The chief examiner was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Zhong Zi Qi. He was a little old man with a head full of grey hair but was usually very serious and upright. He only opened the scroll in his hands and began to read out the examination questions.
Regarding the 'painting' side, it was actually different every year but this year the academy examinations and the Chrysanthemum banquet happened to be together so the questions were much simpler. Just like 'book' with Chrysanthemum as the title, 'painting' also with Chrysanthemum as the title.
There were five long tables on the stage and there were brushes, ink, paper and inkstone on the table. One would walk to the table in order and the drummers would beat the drums heavily, signaling the start of the academy examinations.
Everyone stretched their necks to look up.
These five people could be considered as the five people with unique characteristics. Shen Yue was a talented female that everyone knew, Qin Qing was beautiful and arrogant, Fan Liu-er and Zhao Yan were a pair of sisters that had a good relationship and Shen Miao was naturally that stupid and ignorant idiot.
Most of the males were looking at Shen Yue and Qin Qing but most of the females were looking at Shen Miao.
Bai Wei covered her mouth and said, "Today Shen Miao seemed to be well-behaved and did not have any strange actions. It looks like it is the case."
Including this time, Shen Miao had passed through a total of four academy examinations. The first time she drew a chess piece, she randomly played a few pieces and was defeated like a landslide. The second time she drew a book, she overturned the ink plate and dirtied her clothes. The third time she drew a zither and the string of a good bamboo zither was broken by her. Rather than saying that everyone was here to watch Shen Miao go up the stage, it was better to say that she would make a fool of herself in front of everyone.
But today it was somewhat different.
The high stage was wide and the young female was sitting in front of the table. Her actions of holding the brush were very proper, as if she had received rigorous training, as if there was not a single bit of mistake that could be picked out. In the golden autumn of the tenth month, the cold wind blew through the hall and lifted the stray hair on her forehead. She lowered her head slightly and one could only see the oval shaped little face and the eyelashes that hung down drawing a beautiful arc.
There was actually some beauty.
That lotus green cloak fluttered fiercely. She sat upright, but her brush was free and unrestrained, as if she didn't care. However, that kind of confident bearing was like the begonia in her black hair, blooming openly in a reserved way.
Yi Furen pursed her lips and said to Ren Wan Yun with an unclear meaning, "Fifth Mother has really grown up."
Ren Wan Yun forced a smile, but her hands quietly tightened.
Behind him came the chatter of the girls.
"Up until now, Shen Miao has not made a fool of herself. Could it be that she has really changed?"
"That's impossible. She's probably just putting on an act. Didn't you see that she didn't even think before writing? Shen Yue still needs to think for a few more moments, but for her to be like this, the biggest possibility is that she is just casually painting. "
Feng An Ning looked at Shen Miao on the stage and that strange feeling came again. She suddenly had an intuition that today's Chrysanthemum banquet might not be like the past. For example, would Shen Miao on the stage really make a fool of herself?
Or was it to destroy all the misconceptions people had about her in an unstoppable manner?
At the male side of the banquet, some people gradually discovered the difference.
This group was probably the most pleasing to the eye out of all the women's groups. Shen Yue's pink dress was simple and elegant, gentle and beautiful. Qin QingQing's green dress was wide sleeved, arrogant and beautiful. Fan Liu-er was delicate and charming, Zhao Yan was weird and if one were to say who had the least special characteristics, it would be that stupid, cowardly and tacky Shen Miao.
But at a glance, among the five of them, Shen Miao was not only not inferior, but stood out.
She just sat there quietly with her head lowered, but she gave off the feeling that she was looking down on all living things. It was as if … as if that delicate figure was standing on a high and decisive position, causing people to involuntarily feel the urge to submit to her.
Pei Lang frowned. How could a person's temperament undergo such an earth-shattering change? Was this person really Shen Miao?
Fu Xiu Yi could not hide the surprise in his heart. It was not that he noticed the earth-shattering difference between Shen Miao and the past, but the way Shen Miao sat, the straight back and the way she raised her hands made him think of a person.
The current Mistress of the Six Palaces, the Empress.
Fu Xiu Yi knew that his own thoughts were very ridiculous. The entire Ding capital knew that Shen Miao loved him, and he hated himself to be loved by such a female. But most of the time, the news about Shen Miao was heard from rumours. It was rumoured that Shen Miao was ignorant and incompetent, unbearably tacky, rough, stupid and cowardly. Now it seemed that there was only one feeling in his heart. One fear that those rumours were not all true.
"Really strange." The blue clad youth who was previously reprimanded by Cai Lin said curiously, "Wasn't it said that the second year student Shen Miao is an idiot? It does not look like it."
Cai Lin was also stunned. His eyes kept following Shen Miao but Shen Miao seemed to have a kind of magic that made one involuntarily notice her. It was as if she was born to stand in a position that others could see, and it was especially obvious today. He tried hard to suppress his own strange thoughts and snorted, "Just putting on an act."
"Eldest Brother, she will win." Su Ming Lang tugged at the sleeves of the person beside him.
Su Ming Feng's brows were smiling but his expression was somewhat strange.
"Shen Miao?"
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the drummer beat the drum again, indicating that the time was up.
Shen Yue put down her brush. She was very confident in her painting today. Beside her left was Qin Qing. Qin Qing had also completed his painting and was washing the brush. Even if it was a simple action, when done by her, it was as moving as a painting.
But no matter how moving it was, in the academy examinations, one would not rely on one's beauty to speak.
She then turned her head to look at Shen Miao and thought that Shen Miao had always achieved nothing but there was no accident today. Most likely it was because there was someone beside her that she became smarter. One could pretend but one could not pretend one's talent. At this moment she should be in a fluster and had not finished.
However in front of her, Shen Miao had already put down her brush and calmly looked at the people who came to collect the paintings.
Shen Yue's smile stiffened.
"Alright, go down." After everyone's paintings were collected, it would be the academy examinations for the second year female and this would require time.
"Fifth Younger Sister, what exactly did you draw?" After Shen Yue came down from the stage, she could not wait to ask Shen Miao.
She did not know why but Shen Miao made her very uneasy.
"You will know in a while." Shen Miao gently smiled and there seemed to be something more meaningful in her smile.
She turned around and walked to a place where no one could see before speaking to Gu Yu beside her, "Think of a way to send this to the hands of Second Young Master of the Annals residence. Oh, it is the person dressed in green on the opposite seat from the left. "
Gu Yu hesitated for a moment and seemed to be somewhat confused before saying, "This servant will save it."
"Go." Shen Miao patted her shoulder and walked back to her original seat. From afar, she looked at Pei Lang.
When Pei Lang looked up, he met with a pair of eyes. Even from afar, one could see the scrutiny contained within.
Apologies, Pei Lang. Shen Miao thought in her heart, I will borrow your hands to shake the unbreakable foundation of the Imperial family of Ming Qi.
After all, you owe me.
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