The examiners on the stage were evaluating the results, and the students below were discussing the results.
Shen Miao hadn't made a fool of herself today, which made the verification seem a bit boring, but it also made her fellow disciples who usually looked down on her pay some attention. People are probably strange. If someone who is usually bad behaves a little better, they may be able to turn things around in the eyes of others.
Feng Anning was a little nervous, glancing over at the examiner on the stage from time to time. Meanwhile, for unknown reasons, several of the adults on the stage seemed to be arguing with each other.
"It seems that today is also very intense." Fu Xiu'an smiled and said, "But she is a girl, why bother about it so much? She will never become an official." He has always been a bit conceited, and he is not afraid that the adults around him will hear it and be dissatisfied. After all, some of them have daughters like the students who just went on stage.
"The opportunity to verify is rare," Fu Xiuyi said, "of course we must seize it."
"Ninth brother, you're right." Fu Xiuxuan took a sip of the teacup on the table and said, "If there's a particularly outstanding woman, ninth brother, you should keep an eye on her." Although he looked calm, he was a tough guy. He was secretly testing Fu Xiuyi to see if he would find him a wife with a strong background.
"Fifth brother, you're joking." Fu Xiuyi shook his head: "My father will decide my marriage, it's not my turn to make the decision."
That was true; Fu Xiuyi's daily tasks were all arranged by the emperor, and he rarely took the initiative to come up with ideas. To outsiders, this prince was simply too docile and lacked ambition, exactly like Concubine Dong Shu. However, in the eyes of Prince Jing, Fu Xiuxuan, there was always something different about him.
"In life, one must always try their best, and the same goes for one's wife, right?" Prince Jing said with a hint of meaning: "Until the end, who knows what the outcome will be?"
King Zhou also heard his brother's test of Fu Xiuyi. He rolled his eyes and fell silent.
Not long after, the examiner on the stage came out and announced the results.
In the qin category, Feng Anning, unsurprisingly, took first place. While there weren't many exceptional performers in this group, Feng Anning stood out. Naturally, she was delighted. She went up to receive the flower invitation for verification and happily returned to the stage to show it to Madam Feng. Madam Feng was delighted. For a woman, such an honor, while not necessarily a career in officialdom, was like icing on the cake. While the children of noble families naturally enjoyed wealth and splendor, their talent and beauty clearly defined them.
Feng Anning used today's verification to raise her level.
In the chess game, Bai Wei took first place. A checker, who was responsible for recording the chess games, showed the drawn chess moves to the players below to demonstrate fairness. Shen Miao glanced at the chessboard. After several rounds of games, Bai Wei's game seemed much more meticulous, and thus she came out on top. Unfortunately, her excessive focus on minor details had prevented her from focusing on the overall situation, which in turn slowed down progress and became somewhat cumbersome.
In the book category, Shen Qing only took second place. First place went to Yi Peilan. Her poem, a poem about the chrysanthemum, was elegant and lovely. While such poetry might seem a bit excessive for an unmarried girl, Guangwentang's strength lies in its ability to break free from the constraints of etiquette and not be too strict with women. Furthermore, the poem was indeed charming and interesting, not simply a tribute to the chrysanthemum, but rather a way of expressing longing through it, elevating it to a higher level.
Shen Qing's face didn't look very good, but she was not good at writing poetry, so she was very helpless.
The last one is this set of “paintings” by Shen Miao.
The examiners on the stage had mixed expressions; it seemed this group had been the most heated in the dispute. The women speculated that it was because Chen Yue and Qin Qing each had their own merits, making it difficult to choose; after all, the two were often compared at Guangwen Hall. Qin Qing sat there with a haughty expression, seemingly disregarding the outcome, though his fingers holding the teacup were a little stiff.
In comparison, Shen Yue seemed much more composed. She sat beside Chen Ruoqiu, her eyes a bit coquettish and shy, and Chen Ruoqiu looked at her tenderly. This daughter was intelligent and sharp, and her talents were as outstanding as hers. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She always took center stage in the annual exams. Seeing how cheerful she looked, she must have a sure win today.
Chen Yue was naturally confident. Her writing was powerful, her style was captivating, and she had even thought through the theme. As if she had already figured out the preferences of the examiners, she always managed to produce her best work. Qin Qing's beauty was nothing if not beautiful. Thinking of her lack of beauty, she cast her gaze on Shen Miao, who sat on the other side. She had caused her such a great loss today. She had expected Shen Miao to embarrass herself at the examination table, but who knew she had escaped unscathed? But when the scroll was presented to everyone, Shen Miao was bound to be ridiculed.
It was going to be a joke anyway, and a hint of relief flashed through her mind.
The examiner who was in charge of reading out the results sang loudly on the stage: "First Class in the Painting Group - Chen Miao -"
Shen Miao? First Class!
The noise was so loud that even the examiner's voice when he read out the first few names was drowned out.
Chen Yue's smile froze on her face. She looked at Chen Ruoqiu in disbelief, her voice trembling slightly. "Mother, who was Yijia just now? Did I hear it wrong?"
Chen Ruoqiu pinched Shen Yue's arm. Although he was shocked and angry, he had eaten for decades longer than Shen Yue. He knew that in this situation, there would definitely be many people watching to see Shen Yue's reaction. If Shen Yue was open and honest, it would be fine. But the desperate attitude she had just shown was already inferior.
Although Shen Qing and Ren Wanyun were gloating over the fact that Shen Yue had been humiliated for the first time, they were also shocked when they heard that the person was Shen Miao. They thought that the examiner had mixed up Shen Yue and Shen Miao's names.
The women at the table were talking about it, and the men at the table were naturally in an uproar as well.
"What's going on? Why isn't it Xiaoyue?" Cai Lin stood up suddenly and looked at his classmates. "Did I hear it wrong? Did that old man pronounce it wrong?"
Naturally, there were more than one person who thought the same as her, especially the young men who were classmates with Shen Miao, all of whom were discussing this with extremely surprised eyes.
"Look, brother, I knew she would win." Su Minglang pulled Su Mingfeng. He was probably the happiest among the group of people, and the white fat on his face was shaking.
Su Mingfeng was also troubled. Who could have known that it was Shen Miao? You know, before every verification, there would be private casinos to open bets. He bet on Shen Yue, but he bought a thousand taels of silver!
Well, all the money he spent wasted. If Master Su knew, he would tear him apart. Looking at Su Minglang, who was so happy, Su Mingfeng felt like crying.
Pei Lang frowned, but did not look at the examiner on the stage. Instead, he looked at the purple-clothed girl in the women's seat.
Her face was unusually calm, and she looked at everyone's surprise and suspicion indifferently.
She knew she would win.
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