After Noble Consort Dugu finished speaking, both Feng Bailing and the Deputy Headmaster had no objections, with the Deputy Headmaster even secretly pleased.
The gathered crowd buzzed with discussions, feeling that Noble Consort Dugu was being very fair.
Yet,Dongfang Li and Dongfang Mosheng couldn’t help but frown; with so thought, they realized Noble Consort Dugu was giving Feng Bailing a hard ti.
Putting everything else aside, Feng Bailing was in her early twenties, whereas the Deputy Headmaster was in his forties or fifties. With the life experience and knowledge the Deputy Headmaster had, how could he possibly lose to Feng Bailing?
Seeing that Feng Bailing did not oppose, Noble Consort Dugu couldn’t help but secretly chuckle. Feng Bailing really overestimated herself, thinking she was fit to be the head of Yuxiu Academy.
The position of Headmaster was undoubtedly ant for the Deputy Headmaster.
"Please, Noble Consort Dugu, set the questions."
Feng Bailing and the Deputy Headmaster said in unison.
Noble Consort Dugu commanded soone to bring over brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to write the questions.
A quarter of an hour later, she had written out ten questions and had copied them onto another sheet; as soon as Noble Consort Dugu handed the two sheets to Feng Bailing and the Deputy Headmaster, even he couldn’t help but frown upon seeing the questions.
These questions were far from simple. The Deputy Headmaster’s respect for Noble Consort Dugu only grew.
Noble Consort Dugu was also quite young, yet to their surprise, she knew so much. The ten questions listed covered astronomy, geography, military strategy, politics, and humanities. They were incredibly tricky, and even the Deputy Headmaster found them sowhat daunting.
The Deputy Headmaster imdiately started to write feverishly, while Feng Bailing was gazing at the questions.
A quarter of an hour went by, and Feng Bailing had still not begun to write, seemingly stumped by the questions.
The Deputy Headmaster had already filled a densely written page, which even Dongfang Li could hardly bear to watch, urging repeatedly.
"Bailing, do start writing quickly."
There was only half an hour allocated for answering the questions, and a quarter of an hour had already passed. Even if Feng Bailing couldn’t produce an answer, she should at least write sothing.
"I’ve already thought of the answers, but Noble Consort Dugu didn’t specify that they must be written on paper," Feng Bailing said with a smile. As soone from the modern era, she was used to using computers, freeing her hands. In this life, the thing she hated most was to write extensive essays with a brush.
In the 22nd century, she had only written with a brush during the few years she practiced calligraphy, and she certainly did not want to write until her hands cramped, affecting her performance in the following two contests.
Noble Consort Dugu internally laughed to herself. With ti pressing, Feng Bailing was still stubbornly resisting. Clearly, the ten questions were very difficult. Noble Consort Dugu had prepared in advance and asked soone to create the questions; even she might not have been able to answer all ten, and she didn’t believe that Feng Bailing, who was uneducated, could co up with the answers.
If Feng Bailing could fully answer just one question, then Noble Consort Dugu would consider it her own loss.
Half an hour had passed, and the Deputy Headmaster sowhat reluctantly put down the brush. The ten questions were difficult; in the end, she could only answer seven or eight, but that was nothing since Feng Bailing had not written a single word.
Noble Consort Dugu ordered the questions to be collected. The two answer sheets were clear at a glance, and Feng Bailing’s sheet had not a single word on it apart from the questions.
The deputy head penned his answers densely, revealing a genuine repository of knowledge within.
Noble Consort Dugu handed two answer sheets to Dongfang Li and Sacrificial Officer Guo for review.
"In my view, the outco of this competition is quite clear,"
Noble Consort Dugu said with a smile.
"Princess Consort Wu also ntioned earlier that she could answer verbally. Let’s listen to what Princess Consort Wu has to say,"
Dongfang Li spoke, and although Noble Consort Dugu inwardly sneered, she still gave Dongfang Li ample face.
"Then, I will pose the questions and Princess Consort Wu will respond. The first question: Among the Ten Countries, which country has the largest territory, which has the most populous, and which is the most mountainous?"
This question gave even Dongfang Li a headache.
Although each country has its own geographical records, the population of each changes annually, and officials from one country wouldn’t typically know the detailed conditions of the Ten Countries.
Feng Bailing, having lived a secluded life, was even less likely to know.
After pondering briefly, Feng Bailing spoke in a clear voice.
"Among the Ten Countries, Beiqi has the largest territory. The Chen Dynasty holds the largest population, with approximately thirty million people. Nanshe has the most mountains."
Feng Bailing spoke lightly, causing Noble Consort Dugu to be montarily startled. Feng Bailing had actually gotten all the answers right. Looking again at the deputy head’s answers, there was a mistake in this question, as he ntioned the land area but omitted the population.
Noble Consort Dugu pursed her lips slightly, thinking to herself that it must be a fluke that Feng Bailing had known.
Noble Consort Dugu proceeded to ask the second question, unwilling to believe that Feng Bailing could keep up her streak of good fortune.
"A hundred years ago, there was a country that was extrely backward and poor until a renowned minister erged. This minister implented reforms, propelling the country from the weakest among the Ten Countries to one of the strongest. Dare I ask who this renowned minister is and which country he is from? Additionally, na the various asures of the reform that he implented."
This question concerned dostic policy, a topic rarely touched upon by most female students.
The female students began murmuring amongst themselves, impressed that Noble Consort Dugu, a re woman, also had knowledge of statecraft, which is no wonder she was Emperor Yongye’s favorite consort.
Feng Bailing furrowed her brows, and Noble Consort Dugu felt a surge of glee – this ti, she had surely stumped Feng Bailing.
Unexpectedly, in the next mont, Feng Bailing’s lips curled into a smile, and she spoke.
"That country is none other than Beiqi. A hundred years ago, Beiqi was just a backward nomadic country known for its famine due to scarce resources among the Ten Countries. This was because half of its territory was made up of desert, where crops could not grow. However, a hundred years prior, a renowned minister nad Liu Shi erged in Beiqi, who promoted afforestation and the cultivation of dicinal herbs on sandy lands. He also established the military-pastoral-agricultural system, which granted Beiqi not only land but its own military forces, livestock industry, and agriculture. The military cultivated and tended flocks during peaceti and assembled for combat during warti..."
Feng Bailing spoke on and on, with Sacrificial Officer Guo nodding continuously.
Feng Bailing’s ti attending classes at Yuxiu Academy was limited, but this did not an she hadn’t read extensively. After being spotted by Lady Nan Shiu, Lady Nan Shiu would often insist she read with Ouyang Chenchen.
Not to ntion, Feng Bailing also had the precious Records of the Ten Kingdoms given to her by the State Preceptor Wu, and prior to the Competition Among Ten Countries, Dugu had also tutored Feng Bailing intensively on the military and cultural aspects of the various nations. Feng Bailing’s store of knowledge was now quite formidable.
As Feng Bailing continued fluently answering each question with thorough perfection, Dongfang Li watched her with disbelief. Seeing this scene, Noble Consort Dugu’s expression turned even more unsightly.
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