"Thank you for saving me, teacher." Yun Qingran waited in the study. After a while, Luo Xiang returned, and she immediately curtsied to express her gratitude.
"Ranran, get up quickly." Luo Xiang hurriedly helped her up, then asked with concern, "Nangong Xu is guarding outside. What's going on? Why would Nangong Xu chase after you?"
Yun Qingran briefly recounted the whole story to Prime Minister Luo.
"I see." Prime Minister Luo nodded, then praised, "Ranran, your act of saving Xiyan from dire straits is truly righteous."
"Teacher, you flatter me." Yun Qingran scratched the back of her head shyly.
"Ranran, you stay safely in Ganxi Academy. Your master will protect you with my life." Luo Xiang looked at his little disciple with clear and calm eyes.
"Thank you, teacher. My brother should have already sent someone back to Beiyin to inform them. Beiyin will come to rescue me soon." Yun Qingran looked at Luo Xiang gratefully.
The Eastern Qi was weaker than the Southern Chu, yet the teacher risked everything to protect him; this teacher-student relationship is truly inspiring and moving.
She hoped she wouldn't implicate them. Yun Qingran decided that if Nangong Xu made a move, she would leave immediately and would never harm them.
"Master Luo, the Confucian Society is about to begin its lectures." A primary school student walked in.
"Ranran, come with me," Luo Xiang said to Yun Qingran.
"Can I go?" Yun Qingran pointed to herself.
Women in this era were not allowed to read in public, and women were certainly forbidden from participating in occasions such as Confucian conferences.
"Of course you can. Your fellow disciples are all eager to meet you and discuss the Analects with you," Luo Xiang said.
"Really?" Yun Qingran looked at Luo Xiang with shining eyes.
"It's true." Luo Xiang nodded with a smile. "Let's go."
"Okay, teacher." Yun Qingran followed behind Luo Xiang.
The teacher and student arrived at the venue, which was open-air and very large. More than three thousand students knelt neatly on prayer cushions, with the Analects and writing implements on the low table in front of them.
When the students saw Luo Xiang come to the podium, they all stood up and bowed, saying in unison, "Hello, teacher."
"Please sit down," Luo Xiang said kindly, looking at the students below the stage.
"Thank you, Teacher." The students sat down in an orderly fashion.
"Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Princess Rongchang, Yun Qingran, my student in Beiyin, and your junior sister," Luo Xiang said, introducing Yun Qingran.
Everyone had already noticed Yun Qingran. Although she was dressed as an innkeeper's servant, she had red lips and white teeth, a clear and lively appearance, and a mischievous charm that perfectly matched their cuteness.
"Greetings, fellow students. I am Yun Qingran. Please take good care of me." Yun Qingran bowed to the students below the stage.
As a princess personally bestowed by the Emperor, she was not arrogant at all because of her status, and she was also adorable. Who wouldn't love such a junior sister? The gazes of the three thousand students towards her gradually became more and more doting.
"Junior sister, please get up, no need for formalities." Gu Zihao, who was sitting in the middle of the first row, stood up and gestured to Yun Qingran to help her up from a distance. He was Luo Xiang's eldest disciple.
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Yun Qingran smiled gently.
Although trapped, the lectures continued as usual. During the lectures, everyone expressed their opinions and exchanged ideas, and Yun Qingran quickly became the group's favorite.
Time flies like an arrow; three days have passed.
"She hasn't come out yet." Nangong Xu stood at the entrance of Ganxi Academy, looking at the tightly closed gate. His handsome and refined face was tinged with a hint of haggardness, making him look pitiful.
"My lord." The guard beside him wanted to offer some advice, but dared not.
"Break down the door! I want to go in and ask her face to face why she lied to me." Nangong Xu's eyes were glistening with tears.
"My lord..."
"My lord, a letter from Xiyan." Just as the guard was about to advise Nangong Xu not to act rashly, a secret guard quickly appeared in front of him, knelt on one knee, and presented the letter.
Nangong Xu opened the letter and read that Zhao Xingyun had betrayed them shortly after they left, and together with Princess Zhaohua, they had subdued Yan Jing.
Now that Princess Zhaohua has ascended the throne, Yan Jing has been imprisoned in the imperial prison.
"Zhao Xingyun has actually betrayed us!" the guard beside him exclaimed in disbelief.
"No, Zhao Xingyun must have been cursed with an obedience spell." Nangong Xu squeezed hard, and the letter in his hand turned into powder.
Nangong Xu closed his eyes, realizing he had been tricked by Ranran. She didn't know when she had placed an obedience curse on Zhao Xingyun; everything was within her calculations.
"Break down the door," Nangong Xu ordered.
The Northern Yin must already know about the Western Yan affair; we can't delay any longer.
"My lord." Just as Nangong Xu was about to break down the door into Ganxi Academy, another guard rode up on horseback, stopped in front of him, dismounted, and knelt on one knee. "It's terrible! Jun Molin has led his army to attack Nan Chu, and his troops are now at the gates of the city."
Nangong Xu's expression suddenly changed; the High Priest had failed to hold off Jun Molin!
"My lord, what should we do now?" asked the guard beside him.
"You all stay here and don't let Ranran know that Nan Chu and Bei Yin have started a war." Nangong Xu looked at the tightly closed door. "I don't want to be her enemy, and I don't want to hurt her."
"Yes, my lord." The guard acknowledged the order.
Nangong Xu gazed longingly at the tightly closed door one last time.
Ranran, it's time for everything to come to an end!
After reading it, he mounted his horse and left Ganxi Academy to return to Nan Chu.
Yun Qingran was unaware of what was happening outside and was happy every day.
"Ranran, it seems Nangong Xu has left. I haven't seen him for the past two days." Luo Xiang said to Yun Qingran that day.
He kept people watching the situation outside.
"Nangong Xu has left?" Yun Qingran was a little suspicious. He hadn't caught her, so why would he leave?
Could something have happened? Yun Qingran felt inexplicably flustered.
“He stood at the door like a stone statue every day a few days ago, but I haven’t seen him at all these past two days. He’s probably left,” Luo Xiang said.
"Teacher, I think something might have happened outside," Yun Qingran said with a worried expression.
"Ranran, don't worry. I'll try to find out if anything has happened outside," Luo Xiang said reassuringly to Yun Qingran.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, teacher." Yun Qingran said apologetically.
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