Zhu Qi said firmly, "Of course I'm serious. I climbed the mountain for a whole day and night, and prayed sincerely all day to get this."
The student's eyes were fixed on the talisman, and he carefully picked it up to examine it.
At the same time, three or four feet behind Zhu Qi, Awu patted Xiao Yong and Baili Xin on the shoulders and whispered something to them.
Then, Xiao Yong came to the counter of the restaurant and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, why is your Lanting Club so chaotic?"
The shopkeeper was startled and asked hurriedly, "Sir, what do you mean?"
Xiao Yong said with a cold face: "Some street swindlers disguised themselves as students and sneaked in. They even tried to sell some kind of exam talisman to the students."
"This is obviously a scam. Your restaurant doesn't care about it."
The shopkeeper's face darkened: "There is such a thing?!"
Xiao Yong snorted coldly, "It's absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes. It's right there at the stairs. He's selling it to people right now!"
"It's not easy for us students to come to Beijing to take the imperial examinations. If someone cheats us out of money in your restaurant and reports it to the authorities, your restaurant will also be held responsible, right?"
The shopkeeper's expression turned even uglier, but he managed a smile and said, "Don't worry, sir. I'll kick this liar out right away."
After a while, two tall servants walked straight up to Zhu Qi and asked sternly, "What are you doing?"
Zhu Qi quickly put the talisman in his hand into his arms and said, "I didn't do anything, just chatting with my fellow townsmen."
A servant glared at Zhu Qi fiercely and shouted angrily, "You are so dishonest, you must be a charlatan. Get out!"
After saying that, the two servants worked together, lifted Zhu Qi up, and threw him out of the restaurant.
Zhu Qi's butt hurt from being thrown down. He rubbed it and said aggrievedly, "You actually kicked me out. I just sell a talisman. Is that so serious?"
Zhu Qi stood up, tidied himself up, and returned to the inn dejectedly.
…
Inside the Tianxiang Restaurant, twenty students participating in the calligraphy competition have already stepped onto the stage, picked up their brushes and started writing carefully on paper.
Among the twenty students, one of them was Wei Chong, who lived in the same room with Zhu Qi.
Wei Chong finished his work with great concentration, admired it with pride, and then looked down at the stage with a dazed look on his face.
He was wondering, he and Zhu Qi came in together, so how come Zhu Qi disappeared after just a while?
The host came on stage and said, "Please all students go to the stage and wait. If there are any students who would like to participate in the calligraphy competition, please come on stage!"
Soon after, many more students came up to the stage to write.
Xia Miaoyuan waited patiently upstairs for a long time before the students participating in the calligraphy competition finally finished writing.
After being scored by the judges, three calligraphy works stood out.
Three servants took the three calligraphy works to the stage for display.
The host announced: "The winners of the calligraphy competition are: First place, Wang Yuan; second place, Zhang Chen; and third place, Wei Chong. Please invite the three students to the stage!"
Applause immediately broke out in the hall, and three students responded and went on stage.
"Awen, bring out paper and pen," the prince ordered.
Awen responded, took out a pen and paper from his small bag, and walked to the prince.
"Wang Yuan, Zhang Chen, Wei Chong, write down these three names." The prince said again.
He planned to take note of the students who performed outstandingly in the Lanting Society and pay special attention to them after the exam.
Of course, we also have to be wary of these people being absorbed by Liang Chaozong.
When Xia Miaoyuan heard the name "Wei Chong", his heart tightened.
[Wei Chong! I remember him!] Xia Miaoyuan exclaimed inwardly.
【I didn’t expect to see this thing here! 】
When the prince heard his sister say this, he quickly looked at Wei Chong downstairs a few more times.
I thought, what happened to Wei Chong? Tell me more quickly.
The man named Wei Chong was of ordinary appearance. He wore a coarse cloth robe and had dark skin. He seemed to come from a poor family.
[This guy, who deceives the world and steals his reputation, probably only has real calligraphy. ]
The prince was startled. Deceiving the world and stealing fame?
As Xia Miaoyuan was complaining in his heart, the second round of competition began.
The second round of competition is to write poetry on the spot.
Because Xia Miaoyuan mentioned Wei Chong in his thoughts just now, the prince also turned his attention to Wei Chong.
When the poetry writing session began, Wei Chong went on stage again.
The Lanting Festival this year had three rounds of competition: calligraphy, poetry, and couplets. These competitions tested three different abilities.
Even if you have studied hard for more than ten years and have extensive knowledge, you may not be outstanding in all three subjects. You may be better at some aspects and weaker in others.
Students will choose the one they are best at to participate in.
Very few people participate in the calligraphy competition and then the poetry competition.
Xia Miaoyuan frowned and looked at Wei Chong downstairs, with his hands on his hips, making a posture that was in stark contrast to his actual age.
[Huh! You're really brave, even taking on a poetry contest. Are you ready to recite a poem?]
The prince was stunned again. Reciting a poem?
At this time, the host announced the topic of the poem aloud and asked everyone to write a poem on the theme of spring, with no limit on the style of the poem.
The students on the stage were thinking intently. After thinking for a while, some of them started writing, while others thought for a long time before starting to write.
After hearing the topic, the man named Wei Chong wrote down the poem in less than a cup of tea.
Xia Miaoyuan's lips curled even harder. "He can write a poem right after hearing the topic. He must be memorizing it!"
[This kind of guy is the one that this princess can't stand.]
I hope the examiner won't take a liking to his paper this time.
When the prince heard this, he became even more confused.
I don’t know what Wei Chong did in the original heavenly book that made my sister dislike him so much.
After the students finished writing their poems, the host read them one by one on the stage.
When Wei Chong's poem was read, there was a commotion in the audience and everyone praised it as a good poem.
The prince clapped his hands slowly a few times and murmured, "It is indeed a good poem!" But he glanced at his sister out of the corner of his eye.
Xia Miaoyuan said in a baby voice, "This isn't a poem he wrote himself!"
But as soon as she said that, she covered her mouth in regret.
[Hey, what am I talking about? Seriously, I couldn't help but hear my brother praising Wei Chong. It's really strange for a little kid to say such things.]
The prince suppressed his laughter, squatted down, and deliberately asked Xia Miaoyuan, "Miao'er, why do you say that?"
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