Rewind time by half an hour.

In the essay writing competition, Li Jun was the first to hand in her paper, followed by Feng Zhen'er, and finally Nian Chenghan and Lin Rushu.

The eunuch collected the exam papers, first showing them to the three judges, and then loudly reciting them to everyone present.

Nian Chenghan and Li Jun are two outstanding talents in Shengjing, so it's no surprise that they wrote excellent policy essays.

To their surprise, Lin Rushu and Feng Zhen'er's strategies were no less impressive than theirs.

Feng Yong almost couldn't suppress the smile on his face. He pretended to be reserved and said, "Your Majesty and the Grand Tutor will comment on my daughter's policy proposal. I will avoid any appearance of impropriety."

Li Xiao pointed at him, "I don't know why, but I was secretly overjoyed."

Feng Yong smiled, his eyes crinkling. "I wouldn't dare."

The crowd below couldn't help but discuss among themselves, each with their own opinions. Some thought this was better, while others thought that was better.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yunqi beckoned Fu Lu closer and gave him some instructions.

Fu Lu stood up and loudly relayed, "Since the four strategies are evenly matched, His Majesty has decreed that everyone present should raise their hands to decide. Vote for the strategy that you think is the best."

The simplest way is to ask the eunuchs to go down and count them.

Everyone naturally agreed, and the opportunity to participate made the atmosphere much more lively.

"First place, Prince Li Jun!"

Immediately, eunuchs went down to divide the area into sections and assigned several people.

"Prince Li has received 745 votes!"

The second one, Feng Zhen'er, received 740 votes.

The third year, Chenghan 765.

The third one is Lin Rushu 771.

The total number of votes in the audience was higher for Xiao Zhixing's side, but only by one vote.

However, the votes for the three individuals mentioned above have not yet been counted.

Zhao Yunqi said helplessly, "In the end, it still depends on the three of us to make a judgment."

Li Xiao acted decisively and voted for Nian Chenghan.

The score is tied.

Feng Yong voted for Lin Rushu, saying, "Miss Lin's policy proposal is the best of today."

In the end, everyone looked at the emperor.

Zhao Yunqi smiled and drew a line on Nian Chenghan's name with his imperial brush. "I will then choose Nian Aiqing's son."

The Imperial Censor, being of advanced age, bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Fu Lu announced the final result: "The essay contest is a draw!"

[Yellow comment: Sigh, it's really hard to say, they're neck and neck.]

[Red comment: But the two girls have become quite famous, especially Ru Shu, who was able to outshine the men in the imperial examination essay questions, which was extremely rare in ancient times.]

[Yellow comment: That's right, I, Ru Shu**, am naturally no ordinary person.]

Lin Rushu and Feng Zhen'er walked up to Xiao Zhixing and said, "Sorry, we didn't win a single city."

Xiao Zhixing smiled and applauded them, "It's alright, you are both excellent. From today onwards, the two of you will surely be the most dazzling stars in our Great Sheng."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

Feng Zhen'er grasped Lin Rushu's hand with eager eyes, "Miss Lin, I want to be your friend. We should visit each other more often in the future."

Lin Rushu smiled gently, "It is my greatest honor."

Next up was the painting. After the four paintings were displayed, it was discovered that each had its own merits, so the same method was used on them.

Zhao Xi's painting style is grand and majestic, Zhao Xianyin's painting skills are lifelike, Zhang Zhong is good at landscape ink splashing, and Liu Zizai's figures are three-dimensional and realistic.

Xiao Zhixing read them and found that they all fit the theme of a gentleman, yet each had its own unique characteristics. She had to admit that she couldn't decide which was better.

Finally, through a tense vote by raising hands, plus the votes of the emperor and his two companions.

Fulu announced: "In the painting competition, the students of Gentleman's Academy won by a narrow margin of two votes."

Those watching found the match exciting, and those providing real-time commentary also exclaimed how spectacular it was.

"Prince Yuansheng wins the martial arts contest, is even in writing, and loses in painting; the two are tied!"

The news spread throughout Shengjing in no time.

Therefore, everyone was even more eager for the next competition.

Fu Lu smiled and said, "The next round is a counting rod game. The rules are that the Ministry of Revenue will set the questions, and both sides will calculate on the spot. The one with the most accurate and fastest answer wins."

Li Wenxiu and Mu Zixi bowed to each other and sat down at the table opposite each other, where paper, pen, and abacus beads were already laid out.

In the middle, an official from the Ministry of Revenue unfolded the long book of test questions that Fu Lu had personally given him. "Please prepare yourselves, I will now present the questions."

Unexpectedly, neither of them picked up a pen or touched an abacus; they simply stared at each other.

"Alright, here's the question: A chicken and a rabbit in the same cage—"

"Chicken 15, Rabbit 5!"

At the same time, the two gave the answer simultaneously, taking only two breaths to calculate mentally.

The official from the Ministry of Revenue paused for a moment, then exclaimed "Correct!" and immediately moved on to the next question.

The two continued to give their answers simultaneously, one question after another, relentlessly pursuing each other, creating an extreme tension reminiscent of a peak showdown.

The spectators held their breath, watching with rapt attention as the two on stage blurted out their answers.

Those who do not understand counting rods only find it unclear and difficult to comprehend.

Those who understand are already filled with awe and admiration.

Xiao Zhixing watched with a smile on his face, never expecting that today's biggest dark horse would be Li Wenxiu.

Only she understood that the questions the emperor posed were definitely from a systematic source, and the mathematical knowledge involved was far ahead of this era.

I didn't expect them to be able to figure it out.

The official from the Ministry of Revenue was already sweating profusely and could hardly keep up with their pace of answering questions.

Li Xiao and his family looked at the imposing Jiaojiao'er on the field and almost didn't recognize her.

Is this really my own little girl who loves excitement, acts spoiled, and often skips school?

[Yellow comment: Hahaha, are you all stunned? Hahaha, our super **** Li Wenxiu, is definitely a dark horse!]

[Red comment: Impressive, impressive! These math problems would only be solved by top students in modern times. Are these really from ancient times?]

[Green comment: Suddenly I feel hopeful. No wonder you guys in the yellow dimension are so crazy. These young people are all pretty good.]

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!