Chapter 68: On the field, the dark curtains are flying

It turned out that An Xin was overthinking it, because the three judges couldn't see who was playing the piano behind the thick screen.

Originally, she was worried that those people who looked down on her as a female headmaster would make things difficult for her students. Now, she couldn't even see them, and they were simply graded based on their piano skills. What a shady deal.

It took another two days to screen and eliminate the candidates.

Zhu Shijing and Leng Xiangbai won the competition of Qin and chess among the six arts of a gentleman with their superb skills.

When the other five judges learned that the first place in the four competitions of riding and archery, recitation, musical instrument playing, and chess were all from an academy called Wanhua in Lin'an County, they were surprised for a moment before they realized what was going on.

Isn’t this academy the one where the female judge they look down upon lives?

Shanzhang Wang was standing in the crowd, he was now numb.

Looking at An Xin, he brought his students with a proud look on his face, chest puffed out and not at all modest, back to the yard where they lived.

Principal Wang wished he could snatch away the outstanding students behind her.

Why did he listen to the nonsense of the teachers and students who had come to Cangyun Academy? The few students who stayed behind were all useless students. If such students were called useless, then what should the students he had pried over be called? Trash?

Wang Renjie glanced at the ten students behind him, among whom were Liu Mingjie and Zhao Kui.

I originally thought that these two, one was a disciple that An Yuanrong valued very much, and the other was his future son-in-law, were both great students. I didn't expect that this was it.

No one who has registered for a competition has passed the second round.

Principal Wang didn't understand why it was understandable that among Anxin's students, those from well-off families could learn some music, chess, calligraphy and painting to improve their temperament and style.

But he knew that the student named Leng was just a country boy. His brother and sister-in-law were heartless and scoundrels. Last time, they failed to do anything for him and even blackmailed the people he sent.

How could such a student have such superb piano skills and win first place? It must be fake.

But even if An Xin was a judge, the first place was not decided by her alone. Principal Wang was puzzled and only regretted that he had heard rumors and did not pry the remaining students into the academy he founded.

The next competition was calligraphy and painting, and this time more students participated.

Except for the host Baichuan Academy, whose students are not allowed to participate, the other three academies have students sign up for the competition.

There were two students from Tiande Academy who took part in the calligraphy and painting competition. One of them was Gao Shilian’s nephew, named Gao Zhihui.

It is obvious that this boy is just like his uncle, self-righteous and arrogant. He looks up at everyone he sees, as if he is looking down on them with his nose.

"Uncle, just watch me trample those people from small places under my feet."

Gao Shilian nodded. He was very confident in his nephew because Gao Zhihui was a scholar.

Most of the students who passed the examination to become scholars in small counties studied in official schools. The official schools were afraid of losing the competitions of the four major academies and thus would lose face for the official schools, so they would never bring anyone to participate.

Therefore, among the students brought by small academies from all over the country, eight out of ten are students with good academic performance in the academy.

Hanchen Academy also sent two students, Han Junbo and a scholar named He Zhiyuan.

After several students of An Xin won first place, Liang Hongsheng, a bachelor who had originally looked down on her, had a slightly changed impression of her appearance.

Now when we meet, I am willing to give her a smile and chat with her for a few minutes.

This made Chi Changxu, who had a deep-rooted contempt for women, despise Liang Hongsheng every time he saw him for not being firm enough. He was just a mean person.

Liang Hongsheng also didn't want to pay attention to Chi Changxu. He believed that An Xin, who was able to teach such outstanding students, should be respected even though she was a female principal.

Hua Ting Academy once again sent their outstanding student, Ge Guangyuan, and another student who was arrogant to Chi Changxu, Huang Jiaxuan.

The game begins.

This time too, the judges and the participating students were separated by a screen to prevent them from recognizing which student wrote the calligraphy and painted the piece.

The name was also painted over like the imperial examination.

There was a shady deal this time. Even though the name was covered, An Xin still recognized the painting drawn by Li Ziyu.

An Xin, who had no moral principles, gave his student a full score without any shame.

Don't think that she didn't see that the judges sent by the other three academies nearby were able to recognize the calligraphy and paintings of her students and gave their students a perfect score.

If we want to do something shady, we should all join in. Who isn't a good headmaster who protects his own people?

Gu Zhicheng, a judge from Baichuan Academy who did not bring any students to the event, and Bai Huaqing, the instructor of Leling County, looked at each other. Anyway, such things would happen in every literary gathering, and the correct approach was to see through them but not say anything.

Two unrelated people gave the most fair ratings.

After the competition, Li Fangyu reported the results of the six judges' scores.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

When the other three judges who had also played dirty tricks heard Li Fangyu announce the final results of the calligraphy and painting competitions, Gao Shilian, Liang Hongsheng, Chi Changxu, and even Gu Zhicheng and Bai Huaqing who had scored fairly were stunned.

"How is this possible? This is impossible!" Ji Chang Wook said in disbelief.

How come it was another student from Lin'an County Wanhua Academy who won first place in the calligraphy and painting competition?

He looked at An Xin who was sitting there with a proud look on her face. Even if this woman was not ethical and gave her student full marks, the score she gave alone would not be enough for her student to get first place.

"We want to see the calligraphy and paintings of the top three students."

Li Fangyu, who was hosting the competition at Baichuan Academy, had an indescribable expression on his face. Could it be that he was suspected of playing tricks?

To tell the truth, no.

He is not a student of his own college, and he does not have any deep friendship with people from other colleges. How could he, a host of the competition, get into any inside information?

When Li Fangyu ordered people to take out the calligraphy and paintings of the top three, a hint of annoyance flashed in Chi Changxu's eyes.

Because they did not recognize the calligraphy and paintings of other students, they also gave seven or eight points to the paintings and calligraphy of Li Ziyu and Kong Xun.

This is because some students are afraid of getting higher scores than their own students, so they give lower scores.

If we were to give grades fairly and impartially, their calligraphy and paintings are definitely the best among all the students, and giving them 9 out of 10 would not be an exaggeration.

Several people regretted that if they had known that they were students from Wanhua Academy, they would have given these two students a zero even if it meant going against their conscience.

This would save them from being trampled on by an unknown little academy that always takes first place and rubs the faces of the three major academies.

Li Ziyu and the other five people plus Kong Xun himself were all indifferent to this literary gathering, but who made these people look down on his young headmaster and annoyed them?

Don't think they didn't see it. Every time our little head went out to be a judge, there were people who complained behind her back, saying that she was a woman, how could she be a judge of this literary gathering?

What’s worse, the words said will be even more unpleasant to hear.

If it weren't for their little headmaster who looked nonchalant, several of them would have gone out and been put in sacks.

(End of this chapter)