As soon as Chen Yue finished her song, everyone was mesmerized. A woman with exceptional qin skills is always popular, especially if she's also quite pretty. At least among the male relatives across from her, not to mention the youngsters in first grade, many of the young men in second and third grade had their eyes on her. While Qin Qing was a cut above the rest in Guangwen Hall in terms of looks, he was too arrogant to match Chen Yue's gentleness and charm.
"Your sister plays the qin very well," Feng Anning said reluctantly. "I don't know where they hired this qin player. I'll ask mother to find a famous qin player for me tomorrow."
It was a time when young people were most competitive. For example, when Shen Miao was first made Empress, she was relaxed about everything except Fu Xiuyi. She was incredibly worried if Fu Xiuyi showed even the slightest favor to another woman. The harem was full of gossip, with people secretly tripping others up and stabbing them in the back. She was someone who would immediately seek revenge if she suffered a loss, and this had offended many. Now, that nature hadn't changed at all, but she didn't necessarily resort to self-harm.
"Speaking of which, the second young lady of the Shen family is a rare talent and beauty." Everyone loves beauty, and King Zhou was also amazed by Shen Yue. He only said, "What a pity."
What a pity! Others might not understand, but the princes certainly couldn't understand. Shen Yue was born beautiful and charming, with boundless talent. If such a delicate and eloquent person were always by your side, it would be a great blessing in the world. It's a pity that she didn't crawl out of Madam Shen's belly. It's a pity that she wasn't the daughter of the Shen family's eldest wife, but the third wife.
Yet, Shen Xin, who commanded a large army, gave birth to a fool like Shen Miao. Even though she looked a little different today, people's impressions couldn't be changed overnight. They believed that Shen Miao's present decorum was merely due to someone's guidance, and that she was still the clueless fool at heart.
Pei Lang's mood gradually calmed down after Gao Yan left the stage. This was the first time in his life that he had encountered such a situation. Although puzzled, he tried his best to calm himself. Hearing King Zhou's words, he couldn't help but glance at the purple-clad girl sitting across from him at the women's table.
She held the chess piece, tilting her head in thought. She was too far away to see his gaze, yet she could sense the scrutiny and depth in it, just like when Shen Miao looked at him. How could such a person be a fool?
But people really won’t change overnight, so could it be that Shen Miao’s previous stupidity was all an act? Why was that?
Even as smart as he was, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
The women's competition ended with Shen Yue's "Ode to the Moon." Shen Yue naturally took first place, but instead of feeling happy about it, she felt a bit embarrassed.
She glanced at Shen Miao, who was absorbed in the chess game and didn't even glance at her. Shen Yue knew that Shen Miao wasn't proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, so naturally, she couldn't understand the chess game. She was looking at it so seriously now, just to deliberately embarrass her. Chen Ruoqiu noticed her expression and whispered, "Mother Yue, you've lost your composure."
Chen Ruoqiu required her daughter to remain calm and composed, no matter what happened. Whether she was truly calm or feigned, she always had to appear composed. A woman with composure possessed a superior demeanor; a flustered and flustered woman was not the demeanor expected of a noble family. To be fair, Chen Ruoqiu's approach to raising her children was indeed sound, and she herself had done quite well. Unfortunately, Shen Yue was still young, had never experienced failure, and lacked the ability to endure.
Hearing Chen Ruoqiu's reminder, Shen Yue slightly suppressed the anger on her face. The maid Shuxiang beside her handed her tea: "Miss, have some tea to moisten your throat."
Chen Yue took the tea and glanced at Shu Xiang, who smiled at her. Chen Yue understood, and her smile grew more genuine. She said, "It's a little hot. I'm very interested in picking it up later."
Shen Qing was in a better mood because he had just won first place in the chess competition. He smiled and said, "This year, there are no male and female groups, nor are there any distinctions between the second and third national levels. The competition will definitely be more intense."
After all, the "selection" is the most anticipated of the three events. Since "drawing" doesn't necessarily result in the best, "selection" is about choosing the best. Therefore, "selection" always occurs between the two best. In the women's competition, the "selection" is less intense, as women tend to maintain a calm demeanor and demonstrate a nonchalant attitude. However, the men's competition is different. Young men enjoy comparing themselves to determine victory or defeat. At this age, the desire to win is at its strongest, so the annual "selection" is the most intense.
This year, the "challenge" section is open to all students, regardless of gender or whether they're in the second or third year of junior high. Anyone who wants to challenge someone can compete. However, despite this, there are probably no male and female students challenging each other.
As expected, no one challenged the liberal arts category this year, so the highlight naturally fell on the martial arts category.
This almost eliminated the possibility of women participating. Although there were daughters of military commanders who knew martial arts, women were far less powerful than men, so it was impossible for them to succeed.
But Cai Lin was the first to step forward from the men's section and walk onto the stage.
When the examiner asked him what he was challenging, he pointed to the rifle stick and said, "Rifle."
Everyone understood. Cai Lin, the little bully, was completely clueless about literature, but he excelled in martial arts. He was the best at archery, naturally hitting the jackpot every time. He had even won first place in archery in last year's competition.
Who was he going to challenge today? Looking around the entire field, there was no one better at shooting than him.
Cai Lin raised his neck and suddenly pointed at the women's seats.
Everyone was shocked when they saw that he was pointing at the female relatives instead of the male relatives. When they saw clearly who he was referring to, they opened their mouths in surprise and even stopped talking.
He even deliberately said it loudly once: "I want to challenge her, Shen Miao!"
The purple-clad girl, immersed in the chess game, raised her head, her gaze fixed squarely on the person on the stage. Her expression remained unchanged, her movements precise, as if this earth-shattering remark were merely a casual greeting, one she didn't even bother to respond to.
Chen Ruoqiu frowned, she devoted herself to teaching Shen Yue, but Shen Miao seemed to have learned to remain calm and composed.
On a distant pavilion, a handsome young man who was leisurely sipping tea suddenly spat out a mouthful of it, his cynical expression revealing a hint of surprise: "Has the Cai family kid gone crazy?"
Shen Miao stood up. On the chessboard on the table, a black piece on the opposite side crossed the Chu River and Han River and was heading towards her.
The first pawn is dispatched.
She picked up the white piece, and in the blink of an eye, the black piece was swallowed up and thrown into the chess basket.
"Answer it," she said.
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