NCCnovel Chapter 181 Chai Zhen visits Cen Jiexiao incognito
Chapter 181 Chai Zhen visits Cen Jiexiao incognito
The next morning, the sky was barely light, a ray of morning light filtering through the window lattice, casting a shadow upon the chamber. Chai Zhen had already risen. He had dismissed the palace maids and stood alone before the bronze mirror, gazing at his reflection. His once majestic dragon robe had been replaced with a simple, elegant blue shirt. His long, inky hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin. He lost the imperial aura and instead assumed a scholarly air. He took a deep breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. A long-lost sense of relief crossed his eyes.
"Your Majesty, are you really going to travel incognito?" Li Dehai asked softly from behind, with a hint of worry in his tone.
Chai Zhen turned around and patted Li Dehai on the shoulder, reassuring him. "Don't worry, I'm just going to see a friend, not to do anything dangerous."
"But..." Li Dehai wanted to say something, but was stopped by Chai Zhen's eyes.
"No buts, my mind is made up." Chai Zhen's tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt. He turned and walked to the table, picked up the folding fan he had prepared long ago, and opened it. On it was a landscape painting with a poem inscribed in Cen Jiexiao's handwriting.
"Let's go, don't keep Mr. Cen waiting for too long." Chai Zhen said, and walked out of the hall.
Li Dehai had no choice but to follow.
"Your Majesty, please wait for me!" Li Dehai trotted along, finally catching up with Chai Zhen and panting, "Although you look like a scholar, you can't hide your elegance!"
Chai Zhen looked down at his attire and smiled nonchalantly, "I dress this way simply to show respect for scholars like Dean Cen. Whether I can hide it from her or not is beyond my control."
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the back gate of the palace. Two personal guards, both highly skilled in martial arts, had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Shai Zhen come out, they immediately knelt on one knee and saluted.
"No need to formalize, stand up." Chai Zhen said calmly, "Today, I am traveling incognito. You two only need to protect me in secret and do not make any noise."
"Yes, sir!" The two personal guards received the order, stood up, and followed Chai Zhen quietly, keeping a certain distance from him.
Chai Zhen, accompanied by Li Dehai and two guards, quietly slipped out of the palace's back door and headed south. Normally, when seated on the dragon chariot, he'd assumed the journey would take only a few cups of tea. Today, walking, he realized the distance from the south city to the palace was quite a distance. Li Dehai, an elderly man, followed Chai Zhen, becoming breathless after a short while. Seeing this, Chai Zhen slowed down and whispered, "Li Dehai, you're old now. You don't need to hurry with me. Rest a bit before you continue."
Li Dehai waved his hand and said, "I'm fine. Your Majesty is traveling incognito today, and he must be accompanied by someone to serve him." Seeing that he insisted, Chai Zhen stopped trying to dissuade him, and the group continued to move forward.
Zhaoyin Academy, nestled in the south of the city, boasted a tranquil setting, far from the hustle and bustle of the city—a perfect place for immersing oneself in study. It wasn't long before they arrived, nestled amidst a bamboo grove. A plaque hung at the entrance, inscribed with the words "Zhaoyin Academy" in bold, powerful calligraphy. Chai Zhen paused to admire it for a moment, then walked towards the academy.
Chai Zhen arrived at the academy's gate, but was stopped by the gatekeeper. The man, dressed in a blue shirt, with his hair tied up in a jade hairpin and waving a folding fan, looked like a young man from a distinguished family. Though young, the boy was very clever. His eyes darted around as he looked Chai Zhen up and down, a look of vigilance in his eyes. "Sir, who are you looking for?"
Upon hearing this, the boy looked Chai Zhen up and down. Seeing that he had an extraordinary temperament and well-spoken manners, he didn't seem like a bad person. He felt relieved and bowed, saying, "So you are a friend of Dean Cen. Please come in. You can sit in the lounge next door and rest for a while while I inform Dean Cen."
Cen Jiexiao was sorting books in her study when a boy arrived to announce that an old friend had come to visit. She was puzzled. She knew no one in Linkang Prefecture, so who could possibly be visiting? She put down her books, walked to the window, and peered out. The courtyard was brightly lit, the shadows of trees swaying, but not a soul in sight. Her doubts deepened, and she entered the front hall, only to find a young man in a blue shirt standing with his back to her, his hands behind his back, admiring the view from the window.
The man was tall and straight, like a pine tree. Although he was only wearing a simple blue shirt, he couldn't hide his noble air. Cen Jiexiao was puzzled. Who was this man? Why did he appear in her own academy? Could he really be her long-lost friend?
"This young man is..."
Cen Jiexiao asked tentatively, but before she could finish her words, the man turned around. The moment their eyes met, Cen Jiexiao was stunned on the spot, as if she had been struck by lightning, and her whole body froze.
"Dean Cen, long time no see."
Chai Zhen had a faint smile on his face and spoke in a gentle tone, as if they were really just old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.
"Your Majesty...why are you here?"
"President Cen, don't be nervous. I'm traveling incognito today, so I'll just treat it as an ordinary visit between friends. You don't have to be so reserved." Chai Zhen saw through Cen Jiexiao's nervousness at a glance and comforted her with a smile.
However, the unexpected visit from the Emperor still made Cen Jiexiao extremely nervous. Although Chai Zhen tried his best to be easygoing and friendly, Cen Jiexiao still felt a huge pressure, as if a huge rock was pressing down on her heart, making her breathless.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cen Jiexiao lowered her head, clasped her hands together tightly, and beads of sweat oozed from her palms.
"President Cen, there is no need to be so reserved. Today I am just on a private visit in disguise. You can just treat me as an ordinary friend." Chai Zhen's gentle voice came again, with a hint of encouragement and comfort in his tone.
Hearing Chai Zhen's words, Cen Jiexiao secretly took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She raised her head and her eyes fell on Chai Zhen, but she didn't dare to look him in the eye. She just glanced at him quickly and then lowered her head again.
Seeing that Cen Jiexiao was still nervous, Chai Zhen took the initiative to find a topic and asked, "I heard that Dean Cen has implemented a series of reform measures in the academy. I wonder if you could give me a detailed introduction?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cen Jiexiao responded quickly.
She gathered herself and began to explain the academy's reforms to Shai Zhen. Her voice trembled at first, but as the conversation progressed, she gradually relaxed and her tone became more fluent.
She introduced the academy's new courses, such as the study of physics, mathematics, and medicine, as well as its innovative teaching methods, such as group discussions and practical exercises. She also reported on the academy's recent achievements, such as students' excellent performance in the imperial examinations and their research results in fields such as medicine and agronomy.