The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 104: Cen Jiexiao's First Meeting with Emperor Chai Zhen

Chai Zhen's face showed an expression of approval. He nodded and said, "President Cen, I am deeply pleased that you always consider the future of our Great Zhou. After this sacrificial ceremony, please draft a memorial to me regarding some development plans for Zhaoyin Academy. I will definitely support anything I can!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cen Jiexiao quickly knelt down to express her gratitude. "Zhaoyin Academy will continue to work tirelessly to cultivate more talents who are loyal to the Great Zhou!"

Chai Zhen smiled and waved his hand, motioning for Cen Jiexiao to stand. He then said, "Although I've never been here before, I've heard some things about you and Zhaoyin Academy. I heard that you even cut your monthly salary to less than 20% of what it used to be, to increase the living allowances for the students." He looked at Cen Jiexiao with interest. "You're quite unique. You don't buy land or houses, you don't hire servants, and you even provide free education! This is truly eye-opening."

Chai Zhen's gaze fell on Cen Jiexiao, as if he could see through her. This look made Cen Jiexiao's heart tremble. She tried to remain calm. After all, as a modern, independent woman who had received nine years of compulsory education and been nurtured by the core socialist values, she had seen all sorts of ups and downs. He was just an emperor, wasn't that so great?

"Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment. I just think that money is something outside of one's body. We cannot bring it with us when we are born and we cannot take it with us when we die. It is enough to have enough for us." Cen Jiexiao said lightly, but she could not help but complain in her heart: If I could go back to the modern times, I would not even want mountains of gold and silver even if you gave me them.

"Enough is enough? Hahaha, well said!" Chai Zhen suddenly laughed. He stood up, walked in front of Cen Jiexiao, and looked down at her. "Dean Cen is really a remarkable person. I like your personality."

Cen Jiexiao felt a little uncomfortable with his sudden approach. She took a step back and lowered her head, avoiding Chai Zhen's burning gaze. "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I cannot accept your compliments."

"What? Dean Cen is afraid of me?" Chai Zhen's deep voice was like a heavy stone pressing down on Cen Jiexiao's heart.

"I dare not." Cen Jiexiao knelt down quickly, cursing Chai Zhen from head to toe in her heart: Afraid of you? If it weren't for my life, I would...

"Get up. I don't like kneeling all the time." Chai Zhen said, reaching out to support Cen Jiexiao.

Cen Jiexiao dodged his hand without leaving a trace and stood up, but she was even more alert. In those palace dramas she'd watched on TV before, they all said the emperor was a lecher. Damn it, was this emperor interested in me? No, I had to find a way to get out of this quickly!

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Cen Jiexiao lowered her head, but her eyes were rolling around as she thought of a countermeasure in her mind.

"President Cen, I heard..." Chai Zhen suddenly lowered his voice, his tone ambiguous, "You are still unmarried?"

Cen Jiexiao's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition came over her. She raised her head and looked at Chai Zhen with forced composure, "Your Majesty, I am a humble woman..."

"From the day I became a member of Zhaoyin Academy, I swore to heaven, earth, and my late father that I would never consider personal matters until I see the Great Zhou achieve political harmony, peace and prosperity, and lasting peace. If I ever break this oath, I will disappear from this world!"

After saying that, Cen Jiexiao thought to herself: Fortunately, fortunately, this world is not the current world, and the world before she traveled through, she has disappeared in that world anyway.

"What a peaceful government and harmonious society! Rivers and seas are calm and peaceful! Sister Cen Xiao, come forward and listen to my orders!" Chai Zhen's sudden announcement of the order caught everyone present off guard.

After hearing this, Cen Jiexiao immediately knelt down to accept the order.

"Sister Cen Xiao is virtuous, chaste, gentle, beautiful, intelligent, talented, kind-hearted, and known to all. I appoint Sister Cen Xiao as the Yuhuai Province Education Envoy, responsible for the education management and reform of the new education policy in the eight prefectures and thirty-four counties of Yuhuai Province. Our Great Zhou cannot have only one Zhaoyin Academy."

Cen Jiexiao was filled with a mixture of disbelief and delight. This sudden honor felt like a dream, instantly filling her heart with joy. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and an irrepressible smile blossomed across her face. This first meeting with Emperor Chai Zhen seemed to have given her what she had hoped for, but it also meant she would have to shoulder the responsibility of the future... One could only say that the future was bound to be filled with fear.

"I am deeply humbled and humbled by the grace of Your Majesty to receive this honor. I will do my utmost to follow the Emperor's instructions and strive to do my utmost, not slacking off in the slightest. In the future, I will follow Your Majesty's instructions and do my utmost to repay His Majesty's grace for the glory of the imperial family and the stability of the country."

"Get up. By the way, how are the arrangements for this sacrificial ceremony going?"

"Your Majesty, I have made detailed arrangements for this East China Sea sacrificial ceremony. Please review it." Cen Jiexiao took out a memorial from her sleeve and handed it over.

Chai Zhen took the memorial and casually flipped through a few pages, with no expression of emotion on his face.

"President Cen has considered everything, but the security measures..." Chai Zhen paused, his eyes fixed on Chen Zigui. "Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Zigui stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I believe that Dean Cen's deployment is very thorough. However, the East China Sea has always been a land of unrest. I suggest that we strengthen our defenses just in case."

"Oh? What do you think, Mr. Chen?" Chai Zhen asked with raised eyebrows.

Chen Zigui pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the key to the security of this East China Sea sacrifice lies in the word 'secret'."

Cen Jiexiao secretly complained in her heart: Get to the point! Speak human language!

Chai Zhen became interested and asked, "Oh? What does Mr. Chen mean?"

"Your Majesty, I think that instead of strengthening the defense in the open, it is better to strengthen the protection in the dark. Firstly, it can confuse potential enemies and make them unable to figure out the truth; secondly, it can also achieve the effect of surprise at the critical moment." Chen Zigui explained slowly.

"Well said! Then according to Mr. Chen's opinion, how should the secret guards be deployed?" Chai Zhen obviously agreed with Chen Zigui's proposal.

"I think we can draw personnel from the Qiming Group of Zhaoyin Academy. They are all highly skilled and well-versed in disguise, so they are definitely up to the task. Furthermore, students from the academy's martial arts class can be dispersed among the crowd to be ready for emergencies." Chen Zigui paused, then continued, "As for the Linkang Navy Anti-Japanese Camp, they will be responsible for perimeter security and patrols, just in case."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhen was delighted. He clapped his hands and smiled, saying, "Excellent! Mr. Chen's proposal is very much to my liking! I will leave this matter entirely to you. You must ensure that this sacrifice is foolproof!"

"Student obeys the order!" Chen Zigui bowed and accepted the order, but his eyes swept over Cen Jiexiao intentionally or unintentionally, and an imperceptible arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Wait, Mr. Chen, you have no official position and may not be able to convince the public. I order you to be the inspector of this sacrificial ceremony, responsible for the overall security and protection. You have the authority to investigate anyone except me."

"I will obey your command and will not let you down. I will serve you wholeheartedly and will not hesitate to die for you!"

"Wait, wait, wait, stop. Why is everyone in your academy so fearless? Now, live well and do good things for the Great Zhou."