The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Watching the ministers arguing fiercely over their own interests, Cen Jiexiao sneered inwardly. A bunch of hypocrites, in this magnificent court, spouting high-sounding words while engaging in despicable schemes. Did they truly care about the safety of the Great Zhou? Did they truly care about the princess's life or death? No, all they cared about was their own official hats and the gold and silver treasures around their waists.

Cen Jiexiao secretly scoffed inwardly. These people seemed to be speaking up for the Great Zhou and the princess, but in reality, weren't they just vying for their own personal gain? They were like a pack of hungry wolves in sheep's clothing. Once given the chance, they would pounce without hesitation and tear into their prey. And she, Cen Jiexiao, would never allow her animal nature to outweigh her humanity!

Cen Jiexiao took a deep breath, slowly stood up, cleared her throat, and said loudly, "My Lords, I have a suggestion." Her voice, though soft, was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. The once bustling court suddenly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Cen Jiexiao, their expressions varying from surprise to confusion, disdain to anticipation. Emperor Chai Zhen, who had been sitting upright on the dragon throne, also put down the memorial in his hand and looked at Cen Jiexiao with interest, as if wanting to see what astonishing words this young female official could say.

"Master Cen, what are your thoughts? Tell us what you think," said Liu Zi'an, the Grand Herald and a leading voice in the peace movement. He stroked his graying beard and looked cautiously at Cen Jiexiao, his eyes tinged with curiosity and inquiry.

Cen Jiexiao smiled slightly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "In my opinion, this matter may not be done by Xiao Tuo, the King of Yunzhou in Liaodan Kingdom." As soon as these words came out, a storm was immediately set off in the court, like a thunderclap, exploding on the calm lake surface, stirring up thousands of waves.

"What? Lord Cen, what do you mean by that? Are you suspecting the princess of deceiving the emperor?" The speaker was Zhao Jin, the Minister of War and a prominent figure in the pro-war faction. He abruptly stood up, his eyes wide open, and pointed at Cen Jiexiao's nose, shouting a rebuke. Zhao Jin and Cen Jiexiao had always been at odds, and now that he had finally found evidence against her, he naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to taunt her. After all, Cen Jiexiao's new ideas and philosophies were incompatible and contradictory to the interests of old-school military figures like Zhao Jin.

Cen Jiexiao glanced at him calmly and said in a calm tone, "Master Zhao has misunderstood. I simply feel that there are many suspicious points in this matter, and perhaps there is another hidden story."

"Oh? Then, Lord Cen, what's so strange about this matter?" Zhao Jin asked calmly, but a hint of sharpness flashed in his eyes, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, cold and dangerous. Sister Cen Xiao calmly analyzed, "First, King Xiao Tuo of Yunzhou is a veteran of many battles, a valiant warrior, and definitely not a man of courage without strategy. During this diplomatic mission to the Great Zhou, he understood better than anyone the consequences of assassinating the princess. If he truly intended to harm the princess, he would surely have been more cautious and left no trace."

"Secondly, as far as I know, although Yunzhou King Xiao Tuo has a cold temperament, he is extremely protective of his subordinates and would never easily sacrifice his confidants. Moreover, you gentlemen may not be aware that according to the intelligence obtained by our Academy's Qiming Group's investigation, not all members of the Liaodan Kingdom delegation are Xiao Tuo's people!"

Every word Cen Jiexiao said was like a heavy hammer, striking at the hearts of everyone, forcing them to seriously consider the truth behind this matter. When everyone thought about it carefully, it seemed that what Cen Jiexiao said was not without reason.

"Then, in your opinion, Lord Cen, who is responsible for this?" Chai Zhen, who had remained silent until then, suddenly asked. His voice was deep and commanding, carrying an air of intimidation that made everyone present feel an invisible pressure. Cen Jiexiao feigned contemplation for a moment before slowly speaking, "Your Majesty, I hazard a guess that this matter may be connected to another key figure in the Liaodan delegation... Mo Lei, the Liaodan Astronomical Observer."

"Mo Lei?" Chai Zhen frowned slightly. "I seem to have some impression of this person."

"Your Majesty, Mo Lei holds a special status. He is not only the beloved disciple of Yelu Zhan, the Liaodan State Master, and is deeply trusted and respected by Yelu Zhan, but he is also the elder brother of the Liaodan Queen Mother, and his status and position in the Liaodan State are second only to the emperor. I believe Your Majesty is no stranger to Yelu Zhan. He is an old rival of our Great Zhou, and has repeatedly opposed us over the years. As his beloved disciple, Mo Lei must have inherited his legacy and wishes, and therefore harbors resentment towards our Great Zhou."

Cen Jiexiao paused at this point, observing Chai Zhen's expression. Seeing that he didn't show any signs of abnormality, she continued, "So, I dare to speculate that Mo Lei came to the Great Zhou this time, ostensibly to offer congratulations on behalf of the Liaodan Kingdom, but in reality, he has ulterior motives and ill intentions."

Cen Jiexiao's tone became more certain when she spoke of this. "Moreover, as far as I know, Mo Lei is a narrow-minded person who will take revenge for any slight, but he never shows his emotions, so it's hard for anyone to guess what he's thinking. I also heard that there was once a merchant from the Liaodan Kingdom who schemed against Mo Lei during a transaction with him, and Mo Lei discovered it. As a result, Mo Lei, in a rage, wiped out the merchant's entire family in an extremely cruel way. This shows that Mo Lei is a ruthless person with no humanity. He is definitely a serious threat!"

"You mean, Mo Lei's assassination of me was the decision of the Liaodan royal family?" Princess Jue Ling, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked.

"We can't rule out this possibility. In short, Liaodan is most eager for chaos in our Great Zhou, especially internal problems. And don't forget, our Liuhe Corridor is still in the hands of Xixiang and Liaodan. Before this strategic location is recovered, never rule out the possibility of a joint attack from Xixiang and Liaodan on our Great Zhou."

After Cen Jiexiao finished speaking, she smiled slightly and continued.

"But Liao Dan has just suffered a snowstorm, so the possibility of a joint attack is lower. But they hope that our Great Zhou will be in turmoil, that is for sure. After all, the Emperor has not yet..."

"Cough cough." Chai Zhen coughed a few times, interrupting Cen Jiexiao's speech which was full of forgetfulness.

Cen Jiexiao, whose speech was interrupted, realized instantly that she had said something wrong and stepped aside in fear and silence.

Although Chai Zhen seems a bit cynical on weekdays, he is actually meticulous and scheming.

At this moment, Chai Zhen naturally understood that Cen Jiexiao might be deliberately guiding him and pointing the finger at Mo Lei.

But he didn't expose Cen Jiexiao's "intentions". He just nodded calmly and said, "Master Cen, what you said makes sense. It seems that this matter really needs to be thoroughly investigated."

"Come here, pass on my order to arrest Mo Lei, the deputy envoy of the Liaodan Kingdom! Wait for your punishment!"