Everyone discovered that the character count seemed wrong.

Six rhymes and twelve lines should be sixty characters, but this seemed to be only about twenty characters?

Writing regulated verse as a quatrain?

Following the topic correctly was the first priority. If this was wrong, no matter how well written, it couldn’t pass.

The manuscript was submitted, and the examiners passed it around, all looking puzzled.

The dean of Celu Academy handed the manuscript to Rong Pu, saying: “Dean Rong, please take a look. The brushwork is extremely elegant and refined.”

“Qingyang’s shaded ridges are beautiful, accumulated snow floats at the cloud’s edge, the forest shows clear skies’ color, the city gains evening’s chill.” Rong Pu recited softly.

The head of Mingquan Academy beside him snorted coldly: “Though it can be considered good verse, it only has four lines. Writing a five-character regulated verse as a five-character quatrain, lacking even the ability to support six rhymes, shows shallow learning.”

Rong Pu’s fingertips rubbed the manuscript, saying nothing.

He vaguely guessed Jian Xi’s intention.

In normal circumstances, this intention would have amazed and impressed him.

But at this moment, with those deep schemes prejudicing his judgment, this behavior in his eyes only provided further evidence for his previous assessment.

How could such a person be placed beside Tie Ci?

Among the nearby examiners, some understood Jian Xi’s intention. Scholars appreciated broad-mindedness and admired it greatly—these people were led by Shen Mi.

Some simply thought the four lines were excellent, believing that literary writing should seek good lines without being constrained by formal requirements.

But more felt that since six rhymes and twelve lines of regulated verse had been specified, how could it become a quatrain? Acting so contrary to rules, how could this be accepted? If this passed, what if someone answered only half during the palace examination—would that also pass? This was clearly contempt for the competition and disrespect for the examiners!

For a moment, arguments erupted.

Rong Pu was the host, and his vote counted double. With everyone unable to reach agreement, they all looked to him.

Rong Pu remained noncommittal and handed the manuscript to the clerk: “Post it on the wall for everyone to judge together.”

When the manuscript was posted, it indeed caused much discussion and the same irreconcilable disputes. Finally, that female warrior raised her hand and suggested everyone vote.

The competition rules stated that disputed scrolls could be decided by vote. Each person present had one vote, each examiner had three votes, the heads of Celu and Mingquan had five votes each, and Rong Pu alone had ten votes.

The clerk distributed paper slips. After everyone wrote their choices, they were collected one by one. When the basket was brought to Tie Ci, she tucked her sleeves and said: “I lost my paper.”

Since it was lost, that was that, and the clerk moved on.

That female warrior chattered in the crowd, going to each woman to whisper. Others didn’t understand what she was doing but paid no attention.

From previous reactions, Fang Huai’an seemed much more likely to win.

Finally, during the vote counting, the vote counter unfolded the papers, glanced at them, and his gaze froze.

He stood stunned on stage for a while.

People below grew impatient, someone shouting: “Why aren’t you announcing the results!”

The vote counter looked at the stage in bewilderment. The examiners above still hadn’t noticed and smiled at him. Only Rong Pu frowned slightly.

Tie Ci looked around the venue with some surprise.

At this point, people were on stage and votes had been tallied. Seeing that the examiners on stage didn’t understand his hint and being pressed by the crowd, the vote counter had no choice but to cough and announce loudly: “Fang Huai’an, two hundred sixty-seven votes!”

Applause erupted below, countless students smiling.

Even as competitors, the upright and honorable Fang Huai’an easily won everyone’s favor.

“…Jian Xi, two hundred seventy-two votes!”

The applause stopped abruptly.

Dead silence filled the hall above and below.

Tie Ci laughed.

Quite interesting.

After a long moment, someone said in bewilderment: “This… what’s happening? Could this be… cheating?”

Immediately, Fang Huai’an’s supporters jumped up: “Yes! There must be cheating! Vote counter! Vote tallier! Come out!”

The vote counter had grievances he couldn’t voice, wiping sweat from his face: “Everyone, everyone, both vote counting and announcing were done by our academy’s clerk officials under everyone’s watchful eyes. How could there be cheating?”

Suddenly someone laughed, standing up triumphantly, waving her arm: “What, can’t accept losing? Don’t you see how many sisters are here? We women, if we don’t unite to vote for excellent sisters, should we vote for those stinking men who always step on our heads?”

Everyone was startled, only now noticing there were quite a few women in the venue.

Since the Crown Princess had studied at the academy, the academy’s atmosphere had changed greatly, and restrictions on women in various occasions had relaxed considerably. At least for this essay competition, the academy welcomed both female students and female warriors. Only that female warriors couldn’t bring weapons into the venue.

But although there were many, they weren’t half the total. Someone immediately said: “But that still doesn’t work—we men all voted for Brother Fang!”

“Ha!” The female warrior waved her hand: “We women might be able to participate in grand events, but we mostly don’t come alone. Who doesn’t have fathers and brothers, uncles, or good brothers they’re fond of?” After speaking, she even winked at everyone.

Everyone suddenly understood.

Women who could come watch this excitement were mostly favored at home and traveled with family members, naturally able to influence their family’s votes. Especially the last type—romantic interests.

But this woman spoke too boldly, saying such things so openly and frankly.

Tie Ci chuckled: “Vote canvassing, fan support.”

She became curious about this female warrior. After all, being able to gather these various-minded women to vote for Jian Xi and persuade them to convince their relatives and friends for someone unrelated to them—this eloquence was remarkable.

Obviously, Jian Xi hadn’t expected to surpass Fang Huai’an either, standing on stage in surprise with her mouth slightly open.

Fang Huai’an frowned, looking somewhat disappointed but maintaining composure. He bowed to Jian Xi and prepared to leave the stage.

Suddenly someone below cursed: “Ungrateful, using underhanded tactics!”

Jian Xi’s face instantly turned pale.

Fang Huai’an shook his head slightly and was about to turn when Rong Pu suddenly said: “Wait.”

He pulled a paper from his sleeve and smiled at everyone: “I haven’t voted yet.”

Everyone: “…”

Rong Pu displayed the light green paper with subtle patterns unique to Qingyang Mountain in his hand. Indeed, he hadn’t voted.

A name was already written on the paper, showing ink traces, but no one could see whose name it was. Everyone instinctively held their breath, watching the vote counter approach and respectfully receive Rong Pu’s ballot.

Below, Murong Yi chuckled: “Did he really not vote? Is that possible? The vote counter might forget to collect anyone’s ballot, but would they forget to collect his?”

“So what? Fang supporters would be happy to see it and wouldn’t expose it; as for the girls, seeing Rong Pu’s face, they wouldn’t have any objections.”

“What about you?”

“What?”

“Do you have objections when you see Rong Pu’s face?”

“…Yes.”

“Hmm?” The enchanting consort’s eyes slanted over with shimmering light, beautiful and sharp.

“How is it that he looks so much worse than you?”

The enchanting consort was satisfied, glanced at Rong Pu, and nodded: “This can’t be blamed on him.”

Tie Ci: This is so difficult for me.

On stage, the vote counter opened the paper slip while everyone held their breath watching.

The vote counter’s face immediately lit up, and everyone roughly understood, exhaling in relief.

Sure enough, they heard the vote counter draw out his voice: “The dean votes for—Fang Huai’an!”

Thunderous applause.

Murong Yi narrowed his eyes: “Seems someone really dislikes that Miss Jian. How strange—such a rare excellent woman, yet he blocks and obstructs, not wanting to send her to your side. What’s his meaning?”

Tie Ci was about to say it didn’t mean much when she heard him say ominously: “Only selecting men to stuff around you—his intentions are truly damnable.”

Tie Ci sighed.

If only men surround me in the future, like the endless waters of the Yellow River.

You’ll drown in jealousy sooner or later.

Murong Yi suddenly said: “Why didn’t you vote?”

Tie Ci smiled: “The time hasn’t come yet.”

On stage, Jian Xi stood there, seeming unable to react to the sudden reversal.

Below, that female warrior waved her fists, loudly cursing Rong Pu for rigging the process.

The cursing reminded Jian Xi. She smiled with disappointment, turned to congratulate Fang Huai’an. Fang Huai’an was still somewhat dazed, watching her quickly step down from the stage.

Jian Xi walked into the crowd, somewhat dispirited. Suddenly someone stuck out a leg and tripped her with a “snap.”

The girl fell flat on the ground, head buried in the dust. Whether from pain or embarrassment, she didn’t lift her head for a long time.

The female warrior went berserk.

The female warrior suddenly leaped out, stepping on a line of heads, and in an instant reached Jian Xi’s side. She pulled Jian Xi up, quickly identified the culprit, and kicked the person flying with one foot.

That person howled as they flew past Tie Ci’s side, the wind whistling, finally landing thunderously outside the lecture hall’s main gate, crushing countless flowers and plants.

Tie Ci felt something cool on her face. She reached up and touched tiny ice crystals.

She looked at the sky—brilliant sunshine, very comfortable late autumn weather.

Was this someone practicing cold-nature true qi, or possessing ice and snow type innate abilities?

Had she lost control in her anger just now?

Tie Ci saw that with the other’s help, Jian Xi didn’t leave but courageously sat down. Meanwhile, students around them who had previously shown contemptuous expressions all scooted their bottoms away again and again.

Rong Pu glanced below, ignored the person who’d been kicked out, and directly announced the competition would continue.

Afterward, there were no more incidents. Qi You drew the twenty-ninth ranked student and won without suspense.

Originally it hadn’t been like this—everyone had been sweating for him. The opponent knew his weakness, and among the top candidates, his weakness was most obvious—everyone knew he was completely clueless about poetry.

Sure enough, his opponent immediately tested him on writing poetry.

Everyone thought he was doomed, but before one incense stick burned out, he had completed a quatrain. Though not excellent, it was passable.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Qi You tossed his brush on the desk. Though still smiling, everyone could see the mockery in his eyes.

On stage, Rong Pu whispered to the Yueli supervisor beside him: “This kid’s been hiding his abilities.”

The supervisor laughed: “Think about it—since he’s a talent famous throughout Haiyou, even if poetry is his weakness, how weak could it really be?”

Below, Tie Ci also saw through it and smiled: “He’s quite clever.”

He had calculated that scoring zero in the first round’s questioning wouldn’t affect making the list. His poetry wasn’t weak, but he deliberately pretended it was. This way, whoever drew him in the third round would definitely test him on poetry, then he could counter-attack.

Next it was Qi You’s turn to test his opponent.

He asked about the Eastern Hall Dynasty from hundreds of years ago: after the Three Emperors Incident, the succeeding restoration-era enlightened ruler Lin Zheng chose “Qinde” as his reign title. What was the meaning of this choice?

Note: The poem by Jian Xi in the text comes from Tang dynasty poet Zu Yong. According to “Records of Tang Poetry,” this poem was written when the author was taking examinations in Chang’an. According to regulations, examination poems should be written as twelve-line five-character regulated verse with six rhymes, but Zu Yong only wrote these four lines before submitting. When asked why he didn’t follow regulations, he answered: “The meaning is complete.” The idea being that when there’s nothing more to say, keep it short—don’t add unnecessary flourishes.

This passage adapts that allusion.