Chapter 43: The Examination (3)

Although Zhao Yao’s grandfather had once been the Grand Tutor of the Liang Dynasty and the teacher of the emperor, she had not studied much as a child. She was raised in indulgence by her parents, believing that her presence in school was merely for show and that she didn’t need to work as hard as the boys. Thus, last night, instead of cramming, she focused on choosing her outfit and makeup for the day. Her test paper ended up with barely a few lines written on it. Now, witnessing the brutal punishment of the two Qi brothers, she trembled like a sieve, fearing that the teacher might also strike her palms.

In the midst of her dread, she saw Wang Qing reprimand Third Brother and Fourth Brother again, assigning them additional copying tasks as punishment before sending them back to their seats. Then, he casually picked up another test paper from the desk. Zhao Yao craned her neck and squinted, noticing the sparse handwriting visible through the back of the paper. Realizing it was hers, she was soon called up by the teacher.

Zhao Yao inwardly cried for help, though no one could save her. Reluctantly, she stood and walked toward the teacher’s desk. Seeing his furrowed brows and clear dissatisfaction, she braced herself as he spoke in a cold tone after a brief pause. “The Zhao family has always been known for its scholarly integrity, and your grandfather was even the teacher of the Son of Heaven. Yet, your test paper is in such a state—don’t you feel ashamed to disgrace your family’s reputation?”

Though the teacher’s voice wasn’t loud, his words were spoken in front of everyone, making Zhao Yao feel utterly humiliated. She bowed her head in shame, too afraid to speak, hoping he would just scold her and not resort to physical punishment—she dreaded pain.

Wang Qing sighed, setting Zhao Yao’s test paper aside, and said sternly, “Considering you’ve never attended a formal school, I won’t punish you this time. But from now on, you must study diligently and avoid submitting such empty answers.”

Zhao Yao felt as if she’d narrowly escaped disaster, paying no mind to the insult about her “empty answers.” She quickly scurried back to her seat and sat down.

Seeing how Wang Qing scolded even a noble lady like Zhao Yao, Shen Xiling felt a mix of admiration for the teacher’s strictness and anxiety about how harshly he might criticize her own work.

She watched as Wang Qing picked up another test paper, her hands growing icy with fear. To her surprise, it belonged to Fu Rong. The teacher’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed after reading it, and he nodded approvingly, commenting, “Few people these days focus on philology. Miss Fu’s deep understanding of Shuowen Jiezi at her age is truly commendable.”

Fu Rong, upon hearing Wang Qing’s praise, gracefully stood and bowed to thank him, engaging in a brief discussion about philology. When Wang Qing asked why she was so passionate about this field, she replied, “As the ancients said, ‘Philology is the foundation of national heritage and the starting point of royal education. It allows us to examine ancient texts and adapt them to benefit the people and customs. It is not merely about drawing characters or obsessing over words. If we lose its essence, cleverness becomes deceit.’ I am deeply drawn to philology because of this principle.”

Wang Qing, hearing her response, nodded with even greater satisfaction.

Shen Xiling observed from the side, seeing that this Miss Fu was not only elegant in appearance but also possessed true talent and wisdom, embodying grace and intelligence. She couldn’t help but feel admiration. And as for herself…

Shen Xiling lowered her head slightly, catching sight of Wang Qing picking up her test paper—the last one remaining. Her heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, and her breathing became uneven. Zhao Yao, meanwhile, eagerly anticipated Shen Xiling’s humiliation. She thought to herself, “Even I, the granddaughter of a Grand Tutor, couldn’t satisfy Master Wang. How much more so this Fang Yun, a country bumpkin from Ba Commandery? And falling right after Fu Rong, her inadequacy will be even more glaring.” She eagerly awaited Wang Qing’s scolding.

Before Wang Qing could open his mouth, however, voices outside greeted Second Young Master Qi. Zhao Yao peeked toward the entrance and, to everyone’s surprise, saw her second brother, Qi Ying, walk in.

No one expected to see Qi Ying here at this moment, and Wang Qing was equally astonished. “Jingchen? What brings you here?”

Qi Ying was still dressed in his official robes, having come directly after court. He entered the Chouqin Study, lifting the curtain.

Wang Qing had once been Qi Ying’s tutor and greatly admired him. Teaching at the Qi household was at least partly due to Qi Ying’s influence. Wang Qing was delighted to see him and intended to stand to greet him, but Qi Ying, being respectful, insisted he remain seated. Wang Qing accepted and instructed a servant to bring another chair for Qi Ying, who then sat beside the table.

Qi Ying explained, “I haven’t seen you in a long time, and I missed the chance yesterday. I thought I must come to pay my respects today.”

Wang Qing, in high spirits, chuckled and replied, “You’re far too busy these days. Paying respects isn’t necessary. We are half-teacher and half-student; there’s no need for such formality.”

Qi Ying smiled respectfully, saying, “You are my esteemed teacher. This is only proper.”

Wang Qing waved his hand dismissively, then heard Qi Ying add, “Moreover, since I requested you to take on additional students, and I heard they were taking an exam today, I thought I should come and see how things went.”

At this, Wang Qing finally understood his real intention. All this talk about being a teacher and respecting student obligations was clearly nonsense! Qi Ying was simply here to ensure no one was mistreated!

Wang Qing inwardly snorted, glancing toward where Shen Xiling sat.

Did he think he couldn’t see through it? When Qi Ying first approached him to admit female students, he already found it strange. Qi Ying was usually a detached man, especially disinterested in trivial matters. Even when his two younger brothers sought tutelage under Wang Qing, it was their father who made the request, not Qi Ying. Now, suddenly asking to enroll female students? There was clearly something suspicious going on.

Though Wang Qing prided himself on his integrity, in recent years, perhaps due to his age, he had become increasingly interested in gossip. Initially reluctant to teach female students, he changed his mind upon realizing this matter likely involved Qi Jingchen’s romantic prospects. He readily agreed. Yesterday in the main hall, he immediately noticed Shen Xiling, finding her exceptionally beautiful. He guessed she was the one and wondered if she might be a bit young…

At the time, recalling Qi Jingchen’s upright character, Wang Qing dismissed the thought. But now, seeing Qi Ying rush here right after court to protect his protégé, he couldn’t help but sigh that he had overestimated Qi Ying’s gentlemanly demeanor—men were all the same after all!

Convinced he had uncovered the truth, Wang Qing stroked his beard knowingly and said, “You’ve arrived just in time. I’ve finished grading the other papers, except for Miss Fang’s, which remains to be reviewed.”

As soon as he entered, Qi Ying noticed his two younger brothers being punished and Zhao Yao looking dejected. Seeing Shen Xiling visibly tense, he deduced her paper hadn’t yet been graded. Hearing Wang Qing’s words confirmed his suspicion.

Qi Ying redirected his gaze and told Wang Qing, “Then please proceed, Master. No need to hold back on my account.”

Wang Qing inwardly snorted again. No need to hold back? With Qi Ying sitting right beside him, personally overseeing the situation, how could he possibly dare to strike her palms! He had indeed overestimated Qi Ying’s gentlemanly nature!

Though irritated, Wang Qing remained upright and fair. Even with Qi Ying sitting beside him, he wouldn’t give any special treatment to the Fang family orphan. Whatever needed to be said would be said.

He carefully reviewed Shen Xiling’s paper, his expression neither pleased nor displeased. Below, Shen Xiling anxiously waited, her heart pounding harder than before. Earlier, she feared the teacher’s scolding; now, she also dreaded embarrassing herself in front of Qi Ying.

Holding her breath, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, she finally heard Wang Qing’s evaluation: “The reasoning is fairly clear, though lacking in literary flair… It can be considered middle-tier.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiling’s tightly clenched hands under the desk loosened slightly. Though not praised, she hadn’t been publicly criticized either—a relief.

Just as she prepared to rise and thank Master Wang for his guidance, she saw him raise an eyebrow, tilting her paper slightly toward Qi Ying. He remarked, “This handwriting is quite good—it resembles yours. Did you teach her?”

Qi Ying was taken aback, lowering his gaze to examine it. Indeed, Shen Xiling’s handwriting bore a striking resemblance to his, both in stroke and structure. He raised an eyebrow, surprised, and glanced at Shen Xiling sitting below. The girl’s head was deeply bowed, her ears red as if they might bleed.

…Adorable.

Qi Le, squatting at his seat and blowing on his severely punished palms, whispered to his older brother in astonishment, “Third Brother, look! Second Brother smiled!”

Qi Ning, who had been quietly switching hands to copy his assignment, looked up at the mention. Sure enough, his usually stern second brother wore a faint smile, though it vanished quickly. Though fleeting, everyone except Shen Xiling, who kept her head bowed, noticed it. Zhao Yao thought her second brother looked incredibly handsome when he smiled, leaving her smitten. Fu Rong, however, observed the subtle change in his expression and glanced thoughtfully at Shen Xiling sitting behind her.

“It wasn’t me,” Qi Ying replied to Wang Qing. “A coincidence.”

Wang Qing inwardly scoffed. Qi Ying was being disingenuous! With his sharp eye, how could he mistake this? Such handwriting must have been practiced for years to resemble his so closely, yet Qi Ying claimed it was a coincidence? He had indeed overestimated Qi Ying’s gentlemanly nature!

Below, Shen Xiling kept her head bowed, listening to Qi Ying’s denial. Though she didn’t look up, she could imagine the amused glint in his phoenix eyes, making her feel even more flustered. Her original handwriting only resembled his by five or six parts, but recently, she had re-copied the note he left her, making her writing even more similar.

Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing inherently wrong with this, but Shen Xiling still felt… embarrassed.

After class, Wang Qing assigned homework to the students and invited Qi Ying for tea. Before that, he detained Zhao Yao, who had performed the worst among the students. As a meticulous teacher, he intended to lecture her thoroughly. The others left, leaving Zhao Yao behind, inwardly lamenting her misfortune.

Qi Ying waited for Master Wang on the stone steps beneath the pavilion. As Shen Xiling exited the study, she immediately spotted him. Their eyes met, and though she wanted to flee, doing so would be too conspicuous. Reluctantly, she approached him to greet him.

Qi Ying asked, “Did you do well on the exam?”

Shen Xiling pursed her lips, feeling a hint of pride. Her all-nighter hadn’t been in vain, and she hadn’t been held back by the teacher—a great outcome.

She nodded, thanking Qi Ying. Noticing her happiness, he smiled as well. After a pause, he asked, “Your handwriting…”

Finally, the topic came up.

Shen Xiling’s face grew hot again, her fingers twisting nervously. She answered, “My handwriting… Well, when I was little, Father had me practice copying your calligraphy…”

She wasn’t lying—she had indeed copied his handwriting as a child. She simply omitted mentioning her recent practice, which technically wasn’t a lie… right?

Qi Ying was surprised. He hadn’t expected Chancellor Shen to have a girl copy his calligraphy. While some praised his calligraphy as remarkable, others criticized it as overly sharp. Even for men, it appeared too rigid, let alone suitable for women.

However, upon examining Shen Xiling’s handwriting earlier, though similar to his, it had incorporated subtle softness, creating an intriguing duality between the two styles.

Qi Ying nodded. “It’s good.”

Praise from him filled Shen Xiling with quiet joy. Just as she was about to thank him, she heard Qi Ning call out, “Little Sister Wenwen!” Turning around, she saw Qi Ning and Qi Le approaching together.

They first greeted their second brother, then Qi Ning smiled at Shen Xiling, saying, “Little Sister Wenwen is truly full of hidden talents. Master Wang is strict, and calling your work ‘middle-tier’ is already high praise. You’re amazing.”

Shen Xiling shyly smiled and replied, “Thank you, Third Brother. It was all thanks to the master’s guidance, not my own skill…”

Qi Ying raised an eyebrow.

“Third Brother”?

Shen Xiling turned to look at Qi Ying, meeting his calm gaze briefly. Soon after, Master Wang emerged from the study after finishing his lecture with Zhao Yao. Qi Ying walked over to him, and the students bowed respectfully. Wang Qing nodded, then departed with Qi Ying.

Shen Xiling watched Qi Ying’s retreating figure, puzzled. Was it her imagination, or did she sense a hint of… displeasure in his glance just now?