The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Cen Jiexiao slept uneasily that night. Her dreams were filled with bizarre and eccentricities. One moment she saw the deep, unfathomable eyes of the Great Zhou Emperor, the next the hearty laughter of Prince Xixiang, and even the playful eyes of the Liaodan Yunzhou King. These three figures weighed on her like three mountains, suffocating her.

After finally making it to dawn, Cen Jiexiao struggled to get out of bed with a pair of panda eyes. Looking at her haggard self in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile bitterly. They hadn't even met officially yet, and she had already exhausted herself to this point. How was she going to live her life from now on?

After a quick wash, Cen Jiexiao pulled herself together and went to the meeting room of the academy. Chen Zigui, Chen Jingxing, Yulan, and Xiaozhi were already waiting there.

"Dean, are you okay? Why do you look so bad?" Xiaozhi asked with concern as soon as he saw Cen Jiexiao.

"It's okay, I just didn't sleep well last night." Cen Jiexiao forced a smile and sat down in the main seat. "Let's quickly discuss how to receive our distinguished guests."

Cen Jiexiao rubbed her temples, feeling overwhelmed. None of these three great Buddhas were easy to deal with, and yet they had to be together.

"Dean, in my opinion, why don't we just close the gate of the academy and announce to the public that it is closed for repairs?" Xiaozhi suggested incoherently while chewing an apple.

"Close the courtyard? Do you think it's our back garden, open or closed whenever we want?" Cen Jiexiao rolled her eyes at her unhappily. "This is the imperial decree. We can avoid it on the first day, but we can't avoid it on the fifteenth."

"The dean is right. Let's think about how to receive them." Yu Lan nodded in agreement. "However, these people are all very important, especially when it comes to security. We can't afford to make any mistakes."

"Of course." Chen Zigui took over the conversation, his tone serious. "This reception is of great importance. We need to formulate a thorough plan to ensure that everything goes well."

The five of them sat around the table, discussing the matter back and forth. Ultimately, they decided that, to better ensure the safety of these important individuals while also minimizing the risk of intrusion, some of the academy's professors would be on leave, and the students would temporarily return home to study on their own, returning only after the distinguished guests had departed. Of course, to appease the public, the academy would provide additional work-suspension bonuses to the professors on leave, while the students would take self-study exams upon returning to campus. Those who passed the exams would receive a tuition subsidy.

"Now, we're the only ones left in the academy, along with the members of the Qiming Group and the students from the Martial Arts Class." Cen Jiexiao's fingers tapped lightly on the table. "The staffing arrangements are simple, but the security work..."

"Don't worry, Dean. Leave this matter to Jingxing and me." Chen Zigui said confidently, "The two of us, one responsible for the inside and the other for the outside, will ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Cen Jiexiao nodded, then turned to look at Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi, "You two will be responsible for the daily life of our distinguished guest. Remember, you must be cautious and careful, and don't make any mistakes."

"Yes, Dean!" Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi answered in unison.

After arranging all matters, the five people dispersed and prepared to face the next challenge.

Outside the capital of Qifeng, there is Yumapo in the western suburbs.

Flags fluttered, dust billowed, and the vast imperial procession stretched as far as the eye could see, like a giant dragon winding its way across the vast plains. At the front, beneath a bright yellow canopy, sat a young man in a black dragon robe. He was the current emperor, Chai Zhen, the Great Zhou Emperor.

At this moment, Chai Zhen had changed his usual cynical attitude. His handsome face was full of solemnity, and his deep black eyes were staring at the front, wondering what he was thinking.

"Your Majesty, Prince Xixiang's troops have arrived." Beside him, Li Dehai, the chief steward of palace household affairs, bowed and reported.

Chai Zhen nodded slightly, turned over and dismounted from his horse. His movements were clean and neat, exuding the majesty of an emperor.

Not long after, a slightly larger team appeared in everyone's sight. The leader was dressed in black, riding a tall Arabian horse, with a hearty smile on his face. It was Xia Chenghao, the Prince of Xixiang.

"The Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty personally welcomes us. Little Prince Xia Chenghao (the Xia Chenghao who pretended to be a member of the Western Regions merchant caravan) is truly flattered!" Xia Chenghao dismounted and bowed to Chai Zhen with a smile.

"Prince Xixiang has come from afar, how can I neglect him?"

Chai Zhen also showed a smile on his face. He took a step forward and helped Xia Chenghao up with his own hands. "Please."

The two walked side by side, and surrounded by the crowd, they boarded the imperial sedan chair that had been prepared long ago.

Along the way, the people lined the streets to welcome them, pointing and talking about the two young emperors.

"Is this the crown prince of Xixiang Kingdom? He's so handsome!"

"That's right! I heard that this Crown Prince is a man of both civil and military talents. He has made great military achievements at such a young age. Even the Emperor of our Great Zhou has high praise for him!"

"Hey, haven't the Xixiang Kingdom and our Great Zhou always been at odds? Why did the Crown Prince come to our capital in person this time?"

"Who knows? But it seems like these two emperors are getting along pretty well. Who knows, maybe our two countries will finally be able to make peace!"

The voices of the people's discussions reached their ears, but the two men acted as if they heard nothing and continued to chat and laugh, as if the years of hostility did not exist at all.

After arriving at the palace, Chai Zhen arranged a welcoming banquet for Xia Chenghao. The banquet was filled with delicacies from land and sea, and the entire imperial garden was filled with singing and dancing, and the sound of stringed instruments was endless.

Chai Zhen took great care of Xia Chenghao. Not only did he raise his glass to him frequently, he also specially ordered people to prepare special dishes of Xixiang Kingdom, which made Xia Chenghao feel very cordial.

However, beneath this seemingly harmonious and friendly atmosphere, there was an inexplicable sense of strangeness. Whether it was Chai Zhen's enthusiasm or Xia Chenghao's cheerfulness, both felt too deliberate, as if they were hiding something.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Chai Zhen suddenly put down his wine glass, looked at Xia Chenghao with a burning gaze, and said in a meaningful tone, "Your Highness, I heard that your visit to the Great Zhou this time, in addition to the diplomatic relations between our two countries, is for a more important matter?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Chenghao's smile faltered slightly, then returned to normal. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said calmly, "It seems that nothing can be hidden from Your Majesty. Indeed, I have come here this time to ask for a favor."

Xia Chenghao put down his wine glass, the smile on his lips gradually faded. He looked directly at Chai Zhen with his deep eyes and said sincerely, "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I came here to ask for a favor. I have long admired the culture of the Great Zhou. This time, I saw its prosperity with my own eyes, and I admire it even more. But..."

He paused, as if trying to organize his words, before continuing after a long pause, "It's just that Xia lost his mother at a young age, and his father is old, leaving me as his only son. Therefore, he is particularly concerned about the continuation of the Xixiang royal family's bloodline. This time, during my visit to the Great Zhou, my father repeatedly urged me to marry a woman from the royal family of the Great Zhou. Firstly, he hopes that the two countries can maintain a lasting marriage, and secondly, he hopes that the Xixiang royal family can quickly expand and help the Great Zhou maintain its permanent control over the western border."