He held his head high with pride, his chin slightly raised, and a hint of smugness in his eyes, as if silently declaring something to Shen Jintang.

"Young Master Ye, what brings you here today?"

Shen Jintang stopped and turned to look at him, her tone calm and indifferent, as if she were just asking a casual question.

When Ye Qingzhou saw that Shen Jintang was finally looking at him, he proudly stretched out his hand, gesturing for Shen Jintang to look at his clothes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if waiting for Shen Jintang's amazement and envy.

Shen Jintang narrowed her eyes and carefully examined the tribute robes he was wearing, but she couldn't see anything wrong with them.

She frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her mind, but she didn't show it.

Finally, Ye Qingzhou couldn't hold back any longer. He cleared his throat and said, "The robes of a tribute scholar!"

He deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes full of anticipation, "I'm also one of those who participated in the palace examination, aren't you curious?"

Although he barely made it into the selection, it was something he never dared to dream of before.

Everyone who knows him finds it incredible, but why does Shen Jintang seem to have no doubts at all?

Just as Ye Qingzhou was about to tell Shen Jintang how she had studied diligently late into the night and how she had overcome numerous difficulties to achieve such results, Shen Jintang smiled slightly and slowly said, "Passing the exam is perfectly normal; it would be strange if you didn't!"

Ye Qingzhou was taken aback for a moment, then said somewhat defiantly, "What do you mean by that?"

Shen Jintang smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of calm and confidence: "You have abundant learning resources around you. Past examiners personally teach you, and your policy essays are taught by renowned teachers. You can even keep up with the latest political news. Furthermore, your father is a general, so you are well-versed in court affairs. These learning conditions are something other students can hardly achieve even with their best efforts. If you still can't pass the exam after all this, then you'd be a fool."

She spoke slowly and deliberately, without a trace of sarcasm in her tone, but with an undeniable certainty, as if she were simply stating a fact.

After saying that, Shen Jintang ignored Ye Qingzhou, who was standing behind her looking depressed, and walked away, leaving Ye Qingzhou standing there, staring blankly at her back, not knowing what to say for a moment.