He actually risked his life to save me!
She looked at Zongzheng Hengyu across from her, who was resting with his eyes closed as if nothing had happened. A sense of humiliation at being mocked, mixed with long-standing fear, finally broke through her breaking point.
She's going all out!
"Your Highness!" Her voice broke the deathly silence in the carriage. "Didn't you have something to say to me? Just now, Guard Yan spoke with such certainty in front of my father. Now that the carriage has traveled halfway, Your Highness remains silent. What is your intention?"
Zongzheng Hengyu slowly opened his eyes. His deep, cold eyes, in the dim light of the carriage, precisely locked onto her face, which was slightly flushed with anger and fear.
His voice was low and calm, yet carried an invisible pressure, "Jiang Wanzhi, I would like to ask you, why do you harbor such great hostility towards me?"
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze like a tangible probe piercing the depths of her eyes: "The moment the imperial decree of marriage was issued, you fled home that very night. At the gates of the Prince Heng's residence on New Year's Eve, you were like a frightened bird. At the palace banquet, the mere sight of me caused you to flee in panic as if you had seen a ghost. Now, riding in the same carriage, you avoid me like the plague, unable to sit still..."
With each word he spoke, Jiang Wanzhi's face paled a little more. The fear and struggle she had tried so hard to hide were ruthlessly torn apart and exposed to the light of day.
"I ask myself," Zongzheng Hengyu's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable authority, "I have never mistreated you. In fact, after you were frightened, I even sent someone to compensate you. But you, Jiang Wanzhi, where does your hostility and fear come from? Could it be... that I am some heinous monster in your eyes?"
He was used to placing everyone and everything under precise calculation and control, but Jiang Wanzhi was the only one he couldn't figure out.
Floods and ferocious beasts? Ha! Jiang Wanzhi cried out in her heart: Who wiped out Prime Minister Jiang's entire family? Who banished me to the cold palace? Who tortured me to the point of death?
Zongzheng Hengyu had barely finished speaking...
"call out!"
A sharp, piercing whistle suddenly rang out!
Immediately afterward, a loud "Bang!" resounded! A crossbow bolt, gleaming with cold light and carrying immense force, pierced through the thick wooden planks of the carriage wall, grazed Jiang Wanzhi's temple, and embedded itself deeply in the carriage wall opposite her! The arrow's fletching was still trembling violently!
"Ah!!!" Jiang Wanzhi was so frightened that her mind went blank!
Me (voiced)! What's going on?!
Zongzheng Hengyu! Are you kidding me?!
"Assassins! Protect His Highness!" Yan Cheng's stern shouts and the grating sound of weapons being drawn rang out from outside the carriage!
The horses pulling the carriage neighed in terror, and the carriage began to shake violently again!
In an instant, Jiang Wanzhi only felt a black shadow flash before her eyes! A tremendous force suddenly pulled her up from her seat and slammed her to the ground!
"Ugh!" She was completely covered and protected by Zongzheng Hengyu's tall body!
His strong, cold chest pressed against her back, and his heavy, rapid breaths sprayed onto her neck!
"Don't move!" His deep, urgent voice rang in her ear, carrying an unprecedented seriousness and a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Almost simultaneously!
"Pfft!"
A dull, chilling sound rang out as a sharp weapon pierced flesh!
Jiang Wanzhi clearly felt Zongzheng Hengyu's body suddenly shudder as he was pressing down on her!
A suppressed groan escaped from between his clenched teeth, and his breath on her neck suddenly became hot and disordered!
The strong smell of blood instantly filled the cramped carriage!
"Your Highness!" Yan Cheng's angry and alarmed shouts, along with the sounds of an even more intense fight, came from outside the carriage!
Jiang Wanzhi was completely terrified! She was frozen in place beneath him, too scared to move. The strong smell of blood and his cold aura filled her nostrils, and the immense fear made her forget to even cry.
"Go!" Zongzheng Hengyu's voice was hoarse from the pain and carried an undeniable command. He braced himself, protecting her with one hand while forcefully lifting the carriage curtain with the other. "Yan Cheng! Break out! Go back to the manor!"
"Yes!" Yan Cheng's voice was resolute.
The carriage sped through the chaotic streets like an arrow released from a bow, with the sounds of clashing swords, shouts, and screams filling the air.
Jiang Wanzhi was tightly protected by Zongzheng Hengyu. She could feel the slight trembling of his body caused by pain, and she could feel the warm blood quickly soaking through the fabric of his back and spreading to her hands that were pressed against his back.
After an unknown amount of time, the carriage suddenly stopped. From outside came Yan Cheng's anxious shouts: "Your Highness! We've arrived!"
The carriage curtain was abruptly thrown open, and Yan Cheng, covered in blood and with a livid face, leaned in. Seeing the still-trembling crossbow bolt embedded in Zongzheng Hengyu's back, his pupils constricted: "Your Highness! You…"
"It's alright..." Zongzheng Hengyu's voice was much weaker, his face was unusually pale due to blood loss, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
He tried to get up, but the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to groan and sway.
Jiang Wanzhi was only just waking up from her dream when she saw the shocking arrow that had pierced his shoulder blade, and the black brocade robe stained with blood. Then she saw his blood on her own hands... and she was stunned.
Jiang Wanzhi quickly scrambled out from under him and, together with Yan Cheng, hurriedly helped the swaying Zongzheng Hengyu.
The Prince Heng's mansion was instantly brightly lit, a scene of chaos and disarray. The imperial physician was summoned at an alarming pace.
The process of treating the wound was extremely dangerous. The crossbow bolt had a barb, and when it was pulled out, Zongzheng Hengyu couldn't help but let out a low "uh..."
His clenched fists, the muscles that tensed instantly like iron, the bulging veins on his forehead, and the cold sweat pouring down his face all indicated immense pain.
Jiang Wanzhi was ordered to wait outside the screen. Listening to the suppressed gasps and the cold clanging of metal utensils inside, and watching basins of blood being brought out, she felt cold all over and her hands and feet went numb. She felt as if she had never been so close to death.
When the imperial physician emerged, wiping his sweat, he said, "Your Highness is fortunate. Although the arrow wound is deep, it did not hit any vital organs. Although you have lost a lot of blood, your life is no longer in danger. However, you need to rest quietly for several days, and the wound must not get wet. Change the dressing on time..."
Jiang Wanzhi's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground. She was led by a maid to the outer room of the palace where Zongzheng Hengyu was staying to rest temporarily.
Yan Cheng stood guard at the door of the inner room like a door god, his expression still solemn, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Jiang Wanzhi was less cold than before, and more complicated.
A wave of shock and extreme exhaustion washed over her. Jiang Wanzhi curled up on the soft couch in the outer room, intending to stay awake until Zongzheng Hengyu's condition stabilized before leaving, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
The hall was filled with the strong smell of medicine and the lingering scent of agarwood emanating from him, which made her uneasy. She didn't know when, but under the combined pressure of extreme mental and physical exhaustion, she fell into a deep sleep.
…………
The dazzling sunlight shone brightly on my face through the carved window lattice.
Jiang Wanzhi suddenly woke up!
She blinked blankly, and what came into view was a completely unfamiliar environment: luxurious and exquisite curtains, rosewood furniture, and the lingering smell of medicine and... Zongzheng Hengyu's scent in the air.
This is... the Prince Heng's residence?!
She sat bolt upright! She looked around in alarm! Outside! She was still on the same soft couch as last night! And outside the window, it was already broad daylight!
That's it! You bastard!
Jiang Wanzhi's mind went completely blank!
She! An unmarried daughter of the Prime Minister! Actually spent the night in the outer room of Prince Heng's bedchamber in the Heng Prince's residence!
If this news gets out... forget about clinging to the male lead! She'll be declared socially dead! She'll be drowned in spit!
What will that jinx Zongzheng Hengyu think? What will outsiders say? Her father will be furious!
A wave of panic washed over her, leaving her hands and feet icy cold. She practically tumbled off the couch, abandoning all concern for her appearance, and stumbled toward the inner room!
“Miss Jiang! His Highness has not yet…” Yan Cheng, who was guarding the door, tried to stop him.
Jiang Wanzhi acted as if she didn't see him, pushed open the half-closed door, and rushed in!
Inside the room, Zongzheng Hengyu leaned against the headboard, his face still pale, but he seemed to be in much better spirits. He was only wearing a snow-white undergarment, his black hair loose, and he looked less sharp and more sickly handsome.
A servant was carefully changing the bandage on his arm, revealing his strong collarbone with a gruesome wound.
Seeing Jiang Wanzhi rush in with a terrified expression, Zongzheng Hengyu raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Your Highness!" Jiang Wanzhi looked at him, "It's dawn! I need to go back to the manor!"
Zongzheng Hengyu watched her panicked state quietly, a fleeting, unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes. He waved his hand, signaling the servants who were changing her dressing to leave.
Only the two of them remained in the bedchamber.
He leaned back slightly, a weak smile, almost amusement, appearing on his pale face.
He slowly raised his uninjured hand, his slender fingertips gently touching the thickly bandaged area on his shoulder blade, his gaze fixed intently on her.
"Jiang Wanzhi, I nearly lost my life protecting you, and now I am severely injured and unable to move..."
He paused, the smile on his lips deepening. "And you, the first thing you said to me at daybreak wasn't to ask about my injuries, but to leave the manor immediately?"
Jiang Wanzhi retorted, "Your Highness, I am, after all, the daughter of the Prime Minister. Shouldn't you give me an explanation for an unmarried young lady spending the night here?!"
"Tell me, how should I explain this to you?"
"Explain why you, Jiang Wanzhi, slept soundly in the Hengwang Mansion until dawn after I risked my life to protect you, yet you ignored my injuries and only cared about your own reputation?"
His words were like a cold whip, lashing at Jiang Wanzhi's panicked heart. She froze on the spot, her face turning from red to white, then from white to green.
Yes... He was injured while saving her. The first thing she did when she woke up was not to care about his injuries, but to try to get away from him and prove her innocence.
No matter how vicious he becomes later, at least he hasn't harmed her yet.
A wave of shame washed over Jiang Wanzhi instantly. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. She felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
Only then did she realize that she was feeling unwell, a little dizzy and unsteady on her feet... Could it be that she hadn't eaten breakfast and had low blood sugar?!
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