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At the entrance of the Imperial College, the crowd slowly parted, and a scholarly man in his fifties walked through the corridor. He approached Chu Qingzhi with utmost humility, “My name is Wang Lingxi, and 1 am honored to meet Miss Chu.”

Is this the famous calligrapher from the capital?

Dressed in a white robe, exuding the scent of ink, he epitomized the image of a literati.

Chu Qingzhi glanced at him subtly and returned the greeting with a smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wang.”

“Miss Chu, there’s no need for formalities,” Wang Lingxi said modestly. “I have long wished to meet you, and today my wish is finally fulfilled.”

“You flatter me, Mr. Wang,” replied Chu Qingzhi politely.

“Not at ail. You are just too modest,” Wang Lingxi admired Chu Qingzhi greatly. “Miss Chu, your mastery in calligraphy is profound. Why don’t you join me in evaluating the calligraphy works?”

She didn’t want to go. “Mr. Wang, you must be joking. I’m just a girl. How can I have the ability to judge everyone’s calligraphy work? I’m just here to enjoy the event.”

Wang Lingxi could tell that Chu Qingzhi was rejecting her politely. He smiled and nodded. “Then I shall not disturb you further. We can talk another time.”

“Take care, Mr. Wang.”

As soon as Wang Lingxi left, the surrounding people started discussing again.

“Did you see that? Mr. Wang, who usually ignores everyone, humbled himself in front of Miss Chu. That’s surprising.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Mr. Wang greet a lady like that, haha.”

“Me too, me too…”

As time passed, more and more people arrived at the Imperial College.

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed, “The Emperor has arrived! The Crown Prince has arrived!”

All other discussions ceased instantly. The crowd turned towards the entrance and knelt down, chanting, “Long live the Emperor! Long live the Crown Prince!”

Chu Qingzhi also had to kneel to pay her respects, as standing up alone would be too conspicuous.

A regal figure in bright yellow, leading the young Crown Prince, entered the Imperial College with a firm stride.

Followed by a group of guards, including Tang Jinghong.

As the Crown Prince entered, his bright eyes scanned the surroundings. He had been told that Sister Qingzhi was at the Imperial College, and he had pleaded with his father to bring him along. But where was she?

The Emperor’s voice resonated, “Rise!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Everyone stood up in unison.

The crown prince was speechless.

He couldn’t find her even more now!

Mu Chongli, Cao Changkun, and other heads of academies gathered at the entrance to greet them, paying their respects before following the Emperor to the Bitong Hall.

Before the competition, the Emperor had some words to say.

The Emperor walked with a dignified and majestic air. Many people didn’t dare to look him in the eye.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince wriggled free from the Emperor’s hand and squeezed into the crowd.

The Emperor stopped, glanced over, saw Chu Qingzhi there, and without saying anything, continued on his way.

The crowd was astonished.

When did the Crown Prince become so close to Chu Qingzhi?

The Crown Prince grabbed Chu Qingzhi’s hand, and his delicate little face instantly lit up with a radiant smile, “Big sister.

Chu Qingzhi affectionately ruffled the Crown Prince’s head, “Good boy.”

Everyone was stunned.

Somehow, they felt Chu Qingzhi was treating the Crown Prince like a little pet. Was it really okay to treat him like that?

Chu Qingzhi pulled the Crown Prince closer to protect him from the crowd, and asked softly, “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to see you,” the Crown Prince replied, his watery eyes reflecting Chu Qingzhi’s fair and beautiful face. He blinked adorably.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and pinched the Crown Prince’s chubby cheeks, soft as tofu, “Why did you want to see me?”

Everyone was stunned.

Few dared to pinch the Crown Prince’s cheeks. Chu Qingzhi was audacious.

Even Chu Qingzhi’s elders from the Chu family were astonished by her boldness, thinking cautiously, “Qingzhi, that’s the Crown Prince, you can’t just pinch him carelessly. If you harm him, we can’t afford the consequences.”

The Crown Prince puffed his cheeks, looking like a little steamed bun, “If you won’t come to see me, I’ll come to see you.” There was a hint of grievance in his voice.

Chu Qingzhi rummaged through her bag and took out two peanut candies, which Li Qingyu had put there in case she got hungry while out, “Here, have these.”

The Crown Prince took the candy, smiled sweetly at Chu Qingzhi, and was extremely happy.

Meanwhile, the Emperor had reached the second floor of Bitong, where a platform had been built for him to give lectures. He stood there now, addressing the audience.

The students from the Imperial College, each dressed in their respective academy uniforms, gathered near Bitong Hall. Their faces were solemn as they looked up at the Emperor on the platform.

The Emperor gave a passionate speech, which left the students with shining eyes and stirred hearts, thinking about how they would study and serve the court in the future.

After the Emperor’s speech, the competition began.

There were many categories in the competition, including policy essays, legal debates, poetry, music, and more, totaling over twenty categories. The number of participants varied, with policy essays attracting over two hundred contestants, while poetry had the fewest, only about a dozen.

The competition took place in a spacious square garden, partitioned into small areas by screens. Each entry point had a sign indicating the category of the competition. Contestants would find the person in charge, sign up, and participate. The process was straightforward.

Chu Xuyuan competed in chess, and Chu Xuyao in playing the guqin. To support them, their family split up to accompany them to the registration.

Chu Qingzhi did not follow. With the Crown Prince being small and amidst a large crowd, she needed to stay to protect him in case he got hurt.

The Emperor changed his outfit and emerged looking like a handsome scholar. He blended into the crowd.

Tang Jinghong and other highly skilled guards dispersed throughout the Imperial College to protect the Emperor.

Chu Qingzhi, holding the Crown Prince’s hand, followed the Emperor from a distance.

She whispered to the Crown Prince, “Do you see your father?”

The Crown Prince looked around and then shook his head, saying in a babyish voice, “No.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and pointed to the disguised Emperor, “Shall we keep following him?”

The Crown Prince, holding Chu Qingzhi’s hand, nodded cutely, “I’ll listen to sister.”

“Good boy.”

Following the Emperor, they arrived at the policy essay competition area. Policy essay, simply put, was like writing an essay, but the topics were centered around state governance.

The place was crowded, with over two hundred people and as many desks, presenting a grand sight.

After signing in, the scholars sat behind their desks and waited for the Emperor to send someone to deliver their essay topics. This was a tradition, and the essay topics were all drafted by the Emperor..