The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

"This Cen Jiexiao is really a source of worry." Chai Zhen muttered to himself, with a subtle hint of doting in his tone. "This time, they're playing with such a big game, aren't they afraid of getting burned?"

"Your Majesty," a guard in black armor knelt on one knee and reported with a fist clasped, "I have ascertained that there were indeed unusual movements among the palace guards a few days before Dean Cen was assassinated."

"Oh?" Chai Zhen put down the newspaper, raised his head, and signaled the guard to continue.

"According to the Imperial Household Department's records, during those days, the Internal Guard Commander Zhao Dehai repeatedly used the 'Empress Dowager's decree' as an excuse to secretly dispatch personnel on missions." The guard paused, observing Chai Zhen's expression, and continued, "The specific mission content and target locations were not reported."

"Empress Dowager..." Chai Zhen's eyes flashed coldly, and his tone was chilling. He had long suspected that the Empress Dowager's followers were behind this, and now it seemed that they were indeed involved.

"It seems that the Queen Mother is also very 'concerned' about my beloved Minister Cen." Chai Zhen sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Your Majesty is wise." The guard lowered his head and did not dare to respond.

"What about Xixiang and Liaodan? Is there any movement?" Chai Zhen continued to ask, with a hint of solemnity in his tone.

"Your Majesty," the guard paused and continued, "Both the Xixiang envoys and the Liaodan envoys have expressed great concern about this matter. Both sides are secretly investigating and trying to pin the blame on the other. Right now, there are undercurrents in Linkang Prefecture."

"Oh, a bunch of clowns." Chai Zhen sneered, his eyes full of contempt. "Do you think I can't see through their little tricks? They're just trying to take advantage of the situation."

"I want to see what tricks they can come up with." Chai Zhen stood up, walked to the window, looked at the towering palace in the distance, and a deep look flashed in his eyes.

"Pass on my order," he said, his back to the guards, his tone unquestionable, "Secretly strengthen the protection of Sister Cen Xiao. Never let her come to any harm again."

"Also," Chai Zhen paused and added, "keep a close eye on Xixiang and Liaodan. Report any signs of trouble immediately."

"I obey your order!" The guard took the order and left.

Shai Zhen stood by the window, speechless for a long time. He knew that this assassination was just the beginning, and a bigger storm was yet to come.

Inside the teahouse's second-floor private room, the scent of sandalwood curled in the air, but it couldn't mask the tense atmosphere. A rosewood table sat by a carved window. Xixiang Crown Prince Xia Chenghao and Liaodan Kingdom's Yunzhou Prince Xiao Tuo sat on either side. Both men possessed remarkable presence, one handsome and alluring, the other austere and profound.

The tea before them had long since cooled, the tea leaves stagnating at the bottom, like the unfathomable depths of their thoughts at the moment. Xia Chenghao fiddled with the folding fan in his hand, his bony fingers gently tapping the ribs. Each time, it struck Xiao Tuo's heartstrings, and also the silence within, like the calm before the storm.

Finally, Xia Chenghao was the first to break the silence. A playful smile appeared on his lips, and his tone was nonchalant, yet there was a hidden edge: "King of Yunzhou, what do you think about the assassination of Dean Cen? Could it be done by you Liaodan people?"

Xiao Tuo didn't even raise his eyelids, just gently fiddling with the teacup, his tone calm: "Second Prince, you're joking. Although some parts of my Liaodan are barbaric, we have very good diplomatic relations with the Great Zhou, and we understand the principle of 'When two countries are at war, do not kill envoys'. What's more..."

He paused, then looked up at Xia Chenghao, a barely perceptible emotion flashing through his deep eyes. "What's more, Dean Cen is a remarkable woman from the Great Zhou. I've heard of her and have always admired her. How could I possibly attack her?"

"Oh? Really?" Xia Chenghao looked at him with a half-smile, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing, "But why did I hear that the King of Yunzhou seems to be quite fond of Dean Cen?"

Xiao Tuo's fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, then returned to normal. He set the cup down and looked up at Xia Chenghao, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Second Prince, be careful what you say. Dean Cen and I have never met, so how can you say you're in love with me?"

Xia Chenghao smiled noncommittally and didn't continue the topic. He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the bustling crowd on the street, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"King of Yunzhou," Xia Chenghao said in a gloomy voice, his back to Xiao Tuo. "Tell me, if our two countries join forces, can we get what we want?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tuo suddenly looked up at Xia Chenghao, with a hint of shock and a hint of...heartbeat in his eyes.

At night, in Linkang Prefecture, a humble teahouse was filled with the pungent smell of tobacco. A few dim oil lamps flickered, illuminating ordinary faces. Several men dressed in barbarian clothing sat around a table. Their faces were thick with fatigue, but the content of their conversation excited them. They lowered their voices, fearing that others would overhear them.

"Hey, have you heard? There seems to be another hidden story behind the assassination of Dean Cen..." A short and fat man said mysteriously, while looking around vigilantly.

"That's right. I heard someone on the street say that this matter is not that simple..." Another bearded man took over the conversation and spoke in a low voice.

"What's going on? Tell us quickly, don't keep us in suspense!" the short and fat man urged, his face full of curiosity.

The bearded man smiled smugly, drank a sip of the already cold tea, cleared his throat, and then said slowly: "I heard that it was done by people from Liaodan!"

"People from Liaodan?!" The short and fat man's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would they do this? What good would it bring them to assassinate Dean Cen?"

"You don't understand this, do you?" The bearded man put on an unfathomable look. "Think about it, Dean Cen is now a national treasure of our Great Zhou, and even the Emperor personally appointed her as the Imperial Academic Envoy! If anything happened to her, what would the people of our Great Zhou think?"

"You mean to say that the Liaodan Kingdom wants to sow discord between us and the Great Zhou?" A thin man who had been sitting silently nearby suddenly asked.

"That's right! They want us and the Great Zhou to kill each other so that they can reap the benefits!" The bearded man snapped his fingers and spoke in a low voice.

"This...this is too vicious, right?" The short and fat man was stunned and speechless for a long time.

"Hush! Keep your voice down! Do you want to die? How dare you say such things? This is not in Xixiang, this is in the Great Zhou!" If the government officials hear us, we will both be in big trouble!" The bearded man quickly covered the short and fat man's mouth, looked around in panic, and scolded him in a low voice.

"That's right, we can just talk about this kind of thing in private, but don't let it spread out. Be careful, there may be ears on the other side of the wall!" The thin man also echoed.

As they spoke, they glanced around warily before continuing their conversation in low voices. They didn't notice that a dark shadow flashed by on the beam above their heads and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye...