Guangwen Hall’s calibration is held in October every year.
The examination was a test for every student in the academy. Particularly outstanding students would be able to participate in a talent show. Most importantly, many great scholars and court officials would be watching, and even the emperor would be watching. If a student was exceptional, they might even be offered the opportunity to enter the government.
In short, showing off one's talents to others is always a way to show off. Therefore, during the annual assessment, everyone tries their best in the hope of winning a place.
In Junior High School, Shen Yue was the most talented student, always standing out in the exams. While Shen Qing wasn't as accomplished as Shen Yue in poetry and song, he was at the top of the class in math, and always managed to get a good ranking in that area.
If we talk about people who have accomplished nothing, it's always Shen Miao who's at the bottom. She can't play the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and she's completely clueless about math and strategy. She always makes a fool of herself on the day of the test, making it difficult to even pass the test, let alone showcase her talent. In her previous life, Shen Miao dreaded the annual test the most, but watching Chen Yue and Shen Qing so proudly perform on stage, she couldn't help but feel envious.
Looking back now, she just thought it was all jealousy between children. She had seen all kinds of things, so she really didn't take it seriously.
She glanced at Feng Anning and said, "Verification? I've never thought about competing for a ranking. What's there to compete for when I'm at the bottom?"
Feng Anning was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Shen Miao to be so frank and speak out about the truth behind the tail. She carefully looked at Shen Miao and asked, "Could it be that you were really hurt so badly that your temperament has changed so drastically?"
It was as if Shen Miao had become a completely different person overnight. She was calm, open, and generous, with a calmness that was not appropriate for her age. Because they were originally sitting at the same table, this change in temperament became even more obvious.
“Yeah.” Shen Miao smiled and said nothing more.
Perhaps it was because young boys and girls of this age would instinctively respect or envy those who were more mature than themselves. Shen Miao's attitude actually made Feng An Ning's attitude towards her slightly better.
After finishing their lessons, the students went to the garden outside Guangwen Hall to rest and play. The girls were all playing chess or discussing newly written poems in the classroom when they heard the sound of a startled horse passing by outside.
"What's that sound?" Yi Peilan turned her head.
"Let's go outside and take a look." Jiang Caixuan suggested, pulling Shen Yue up: "Let's go and see what's going on."
Shen Miao had no intention of joining in the fun, but Feng An Ning took two steps and turned back, thought for a moment, and grabbed Shen Miao's hand: "Let's go and see together!"
Shen Miao was somewhat surprised. Feng An Ning had always looked down on her, let alone such an intimate gesture. She was still confused, but she was already being dragged out of the school by Feng An Ning.
Outside, many students had already gathered at the doorway upon hearing the noise. Seeing Feng Anning dragging Shen Miao over, they all cast surprised glances. Shen Yue's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent. However, Shen Qing, upon seeing this, snorted coldly. Ever since she knew Shen Miao also admired Prince Ding, she had disdained even the superficial friendliness.
But that wasn't the surprising thing. Cai Lin had just squeezed out of the crowd and saw the people outside and shouted in surprise, "Thank you, Young Marquis!"
Thank you, Young Lord Hou? Shen Miao looked outside.
Outside the vermilion gates of Guangwen Hall stood a magnificent bay-red horse, its coat glossy and smooth, a rare gem worth a fortune. The horse kicked its front hooves with a hint of pride, its elegant form drawing everyone's attention.
But after all, it is not as dazzling as the person on horseback.
A young man sat upright on horseback, wearing a narrow, dark brocade robe embroidered with cloud patterns and a deep purple sable fur cloak. His right hand idly toyed with the whip in his hand. His features were strikingly handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. The corners of his mouth curled slightly, a hint of a smile, but his eyes held a cold expression.
A young girl in the crowd immediately blushed, and regardless of the location, she boldly folded her handkerchief into a silk flower and threw it into the boy's arms. Ming Qi has always been a country with an open mind, especially when it comes to the rules of young men and women, and they are very tolerant.
The silk flower fell into the boy's arms, and he reached out to take it, holding it in his hands, and smiled. The girl who dropped the silk flower immediately touched her chest, her face flushed, as if she had been infatuated.
The next moment, the boy's mischievous smile vanished. The silk flower fluttered and fell to the ground, where it landed under the red horse's hooves and was crushed into a ball.
He lazily sat up straight. He was naturally very aggressive, and his handsome face magnified that allure to the fullest. He was naturally a person who could not be looked away from.
What a cold and cruel person.
Yi Peilan murmured, "It's the young marquis of the Xie family."
Shen Miao raised her eyebrows, the young marquis of the Xie family, Xie Jingxing.
Many of the aristocratic families of Ming Qi today had earned their meritorious service since the founding of the nation by accompanying the late emperor in establishing the country. Through generations, some families were reduced to mere names, their inner strength empty. Others prospered, flourishing to prominence.
There are civil officials like the Feng family, and military commanders like the Shen family. If the Shen family, for generations, has honestly led troops in battle and is recognized as a people of integrity, then the Xie family, despite commanding a large military force, is a complete scoundrel, and His Majesty is helpless against the Xie family.
Perhaps the Xie family always harbored a rebellious streak. Their actions were all utterly wicked, like ignoring orders from the capital thousands of miles away to retreat and instead pursuing a victorious attack. They even euphemistically claimed that "a general in a foreign country may or may not obey military orders." But the Tian family was always helpless against the Xie family, because they were invincible.
The Shen and Xie families were inherently antagonistic, a relationship deliberately fostered by the late emperor, who sought to sow discord and maintain a check and balance between them to stabilize the imperial court. Shen Xin and Lord Xie's political views were also deeply at odds. Shen Xin disapproved of Xie Ding's aggressive, cunning tactics on the battlefield, and his unorthodox tactics. Xie Ding, in turn, disapproved of Shen Xin's use of military manuals to conduct battles, expressing his conservative and inflexible nature. Beyond their courtroom squabbles, the two families remained largely isolated, a development the late emperor evidently welcomed.
After Xie Ding's wife passed away, he didn't remarry. He only had one concubine, who gave birth to two sons, meaning Xie Jingxing had two illegitimate brothers. Perhaps Xie Ding felt sorry for his legitimate son's mother's early death and wanted to make up for it, so he pampered Xie Jingxing from a young age, eventually nurturing his lawless nature.
But even so, Xie Jingxing was still a brilliant man. Apart from his naughty and cold nature, his talent, intelligence, appearance and family background were all among the best in Mingqi. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many girls secretly admiring him.
It’s just a pity, Shen Miao sighed inwardly, such an outstanding young man ended up with a tragic ending of being pierced by thousands of arrows and having his skin peeled off and dried in the wind.
Perhaps the pity in her eyes was too obvious, the young man suddenly looked over, his eyes as deep as stars flashed slightly, and he gave her a look with an ambiguous meaning.
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