kidnapping

The academy was initially a place for princes and princesses in the palace to receive their early education. Later, it was expanded to be a shared learning space for the sons of officials and young people with aspirations. Those who achieved academic success could be personally selected by the scholars of the Hanlin Academy to enter the Hanlin Academy for further study.

Therefore, most of the young men in the capital went to the imperial academy for further study in order to secure a career in government.

The examinations at the Imperial Academy were traditionally conducted by scholars from the Hanlin Academy, with the chief examiners often being ministers of the academic faction. In recent years, Xiao Liao had been the sole favorite, and thus had been appointed as the chief examiner, secretly amassing considerable wealth and connections.

This year, considering the effort Xiao Liao had put into investigating the case, Xiao Juebai appointed Xiao Heng'an to assist Xiao Liao and take charge of the chief examiner for the martial arts examination.

Inside the academy, students, dressed in their school uniforms, had already chosen their examination venue in advance and were lining up to wait.

"Uncle Wang, you've arrived."

As soon as Xiao Heng'an and his entourage landed, Xiao Liao personally came forward to greet them, followed by a group of Hanlin Academy scholars.

"Uncle Wang, please come in. The martial arts school is all set up and waiting for you to begin."

Xiao Liao politely welcomed Xiao Heng'an into the palace, secretly glancing at the fake Ji Lin.

Gu Jinning pretended not to see it, lowered her eyes, and followed Xiao Heng'an obediently.

Upon entering the martial arts hall, the students inside shouted in unison and bowed, and everyone took their seats in an orderly manner.

The students were all dressed in martial arts uniforms, which made them appear very agile and disciplined. Gu Jinning, on the other hand, was dressed as a lady, in a long, flowing dress with wide sleeves and a sheer fabric.

Xiao Liao said with a hint of sarcasm, "I've heard that Miss Biao has studied archery and received the true teachings of Uncle Wang. Why don't you change into martial arts attire and open the show for all of you students?"

Gu Jinning stood up and declined, "I have only learned the basics and am not proficient. I am afraid that I will make everyone laugh at me."

Xiao Liao said, "Miss, please don't be modest. Half of the students here are all show and no substance, it doesn't matter."

As he spoke, he ordered someone to take her to change her clothes.

Xiao Heng'an spoke up at the right moment, "There are so many students waiting, changing clothes is a waste of time. Cousin, you can come directly here."

Xiao Liao echoed, "Very well, Miss, please come in."

Gu Jinning reluctantly accepted the bow and arrows offered by the waiter and slowly walked towards the shooting range.

The opening ceremony requires shooting three arrows; hitting the bullseye with all three is considered a very good omen, indicating that students are likely to achieve excellent results. Therefore, students care a great deal about the outcome of the opening shooting.

On the viewing platform, Xiao Liao asked the person beside him, "Princess Jin Ning didn't come?"

The official glanced at Xiao Heng'an with some hesitation and whispered, "The princess knew that His Highness Prince Jin was there, so she voluntarily gave up the martial arts exam and went to the literary hall to write her essay. She's probably scratching her head in frustration right now."

Xiao Liao was focused on capturing the ever-changing young man today and had no interest in Gu Jin Ning, so he didn't say much, only keeping a close eye on the fake Ji Lin at the shooting range. He was ready to capture her on the spot if she made a mistake.

He deployed heavy troops inside and outside the academy to prepare for this day; no matter how capable he is, he cannot escape.

Gu Jinning sensed something amiss as soon as she stepped into the academy. She calculated that Xiao Liao was wary of Xiao Heng'an and would not act rashly without solid evidence, so she was fearless.

She stood inside the shooting circle, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, aimed at the distant target, and fired the first arrow with a "whoosh," hitting the bullseye.

The crowd cheered.

Gu Jinning fired a second arrow, her right shoulder wound throbbing slightly.

Damn it, I forgot about that wound.

Gu Jinning cursed under her breath, her arm dipped slightly, and then she raised it again to fire the high-pressure arrow.

The arrow missed by a fraction of an inch, landing on the line between the nine and ten rings.

Xiao Liao clearly saw her right shoulder trembling, confirming that this person was indeed the versatile young man, and squinted his eyes and said, "Miss, you seem to be having some difficulty with your second arrow."

As he was about to rise, Xiao Heng'an stepped down from the platform before him to defend those in the audience:

"Soldiers fight with the same spirit, but their momentum wanes with each attempt, and they eventually exhaust themselves. For a frail woman to hit the bullseye is truly remarkable."

On the other side, Gu Jinning nocked her third arrow, and the stinging pain in her right shoulder intensified, as if it were about to split open at any moment.

"Relax."

A large, strong hand rested on her shoulder, feeling reassuring and warm.

Gu Jinning turned her head and met Xiao Heng'an's close face, her heart suddenly pounding.

Xiao Heng'an opened his arms and wrapped them around her, took the bow and arrow in her hands, adjusted their position, and said softly, "Just let go, you don't need to exert any force. I'll shoot this arrow for you."

He breathed almost against her ear, gentle yet powerful. Gu Jinning thanked him with embarrassment, "Thank you, cousin. It was my lack of skill."

The two embraced intimately, causing a stir among the crowd, who whispered and laughed as if they were witnessing the rumors circulating.

Gu Jinning achieved her goal, letting Xiao Heng'an lead her to release the last arrow, and then her arm slowly slid down.

Xiao Heng'an supported her right arm to relieve the pressure on her right shoulder.

"Alright, three hearts, that's a good omen."

He put down his bow and arrow, took her hand, and returned to the stands, always protecting her behind him, a natural act that left no room for criticism.

Gu Jinning suddenly realized that Xiao Heng'an had recognized her. When exactly did he see through her disguise?

On stage, Xiao Liao intentionally flattered her, saying, "Miss Biao and Uncle Wang have such a deep relationship that it's truly enviable."

Xiao Heng'an ignored him, sat down on his own, and let Ji Lin sit next to him.

Xiao Liao was not in a hurry. He announced the start of the martial arts test and then left to supervise the test elsewhere.

Inside the examination hall, the fake Gu Jinning lay in a corner, deep in thought, without writing a single stroke for half a day.

What kind of bullshit policy essays are these? He hasn't even studied them, so what's the point of writing them? It's too difficult for him.

Quan Zichu, standing to the side, was also only half-baked, having only hastily written a few lines. He nudged the fake Gu Jinning's arm and whispered, "Just write whatever, the teacher won't look at it closely."

The purpose of the assessment was partly to select truly talented individuals, and partly to fulfill a quota.

For example, those who excelled in all six arts were considered top-tier. Those who passed only one subject barely graduated, but were not given any employment opportunities; they merely gained the experience of studying at the academy.

For students from top-tier families like Quan Zichu and Gu Jinning, teachers tend to turn a blind eye when grading papers. As long as they write diligently and don't draw turtles on their papers, they will pass.

Especially this year, with Zuo Wenzhong absent, the academy is unsupervised, making it even more lax.

When Xiao Liao entered the hall, he saw Quan Zichu and another person whispering to each other. The supervising scholar coughed lightly, and Quan Zichu obediently moved back to his seat and began writing haphazardly.

The fake Gu Jinning glanced at Xiao Liao, forcing a smile, her face contorted with bitterness.

Xiao Liao leaned closer to offer his care, "Cousin, don't rush, take your time writing, there's no time limit."

After saying this, he specifically instructed the invigilator not to rush the students and to simply hand in their papers.

The fake Gu Jinning stretched, looking like she was about to cry, "Even if I sat there until dark, I still wouldn't finish writing."

The students chuckled to themselves.

Outside the hall, Wu Da gestured to summon Xiao Liao, whispered something in his ear, and Xiao Liao quickly left.

In the martial arts arena, the students' competition was in full swing. Yang Yu suddenly arrived, glanced at Gu Jinning, who was dressed as Ji Lin, with a strange look, and leaned down to whisper something to Xiao Heng'an.

Gu Jinning sensed something was wrong and prepared to make a run for it.

Xiao Heng'an suddenly said, "Song Hui, Miss is tired. Let's take her back to her residence first."

Yang Yu didn't quite understand, but his eyes widened in an instant, and he called out with a hint of reminder, "Your Highness."

Song Ming had never seen Yang Yu and Xiao Heng'an like this before, and dared not make a move for a moment.

Xiao Heng'an looked up at Yang Yu and once again gave a serious order, "Song Hui, escort her back to the manor. Song Ming, you go too."

Song Ming had no choice but to comply. Gu Jinning, seeing that things were going well, immediately got up to say goodbye and silently followed the two away.

Even without Yang Yu saying anything, she already guessed that something had happened, and that it was about her.

Halfway there, Xiao Liao approached from the opposite direction, "Deputy General Song, where are you headed?"

Song Ming replied, "Miss Biao is not feeling well and needs to return home to rest."

Xiao Liao's gaze shifted, and he smiled sinisterly, "I think that's unnecessary. Men, arrest this young lady."

A dozen guards swarmed around them, blocking the three of them in the corridor. Song Ming and Song Hui quickly protected Gu Jinning from the front and back.

Song Ming questioned, "Your Highness Prince Qin has arrested people without cause. Is there any explanation?"

Xiao Liao pointed and said, "The scoundrel is impersonating Miss Biao and hiding by the side of the Prince, intending to commit wicked deeds. I will bring her to justice."

Song Hui shouted, "Nonsense! How could Miss Biao be an imposter?"

Xiao Liao smiled with an air of certainty.

"I have evidence to verify this person's identity. Take him away first."

"King of Qin, did you obtain my permission to take my men into custody?"

Xiao Heng'an's sudden, stern questioning made Xiao Liao's face darken.

The crowd parted to make way, and Xiao Heng'an strolled in, glancing around at the surroundings, and retorted sarcastically, "What is the purpose of the Prince of Qin bringing so many guards to the academy?"

Xiao Liao still spoke with righteous indignation, "Uncle, your mansion has been robbed. You must not be fooled by this little thief; he is very cunning."

Gu Jinning timidly hid behind Xiao Heng'an, looking innocent and pitiful.

"Cousin, I don't understand what His Highness the King of Qin is saying."

Xiao Liao glared at her fiercely, "Miss Biao will be here soon, let's see how you try to explain yourself."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gui Fang stumbled and ran up from the end of the corridor, kneeling in front of Xiao Heng'an in a panic. "Your Highness, the courtyard has been robbed, and Miss has been knocked unconscious and hidden in the cabinet by the thief."

When she looked up, she saw the person behind Xiao Heng'an and was startled. Her hand trembled as she pointed at the person.

"Your Highness, the lady beside you is an imposter."

Ji Lin arrived in a hurry, accompanied by guards from the Prince of Qin's residence.

Upon seeing Xiao Heng'an, she knelt down and wept, "Cousin, I don't know what happened. I suddenly fainted and was rescued by His Highness Prince Qin's men, only to find out that a thief was impersonating me..."

She glanced at Gu Jinning, her eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly innocent, as if telling Gu Jinning that her visit was not her own intention, but rather a scheme orchestrated by the Prince of Qin.

Now that things have come to this, Gu Jinning doesn't care about her anymore. She pulls out a dagger from her sleeve and presses it against Xiao Heng'an's neck in the blink of an eye.

Before Song Ming and Song Hui could recover from their shock, they saw Xiao Heng'an being taken hostage and quickly drew their swords.

Gu Jinning switched to a male voice and threatened, "Don't move. My dagger is faster than yours."

Song Ming and Song Hui dared not act rashly.

Song Hui shouted, "Release His Highness immediately!"

Gu Jinning said, "Let me go, and I will release him."

Xiao Heng'an gestured to the two men not to intervene. Song Ming and Song Hui took a half step back, holding their swords in a stalemate.

“You all step back, or I’ll kill him.”

The guards looked at each other, waiting for Xiao Liao to give the order.

Song Hui said urgently, "Didn't you hear me tell you to back off? If anything happens to my prince, you will all be executed."

The guards had no choice but to retreat to a side path.

Gu Jinning, holding Xiao Heng'an hostage, slowly retreated from the corridor, passing Yang Yu who was waiting for his chance, and said jokingly, "Deputy General Yang, please don't draw your sword."

Yang Yu waited with a cold expression, his hand on the hilt of his knife, ready to strike at any moment.

Gu Jinning continued to back away, turning into the garden path.

With a few sharp whooshing sounds, a flying blade sped towards Gu Jinning from behind.

Gu Jinning shoved Xiao Heng'an aside, dodged, and jumped into the tall bushes, disappearing into the distance.

The throwing knife grazed past Xiao Heng'an's ear. Yang Yu drew his sword and slashed at the blade, then leaped after it, shouting, "Who shot the arrow from the shadows? Show yourself!"

He swung his sword down, and a person leaped out from under the eaves, landing behind Xiao Liao.

Xiao Liao laughed it off, saying, "Oh dear, this person is someone I invited to catch a thief; he means no harm."

Yang Yu rebuked, "He nearly killed His Highness Prince Jin with a single blow."

Xiao Liao said, "It's understandable that he's eager to catch the thief. Vice General Yang is agile, so Uncle Wang will be fine."

He smiled broadly, "Uncle Wang, catching the thief is the priority now. I'll apologize to you later." With that, he ordered his men to seal off the academy and conduct a thorough search. He then led a team to chase after the thief in the direction he had fled.