"Test scores have never been about who answers the most questions," Sang Zhi said, his hands behind his back and his stern little face unsmiling.

"Are you saying her one answer was worth more than mine—the Crown Prince’s—and even the scores of every student in the intermediate classes?" Sang Qi asked, grinding his teeth.

’One answer surpassed them all?’

The students were also stunned. What kind of answer could possibly earn the highest grade from the teacher with just a single question?

"That is correct," Sang Zhi stated, his tone perfectly level.

"Her? Ha! Sang Zhi, you’re a Prince, yet you spout such blatant lies. If word of this got out, you’d be a complete laughingstock."

Sang Qi clenched his small fists so tightly they creaked. ’One answer better than everyone else’s, and it came from that damn fatty? Ridiculous.’

"Has the Crown Prince not heard the tale of how Song Taibao earned his place at court with a single character?" Sang Zhi asked.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding students immediately recalled the tale of the late Song Taibao and the former emperor. Song Taibao had been a man from a remote mountain village. When he came to the Capital City to take the imperial examinations, he wrote only a single character on his test paper.

That single character was enough for the former emperor to recognize his talent at a glance. He even took first place in the examination that year and entered the court as a top-ranking official.

But then they looked at Ye Qianning...

The girl stood there with her arms crossed, fat as a little pig. ’Could she really be compared to Song Taibao?’

"I know about him! Song Taibao entered the court on the strength of a single character, earning the former emperor’s deep trust. He even reformed the system and brought great fortune to the common people." Although Qian Zhuye loved the martial arts, he had an uncle who collected classic texts and had been forced to read quite a few.

"And you’re comparing *her* to Song Taibao?" Sang Qi narrowed his eyes.

"Whether or not she can be compared to him is beside the point. The principle is the same," Sang Zhi said, staring at him. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Sang Qi met his gaze, but his eyes flickered away. He was so furious it made his teeth ache.

Ye Qianning wanted to laugh as she watched the Crown Prince get shut down. ’Looks like all that reading wasn’t for nothing. The little stick-in-the-mud can really argue someone into silence.’

’Still, the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. Now that the little stick-in-the-mud has offended him, he’ll probably be given a hard time back in the palace.’

"To the Crown Prince, and to anyone else here who remains unconvinced, how about we have a contest right here, right now?" Ye Qianning said, stepping out from behind Sang Zhi. "If my score surpasses everyone else’s, then all who spoke up to doubt me today must withdraw from Lou Mountain Academy. But if I lose to even a single one of you, not only will I withdraw from Lou Mountain Academy, but I will offer up my head as well."

At these words, the students were horrified and recoiled. To be expelled from Lou Mountain Academy meant no other school in Beili would dare accept them. Their prospects for a scholarly career would be ruined for life.

Everyone present was a child of an official, and their studies at Lou Mountain Academy were vital to their futures. Faced with the prospect of expulsion, they all grew fearful.

Sang Zhi turned his head, a trace of worry clouding his gray eyes as he stared at her.

Qian Zhuye was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out of his head. ’Is she serious?’

"Betting on expulsion would have been enough! Why did you have to wager your life?"

"If you’re going to make a bet, you have to go big," Ye Qianning said with a shrug. "And the most valuable thing I have to wager is my own head."

"That’s not fair!" Qian Zhuye protested. "Why should you have to risk your neck when they only risk expulsion? If heads are on the line, they should have to put their own heads up too!"

"Because I’m not going to lose." Her voice was confident and firm, with an edge of pride.

When her words sank in, Qian Zhuye got so excited he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest.

"Go on, you find the proctors. If I pick them, I’m sure you’ll just accuse me of cheating again," Ye Qianning said, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.

The students looked at each other, but no one dared to speak.

"What’s the matter? Scared now?" she taunted. "A moment ago, you were all so sure I cheated and that the teacher falsified the scores. Now that I’m challenging you to a public contest, you don’t dare step up? If you don’t have the guts to compete, then none of you deserve to be at Lou Mountain Academy. You should all just pack up and run home to your mommies and daddies."