Inside Jingchen Hall, the score tallying for the Six Halls students reached the most critical mont.
Sixteen female scholars from the six halls paired up, compiling the score summaries of their respective Art Studies subjects, and presented them to ng Zhengjun.
These tables ranked the examinees by subject from highest to lowest, listing only exam numbers without corresponding nas.
ng Zhengjun took the tables, swiftly scanning through them, seemingly noticing sothing, and she montarily froze. Then, she directly got up and walked to the large Red List newly pasted on the north wall by two female scholars.
This was a blank red paper over six feet wide and a foot long.
Seeing ng Zhengjun holding the score tables in her hand and walking over, the sixteen female scholars imdiately held their breath, and the teachers sitting a little further away in the hall put down their pens and looked up, so expectantly, others calmly sipping tea while taking a glance.
ng Zhengjun extended her hand, grabbing the score tables from a distance, and in an instant, the score tables turned into blank paper.
The academic master of Mochi Academy relaxed his clenched right hand, waved it again, and the ink characters, like dense tadpoles, flew through the air, leaping onto the Red List like tadpoles jumping into a pond, finally rearranging themselves according to a dazzling yet subtly orderly pattern, remaining motionless.
The Red List was filled.
The scores were neatly arranged from highest to lowest.
From the first to the last, the corresponding exam numbers, total scores, and individual scores were accurately summarized and listed on the Red List.
Black characters on red paper.
ng Zhengjun turned her head and asked, "Are there any omissions?"
The female scholar called Yue Shu was the first not to sneak a peek at the rankings like her peers but imdiately replied, "The Classics score for the candidate with number Ren-13 is yet to be registered."
She gently lowered her gaze, searching for a familiar exam number in the mid-lower part of the Red List, as she whispered, "Old Mr. Zeng took that paper out and hasn’t returned yet."
ng Zhengjun nodded, suddenly waved her hand, and before anyone could take a look, she temporarily erased the line for ’Ren-13’ from the lower part of the Red List. She then glanced at the sunlight outside and waited on the spot.
During the brief wait, she wasn’t idle; instead, following the old custom, she took out a brush and inkstone, began dipping the ink, and started writing on the Red List, corresponding to a roster booklet she retrieved from her sleeve.
This was the na list of over three hundred scholars in the academy, corresponding to their exam numbers, and it was exclusively kept by the academic master.
Even though they were still waiting for the Classics score of a particular scholar, the overall scores of the six halls were largely confird, which did not prevent ng Zhengjun from starting the ’golden list announcent’, another established tradition.
ng Zhengjun quietly wrote out each na from highest to lowest in front of the exam numbers on the Red List, revealing the mystery.
The teachers and female scholars in the hall looked over one after another.
Xiao Hongyu and Li Xueyou both leaned forward to view the Red List, and the first na they saw was one extrely familiar to them, causing Li Xueyou’s face to brighten with joy, and Xiao Hongyu couldn’t help but blurt out:
"First place... Shuaixing Hall, Yu Huaijin, Geng-4, Classics... 18 points, Poetry and Prose Skill... 19 points, Calligraphy... 9 points, Music Art... 10 points, Ritual Skill... 10 points, Chess Skill... 9 points, Painting Skill... 10 points. Total Score... 85!"
"Second place... Guangye Hall, Chi Yueming, Bing-11, Classics... 18 points, Poetry and Prose Skill... 19 points, Calligraphy... 8 points, Music Art... 9 points, Ritual Skill... 10 points, Chess Skill... 9 points, Painting Skill... 10 points. Total Score... 83!"
"Third place... Justice Hall, Gu Yiwu, Wu-30, Classics... 18 points, Poetry and Prose Skill... 18 points, Calligraphy... 9 points, Music Art... 9 points, Ritual Skill... 10 points, Chess Skill... 9 points, Painting Skill... 9 points. Total Score... 82 points!"
"Fourth place... Cultivation Hall, Han Wenfu, Yi-9, Classics... 18 points, Poetry and Prose Skill... 19 points, Calligraphy... 8 points, Music Art... 9 points, Ritual Skill... 9 points, Chess Skill... 9 points, Painting Skill... 10 points. Total Score... 82 points!"
"Fifth place... Shuaixing Hall, Li Xueyou, Ren-7, Classics... 17 points, Poetry and Prose Skill... 17 points, Calligraphy... 9 points, Music Art... 9 points, Ritual Skill... 10 points, Chess Skill... 10 points, Painting Skill... 9 points. Total Score... 81 points!"
"Sixth place... Sincerity Hall, Xu Weiran, Yi-22... Total Score 81 points!"
"Seventh place... Chongzhi Hall, Chen Delu... Total Score 81 points!"
"Eighth place... Shuaixing Hall, Zhong Delu... Total Score 80 points!"
"Ninth place... Cultivation Hall, Lin Qingyi... Total Score 80 points!"
"Tenth place... Shuaixing Hall, Wu Peiliang... Total Score 80 points!"
"..."
ng Zhengjun did not respond to the whispering among the female scholars, as long as they didn’t make a loud noise. She continued according to the na list, quietly writing the subsequent scholars’ nas, while the top ten had already been revealed by her pen, becoming the focal point of everyone’s attention in the hall.
If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the top ten of this major examination. No, it should be the top eleven, as although these ten distinguished individuals are currently the top ten on the Red List, no one has forgotten the ’Ren-13’ number that just stirred up a significant wave. Its Classics score has yet to be released and is temporarily unranked by ng Zhengjun, but given its multiple perfect scores in several subjects, it’s not surprising at all that it might soon break into the top ten. The only remaining question is what position it will rank...
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