These people include men and women, the old and the young, but they are almost all men.
There were only seven or eight women.
Among these seven or eight people, Zhihua stood out, not for any other reason than that although she was a little nervous, she still held her head high and her eyes shone brightly.
Unlike many others who dare not look directly at the emperor's face, he was very calm and composed, with confidence in his eyes.
Zhihua is only 13 years old this year, but because she has been practicing martial arts all along, her bones are well developed, and she eats a very balanced diet, so she is already over 1.6 meters tall at such a young age.
Standing among a group of men, she was truly conspicuous.
His Majesty looked at her almost immediately, his eyes filled with curiosity, and he had a very good first impression of her.
When His Majesty the Emperor's majestic and hawk-like eyes swept over her, Zhihua was not entirely unnerved.
But she already had Master Huang's help. Master Huang had practiced with her with this stern expression and extremely imposing aura hundreds of times, so it was just a piece of cake for her.
At first, she was so frightened by Old Huang that she didn't dare to breathe and even wanted to kneel down on the spot, but as time went on and she got to know him better, she had no more worries.
Because he was afraid that Zhihua would be nervous, and he couldn't wait to know the result, Old Huang, who had secretly come over, was now sneaking around outside the door frame with a furtive look on his face, peeking through the crack in the door without any regard for his image.
Seeing her composed demeanor, he stroked his beard with satisfaction, his face beaming with joy. He couldn't help but nod repeatedly, inwardly marveling, "She truly is my darling granddaughter! She has just his style!"
As a result, many people in the hall felt a chill down their spines, as if someone was watching them from behind, which made them shiver.
"The retired emperor?"
A palace maid, seeing Old Huang sticking his buttocks out and peering intently inside, called out uncertainly and cautiously.
He could hardly believe that the person secretly watching him from the shadows was once the majestic ruler of a nation.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
Old Master Huang quickly turned around, frowned, and glared at the palace maid, annoyed that she had interrupted his good time. He held up a hand and gestured to his nose to signal her to shut up!
The palace maid, upon seeing that it was indeed the Empress Dowager, was so frightened that she dared not even breathe. She immediately knelt down respectfully to apologize, and only after receiving a signal did she run away, clutching her chest with lingering fear.
…
Soon, Zhiyin, who had been anxiously waiting for news at home and pacing back and forth, learned without even asking that Zhihua had become the new champion.
After all, she was the only female top scholar in the imperial examination to date!
He was only 13 years old, and he won on his first try!
She stood out among a group of candidates much older than her and won first place!
How can he not be called a prodigy? How can he not be the talk of the world? He's practically a child prodigy!
This is absolutely incredible! It has shocked the world!
Apart from those who had personally witnessed Zhihua's prowess, the other officials were completely incredulous when they learned that this year's top scholar was actually a girl.
I felt like some belief within me had collapsed!
If it weren't for His Majesty the Emperor personally overseeing the process, they would have seriously suspected something fishy was going on!
After all, the exam content is policy questions, which test literary skills and the ability to govern a country!
You need to have at least experience and broad vision, right?
Can a young girl really outshine a group of people from prestigious families and students who have studied hard for more than ten years without decades of experience?
This is absolutely incredible!
They were especially shocked when they heard that she was just a villager from a remote village. They stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded, and couldn't believe it at all.
It felt like they were dreaming!
Therefore, many people wanted to see if she really had three heads and six arms, and what abilities she possessed that earned her the Emperor's special favor!
Little did they know that Zhihua had gained extraordinary abilities. With guidance from the former emperor, Huang Lao, and knowledgeable friends who shared modern methods for dealing with floods, droughts, and other disasters, Zhihua was fortunate to receive such assistance.
Therefore, although she is young, she is truly knowledgeable and insightful! Her mind is filled with countless pieces of knowledge.
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