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One by one, everyone arrived at the dining hall, had breakfast, and then sent Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao to meet up with the students from Yunfei School. After joining them, they all headed to the Imperial College.

At the Imperial College.

Seeing the Imperial College reminded everyone of a saying: “Ten years of hard study unnoticed, one day of success known to all.”

Each year, the two academies jointly organized a Poetry and Rites Competition. The venue of the competition was exchanged every year. This year, it was held at the Imperial College in the capital.

As Chu Qingzhi and her group arrived at the entrance of the Imperial College, they all looked excitedly at the plague above the gate.

The Imperial College, with its elegant and ancient ambiance, filled with the scent of books, had apparently been renovated recently, with the bright red lime under the eaves shining in vibrant colors.

Entering the college, the first thing that caught everyone’s eye was the Tai Xue Gate, the first major gate leading into the Imperial College.

In front of the gate stood a magnificent yellow-green glazed archway, adorned with dragons soaring skyward, exuding a formidable presence.

The door in the middle was called “Dragon Gate”. Only the top scholars could pass.

Further inside was the heart of the Imperial College, Bitong, where the Emperor lectured.

Continuing forward, the view expanded with classrooms, squares, libraries, dining halls, gardens, corridors, lotus ponds, pavilions…

The layout was similar to Yunfei School.

The Poetry and Rites Competition was the only time the Imperial College allowed outsiders to enter and leave. However, not everyone could enter. Only scholars were allowed to enter. Even with such restrictions, the place was still crowded.

At the moment, the Imperial College was bustling with people, yet it was not noisy, just filled with the sound of normal conversations.

Here, everyone bore a sense of reverence.

As Chu Qingzhi and the others walked around, she too felt amazed. The Imperial College truly lived up to its reputation as one of the two best educational institutions in the Dating Dynasty.

Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao wanted to see the Emperor. The other students from Yunfei School who had never seen the Emperor wanted to see him too, so they decided to wait near the Dragon Gate.

As soon as the Chu family entered the Imperial College, they became the center of attention wherever they went.

Other than some female members of the royal family, no female commoners had ever entered the Imperial College. Furthermore, the entire Chu family had entered the Imperial College and were still wandering around. Such an abnormality quickly attracted widespread attention.

Under a banyan tree, several students from the Imperial College were discussing fervently.

“Who are they? Why is their whole family here?”

“You don’t know them?!”

“Is it weird not to know? They’re not famous, are they?”

“They’re Chu Qingzhi and her family.”

“What? Chu Qingzhi! Which one is Chu Qingzhi?”

“The girl in the light green dress is Chu Qingzhi. Even if you’re busy studying, you should keep up with recent events.”

“I’ve been preoccupied with the competition, haven’t read the newspapers.”

“The theft case at the Imperial Hospital was solved by her help. Such a complex case, and she solved it in just one day. Even the famous detective Ren Buqing isn’t as impressive!”

“Also, Chu Qingzhi is extremely skilled in calligraphy. She excels in all seven major styles of calligraphy, and Wang Lingxi has framed her calligraphy in the study, where he looks at it every day.”

“I also heard that after Yuan Baozhang went to consult her, her calligraphy improved at lightning speed and she had the ability to compete for the grade A.”

“This, this is too amazing, right?”

“I heard from the people from Yunfei School that she’s also very good at playing the guqin. When she plays the guqin, she can make images appear in the minds of those listening to the guqin. She’s superb.”

A wave of exclamations sounded.

“Really?”

“Do you think students from the academy would go to such lengths to praise a girl without any reason?!”

“Sounds right,” someone suggested, “Didn’t someone just say her calligraphy is excellent? Why don’t we go ask her for guidance?”

“Yuan Baozhang went to seek her guidance, and he gave her valuable gifts. Why would she guide you?!”

“So should we just do nothing and watch?”

“Do you have any way to get closer to her?”

After a moment of silence…

“How about we go and say hello, just to get acquainted?”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

They were running late, and Chu Qingzhi was already surrounded by a crowd.

Her reputation was so widespread that people had started to overlook her gender. Many people came to greet her.

Chu Qingzhi handled it with ease, but she didn’t expect that more and more people would approach her, layer by layer.

Li Qingyu and the others were pushed to the edge, but they didn’t mind at all. Instead, they were quite pleased to see Chu Qingzhi being so popular.

Chu Qingyue held Li Qingyu’s hand and smiled, “Mother, Fifth Sister is the most popular person I’ve ever seen.”

Li Qingyu smiled back and said, “Your Fifth Sister has always been like this. But even though she’s popular, she’s still our family member. You mustn’t get jealous.”

“Mother, what are you saying? We won’t.”

“I’m just afraid that there might be estrangement among you siblings. After many people become wealthy, their once-harmonious families become divided. Mother doesn’t want you to become like that. Do you understand the importance of gratitude?”

“Mother, we understand.”

Meanwhile, someone from the crowd said, “Miss Chu, we’re hosting a banquet at the Tainan Restaurant. Can we invite you?”

Chu Qingzhi politely declined, “I’m busy with family matters recently and can’t go. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. You can join us for a meal when you’re free.”

On top of the bell tower, Mu Chongli and Cao Changkun stood by a large window, looking in the direction of Chu Qingzhi.

Cao Changkun’s eyes carried a hint of astonishment, “Is she the one who deciphered the puzzle?”

Mu Chongli smiled and stroked his beard, looking quite pleased with himself, “Yes, there were many people present at the time, and she easily deciphered the puzzle.”

Cao Changkun sounded regretful, “A girl in her teens can solve the puzzle left by our mentor. It would have been great if she were a man. With such intelligence, she could become a high-ranking official.”

Mu Chongli looked at Cao Changkun. If Chu Qingzhi were a man, she would have been recruited by Cao Changkun long ago. “You’re right. 1 feel the same way. But considering Chu Qingzhi’s personality, she might not be willing to become an official.”

Cao Changkun tried to justify, “She’s a woman, so she probably doesn’t think that way. If she were a man, she would most likely be willing.”

Mu Chongli retorted, “Not everyone is like you, obsessed with becoming an official all the time, as if there’s no other pursuit in life besides that.”

“You sound like you have a lot of pursuits.”

Mu Chongli replied, “Among the students who graduate from Yunfei School, none are just skilled in governance; they are also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They are well-rounded individuals. But those from the Imperial College focus only on honing their political skills, making the entire academy a breeding ground for political maneuvering and intrigues.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t argue with you. There are many people here today; it’s not a good time for a heated debate.”

“Hypocrisy,” Mu Chongli commented, which earned him an eye-roll from Cao Changkun..