The chief examiner was Grand Secretary Zhong Ziqi, a small elderly man with a full head of white hair who was normally extremely serious and upright. He unrolled the scroll in his hand and began to announce today’s test topic.

Regarding the “painting” category, it was actually different every year, but this year the evaluation happened to coincide with the Chrysanthemum Banquet, so the topic was much simpler. Just as “calligraphy” had chrysanthemums as its theme, “painting” also took chrysanthemums as its subject.

There were five long tables on the stage, each equipped with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. As the contestants walked to the tables in order, the drummer struck the drum heavily, and the evaluation began.

Everyone craned their necks to look up.

These five people were indeed five individuals with distinct characteristics. Shen Yue was a well-known talented lady, Qin Qing was beautiful and proud, Fan Liuer and Zhao Yan were a pair of close sister-like friends, and Shen Miao, naturally, was that stupid and ignorant fool.

Most of the male attendees were watching Shen Yue and Qin Qing, while the female attendees were mostly watching Shen Miao.

Bai Wei covered her mouth and said: “Today, Shen Miao looks quite proper. She hasn’t made any strange movements and appears rather convincing.”

Including this one, Shen Miao had gone through four evaluations. The first time she drew chess and was utterly defeated after carelessly placing a few pieces. The second time, she drew calligraphy and spilled the ink tray, staining her clothes. The third time, she drew a zither and broke the strings of a fine bamboo-scented zither. Rather than saying people came to watch Shen Miao perform, it would be more accurate to say they came to see her make a fool of herself under public scrutiny.

But today seemed different.

On the spacious stage, the young lady sat properly at the table. Her posture while holding the brush was very correct, as if she had received strict training, seemingly flawless down to the smallest detail. In the golden autumn of October, a cold breeze swept through the hall, lifting the loose strands of hair at her forehead. She lowered her head slightly, revealing only her oval-shaped face, her lowered eyelashes tracing a beautiful arc.

She even had a certain beauty to her.

Her lotus-blue cape rustled in the wind. She sat upright, but her brushstrokes were elegant and flowing, seemingly without care. Yet that assured demeanor was like the begonia in her black hair—in a restrained manner, it bloomed magnificently.

Madam Yi pursed her lips and said to Ren Wanyun with an indecipherable expression: “The Fifth Miss has truly grown up.”

Ren Wanyun forced a smile, but her hand quietly clenched.

Behind them came the conversations of young ladies.

“Shen Miao hasn’t made any embarrassing mistakes yet. Could she have changed?”

“That’s impossible. She must just be putting on an act. Haven’t you noticed she doesn’t even pause to think before using her brush? Even Shen Yue needs to think for a moment. The most likely explanation is that she’s just randomly drawing something.”

Feng Anning watched Shen Miao on the stage, and that strange feeling came over her again. She suddenly had an intuition that today’s Chrysanthemum Banquet might not be like previous ones. For instance, would Shen Miao on stage embarrass herself?

Or would she, in an irresistible manner, destroy everyone’s misconceptions about her?

In the male attendees’ section, some had also gradually noticed the difference.

This group was perhaps the most pleasing to the eye in the entire women’s section. Shen Yue, in her pink dress, was elegant and softly beautiful. Qin Qing, in her blue wide-sleeved robe, was proud and gorgeous. Fan Liuer was adorably charming, and Zhao Yan was lively and clever. If anyone lacked distinction, it would be that stupid, timid, and vulgar Shen Miao.

Yet at a glance, among the five, not only was Shen Miao not overshadowed, she stood out most prominently.

She sat there quietly, with her head lowered, yet gave off an air of looking down upon the world, as if… as if that frail figure were standing in a high position of decisive power, involuntarily making others feel a sense of submission.

Pei Lang frowned. How could a person’s temperament undergo such an earth-shattering change? Was this person Shen Miao?

Fu Xiuyi could hardly conceal his astonishment. He hadn’t noticed the dramatic difference between Shen Miao now and before, but rather Shen Miao’s sitting posture, her straight back, and her every movement reminded him of a certain person.

The current mistress of the Six Palaces, the Empress.

Fu Xiuyi knew this thought was extremely absurd. Everyone in the capital knew Shen Miao was in love with him, and he despised being adored by such a woman. But most of the time, news about Shen Miao came from rumors. Rumors said Shen Miao was uneducated, unbearably vulgar, crude in her actions, stupid, and timid. Looking at her now, he had only one feeling: those rumors might not be entirely true.

“How strange,” remarked the blue-robed youth who had been scolded by Cai Lin earlier. “Wasn’t Nation Class Two’s Shen Miao supposed to be a fool? She doesn’t look like one.”

Cai Lin was also stunned. His gaze had been following Shen Yue, but Shen Miao seemed to possess a certain magic that made people involuntarily notice her. It was as if she was naturally meant to stand in a position where people would see her, especially evident today. He struggled to suppress his strange thoughts and snorted: “She’s just putting on an act.”

“Big Brother, she will win, right?” Su Minglang tugged at the sleeve of the person beside him.

Su Mingfeng’s eyes were smiling, though his expression was somewhat peculiar.

“Shen Miao, you mean?”

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the drummer struck the drum again, indicating time was up.

Shen Yue set down her brush. She was very confident in her painting today. To her left was Qin Qing, who had also completed her painting and was washing her brush. Even such a simple action, when performed by her, was as captivating as a painting.

But no matter how captivating, in the evaluation arena, beauty had never been the deciding factor.

She turned to look at Shen Miao, thinking that Shen Miao had never accomplished anything, yet today she hadn’t made any mistakes. Perhaps she had become smarter with someone’s guidance. But while a person could pretend, talent couldn’t be faked. She must be in a panic now, unable to complete her work.

However, before her eyes, Shen Miao had already set down her brush and was calmly watching as someone came to collect the paintings.

Shen Yue’s smile froze.

“Alright, you may go down now.” After all the paintings were collected, it was time for the evaluation of the National Class Two women, which also required time.

“Fifth Sister, what exactly did you paint?” Shen Yue asked Shen Miao eagerly after descending from the stage.

For some reason, Shen Miao made her very uneasy.

“You’ll know shortly,” Shen Miao smiled slightly, her smile seeming to contain something more profound.

She turned around and walked to a place where no one could see, then said to Guyu beside her: “Find a way to deliver this to the second son of the Imperial Historian’s household. There, the third person from the left in the lake-green robe on the opposite side.”

Guyu hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat confused, then said: “This servant understands.”

“Go on then.” Shen Miao patted her shoulder and walked back to her original seat, looking at Pei Lang from a distance.

Pei Lang looked up and immediately met a pair of eyes that contained scrutiny even from afar.

I’m sorry, Pei Lang, Shen Miao thought. Let me use your hand to shake the seemingly unshakable foundation of the Ming Qi royal family.

After all, you owe me.