry of surprise!
"Watch out!" Zongzheng Zhaoran's heart tightened, and almost instinctively he stepped forward, stretched out his long arm, and steadily pulled the purple figure into his arms!
"Bang!"
Jiang Wanzhi felt dizzy, and the next second, she was thrown into a warm and firm embrace. A refined scent, carrying a faint aroma of books and ink, instantly enveloped her.
The world seemed to have been muted; the roar of the waterfall became distant, leaving only the somewhat rapid heartbeat in my ears, indistinguishable as to whether it was his or my own.
Jiang Wanzhi's brain froze for three seconds, and then the comments section exploded:
[Alert! Alert! Classic romantic scene triggered!]
[The Male Lead's Essential Skill: The "Catching a Girl in His Arms" Move!]
[Those pecs...they feel solid to the touch, great!]
Should I shyly push him away or pat him on the back and say, "Good bro, you're a true friend!"? I need an answer urgently!
She froze in King Zhao's arms, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet. Her cheeks were visibly heating up, hot enough to fry an egg.
Zongzheng Zhaoran, on the other hand, was the first to recover from this sudden intimate contact. The warm, soft body in his arms, the unique softness and faint fragrance of a young girl, constantly challenged his self-control.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Are you alright?" His arms remained wrapped around her, not letting go immediately.
The deep, magnetic voice sounded above her head, and Jiang Wanzhi jumped back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She took two steps back, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at him, and stammered, "N-nothing! Thank you, Your Highness! Your...your reaction speed is definitely that of a trained fighter! I...I'll have a banner made for you that says 'Agile and Skilled, Saving Lives' and send it to your residence!"
Seeing her flushed ears and obvious panic, Zongzheng Zhaoran chuckled softly, his mood inexplicably improving. He suddenly felt that, occasionally, such little "accidents" felt quite nice.
He calmly straightened his slightly wrinkled sleeves and said gently, "It's good that Wanzhi is alright. There's no need for the banner; just invite me for tea next time."
"Definitely! Plenty!" Jiang Wanzhi nodded hurriedly, almost nodding her head off.
On the way back to Liuli Pavilion for lunch, the atmosphere became somewhat subtle. Jiang Wanzhi, unlike her usual lively self, became unusually "quiet," walking silently with her head down, occasionally stealing a glance at Prince Zhao's profile before quickly lowering her head again, her inner monologue racing:
[Jiang Wanzhi! Show some backbone! You're a worldly, modern woman! It's just a hug, is it really that big of a deal?!]
But... he smells so good, is it cologne? No, I don't think there was cologne in ancient times...
The key is allies! It's a strategic partnership! Don't get obsessed with men!
But... his smile was so beautiful just now, his eyes looked like they were sparkling...
【Ahhh! Stop fantasizing!】
Zongzheng Zhaoran took in her embarrassment, a faint smile always playing on his lips. He didn't point it out, but occasionally, when she almost stepped on a pebble again, he would gently remind her to "watch where you're going," his voice so gentle it was almost dripping with warmth.
The thank-you banquet featured exquisite dishes and an elegant setting. Jiang Wanzhi tried her best to regain her composure, adopting her usual easygoing nature and attempting to mask her inner turmoil with the delicious food.
King Zhao, as always, was considerate, introducing her to the dishes and chatting about light topics, gradually easing her embarrassment.
During the meal, Jiang Wanzhi even boldly used serving chopsticks to place a piece of braised pork, which she considered the most delicious, on Prince Zhao's plate: "Your Highness, please try this. It's fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, absolutely amazing!"
This action was quite excessive in ancient times, when there was a clear distinction between superiors and inferiors. Chun Tao watched from the side, her eyelids twitching.
Zongzheng Zhaoran was only slightly taken aback, then smiled and accepted, and actually tasted it, then nodded and praised, "It is indeed delicious."
This natural and equal interaction completely dispelled Jiang Wanzhi's unease, and the atmosphere became relaxed and pleasant again.
As they parted, Jiang Wanzhi solemnly placed the "portable anti-drop tea set" into Prince Zhao's hands: "Your Highness, this is just a small token of my gratitude! Take it with you when you go out on business, so you can have hot tea anytime, anywhere! This is a testament to our friendship!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran accepted the uniquely shaped tea set, which was full of "Jiang Wanzhi's style," and examined it carefully. His eyes were full of novelty and smiles: "Wanzhi's gifts are always so... original. I like them very much and will definitely use them well."
He could clearly feel that something frozen was quietly melting. This woman, who had unexpectedly entered his life, was bringing color and vitality to his world in a way that he couldn't resist.
Zongzheng Zhaoran watched as Jiang Wanzhi's carriage rumbled away until it disappeared around the street corner before he turned his gaze away.
He looked down at the tea set in his hands, his fingertips tracing the non-slip texture, recalling the events of the day.
Her lively laughter, her quirky questions, her near-fall panic, her stiffness in his arms, and the glances she secretly gave him during meals... all of this, like warm sunshine, gradually dispelled the gloom and scheming that had accumulated in his heart since his rebirth.
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