The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chai Zhen sighed, put down the memorial in his hand, and forced himself to cheer up: "I'm fine, just a little tired." He didn't want to make Li Dehai worry, and he didn't want to tell anyone about his worries.

Li Dehai knew that Chai Zhen was worried, so he didn't dare to say anything and could only step aside silently. He knew that the emperor had something on his mind but was unwilling to speak out, and as a servant, he could only worry.

Chai Zhen ate a few mouthfuls of food, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and continued to review memorials. He tried to shift his attention to government affairs, but found it was of no use.

The words on the memorials seemed like heavenly books to him, and he could not understand them at all. His mind was filled with the image of Cen Jiexiao, her voice, smile, her words and deeds, all of which touched his heart.

He stood up suddenly, threw all the memorials on the table to the ground, and roared: "Someone come here!" The irritability and anxiety that had been pent up in his heart finally broke out at this moment.

The eunuchs heard the noise and rushed in in a panic, falling to their knees and not daring to utter a word. They had never seen the emperor lose his composure like this before, and for a moment they were terrified and at a loss for what to do.

Chai Zhen took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the irritation in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "Go, tell Lord Han Zhengxian to come to the palace!" He needed to find someone to talk to, and Han Zhengxian was his most trusted minister and one of the few people he could confide in.

Han Zhengxian was Chai Zhen's teacher, the prefect of Linkang Prefecture, and a close confidant. Upon receiving the imperial edict, he rushed to the palace without delay. Along the way, his mind raced, speculating on the reason for the emperor's late-night summons. Could it be that the war on the border was intensifying? Or perhaps some new disturbance at court? The thought of these possibilities filled Han Zhengxian with a wave of apprehension. Arriving at the door of the imperial study, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, and then stepped inside.

"Your servant Han Zhengxian pays homage to His Majesty!" Han Zhengxian lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, saluting respectfully.

"Teacher, please stand up quickly. No need to be so polite." Chai Zhen forced himself to smile.

Han Zheng first stood up and secretly observed Chai Zhen's expression. The emperor looked haggard, his eyes sunken, and his usually bright eyes now looked dull. It seemed that the emperor had encountered some difficult situation, which made him so worried.

"I wonder what important matter is that the emperor is so anxious to summon me?" Han Zhengxian asked cautiously, fearing that it would touch upon the emperor's concerns.

"Teacher, I remember that there seems to be a piece of vacant land outside the southern suburbs of the city?" Chai Zhen rubbed his eyebrows, as if trying to organize his words.

"Your Majesty, there is indeed a piece of land, and it is quite large. However, the terrain is slightly uneven and it is close to the moat, which makes it prone to water accumulation, so it has been abandoned." Han Zhengxian did not dare to be negligent. He thought about it carefully and answered truthfully.

"No problem." Chai Zhen waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned with the details. "I have decided to grant this piece of land to Zhaoyin Academy for its expansion."

"Huh?" Han Zheng was stunned for a moment. Chai Zhen suddenly mentioned the expansion of Zhaoyin Academy, which made him unable to react for a moment.

"Teacher, you should know that Dean Cen of Zhaoyin Academy is a rare talented woman. She has worked hard and made a lot for the academy. Now there are more and more students in the academy, and the original space is no longer enough. I want to do something for her, which can be regarded as discovering more talents for the Great Zhou." Chai Zhen paused, with a hint of imperceptible tenderness in his tone.

Han Zhengxian suddenly realized that the Emperor was after Dean Cen! He had long heard that the Emperor admired Dean Cen very much, often praising Dean Cen's talents in the court, and even made an exception to allow Dean Cen to enter the palace to meet the Emperor at any time. Many rumors about the Emperor and Dean Cen were also circulating. Some said that the Emperor admired Dean Cen's talent, some said that the Emperor admired Dean Cen's integrity, and some said that the Emperor had fallen in love with Dean Cen and even wanted to make Dean Cen his empress, even violating the ancestral precepts.

Han Zhengxian initially disbelieved these rumors. He believed the Emperor was the highest authority, so how could he possibly be so enamoured with a woman? Furthermore, while Dean Cen was talented, he came from a family of scholars, not a prestigious one. His status was far inferior to that of the Emperor.

However, it now appears that these rumors are not groundless. The Emperor's appreciation of Dean Cen has probably surpassed the etiquette between monarch and subject, and even transcended worldly perspectives.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Han Zhengxian quickly lowered his head to hide his surprise, but inwardly he sighed. Even heroes are tempted by beautiful women, and it seems the Emperor is no exception. Think of all the emperors throughout history, each with a harem of three thousand beauties, but how many truly moved them? The Emperor, now so desperate for Dean Cen, clearly has truly fallen in love.

"It's just that this piece of land..." Han Zhengxian wanted to persuade him again. After all, although this piece of land has been abandoned for a long time, it is located in the suburbs of the city. If it is well planned, it may be used for other purposes.

"I know what you want to say." Chai Zhen interrupted Han Zhengxian, as if seeing through his thoughts, "I will speak to the Queen Mother. You just do as I say."

Chai Zhen's tone left no room for doubt. Han Zhengxian knew that the emperor was determined to give this land to Dean Cen.

"Also, I will allocate 500,000 taels of silver from my private treasury and give it to Dean Cen, and say that it is... just say that it is a little gift from me." As Chai Zhen said this, a suspicious blush appeared on his face, and his tone became a little unnatural.

Fifty thousand taels of silver is not a small amount. Even the national treasury would have to consider it carefully. The emperor gave it to Dean Cen without blinking an eye, which shows how much he dotes on Dean Cen.

"Yes, I obey your order!" Although Han Zhengxian was confused, he did not dare to ask more questions and left.

Chai Zhen looked at Han Zhengxian's departing back, a bitter smile on his face. What had happened to him? For a woman, he was so desperate! However, he couldn't control himself. He just wanted to do something for her, even if it was just a small help, he was willing to do it.

"Cen Jiexiao, oh Cen Jiexiao, do you truly understand my feelings?" Chai Zhen murmured to himself. His voice was soft, so soft that it seemed a breeze could blow it away, yet it was filled with deep affection and a hint of sadness.

Upon exiting the imperial study, Han Zhengxian felt his steps quicken. The emperor's decree echoed in his mind like a command. He didn't dare delay and trotted back to his residence. The housekeeper, having spotted the master's hasty pace from afar, hurried forward to meet him, but Han Zhengxian shoved him aside. "Quick, prepare the carriage, and head to the southern outskirts of the city!" he said hurriedly, beads of sweat trickling down his temples.

Although the housekeeper didn't understand why, he didn't dare to neglect it and quickly ordered the servants to harness the carriage and prepare the horses. Han Zhengxian didn't even bother to change clothes or rest, and got on the carriage directly.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone-paved streets, making a clattering sound. Inside the carriage, Han Zhengxian had no interest in appreciating the scenery outside the window. He opened the curtains and let the midday sun fall on his face, but it couldn't dispel the tangled mess of thoughts in his mind.

He was not unaware of the emperor's thoughts, but he did not expect that the emperor would act so impulsively for a woman.

He had long heard of this land: it was flat, nestled against the mountains and near the water, a prime location for Feng Shui. However, because the Empress Dowager had always wanted it for herself, no work had been done on it, leaving it abandoned. Now, the Emperor insisted on giving it to Zhaoyin Academy. Was he deliberately using Zhaoyin Academy to antagonize the Empress Dowager? He couldn't fathom the Emperor's intentions.

Thinking of this, Han Zhengxian couldn't help but sigh and lowered the curtain. He prayed silently in his heart, hoping that the emperor would not do something he would regret because of a momentary impulse.