Victory

On the stage, the examiners were assessing the results, while the students. It was as if a swarm of chirpy sparrows had gathered, with their voices creating a lively din.

Today, Ye Lily didn't make a fool of herself. This made the assessment seem a bit dull, but it also caught the attention of her classmates who usually didn't give her a second glance. People are such strange creatures. Just like a broken-down old car that suddenly starts running smoothly, even the slightest improvement in someone who was once considered bad can make them seem like a new person in others' eyes.

Feng Anning was rather nervous. She kept looking towards the examiners on the stage, her eyes darting back and forth like a squirrel eyeing a nut. And up on the stage, for some unknown reason, the examiners seemed to be in a heated argument. It was like a showdown of wits, with each one trying to prove their point.

"Seems like it's quite intense today," XuXiu'an laughed. "But after all, they're just girls. Why be so serious? They're not going to become officials anyway." He was always a bit full of himself, not caring if the adults around him might be offended. After all, some of their daughters were among the students who had just performed on stage.

"The assessment opportunity is rare," Xu Hao said. "Naturally, one should seize it well."

"Brother Nine is right," XuXiuxuan picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip. "If there are any particularly outstanding girls, Brother Nine should also take note." Although he seemed calm, he was a tough nut to crack. He was subtly probing whether Xu Hao would find a wife with a powerful background.

"Brother Five is joking," Xu Hao shook his head. "My marriage will be decided by the Emperor. How can I have a say in it?"

This was true. Xu Hao always did things as arranged by the Emperor and rarely took the initiative on his own. To outsiders, such a prince seemed overly docile and lacking in ambition, just like Concubine Dong. But in the eyes of King Jing, XuXiuxuan, there was always something different about him.

"In life, one has to take a shot at things. The same goes for choosing a wife, doesn't it?" King Jing said with a hidden meaning. "Until the very end, who knows what the outcome will be?"

King Zhou also noticed his younger brother's probing of Xu Hao. His eyes rolled around, but he didn't say a word.

Before long, the examiner on the stage stood up to announce the results.

In the qin category, as expected, Feng Anning took the lead. There weren't really any extremely strong competitors in this group, and Feng Anning stood out like a bright star in a dark sky. She was naturally overjoyed. She went up to receive the assessment flower bouquet and then happily ran down the stage to show it to Madam Feng. Madam Feng was delighted. Such an honor, although it couldn't lead to an official career for a woman, was like adding icing on the already delicious cake. The children of noble families certainly didn't lack wealth and luxury, but their own talents and beauty could clearly distinguish their status. Feng Anning had just elevated her status a notch with today's assessment.

In the chess category, Bai Wei took the first place. The examiner who specifically recorded the chess game showed the drawn chess moves to the people below to ensure fairness. Ye Lily glanced at the chessboard. In several rounds of the game, Bai Wei's moves were much more meticulous, so she managed to reach the end. However, she was too focused on the minor details and failed to view the overall situation better, which made the progress a bit sluggish and rather cumbersome.

In the calligraphy category, Ye Cindy only got second place. The first place went to Yi Peilan. Her boudoir - resentment poem about chrysanthemums was written quite elegantly and cutely. Although it was a bit much for an unmarried girl to write such a poem, Guangwen Hall was known for breaking through the constraints of etiquette and not being too strict with women. Moreover, the little poem was indeed written with charm and cuteness. It wasn't just about simply praising chrysanthemums but expressing lovesickness through them, adding another layer of depth. Ye Cindy's face didn't look too good. After all, composing poems wasn't her forte, so she could only feel helpless.

Finally, it came to Ye Lily's group - "painting".

The examiners on the stage had different expressions on their faces. It was obvious that this group had caused the most intense argument just now. The female relatives were all speculating. They thought it must be difficult to choose between Ye Amy and Qin Qing, as these two were often compared in Guangwen Hall. Qin Qing sat there with a haughty expression, seemingly not caring about the result at all, but the fingers holding the tea cup were a bit stiff. In contrast, Ye Amy seemed much calmer. She sat next to Chen Ruoqiu, her eyes showing a bit of coquetry and shyness. Chen Ruoqiu looked at her tenderly. This daughter was intelligent and sensitive, with talents as outstanding as hers. She was proficient in all aspects of art, and every year in the assessment, she was the center of attention. Judging by her happy appearance, she should have been a shoo - in for the top spot today. Ye Amy was naturally confident. She had the brushwork skills, the charm, and even the concept. It was as if she had long figured out the preferences of these examiners and could always present the best work. So what if Qin Qing was beautiful? She was just a pretty face with no real substance. Thinking of this, her eyes turned to Ye Lily sitting on the other side. Today, Ye Lily had made her suffer so much. She had thought Ye Lily would make a fool of herself on the assessment stage, but who knew she managed to get through it safely. But when the paintings were to be shown to everyone, Ye Lily was bound to be ridiculed. Anyway, Ye Lily was going to make a fool of herself, and a trace of pleasure flashed through her mind.

The examiner in charge of announcing the results loudly sang on the stage, "The first - class in the painting group - Ye Lily -"

Ye Lily? First - class!

It was like a huge bomb had been dropped, and everyone started making a racket. Even the examiner's voice announcing the names of the following candidates was drowned out.

Ye Amy's smile froze on her face. She looked at Chen Ruoqiu in disbelief, her voice trembling, "Mom, just now, who was the first - class? I must have heard wrong."

Chen Ruoqiu pinched Ye Amy's arm. Although she was shocked and angry in her heart, she had lived a few decades more than Ye Amy. She knew that in this situation, there were surely many onlookers waiting to see Ye Amy's reaction. If Ye Amy could be calm and composed, it would be fine. But acting like this, she had already lost her composure.

Ye Xin and Ren Wanyun were gloating over Ye Amy's first - time loss of face. But when they heard it was Ye Lily, they were also taken aback. They thought the examiner had made a mistake with the names of Ye Amy and Ye Lily.

The female relatives' seats were in an uproar, and naturally, the male relatives' seats were also in chaos.

"What's going on? Why isn't it Amy?" Cai Lin suddenly stood up and looked at her classmates beside her. "Did I hear wrong? Did that old guy misread the name?"

There were surely many people with the same thought. Especially the young men who were classmates with Ye Lily, they were all discussing with extremely surprised looks on their faces.

"Look, brother, I knew she would win," Su Minglang pulled Su Mingfeng. Among this group of people, he was probably the happiest. The white fat on his face was jiggling up and down like a bowl of wobbly jelly.

Su Mingfeng was also at his wit's end. Who could have expected it to be Ye Lily? You know, before each assessment, there would be private gambling houses opening bets. He had bet a thousand taels of silver on Ye Amy! Well, that thousand taels of silver had gone down the drain. If Lord Su found out, he would probably skin him alive. Looking at the overly excited Su Minglang, Su Mingfeng felt like crying but had no tears.

Liu Yan frowned. Instead of looking at the examiner on the stage, he looked at the purple - clothed girl in the female relatives' seats.

Her face was unusually calm. She looked indifferently at everyone's surprise and doubt, as if she were a statue carved from ice.

She had known she would win long ago.