People were coming and going in the Imperial Academy, all busy with the upcoming Winter Solstice ceremony.
The Emperor valued education, and the vassal states, sensing this, sent congratulatory gifts to the Imperial Academy to show their respect for Confucius and Mencius.
“Make way, make way!” Several strong men were pushing a statue through the Imperial Academy, shouting continuously. People along the way kept dodging to avoid them.
It was a shaman statue, brightly colored with exaggerated features, staring wide-eyed and baring its teeth at the unarmed students on the road, full of exotic mystique.
Xiao Jingduo and Bai Jiayi happened to be present. They stepped aside to make way for the statue, watching it pass by.
Xiao Jingduo stopped and looked back at the statue. Bai Jiayi stood beside him and asked, “Which country sent this congratulatory gift?”
“Shamanism is mostly a custom of the northern grasslands. I think it’s probably from Tibet, the Uyghurs, or the Turks,” Xiao Jingduo replied.
“How do you even know this?” Bai Jiayi clicked his tongue. “I mean, it’s their business if they believe in shamanism, but what’s the deal with sending a shaman god statue to the Imperial Academy?”
Xiao Jingduo chuckled lightly: “Perhaps they want their deity to bless this ceremony.”
Bai Jiayi couldn’t help but look a few more times. When he turned back, he found Xiao Jingduo had already walked far away. “Hey, slow down, wait for me! Unnecessary favors must be either treacherous or thieving. Do you think it’s possible they hid people inside the statue, trying to catch us off guard?”
Xiao Jingduo just smiled casually at this: “Even if that statue were hollow, it could fit two people at most. What could two people do?”
Bai Jiayi recalled the size of the statue and had to admit he was being fanciful. “You’re right, it’s barely enough for two people, let alone hiding an army. What’s the point of bringing that thing here anyway?”
Xiao Jingduo smiled ambiguously.
“Tomorrow, the senior students of the Imperial Academy are holding a Literary Dao Banquet. Are you going?” Bai Jiayi asked. The Literary Dao Banquet was a semi-official event. Despite its fancy name, it was just an excuse for students to have fun under the pretext of discussing the Dao. Even so, given the host’s wealth and the event’s grand reputation, coupled with the approaching holiday, it had spread widely within the Imperial Academy.
“Literary Dao Banquet?”
“Yes, that senior student boasted to me extravagantly, saying the host is distantly related to the royal family and could even invite a prince this time.” Bai Jiayi shook his head amusingly, “They really dare to say anything.”
Xiao Jingduo blinked and suddenly changed his mind: “If that’s the case, I’d really like to go and see.”
Bai Jiayi was stunned for a moment before realizing what Xiao Jingduo meant. He opened his mouth in surprise: “Did I hear that right? You actually want to attend a fellow student’s banquet?”
“I missed previous gatherings due to classes,” Xiao Jingduo smiled at Bai Jiayi. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Of course not!” Bai Jiayi also smiled, “In that case, I’d like to go too.”
Bai Jiayi originally thought the organizer was just talking big, but on the day of the Literary Dao Banquet, a prince actually showed up.
People surrounded the Third Prince, eagerly trying to engage him in conversation. Bai Jiayi shook his head and lightly elbowed Xiao Jingduo: “That’s a prince from the palace. Aren’t you going to make an appearance?”
Xiao Jingduo’s mind was completely elsewhere. He casually replied, “Hmm, okay, I’ll go in a bit.”
Bai Jiayi was displeased: “Hey—”
But before he could finish, Xiao Jingduo suddenly stood up, hurriedly dropping a sentence before running out: “I’m going out for a bit. We’ll talk when I get back.”
Xiao Jingduo had just spotted several foreign-looking people bumping into each other before leaving one after another. He sensed something was amiss and, disregarding what Bai Jiayi was saying or his duty to look after Li Qingfeng, immediately got up and followed them out. He trailed these people, quietly making his way outside.
After leaving the room, the men walked with their arms around each other’s shoulders, looking like students engaged in pleasant conversation. They seemed to wander aimlessly, gradually approaching the shaman statue. Two men stood in front, conveniently blocking another person.
Taking advantage of his companions’ cover, the other person quickly reached towards the base of the statue. However, when he felt inside, he frowned in surprise.
Not giving up, he rapped his knuckles on various parts of the shaman statue. The hollow sound echoed inside the statue before reaching everyone’s ears.
Just as this person was feeling puzzled, he suddenly heard a voice from behind.
“Isn’t it strange? Why have the weapons hidden inside the shaman statue disappeared?”
The men were startled and whirled around to see a young girl with a white fox fur collar, accompanied by two maids, standing not far away.
The girl wore a red cloak, her fair face nestled in the fluffy collar, looking incredibly adorable. Even her smile was pleasing to the eye. Her eyes curved like new moons, and with her bright red cloak, she looked as lovable as a fortune-bringing child in this cold winter month.
However, these men became alert. They laughed dryly and called out, “Whose little lady are you? Are you here at the Imperial Academy to find a relative or brother? Your brother is really careless, letting a little girl like you stand outside alone. It’s dangerous here, go play somewhere else quickly!”
The girl shook her head with a smile: “You can’t even recognize me, yet you dare to plot to sow discord between countries and incite civil unrest in Xuan Dynasty. It’s truly a fool’s dream.”
This time, they completely dropped their disguise, revealing fierce expressions: “Who exactly are you?”
Before they finished speaking, an arrow pierced through the bitter cold, whistling as it flew towards these men. As if on cue, many soldiers in black armor suddenly emerged from the surroundings, skillfully moving to surround them.
Seeing that they had been exposed, the men could only shout desperately towards the room: “The situation has changed! Act immediately! Kill their prince!”
Hearing this, Rong Ke still shook her head and sighed: “I’m standing so close. Wouldn’t it be quicker to kill me first?”
Xiao Jingduo had just run over when he heard these words. He felt both anxious and angry: “Princess, it’s dangerous here. Please move away quickly!”
Rong Ke glanced at Xiao Jingduo and said calmly: “Weren’t you supposed to protect Li Qingfeng? He seems genuinely weak. You should go back and look after him.”
Xiao Jingduo was extremely anxious, yet this mistress was so calm. He could only urge again: “Princess, swords and arrows are indiscriminate. You should still take cover!”
The maids behind Rong Ke were already on full alert. Hearing Xiao Jingduo’s words, they also chimed in agreement. Rong Ke could only reluctantly say: “Alright.”
Seeing that this young mistress finally deigned to take shelter, Xiao Jingduo was deeply moved and quickly escorted Rong Ke towards a less crowded area.
The commotion outside quickly reached inside. When the Uyghurs lying in wait inside heard the sounds of fighting outside, they knew things had gone wrong. However, without weapons, their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced, and they could only act hastily. With various countries coming to pay homage, the Xuan Dynasty naturally wasn’t unprepared. The Court of State Ceremonials and the Imperial Guard were particularly strict in checking the weapons of foreign countries, making it impossible for the Uyghurs to bring weapons into the imperial city. So they had to think of another way. Following the shaman’s instructions, they hid swords and other weapons inside the shaman statue, sending it into the Imperial Academy under the guise of a congratulatory gift. Then they planned to find an opportunity to kill princes from other vassal states, inciting war between the Xuan Dynasty and various countries. Today, they happened to learn that the Xuan Emperor’s Third Prince would also come to the Imperial Academy. This was like a fat sheep delivered to their doorstep. The Uyghur spies didn’t want to miss this great opportunity, so they agreed to act today, killing the Third Prince and princes from other countries, and then dealing with the student who had stumbled upon Liang Zhihong’s case a few days ago, considering their mission accomplished. Just now, they had sent someone to retrieve the weapons hidden in the shaman statue, but unexpectedly, those sent out didn’t return and instead gave a warning that the plan had failed. The Uyghur spies didn’t know how their plan had been leaked, but now was not the time to investigate. They could only hastily engage in battle, resisting the imperial troops that seemed to have descended from the sky.
The Uyghurs had originally planned to kill the Third Prince in the chaos, but almost the instant the signal was given, the Prince was surrounded by guards. At this point, the spies understood everything – from beginning to end, this had been a trap.
However, there was no turning back now. Unable to kill the Third Prince, they could only try to take some Imperial Academy students down with them. Unfortunately for them, thanks to the royal family’s emphasis on martial arts, the Academy students weren’t weak scholars incapable of tying up a chicken. While they might not be able to lead armies in battle, they could certainly handle a brawl, especially since the Uyghur spies were unarmed. In a real fight, it wasn’t clear who would come out worse.
The hall that had just been filled with scholarly discussions instantly descended into chaos. Many students rolled up their sleeves and started fighting. Cups and plates flew through the air, accompanied by constant wails.
Bai Jiayi was stunned by this scene. He had never imagined that his normally refined classmates could have such a side.
Bai Jiayi silently backed into a corner, then inched his way towards the door. As soon as he left the room, he saw a bright long sword sweep past his eyes. His legs went weak, and he quickly ran away.
Fortunately, there’s always hope. Bai Jiayi looked up and saw Xiao Jingduo standing at the corner. He shouted as if seeing a savior: “Xiao Jingduo, come save me quickly!”
However, Xiao Jingduo frowned indifferently: “It’s only fifty steps. You can come over yourself.”
Bai Jiayi felt a rush of anger stuck in his throat. He gritted his teeth resentfully and crawled out of the battlefield between the imperial troops and the spies.
“Xiao Jingduo, how can you be like this, seeing someone in danger and not helping?” Bai Jiayi’s first words upon meeting were a scolding. He had only said half when his eyes caught sight of a young girl. The girl had delicate features and was wrapped in a red cloak, looking both festive and pleasing to the eye.
Bai Jiayi swallowed back his angry words. Looking at this young girl, his eyes brightened: “Is this your sister? Why is she here?”
Rong Ke slowly raised her head, her clear eyes staring steadily at Bai Jiayi.
Xiao Jingduo’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly tried to signal Bai Jiayi with his eyes, but unfortunately, Bai Jiayi was so focused on observing the adorable little girl that he didn’t receive Xiao Jingduo’s warning.
The girl’s delicate face nestled in the fluffy fox fur made her look even more like a celestial child. Bai Jiayi felt his heart melting: “So cute, how can she be so cute? The last time I felt this way was when I first met Xiao Jingduo.”
As he spoke, Bai Jiayi reached out to pinch the girl’s cheeks, but his hand was firmly grabbed halfway. Bai Jiayi’s wrist hurt from the grip. He turned his head in surprise to see Xiao Jingduo frowning at him: “What are you doing?”
“I should be asking you that. What are you doing?” Bai Jiayi cried out in pain.
Xiao Jingduo looked at Bai Jiayi, then at the calm and smiling Rong Ke, and couldn’t help but sigh that some people just didn’t want to live peacefully. He pursed his lips, pulled Bai Jiayi away, and explained to Rong Ke: “He’s my classmate. Although he’s impulsive, he means no harm…”
Even Xiao Jingduo couldn’t continue.
Daring to pinch Rong Ke’s face was simply asking for death.
Bai Jiayi didn’t know he had just been flirting with extreme danger. He hissed in pain, rubbing his wrist while complaining to Xiao Jingduo: “Is this your sister or not? Why are you using so much force? And why is she here? It’s too dangerous!”
Rong Ke was still smiling without speaking. Seeing Rong Ke’s expression, Xiao Jingduo couldn’t explain her identity and could only glare fiercely at Bai Jiayi: “Don’t talk nonsense. This isn’t my sister. She is…”
Before Xiao Jingduo could finish, another person came out of the room. Seeing the group, he quickly walked over: “Ke’er, how did you end up here? You had your Third Uncle searching everywhere!”
Everyone around bowed respectfully: “Your Highness, Prince Liang.”
The Third Prince nodded, then hurriedly went to check on Rong Ke. After thoroughly examining her, he sighed in relief: “Thank goodness, you’re not hurt. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to explain to your father.”
“It’s my fault for worrying Third Uncle,” Rong Ke smiled.
After ensuring Rong Ke’s safety, the Third Prince finally had the mindset to notice the two people nearby. His gaze swept over Xiao Jingduo and Bai Jiayi, and he nodded with a slight smile: “You were the ones protecting Yangxin just now, correct?”
“We wouldn’t dare claim such credit,” Xiao Jingduo lowered his head. This wasn’t false modesty – who knew how many guards, visible and invisible, were protecting Rong Ke? Xiao Jingduo truly didn’t dare to take credit for her protection.
As a prince, the Third Prince didn’t have much time to chat with two Imperial Academy students. Today’s objective had been achieved, and he didn’t want to linger outside the palace to avoid further incidents. As the Third Prince left with Rong Ke, once they were some distance away, Bai Jiayi quietly asked Xiao Jingduo: “She called the Third Prince uncle, which means she is…”
Rong Ke, who had walked far, happened to hear this and turned back with a smile: “You guessed correctly. I am the Crown Prince’s daughter, with the title Yangxin.”
After the Third Prince and Rong Ke were completely out of sight, Bai Jiayi stiffly nudged Xiao Jingduo: “Why didn’t you warn me earlier?”
“I did warn you. You just didn’t notice,” Xiao Jingduo glanced at him irritably. “Next time you see the Princess, don’t be so handsy. Daring to pinch her face – do you have a death wish?”
“I just never saw such a pretty little girl before. I couldn’t help myself,” Bai Jiayi craned his neck, looking in the direction Rong Ke had left, and sighed, “The royal family’s reputation for beauty is well-deserved. When the Princess grows up, what a sight she’ll be!”
Xiao Jingduo felt Bai Jiayi was thinking too much.
Not long after, the Winter Solstice Grand Court Assembly was held as scheduled. After the grand audience, the court graciously entertained the vassal ministers from various countries, but singled out the Uyghurs for rebuke.
The Uyghurs and the Emperor parted on bad terms. Subsequently, the Emperor ordered the detention of all Uyghur students in the Imperial Academy and announced that troops would be sent to the Uyghurs soon. The Emperor dismissed the Uyghur envoys, telling them to inform their Khagan to prepare their army and await the arrival of the Great Xuan’s iron cavalry.
With this, the plague case in the southern city and Liang Zhihong’s death case were finally resolved.
A few days later, a student named Li Qingfeng had a family emergency and quietly withdrew from school.
Later, Xiao Jingduo pondered: if the Liang Zhihong at the Imperial Academy was a Uyghur spy, then where was the real Liang Zhihong, the poor student who had studied hard for years and gained recognition from local officials for his talent and virtue?
Xiao Jingduo didn’t dare to think further, fearing that he had probably been killed on his way to Chang’an. These spies not only destroyed the most sincere hope of a commoner student but also attempted to overthrow the new dynasty under Liang Zhihong’s identity, trying to bring war again to this land that had just gained peace.
However, in the end, evil cannot triumph over good. The Great Xuan’s iron cavalry sweeping through Guanzhong would teach the restless vassal states what it means to “punish those who offend our country, no matter how far.”
While the choice of commander for the expedition was still being hotly debated in court, spring quietly arrived in Chang’an.
In the sixth year of Qiyuan, just as the army set out to attack the Uyghurs, another earth-shattering event occurred in the court.
The Empress Dowager, along with many ministers, submitted a memorial requesting the Emperor to bestow the title of Princess on the daughter of the late Crown Prince Min.
Only the daughter of a Crown Prince could become a Princess. The Empress Dowager’s move was indeed very subtle.
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