Lingbi's face turned pale. "I...this servant..."
"You don't recognize them?" Xin Yunzhou asked loudly, "You don't recognize a single word?!"
Lingbi glanced at Qi Huaiyu subconsciously, then quickly looked away, forcing a smile as she said, "This servant only knows a few characters; I don't recognize any of these..."
Xin Jiuwei asked, "If you don't recognize it, how do you know what's written on it, and how do you know it's my sister's handwriting?"
Her gaze swept over everyone's faces before settling back on Lingbi. She slowed her speech, "You're the maid who sweeps and cleans in my brother's courtyard. Where have you seen my sister's handwriting before?"
Lingbi stammered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"I...I'm because..."
Xin Jiuwei walked up to the two elders and said softly, "Father, Mr. Ye, as far as I know, imitating other people's handwriting is not uncommon. Lingbi's words are full of loopholes and it is obvious that someone else instructed her. This is a frame-up."
Xin's father looked at Xin Jiuwei, then asked Xin Xiyao, "Is it really not you who wrote it?"
Xin Xiyao glanced at Xin Jiuwei, then turned back and said, "Father knows my writing style. If I were to write it for him, how could Yunzhou possibly match my level?"
Upon hearing this, some people couldn't help but laugh a few times, and Xin Yunzhou awkwardly rubbed his head.
Qi Huaiyu stepped forward and said, "It seems that although there is no evidence to prove who forged Miss's handwriting, Lingbi's words are indeed full of loopholes. Since this matter cannot be resolved, let's just let it go. It's not easy for Brother Xin to write an article..."
He said this, but the meaning behind his words was all too clear: it was a tone that suggested we shouldn't delve too deeply into it, even if Xin Yunzhou had his sister write it for him.
Xin Jiuwei knew he was going to pull this stunt, and was about to speak when Mr. Ye, who had been observing for a long time, suddenly spoke up.
"Whether one's talent belongs to oneself cannot be determined by a single essay." Mr. Ye stood up and took two steps slowly. "Let's set that aside for now. Why don't I set a new topic and have the two gentlemen compose another essay here for a live test?"
Qi Huaiyu considered himself far superior to Xin Yunzhou, so he was naturally not afraid upon hearing this.
Xin Yunzhou hesitated, glancing at the two sisters.
Xin Xiyao said, "You're not ignorant, what are you afraid of? No matter what, what you write is your own, so even if you lose, you'll be honorable."
Xin Jiuwei didn't speak, but nodded to Xin Yunzhou.
Mr. Ye stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly posing a question.
"Please, gentlemen."
The servants brought in tables and chairs, and arranged writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones for Qi Huaiyu and Xin Yunzhou to solve problems on the spot.
Xin Yunzhou's eyes lit up when he heard the question, and he looked directly at Xin Xiyao.
After a slight pause, Xin Xiyao smiled gently, her lips curving upwards.
Xin Jiuwei also breathed a sigh of relief.
—Mr. Ye's question contains eight parts that overlap with what we discussed yesterday!
Xin Xiyao also gave some pointers on the points that Xin Yunzhou didn't understand. Although Xin Yunzhou wasn't good at writing, he understood them quite well and had grasped some of the principles involved.
Sure enough, he picked up the brush, and his expression was no longer as anxious as before.
However, Qi Huaiyu seemed more confident and wrote with ease.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two put down their pens.
Xin Jiuwei and Xin Xiyao had already returned to their seats.
Mr. Ye carefully read the two men's articles, pondered for a while, and said, "The two gentlemen's articles each have their own strengths. Young Master Qi's writing is outstanding, he is good at quoting classics, and his basic skills are very solid. It is truly an excellent work."
Qi Huaiyu smiled and bowed to Mr. Ye, saying, "You flatter me, sir."
He was very confident in his own writing skills, and he knew how incompetent Xin Yunzhou was, so he was very confident.
But then Mr. Ye picked up Xin Yunzhou's article and pondered, "Young Master Xin's article is a bit immature, and its shortcomings are evident."
Qi Huaiyu curled his lips into a smug smile.
Xin Yunzhou's face turned pale, and he lowered his head in dejection.
He had always felt that he couldn't beat Qi Huaiyu, but after being cared for and encouraged by his older and younger sisters a couple of days ago, he actually felt a surge of fighting spirit and hope. However, hearing Mr. Ye say this now made him feel discouraged again.
Qi Huaiyu straightened his sleeves without making a sound, waiting for Mr. Ye to announce that he had been accepted as a student.
"However," Mr. Ye said, "I set this question not to test your talents, but to focus on the solution."
He pondered for a moment, "Young Master Qi's writing is concise and skillful, and the proposed solution is an excellent one that can yield relatively good results."
"However, although Young Master Xin's solution is incomplete, its core principle puts the people first. What is the purpose of our studies, we scholars?"
"Young Master Xin is concerned about the safety of the people and puts people first. I admire him very much."
Qi Huaiyu's expression changed slightly, and his smile became somewhat stiff.
Xin Yunzhou raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
After pondering for a moment, Mr. Xin asked, "So, who has Mr. Ye decided to choose as his student?"
Mr. Ye looked at the two articles repeatedly, a look of hesitation on his face.
Xin Jiuwei and Xin Xiyao exchanged a glance; both sisters were somewhat nervous.
Everyone waited for Mr. Ye to reveal the result, but it seemed that the great scholar had not made a choice.
Qi Huaiyu began, "Mr. Ye, this student..."
"Master!"
A servant suddenly ran in from the door, interrupting Qi Huaiyu.
He ran up to Xin's father and said, "Master Jueming has arrived!"
Xin Jiuwei suddenly raised her head and nervously clenched her sleeves.
Mr. Xin quickly stood up: "Please come in!"
The servant quickly ran back and led Jueming in.
A white-robed monk walked slowly from outside the courtyard, and everyone's eyes fell on him, causing them to stand up unconsciously.
Jueming walked up to Xin's father and Mr. Ye and gave a brief Buddhist greeting.
Father Xin quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I thought the master wasn't coming. Please take a seat."
Mr. Ye also smiled and said, "Young Master Jueming, you've come at just the right time. I was in a dilemma at the time. Why don't you give me some advice?"
Jueming listened to what Mr. Ye said for a few moments, nodded, took the articles written by the two of them, and began to read them.
The courtyard fell silent without anyone noticing. Xin Jiuwei sat at the table, quietly watching Jueming.
Jueming remained calm, seemingly reading the article slowly and carefully. However, no matter where he read, his expression did not change at all, revealing no sign of liking or disliking.
Xin Jiuwei unconsciously clenched her sleeves, when she suddenly met a cold gaze.
It was Jueming's dark eyes.
He glanced over casually and his eyes met Xin Jiuwei's.
Xin Jiuwei subconsciously stopped her back movement and even felt a little tense when breathing.
She wasn't sure how Jueming viewed her words from that day.
Will he believe her? Will he help her?
Or will he, like everyone else, stand on Qi Huaiyu's side and, like in his previous life, become a benefactor on Qi Huaiyu's path to success?
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