Finally, after half an incense stick's time, all the questions were finished.

"The questions are all gone!" The junior official from the Ministry of Revenue smiled wryly, bowing respectfully. "You two, it's a draw!"

Xiao Zhixing led the applause, "Brilliant!"

The girls clapped excitedly, never expecting that a counting rod competition could be so interesting.

Li Wenxiu stood up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Mu Zixi, "You're amazing, let's compete together again next time."

Mu Zixi smiled and bowed, "I dare not accept that. Miss Li has won my heart."

Fulu announced, "The score is tied!"

Everyone was in an uproar; they hadn't expected it to be tied again.

"That was wonderful! I wonder what the outcome will be for the next poems and essays?"

The final match was highly anticipated.

[Red comment: This kind of evenly matched game is much more exciting to watch!]

[Yellow comment: Hey, it suddenly dawned on me, Mu Zixi is so amazing, how come he's not a celebrity? Were there any famous people with the surname Mu back then?]

[Yellow comment: Wow, you know what, Ji Bai and Mu Zixi are both outstanding talents, it's unbelievable that they didn't leave their mark on history.]

[Yellow comment: Don't worry, don't worry, let's keep digging into history. Maybe some obscure corner has a record of it?]

Xiao Zhixing stroked her chin, also finding it strange. Could it be that something went wrong between the two of them? Did their relationship end prematurely?

Make a note of this. Ji Bai is one of her people, and she has to protect him.

In the final round, Fu Lu announced the competition rules: "All personnel from both sides present may participate. In the end, everyone will select the best poem from each side, and then His Majesty, the Grand Tutor, and the Feng family will determine whose poem is the best."

"The title, the format of the characters, and the number of characters are all unrestricted. You are all free to create your own works."

Fu Lu gestured for everyone to come forward and begin.