The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

As dawn dawned, a ray of golden sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, casting a shadow upon the soft white fox fur-covered bed within the palace. Princess Jue Ling felt a glimmer of warmth in her sleep. She rolled lazily over, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. The warm sunlight bathed her face, casting a golden glow on her fair skin, accentuating her beauty. She stretched out her delicate hand to shield her eyes from the glare, yawned, and awoke.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, her mind replaying the words of her brother, the Emperor, Chai Zhen, yesterday. She couldn't help but hesitate. Should she go, or not? What kind of person was Cen Sister Xiao, the one Chai Zhen had so strongly recommended? Was her talent truly as exceptional as her brother claimed?

Princess Jue Ling recalled her brother's excitement from the previous day. He had been gushing over Sister Cen Xiao's talent, describing her as a rare talent for governing the world, a rare find. If she could recruit her, she would surely achieve great things. He also said Sister Cen Xiao was aloof and aloof, uninterested in fame and fortune. Ordinary recruitment tactics wouldn't impress her. Only by personally reaching out and impressing her with sincerity could she possibly gain his support.

Princess Jue Ling was torn between two things. On the one hand, she was filled with curiosity about this "pillar of society" whom she had never met. Her brother's words echoed in her ears, arousing her intense curiosity. She longed to see what made this legendary figure so special. On the other hand, she worried that she had also fallen for Sister Cen Xiao's "dirty tricks."

Over this period of time, she had witnessed too many fame-seeking people, using various pretexts to try to get close to her and gain power. She was worried that this Sister Cen Xiao was one of them, worried that her sincerity would be exploited, and even more worried that her country and its people would be harmed as a result.

Just as she was hesitating, her maid Bi Tao hurried in and reported to her, "Your Highness, there is a fortune teller outside the palace asking to see you. He said he has something important to report, and he said you will know the answer by looking at this wooden plaque." As she spoke, Bi Tao presented a wooden plaque carved with strange patterns in both hands.

Princess Jue Ling took the plaque and examined it carefully. It was engraved with a blooming Lycoris radiata, its petals as red as blood, enchanting yet eerie. She was startled. This plaque was incredibly familiar to her; it was a token she had personally given to Mo Lei many years ago.

"Mo Lei? Why would he come to the Xingguan to find me?" Princess Jue Ling was extremely confused, but her intuition told her that this matter was no trivial matter.

She quickly ordered Bi Tao: "Quick, go and invite that gentleman to the inner courtyard. Remember, don't make a sound."

"Yes, Your Highness." Bi Tao took the order and left.

Soon, a fortune teller wearing a conical hat and coarse linen clothes walked into the inner courtyard, led by Bi Tao. He walked steadily and had an upright figure. Although his clothes were simple, he could not hide his elegant temperament.

"Your Highness the Princess, I pay my respects to you. May you live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years." The fortune teller walked up to Princess Jue Ling and bowed respectfully.

Princess Jue Ling waved her hand, indicating that he didn't need to be polite, and then dismissed the maids around her, leaving only Bi Tao to serve.

After everyone left, Princess Jue Ling couldn't wait to take off the fortune teller's hat. It was indeed that familiar face. It had been many years since she last saw him. Mo Lei seemed to have become more mature and steady.

"Mo Lei, you are so bold that you dare to come to the princess's residence without permission. Don't you know that the whole city of Linkang Prefecture is under martial law now?" Princess Jue Ling asked in a serious tone, but there was a hint of joy in her tone that was hard to conceal.

Mo Lei took off his bamboo hat, revealing his handsome face. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a calm smile: "Your Highness, you are worrying too much. I am only here to help you solve your problems. I have no ill intentions. Why are you afraid?"

"Relieve my worries and difficulties? What worries do I have that I need you to solve?" Princess Jue Ling asked pretending to be puzzled.

"Your Highness, why are you asking questions when you already know the answer?" Mo Lei said calmly, "I, the common people, already know what your Highness is worried about."

"Oh? Then tell me, what is it that I am worried about?" Princess Jue Ling looked at Mo Lei with interest, wanting to see what he was up to.

"Your Highness, are you worried about whether to go to Zhaoyin Academy to meet Sister Cen Xiao?" Mo Lei revealed Princess Jue Ling's thoughts in one sentence.

"That's right. I don't know why my royal brother scolded me for a young girl who had just started out. Tell me about him..." Princess Jue Ling rubbed her eyebrows tiredly, with an unconcealable fatigue between her brows. She sighed and said softly.

Princess Jue Ling paused, as if trying to organize her words. After a while, she continued, "I understand that my brother wants to consolidate his power and recruit talented people. But this Sister Cen Xiao is just a woman. The key is that we still haven't figured out whether she is a spy or not."

She became increasingly angry and excited as she spoke. "I just wanted to check her out. If I wanted to use her, I must know her inside and out."

Princess Jue Ling took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart. "But my brother, the emperor, actually sent me a personal letter for this. Can you believe it?"

She slammed the table and said angrily, "Every word and sentence in that letter reveals his defense of Sister Cen Xiao. He even warned me not to act rashly!"

Princess Jue Ling was so angry that her chest heaved. She threw the teacup in her hand to the ground. With a "bang", broken pieces of porcelain flew everywhere, scaring Bi Tao who was standing beside her so much that she quickly knelt on the ground, trembling.

"Princess, please calm down, Princess, please calm down!" Bi Tao whispered to comfort her, fearing that she would get into trouble.

Princess Jue Ling ignored Bi Tao. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the anger in her heart, but when she thought of how her royal brother defended Sister Cen Xiao, she became furious.

"Tell me, as the emperor's younger sister, when have I ever been wronged like this?" Princess Jue Ling suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the room. The anger in her heart was like a volcanic eruption, almost swallowing her up. "My emperor, when has he ever treated me like this before? For an outsider, he actually treated me like this. Where does he put me? Where does he put the reputation of the royal family?"

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyes gradually turned red, and crystal tears rolled in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to fall. "I have been dependent on my brother since I was a child, and we have a deep relationship. He has never said a harsh word to me, but what about now?" Princess Jue Ling took a deep breath and tried to calm the anger in her heart, but when she thought of how her brother defended Sister Cen Xiao, she was furious. "For a young girl who just started out, he actually scolded me and even sent someone to send a letter to warn me! Could it be that in his heart, I, his sister, am not as good as an outsider of unknown origin?"

"I don't know what kind of magic potion Sister Cen Xiao gave to my royal brother to make him protect her so wholeheartedly!" Princess Jue Ling slammed her fist on the table and said with gritted teeth, her tone full of resentment and jealousy.

"My brother must have fallen into her trap!"