Why Not Be a Judge?

"The results of the competition haven't been announced yet. If you regret it, it's not too late," the system tempted her.

Zhao Ruxi waved her hand, not wanting to talk to it.

She knew she wouldn't get any points in the competition when she decided to participate and then withdraw. She was already satisfied with earning points in the preliminary and semi-final rounds.

Moreover, accumulating points is not easy, but once you start spending them, you never have enough.

She not only wanted to give Zhao Yuanxun a new Recovery Pill, but also wanted to give one to Kang Shilin and the old lady.

The two elderly people are quite old; having one of these pills on hand could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.

Zhao Ruxi decided to take advantage of this free time at home, and besides reading books on scientific research, she would draw whenever she had free time.

She was also very interested in calligraphy, and after finishing a painting, she had to add calligraphy on it. Ugly handwriting was unacceptable. The imperial examinations also required beautiful calligraphy, so even though practicing calligraphy wasn't as cost-effective as painting, she couldn't give it up.

Furthermore, painting requires a continuous flow of time. Even a small-scale painting takes at least half an hour to complete.

So she used her spare time, or the time she spent reading when she got tired, to practice calligraphy.

Although she felt that she would be very good at chess if she learned it, after all, she was quick-witted and had decent logical thinking skills. Even if she couldn't become a national champion, she would still be better than the average person.

But it's better to have a special skill than a lot of skills. Since she has limited time, she should focus on painting and calligraphy.

Knowing that Zhao Ruxi was going to participate in a competition today, Zhao Yuanxun took Zhao Jingtai out early in the morning.

The old lady and Lady Zhu wanted to join in the fun, but there were simply too many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. The second-floor tables of the teahouses on Yongning Street were practically impossible to book without a certain level of power. The street was packed with men, making it inconvenient for them, so they had to give up.

However, after Zhao Yuanxun and his son Zhao Jingtai left, they still sent two clever young men to observe the situation and report back to them as soon as they had any results.

Zhao Yuanxun and Zhao Jingtai witnessed Zhao Ruxi's ordeal firsthand, and the father and son were furious.

Zhao Yuanxun wanted to stand up for his daughter, but he was afraid that his clumsy tongue would cause him to say the wrong thing and ruin things; moreover, with Grandpa Kang Shilin in charge, and it was he who suggested withdrawing from the competition, Zhao Yuanxun thought about it and remained silent.

Because of the crowd, the father and son struggled to squeeze through the throng, and the place where the carriage was parked was far away. By the time they got home, Zhao Ruxi had already entered the house.

When Zhao Yuanxun entered, the old lady was angrily cursing, "How can these people be so wicked? They lack ability themselves, yet they can't stand to see others succeed. People like them deserve to be struck by lightning."

"Exactly, that's terrible." Lady Zhu agreed, then turned to comfort her daughter, "It's alright, everyone knows your ability anyway, whether you get the first place title or not doesn't matter."

"Yes." Zhao Yuanxun walked into the house and sat down. "Your father and brother watched your competition, and everyone agrees that your skill level is comparable to Mister Kumu. You don't need first place won against those unknown people."

"I'm really fine. I feel the same way as you all; I don't care about the ranking at all," Zhao Ruxi said repeatedly.

"Sis, you're amazing!" Zhao Jingtai looked at his sister with admiration.

He knew his sister was good at painting, but today, at the competition venue, he realized for the first time just how amazing she was.

Zhao Yuanxun was the same.

"Tell me quickly, tell me what happened back then?" the old lady asked Zhao Yuanxun.

Of the two young men they sent, one was indeed clever. As soon as Kang Shilin and Zhao Ruxi left, he slipped out of the crowd before everyone else left, and then went through the alley back to the Earl of Suiping's Residence. Therefore, he returned faster than both Zhao Ruxi's and Zhao Yuanxun's groups.

The old lady and Lady Zhu had already heard the servant's report once before Zhao Ruxi entered the room, and now they wanted to hear the specifics of the situation.

Zhao Yuanxun then recounted the events of that time.

When talking about others' praise of Zhao Ruxi's painting skills, he was full of pride.

"If you're tired, go back and rest," said Lady Zhu, who was most concerned about her daughter.

"Okay." Zhao Ruxi said goodbye to her grandmother and father, then returned to her own courtyard.

She went back, changed her clothes, washed her face and hands, sat down to make tea, and slowly drank a cup as a rest.

She put down her teacup and had just picked up a book Yicui came in to report that the County Princess of Qingyang had arrived.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruxi was about to get up and go to the hall when she saw Lady Zhu accompanying Xiao Ruotong into the courtyard. She hurriedly went out to greet them.

"The county princess came to visit you. I thought it would be easier for you to talk here, so I simply brought her over," Lady Zhu said with a smile.

She exchanged a few polite words with Xiao Ruotong and then left.

Zhao Ruxi led Xiao Ruotong into the warm study, poured her a cup of tea, and asked, "Why are you here? Is the calligraphy competition over?"

Although young, Xiao Ruotong was already a famous calligrapher in the Great Jin. An elderly man who was originally a judge in the calligraphy competition was in poor health and said he would no longer serve as a judge. After discussions between the Imperial Academy and the calligraphy community, Xiao Ruotong was put in that position.

"Yes, I heard about your situation as soon as it ended. That's why I came straight over," Xiao Ruotong said.

Zhao Ruxi laughed, "I'm fine."

Xiao Ruotong carefully examined Zhao Ruxi and found that she did not seem sad or upset, so she felt relieved.

She said, "What does it matter if we get first place or not? Mister Kumu isn't going to be the judge anymore, and your painting skills are so high that no one can compare. Maybe next year everyone will nominate you to be the judge."

"This time next year..." Zhao Ruxi waved her hand, "It's probably not going to work out. I still have to take the imperial examinations, I don't have time to be a judge."

She didn't want to be the judge.

Don't be fooled by the highbrow nature of art. Whether it's design, painting, or music, anything can happen when reputation and profit are at stake. The dirty tricks used to compete for fame and fortune in these circles are no less than those in officialdom.

Furthermore, next winter, in order to push the Second Prince into the abyss, the Third Prince will cause 100,000 soldiers to die tragically at the border, which will inevitably make the situation tense.

Although Zhao Ruxi did not intend to get involved, she had no interest in doing anything else, much less act as a judge and cause unnecessary trouble.

Hearing Zhao Ruxi say this, Xiao Ruotong didn't try to dissuade her.

She said, "I didn't know that before, until I became a judge this time, I realized how complicated interpersonal relationships are, and how troublesome it is. I don't want to be this damn judge next year, let whoever wants to be it do it."

Zhao Ruxi laughed and said, "You're lucky. Your house has a high threshold; many people can't even get in, they don't dare to bother you."

"If I were a judge, I wonder what some people would do to get their children a good ranking. Not only would it do no good, it would also cause trouble for their families."