The verification officials had taken their positions on the stage. The female instructor who had earlier carried the bamboo tube for drawing lots was now recording each participant's assigned category, as the assessments were to be conducted in groups.
First up was the women's group, tested on the four arts of qin (zither), chess, calligraphy, and painting. Students of the Hall of Extensive Learning in their first year were exempt from verification, leaving only those in their second and third years. The third-year students would be assessed in the next round, while this batch of second-year students numbered just over twenty.
The young women attending the Hall of Extensive Learning were all daughters of prominent aristocratic families in the capital. Naturally, illegitimate daughters were ineligible, and among legitimate daughters, many had private tutors at home. Moreover, the Hall's admission standards were high, with annual tuition fees reaching a thousand taels of silver.
Shen Xin had never cared much for such worldly considerations and had enrolled all three daughters of Shen Mansion in the Hall. Ren Wanyun had been somewhat displeased by this, but with a wave of Shen Xin's hand, she dared not argue further—after all, the funds came from the emperor's rewards for Shen Xin's military achievements.
The twenty-two participants were divided into four groups. The qin category had the most participants, seven in total, as young ladies tended to favor arts that showcased their grace. The other three categories each had five participants.
In Shen Miao's painting group were Shen Yue, Qin Qing (legitimate daughter of the Left Censor-in-Chief), Fan Liu'er (daughter of the Prefect of Fengtian Prefecture), and Zhao Yan (daughter of the Left Vice Minister).
Fan Liu'er and Zhao Yan were visibly disappointed. Fan excelled in qin, while Zhao was skilled in chess—not everyone was as accomplished as Shen Yue in every category. Having drawn categories they weren't proficient in, and with male relatives watching, Fan and Zhao were far from pleased. Qin Qing, however, remained her usual haughty self. Exceptionally beautiful, she was perhaps the only one in the Hall who could rival Shen Yue—not in talent, for though Shen Yue was delicate and lovely, Qin Qing's striking beauty effortlessly overshadowed her.
Shen Miao's gaze lingered on Qin Qing. Today, she wore a blue wide-sleeved embroidered cotton robe with a goose-yellow sash that accentuated her slender waist. The flowing sleeves gave her an ethereal, fairy-like grace—more akin to a pristine lotus compared to Shen Yue's fragile delicacy.
Yet this proud beauty would later, after the late emperor began purging aristocratic families and the Left Censor-in-Chief's household fell from grace, be reduced to a military camp prostitute. It was said she eventually died wielding a knife, taking a young officer with her.
Noticing Shen Miao's gaze, Qin Qing glanced over, seeming momentarily surprised before turning away with evident distaste, as if unwilling to spare her another look.
Shen Miao paid no mind, but Feng Anning, standing beside her, tugged at her sleeve. "When it's your turn, just paint casually. Don't overthink it."
Feng Anning's reasoning was simple: since humiliation was inevitable, facing it openly might bore the onlookers. But if Shen Miao tried to save face by doing something outrageous on stage, that would spell real trouble.
Shen Miao nodded. Then, with a heavy drumbeat from the ceremonial official on stage, the verification began.
First up was the qin category.
Fortune favored Feng Anning—none of the female students assigned to qin that day were particularly skilled, while the most accomplished players happened to be in other categories. By sheer luck, Feng Anning had caught a break.In recent days, Feng Anning had been diligently practicing her qin skills, and now her efforts finally paid off. When she sat upright, she exuded an air of grace, and coupled with her natural beauty, the ethereal notes of her qin stood out like a refreshing breeze compared to the mediocre performances before her.
A young man in a blue robe from the men's section remarked, "The melody lingers for three days."
Cai Lin, sitting nearby, kicked the boy in displeasure and said, "What nonsense is this? You haven’t heard Yue’er play. If she were to perform, even the celestial maidens of the heavens couldn’t compare. How ignorant!"
Cai Lin had always been fiercely protective of his beloved, but Su Minlang, who overheard him, curled his lips disdainfully. He seemed about to say something but held back under the warning glance from his elder brother.
The "Qin" category soon concluded, and the examiners on the Verification ground began deliberating the scores. After the "Qin" group finished, it was time for the "Chess" competition. The chess segment was much simpler—five participants played in pairs, with a single decisive match determining the winner based on strategy and style. In this category, Yi Peilan emerged victorious.
Following chess was "Calligraphy." Shen Qing, Bai Wei, and Jiang Xiaoxuan happened to be grouped together. Though the three were usually close friends, the atmosphere on the Verification ground was tense. The task was to compose a poem on the theme of "Today’s Chrysanthemums," written in brushstrokes—evaluated both for calligraphic skill and literary talent. Shen Qing excelled not in poetry but in chess and arithmetic, though arithmetic was reserved for the men’s group, and she hadn’t been drawn for chess.
Yet until the final results were announced, no one could predict who would claim the top spot.
Finally, it was Shen Miao’s group’s turn.
Shen Yue shot Shen Miao a glance, likely still resentful over the earlier humiliation Shen Miao had caused her. Abandoning her usual pretense of being a kind elder sister, she smiled sweetly and said, "Later on stage, Fifth Sister, you must go easy on me. You look so confident—it’s making me nervous."
Fan Liu’er, standing nearby, overheard and couldn’t help but scoff. "What are you talking about, Shen Yue? What confidence? Could it be—Shen Miao has some trick up her sleeve?"
"Now that you mention it, I’m quite looking forward to it," Zhao Yan chimed in gleefully. "Remember last year when Shen Miao drew the qin and ended up snapping the strings of that fine Zhuxiang qin? Must’ve inherited General Shen’s martial prowess. This year, with painting, let’s hope she doesn’t break the brush." She reached out to pinch Shen Miao’s cheek. "Such fair skin—wouldn’t want you to paint your own face into a mess later."
Shen Miao remained still, her gaze icy as she stared at her. Under that frigid glare, Zhao Yan’s smile gradually stiffened. Fan Liu’er, too, sensed the hostility in Shen Miao’s expression and inexplicably felt a pang of unease. Without thinking, she pulled Zhao Yan’s hand back.
Qin Qing seemed impatient and shot Shen Miao a glance. "Enough bickering. If you want to argue, do it on stage—let everyone see your true colors."
At her words, Zhao Yan and the others fell silent, though their displeasure was evident.
In the men’s section, Cai Lin gazed excitedly at Shen Yue’s figure, while the little dumpling of a boy tugged at Su Mingfeng’s sleeve. "That pretty sister is here too, Big Brother. Look."Su Mingfeng was both amused and exasperated, unsure why his younger brother was so fixated on Shen Miao. He was in his third year of national studies and had just stepped out for the first time after feigning serious illness, still appearing quite frail, which was why he couldn't participate in the Verification. He was also well aware of Shen Miao's reputation—after all, the entire Fixed Capital knew that while the Grand General of Might dominated the battlefield, he had fathered an Incompetent daughter.
"She will definitely win," Su Minlang declared, clenching his fists.
Su Mingfeng remained noncommittal in his heart, thinking that today, as always, Shen Yue would undoubtedly take first place.
Before stepping onto the stage, Shen Yue couldn't resist provoking Shen Miao one last time: "Fifth Sister, don’t hold back later. I’ll be waiting for you."
"Certainly," Shen Miao replied.
Certainly, she wouldn’t hold back.
...
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