"No way. If you go up, that old coot won't let you off easily," Sun Yuelan objected. "The Women's College is Mother's life - work. No matter what, I can't let him mess up this audition. Otherwise, the Women's College will become the laughingstock of the capital, and no one will take Mother seriously in the future!"
These people seemed to be making things difficult for the young ladies on the scene in their back - and - forth conversation, but actually they were taunting Sun Hanlin. No wonder Sun Yuelan was so angry that she even called that person "old coot"!
However, "Let's wait and see first!"
Xie Fengran grabbed Sun Yuelan and motioned her to look forward.
The girl who drew the second number took the stage. It was none other than Wang Yahan!
"It's her?"
Sun Yuelan clearly also remembered this girl and sat back down.
Seeing that she had calmed down, Xie Fengran let go of her hand. "Let's see how Master Wang will test her."
Wang Yahan was also a girl from the Wang family. If Master Wang treated everyone equally, he would gain some respect. But one never knew...
With this thought in mind, the two of them turned their attention to the girl about to take the stage.
Wang Yahan showed no sign of panic. After taking the stage, she gracefully bowed to the masters.
It was still Master Wang who spoke first, asking the same question, "Why do you want to come to the Women's College?"
Wang Yahan replied in a clear voice, "I want to study with my sisters and make good use of my time in the boudoir."
Master Wang nodded and didn't ask further.
Seeing this, Master Wu and Master Lin on one side asked two questions about learning.
As for the difficulty - according to Sun Yuelan's later account, even a three - year - old child could answer them.
Xie Fengran said it wasn't that easy; Xie Chenghui couldn't answer them.
Maybe because Wang Yahan wasn't made things difficult for, the confidence of the following people increased inexplicably, and they stepped onto the stage with their heads held high.
Sun Yuelan was very familiar with the circle of young ladies in the capital, unlike Xie Fengran who was only familiar with those families that had been powerful and prestigious for hundreds of years.
She nudged Xie Fengran. "This one is the niece of the Minister of the Supreme Court. She's a nice girl, but a bit silly!"
Sure enough, she stepped onto the stage confidently but was criticized to pieces by Master Wang and ran off the stage in tears!
"This is too much!"
"Yahan, why didn't Master Wang make things difficult for you?"
A smug smile played on Wang Yahan's lips, but she still had a bit of sense. "The masters asked the same questions. If you can't satisfy the masters with your answers, whose fault is it?"
Everyone knew there was something fishy about it, but they couldn't do anything to her. For a moment, they hesitated.
The fourth young lady gritted her teeth and lifted her skirt to take the stage.
As expected, she was hit hard.
It seemed that the masters had brought out all their sharp tongues today. Sun Hanlin, who was constantly paying attention to this side, also looked a bit unhappy.
She knew today wouldn't end well, but she didn't expect Master Wang and the others to be so excessive. They didn't even give the Emperor's face. They clearly came to sabotage!
On the viewing stand, the Crown Prince, who had been keeping an eye on Master Wang and the others, showed no change in his expression, but the Fourth Princess and the Second Prince unconsciously moved aside.
The aura on him was simply too terrifying. They couldn't afford to provoke him!
Suddenly, the Crown Prince waved his hand behind him. His personal eunuch quickly walked over, bent down, and leaned in.
"Tell them - enough is enough!"
The eunuch responded and bowed as he stepped back.
"What does Your Highness want to do?"
The person who had been closing his eyes and resting suddenly spoke, which startled everyone. The eunuch immediately stopped in his tracks and turned his head...
Qin Junxing opened his eyes, glanced at the eunuch, and nodded his chin in the direction of the young ladies. "If Your Highness goes to warn Master Wang now, this audition will really be ruined. Sun Hanlin will lose all her face."
The Crown Prince's face darkened. "Then what do you suggest?"
"Wait... Your Highness should have a little more confidence."
Qin Junxing's gaze landed on Xie Fengran, and his eyes lit up for a moment.
The Crown Prince followed Qin Junxing's gaze and felt inexplicably annoyed. The eunuch, not hearing the Crown Prince's order clearly, asked nervously, "Your Highness, should this servant still go?"
"No need!"
Qin Junxing let out a soft laugh and continued to close his eyes and rest.
But the young ladies here were not so calm. After three consecutive failures, they all felt timid and didn't dare to take the stage.
The eunuch calling out the names on the stage called twice in a row, but no one responded.
One of the young ladies couldn't help but look at Sun Yuelan. "Yuelan, doesn't Lady Sun have any way? Are we just going up there to be humiliated for no reason?"
If the Women's College was like this, what was the meaning of them going in or not?
"Fengran, did you hear that? I'm going up there."
If Sun Yuelan hadn't been held back by Xie Fengran, she would have rushed up long ago.
"Stay here. If you go up, we'll lose all our face!"
Xie Fengran scolded Sun Yuelan, got up, took the number plate from the young lady who was about to take the stage, and stuffed her own number plate into the girl's hand.
"I'll go!"
The eunuch in charge of calling out the names clearly recognized Xie Fengran. "Miss Xie, did you take the wrong number plate?"
"I exchanged it with that young lady. Is that okay?"
"This..." The eunuch pondered for a moment, bowed, and said, "Miss, please wait a moment. Allow this servant to report it."
With that, he quickly walked to Master Wang's side and whispered a few words. Master Wang snorted, glanced at Xie Fengran, and said loudly, "Today's audition is a very serious occasion. It's not a place for you to have a party or play house and change things as you like."
Xie Fengran's eyes flashed. She looked up in the direction of Master Wang and also raised her voice. "Master, you're wrong. The audition should follow the rules, and there's no rule saying that the number plates can't be exchanged. So there's no problem with me holding this number."
Master Wang frowned. "Even if that's the case, in such a serious occasion, how can you change the numbers at will? Hurry up and change it back, or I'll immediately cancel your exam eligibility."
Xie Fengran remained unmoved. "If Master wants to cancel our exam eligibility, please point out the rules we've violated. We'll leave immediately. But if we haven't violated any rules and it's just that Master doesn't want us to do so, then I'm afraid I can't comply."
"... Are you really not going to change it back?"
Xie Fengran met Master Wang's annoyed face, smiled calmly, and said firmly, "No!"
"Good, good!" Master Wang waved his hand and motioned to the eunuch. "Let her come up!"
This little girl didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
Xie Fengran stood still on the stage and calmly looked at the examiners. "Student Xie Fengran greets the masters."
"Xie Fengran... from the Xie family." Master Wang snorted and asked first, "Today, the others are all dressed brightly. Why are you dressed so simply? Is it because you don't take this audition seriously, or do you want to be unique and attract attention?"
Xie Fengran frowned and said bluntly, "At the audition, the masters should test our knowledge. The Women's College values the students' moral character, not their appearance and clothing. I think it's okay to dress simply and generously. There's no need to pursue gorgeous clothing."
"But everyone also has their own preferences when choosing clothes. There's no need to be overly critical, as there's no rule specifying what kind of clothes must be worn. And what I want is to study in the Women's College, not anything else. Where's the so - called uniqueness?"
Xie Fengran's words were neither overbearing nor humble. At the end, she respectfully met Master Wang's gaze. "Actually, there's something I don't understand and would like to ask the master."
"What is it?"
"I think that although there's no rule about what to wear, the chief examiner has his own preferences. I'm curious. The first young lady was dressed brightly, but the master didn't like it. I'm dressed simply, and the master also doesn't like it. May I ask what kind of dressing the master actually likes? Is it only the dressing like Miss Wang's that can catch the master's eye?"