"Same Kind" Alliance
The study of Prince Zhao's residence.
The tense atmosphere, like two needles clashing, didn't explode after the earth-shattering revelation of the two great secrets of "rebirth" and "transmigration into a book." Instead, it strangely relaxed.
Especially Jiang Wanzhi. After confirming that the person in front of her was also an unlucky fellow who had received the script, the tightly strung string in her heart snapped with a "snap".
To hell with being a noble lady! To hell with princely majesty! I'm a transmigrator! This person in front of me is a reincarnated soul! Who's more noble than whom?!
After regaining her senses, she plopped down in the most comfortable-looking pear wood chair next to her and let out a long sigh: "Ah, I've finally found my people! Your Highness, you have no idea how pent-up I've been these past few days! Everyone looks like an NPC to me, and I'm afraid of triggering a death flag with everything I do. I'm going crazy!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran: "..."
His gentle mask cracked completely, and he was momentarily caught off guard as he watched Jiang Wanzhi switch from a "panicked little rabbit" to a "slacker old fox."
Organization? NPC? Death... Flaga? What kind of slang is this?
However, her unguarded attitude, as if she had found her long-lost brother, strangely did not offend him; on the contrary, it was... somewhat refreshing.
He had seen too much caution and deceit both inside and outside the palace; this kind of unique style was a first for him.
He chuckled and shook his head, too lazy to keep up the pretense any longer. He walked to the chair opposite her and sat down, asking quite cooperatively, "...The organization?"
“That’s right!” Jiang Wanzhi’s eyes sparkled. “It means we’re on the same side! Look, you’re a reincarnated person. I’m a transmigrator. We’re both like bugs in this world, aren’t we a match made in heaven… uh, allies?”
She almost blurted out "a pair," but quickly stopped herself.
Zongzheng Zhaoran was amused by her statement, and a genuine smile curved his lips: "A match made in heaven? Hmm, that's not wrong."
He thought for a moment, then nodded with amusement, “In that case, you and I are indeed of the same kind.”
“Exactly!” Jiang Wanzhi slapped her thigh. “Then why pretend to be a foreign guest? Hurry up and check the script! I’ll start by telling you what I know!”
She instantly got into character, counting on her fingers: "I know you, the male lead of the original novel, the epitome of looks and intelligence, who finally defeated the villain Heng Wang, won the heart of the beauty Su Yuyue, and reached the pinnacle of life! As for the Hundred Flowers Banquet, in the original novel, it was you, Zhao Wang... uh, who designed it yourself to get rid of that good-for-nothing female supporting character! But the target wasn't me! It was another unlucky guy!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran raised his eyebrows as he listened, especially when he heard the part about "designing it himself," his eyes flickered subtly, but he did not interrupt her.
Jiang Wanzhi continued rambling, "I know Ming Wang, a standard cannon fodder villain, stupid and wicked, always causing trouble for you and Heng Wang, but his level is too low, basically a professional at feeding kills! I know Night Hawk Pavilion... wait a minute!"
She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said in a gossipy tone, "Isn't Night Hawk Pavilion that of that silly deer, Prince Ming? How come you sound like you know the inside story too? And you even planted someone in there? Your Highness, you're something else! You're like an undercover agent!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran looked at her mischievous little face and couldn't help but laugh again. He realized he had laughed more tonight than in the past month.
He lowered his voice in response, as if it were a secret code for a street rendezvous: "A little trick. When I was fifteen, I overheard him talking to the Night Hawk Pavilion Master, so I just... arranged it."
"Me (censored)! Fifteen years old?! You're still a child!" Jiang Wanzhi exclaimed in shock. "So all male leads start out as children and start their schemes? Amazing!" She gave a thumbs up.
Although Zongzheng Zhaoran didn't quite understand the specific meanings of "I (censored)" and "awesome," he guessed it pretty accurately based on the context and her expression, which made him feel inexplicably better.
This kind of undisguised, somewhat rough, straightforward praise sounds much better than those flowery flattery.
"Then isn't the Ming King like a transparent person now? You know everything he does?" Jiang Wanzhi asked excitedly.
"That's about right." Zongzheng Zhaoran nodded elegantly, then revealed a hint of disdain. "It's just that sometimes he's so stupid it's outrageous, and watching him perform requires a lot of patience."
"Hahahaha!" Jiang Wanzhi slapped the armrest and laughed without any restraint. "I knew it! The whole thing he did at the Hundred Flowers Banquet was full of holes and so embarrassing it made me want to dig my toes into the ground! He even tried to pull a fast one! Does he think he's so clever and cunning? Hahahaha!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran couldn't help but smile: "Indeed. Especially when he thought he had successfully smeared Prince Heng and the Prime Minister's residence, and was secretly pleased with himself, his face... was quite comical."
"Yes, yes, yes! It's that kind of inexplicable 'I'm so awesome' confidence!" Jiang Wanzhi nodded frantically, laughing until tears streamed down her face. "Oh my god, I can't help but laugh just thinking about how he's still trying to cause trouble, and you, the boss, practically know the color of his underwear! What kind of naive and innocent villain is this?!"
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously burst into even louder laughter. One laughed so hard he was doubled over, completely losing his composure; the other laughed so hard his shoulders shook, momentarily losing his composure. The study was filled with a joyful, silly atmosphere.
After laughing for a while, the two gradually calmed down. Jiang Wanzhi wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and exclaimed, "That's why I say, information asymmetry is the primary productive force! We've achieved a kind of dimensional reduction attack!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran pondered the new terms "information gap," "productivity," and "dimensional reduction attack," finding them ingenious and nodding in agreement.
After chatting about Ming Wang, the source of her joy, Jiang Wanzhi naturally thought of the Night Hawk Pavilion: "By the way, is that double agent you arranged in the Night Hawk Pavilion reliable? Don't let him turn against us later."
"Mr. Ghost Face?" King Zhao's lips curled into a knowing smile. "His will is not easily swayed. Moreover, his family is under my protection, so you can rest assured."
“Ghost Face? That’s a cool codename!” Jiang Wanzhi blinked. “It sounds like a tough character! Can you take me to meet him sometime? I’ve never seen a live spy before!” Her tone was as if she wanted to go to the zoo to see some exotic animals.
Zongzheng Zhaoran: "...We'll talk about this another day." He was a little amused and exasperated; he sometimes really couldn't keep up with Jiang Wanzhi's unpredictable thinking.
The atmosphere was perfect, and Jiang Wanzhi became even more talkative, unable to resist giving King Zhao a "popular science" lesson on modern life: "Let me tell you, it's so much fun where we are! We don't need horse-drawn carriages to go out; we have four-wheeled metal boxes that run on their own, called cars! If you want to eat something, just tap a little board called a cell phone, and someone will deliver it to your door! You can even see people talking across thousands of miles!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran was dumbfounded. Even though he had been reborn and was resolute, he could not imagine what that scene was like.
"A metal box that runs by itself? It can transmit sound over long distances and even reveal people? Is this really true?" His eyes were filled with pure curiosity and disbelief, like a child hearing a myth.
"Why would I lie to you!" Jiang Wanzhi said smugly. "The people from our area are capable of anything, from flying to diving! It's just... it's just that sometimes it's quite tiring, the pace is too fast."
She sighed slightly, feeling a little homesick, but quickly cheered up. "But it's okay! Once we've sorted out this mess here, and you become emperor, maybe you can vigorously develop science and technology! I'll draw up the blueprints for you then! We'll build bicycles! Let's achieve freedom of transportation first!"
Although he couldn't understand what "too fast pace," "technology," and "bicycle" meant, Zongzheng Zhaoran was deeply attracted by the incredible yet vibrant world she described, his eyes shining as he listened with great interest.
This unreserved sharing made him feel a unique sense of trust and closeness.
The two chatted enthusiastically, from modern technology to popular culture, from complaining about the Ming Emperor to gossip about the court, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.
Until... Jiang Wanzhi inadvertently mentioned Prince Heng.
“Speaking of which, the one I don’t understand the most is Prince Heng.” Jiang Wanzhi scratched her head, her tone tinged with confusion. “I should know the plot by now, but he… seems quite different from what’s written in the book.”
"The book says he's cold-blooded and tyrannical, a pure villain. But after getting to know him... I feel that he's actually quite... upright? Just a bit grumpy. He handled this rumor incident quite openly and honestly, even apologizing and relinquishing power himself."
She paused, trying to find the right words: "It's... there's an indescribable feeling, like I can't see through him."
Zongzheng Zhaoran, who had been all smiles just moments before, softened his smile upon hearing the name of Prince Heng. He picked up his now slightly cool teacup, took a small sip, and his tone became somewhat distant and unfathomable.
"Wanzhi." He called her by her name directly for the first time, his voice gentle yet carrying a strange depth of meaning, "You can't see through him, that's right."
Jiang Wanzhi looked at him with a puzzled expression.
King Zhao put down his teacup and looked out the window at the scenery, as if he could see through the many walls of the palace to his equally powerful younger brother.
“Zongzheng Hengyu is a man…” he said slowly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, “What is most terrifying about him is never his so-called ‘cold-blooded tyranny.’ That may just be the facade he is willing to show to outsiders, or even a protective coloration he deliberately creates.”
He turned his head and looked at Jiang Wanzhi again, his eyes becoming deep: "His thoughts are so deep and his methods so shrewd, that he is far more than a fool like the Ming Prince who is only superficial. Do you know that he has held military power in the Northern Border for many years and has extremely high prestige in the army, yet he has never aroused the deepest fear of the Emperor? What kind of ability is that?"
"Everything he does and every word he says may have a hidden meaning that you cannot see. His so-called uprightness may just be a more skillful way of retreating to advance; his so-called integrity may just be a more seductive disguise."
He sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible apprehension. "His heart is as deep as the ocean. It is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. If you think he is different from the rumors just because of a few seemingly upright actions of his, then perhaps... that is exactly the effect he hopes to achieve."
Jiang Wanzhi was stunned. King Zhao's words were like a bucket of cold water, silently pouring down on her head, which was feverish from finding a "kindred spirit".
Yes... that's the main villain in the original story who could go toe-to-toe with the male lead! How could it be so simple!
Could it be that I... am actually being misled by appearances?
Seeing Jiang Wanzhi deep in thought, her brows slightly furrowed, Zongzheng Zhaoran looked at her, a barely perceptible glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.
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