The chief examiner was Gongzi Qi, a cabinet university scholar with a head full of white hair. He was usually very serious and stern. As soon as he opened the scroll in his hand, he began to read out today's examination questions.

  As for the aspect of "painting", it's actually different every year, but this year coincidentally the chrysanthemum festival and the verification of paintings happened to coincide, so the topic is much simpler. Just like "calligraphy" takes chrysanthemums as its theme, "painting" also takes chrysanthemums as its theme.

  There were five long tables on the stage, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones on them. As they walked to the edge of the table in order, the drummer beat the drum heavily, and the examination began.

  Everyone stretched their necks and looked up.

  These five people are also a group of five with distinct characteristics. Shen Yue is a well-known talented woman, Qin Qing is beautiful and proud, Fan Liu'er and Zhao Yan are a pair of sisters who get along well, while Shen Miao is naturally the stupid and ignorant fool.

  The men mostly watched Shen Yue and Qin Qing, while the women were more interested in Shen Miao.

  Bai Wei covered her mouth and said: "Today Shen Miao looks quite proper, didn't make any strange movements, looks like the real deal."

  This is the fourth time Shen Miao has gone through the assessment. The first time, she drew chess and made a mess of it, losing badly. The second time, she drew calligraphy and spilled ink all over her clothes. The third time, she drew music and broke the strings of a fine bamboo flute. It's not that people come to watch Shen Miao perform on stage, but rather to see her make a fool of herself in public.

  But today is somewhat different.

  The high platform is vast, the girl sits upright at her desk, her pen-holding movements are very proper, as if she has received strict training, as if every detail is flawless. In October's golden autumn, the cold wind blows through the hall, lifting the loose hair on her forehead, and she slightly lowers her head, only to see a small oval face, with eyelashes that draw a beautiful arc.

  It also has some beauty.

  The lotus-green cloak rustled loudly, she sat upright, but her brushstrokes were bold and free-flowing. In the midst of her writing, it seemed as if she didn't care, yet that kind of calm demeanor was like the Osmanthus in her black hair, quietly blooming with an inner elegance.

  Mrs. Yi pursed her lips and said meaningfully to Ren Yuanyun, "The fifth daughter has indeed grown up."

  Ren Yuanyun forced a smile, but her hand secretly clenched into a fist.

  The sound of girls' conversation came from behind.

  "Shen Miao has never made a fool of herself until now, could it be that she's really changed her ways?"

  "It can't be, it should just be a show, didn't you see that she didn't even think before writing? Shen Yue still needs to think for a few moments, and at most, she's just scribbling randomly."

  Feng Anning looked at Shen Miao on the stage, and that strange feeling came again. She suddenly had a hunch that today's chrysanthemum banquet might not be like before, such as Shen Miao on the stage, would she really make a fool of herself?

  Still, with an irresistible posture, she destroyed all the misconceptions people had about her.

  Men's seats also gradually found differences.

  In this group, it's probably the most pleasing to the eye among all the female groups. Shen Yue is elegant in pink clothes, gentle and beautiful. Qin Qing is majestic and beautiful in wide-sleeved green clothes. Fan Liu'er is charming and moving, Zhao Yan is exquisite and strange, if you say who has the least characteristics, it's probably that stupid, weak and vulgar Shen Miao.

  At a glance, among the five people, Shen Miao did not lose out, but instead stood out even more.

  She sat quietly like that, clearly with her head lowered, yet there was a sense of looking down on the masses, as if... as if that slender figure was standing at a lofty and ruthless height, making people involuntarily feel submissive.

  Pei Lang furrowed his brow. How could one person's temperament change so drastically? Was this really Shen Miao?

  Fu Xiuyi couldn't hide the surprise in his heart, not because he noticed the difference between Shen Miao's current and past selves, but because of Shen Miao's sitting posture, her straight back, and the way she moved her hands and feet, which suddenly reminded him of someone.

  The current mistress of the six palaces, Her Majesty the Empress.

  Fu Xiuyi knew that his idea was absurd, Shen Miao's infatuation with him was known throughout the capital, and he also disliked being admired by such a woman. But most of the time, news about Shen Miao came from rumors. It was said that Shen Miao was uneducated, annoyingly common, rough in action, and stupidly weak. Now it seems that there is only one feeling in his heart, perhaps those rumors were not entirely true either.

  "That's really strange." The blue-shirted youth who was previously scolded by Cai Lin said in surprise, "I thought Shen Miao from Class 2 was a fool, but she doesn't seem like one."

  Cai Lin was also stunned, his gaze following Shen Yue, but Shen Miao seemed to have a kind of magic that made people involuntarily notice her. As if born to stand in a position where people would see her, especially today. He tried to suppress the strange thoughts in his mind and snorted: "Just pretending."

  "Big brother, she'll win, right?" Su Minglang tugged on the sleeve of the person beside him.

  Su Ming's eyebrows and eyes were smiling, but his expression was somewhat strange.

  "Is it really good?"

  A stick of incense time, the drummer drums again, indicating that the time has come.

  Shen Yue put down her brush, she was very confident in her painting today. Beside her left hand was Qin Qing, who had also finished his painting and was washing his brush. Even simple actions done by her seemed like a moving picture.

  Can move people, on the court, has never been about looks.

  She turned her head to look at Shen Miao, thinking that Shen Miao was always unsuccessful in everything, but today she didn't make any mistakes, probably because there was someone by her side who reminded her and made her smarter. But people can pretend, talent can't be pretended, at this moment it should be a busy and unfinished state.

  However, Shen Miao had already put down her brush and was calmly watching as someone came over to collect the painting.

  Shen Yue's smile froze.

  "Alright, go down." After all the paintings were collected, it was time for the evaluation of the national second-grade girls, which also took some time.

  "Little sister, what exactly did you draw?" Shen Yue asked Shen Miao eagerly after getting off the stage.

  For some reason, Shen Miao made her feel uneasy.

  "You'll know soon enough." Shen Miao smiled faintly, her smile seeming to hold some deeper meaning.

  She turned around and walked to a place where the crowd couldn't see, then said to Gu Yu beside her: "Find a way to deliver this to the second young master of the Jingdian History House. Yes, it's the person in green clothes sitting on the left side of the opposite seat."

  Gu Yu hesitated for a moment, seemingly still perplexed, then said: "This servant understands."

  "Go ahead." Shen Miao patted her shoulder and walked back to her original seat, looking far away at Pei Cang.

  Pei Lang raised his head and bumped into a pair of eyes, which were far away, but still visible with scrutiny.

  Sorry, Pei Lang. Shen Miao said, then let's use your hands to shake the unbreakable foundation of the Ming Qi imperial family a bit.

  After all, you owe me.