Chapter 65 The Chosen One

It was as if even the air had frozen.

Wang's wailing caught in her throat as she stared in horror at the old lady's ever-changing, ashen face, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She knew that Xie Sangning's words had escalated the matter to the point of shaking the family's foundation and challenging Xie Zhenting's authority! That little slut is too good at talking!

The old lady... will no longer help her!

The old matriarch stared intently at her granddaughter below, who bowed respectfully yet displayed a sharp edge, then thought of her eldest son, Xie Zhenting, who was far away on the border, commanding a large army and possessing a fierce temperament…

Her attempt to smooth things over was completely shattered.

"Someone come here..."

The old lady's voice was hoarse and dejected: "Twenty slaps...as a warning to others!"

"Mother--!!"

Wang let out a heart-wrenching scream. If she was beaten today, she would have no authority in this house! How could she manage the household then!

She tried to escape, but two expressionless, strong old women grabbed her arms from either side. The other old woman showed no mercy, and her shrill screams pounded heavily in the hearts of everyone in the second branch of the family.

The members of the second branch of the family were ashen-faced and stiff-bodied, unable to even utter words of pleading.

After the slapping incident, Wang's cheeks were swollen.

It was clear that the old woman hadn't held back.

The old lady looked at Xie Sangning: "Are you satisfied now? Then there's nothing to worry about..."

“Grandmother, you're mistaken. It's not that I'm satisfied, but rather that you've revived the family rules. As for the matter of adoption you mentioned—”

She walked step by step to Xie Wulu, looking down at him with a calm and unwavering gaze, as if she were examining a commodity waiting to be sold, full of assessment and disdain.

“Grandmother,” she said, turning away from Xie Wulu and towards the old lady, “you insist on having your child adopted, and I dare not object, nor dare I be unfilial.”

"However, I really don't understand. If you really want to choose an adopted son for your father, why not choose the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, the top-ranking scholar, instead of... a mere seventeenth-ranked scholar in the second class?"

"In my Xie family, in my grandmother's heart, is a degree that can't even get into the top ten of the second class considered successful? Is it enough to support the General's Mansion's century-old foundation?"

Xie Chengzong spoke as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his tone full of sarcasm and smugness.

"Hahaha! Xie Sangning! I think you've really lost your mind! Top scholar? First-class scholar? That's the God of Literature in the heavens! Do you think you can just claim it like that? You're dreaming!"

"In the entire Xie family, besides our Wulu who passed the imperial examination with flying colors, who else is there?! Show me someone! You're probably just jealous of Wulu, so jealous that you've gone hysterical and are spouting nonsense here!"

Xie Wulu, like a wild beast that had been completely enraged, suddenly stood up from the ground, his eyes bloodshot: "Merely?! Xie Sangning! Seventeenth place in the second class! Do you know what that means?"

"That's the kind of academic achievement that countless scholars across the land strive for after ten years of hard study and exhausting their efforts! It's an honor bestowed by the Emperor himself!"

"What gives you the right to look down on me?! You're just a young lady from a sheltered family, all you know is how to boss people around because of your birth!!"

"despise?"

Xie Sangning tilted her head slightly, her tone tinged with doubt: "Haven't I always looked down on you? What, haven't I made it obvious enough?"

She took a step forward, closing in on Xie Wulu: "I just think that with your meager achievements, you think you can get your hands on the position of the General's heir, coveting what doesn't belong to you..."

She paused, then parted her red lips slightly: "That's utterly delusional, an overestimation of one's own abilities to the extreme!"

"you--!"

Xie Wulu trembled with rage, his finger pointing at Xie Sangning quivering, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of humiliation!

Wang let out a piercing scream: "Xie Sangning! You are arrogant! You are lawless! Wu Lu's achievements are real! They are written on the honor roll and announced to the world! What makes you think you can slander him as insignificant?! What do you have to compare him to?!"

"On what grounds?"

Xie Sangning's cold smile finally widened. Without saying another word, she gently raised her hand and clapped three times.

The crisp applause served as a signal.

Ru Chun, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately bowed and said, "Miss, the person has been brought."

Before he could finish speaking, the heavy curtains of Fushou Hall were lifted high by two servants.

Outside the gate, more than twenty young students dressed in brand-new blue imperial examination robes filed in!

Their expressions were solemn, their steps steady, and they instantly occupied most of the space in Ci'an Hall.

The leader was tall and handsome, with a striking red flower on his chest. He was none other than Chen Yan, the top scholar of this year's imperial examination!

The entire room was astonished!

The old lady's hand, which was holding the prayer beads, trembled violently, and the beads almost slipped from her grasp!

Wang's scream stopped abruptly, as if she had been choked, her eyes wide open.

Xie Wulu was struck dumb, frozen in place, staring in disbelief at the group of prodigies before him.

Ru Chun, carrying a heavy sandalwood box, respectfully walked to Xie Sangning's side.

Xie Sangning stretched out her slender fingers, gently opened the box lid, and took out a roll of bright yellow silk.

With an elegant flick of her wrist, the silk scroll unfurled before her with a "whoosh," stretching over three feet in length, its densely packed, ink-black names standing out clearly against the bright yellow background.

"Based on this."

"Chen Yan, the top scholar in this year's imperial examination!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yan, the top scholar at the head of the group, did not hesitate. He lifted the corner of his robe, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head in respect towards Xie Sangning.

Their posture was extremely respectful!

"Second place in the first division, runner-up—Li Wenhuan!"

Li Wenhuan followed closely behind, also kneeling on one knee!

"Third place in the first-class ranking, the third-place winner—Zhao Mingcheng!"

"Fourth place in the top class—Chen Sheng!"

"First place in the second class—Sun Wenyuan!"

...

Xie Sangning read out the names one by one, clearly and forcefully. With each name read, the corresponding scholar, as if receiving a command, would kneel down on one knee in unison, bowing their head in respect!

The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation!

Twenty-three newly appointed scholars knelt before Xie Sangning!

This scene is absolutely breathtaking!

This action is outrageous! It's against the rules!

The old lady was so shocked that her mouth dropped open, and the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

Xie Wulu felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and immense fear gripped him!

He had a bad feeling!

We must stop it! We absolutely must stop it!

"Enough!"

Xie Wulu roared in a fit of rage, "Xie Sangning! What's the point of you reading this?! No matter how well they do on the exam, no matter how high their rankings are, they belong to other families! What does it have to do with my Xie family?! And what does it have to do with you?!"

"You didn't just hire me to humiliate me, did you? So what? I'm the only one from the Xie family who passed the exam!"

Xie Sangning felt relieved looking at Xie Wulu, who was in a bad mood.

She handed the scroll to Ruchun and uttered the words that shocked everyone with a light laugh.

"Who says these people don't belong to the Xie family?"