The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Faced with the palpable killing intent emanating from Niu Aihua, Eunuch Chen and the palace maids and nannies turned pale with fright and retreated repeatedly.

They were just palace servants, and had never seen anything like this before. The woman before them had eyes like knives, making them have no doubt that if they took another step forward, their heads would truly be separated from their necks.

"You...you have some nerve!" Eunuch Chen shrieked, his voice trembling with fear. "How dare you use force in the palace, defying the Emperor's will! Do you intend to rebel?"

"I don't know what divine will is. I only know that the headmaster told me to protect her." Niu Aihua's voice was calm, but every word was filled with unwavering determination. "Whoever makes her unhappy, I'll make their whole family unhappy."

Zhao Lingjun tugged at Niu Aihua's sleeve. Although she was touched, she knew that a direct confrontation wouldn't solve anything. This was the imperial palace, not the martial arts world where one could act recklessly.

"Love flowers, don't act impulsively." She wiped away her tears and calmed down again.

After the despair and grief subsided, she remembered Jiang Lin's teachings: the more critical the moment, the more important it is to maintain a clear head. Crying and resisting will not solve anything.

She raised her head and looked directly at Eunuch Chen. Although her voice still trembled slightly, she had regained the dignity befitting a princess.

"Eunuch Chen, go back and tell the Emperor. I can go see the envoy from Western Xia, but not now. I have traveled a long way and look haggard. If I go to see the foreign envoy in this state, it will be a disgrace to our Great Song Dynasty."

Eunuch Chen was taken aback, not expecting the princess to suddenly change her mind.

Zhao Lingjun continued, "Please grant me three days, Father. Within these three days, I will prepare myself to meet the Western Xia prince in my most perfect state. After three days, whether I stay or leave is entirely up to you. But if you force me now, I would rather smash my head against this pillar and die than suffer such humiliation!"

Her eyes held a resolute glint that sent a chill down Eunuch Chen's spine. He knew this princess's temperament; she was always one to her word. If he truly pushed her to the limit, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"This... this old servant cannot make the decision; I must report back to His Majesty," Eunuch Chen said hesitantly.

"Then go and report back," Zhao Lingjun said coldly. "Tell Father that this is my final request. If he still acknowledges me as his daughter, please grant it."

Eunuch Chen dared not say anything more, bowed, and hurriedly led his men out.

Silence returned to the hall.

"Why did you agree?" Niu Aihua asked, puzzled. "You still have to go in three days, don't you?"

"Three days..." A glimmer of hope flashed in Zhao Lingjun's eyes. "Three days is enough. I believe the headmaster must be on his way. As long as he gets there, there's still a chance for things to turn around."

She was gambling, gambling on Jiang Lin's speed, gambling on Jiang Lin's ability.

This is her only hope now.

……

Meanwhile, on an official road eighty miles outside Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Two fast horses were galloping, the dust kicked up by their hooves resembling a yellow dragon.

Jiang Lin lay prone on horseback, the biting wind lashing his face like knives. Two days and two nights of continuous riding, with almost no rest, had pushed both man and horse to their limits.

But he dared not stop.

Every moment of delay increases the danger for Zhao Lingjun.

"Chief, there's a town ahead, we need to change horses!" Shen Kuo shouted from the side, his voice somewhat muffled in the wind.

Jiang Lin nodded and slowed down. The horses they were riding were already foaming at the mouth; if they continued running, they would be ruined.

Upon entering the town, the three found a horse stable.

Jiang Lin tossed a gold ingot over and said to the shopkeeper, "Boss, two horses, the best of the best, the fastest kind. Keep the change."

The horse shop owner's eyes lit up when he saw the gold, and he hurriedly bowed and scraped as he led out two plump and strong Ferghana horses from the Western Regions.

"Don't worry, sir, this is our shop's prized possession. It's more than capable of traveling to the capital, let alone the Western Xia!"

After changing horses, the two hastily grabbed some dry food and water at a nearby eatery, and without lingering for a moment, set off again.

"Master, isn't it too risky for us to go straight into the capital like this?" Shen Kuo asked with some concern on horseback. "There are definitely countless eyes watching us in the capital right now. Those who want to catch us have probably already laid a wide net."

"Going straight into the city would be like walking into a trap," Jiang Lin said, wiping the weather from his face. "We're not going into the city."

"Not going into the city?" Shen Kuo was stunned. "Then how are we going to rescue them?"

"Who says we have to go into the city to rescue people?" A glint of shrewdness flashed in Jiang Lin's eyes. "The capital is their home ground, and they set the rules. If we go in, we'll only be able to take the beating. So, we need to bring the battlefield outside the city."

He took out a small bamboo whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips, and blew out a peculiar melody.

The whistle was sharp and short, carrying far across the empty official road.

Shen Kuo looked at him curiously, wondering what he was doing.

After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from the distant woods.

Soon, a dozen or so men in black on horseback appeared before them. The leader dismounted and knelt on one knee before Jiang Lin.

"Your subordinate greets the Headmaster!"

Shen Kuo recognized these men as Qian Duoduo's secret guards, responsible for intelligence and security at Jingshi Academy. He hadn't expected Jiang Lin to have already placed them near the capital.

"Get up," Jiang Lin said calmly. "What's the situation in the capital now?"

The head guard rose and respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Headmaster, the situation is not optimistic. Her Highness the Princess is under house arrest in the palace. In the court, the pro-peace faction, led by Wu Chong and Cai Jing, is pushing hard for a marriage alliance. Furthermore, they have joined forces with the Jingzhao Prefecture to set up checkpoints at all city gates, posted your portrait, and accused you of bewitching the Princess, offering a reward of a thousand taels of gold for your capture."

"Cai Jing?" Jiang Lin's eyes narrowed.

He knew that name all too well. The leader of the Six Traitors at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, a thoroughly treacherous minister. He never imagined that he would now be entangled with Wu Chong and his associates.

"Very good." Jiang Lin sneered. "It seems that we have more enemies than we thought, and they are more united than we thought."

"Master... what do we do now?" the guard asked.

Jiang Lin looked up at the sky and said, "Can we get to the Xiangguo Temple outside the city before dark?"

"Yes!" the guard replied confidently, "Taking the back path, an hour will be enough."

"Then go to Xiangguo Temple," Jiang Lin ordered. "Also, send someone to the Imperial Academy to find a Grand Scholar named Ouyang Xiu. Tell him that his old friend Jiang Lin is waiting for him at Xiangguo Temple and has important matters to discuss."

"Yes!" The guards accepted the order and immediately assigned men: one team escorted Jiang Lin and the others to Xiangguo Temple, while the other team rode at full speed to the capital.

Jiang Lin turned his horse around, looking at the majestic outline of the city in the distance, his heart filled with coldness.

Bianjing, here I come.

Are you ready to face my wrath?